Book Review - The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I've never read the graphic novel series, I've been hooked on the Walking Dead TV series since the premiere, and when I learned that a couple of prequel novels had been published, detailing the story of the Governor and his people, I couldn't wait to plunge right in!

Brian and Philip are brothers. While Brian is the elder of the two, Philip is the natural leader; larger both in physical size and in leadership presence, he even refers to his brother with the diminutive nickname of "Sport". When the apocolypse hits, widower Philip heads home to check on his parents, along with his 7 year old daughter Penny. Instead of Mom and Dad, he finds his big brother cowering in fear, and snatches him up to join his team, supplemented by two of Philip's high school friends, Bobby and Nick.

Together, this rag-tag team of men - along with the tempering influence of a small girl - have to outrun, outgun and outlive zombies and violent survivors, while Philip tries to find a place where he can create a life for his daughter so that she can grow up with some sense of peace.

I was really fascinated by the character development in this novel. I had long wondered what had driven The Governor to become the man he was in the series, and this was a very reasonable and sympathetic story. Yes, I really did grow to have sympathy for the man! His backstory is horrifying and I began to see how exposure to tragedy after tragedy and heartbreak after heartbreak could scar him in the directions that it did. There's no question that he becomes a very warped man in the end, but along the way there were many times it could have gone another way, should circumstances have been a little bit different.

The atmosphere in this book was very true to the Walking Dead series that I'm such a fan of, including the dark language and violence. It isn't for the faint of heart. In fact, there were moments where the ick of it all turned my stomach and other moments where my heart raced and my eyes filled with tears. It is a very graphic tragedy, and it's all laid bare on the page, sometimes quite starkly.

If you're a fan of the Walking Dead series you'll probably love this book. It's also a very good stand-alone book for zombie lit fans, and there is absolutely no reason why you have to know anything about the series to enjoy these books. For fans, there will be a lot of ah-hah moments where lightbulbs go off, so perhaps they'll like it on a different level, but it's fully realized on it's own as well.

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Book Review - Cemetery Girl

Cemetery Girl by David J. Bell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was one of those books where I have to yell at it while reading because I know the character that I like is going to make a big huge mistake.

They never listen to me *dramatic sigh*

Caitlin went missing when she was just 12 years old. Her dad sent her to walk their rambunctious dog in the park across the street, and the dog came home alone, trailing his leash and unable to explain what he witnessed on that fateful day. It's been four years, and Tom and Abby's marriage has fallen apart as they grew to live in the distance of a family missing a member in different ways. Abby found religion, and a devious preacher that fills her mind with ideas to write off her daughter as dead and move in with him instead. Tom never stopped fighting to find Caitlin and pushed the police to follow every lead. Because of his work, suddenly their daughter is returned, but she is not the girl that left the house happily walking a dog four years ago, and it throws everyone into a spiral of despair and trauma.

I really related to Tom, and not so much to Abby (mainly because she seemed to be to be kind of deluded and sheep-like). I didn't like some of Tom's decisions, and had to yell at him a lot. The same with Caitlin, who I didn't really understand sometimes, but could certainly sympathize with.

The mystery in this book isn't so much about where Caitlin went, but about what happened while she was gone, and how far her father would go to find out the "truth" of her missing years. He becomes obsessed with knowing, even when it's made clear to him that moving on will probably be easier if he doesn't know all the details. He does some icky, risky stuff and hurts people he loves and ultimately probably causes more damage than he intended. I know he had good intentions, but this just illustrates how when an obsession takes someone over, harmless as it may seem, it can ruin their life.

A good book, decent plotting and relatable characters.



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Book Review - Backseat Saints

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have gone back and forth multiple times over my star rating for this novel. And here is where I tell you why:

First, Backseat Saints is the story of what it means to live in a marriage "made of swords." It is about the cycle of domestic violence and how it is passed down through generations. And, fundamentally, it is about a woman who is afraid that it has come down to killing her husband before he manages to beat her to death.

The main character in Backseat Saints bothered me a little. She was somewhat unsympathetic, which means that the author wrote her extremely accurately, because she was described as the kind of woman that other women had little time for or interest in. As the prettiest girl in her high school, she hadn't gotten along with the cheerleaders, or the loser-drinker girls either. She had a hard time throughout her life maintaining female friendships, until an elderly neighbor took her under her wing and treated her like her long-lost daughter or granddaughter.

