The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing
By: Joelle Charbonneau

Goodreads Synopsis:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one and the same? 

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. 

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust

Review:

I'll be honest, this was not a book I would have picked up on my own. My first thought after reading the summary was, "This is going to be a bad knock-off of the Hunger Games and Divergent." "The Testing" was nominated for our 6th-8th grade state award, so I read it to discuss on an outreach visit to an intermediate school. After reading the book, I can verify that my initial reaction was correct for the most part. However, I do think teens who are still dystopian fans will enjoy this one.

Cia and Tomas are exceedingly flat and, frankly, boring characters. I could not connect with either character and had difficulty forming a good picture both her and Tomas in my mind. In addition, their romance has little substance and is poorly executed. This criticism; however, stems from my desire for all books to be well written and will probably not even be noticed by the teens. The plot was a little disturbing, but gentler than the Hunger Games. One of the issues I have with this book is that it cannot stand on its own. There is no way to read it without comparing it back to Hunger Games and Divergent. I did enjoy the survival/living off the land aspect of the plot. In addition, the plot progression kept me engaged for the most part. It was just interesting enough to give me the fortitude to finish "The Testing" and is the only reason I gave this two stars, instead of one. 



How do you weigh in on the dystopian argument? Are you a hardcore fan or just ready for something fresh?

~Alyssa

The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst

Tweens Read Thursdays

Goodreads Synopsis

Sophie loves the hidden shop below her parents' bookstore, where dreams are secretly bought and sold. When the dream shop is robbed and her parents go missing, Sophie must unravel the truth to save them. Together with her best friend—a wisecracking and fanatically loyal monster named Monster—she must decide whom to trust with her family’s carefully guarded secrets. Who will help them, and who will betray them?

Review

Strengths:

The Girl Who Could Not Dream is delightfully random. From ninja bunnies to yellow glittery dreams one can drink, the content is sure to amuse tweens (who are quite random themselves). You know a book is entertaining when a monster tells the main character to "frolic in a field and think pugnacious thoughts." My favorite bit of randomness is a dream pegasus unicorn named Glitterhoof who lives on the clouds and walks on rainbow highways. Glitterhoof fills my inner 90's child/five year old self with glee.

Monster is a fun, but peculiar character who made the book for me. Most of Durst's better writing is evident in Monster's lines and character development.  Durst paints a shimmery world that is filled with possibilities, but also tinged with loneliness. She deals well with important tween issues such as friendlessness and feeling different. 

Weaknesses:

This was undoubtedly a typical, formulaic, middle grade novel. Girl is lonely with no friends, has special powers, and has to learn to rely on herself when her parents are taken out the picture. By the end of the book she has friends, including the cutest boy in school, and a stronger belief in herself. Sound familiar? In addition, Durst's writing is extremely choppy at the beginning. This gets a little better as the story progresses. The writing is also somewhat cheesy. I actually laughed out loud at a line comparing Ethan's smile to sunshine.

Despite the recurring issues rampant in current middle grade novels (can somebody please write a book with good vocabulary and sentence structure?!) there is something about this book. It does possess a fascinating uniqueness in spite of its formulaic nature that leaves me with overall good feelings. (Or maybe it's just the sparkle from Glitterhoof's mane.)  The Girl Who Could Not Dream releases next month, so give it a read and recommend it to your tweens with big imaginations!

What is your opinion of the current "formula" for middle grade novels? What are some of your favorite middle grade novels that combine real life with fantasy?

Alyssa

Disclosure: My review is based off my reading of an Advanced Reader Copy I won as a Goodreads giveaway. 

Willie's Redneck Time Machine by John Luke Robertson and Travis Thrasher

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this four-book juvenile fiction series featuring the popular Robertson family of Duck Commander and written by Phil's grandson John Luke Robertson (with Travis Thrasher), readers are invited to participate in the zany fun of the Duck Commander world. After a few chapters, readers can choose to go down different paths--all filled with humor and life lessons.In this volume, Willie finds a mysterious wooden crate in the Duck Commander warehouse. Only John Luke is around, so the two of them open up the box and find a strange device. It turns out it's a time machine that looks a bit like an outhouse. Willie and John Luke test out the machine and find themselves journeying back and forth in time. They have crazy adventures but know they need to make it back to West Monroe. But will they make the right choices to get back at the right time?

