Only After Falling

Hello! I'm gcwlibrarian, a librarian in Massachusetts. I post book reviews of all types of young adult lit, including many dystopias. I feel dystopian lit reminds us of our larger strengths/self, as indicated in the first lines of the poem that inspired the name of this blog: Only after falling Do I discover I am a yellow leaf Only after the trees wither Do I discover I am autumn – Lin Wan-Yu, “In the Mist” translated from the original version in the literary journal “Renditions: a Chinese-English Translation Magazine (2005).”

[gcwlibrarian]

Midwinter Blood by Marcus Sedgwick (Book Review)

Journalist Eric Seven travels to Blessed Island for an article he's writing. He plans to investigate strange rumors that he's heard about the place-- mainly, that the inhabitants live forever. The island's people treat him warmly, and he's immediately taken with a young woman named Merle. But Eric senses that some of the residents are trying to distract him from gathering information. He soon has difficulty remembering why he ventured to the island at all. This book recently won the 2014 Printz Award, with reason. I loved Midwinter Blood, just as I loved Revolver. Both books are short and powerful. Sedgwick is a master storyteller, weaving his characters' stories into a cohesive thread. The island's history was fascinating. I felt the suspense, heartache, and bonds between characters. I loved the repeating motifs throughout, as well as the ending. I was tempted to start it again immediately from the beginning, which is something this busy librarian would usually never consider! If I was only allowed one word to describe it-- beautiful. I highly recommend Midwinter Blood.

[gcwlibrarian]

My Blind Date with a Book display!

[gcwlibrarian]

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith (Book Review)

This is an excellent, quality dystopia that takes place in the title city long after it’s referred to as New Orleans. In 2025, the United States issued a Declaration of Separation from five southeast states affected by a string of devastating hurricanes over several years. The inability to control disease after these hurricanes led to a massive quarantine of the area, and a towering wall is installed. Thirty-one years later in 2056, Fen de la Guerre lives in Orleans, a city that endures despite its isolation from what are now called the Outer States. People don’t survive in Orleans unless they belong to a tribe, which is determined by blood type. 16-year old orphan Fen belongs to the OPs (O-Positives), who along with the ONegs are carriers of the Delta Virus, but it doesn’t cause them harm. Other blood types are more affected by the virus, and as a result they require transfusions to stay alive. Because of this, a blood trade exists-- O blood is highest in demand. To keep peace among the tribes, Orleans is divided into territories. But at the start of the book, Fen’s OP territory is attacked by ABs. Fen rescues Lydia, the pregnant OP Tribe Leader, while watching her people and home burn to the ground. Lydia dies giving birth and makes Fen promise that she’ll care for the baby girl and give her a better life. Fen only has seven days before Baby Girl, like all newborns, contracts the Delta Virus. While trying to bring the infant to a safe place, Fen meets an outsider. Daniel is a scientist who smuggled himself over the Wall to work on a cure for the virus. Told from alternating viewpoints, Fen and Daniel travel together in pursuit of their separate goals. Fen is an outspoken, no-nonsense survivor with expert knowledge of the Delta. Daniel is a scared, hopeful scientist who wants to end the disease that ruined so many peoples’ lives. This book is rich in its storytelling, strong plot, sense of place, and distinct characters. The story is both a frightful and captivating tribute to the surviving spirit of New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina. Smith's novel easily rises above other dystopias and new fiction for teens.

[gcwlibrarian]

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Cronn-Mills (Book Review)

"In kindergarten I remember wondering why I had to line up with the girls when I knew I was a boy." This is an excellent, realistic story that explores a teen's struggle with gender identity. Since Gabe announced that he's transitioning from Liz, his family barely looks at him. At least he's graduating in a few weeks and plans to move to a big city where he can pursue a career in radio. Plus he has Paige, his best friend since grade school, who supports his transitioning to the extent that Gabe wonders if she's flirting with him. There's also John, Gabe's musical mentor, who helps him get a late hour radio show on the community station. Music is life to Gabe: "When you think about it, I'm like a record. Liz is my A side, the song everybody knows, and Gabe is my B side-- not played as often but just as good." Gabe names his show "Beautiful Music for Ugly Children." He charms the audience with his musical taste and assignments to perform harmless pranks around town. His groupies create a fan page on Facebook and post photos of their pranks in tribute to Gabe. Along with some attention from girls (other than Paige) and a chance to win a radio contest that could give him a full-time show, Gabe is enjoying his B side more than ever. But when someone outs him as Liz on the Facebook page, Gabe must deal with backlash from his fans and friends. The characters are solidly drawn and are a pleasure to read, especially Gabe, Paige and John. The story is expertly crafted and delivered. Readers are sure to be enlightened by the emotions and other realities that transsexuals face-- which are not only humorous, painful, and joyous, but also familiar to all, no matter your gender and sexual orientation.

