Graphic Novel/ Detectives (FDA)/Culinary: Chew: The Omnivore Edition, Volume 1 by John Layman

Summary


In Chew, an avian flu in the chicken population caused a worldwide pandemic leading the governments of the world to ban chickens.  Now seen as a threat to human survival, the sale of chicken on the black market is an incredibly serious crime, and the FDA is now the most powerful agency in the world.  The main character in Chew, Tony Chu, is an FDA detective with an extremely strange ability: his gets information from anything he eats.  If he eats an animal, he can tell how it was killed; if he eats a human corpse, he can find out the same information.  The only food that doesn't given him these psychic impressions is beets, so he eats a lot of beets. Chu uses his ability to hunt down black market chicken dealers and protect the public in this new series by John Layman.


Review


Of all the strange graphic novels my husband has had me read, this one may take the cake.  Ok, bad choice of words there.  Anyway, the concept of Chew is just weird.  The author seems more bent on shock value than on story quality: take away Chu's ability and the story is mediocre at best. The book was a 2010 "Best New Series" Eisner Award nominee and has  received rave reviews, but I just didn't see it. Luckily, my husband wasn't blown away by it, either, or I would be more than a little concerned about the man I married. In fact, he wanted me to read it to get my take on it, to see if he had missed something. He didn't.

References


[Cover art for Chew]. (2011). Retrieved from http://goodcomics.

     comicbookresources.com/2011/07/06/committed-independent-comic-

     book-gifts/

Layman, J. (2010). Chew: The omnivore edition, Vol. 1. Berkley, CA:

     Image Comics.

Graphic Novel/Thriller/Psychopathic Killer: Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter adapted and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke

Summary


Parker is a graphic novel adaptation of the Richard Stark (the pseudonym for Donald Westlake) novel Parker: The Hunter. The novel, set in 1962, is a story of revenge.  The title character, Parker, a career criminal, was betrayed by his partners and his wife during bank robbery.  Parker was left for dead but survived and wound up in prison.  When Parker is released from prison, he begins his quest for revenge, determined not only to get back the money his partners and his now ex-wife took from him but to also everyone involved in his betrayal--and anyone else who stands in his way. Will anyone be able to stop Parker before he exacts his revenge? Read Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter to find out.

Review


I always try to include a couple of graphic novels when I'm doing required reading for a class, just to add some additional variety.  My husband, of course, is quite the connoisseur of graphic novels, so I asked him to recommend a couple, and Parker was one of his suggestions from him personal collection.  The novel was a quick read and is actually the first in a series.  The most interesting aspect of the novel is really Parker himself.  He is an unusual protagonist in that he really has no redeeming qualities.  Unlike the protagonist in The Lock Artist, whom the reader developed some sympathy for, Parker is just a criminal and a killer--completely unlikable.  He seems ambivalent about murder--he can sort of take it or leave it--but has no issue with following through if it will lead him closer to his goal of getting his money back and giving him the satisfaction of revenge.  In fact, he is so determined that he doesn't even hesitate to go up against the mob in order to get back at one of his partners.  It is important to note, however, that Parker is written for an adult audience.

References

Cooke, D. (2009). Richard Stark's Parker: The hunter. San Diego:

     IDW Publishing.

[Cover art for Parker: The hunted] . (2009). Retrieved from

     http://1979semifinalist.wordpress.com/category/darwyn-cooke/

True Crime: Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell

Summary

Popular crime writer Patricia Cornwell, who writes the Kay Scarpetta novels, believes she has solved the Jack the Ripper case.  In her true crime novel Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed, Cornwell presents her argument for naming painter Walter Sickert the serial killer previously known only as Jack the Ripper.  In the book, Cornwell details her own research into the Jack the Ripper case and her attempts to use modern forensics to finally solve the mystery. Cornwell used her own money to reopen the case. Based on her interpretations of Sickert's art, Cornwell believes that Sickert hated women, possibly because he suffered from impotence as a result of a surgery he underwent as a child. Cornwell also claims that DNA tests she had done on a stamp from one of the Ripper letters proves that Sickert wrote the letter.  The title of Cornwell work begs the question: is the case closed?  Read Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed and draw your own conclusions.

Review


I thought this book was terrible.  I read it because, like many people, I am intrigued by the Ripper case, I guess, because it is a mystery that can never be solved. Cornwell's purpose in this book is to prove that Sickert was Jack the Ripper, so she makes the evidence she has fit that conclusion.  The "proof" she offers would never hold up in a court of law.  Additionally, the book is poorly written.  Like much of the true crime I've read, the book reads like a textbook.  I would've thought that a mystery writer as popular as Cornwell could have made her case in a way that was enjoyable to read, but that is not the case.  That fact is that, in order to consider the case on Jack the Ripper closed, one has to take simply take Cornwell as her word and refuse, as she did, to consider any other possible scenarios besides the one she's presented.  Cornwell as certainly convinced herself that Sickert was guilty, but she didn't convince me.  Perhaps he was, but her case needs some work, as does her presentation.

References


Cornwell, P. (2003). Portrait of a killer: Jack the ripper--Case closed.

     New York: Berkley.

[Cover art for Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed].

     (2011). Retrieved from http://www.paperbackswap.com/Portrait-Killer-

     Jack-Patricia-Cornwell/book/0425192733/

Youthful Sleuths/ YA Mystery/ Animal Crimes/Humor: Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe

Summary

Ever since her mother's death, Jasmine has wanted to be a detective, but her father is 100% against this plan.  He forces her to go on vacation to Las Vegas with him and her step-mother, Sherri.  Las Vegas isn't really where Jas wants to be, but she decides to make the best of it by lounging by the pool and ogling a cute guy named Jack.  That's where the "bad kitty" comes in.  Jas is attacked by a three-legged cat that happens to belong to the son of a famous model. The model, Fiona Bristol, it turns out, was involved in quite a scandal the previous year: she was having an affair and her boyfriend, Len Phillips, ended up dead. Fiona's husband was charged with the crime. Jas quickly finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery and calls for backup from her friends Polly, Roxy, and Tom.  As Jas begins to find clues about the murder, she realizes that cute Jack is somehow part of the mystery.  So, who really killed Len Phillips?  And just exactly how was Jack involved? Read Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe to find out--and enjoy more than a few laughs along the way!

Review


I read Bad Kitty because it was on the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award nominee list a couple of years ago, and I've always looked to this list as one of my sources of books to recommend to my students.  The book is hilarious: it is really just a quick, fun read.  It would be a great choice for high school girls, especially reluctant readers. Jaffe has since written a sequel called Kitty, Kitty, as well as a graphic novel called Catnipped, so students who like the novel could follow up with those titles. The bottom line is that if you want a quick, easy, funny mystery, you'll love it.  If you want a serious mystery, it probably won't be your style.

References


[Cover art for Bad kitty]. (2008). Retrieved from

     http://ebookw.net/ebook/mobile_ebooks_readers/241233-0060781106.html

Jaffe, M. (2006). Bad kitty. New York: HarperTeen.

