help, but what about her family back in Louisiana?  Which is her real pack?  How can Jala choose?  She can't think her way out of this one—this time, it's her heart that must decide.

(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Rip Tide, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from Dark Life. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Ty Townsen's dealt with all manner of crazy things in the 15 years he's spent living under the sea. He's encountered everything from sharks to pirates to killer whales. But it's the discovery of a vessel chained to a sunken airplane that chills him to the bone. Especially when he realizes everyone in the mobile township is dead. An entire civilization has been murdered by a cold-blooded killer - one that may be more dangerous than anything Ty's ever come across in his wild ocean home.

Outraged by the attack on so many innocent people, Ty immediately starts asking questions. Even though he's getting no answers, his curiosity arouses attention. The wrong kind. It's not long before his parents and younger sister are kidnapped. Desperate to free his family, Ty vows to track down the murderer, no matter what the cost. Even if it means trusting a notorious thug. Even if it means swimming with bloodthirsty eels. Even if it means taking on the most powerful people in his world. With a pretty Topsider by his side to complicate things even further, Ty's newest adventure may be his most complicated. His most deadly.

Rip Tide, the second book in Kat Falls' watery YA dystopian series, picks up four months after its predecessor (Dark Life) ends. Like the first book, it plunges straight into the action, and never really lets up. While the constant adventure keeps things interesting, it completely upstages the other story elements, leaving characters underdeveloped, setting details unexplained, and dialogue clumsy. I have to give Falls props for originality, I just wish she would flesh out Ty's unique world a little more. After reading Rip Tide, I came to the exact same conclusion I did with Dark Life: "Younger readers probably won't care about all the details, they'll just love the non-stop action ... It may lack in some departments, but [Rip Tide] is nothing if not entertaining."

As much as I love reading books by first-time novelists, the experience always makes me nervous. What if I love their debut effort, anxiously await their second, only to be disappointed? What if they, like so many writers, only have one great book in them? After all, do any of these names ring a bell - Harold Faltermeyer, Thomas Dolby, Baz Luhrmann or The Buggles? Probably not. They are all One Hit Wonders of the musical world. The literary world has their own versions (I was just too lazy to research them), although there are also some very well-known writers who only wrote one great novel (a la Harper Lee).

Anyway, all this is a rambling way of saying that I picked up Leif Enger's So Brave, Young and Handsome wondering if it could possibly measure up to the exceptional Peace Like A River (see my review here). Although I can't say I liked his sophomore effort better than his freshman, I can attest that Leif Enger is no One Hit Wonder.

Apparently, the author contemplated these same questions, because So Brave, Young and Handsome concerns a man trying to find his next, great story. When the book opens, it is 1915, five years after Monte Becket published his best-selling adventure novel, Martin Bligh. With his publisher waiting anxiously for his next manuscript, he's feeling pressure to produce. In fact, he's written seven novels - he just hasn't finished any of them. "I'm grateful for that," he says, "and you should be too" (1). Monte's publisher is losing faith in him; Monte, himself, has reached the disturbing truth that he is "a well-meaning failure, a pallid disappointer of persons, a man fading" (76).

As Monte sits on his dock, contemplating his failures, he sees a strange sight: A white-haired man standing in his row boat, who "lurched like old Quixote, hooting to himself" (2). His curiosity piqued, Monte sets out to discover the identity of the boatman who "appeared a bit elevated, early though it was" (2). He soon meets Glendon Hale, who regals Monte and his family with tales of adventure and derring-do. It's not long before the author realizes that his new friend hides a colorful past [he gets a hint when Glendon offers this riddle: "I have been four different times on trains that got robbed, yet never lost a dime" (12)]. Monte soon discovers the old boatbuilder's secret: he is wanted for train robbery and other crimes. He's also haunted by memories of the wife he abandoned, when he fled from the Pinkerton detectives who were hot on his trail. Although it's dangerous for a man on the run, Glendon is determined to travel to Mexico and make amends with his one true love. When the old man asks Monte to come along, he barely hesitates.

Soon, the pair are on an adventure to rival any Monte can concoct in his imagination. Chased by the stubborn Charles Siringo, a former Pinkerton carrying a burning grudge against Glendon, the two flee across the West. On the way, they will encounter cowboys and old Indians, sharpshooters and Hollywood headliners, hail and floods, and plenty of drifters with their own stories to tell. As Monte follows Glendon down every jeapordous trail, he learns as much about himself as he does about his friend. Far from his home and family, Monte confronts the questions that haunt him: Can he write another book? Or will he be stuck working at the post office forever? Will he ever feel successful again? Will his family know him after his desperate journey, when he can't even recognize himself? And, most important of all, can he find another story within himself?

