Book Review: The Fairy-Tale Detectives

For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

I think The Fairy-Tale Detectives may be my favorite middle grade book I've read this year. The world Michael Buckley created is so much fun and filled with so many of my favorite fairy tale characters. Sabrina, and her little sister, Daphne, are sent to live with their Granny Relda, after their parents' disappear. Daphne is thrilled to finally get to meet her grandmother, but Sabrina is not to be fooled. The girls were told that their grandmother had passed on. Sabrina wants nothing more than to escape.

After much convincing, she realizes that Granny Relda is indeed their grandmother, and they are descended from the Brothers Grimm. Sabrina and Daphne must save Granny Relda and a whole host of fairy tale characters from the giants that have been unleashed on their town. But who planted the beans and allowed the giants down on earth? There are so many twists and turns, and the mystery is really well developed, that it's hard to see the end coming. And, to be honest, I read this so fast, I didn't have time to think about what was going to come next.

Growing up, I loved fairy tales. And not just the Disney versions. And this series brings all the characters together. Whether you're a kid like Sabrina or the same age as Granny Relda (or somewhere in between) this is a fabulous, fun book that the entire family can enjoy. Read it. Trust me; you won't be disappointed.

Book Review: Skulduggery Pleasant

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant

Ace Detective
Snappy Dresser
Razor-tongued Wit
Crackerjack Sorcerer
and
Walking, Talking,
Fire-throwing Skeleton

--as well as ally, protector, and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old.

These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil.

The end of the world?

Over his dead body.

I scored a set of Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy at a used book store a few years ago. As so many books do, they sat on my shelf, unread. I finally read the first book and quite enjoyed it. I often find myself having difficulty getting into Middle Grade books. I have trouble relating to the characters. I'm thirty, so I'm old enough to be a mother of these 10-12 year old kids. It's a paranormal, action adventure. So every time poor Stephanie gets within sight of danger, I'm going "Why isn't her mother with her?" or "Go home where it's safe!" And that wouldn't be an exciting story.

I think it's the age difference that causes the difficulty relating to these kids, and that causes the difficulty with getting into the book. But once the story picks up, I stop having these troubles.

Stephanie meets Skulduggery Pleasant, an acquaintance of her late uncle, shortly after his death. Skulduggery is a walking, talking skeleton. Yep, that's him on the covers. He's also a sorcerer, capable of great magic. He's also quite funny, with a rather dry sense of humor. While he wants to keep Stephanie out of harm's way, danger comes knocking and two are thrust into a non-stop adventure.

Once I got into this book, it didn't want me to put it down. I rarely find myself laughing out loud as much as I did while reading this. I enjoyed both Skulduggery and Stephanie's characters and relationship. Stephanie's parents are rather remover, and Skulduggery makes a good mentor for her. Stephanie grows up a lot, being put in dangerous situations and having to make adult choices. And I can't wait to see where she goes next.

If you're in the mood for something light-hearted and fun, I definitely suggest this series. One thing that draws me to middle grade fiction is that even when danger is surrounding our beloved characters, it doesn't have such a dark and heavy feel as most YA and adult books. And while I like the darkness that is found in such books, it's really nice to break it up with a few middle grades.

Unfortunately, if you're in the US, only the first three books are available. Book seven was published this year, but as the author is from Ireland, these books have not made it over here... yet.

Book Review: Sirenz (and giveaway)

Hades is Haute

Hades, the god of the underworld, forces bickering frenemies Meg and Shar to become special-assignment Sirens. Finding the delicate balance between their old and new responsibilities turns out to be harder than they expected, especially when an entire pantheon of Greek deities decides to get involved.

I finally got the chance to read Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman. I met them in the summer of 2011 and got my copy signed. I'm ashamed to say it took me this long to get around to it, but that was in part due to the fashion aspect of the book. I have no interest in fashion and most books, movies, shows, etc... that revolve around the fashion world just don't interest me. I don't like or enjoy them. But the other main part of the book was Greek mythology. And it included Hades, god of the Underworld, who I love! So I started this book feeling wary. I really wanted to like it. Charlotte and Natalie are such nice, cool people, and I'd feel awful if I couldn't write a good review. And...

Once I picked Sirenz up, I didn't want to put it down. The chapters alternated between Meg and Shar's point of view. Shar is tall, thin, blonde, and really into fashion. Meg is a short brunette who is pretty much Shar's opposite. They are in a special program for their final school year. They're free from their families but are stuck together as roommates. The book picks up at winter break where they meet a sexy, handsome guy that both girls want to date. It doesn't take long for things go horribly wrong.