Psychological-Suspense/ Psychopathic Killers/ Amateur Detectives: False Memory by Dean Koontz

Summary

Susan, suffers from agoraphobia, terrified to leave her house. When Susan becomes convinced that her husband has been somehow sneaking into her apartment at night to have sex with her, she sets up a video camera to catch him in the act. Instead, she catches her psychiatrist, Dr. Ahriman, raping her.  Dr. Ahriman has taken control of Susan's mind--with a key phrase, he can force her to do anything he wants and leave her with no memory of her actions. When Dr. Ahriman discovers Susan's video camera, he uses his power over her to force her to commit suicide. In the mean time, Susan's best friend begins to develop her own mental illness, autophobia, and becomes terrified of herself and what she might do. Dusty, Martie's husband, begins to suffer from fugue states, losing chunks of time. Skeet, Dusty's brother, is an addict and attempts to commit suicide. Will Martie and Dusty find out who is behind their disorders in time to save them from the same fate as Susan?  Read False Memory to find out!

Review


I bought False Memory at the library book sale because it was a Dean Koontz I hadn't read. I usually really enjoy his work, but I had a really hard time with this one.   I've started books before that I lost interest in and had a hard time finishing, but this book was difficult to finish for a completely different reason: it really disturbed me. I guess the idea of someone else having control over my mind without my knowledge was just too horrifying.  And the idea that someone could rape another person without the victim's knowledge or force someone to commit suicide against their will is just unbearable to me.  I guess it bothered me, too, that the killer was a doctor, a therapist, someone who should be trustworthy, and he just used that position of trust to destroy others rather than help them.  While I still love Dean Koontz and would recommend him as an author, this is not a novel I would recommend to anyone else.  While it might not affect another readers as deeply as it did me, I wouldn't want to take the chance that it might.

Review


Koontz, D. (2000). False memory. New York: Bantam.

[Book cover art for False memory]. (2008). Retrieved from

     http://openlibrary.org/books/OL58896M/False_memory

True Crime/ Edgar Award Winner: Columbine by Dave Cullen

Summary

When the Columbine tragedy occurred in April of 1999, people in the US and all around the world were glued to their television sets and scouring their newspapers for the latest information about the massacre.  The media created profile of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold as members of the "TrenchCoat Mafia" and school outcasts bullied by jocks convinced Americans that they knew the killers and their motives.  Dave Cullen's Columbine, published for the ten year anniversary of the shooting, tells the true story of Columbine and shows readers just how much of what they believed about the tragedy was wrong.  Cullen explains that the media fabrication of the Columbine story was the result of overeager newspapers reporting,  speculation, and rumor and a sheriff unopposed to talking off the cuff and presenting incomplete and often incorrect information as fact.  Schools across the country banned trench coats as a result of the shooting, but Eric and Dylan were never members of the "TrenchCoat Mafia," as suggested by the press--they wore trench coats for the purely practical reason of hiding their weapons. Eric and Dylan also were not outcasts: they had friends, dated, and even attended the prom the weekend before the shooting. For ten years, Americans have believed that they knew what happened at Columbine; thanks to Dave Cullen, now they finally will.

Review


Columbine is true crime/non-fiction the way it should be done.  This book is a page-turner, each chapter revealing more about the killers, the victims, the media, and the authorities. While Dave Cullen is a journalist, this book isn't written in the journalistic style: it reads like a novel. The shocking realization that so much of what was reported about the shooting was wrong hooks the reader from the very beginning. The Columbine tragedy occurred in the spring of my first year of teaching, so my entire career has been colored by the event. It was truly unsettling for me to learn that so much of what I believed about the massacre, so much of what was reported in the media, was just plain wrong.  The book is a great example for media literacy, a wide-scale example of how the media can, and will, twist the truth in an effort to sell papers. Cullen's work is thoroughly  researched and his extensive list of sources is included.  Everyone in America should read this book, but especially every educator in America.  Dave Cullen gives his readers a look into the minds of not only the killers, but the victims, the community, and the authorities, and helps the reader come away with a better understanding of this shocking moment in our country's history.

**Dr. CAT, if you were ever to teach the mystery genre class again, I would highly recommend this book as your true crime requirement.

Book Trailer:

Dave Cullen's website

References

Cullen, D. (2009). Columbine. New York: Twelve Books.

Cullen, D. (2011). DaveCullen.com. Retrieved from www.davecullen.com 

Historic Mystery/ For the Younger Set/Youthful Sleuths: The Demon in the Teahouse by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

Summary


Adopted by the prominent Judge Ooka, a samurai, Seikei dreams of becoming a samurai himself. When a series of suspicious fires and a rash of murders strike Edo, it is up to Ooka and Seikei to solve the crimes. Because the murder victims are geishas, Seikei takes a job at the Teahouse of the Falling Cherry Blossoms where he can look for clues and keep an eye on the mysterious geisha Umae, who seems to be somehow connected with the crimes.  Seikei hopes that if he can hlep Ooka solve the crime, he will prove himself worthy of one day becoming a samurai himself.  Seikei is in great danger, though, because if he is found out, the consequence could be his life.  Will Ooka and Seikei be able to solve the mystery, save the geishas, and bring peace and safety back to Edo?  Read The Demon in the Teahouse to find out!


Review


The Demon in the Teahouse is the second in a series, but I read it as a stand alone title and had no problem.  The book was a quick, simple read, but the story was well-told and engaging.  The character of Judge Ooka is apparently based on a historical figure, and the setting of the novel in samurai Japan is interesting and educational, especially for young readers who have probably had little exposure to the time period or culture. Young readers will identify with Seikei and his desire to please Ooka and achieve his dream of becoming a samurai.  This novel would be a great read for late elementary to middle school students, especially as part of a history unit or class.

References


Hoobler, D. & Hoobler, T. (2002). New York: Puffin.

[Cover art for The demon in the teahouse]. (2011). Retrieved

     from http://www.flipkart.com/books/0756967252

Amateur Detectives/ Ghost Stories/ Supernatural/ Humor: Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Summary

Odd Thomas is a fry cook in the town of Pico Mundo.  He has a girlfriend named Bronwen, who goes by Stormy; a best friend named Little Ozzie, who isn't little; and mentor of sorts in Chief Wyatt Porter.  He also has an talent as unusual as his name: he can communicate with the dead. Odd can also see bodachs, dark figures that Odd sees around those who will either die or kill soon.  When Odd sees the most bodachs he's ever seen following a strange man at the diner, he decides to investigate, sure that great tragedy is imminent.  Odd uses his psychic magnetism to find the man, whom he calls Fungus Man, and discovers that he is obsessed with serial killers.  Odd is determined to stop Fungus Man before he can go through with whatever atrocity he's planning to unleash on Pico Mundo. A calendar page suggests that Odd only has 24 hours to solve the mystery.  What is Fungus Man planning?  Is he working alone?  Will Odd be able to stop him in time?  Will he be able to keep those closest to him safe?  Read Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz to find out.

Review


Odd Thomas is the first in a series of novels about the title character. Odd Thomas is an extremely endearing character: the reader can't help but love him and all his eccentricities.  Dean Koontz is one of the best, and I have long enjoyed his novels, but Odd Thomas is by far my favorite character.  Based on the Koontz novels I've read, I think this series is the first where the author has infused his story with some humor, and he does it well.  The book is still a suspenseful thriller, but Odd and his friends provide plenty of comic relief throughout the story.  The plot seems simple at first--hero identifies bad guy and stops him before he can carry out his sinister plans--but, as always with Koontz, it isn't that simple.  Fungus Man is out of the picture (somewhat) fairly early on, and the real villains hit the scene, complicating matters further.  All of this is compounded by the 24 hour time constraint Odd is working under.  The twist with Bronwen at the end is heartbreaking , and the reader is left loving Odd even more for his loss. Wisely, Koontz decided to continue to write more Odd Thomas novels. I highly recommend you check them all out.  Odd Thomas is a winner!

