Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu 2011 (ARC)
Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "She was so busy thinking about the one she needed to rescue she didn't think at all about the one she was leaving behind." Hazel pg. 249

Once upon a time Hazel and Jack were best friends. They live in Minneapolis and while Hazel hates her fifth grade class she is able to bear it because Jack is in the classroom next door. But then Jack abruptly stops talking to her and disappears into a forest with a mystery Snow Queen. Hazel knows Jack has a rough life at home but how could he just live her like that? Hazel decides to go after hm, she assumes she will be prepared from all her readings of fairy tales. She soon realizes that fairy tales are not as beautiful and simple as they seem and that the Woods can really change a person, even when you want to stay the same. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen."

There is just no way Hazel is a fifth grader. I don't doubt that she read fairytales, The Wizard of Oz, Narnia books, Harry Potter, etc. but I do have very strong doubts that she would have been able to articulate her thoughts so well. She analyzes literature and people's motives in a way that I'm fairly certain most fifth graders do not do. There are several loose ends in this book. I don't mind most of the loose ends in this book because I enjoyed tying them up but I did want to know the meaning behind the wolves. I am not very familiar with fairytales (most of the ones I know are from TV and those of course are not always accurate) so I'm sure I missed many subtle references, but I did grasp tidbits from other beloved children's books that the author weaves into the story. I really liked how the author made a nod to both classic children's books and more modern children's stories. It is interesting how the author places an emphasis on remembering the people and places we leave behind as we go off on adventures and begin growing up. I chose the Incredible Quote because in most quest-novels the hero rarely considers who they are leaving behind, they may consider WHAT but not the loved ones who have to pick up the pieces and that little sentence captures one aspect of the uniqueness of this book.

I was most surprised by how melancholy the story was but that's not a bad thing, but it is something that should be noted. Growing up is rough but especially for Hazel who is one of the most creative children I've ever read about and who has no interest in becoming friends with children who aren't avid readers and 100% as imaginative as she is. In fact Hazel is far from the perfect protagonist. She doesn't want to take responsibility for her actions and her dependence on fantasy colors her view of reality in some detrimental ways, but it also helps her get through some tough situations as she searches for Jack. At one point Hazel's annoyance with facts is clearly shown "Nobody could accept that she did not want to hear about gaseous balls and layers of atmosphere and refracted light and tiny building blocks of life. The truth of things was always much more mundane than what she could imagine, and she did not understand why people always wanted to replace the marvelous things in her head with this miserable heap of you're-a-fifth-grader-now facts" (pg. 3), when Hazel suppresses her creativity and starts to simply go through the motions of attending school my heart actually broke. This book is depressing because both Hazel and Jack come from unhappy homes, Hazel is adopted from India and that feeds into her isolation at school (being the only Indian girl) but her adopted parents recently divorced and her father has had little contact with her. Jack's mother is mentally ill and his father is also mostly absent. Neither Hazel nor Jack fully understand the problems at home, nor do they want to and so they create fantasy worlds together and go on grand adventures. Until Jack starts hanging out more with other boys his age, he wants to be friends with Hazel too but not spend as much time with her. Hazel and Jack's new friends both feel that he has to make a choice. When Jack decides to leave (after something very mysterious and magical and utterly random occurs) the book successfully keeps readers guessing about the world he (And later Hazel) disappear into. Is it an alternate world? Or is it all in Hazel's imagination? I loved that the author kept me guessing.

The author's writing in Breadcrumbs is absolutely mesmerizing, the very definition of enchanting as she describes the new world Hazel and Jack enter, the eccentric people they meet, the harsh reality of growing up. She fully explores her characters and the scenes she creates, one of the most chilling scenes I thought was the one involving the parents and the flowers. I shudder even thinking about it. I don't think the author tries to gently submerse her readers in the strange new world and she surprised me at how bluntly she shows (I think) that you do need to grow up. Hazel can of course continue to be full of imagination but she also needs to be more open to learning about the world she actually lives in. Hazel's resilience is astonishing and while intellectually she didn't seem to be a fifth grader, her spirit fit her age. Hazel is determined, lively and while she isn't prone to giving up, the thought does cross her mind a few times. Also she goes after Jack based on a somewhat selfish motive. Jack is the only thing that anchors her to the real world and without him she feels lost, she needs him, she needs him to be strong at home both for himself and for her. There were many things I liked about this book but I especially like that the author expects A LOT of her readers. And I think readers will meet her expectations, the story is not very happy or even fun, there are underlying literary references and there are some ice-truths that young readers will either first uncover through reading this book or have already begun to recognize and realize in their own lives.