[gcwlibrarian]

Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler (Book Review)

This is a biography in which Aaron Hartzler describes growing up in an extremely religious household. His father works at a Bible College and his mom runs the Good News Club (religious teachings for children) once a week from the family's living room. They attend church two nights a week plus Sunday mornings. Aaron and his siblings are taught that the Rapture will happen-- Jesus will come back to judge everyone by their earthly actions, which will determine whether they enter heaven or hell. But as Aaron turns 16, he forms an interest in pop music and movies-- both of which his parents do not allow. When he buys the Pretty Woman soundtrack as a present for the girl he likes, his father takes him out of the school play. This is devastating for Aaron, who loves acting even more than the forbidden music and movies he's careful to keep a secret from his parents. Eventually he meets Bradley, whose house Aaron seeks refuge in as often as possible. Bradley's parents are divorced but living together, and are so relaxed that they drink alcohol in their home. Aaron struggles with his faith throughout the book, as he often feels that his actions are not so awful that God would stop loving him. This book contains very personal experiences from Hartzler's childhood, and I felt total empathy for him throughout. This would be a good book for anyone interested in the lifestyle of an extremely religious family... or a young man's struggle with his parents wishes and religious beliefs... or a teenager's struggle with his sexual identity... or simply as an autobiographical coming of age novel.

[gcwlibrarian]

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (Very Short Book Review)

Aliens have taken over earth. Cassie's parents have died, and she's traveling through the post-apocalyptic terrain, hoping to reunite with her younger brother. No one knows what the aliens (the Others) look like, and at this point many people think they could look like humans in disguise. Thus, Cassie prefers to be on her own. She encounters another person whom she hesitates trusting, but ultimately needs his help to survive and move closer to finding her brother. I realize that the majority of reviewers loved this book. I couldn't get into it. The storytelling was too slow and I didn't care much about the characters. The romance seemed too abrupt... and I didn't think the writing was very strong. This was clearly not the book for me. Many other reviewers who reacted negatively mentioned how excited they were to get their hands on the book, as there was a lot of pre-release hype. After they read the book and found they disliked it, this resulted in some very angry reviews. I'm not in this category, since I somehow evaded the hype. Although I cannot personally recommend The 5th Wave, I will still suggest it to those who may be interested as an apocalyptic sci fi that's really popular, which a lot of (other) people love.

[gcwlibrarian]

Bubble World by Carol Snow (Book Review)

Freesia loves her island home of Agalinas. Daddy and Mummy are always there for her and her little sister, Angel, adores her. At school she takes fun classes like Foundations of Foundation and Spanglish Immersion. Best of all, there's always a party to dress up for. But during a visit to the Dressy Dress Shoppe, there's a blackout. Freesia's vision slowly focuses on the glass-enclosed bubble room that she's standing in. On the opposite side of the glass are uglier, messier versions of Daddy and Mummy, and an older (and meaner) Angel. Not-Mummy explains that Freesia has been living in a simulation program called Bubble World for 3.5 years. There have been problems during updates to the program, which caused her to wake up. After a brief visit to the real world (where the only benefit is that the food tastes 100% better), the updating problems are resolved and Freesia is sent back to Agalinas. Everything will be perfect again-- except Freesia threw out the memory blockers her father gave her before linking back into the program. Although this book clearly contains a large dystopian/sci-fi element, it reads and feels like pure fiction. Half of the action is lighthearted and fun, taking place in the perfect reality world. The other half of the plot takes place outside of the computer simulation, where Freesia struggles to adjust to the "odious" real world. Classes are difficult, her sister hates her, and the people are uglier (including Freesia herself). She discovers that reality isn't perfect, but neither is Bubble World. Although the themes aren't groundbreaking, the delivery is fun and humorous-- an enjoyable read through the end.