References


[Cover art for Odd Thomas]. (2011). Retrieved

     from http://www.deankoontz.com/odd-thomas-series/

Koontz, D. (2003). Odd Thomas. New York: Bantam.

Youthful Sleuths/ For the Younger Set: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (Book 1 in the 39 Clues Series)

Summary

The mystery begins when Grace Cahill, the matriarch of the Cahill family, dies, leaving her relatives a strange choice: accept a one million dollar inheritance or attempt to find the 39 clues and have a chance at becoming one of the most powerful people in the world.  Amy and Dan, Grace's orphaned grandchildren, accept the challenge and receive the first clue, along with a number of their relatives.  As it turns out, the Cahills are an extremely powerful family to which a number of histories greatest men and women belong. The first clue leads Amy and Dan to the library of their grandmother's mansion where they find a connection to Benjamin Franklin: a copy of Poor Richard's Almanac with notes from various relatives, including Amy and Dan's mother. Before they can examine the book in depth, the mansion catches fire, and they are forced to flee.  The mansion burns down, Amy and Dan's Uncle Alistair disappears with the Almanac, and the two children are left with their grandmother's cat and her jewelry box. Amy and Dan ask their nanny to accompany them as they travel from the US to France in search of the solution to the puzzle on the first clue and information about the location of the next clue.  It soon becomes clear that many of their relatives will stop at nothing to find the second clue first, and Amy and Dan are in constant danger. Is there anyone Amy and Dan can trust?  Will they be able to find the second clue before their scheming relatives?  Read The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan to find out!

Review


The Maze of Bones is sort of like American Treasure for kids.  The concept is an interesting one: 39 clues to discover over the course of ten books written by a series of popular authors.  To me, the book was a fast, easy read that did offer some suspense and interesting historical connections.  I think my eight-year-old would love it, and the historical allusions could offer opportunities for further inquiry and learning.  Riordan does a good job of making Amy and Dan the heroes and other relatives, like the Kabras and Irina Spasky the villains, while also introducing some gray characters like Alistair and William McIntyre. The idea of two fairly young kids running around the with their nanny, risking their lives to solve a family mystery all without the permission or support of their guardian Aunt Beatrice is more than a bit far-fetched, but kids will be more willing than adults to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.  My third grader is reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series right now, but I will certainly have him give this series a try when he finishes.  I just hope the remaining books in the series are as well done as the first and that the use of different authors doesn't compromise the story.

References


[Cover art for the maze of bones]. (2009). Retrieved from    

     http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2009/

    10/the-39-clues-book-one-maze-of-bones-rick-riordan.html

Riordan, R. (2008). The 39 clues: Book one: The maze of bones. New York:

     Scholastic Press.

Amateur Detective/ Religious Mystery/ Academic Mystery/ Historic Mystery: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Summary


In this third novel featuring symbologist Robert Langdon, Langdon receives a invitation to speak at the Capitol from his friend and mentor Peter Solomon, a Mason.  Solomon asks Langdon to bring the small box he had given Langdon years before. When Langdon arrives, he finds that it was not Peter who sent for him at all; in fact, Peter has been kidnapped and his severed hand left in the Rotunda. Peter's kidnapper, who calls himself Mal'akh, tells Langdon that in order to save Peter he must find the Mason's Pyramid and the Lost Word. Mal'akh, who has entered the Masons under false pretenses, believes that by doing so, Langdon will be able to help him unlock the key to great power. Will Landgon solve the mystery in time to save his friend's life? What and where are the Mason's Pyramid and the Lost Word? Who is Mal'akh and why does he harbor such hatred for Peter?  To find out these answers and more, read Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.

Review


Having not read Angels and Demons or The Da Vinci Code (I did see the Da Vinci Code movie), I can into the novel with no prior experience with the author.  The novel, in my opinion, is fairly dense; while the  information about the Masons and their place in American history will be interesting to some, the depth of background information might be overwhelming to others.  Also the inclusion of the storyline related to Noetic science is confusing.  The mysteries surrounding the Masons is always intriguing, so that aspect of the novel works well.  Once the stage is set (i.e., the reader has the background knowledge to understand the plot), the book becomes a real page-turner. The ultimate reveal that Mal'akh is actually Peter's son adds a whole new layer to the story, making it not just about power, but also about revenge and regret.  Peter's explanation of the Mason's Pyramid and the Word at the end of the novel is certainly plausible (more plausible, in my opinion, than the explanation in The Da Vinci Code), but it does seem a bit anti-climactic. Overall, I enjoyed the novel, although it was long and could have benefited from some editing, but I think many readers will find it too difficult to really enjoy. American history buffs, however, will probably love it, though.

References


[Cover art for the lost symbol]. (2011). Retrieved

     from http://search.overdrive.com/TitleInfo/39b6f5ef-42eb-

    4d66-8c76-83fb6cbf7b47/425

Brown, D. (2009). The lost symbol. New York: Doubleday.

YA Mystery/ Youthful Sleuths/Edgar Award Winner: Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

Summary

Eli Samuels is smart, top of his class, but when he graduates high school, he wants to take a year off before attending college.  Eli's dad doesn't approve of his plan, but Eli's mom is dying of Huntington's disease, and Eli knows that her medical costs have put his dad in a financial crisis.  Eli wants to earn the money for college to take the pressure off of his dad.  When Eli gets an amazing job at Wyatt Transgenics working for the famous Dr. Wyatt, he's blown away by his luck.  His dad, however, is livid.  It seems that Eli's parents have a past connection with Dr. Wyatt, something that happened before Eli was born. It's clear that Eli's dad hates Dr. Wyatt, and Eli is caught in the middle. In addition to these troubles, Eli is haunted by the possibility that he, too, could fall victim to the horrors of Huntington's disease.  Eli can take a test to see if he will develop the condition, but does he really want to know?  What is his dad hiding? What could Dr. Wyatt have done that was so horrible and what does it have to do with Eli and his mother and her disease?  Nancy Werlin's Double Helix will raise as many questions as it answers about science and genetics and responsibility. In a modern world of endless scientific possibilities, this novel is a must read.