Because I had a hard time liking her - even if it was obvious why she came by the personality she did, growing up in the house she did - I had a hard time liking her very much, although I did really like the way she loved her sweet, 3 legged dog. Fat Gretel - the dog - was probably my favourite character in the entire book. The problem was, there were other characters I just didn't like much either - I hated her husband, her father was pretty vile, and her mother was difficult to relate to and not terribly likeable either. The story, on the other hand, was compelling and kept me reading. But I didn't feel like I left this book wanting more - I was kind of glad it was all over, to be honest. And I didn't leave feeling like I'd left characters behind that I'd love to visit again, hence the lower rating.

This is one of those books that you feel like you should read, and should plow all the way through, because it is an important kind of story, but it wasn't, for me at least, one read with much passion or interest.

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Book Review - Subgirl

Subgirl by Samantha Adkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'll add a small disclaimer here that the author is my friend, however I have reviewed her books and those of other friends before and give unfailingly honest ratings. If a book deserves a two star review it gets it, and if it deserves a five it gets it.

I loved Subgirl.

Jordana Simkins is a bit of a prodigy. She finished university early and at just 12 years old is ready to become a substitute teacher. A cranky school board member and her own fears are the only things standing in her way... well, that and a room full of kindergarteners!

The characters in this book are a lot of fun. I adored Jordana's parents, as well as her best friend Emily. They are quirky and real and are people I'd like to know in real life. Adding to the fun are the authors choices of names for various characters, like Ms. Hairpin - it's a comical little bit of silliness that is sprinkled throughout and really makes the book charming.

The author's teaching experience is also apparent, because life in a kindergarten classroom couldn't be more accurate, including the various archetypes of five-year-old that plague teachers and parents alike - the know-it-all, the shy kid, the kid who is just a little bit lost. We've all run into them from time to time and here they are accurately portrayed, and it's fascinating to see how the 12 year old protagonist deals with all the challenges.

This is a great book for the YA field, and I can see now why it has a band of rabid young fans who are chomping at the bit for installment number two. The prose is lyrical enough that this would also be a great read-aloud book for families, and has enough interest for adults to be a great selection in a mother-daughter book club.

P.S. Sam, if you're reading this, don't think I missed the nod to Julia and Levi in the names of the students - loved it! <3

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Book Review - 1st to Die

1st to Die by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

1st to Die is the lead title in a series dubbed "The Women's Murder Club" about - surprise surprise - a group of women who get together to solve crimes. When I first heard about the premise, I pictured a bunch of blue haired old biddies into everyone's business - sort of like Murder She Wrote x 4, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that these were younger women - a cop, a coroner, a journalist and a DA - who are smart and funny, and who seem to share my taste in music (at least the cop does!).

There is a serial murderer on the loose who takes his victims during what should be the happiest times in their lives - their wedding nights. His crimes are brutal and savage and have the whole city stumped, until one intrepid police inspector pulls together her girlfriends to solve crimes over hot wings. In the meantime, she gains a hot and charming new partner, and an illness that threatens to destroy her career and take her life.

I found the characters compelling, but I had most of the plot twists figured out from very close to the start, which is why I only rated this one three stars. This happens to me a lot; I read so many mysteries I get a feel for it early on, but I always still hope for surprises. Despite that, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and following their chase of their suspect. I think I'll be checking out the next one of these soon.

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Book Review - Pathfinder

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, I really really LOVED this book.

This shouldn't be a surprise. Ender's Game, also by Orson Scott Card, is one of my top novels I've ever read (I tend to recommend it to everyone, including random strangers I meet who seem like they might possibly be readers. You never know.) It did surprise me, though, probably because of the fantasy element.

So here, let me come clean: Generally speaking I really *really* don't like fantasy novels. My husband, on the other hand, loves them. He often reads a really good one and then tries to get me into it, and I just fail at reading fantasy. I get bored. I don't like it. Unless it's the Lord of the Rings trilogy or something very similar, I couldn't be less interested.

So, when I learned that this was a sci fi and fantasy hybrid, I was nervous. I really like sci fi, particularly dystopian fiction, and that appealed to me, but swords and dragons and that sort of fantasy? Uh oh. I was worried.

I shouldn't have been.

I fell in love with Rigg from the very first chapter, and couldn't have put it down if I'd tried. I also adored Loaf and Leaky, two lesser-seen characters that I couldn't stop telling my husband stories about. In fact, I went on and on so much about the book that now he's reading it too, partly just so my references start to make sense.

