"All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

I have mixed emotions about this book. It is exceptionally well-written. The language is so beautiful that every page feels like an intricate carving. You can tell Doerr spent a lot of time wordsmithing his sentences trying to get it just right.  I did also appreciate the overall message of the novel that the war ruins the lives of all: the aggressors and those who are being attacked. Basically, there are no winners in the end – lives are maimed and souls forever scarred. Underneath the broad labels of “Nazi Germany” and “occupied France” are the lives of ordinary people. Some, like Werner, follow all the rules and get swallowed up by the system, others, like Frederick, try to rebel and are brutally punished. Werner is just a boy who wants to study science and instead gets inextricably entangled in the Hitler’s Youth machine. Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and her great uncle, who is scared of his own shadows as a result of what he saw during the First World War, are the unexpected heroes of the French resistance in North West France.

The reason I am docking a star in my rating of this book (4 out 5) is because of the way Doerr dehumanizes Eastern Europeans in the book. Doerr empathizes and aches for the fates of Frederick, Werner, Jutta and others in Germany. He feels the pain and suffering of Marie-Laure and her friends and family. But the Russians/Ukrainians/Poles and others are continuously described using the Nazi rhetoric of the time as barbarians, beasts and dirty swine. Even when Werner tracks down partisans in Ukraine and Russia, those scenes read as though isolated individuals worked in mostly uninhabited areas. What’s missing from the picture are the 20 million dead in the Soviet Union alone as a result of the Nazi invasion. If an author is going to describe those people as swine, he might as well mention what kind of brutality they lived through in the conflict. I just thought for someone who wanted to show the spectrum of what we normally do not see (hence the title), his portrayal of Eastern Europeans is seriously lacking. I wish he did not focus on it at all. In the same vein, the rape scene in Berlin is inserted into the book almost as an afterthought. Jutta lived in Zollverein, 450 km west of Berlin on the border with Belgium. To me the fact that orphan teenage girls would be sent to Berlin in 1945 to do menial labor is a bit of a stretch in the whole story.  Doerr wanted to show “Russian swine” exacting revenge on the German civilians and the only way to do it was to pluck Jutta out of Zollverein and put her squarely in their path. So up until that point in the story, I really liked the book, and then it just killed me. Again, the problem I have with it is inconsistency in the message. If the message is there are no winners in a war, then please do show us the humanity of all sides, not just the civilized Germans and French. In Doerr’s book, Eastern Europeans do not rise above faceless barbarians, and I find that shocking and sad.

I do realize that my problems with the book are outside of the main plot line, hence the reason I am docking only one star and not more. I did really enjoy the story of Marie-Laure and Werner. The unexpected connection they had was beautiful and heartbreaking. And the way Doerr described Marie-Laure’s relationship with her father is brilliant and moving. So overall, I do highly recommend the book even though I had a few issues with it.

Top 5 Wednesday: Side Characters That Deserve Their Own Series

And here we are again with Top 5 Wednesday. I skipped the last two Wednesdays because I did not really have a top five in the categories that were chosen, but decided to give it a shot this week. The characters I will mention below do not necessarily deserve an entire series, but I would definitely be interested in reading more about them, perhaps a stand alone or a novella.

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey who can be found on YouTube as GingerReadsLainey. And the Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads group can be found here.

1. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

I just recently read the second book in this duology called P.S. I Still Love You - loved it. And I think Jenny Han could definitely write spin off books about Lara Jean's sisters. Margot is away in Scotland for most of the two books and we don't really get to see how things go for her there after her final break up with Josh. In addition, I really love Lara Jean's younger sister Kitty. I think Jenny Han should revisit that character in a few years and write a book about her.

2. The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I have a feeling that a lot of people will be nominating this character for a spin-off/prequel series. Yes, I am talking about the Darkling - lonely, ruthless, power hungry, and fascinating. It would be such a treat to glimpse into his centuries-long past - he must have had an incredible history before Alina ever met him. Bardugo is writing a spin-off series set in the same world, but it is not about the Darkling.

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My favorite character in the Twilight series was Edward's sister Alice. I would love to see how things turned out for her down the road. It would also be interesting to get a novella expanding on the back story that we got about her in the series.

4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

I think the world that Mead created is so rich and populated with so many characters that you could have your pick at who could be the star of the next spin-off series. I personally think that Rose's dad - Ibrahim "Abe" Mazur - would make a great character of a stand alone book or perhaps even a series. He has shady dealings with vampires and humans alike and probably gets into all sorts of sticky and interesting situations worthy of a book.

5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Now, this is not a series, so the side character I will mention is probably worthy of a book or a novella rather than a series. I am talking about Tsukiko - the contortionist who had won the previous magical competition. I think she is such an interesting character and has a great back story that could be further expanded on in a separate book. I would definitely pick it up.