Disclosure: Received from author for review. Thank you so much!!

PS I am very sad however that since I had an ARC copy the drawings were not all in the book yet. I will have to find a hardcover copy!

PPSS I've decided to donate this book (along with some others) to my local food pantry's 'bookstore' (it's free like a library but the kids/adults keep the books) because this is a story that begs to be passed on.

Huntress

Huntress by Malinda Lo 2011
Little, Brown & Company/Hachette Book Group

Rating: 5/5

Incredible Quote (IQ) "She was no longer in her body; she felt free. She was as small as a drop of dew quivering on a spider's web; she was a minute in an hour in a day in a million years. So much had passed to bring her to this moment: births, deaths, countless insignificant decisions that made her who she had become. All of that-all of her-could end now. She could return to the limitless state that every living creature once was in and will be again." Kaede pg. 327

This story takes place centuries before Ash (the author's previous book) and explains the original purpose of the king's Huntress. Nature is off balance, the sun doesn't shine anymore resulting in crop failure and hunger throughout the land (merely referred to as a whole as The Kingdom). The King is desperate to find a solution to the problem, especially since strange new creatures are beginning to appear and it is unclear as to whether or not they are harmless. The oracle stones are cast, Kaede and Taisin are chosen to go on a journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Both girls are only seventeen years old, Taisin is one of the most promising sages, filled with magic, and Kaede is a devoted warrior, although it is intially unclear as to what she brings to the table. The girls travel with the King's son, con along with his most trusted guards, Tali, Shae and Pol. Taisin has had a vision that prevents her from being close to Kaede but the danger of the mission calls for the group to trust one another and that trust may lead to the downfall of the mission, and any possible romances.

Malinda Lo's novels are not to be rushed through in order to see the end of a plot, instead they should be cherished for the backgrounds and character development. I read this book as slowly as I could (while trying to be mindful that I needed to review the book for the publisher!), savoring each word and the ability to clearly visualize the scenery and characters described because this author pays extraordinary attention to detail. What's even more impressive is that the author focuses equal (or close-to-equal) attention on her secondary characters. There is not only a brewing romance between Kaede and Taisin, but there is one between other members of the group but their romance is not the only thing that defines them. Instead we learn about the families of the secondary characters and delve deeply into their layered personalities. This is not a story about the end of the journey, as cliche as it may sound, Huntress focuses more on the actual journey itself than the end result. I liked that neither girl started out as an expert, Taisin has immense potential but she's not an expert yet and Kaede struggles with archery. I found it interesting that the girls were not shaped by their surroundings but they did react to them, they constantly had to adjust (along with the whole group) their plans due to unforseen circumstances. Ahh life.

The romance between Taisin and Kaede begins at a relaxed pace, both girls are nervous about their feelings. Not because they aren't supposed to be in love due to gender (once again this is a world where everyone's sexuality is accepted) but due to obligations. Taisin as a sage must remain celibate. Kaede is expected to marry a powerful man for political reasons to help her father. It is acknowledged though that making political marriages between women is rare. The romance in this book seemed to be more about resisting the lure of love than the confusion that comes with it. Taisin is determined not to fall in love with Kaede because she doesn't want to be hurt when her tragic vision comes true, she steels herself for the worst and closes herself off. Kaede is confused as to why Taisin is so nervous around her, she is not initially aware that she has feelings for Taisin, she's just curious about this quiet girl whose family own a farm (as compared to Kaede who comes from a wealthier family). There is confusion on Kaede's part because Taisin is the Queen of Mixed Signals! The beauty of this romance is that is oh so worth the wait. I worried that I would grow impatient but the author's writing is so rich that it is most definitely worth the wait, each sentence uttered by Taisin or Kaede seems to take on a much deeper meaning and it was easy for me to envision the awkwardness of some of their encounters.

Huntress is partly inspired by the I Ching, which I know nothing about and while I may not have caught all the references and subtle nods (I learned a lot at the Diversity in YA talk such as Kaede on the cover is holding an akido bow and that the story uses Celtic magic), I adored this story even more than Ash. Taisin and Kaede don't grow leaps-and-bounds but they do slowly emerge as exceptional young women who have been through serious hardships and had some lovely adventures which have shaped them, for better or worse. Their romance helps them to grow but it never overshadows other aspects of the plot, the story strikes a balance between first love and adventure. The fairy world was fascinating to read about, the author made it easy to see how the fairies were so different from humans and she doesn't allow her characters to make sweeping generalizations or observations about the fairies' behavior. First she creates a scene, then she has a character ruminate on what just occurred. I firmly associate this book with winter based on the cover and the fact that the sun-never shines which makes it the perfect winter read (if your winters are actually cold. If not blast the air conditioning so you can shiver under the covers while reading ;) The bonus is that this book is packaged together beautifully. The cover is phenomenal (basically a full-face Asian girl starting defiantly at you while holding a weapon with soft snowflakes flying around and an imposing mountain in the background), the colors are lovely (I love love love purple!) and each chapter starts with a curlicue which is awesome. It practically screams old-fashioned fairy tale and this book is a traditional fairy-tale with a few modern (colorful) uplifts.