Much of this book is about time travel and paradoxes, which I found particularly interesting since Card comes at the subject matter from a very different perspective than most writers who take on the subject. Instead of shying away from anything that could cause a paradox, he embraces it and strides right through the ideas that are typically dismissed as impossible, making it all seem perfectly reasonable and making you wonder what drugs the other writers were on because clearly only Card has it right.

This is a fun novel, a can't-put-it-down novel and a terrific book to devour when you are stressed and need to escape for a little while. I can't wait for the second book in this series - it is on my shelf as we speak and will be broken into very shortly!

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Book Review - Breakaway

Breakaway by Michael Betcherman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was skeptical about this book, and it really was a fun and pleasant surprise!

Nick's dad, a former pro-hockey player, is in jail for murder, and Nick is playing detective - trying to find the bald man that framed his dad while keeping up with high school and his own hockey team, not to mention a girlfriend and a group of supportive guy friends who are up for helping him as much as they can. Of course, he has obstacles of his own to overcome, including a new player on his hockey team who is more about keeping his own stats up than helping his team win games, and a new college-age suitor who has an eye on the girl he adores. Meanwhile, Nick is being put up by his dad's former manager and his wife, who seem a little too good to be true, and perhaps are.

This book is geared toward adolescent boys, and as much as I love YA fiction, I wasn't sure this would be one for me, particularly because I don't know much about hockey and it is such a strong element in the book. However, I absolutely loved it! The characters are well-written, the suspense is intriguing from the start, and the mystery of the murderer kept me interested throughout.

This would be a great book for boys who tend to be reluctant readers, as the characters are relatable and real, and the writing manages to balance between easy to read and fascinating.

*This book was received at no cost through the GoodReads First Reads program.

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Book Review - Helpless

Helpless by Barbara Gowdy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After having finished this book last night before bed, I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

Helpless is a novel about child abduction. It tells the tale from the inside, from the helpless to solve the mystery mother's point of view, from the helpless because she's locked in a basement child's and from the helpless to control himself/helpless in the face of loving a man abductors.

I think the book was trying to throw a wedge of sympathy into my heart for the abductors, but every time I started to feel a twinge of that emotion, the rage and horror at what he'd done rode up in a big monster truck and demolished that little wedge in no time flat. Then it lingered around to make me mad at the author for trying to manipulate my emotions and mad at myself for reading this book.

So, while at times the writing was quite brilliant, I had so many issues with the subject matter that it was overshadowed in my mind by the ick-worthiness of the story.



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Book Review - Entwined

Entwined by Heather Dixon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If books were a colour, this book would be pink. Not baby pink, and certainly not neon, but that perfect rosy shade that totally flatters your complextion when you wear it and actually looks sophisticated.

I'll admit to something here - I chose this book based on the cover. Sometimes a cover totally, completely enraptures me and this one did so brilliantly. I didn't care what it was about and didn't read the blurb, I just wanted to be the princess on the cover. Yes, I'm actually a grown-up woman, I swear! But really - princess!

Okay, down to business. This book is a retelling of the classic fairy tale of the twelve dancing princesses. If you know that fairy tale, you sort of know the meat of this story, but I found this re-telling to be brilliant.

Azalea is the eldest of 11 girls, in a cash poor royal family somewhere between mideval battles and railroads (I'm guessing it's around the Edwardian period in history, based on clues like pistols and newspapers and the like.) Her pregnant mother dies giving birth on Christmas, and her father, the king, declares a year of mourning - black clothing, no going outdoors except on royal business, no playing, no music, and certainly no dancing.

Azalea's mother loved dancing, and so do all the girls. In fact, she taught them dancing regularly, and dancing seems to be one way they can remember her, now that their father has locked away everything their mother ever touched, away from the sight of the girls. They try sneaking to the ballroom in the dead of night, but after being caught, they are locked out. If only they could find a secret place to dance and remember their mum... and then Azalea is told of secret passages that pepper the magical castle, and her curiosity is piqued.

This is a fun story. It has plenty of suspense and some interesting romances, with everything very G rated (this would be a great read-aloud book for young families). It manages to have a very classic fairy tale feel without going overly Disney on the story - there are real threats, and even some blood. Still, the violence isn't gory, and it doesn't take over the story.

Highly recommended for the princesses (and princes!) at heart.

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