So Brave, Young, and Handsome offers everything I loved about Peace Like A River - compelling characters, an exciting adventure story, and masterful writing - but it definitely stands on its own merits. The Old West setting seduces as it always will. Although Enger presents a dying West, where the likes of Billy the Kid, old Iron Tail, Pancho Villa, and Buffalo Bill Cody are only whispers on the dry wind, it still bursts with adventure and romance. The characters are rich and colorful, especially the likeable Glendon. The words Monte's fictional critics used to describe Martin Bligh work here as well, for So Brave, Young and Handsome is indeed "an enchanting and violent yarn spun in the brave hues of history" (6).

Monte's critics also labeled his masterpiece "disturbingly real" (5), and that describes Enger's novel as well. There is violence in the book (although not graphic enough to stop me from labeling this book a "Clean Read"), but the most disturbing aspect is really Enger's illumination of man's duplicitous nature. This is what makes characters like Glendon Hale and Charles Siringo so fascinating to read about.

It's ironic that So Brave, Young, and Handsome is narrated by a failed author, because his story captured me from the first sentence. I know it's getting cliche, but I have to say, this one had me at hello. With his sophomore effort, Leif Enger proves he's no One Hit Wonder. I, for one, urge him to keep the hits coming.

Grade: A

Note: In case you're curious, here are the musicians I named and their single hits:

Harold Faltermeyer (Axel F), Thomas Dolby (She Blinded Me With Science), Baz Luhrmann (Everybody's Free [to Wear Sunscreen]), & The Buggles (Video Killed the Radio Star). Information from vh1.com.

Book image from Amazon.

Alternate realities and gun-toting secret agents usually aren't my thing, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading Deadly Enterprise by Canadian author Christopher Hoare. I
mentioned that I started reading it in the E.R., and I have to say, it provided the perfect escape from my painful reality.

The story revolves around Gisel Matah, a lieutenant from Iskander, a progressive society on a futuristic Earth. Because of a blip in their space/time travel plans, Gisel's people find themselves trapped in the 17th Century on an alternate Earth called Gaia. Since it's impossible for the Iskanders to return to their own land, they aim to improve Gaia with their advanced knowledge and inventions. Not everyone is happy about the plan, especially the ruling Trigons, another people stranded in a foreign land. To help persuade the higher-ups to oust the Trigons, the Iskanders form a partnership with banker Yohan Felger. The young man has contacts in the enemy city of Lubitz, so he and Gisel set out together to appeal to the city's leaders. Gisel's reputation (her reckless bravery has earned her the nickname "Wildcat") makes her a target for all kinds of enemies, so she passes herself off as Yohan's male bodyguard.

Journeying side by side means that Gisel and Yohan must learn to work together. They are an unlikely pair - Gisel is a hardened military woman, reared in an age when women have as many rights as men, while Yohan is a gentleman from a time when women submitted to men or faced the consequences. While Yohan finds Gisel's aggressive nature appalling, he also comes to respect her cunning and skill. Gisel teases the refined Yohan about his lack of street smarts, but acknowledges he is the kindest, gentlest man she's ever known. Predictably, the two discover they are attracted to each other, although they have little time to think about romance. There's also the little problem of Yohan's betrothal and Gisel's ex-boyfriend, who longs for a reconciliation.

When the pair finally reach Lubitz, they find a town in confusion. Gisel knows the tide of opinion can be turned in favor of Iskander aid if only she can speak to the right people. But, Lubitz is under siege by the formidabble Trigons, and no one knows who to trust. Her new mission is fraught with danger. Can Gisel convince the right people before it's too late? Will her disguise keep her safe from her enemies? Most importantly (to me, anyway), will Gisel and Yohan find happiness together? Or will their differences keep them apart?

So, if you're planning a trip to the E.R. anytime soon, you might as well take along a book that will keep your mind off your own reality. I recommend Christopher Hoare's Deadly Enterprise.