[gcwlibrarian]

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Book Review)

Cath hates college. She's worried about leaving her dad home alone. If it weren't for Cath and her twin sister Wren keeping a close watch on him, their father would live in a constant state of mental instability. Largely because their mother abandoned the family when Cath and Wren were eight years old. Wren chose not to room with Cath in college so they could establish separate identities. Cath knows this will only benefit Wren, because she's the social one. Cath is so awkward and incapable of dealing with people that she basically lives in her dorm room. Wren regularly goes partying to get drunk with her new roommate, whereas Cath and Reagan only grunt hello at each other. Plus, Reagan's over-smiley boyfriend Levi is always around and wants to be invited into her dorm room to talk, even when Reagan's not home. But at least Cath finds relief by escaping into Carry On, Simon, the internationally popular fan fiction she writes based off the Simon Snow series (Harry Potter read alike). And she's getting to know a cute boy in her Fiction Writing class who she meets at the library to write stories together. The characters and dialogue in this book are really strong. I especially liked Reagan, who becomes more friendly with Cath throughout the story. She's dry and critical in a loving way, and is a different character than I'm used to reading by far, which is a good thing. Levi is the complete opposite of Reagan. He's overly friendly and smiles so much that it really does seem creepy at points. But he's extremely sincere and a great friend. More on him later. Cath and Wren struggle with their relationship and also deal with family problems regarding their dad and estranged mother (was it necessary to bring the estranged mother into this story? I'm not sure). It really is painful to witness Cath's extreme awkwardness. The reader has no choice but to root for her to come out of her shell. Some of her more clueless than average moments got to me, and she could be too whiny. But the amazing characters around her save the story for me. She does face a struggle in her Fiction Writing class that helped me appreciate her more. It's also clear how much research and effort the author put into Fangirl. She wrote many scenes from the Simon Snow series and excerpts from Cath's fanfic Carry On, Simon. Besides some issues I had with Cath, she is loveable in a lot of ways. This is a realistic portrayal of awkward-girl-lost-at-college with many coming-of-age struggles, and includes awesomely different characters from the norm.

[gcwlibrarian]

Happy Banned Books Week, Sept. 22 - 28! This is my display at the Coolidge Corner Library's Teen Zone in Brookline, MA

[gcwlibrarian]

Reboot by Amy Tintera (Book Review)

In the slums of the Republic of Texas, if you don’t die from a gunshot or starvation, you’ll catch the KDH virus. You’ll die. Seconds later, you’ll reboot. You’ll be taken to HARC, Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation. Welcome home. You’ll live comfortably while training to become a deadly soldier who brings in criminals from the slums. Your barcode will list your name and the number of seconds you were dead. If your number is low, you’ve retained more of your human emotions. Odds are you’ll die sooner than a reboot with a higher number (“die” in this case is permanent). If your number is high, you’ll be better, faster, and stronger-- an emotionless killing machine. HARC’s favorite kind of reboot. No matter your number, best to avoid Wren 178- she’s the least human of all. And she's starting to regret volunteering to train a 22. Some say she’s trying to prove a point and others think she has a crush. Whatever her intention, it’s clear that Callum 22 is changing her. I really enjoyed this new dystopia. Wren’s reactions to the situations she's placed in are realistic, and her character development is believable. Callum’s character is successfully charming, but the romance isn’t so heavy that it distracts us from the plot and action scenes. Although the ending was pretty fast, I liked it. It reads as a complete story on its own, although the sequel is slated for May 2014.

[gcwlibrarian]

The Chemical Garden Trilogy: Wither / Fever / Sever by Lauren DeStefano (Book Review)

Scientists have genetically engineered the human race to be immune to all illnesses and disease, but an unexpected side effect develops: an innate virus causes women to die at 20, men at 25. At the beginning of "Wither," twin siblings Rhine and Rowan are alone at age 16 after their parents die in a bombing at the hospital where they work. Rhine is soon captured by Gatherers who sell girls into research labs, prostitution rings, or are killed. In Rhine's case, she's sold to Dr. Vaughn Ashby. Dr. Ashby is working hard to discover a cure for the virus so his son, Linden, may bear a child to keep their legacy intact. Along with two sister-wives, Rhine is married to Linden and expected to become pregnant. Youngest sister wife Cecily is the most eager at age 13, as her situation has been elevated from her previous residence at an orphanage. Oldest sister wife Jenna is 18 years old, and quietly dissatisfied with their situation. Although living in the Ashby residence is luxurious, Rhine is pained to be stolen from her brother and trapped against her will in a prison masked as a mansion. She constantly thinks of escaping and reuniting with Rowan. I must have missed reviewing these books individually! I just completed the final book in the series, Sever. DeStefano's writing is just beautiful, which is a juxtaposition to the ugly world she's created. There is a creepy, languid mood throughout. Despite this, each book is a captivating read. Try this series if you like dreamy dystopia + luxurious prisons + well-drawn characters + vile villains + gorgeous writing. And a bit of romance as well :)