But as luck would have it - maybe - Hades shows up and promises to fix all of their problems. In exchange for them helping him with one. He needs new sirens. For those who don't know, sirens are half bird/half woman creatures. (as pictured to the left) If they can use their powers to bring Hades the person he's looking for, they're free. But if they fail, they will be forced to spend eternity in the underworld cleaning up after Cerberus. But he's a god, and deities have a long history of not being forthcoming and playing with lowly mortals' lives.

I'm really glad I read Sirenz when I did. I was definitely in need of something light and fun, and this book definitely hit both of those. If you're into mythology, I think you'll like this one. Charlotte and Natalie twisted a bit of the Hades/Persephone myth, but explained why things are different than the original telling. I don't mind when mythology or folklore is changed, as long as it is explained in a way that makes sense instead of some random change that we never understand. And if, like me, you're concerned about the fashion aspect... I found that to be a minor aspect of the story. Sirenz had made laugh out loud moments, and I'm definitely looking forward to Sirenz 2: Back in Fashion!

And now for a giveaway!

I have a pack of swag, including bookmarks, buttons, bracelets, and a guitar pick. Some swag is Sirenz and some is not. All you have to do to enter is follow this blog and fill out this form.

Graphic Novel Review: Scott Pilgrim 4-6

Spoilers... sorry... but not many.

In previous episodes of Scott Pilgrim, he refers to Ramona's exes, her evil ex boyfriends. Ramona corrects him by saying "evil exes". Now we know why. We meet Roxie, Ramona's ex girlfriend. "It was a phase." This results in a problem. How can Scott hit a girl when he's such a gentleman?

Synopsis:

That's right, folks! Put down the video game controller! Skip that rehearsal for your band! Make whatever sacrifices you must to those comic gods you hold so dear! Just make sure you're ready because Bryan Lee O'Malley and Scott Pilgrim are back! Well, a couple months have passed since the last time we caught up with our intrepid hero, but what can change in a few short months? Well, not much has... Scott's still living with his roommate Wallace Wells. He's still playing in a mediocre rock band named Sex Bob-omb. And most importantly, he's still dating the lovely Ramona Flowers while working his way through the gaggle of superpowered, superstylish, superevil ex-boyfriends determined to take him down. But something is different. Don't look now, but Scott Pilgrim may actually be getting it together. And it's a good thing, too, because Scott is about to confront Ramona's most intimidating ex yet!

***

Since book 1, Ramona has said she has "six or seven exes". This is why. She dated twins... at the same time. So I guess she isn't as perfect as Scott thinks. But he's still the girl for him, so he fights them at the same time. He says that's "unfair", but... he has to do it.

The smaller storylines involving Scott's friends continue to grow. Kim, Stephen Stills, and Wallace (Scott's gay roommate) help make the story great.

Synopsis:

Scott Pilgrim just turned 24, and things couldn't possibly be better! This means things are about to get infinitely worse. Suddenly, TWO of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends are in town, and they're playing dirty. His band is in turmoil, and his own exes aren't making things any easier. And what's up with Ramona, anyway? She's been acting kinda weird ever since they moved in together. It's the SECOND LAST VOLUME of SCOTT PILGRIM: Scott's precious little life is coming back around to bite him in the butt, and it may not be pretty!

***

The final, and longest, book in the Scott Pilgrim series, is where Gideon comes in. Gideon, the evil ex that Scott is the most afraid of. But he loves Ramona way too much to not fight. I can't tell you how much I loved this series. I'm sad that it's over, but I hope that Bryan Lee O'Malley continues to write. I'll definitely read his next series.

Synopsis:

It's finally here! Six years and almost 1000 pages have all led to this epic finale! With six of Ramona's seven evil exes dispatched, it should be time for Scott Pilgrim to face Gideon Graves, the biggest and baddest of her former beaus. But didn't Ramona take off at the end of Book 5? Shouldn't that let Scott off the hook? Maybe it should, maybe it shouldn't, but one thing is for certain all of this has been building to Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour! The sixth and final volume to indie comics most influential series in the last decade!

***

And if you need another recommendation to pick up these books, Joss Whedon has blurbed some of them.

Graphic Novel: Scott Pilgrim 1-3

Some spoilers will arrive once we get to volumes 2 and 3.

So I heard about the film "Scott Pilgrim Vs the World", and I had no clue what it was about. I had heard the name before, but hadn't realized it was a graphic novel/manga. It's manga size, though you'll find it shelved in graphic novels. Bryan Lee O'Malley, a Canadian author, is to thank for this wonderful series. I normally don't laugh audibly when reading, but this series... I was laughing every other page.