Grade: B

Fans of historical fiction (especially books like Nancy Turner's These Is My Words) will find Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson as warm and familiar as an old quilt. It's certainly not the first book to feature a strong woman pioneer striking out west on her own. Still, Larson brings a fresh, young voice as well as a vibrant setting to the table. The result? Hattie Big Sky offers the same comforting patchwork, but with a unique pattern and some bright, new colors. The combination wins a Blue Ribbon in my book.
The year is 1917. Headlines across the world scream news of war. On the homefront, women and girls are busily knitting socks for the soldiers, pouring out their hearts in letters and praying for the boys' swift return. For 16-year-old Hattie Inez Brooks, the war is just another bump in her hardscrabble life. After her parents' death, Hattie bounced around from relative to relative, finally landing in Arlington, Iowa, where she now lives under the ever-critical eye of Aunt Ivy. For "Hattie Here-and-There" home is as elusive as faraway France, where the war has dumped her good friend Charlie (he's only a friend, as everyone knows he's sweet on Mildred Powell). She writes him letters, but it's just not the same as practicing pitching and collecting wishing stones with her buddy.
So, when Hattie receives a posthumous letter from her mysterious Uncle Chester, leaving her "my claim and the house and its contents, as well as one steadfast horse named Plug and a contemptible cow known as Violet" (9), she jumps at the chance to start a new life. Despite a lack of "agricultural expertise," (10) Hattie boards a train headed for Wolf Point, Montana. From the grimy windows of the train, she can see only an "endless stretch of snow" (14). Her first steps on the frozen ground are not encouraging; when she sees Uncle Chester's house, she realizes "House was a Charlie term - kind and generous" (37). The structure is scarcely more than a slapped-together shed. With characteristic determination, Hattie sets about making the place her own. According to homesteading law, she has 10 months to "prove up" her claim by fencing her land and cultivating crops. It's a daunting task, but she means to do it.
Salvation comes in the form of Hattie's neighbors. She quickly becomes attached to the Muellers, a German-American family that helps her through all manner of difficulties. She also has the olfactory-challenged Rooster Jim, prairie nurse Leafie, and the disarmingly handsome Traft Martin, whose attentions may be more curse than blessing. With neighborly support and hard work, Hattie wrestles obstinate farm animals; fences her property; learns to cook; and defends her claim with pride. Hard times do not pass her by, of course. Her friendship with the Muellers brings her heat from the Dawson County Council of Defense, a group of ranchers bent on persecuting anyone of German descent. As if that wasn't bad enough, a bout of Spanish influenza steals lives, and the weather brings constant worries. If Hattie's crops don't flourish, she will lose her claim. As she battles the land to prove her claim, she must also fight to save the only real home she has ever known.
Montana's omnipresence in the novel makes it as much a character as anyone else, but Hattie Big Sky really isn't about the land. Sure, it's an adventure story, with enough coyote encounters, wild horse stampedes, tough cowboys and dangerous rabble rousers to keep the reader turning pages, but at its heart it's a story about home, family and identity. The most important transformation in the book has nothing to do with the landscape, and everything to do with Hattie herself. As she progresses from "Hattie-Here-and-There" to "Wolf Point Hattie Homesteader" to "Hattie Big Sky," she learns the truths that will make her whole. Whether or not she proves up her claim (and I'm not going to give you any hint as to how the story ends), Hattie discovers what's really important: home, family and "proving up on my life" (146).
There were a few things I wanted out of this book that it didn't deliver (namely, more of a backstory for Hattie and answers to Uncle Chester's mysteries), but overall, it was well-written and engaging. Although the period details seemed contrived at times, I enjoyed reading about Montana in the early 1900s. Perhaps because my father spent his boyhood in Montana (only 20-some years after this novel is set), and I grew up hearing stories about his family's experience there, this story really rang true to me. The plot isn't all that unique, but Hattie Big Sky is a book that's as authentic as the land it celebrates, as vibrant as its one constant - that big old Montana sky.
Grade: A

I'm not sure a better setting exists for an old-fashioned adventure tale than the high seas. Something about a creaking ship riding the endless, always fickle sea, makes for exciting scenes

Although Charlotte vows to lock herself in her room, it isn't long before hunger draws her out. It also draws her to the cook, Zachariah, who secretly gives her a dirk, urging her to take it and "Place it where it may be reached" (24). The old sailor then explains that a mutiny is in the works against cruel Captain Jaggery. Charlotte can't decide whom to trust - the weathered cook with his stories of the Captain's brutality or Captain Jaggery, a cultured gentleman, who warns her not to listen to the sailors' exaggerated stories. Caught in the middle, Charlotte rats out the crew, and soon finds herself a pariah among dangerous men. To redeem herself, she casts aside her white gloves and petticoats, and joins the crew. Although the act wins her some loyalty, it is not enough to save her from a later charge of murder, which demands death by hanging. With only 24 hours to prove her innocence, Charlotte must use all her strength and wits to save herself and the ship that has become her whole world.