"Magonia" by Maria Dahvana Headley

Magonia is a recent young adult fantasy release. It caught my attention because the cover was blurbed by Neil Gaiman who highly praised it. This was a real surprise of a book for me. After several disappointing newly released fantasy novels, this book exceeded all of my expectations. It is beautifully written, the plot is unpredictable and set in the world that is unlike any of I've ever read about.

Magonia starts out in the human world and we follow our main character Aza Ray who is about to turn 16. All of her life she has suffered from a mysterious condition, which is so rare it was named after her. Her internal organs appear to be in the "wrong" places, her lungs can barely function and as a result she has severe coughing spells and has to be frequently rushed to the hospital. Medical science seems to be completely at a loss, and doctors are surprised she has lived this long...

As we learn a bit later in the story, Aza is in fact not human. She is magonian. Magonia is a hidden world high up in the sky, its inhabitants hide in storms and are responsible for many strange weather patterns such as sudden rain/hail, whirlwinds, blizzards, etc. Headley got her inspiration for Magonia from various myths and strange accounts, that appeared throughout history in various parts of the world, of airships, crop disappearances and people coming down from the sky. I found the world she created extremely fascinating and unique. It was also fun to look up various historic factoids which she masterfully wove into the story.

Aza herself is a very interesting character. Even though most of her life among humans was spent in hospitals and any day could be her last, her spirit remained extremely strong. She is snarky, has an inquisitive mind, and does not give up. I really enjoyed this book. My favorite part about it is the mythology behind the world. I also really liked the main characters and I cannot wait to see what happens to them in the rest of the series.

"The Wrath and the Dawn" by Renee Ahdieh

After weeks of watching others rave about this book, I finally got my hands on it and finished it in 3 days. This is a retelling of the initial frame story of Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights, a classic collection of Middle Eastern folk tales. Just like in the classic book, our main heroine Shahrzad marries a powerful king who is notorious for being cruel. Every day the king marries a young girl who is then executed the following morning. One of the girls who had died such a death was Shahrzad's childhood friend. Our heroine vows to avenge her friend's death and volunteers to marry the king. So begins the tumultuous story of Khalid and Shahrzad.

Ahdieh's writing is absolutely stunning. I was hooked from the first page. It is very lyrical and creates the atmosphere of an Arabian tale. She took a familiar story and made it more complex and unique. Unlike in the original fairy tale, Khalid is not simply a cruel monster to whom the lives of young women mean nothing. His back story is more complex and is gradually revealed in the book. Ahdieh spins a beautiful plot that has romance, betrayal, politics, magic, friendship and difficult family relationships. Her characters are multifaceted and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and highly recommend it.

"From a Distant Star" by Karen McQuestion

This was another review novel that I received from Netgalley. The story follows Emma, a seventeen-year old high school student who seems to be the only one still believing that her boyfriend Lucas will recover from terminal cancer. She spends most of her time by his side and even visits a local witch lady in search of a cure. Lucas meanwhile is in a coma and by all accounts on his deathbed. One night as Emma sits by his side, she hears a strange crashing noise outside. The crash site is investigated by the family dog Mac who sees a strange object on the ground, and as he approaches it, an alien being jumps into him. Shortly after that, Lucas makes a miraculous recovery. Everyone around him is overwhelmed with joy, but Emma realizes that he is not quite the Lucas she knows and loves. Something or someone appears to have taken over his body.

I rated this book as 3 out of 5 stars, which means that the book was OK but not amazing. My main problem with it is the style of writing. This book is marketed to teens but I think it is really more suitable for middle grade readers. There is really no guesswork left for the reader, nothing to work out for themselves. All the information is carefully spoon-fed and in some cases the author sounds overly preachy. However, I do think this book is perfect for younger readers and would highly recommend it if that is what you are looking for.

"A Million Miles Away" by Lara Avery

This is a new release (the book has just come out today). I read an advanced e-reader copy that I got from Netgalley. The book is marketed on goodreads as being perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks. I personally do not like his novels, but I decided to give this one a shot and I was not disappointed.

The basic story line is as follows. Our main character Kelsey is a senior in high school, and her twin sister gets tragically killed in a car crash on her way home from the airport where she just saw her boyfriend Peter off for his deployment to Afghanistan. Kelsey and her parents are overwhelmed with grief and try to deal with the pain in whatever way they can. Then one day, Kelsey accidentally answers a skype call from Peter who has no idea about the accident and thinks that he is talking to Michelle. During this and subsequent communications Peter shares with her glimpses of the hardships he is facing in the warzone and Kelsey just does not have the heart to tell him about her sister's death. She keeps up the act and eventually falls in love with Peter who still does not know that he is communicating with Michelle's twin.