Anyway, once I heard Michael Cera was going to be staring as Scott Pilgrim I was instantly excited. I picked up the first volume, titled SCOTT PILGRIM'S PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE. In this installment, we meet a large and interesting cast. There is a lot of sarcasm and dry humor, which I love. Scott is 23, dating a high schooler named Knives Chau. But then he meets Ramona Flowers and is instantly in love. Or obsessed. Or both. But there's a catch... he has to defeat her evil ex-boyfriends. While under the guise of a normal (yet odd) group of early 20's there is the random bit of outrageous superhero-like action.

Synopsis:

Scott Pilgrim's life is so awesome. He's 23 years old, in a rock band, "between jobs," and dating a cute high school girl. Everything's fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, rollerblading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. But the path to Ms Flowers isn't covered in rose petals. Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends stand in the way between Scott and true happiness. Can Scott beat the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down?

***

After I put volume 1 down, I immediately grabbed volume 2: SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. He is still on the way to defeating Ramona's exes. He's defeated the first. The series continues to get funnier. And twisted. And finally... the girls get in on the action, as two battle for our man, Scott.

Synopsis:

Does Scott and Ramona's burgeoning relationship have a future? Isn't Scott still supposedly dating Knives Chau? Who is Ramona's second evil ex-boyfriend, and why is he in Toronto? Who are The Clash At Demonhead, and what kind of bizarre art-punky music do they play? Who's their hot girl keyboardist, and what is Scott's relation to her? Why are they Knives Chau's new favourite band? Fights! Drama! Secrets revealed! The answers to all these questions and more!

***

SCOTT PILGRIM AND THE INFINITE SADNESS chronicles Scott trying to defeat the third evil ex. Scott is adorably dorky, and he and Ramona make an interesting pair. What I love so much about this volume was the back story. Not that there hadn't been back story in previous volumes, but there seemed to be even more here.

Synopsis:

Ramona's third evil ex-boyfriend, Todd Ingram, is currently dating the former love of Scott Pilgrim's life! Envy Adams broke Scott's heart a year and a half ago. Now she and her evil art-rock band are back, and they're getting Scott's band to open a show two days from now! That's just enough time for Scott to fight Todd, keep Ramona happy, fend off demented ex-girlfriends, and practice that new setlist. Right?? Don't miss the latest chapter in the graphic novel saga The Globe and Mail calls "Canada's answer to Tank Girl!"

***

And now I can't wait to see the movie. It comes to theaters in one week, August 13, 2010. I'll review that then.

Don't forget to check out the site. It's a lot of fun. http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com

Book Review: The Good Ghouls Guide to Getting Even and Good Ghouls Do

I read THE GOOD GHOULDS GUIDE TO GETTING EVEN a few years ago. I loved it. I had read Julie Kenner's adult series, and her writing was so funny, I decided to check out her YA series. I know there is an overwhelming amount of YA vamp books out there, but this is one of the best.

Synopsis:

Elizabeth Frasier's ticked off. Her junior year of high school was going fine. Amazing grades. Early admission to college. And a date with the star quarterback. But no. Thanks to a bunch of jerkwad vampire jocks, she ended up dead. Or rather, undead, and with a thirst that a thousand Diet Cokes couldn't quench.

Now she's out for blood - and revenge. And she knows exactly what to do. Elizabeth's read Salem's Lot. Just wipe out the crowd that did her in. But with so many creeps in high school it's hard to separate the good vamps from the bad. On top of that, she's got to figure how to be mortal again. Unless universities start accepting dead girls...

If you're looking for this series, you'll probably only find the cover below.

I finally got around to reading GOOD GHOULS DO. It was even better than the first, but unfortunately there isn't another one after this... yet. And I have no clue when it'll come out. I don't want to say too much because it'll spoil the first, but big things happen, and there are huge questions that need answered, and I need book three now!

Synopsis:

At least Beth Frasier's not the only vampire at Waterloo High. In fact, the bloodsucking seems to be catching on...

Waterloo's halls are teeming with them, all dominated by a Master that Beth was sure she'd killed. Being dead wrong about that is just one problem. She also feels bad about transforming her boyfriend into a Vamp. But honestly, ending his life was the only was to save ie. Now, on the ront-line of an all-out war between the living and the dead, Beth has a new survival plan - pretend to have the formula that allows Waterloo's vampires to survive under the sun. Making good on that promise before the real Master takes control is a lot of pressure for a young girl who wants only two things out of life - a boyfriend who doesn't bite, and one more chance to tan...

If you're looking for this book, you'll probably only find this cover.