I absolutely loved this swashbuckling story of high adventure on the open sea. The action never quit, which meant I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I also enjoyed the characters, although the sailors all kind of blended together. I guess that's appropriate since the real focus was Charlotte. Although she began as a pretentious snob, she turns into a heroine with enough pluck and compassion to win over any reader's heart. She reminded me a little of Elizabeth Swann, (Kiera Knightly's character on Pirates of the Caribbean), but Charlotte solved her problems almost entirely on her own, so I think she wins in the pluck department. Although I felt the story ended the way it should, it still bothered me a little as a parent. Besides that, though, it was a wonderful, thrilling adventure. I loved it. I'm giving it a solid A.

Set in Medieval England, Crispin: Cross of Lead tells the story of a 13-year-old peasant boy - called Asta's Son - who becomes orphaned when his mother dies. He has no kin and few friends in his village, where he and his mother were always treated as outsiders. Distraught, he hides in the woods, where he overhears a disturbing conversation between his cruel feudal master Lord Aycliffe and a stranger. Although the words exchanged make little sense to Asta's Son, he senses the men are discussing his own situation. When the feudal lord spies the boy, a chase ensues, and Asta's Son narrowly escapes. After spending a night in the forest, the boy creeps back to his hut, only to see soldiers burning it to the ground. Stunned, Asta's Boy cannot understand what is happening. At nightfall, he creeps to the town church to seek help from the only friend he has left - Father Quinlen. The priest presents Asta's Boy with a leaden cross, which belonged to his mother. On the cross is printed words the boy can't read - Father Quinlen promises to read to decipher the writing later. The priest also gives the boy another gift, the name with which he was christened - Crispin. Father Quinlen further explains to Crispin that he has been declared a "wolf's head" - a wanted criminal, who is to be shot on sight - by Lord Aycliffe. The charge is thievery, although Crispin has done nothing. Mystified, Crispin creeps back into the woods, promising to meet Father Quinlen the next night, when the priest will help him escape the village. Crispin keeps the appointment, only to find his friend dead. In abject terror, Crispin flees, heeding the priest's warnings to run for his life. Lost and hungry, the boy wanders into a deserted village where he encounters a huge, red-headed juggler named Bear. The man commands Crispin to be his servant, but the boy soon realizes that he is freer with Bear than he has ever been. Still, Lord Aycliffe pursues the boy, and Crispin cannot be wholly certain Bear will not betray him for a reward. As Bear and Crispin travel to Great Wexley for a grand festival, they attempt to make sense of Crispin's mystifying situation. The solution appears to be connected to the writing on Crispin's lead cross, writing which remains undeciphered. Once in Great Wexley, Bear and Crispin find themselves in more danger than they could have possibly imagined. As they close in on the truth, they must risk their necks to save their lives. Although I won't give away the ending, I will say that Crispin survives to continue his adventures in Crispin at The Edge of the World (which I haven't read yet).

This Newbery Award winner gives the reader a fascinating glimpse into the bleak world of 14th Century England; its old-fashioned, formal tone just adds to the period detail. I think younger readers may be put off by the tone of the novel, but they will certainly be pulled in by the non-stop action. It's truly a grand adventure with a brave and admirable hero on a quest to find the most important thing in the world - his true identity.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I've heard all of my life about the Mormon pioneers. The women, especially, are highly esteemed for the grit they displayed while crossing the country - whether it was enduring childbirth in miserable conditions, mourning the loss of husbands and children, or simply washing, cooking and mending their way to Utah. They had to have been tough as nails to not only survive the journey to the West, but also to thrive in their new home.

Nancy Turner's These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901 is a fitting tribute to all women who helped settle the wild territories of the Western United States. Although Sarah Prine is fictional and neither a Mormon, nor traveling to Utah, her story reminds me of the pioneer stories I've heard all my life. Her exciting tale, told in journal form, begins when she is 17. Packed in a wagon with her family and their belongings, Sarah is heading from New Mexico Territory toward "greener pastures by way of Texas." She describes the journey in rich detail, making the trip and the other characters come alive. She is a fiery, opinionated character as well as a dead-shot with a rifle. Along the way, Sarah's family begins traveling with a group of soldiers, one of whom is a mischevious captain named Jack Eliot. Although Sarah despises the man, he becomes a pivotal part of her life. Eventually, the Prines end up on a pecan farm near Tucson, Arizona Territory. There, Sarah lives and grows through every kind of hardship and happiness. Hers is my favorite kind of story - one that combines history, romance and humor.

Turner's novel features a cast of unforgettable characters, which simply sparkle with life. Captain Eliot's a charming rogue, Savannah's sweet as a Saint, and Miss Felicity's antics made me laugh out loud. Turner also describes the land and the settlers' way of life with impressive and believable detail. All of these elements combine to make an unforgettable read.