Review


Ok, I'm thinking like an English teacher again, but this novel would be a great modern title to pair with Frankenstein.  The whole question of genetics and the debate over scientists playing God could be discussed with both works, and students could compare the treatment of those issues in the two different time periods.  Plus, Double Helix is a great novel, and students would love it, so it might hook them into enjoying Frankenstein a bit more.  This would also be a perfect book for a media specialist to recommend to teachers in the science department for the students to read and discuss or even to offer as an extra credit--or even better, do some kind of collaborative project about the novel with an English class. I also think that the question Eli faces as to whether he should be tested for the Huntington's gene or not is a really interesting one for any reader to discuss, but it would really be timely for teens today to think about this possibility because more and more advancements in genetics are going to be made during their lifetimes, and they will likely be faced with these types of decisions for themselves personally or for their children or both.  Having just had a baby, I had to consider whether I wanted to pursue any genetic testing with my daughter or whether, as they say, ignorance is bliss.  I pretty much went the ignorance-is-bliss path, but it's a decision that every parent faces these days and one that shouldn't be taken likely.  Outside of the genetics debate, their are some interesting issues about family dynamics brought up in the novel that many readers would identify with, such as Eli's desire to pay his own way through college because he knows that his father has put everything he has into his mother's care.  That's a great deal of responsibility for someone Eli's age to bear, but there are teenagers all over the world today dealing with similar and much worse problems, so I think these topics would spawn so great discussion in a classroom or simply between readers enjoying the book as pleasure reading.

References

[Cover art for double helix]. (2009). Retrieved

     from http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2009/01/

     double-helix-nancy-werlin.html

Werlin, N. (2004). Double helix. New York: Dial.

YA Mystery/ Youthful Sleuths/ Supernatural: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Booktalk Selection)

Summary

Susie Salmon, the narrator of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, is brutally raped and murdered at fourteen years old by a neighbor named Mr. Harvey.  She tells her story from Heaven, where she watches her family as they deal with her death, the police as they investigate her murder, and Mr. Harvey as he goes on with his life completely free.  Susie's father Jack begins to suspect Mr. Harvey and even shares his concerns with the police, but there is no evidence to tie Mr. Harvey to the murder.  Susie watches from Heaven as her family falls apart after her death, helpless to do anything about it and frustrated that her killer continues to walk free, free to kill again.  Will Susie's family ever come to grips with her death and put the pieces of their broken family back together?  Will Susie's killer ever come to justice?  Will Susie ever accept her existence in Heaven or will she forever pine for the life Mr. Harvey took away?  Read The Lovely Bones to find out.

Review


The Lovely Bones is a great book, in my opinion, and I have had a number of students read and enjoy the book as well, but it isn't for everyone.  The fact that the narrator is dead is a little too much for some readers to buy into, as is the whole switching bodies scene.  I, however, think that it is a fascinating concept.  Unfortunately, the types of crime that happened in this novel happen all of the time in the real world, so the thought of those victims watching what happens to their families and friends after their deaths, pining away for the life they left behind, and wanting to see their murders brought to justice is particularly poignant.  I think that Sebold's depiction of the grieving family is spot on and could really open up some discussion about the stages of grief. The most gripping part of the novel for me, though, was the question of whether Mr. Harvey would ever be caught and punished for what he did to this innocent child.  To know that her family suspects him, is convinced he did it, but can't prove it, is almost too much to bear, and the idea that he could get away with it is unthinkable.  The reader just wants justice and peace for Susie and her family.  The crime presented here is realistic, but, as a fantasy lover, perhaps it is the supernatural aspect that I found appealing.  I can see, however, how Sebold's interpretation of Heaven might invite criticism by some readers who might find it offensive in comparison to their beliefs.  It is, however, a lovely idea of Heaven if one can be open-minded enough to entertain the possibility. There is a movie out of The Lovely Bones, but I haven't seen it yet.  I hope they handled this powerful story well.

References


[Cover art for the lovely bones]. (2011). Retrieved

     from http://www.thebookwormslibrary.com/?p=208

Sebold, A. (2002). The lovely bones. New York: Little Brown.

YA Mystery/ School Crimes/Psychological-Suspense: What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles (Booktalk Selection)

Summary


Cass McBride is popular.  David Kirby isn't.  Cass McBride is also ambitious, so when David Kirby asks her out, she doesn't laugh in his face; instead, she does it on paper in a note to one of her friends, a note she never intended David to see.  See it he does, though, and it has more of an effect on him than Cass could have ever imagined.  Destroyed by Cass's rejection and derision, David takes his own life.  Angry over his brother's death and carrying his own guilt, David's popular brother Kyle blames Cass for David's death and is set on revenge.  Kyle kidnaps Cass and buries her alive.  For now, Cass can breath, but only so she can hear what Kyle has to say about her and what she did to his brother.  Cass is forced to rely on her words to try to save her life.  What will Cass be able to learn about her captor? What will she learn about herself? Will she be able to convince Kyle to free her before it's too late?  Does she deserve to be free?  Read What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles to find out.

Review


This is a gripping novel.  Despite the fact that the novel was published in 2006, the issues it addresses are still relevant.  With the recent focus on bullying and teen suicide, this novel current and powerful and has a place in all high school libraries.  Giles uses three narrators to tell the story: Cass, Kyle, and a detective working the case.  Giles manages to keep her reader on the edge of his seat.  This is definitely one of those books you can't put down.  The situation forces Kyle and Cass to take a good, honest look at themselves, and it forces the reader to do the same.

References


Giles, G. (2006). What happened to Cass McBride. New York: Little, Brown

     Books for Young Readers.

[Cover art for What happened to Cass McBride?]. (2011). Retrieved from

      http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780316166393-5

YA Mystery/ School Crime/ Psychological-Suspense: What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci (Booktalk Selection)

Summary

In junior high, Clare was diagnosed with leukemia.  Now in high school, things are finally looking up for her; her life seems to be getting back on track. Still, she feels different from everyone else because of her illness. Then Lani Garver shows up.  Lani is different, too different for Hackett Island.  And Lani is an enigma: no one knows if Lani is a boy or a girl. When Clare and Lani become friends, Clare is able to look past the differences and see the real Lani, who Lani is beyond gender or appearance or any other characterization. She also sees a lot about herself.   Unfortunately, others on Hackett Island can't see Lani's inner beauty.  To them, Lani is a threat, a threat to their safe, defined world.  And threats, of course, must be eliminated.  What did happen to Lani Garver?  And who (or what) was Lani?  These are questions the reader must answer, so check out What Happened to Lani Garver and solve the mystery for yourself.


Review


I am a big fan of Carol Plum-Ucci, and I think that this is a powerful, timely novel.  The issues with bullying that abound today, as well as the discrimination against the GLBT community, are issues that young adults deal with everyday.  This is a novel that would open the floor for a discussion of some of these problems in our society and really force students to think about their own beliefs and actions and how those actions might affect others.  As an English teacher, I also love the ambiguity of the ending--Did Lani die?  Was he a floating angel?  Again, this would be excellent fodder for class discussion as students make their own inferences about what happened at the end of the novel and share and support those inferences for their classmates. I think, too, that this is a interesting book in that it forces the reader to really think about and come to terms with their own ideas and beliefs about gender.  While imagine that there will be more and more books about similar topics as time goes on, I think that this is one of the better ones out right now.

Reference


Plum-Ucci, C. (2002). What happened to Lani Garver. New York: Harcourt

     Children's Books.

[Cover art for what happened to Lani Garver]. (2011). Retrieved from
    
     http://theliteraryomnivore.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/the-literary-

     horizon-what-happened-to-lani-garver-boy-meets-boy/

Animal Crimes/ Picture and Easy Books for the Younger Set: Detective La Rue: Letters from the Investigation

Summary


Furry and four-legged, Ike LaRue is arrested for a crime he didn't commit: the mysterious disappearance of some local cats. In order to clear his name, LaRue must escape from a high-security prison (ok, maybe it wasn't high security--or any security at all, for that matter) and find those cats.  When a  rash of canary burglaries begins, LaRue thinks he might know who's responsible.  Will LaRue save the day, himself, and the canaries before the police pick up his trail? Check out Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague to find out.