Disclosure: Received from publisher for review. Thank you so much!

PS I got Huntress autographed at DiYA last week (which I still need to write about because it was awesome)! I also picked up some bookmarks :D Read Malinda Lo's Reading in Color guest post in honor of Huntress' release And yes Malinda is so kind and she has an awesome speaking voice. I got shivers down my spine when she read from Chapter 1!

Throwback Thursday: Book of a Thousand Days

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale 2007
Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ "'Was it..' I hesitated. I didn't want to tell him his own feelings, but I thought I understood. 'Was it as though you had a splinter inside, deep in your chest, that had been there so long you'd forgotten to notice the pain, and the song reminded you so you could pluck it out?'" Dashti pg. 169

Dashti is Lady Saren's loyal maid. She is so loyal that when Lady Saren refuses to marry the man her father has chosen for her, Dashti accepts the same punishment as Lady Saren. They are both locked into a tower for seven years, there is only one tiny flap that opens up to the outside world. Lady Saren is in love with another guy, Khan Tegus, and both he and Lord Khasar (the man Lady Saren refused) visit Lady Saren while she's in the tower. Lady Saren is too afraid to talk to Khan Tegus, so she orders Dashti to impersonate her. Pretending to be gentry is a crime punishable by death, but Dashti will be required to keep up the charade in order to keep Lady Saren and herself safe.

I was worried that I would not like Dashti. The book gets off to a slow start and I was uneasy at the thought of having to deal with meek Dashti for the entire book. Gradually, I realized that my uneasiness over Dashti's meek attitude was a good thing. The author really made me get into a character's head, I UNDERSTOOD why Dashti didn't want to cross the gentry, all her life she has had it hammered into her that she is inferior to the gentry because she is a mucker. She takes care of animals and knows only healing songs. Imagine having it hammered into you that you are inferior (oh hey I've talked about that before xD) so I understood Dashti a little better. However I could not abide Lady Saren. It doesn't matter how she redeemed herself, she annoyed me with her weak will and inability to express herself. I'm just not patient though and Lady Saren did not take away from my enjoyment from the story. I only wish the book had picked up faster.

The Eight Realms of Dashti's world are partially modeled after medieval Mongolia. I would not have pieced that together were it not for the author's acknowledgments (although the title 'khan' made me think of Genghis Khan). How cool :) I adore the fairy-tale elements of this book. It's not sickly sweet but it isn't depressingly realistic either. There is a careful balance maintained throughout the duration of the novel. Humor in the novel comes from Dashti's mucker songs, she heals people by singing about something completely different to take the person's mind off their pain. Lord Khasar presents an unexpected twist, his acerbity is most unwelcome and terrifies Lady Saren. The romance between Dashti and her love interest also develops slowly, friends first, very close friends later, in-like and finally, in-love. The two of them are adorable. More than anything, my favorite part of the book was seeing the difference between meekness and timidness. Dashti is quiet but she will not allow herself to be all walked all over, when something REALLY bothers her, she speaks up. She isn't a perfect 'warrior' woman and she is not a know-it-all. Dashti doubts herself constantly but her self-doubt does not affect her ability to follow her heart.

The Book of a Thousand Days features exquisite writing, complicated situations and first-love goodness. Each word is chosen with care and while Dashti acts as though she fumbles to find the right words, she easily finds the most eloquent and storybook ways of expressing herself. Another of my favorite quotes, "[t]he sky no longer seems breathlessly huge, but feels to press down on me. Perhaps I'm just afraid of the uncertainty to come. When I'm moving on a journey, the ending is still unknown and possibly wonderful. But once I arrive, it's hard to keep imagining." (pg. 129) The book is cheerful filled with great characters, slow and steady worldbuilding and an exciting climax. Bonus points for having an all Asian cast and a main character who has a beautiful spirit and is only slightly bothered by her mottled hand (that she feels hinders her beauty, but then again a mucker maid is not supposed to be beautiful). Extra bonus: some of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to Heifer International!

Disclosure: Received from Aurora, thank you so much!

PS Read the original fairy tale Maid Maleen here