When I started reading the book, I was very skeptical and did not like the first 4 chapters or so. However, from that point on, the book was just perfect. I could really relate to Kelsey and what she felt. I think the author did an amazing job describing someone dealing with grief. Kelsey to me also felt very real. Oftentimes in YA contemporaries, we see these perfect heroines who make all the right choices and reason clearly and rationally at all times. Kelsey to me was a typical teenager overwhelmed with loss and trying to deal with issues as they come up. She makes mistakes, she hurts herself and others, but she also loves deeply, and comes across as a genuine person. Avery created someone you can actually picture as real. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.

Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Chapter Headings

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey who can be found on YouTube as GingerReadsLainey. There is a Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads group (see here) that is open to all booktubers and bloggers. The topic for the first Wednesday in July is Favorite Chapter Headings. In my post I decided to focus more on chapter titles rather than the fonts or art design used in headings.

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J,K. Rowling

You just know the book is going to be good if you are hooked from the moment of reading the title of the very first chapter: "The Boy who Lived" - don't you just want to find out what's that all about? I think Rowling did an amazing job coming up with chapter titles. Another favorite of mine from this book is "The Letters from No One."

2. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My foray into YA books began with Twilight. No matter what the critics might say about the quality of writing and the characters, this is the book that got young people reading and it will always be the book that got me hooked on YA. This book has chapter titles and just looking over them brings back the wonderful memories I have of reading this novel: "First Sight," "Phenomenon" and "An Impasse."

3. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This was a recent read and one detail I enjoyed about this book is that before each chapter there is a note with a book review that A.J. writes for his daughter. Those notes are fascinating and got me interested in some of the books mentioned. Most of them are classics or literary fiction and I always talk about wanting to read more classics. I think this was a very creative way to include A.J.'s notes in the book and I really enjoyed reading them.

4. The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

This is one of my favorite books and I think it deserves a lot more attention than it is currently getting. The book is about a young girl, a runner, who loses her leg in a car accident. It is the story of her journey back to running, and if you look over the chapter titles you get the idea of how the story develops and what the central theme is:

Part I     Finish Line
Part II    Headwind
Part III   Straightaway
Part IV   Adjusting the Blocks
Part V    Starting Line

5. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

I loved this book when I was a child and looking at the chapter headings transports me into the wonderful world of pirates, sea battles and hunting for treasure: "The Old Sea Dog at the 'Admiral Benbow'", "The Black Spot," "The Sea Chest," "I Strike the Jolly Roger" etc. Great memories!

"A Book of Spirits and Thieves" by Morgan Rhodes

This is another first book in a new YA fantasy series that just came out at the end of June. Morgan Rhodes is the author of the widely popular Falling Kingdoms series, which I have not read yet. A Book of Spirits and Thieves is a Falling Kingdoms spin-off but features completely new characters and is set in a different time period. 

Now to the plot. The book is written from 3 perspectives. The first one is Crystal, a modern-day seventeen-year-old, who one day opens a package addressed to her mother, which arrived at a Toronto bookstore that her family owns. Her younger sister Becca touches the book and falls into a coma. This sets Crystal on the path of learning about the mysterious book and discovering quite a few deeply buried family secrets. 

The second point of view is that of Farrell, a nineteen-year-old heir to the Grayson fortune, a wealthy modern day Canadian family. The Graysons are all members of a secret society that aims to save the world from evil. Farrell does not attend any school or has job, he spends a lot of time partying and is generally a disappointment to his parents. When the leader of the secret society invites Farrell to join his inner circle, Farrell finally sees an opportunity to make something worthwhile of his life.

Finally, we get the perspective of Maddox, a sixteen-year old wizard living in a parallel fantasy world of Ancient Mytica. He one day meets a spirit that looks like a young girl from a completely different world, who is of course Becca. Her spirit gets transported to Mytica while her body is in a coma back in Canada. Maddox vows to help Becca return home.

In the beginning we follow three seemingly unconnected perspectives as each of the three characters sets out on their individual paths. As the story progresses their paths start to cross and intertwine until everything comes together at the very end. 

Parts of this book were kind of slow especially in the beginning and I started to lose interest. But then in the last 100 pages or so things finally started to come together. I also wish we could learn a bit more about Becca since she is bound to play a bigger role in the series going forward. But we only see her through the eyes of Crystal and Maddox. I therefore did not feel any special connection to her character. My favorite by far is Farrell. I like complex and morally gray characters. Farrell fits squarely into that category and I can't wait to see how things will go for him in the next installment. Overall, a very enjoyable book, I rated it 4 out of 5 stars and will definitely be reading the sequel.