Review


This was my favorite read so far, but that's probably because I read it to my baby girl! Even at three months old, she enjoyed the pictures in this book, and the story line would be entertaining for kids up to third grade. Mark Teague tells LaRue's story through a series of letters that the dog writes to his owner who is on vacation in France when LaRue finds himself in jail.  Kids will enjoy trying to solve the mystery along with LaRue and will cheer when their favorite four-legged detective finds the rogue cats and saves the day.

References


[Photograph of book cover]. (2011). Retrieved from
    
     http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/detective-larue-mark-

     teague/1102325826

Teague, M. (2004). Detective LaRue: Letters from the investigation. New York:

     Scholastic.

Youthful Sleuths/ Ghost Stories: A Girl, a Guy, and a Ghost by Sherrie Rose

Summary


Two years ago, Traci's best friend (and boyfriend) Corky drowned.  Now, Traci is interested in the star quarterback, a transfer student named Brad.  Just as she and Brad start to hit it off, Traci starts receiving emails from someone (or something) claiming to be Corky.  At first, Traci believes that someone is playing a cruel joke on her, but soon enough she finds out that Corky is really back--as a ghost.  Traci is desperate to keep this secret from Brad, whom she is convinced will run for the hills when he finds out his new girlfriend thinks she's seeing the ghost of her dead boyfriend.  Unfortunately, Corky has no intention of keeping quiet and does everything he can to make his presence known.  When Corky's dad returns after walking out on Corky and his mom years before, Corky asks Traci for help in protecting his mom from his dead-beat dad.  Can Traci help her ghostly best friend without revealing her secret to Brad and risking losing him?  Read A Girl, a Guy, and a Ghost  by Sherrie Rose to find out!

Review


This book was a quick, easy read that was a bit to juvenile for my taste but would be a big hit with some of my ninth grade girls or even middle school girls.  The book is a ghost story, but there is certainly nothing scary about it: Corky is more of a prankster than a threat. There are some references to some ugly (and false) rumors that another boy spread about Traci, but the author doesn't get into specifics, so this aspect of the novel wouldn't be too much for younger readers.  Clearly, I'm breaking the rule I give my students when assigning booktalks--don't label books by gender--but this book is so completely a "chick" book that I can't help it.  More mature middle school girls and younger high school girls would enjoy it, and it would be a good choice for even older high school girls who are reluctant readers and need some high interest-low ability level books to get them started. Older high school students will find the story line too tame, and many will probably find Brad a bit too good to be true (I would have to agree).  The explanation for Corky's absentee father is a little to far-fetched, too, especially for a generation of readers who are more than familiar with the ins and outs of broken homes. Overall, while the characters in the novel are high school students, the book will probably be of more interest to middle school readers.

References


Rose, S. (2003). A girl, a guy, and a ghost. New York: Smooch.

[Photograph of book cover]. (2009). Retrieved from

     http://openlibrary.org/works/OL5805720W/A_girl_a_guy_a_ghost

Ghost Stories/Supernatural/Southern Ghosts/North Carolina Writers: Wadmalaw by Bart Bare

Summary

When Liv and Autis buy an old plantation house on Wadmalaw Island, they believe they have purchased their dream house. Soon, however, they discover that they may have purchased more than they bargained for.  Liv hears voices in the basement and soon the couple finds slave graves at the edge of the water.  Their problems begin to escalate when Liv begins to share a physical relationship with one of the spirits in the basement, and a black panther begins stalking their land and attacking their friends. As Liv and her new friend Bambi begin to piece together the history of the plantation by talking to a local basket weaver named Sweetgrass Weaver, the truth about the spirits and Liv's ancestry begins to come to life. Will Autis and Liv flee Maxton Manor as so many other have before them or will they be able to find a way to pacify the spirits and live safely and happily in their new home? Find out by reading Bart Bare's third novel, Wadmalaw: A Ghost Story.


Review


This is the second novel I have read by Bart Bare.  The first, Girl: A Novel, I didn't care for.  Wadmalaw is a much better story, one I was actually interested in, but I still find the writing leaves a lot to be desired.  Bart Bare would benefit greatly from a qualified editor.  The constant grammatical errors and typos throughout the book are distracting and make the book look unprofessional.  While much of the writing is acceptable or even good, there are a number of places where the writing is too flowery, giving the impression that the writer is trying too hard.  I also found the author's attempt at dialect for the character Bambi to be poor.  I was surprised that a Southern writer would write Southern dialect that was so overdone and stereotypical.  Finally, I felt like there were several aspects of the story that were unnecessary.  First, while I understand that character development is important, I didn't really see how Bambi's backstory was important to the story.  I also felt like her indignation over Liv's apparent tryst with the ghost of Mongo Maxton was absolutely ridiculous, especially in light of her own past, and that Liv's subsequent guilt over being unfaithful to her husband was equally absurd, a fact that, thankfully, Autis seemed to agree with. Finally, I thought the neighbor that had been possessed by Brutus Maxton should have been cut from the novel entirely.  That part of the story was not developed well enough to really add to the story and disrupted the flow of the main story.  Personally, I was a bit bothered by the incestuous relationships in the novel.  Perhaps that was common on slave plantations, and I am just simply unaware, but I really felt that it was unnecessary to have this aspect to the novel.  Why was important that Camille and Mongo be related, especially as closely related as half-brother and sister?  Certainly it was common for slave masters to raped female slaves and, as a result, have mixed children who remained on the planation as slaves, but I would think those relationships were known, though not talked about, and that any incest would be avoided.  In the novel, it seemed that Camille and Mongo had no problem with it, which I found strange and unbelievable. All in all, the strong storyline of Wadmalaw was damaged by poor writing and editing, making what could have been a great novel mediocre at best.

References


Bare, B. (2011). Wadmalaw: A ghost story. Vilas, NC: Canterbury House

     Publishing.

[Photograph of book cover]. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.tower.com/

     wadmalaw-ghost-story-bart-bare-paperback/wapi/117485300

Youthful Sleuths: The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price (Required)

Summary


In The Interrogation of Gabriel James, the reader finds out Gabe's story as her relates it to Deputy Sheriff Childress and Officer Kosich in a interrogation related to two murders.  After her dad finds out about their secret camping trip, Gabe and his girlfriend Anita are forced to break up.  When Gabe's friend Wib tells him that the quiet, reserved Raelene Ray is interested in him, Gabe begins to notice the girl and soon becomes intrigued by her reticence.  When Gabe asks Raelene out and she turns him down, saying that she can't date, he strange behavior peaks his interest.  He follows her home only to find out a frightening secret: Raelene and her brother Homer are forced to remove their clothes before entering their home.  Concerned about Raelene but not ready to tell anyone, Gabe continues to investigate.  In the meantime, the new star on the cross country team, Two Bull, a Native American transfer student, becomes the victim of a series of hate crimes, local pets begin to disappear, and Gabe's friend Durmie, a homeless man, tries to commit suicide.  So how are all of these problems related?  What (or who) is the common denominator?  How did these events lead to two murders and who were the victims?  Find out what Gabe knows as he tells his story to the police in The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price.