[gcwlibrarian]

Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman (Book Review)

In Charles and Emma, the reader gets a true sense of Victorian England at the time Darwin worked on his theories regarding natural selection. The importance of religion and belief in God as Creator in this society offers a helpful context for why Darwin's thoughts were so radical. We also learn a lot about the nontraditional Victorian household that Charles and Emma established for their family, as well as the struggles with health that Charles and his family faced. And of course, the respect that Charles and Emma showed each other regarding their differences in religious beliefs. I rarely read nonfiction or biography, but this was a book club pick, so I took the opportunity to read outside of the literary box. I really appreciated how much I learned through the author's very readable storytelling-- so much better than traditional text books. I wish there was more of this type of writing when I was a teen, because I feel I would have retained more facts, and within a much better context of the world at the time. It's true that I probably would have only read this book if it was assigned for class-- but I do feel I would have greatly gained from it, and my present self would have appreciated it in hindsight. I definitely recommend this if you are interested in Darwin's life or work, the Victorian era, or are facing your own struggle regarding personal beliefs of religion vs. science. I especially liked Emma's words to Charles late in their marriage: "It is feeling and not reasoning that drives one to prayer."

[gcwlibrarian]

More Than This by Patrick Ness (Book Review)

At the beginning of this story, Seth dies in a cold, unforgiving ocean. Soon after, he finds himself in the childhood home that he grew up in while his family lived in England. It looks exactly the same, except for piles of dust on every surface. While searching for food, Seth discovers that the town is desolate. He wonders if he's REALLY the last living person on the planet-- what should he do next? This story unfolds slowly at first, and gains traction as each decision made leads Seth to unexpected situations. Throughout the book, both Seth and the reader questions what is truly happening in this freeze-frame world. Whereas I love the Chaos Walking trilogy, I only like "More Than This." But overall it was an interesting read, and I was definitely eager to pick it up to discover what would happen next, and what it would all amount to. Unfortunately, the end was a bit anti-climactic for me, but the focus is definitely more on the plot's unexpected discoveries and the thought-provoking journey. Note that several heavy issues such as death, suicide, troubled relationships, abuse, and other dystopian-like themes factor into this story. Thanks to Candlewick Press for the much anticipated ARC!

[iamthecollage]

[goodvibes-muffin]

these are beautiful, but why would you ever do this to a book?

[ktopless]

^this

[friedcheesemogu]

Okay this is something I have to answer because as a bookseller, as a bookseller working in a used bookstore, this is something I have to deal with daily. People get mad at me or express something like profound disappointment when I indicate that we recycle what we can’t use, and some of that recycling is the employees using books to make art and/or crafts like purses, buttons, collages, jewelry, etc.

You know why we do it? Because we love books. We recycle them so they can be made into new books by a company that we pay to do exactly that. We make them into art because sometimes there is nothing else you can do with them and the thought of just getting rid of them seems like a waste.

You may love books and hate to see them “destroyed," but tell me what you, personally, are going to do with a full set of Encyclopedia Britannica from 1994? That’s 26 books of outdated information. When you have a stack of Twilight books that is literally two feet tall, is it really absolutely necessary to preserve the integrity of their bookiness? Or might it be more worthwhile to give them a second life? As a new book, as art, as something other than an object that takes up space in a store where we need as much as possible to sell the books you love and that we love too. I wouldn’t do this to, say, the Gutenberg Bible or a first edition Virginia Woolf, but something we see several times a day every day? Art is a pretty good fate for an otherwise unsaleable book.

No one is asking you to make incredible mountain ranges out of the books you love. But please consider that same love might have something to do with why people make the things they do out of books.

[gcwlibrarian]

Major Changes that Librarians should know about!

Have you heard about these 3 major changes that were announced recently? 1. Barnes & Noble discontinues the Nook 2. Google Reader is discontinued 3. Penguin and Random House Publishing merger is complete

[gcwlibrarian]

14 Books To Read Before They Hit The Big Screen

Some of these could actually be good adaptations! We'll see...

[tenderlumberjack]

“If we can’t write diversity into sci-fi, then what’s the point? You don’t create new worlds to give them all the same limits of the old ones.”

Jane Espenson (from interview with Advocate.com)\

I dunno how many which ways this needs to be said

(via walidhani)