Review


I thought The Interrogation of Gabriel James was a great read.  Price's choice of formatting the book as a sort of transcript of Gabe's interrogation was creative and effective.  As Gabe revealed more and more of what he knew, I became more and more curious about how all the pieces would fit together.  The fact that the two victims are not revealed until the end serves to keep the reader guessing, as does the question of how Gabe was involved. The secrets surrounding the commune are shocking and terrifying and certainly food for thought and discussion, as is the treatment of Two Bull, Durmie, and the local petsI. The fact that the author reveals in the acknowledgements that the novel reflects true events only increases the power of the novel.  I would definitely recommend this novel to my more mature high school students.


References


[Photograph of book cover]. 2011. Retrieved from http://bestbooks4teens.com/
    
     the-interrogation-of-gabriel-james/mysteries/

Price, C. (2010). The interrogation of Gabriel James. New York: Farrar Straus

     Giroux.

True Crime/Women as Murderers: The Mistress of Murder Hill by Sylvia Shepherd (Required)

Summary


In The Mistress of Murder Hill, Sylvia Shepherd relates the story of female serial killer Belle Gunness, whose terrible crimes were discovered when her farmhouse in LaPorte, Indiana, burned in 1908.  A determined brother, Asle Helgelein, came to LaPorte looking for his missing brother Andrew who had reportedly come to Indiana to marry the widow, Mrs. Gunness. Asle's insistence led authorities to find the body of Andrew Helgelein buried on the Gunness property.  This gruesome discovery was not to be the last, however; many other bodies were found buried in Belle's barnyard.  In time, it became clear that Belle had been placing matrimonial ads in newspapers to attract victims. She would invite interested men to her farmhouse promising marriage and control of her farm, stressing that they should sell all of their belongings and bring the money as a show of good faith.  Once Belle was in possession of the money, she would murder and dismember the men and bury them on her land. A local man named Lamphere had worked for Gunness and the two had reportedly been lovers prior to a falling out that had led Gunness to file charges against Lamphere for trespassing and harassment. When Gunness's house burned down, Lamphere was the main suspect.  Authorities found four bodies in the ruins, three children and one woman, seemingly Belle and her three children.  However, the female body was missing its head, leading some to believe that Belle had faked her own death and escaped, while others were convinced that Lamphere set the fire and killed Belle out of jealousy.  So what really happened? Did a heartless murderess die in a fire fueled by jealousy or did cunning killer fake her own death and continue her murderous spree? Read Sylvia Shepherd's detailed account of the crimes of Mrs. Gunness and the trial of Mr. Lamphere and draw your own conclusions.

Review


Before I begin, I have to say that I am not a fan of non-fiction.  I love to read--it's an escape for me--so I enjoy fiction, particularly fantasy.  So, true stories aren't generally on my "to read" list.  So, perhaps you should take my review with a grain of salt. I found the story of Mrs. Gunness interesting, but, for me, the writing style was difficult.  It took me forever to read this book.  I wanted to know what happened, wanted to know if she was really dead or if she escaped, but I found the writing dry despite the high drama of the material.  I also found the organization difficult to follow at certain points.  Perhaps it was Shepherd's background as a journalist that made her style so unappealing to me. In short, I think the story of Belle Gunness is a fascinating one, but I think the writer, in this case, lacked the skill to do the story justice. Also, I found it frustrating that I spent the time to read the entire book but could not come away with a definitive answer on what really happened.  I guess that in today's world of DNA evidence I am a bit spoiled; obviously, in 1908, the authorities were limited in what forensics they could use to determine the true identify of the body in the fire.  I suppose it would be a waste of time and funds to exhume the bodies to try to determine the truth once and for all, but I certainly would be interested in finding out.  I also found it shocking that, once Belle Gunness's crimes were discovered, no one pushed to examine the grounds around her former Chicago home for evidence of early murders.  It seems clear that Belle murdered her two husbands, begging the question: were they her only Chicago victims?  It seems likely that the remains of other victims are left undiscovered in Chicago and perhaps in LaPorte as well.

References


[Photograph of book cover]. (2011). Retrieved from

     http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/
    
     psych_autopsy/9.html


Shepherd, S. E. (2001). The mistress of murder hill: The serial killings of 


     Belle Gunness.  Fairfield, CA: 1st Books Library.

2004 Edgar Award Winner for Best Young Adult Novel: Acceleration by Graham McNamee

Summary


Duncan, the 17-year-old narrator of Graham McNamee's award-winning novel Acceleration, has the most boring summer job ever: working in lost and found for the Toronto Transit Authority.  When Duncan finds a journal in the lost and found, he decides to pass the time with some reading.  Soon Duncan realizes that the author of journal is a serial killer in the making, and he's accelerating.  Roach, as Duncan nicknames the  owner of the journal, began, like many serial killers, with killing animals and committing arson, but now he is stalking three women, and Duncan is sure that soon he will kill.  The previous summer, Duncan failed to save a drowning girl, and now he sees his chance to be the hero.  When the police refuse to take him seriously, Duncan enlists the help of his friends to find the would-be killer and stop him. Duncan scours the journal for clues.  Will he be able to find out Roach's true identity and stop him before he kills? Or will he fail again in his efforts to save the girl and be the hero? Read Acceleration to find out!

Review


Acceleration is the perfect title for this book, not just because of term's relation to the increasingly violent actions of Roach, but also for the pace of this suspenseful read.  Many young adult readers will identify with Duncan's desire to be the hero, his sense of failure, and his frustration with authority figures, namely the police, who don't believe him.  Those who are fascinated by serial killers or who love shows like Criminal Minds that deal with serial killers will recognize the characteristics in the journal just as Duncan does.  The theme of responsibility in this novel could lead to some great discussions.  This is a novel that I would highly recommend to my teenage students, but one that I, as an adult reader, truly enjoyed as well.

References

McNamee, G. (2003). Acceleration. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

[Photograph of acceleration cover] (2011). Retrieved on September 26, 2011,

        from: http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/

        7766091/used/Acceleration

Series Selection: Cross Fire by James Patterson

Summary


Shouldn't those who think themselves above the law be brought to justice through any means possible? This is just the question Alex Cross faces in James Patterson's latest addition to his famous Cross series, Cross Fire. Just when Alex and his girlfriend Bree are ready to tie the knot and loyal fans are hoping their favorite detective will finally find happiness, Detective Cross finds himself investigating the murders of a congressman and lobbyist, all known to be less than honest. Alex finds himself in a typical battle over jurisdiction with the FBI, namely with an agent named Max Siegel.  Despite Alex's initial distrust and annoyance with Siegel, he soon finds himself liking the guy, though reluctantly.  Just when it seems matters couldn't get any worse, Alex gets a call from his arch nemesis, Kyle Craig, the Mastermind, a serial murderer Alex believed he had finally put away for good.  But now, Craig is on the loose again and as determined as ever to destroy and Alex and his entire family.  Can Alex work with Siegel to stop the vigilante murders?  Will he be able to protect himself and his family from Kyle Craig and put the Mastermind away once and for all?  Will he and Bree ever make it down the aisle?  Read James Patterson's Cross Fire to find out!

Review


Ok, I should warn you that I'm biased.  I love James Patterson, particularly the Cross novels, and I've read them all.  Sure, Cross Fire is a typical Cross novel, but that is exactly why I loved it!  Short chapters full of action and suspense make Patterson's novels can't-put-it-down selections.  I love Alex and Bree together, and the possibility that the two might make it down the aisle and enjoy a happily -ever-after life had me hoping for the best but fearing the worst.  The reappearance of Kyle Craig really upped the suspense factor.  I mean, Patterson isn't going to kill off his main character, but his family--Bree, the children, Nana Mama?  Well, anything is possible.  Patterson's use of dramatic irony--letting the audience in own truths Alex isn't privy to--just ups the stakes even more. And, of course, Patterson leaves enough open at the end of the book to keep the series going, setting up for the next installment, Kill Alex Cross, set to be released November 14, 2011--just in time for my birthday on the 16th!  Whoo Hoo!


References

Patterson, J. (2010). Cross fire. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.

[Photograph of cross fire cover]. (2011). Retrieved on September 26, 2011,

     from: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7856305-cross-fire

Youthful Sleuths: The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant (Required)

Summary


When Pia's grandmother dies is a horrible accident involving hairspray and an Advent wreath, Pia becomes known as the girl whose grandmother blew up.  Suddenly finding herself as the class outcast, Pia becomes the reluctant friend of another outcast: StinkStefan.  Pia and Stefan also have another unlikely friend, Herr Schiller, a kind old widower who tells them fantastical stories about the history of their town.  When a young classmate of Pia and Stefan's, Katharina Linden, disappears, suspicion quickly falls on the dark and mysterious Herr Duster, whom Pia and Stefan soon learn is actually Herr Schiller's brother.  Town gossip Frau Kessel blames Herr Duster for the disappearance of Herr Schiller's daughter many years ago.  The story is that Herr Duster and Herr Schiller (who changed his name after the disappearance to distance himself from his estranged brother) were both in love with the same woman.  The beautiful Hannelore chose Herr Schiller over Herr Duster, and many in the town believe that Herr Duster took his niece to get revenge.  When more girls go missing, Pia and Stefan take it upon themselves to investigate, convinced Herr Duster is guilty.  Are the new disappearances connected to the disappearance of Herr Schiller's daughter all those years ago? Is Herr Duster the culprit or just a innocent scapegoat?  Will Pia and Stefan be able to find the truth?  Read Helen Grant's The Vanishing of Katharina Linden to find out.

Review


First, I have to say that the copy of this novel that I read was an "advance uncorrected proof," so I don't know if major changes were made to the novel before final publication or not. Overall, I enjoyed the novel.   As a former German major, I appreciated the insight into the German culture provided in the book and feel that it would be a great title for students to read for exposure to other ways of life.  I did feel that the pace of the novel was slow to start; I would be concerned that some readers might give up on the novel before the real action begins.  Also, I figured out the mystery long before the two junior detectives. While I enjoyed reading the remainder of the novel and finding out all of the details that led to the disappearances, I do feel that perhaps the guilty party was too obvious--though perhaps a younger reader  might not have found it so.  In the end, though, I think that reading the novel could lead to some great discussions about making assumptions and placing the blame.  The treatment of Pia and, to a lesser extent Stefan, by their classmates is also a timely one with the growing concern over bullying in our society.  This aspect of the novel would also be great for prompting discussion.

References


[Photograph of cover of the vanishing of Katharina Linden]. (2011).
     Retrieved on September 26, 2011, from: http://www.penguin.com.au/
     products/9780141325736/vanishing-katharina-linden

Grant, H. (2009). The vanishing of Katharina Linden. New York: Delecorte
     Press.

Non-traditional Detective: Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell

Summary

Kay Scarpetta is a former Virginia Chief Medical Examiner now living in Florida and still mourning the death of her lover, Benton.  Benton is hiding out as Tom but very much alive. Lucy, Kay's niece, runs The Last Precinct, a private, international investigation company.  Marino, a retired cop, works for Lucy and is secretly in love with Scarpetta. Both know that Benton is alive--they helped fake his death. Jean-Baptiste Chandonne, the Wolfman, who suffers from hypertrichosis, is a serial killer on death row obsessed with Scarpetta.  Jay Talley, or Jean-Paul Chandonne, is the strikingly handsome twin brother of Jean-Baptiste, also a serial killer, hiding for the FBI in Baton Rogue and preying on women with the help of his companion Bev. The two men are the twins sons of the head of the dangerous Chandonne crime family.  Rocco Caggiano is Jean-Baptiste's lawyer, an employee of the Chandonne family, and Marino's estranged son.  Nic is a student of Scarpetta's and a detective in Louisiana investigating the disappearances of women around Baton Rogue.  These characters form the cast of Patricia Cornwell's Blow Fly.  Jean-Baptiste faces impending execution still obsessed with Scarpetta having missed his chance to murder her in the past.  In an effort to see her again, he writes her a letter offering to give up his family if she will interview him and person and be the doctor who gives him his lethal injection. Kay is also contacted by Louisiana coroner Dr. Lanier after he, too, receives a letter from Jean-Baptiste about a cold case, the death of a woman from an apparent drug overdose.  So how do all of these puzzles pieces fit together? Will Scarpetta and her friends be able to bring down the Chandonne family?  Will Jean-Baptiste fulfill his dream of killing Scarpetta?  Will they catch Jay and Bev before more women are murdered?  And Will Scarpetta find out that Benton is alive and that her closest friends kept it a secret from her?  Find out in Blow Fly, Patricia Cornwell's follow up to The Last Precinct.  

Review

I chose Blow Fly  because it was on the class bibliography for amateur detectives and my mother-in-law had a copy.  I hadn't read any previous Scarpetta novels and the only Cornwell book I had read was her non-fiction Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed, which was interesting, though I didn't like her writing style.  Having now read one of her fiction novels, I still don't like her writing style.  As you can see from my summary, this novel is full of characters and storylines.  While all are connected, in my opinion, it is really too much for one novel. The constant change of focus from character to character and storyline to storyline is not only hard to follow but is distracting and, I would say, annoying.  I'm sure that had I read the past Scarpetta novels leading up to this one I would have more interest in the characters because I would know more about their back story; however, Cornwell offers enough explanation for new readers to follow the storyline.  Surprisingly, Scarpetta isn't a main player for much of the novel, which might be an issue for dedicated readers, although many might enjoy seeing the other players take a larger role. The pace of the novel certainly picks up toward the end when Scarpetta becomes more involved in the storyline, indicating to me that perhaps Cornwell is more comfortable with her main character and that branching off to cover the other characters was a challenging experiment. I also felt that, at times, Cornwell overdid it with the description. I found myself skimming passages that offered more detail than I needed.  Some of the description, especially relating to the two serial killers, is quite graphic, which some readers, like myself, might find a bit hard to stomach.  Overall, I didn't love the novel.  However, due to the popularity of the Scarpetta novels, I wonder if I might enjoy the series if I read it from the start or if Cornwell just really isn't my speed.  Who knows?  Maybe at some point I'll give her another try. 

References

Cornwell, P. (2003). Blow fly. New York: J. P. Putnam's Sons.

[Image of Blow Fly cover]. (2011). Retrieved on September 22, from: 

     http://www.fictiondb.com/author/patricia-cornwell~blow-

     fly~121543~b.htm

Youthful Sleuths/ Supernatural/ Ghost Stories: The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith (Required)

Summary


Through alternating narrator Katie and Law, Sarah Smith presents the mystery of the Perkins Bequest.  Katie has spent the last year dealing with the sudden death of her mother.  To deal with her grief, she is having imagined conversations with her father, who passed away before she was born. At least, she thinks the conversations are in her imagination.  Katie is also an artist, and her drawings have taken a clear turn for the morbid.  When Katie begins seeing and talking to George at the park, she first believes he is a living, breathing boy, but very soon she realizes he isn't.  Katie has to come to terms with the fact that drawing isn't her only talent: she can also see ghosts. George explains to Katie that he lives in Pinebank, the mansion built by George's wealthy grandfather, Thomas Perkins, a famous Boston benefactor, which is now in ruins.  George died when Pinebank caught on fire, and he ran back in the burning house to save a secret treasure hid grandfather asked him to protect.

Law is the privileged son of a black father who speaks for reparations  to be paid to African Americans for slavery and white mother who is a landscape architect.  Law has inherited his father's love of history and his mother' appreciation of architecture. As a result, he has a strong fondness for Pinebank and it's position in the landscape of the park, a landscape designed by his mother's hero and his namesake, Frederick Law Olmstead.  Law and his mother are also involved with the Friends of Pinebank, a group working to stop the mayor of Boston from demolishing Pinebank and working to raise money to have it restored.  Law's father, however, is completely against the restoration of Pinebank and would love to see it destoyed due to Thomas Perkins's past as a slave owner and trader.

When Law sees Katie drawing Pinebank as it looked when George was alive, he approaches her about using her drawings to help save the house.  Katie confides in Law about George and the treasure he died trying to protect. Law knows right away that this treasure must be the mysterious Perkins Bequest.  Hoping the Bequest will be able to save Pinebank, Law and Katie vow to find the treasure, which George says is hidden in a secret place in the basement. There's just one problem: the ruined mansion is a death trap and there's no way Law and Katie can safely reach the basement.

So, what is the Perkins Bequest and can Law and Katie find it without getting themselves killed or will Pinebank claim another life?   Who was Thomas Perkins: an evil slaver or a generous philanthropist? Will Pinebank be saved or demolished? To find out, read The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith.

Review


Once I started reading The Other Side of Dark, I couldn't put it down.  I stayed up half the night to finish it and find out the truth about Thomas Perkins and the Perkins Bequest.  The end of the novel, when the mystery is revealed and Katie finds George and releases the Others is very powerful and moving. Once Law's father told him the "truth" about Perkins, I began to suspect there was more to his story and when Katie found George's "secret place," I put it together immediately.  Still, I couldn't wait to read the last chapters to find out how it all played out, whether Katie was saved, who won the Walker Prize, and whether Pinebank would be rebuilt.  I think this is a statement to Smith's skill in creating characters and drawing you into their stories so deeply that you still want to keep reading after the big reveal.  I did not know the story of the Katey or have any idea that the Perkins family, Pinebank, and the Friends of Pinebank were all real, but finding this out just makes the story even stronger.  I think the aspect of historical fiction in the novel, with the information about slavery and the Underground Railroad, as well as the topics of racism and reparations, make this young adult novel a great choice for school libraries and a selection US History teachers should consider using as a supplemental reading.  I can just imagine the great discussions the book would inspire!

References


Smith, S. (2010). The other side of dark. New York: Atheneum Books for

     Young Readers.

[Cover of The other side of dark]. (2010). Retrieved on September 20, 2011,

     from: http://www.sarahsmith.com/index.php?option=com_content&view

     =article&id=15&Itemid=69

Mystery-Suspense/ Psychological-Suspense: The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton (Required)

Summary

Mike, now in prison, suffered a mysterious and horrible family tragedy and near-death experience at a mere eight years old, earning him the name of Miracle Boy, taking away his voice, and setting him on a path he never could have imagined, a path full of more near-death experiences. When Mike goes to live with his Uncle Lito, he discovers that he has two rare talents, both artistic: drawing and picking locks. When "the House," the star football players on the high school football team discovers Mike's talent, he enlists Mike's help in pulling off a seemingly harmless prank on a rival football players.  When Mike has the bad luck to be the only one of the boys caught breaking into the Marshes' house, he ends up on probation, digging a swimming pool in the Marshes back yard.  Mike won't give up the names of the boys involved in the break in, and Mr. Marsh seems ready to kill him until he discovers Mike's talent and realizes it could be the answer to his prayers.  Mike has also found the answer to his prayers: Amelia, Mr. Marsh's daughter.  When Mike learns that Mr. Marsh's shady business dealings have put him and his family in grave danger, he agrees to help by being apprenticed to the Ghost, an expert boxman on his way out of the business.  Mike learns the trade and begins his life of crime, all to protect Amelia.  Mike is fully aware that the man in Detroit, the mobster who now owns him, will not hesitate to have him killed if he ever fails in his duties. All Mike wants is to be with Amelia, but to protect her, he must leave her behind.  So what happened to eight-year-old Mike that set him on this path to a criminal life?  Will he ever escape the man in Detroit and return to Amelia before she moves on?  Will Mike, the Miracle Boy, continue to survive in life and death situations or is his luck all used up?  How did he wind up in prison? Mike tells his story in The Lock Artist: A Novel by Steve Hamilton. Check it out. 

Review

As the first reading for my mystery genre class, The Lock Artist, got me off to a great start.  The mystery of what happened to Mike as a child and the reason for his silence pulled me in right away. By keeping these secrets until late in the novel, author Steve Hamilton kept me hooked until the last page.  Mike tells his story in a series of non-linear flashbacks that some might find confusing or annoying, but that I found intriguing and effective. Hamilton is able to make connections between the more recent and the more distant flashbacks in such a way the organization makes sense and furthers the story while still keeping the reader wanting more, wanting to solve the mystery that is Mike. Though he is a criminal, Mike is an endearing character, and I found myself pulling for him right away.  The reasons behind his choices, even those he doesn't reveal until late in the novel, nearly, if not completely, clear him of all guilt in the mind of the reader, especially his love for and devotion to Amelia.  The horrors that Mike endures to protect his love make it hard for the reader to remember that this narrator is only seventeen years old.  When FBI agent Banks begins contacting Mike and trying to convince Mike to accept his help, the reader is hoping Mike will agree, knowing that he won't, and curious what will happen next if he doesn't, what horror will have to occur to finally convince him that Banks is his only hope. With Mike, Hamilton achieves a powerful depth of character and a mystery that hooks his readers from the start. Through Mike's narrative, Hamilton maintains the suspense, slowing offering small pieces of the puzzle until he brings Mike story to a somewhat incomplete, but completely satisfying conclusion. I would highly recommend The Lock Artist.  I loved it!

References

Hamilton, S. (2009). The lock artist: A novel. New York: Minotaur

     Books.

[Photograph of The Lock Artist cover]. Retrieved September 17, 2011

     from: http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-stuff-

     lock-artist-steve-hamilton.html