Review:

I have to admit, I was pretty excited when I found this book in the stacks. Duck Dynasty is a show I find vastly amusing and a "Choose Your Adventure" style book starring the Robertsons sounded like a good time to me. This was my first time reading this style of book and I discovered that it is not my favorite. This is a purely personality based judgment. I am a goal-driven individual and relish being able to measure progress, even in a book I absolutely love! (This is one reason why e-readers will probably never work for me.) In this particular format, there is absolutely no way to measure progress. Additionally, I have to read every single page in a book to feel like I can mark it "Read" in Goodreads. (Because, of course you haven't actually read a book unless it's on your Goodreads...)   In order to complete "Willie's Redneck Time Machine," I had to thumb through every page of the book to make sure I had followed all the storylines. With that being said, I can absolutely see the draw to this style. It is perfect for reluctant readers and for kids who enjoy a fast paced read!  As far as writing quality goes, this one isn't winning any awards, but the plots were so entertaining, I actually did not care that much about the quality of the writing. One final note: one of the stories continues in another book in the series and I thought that was kind of cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater...

And the verdict on "Willie's Redneck Time Machine?" Three out of five ducks. Quack.

Go read this book. It's very fluffy, but so amusing!

Are you a fan of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" style? What are some of your favorite books or series in this format? 

Alyssa

Escape From Baxters' Barn by Rebecca Bond

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Burdock the barn cat sneaks into the Baxters’ farmhouse kitchen to hide behind a warm stove, he overhears a sinister plot that endangers all the animals on the farm. It’s up to him and his cacophonous cohorts to figure out how to bust out of the barn before it's too late. In this winning debut, readers will fall in love with the solitary cat, the self-effacing cow, the unstoppable pig, even a wayward she-owl—all brought to life with clever dialogue, poetic descriptions, and expressive black-and-white illustrations. This warm, lively read-aloud story about teamwork and friendship has the timeless appeal of a much-loved quilt.

Review:

I enjoyed this one. It was fairly calm and made me feel cozy. I first heard about it from a webinar, where it was compared to Charlotte's Web. This is a good comparison, in the fact that I can think of no other book to compare it to. Certainly, the quality of the writing and memorability of the characters can in no way compare to Charlotte's Web, but the plot has a similar feel. Only a few references alert the reader that the book occurs in the present day. Without these; however, it could take place any time in the last 100 years. I really appreciate this quality of the plot, as it removes in reliance on technology and time references and just allows the story to be.  Furthermore, I enjoyed the development of the animals' friendship, but would like to have seen more. Now, I will warn you that there is a morbidity about it. 

Spoiler: the farmer is broke and plans on burning down the barn for the insurance money. The animals are unsure whether he is planning on burning them along with the farm. For this reason, and the fact that Burdock loses an eye to a coyote attack, I don't think I can completely classify this one as a "gentle read." This was a little disappointing, as my original impression was that this would be a clear "gentle read." However, the premise of "Charlotte's Web" hinges on Fern's father planning to turn Wilbur into ham and bacon. Yet I think most would tout "Charlotte's Web" as a "gentle read." 

Overall, I enjoyed "Escape From Baxters' Barn." It reminded me of the animal novels from the 50's-70's that I loved so much as a child. Unfortunately, it lacks that sprinkle of magic necessary for me to consider it a "great" read.  Give this one to your borderline gentle readers, animal readers, and someone in need of a calm vacation from life.

What are some of your favorite classic animal books? What books do you give your gentle readers?

~Alyssa

Blue Birds by Caroline Rose Starr

Tweens Read Thursdays

Alis is just a twelve year old English girl, but she is making an historic journey to the new world with her family. Unknown dangers and adventures await her, but the thing foremost in her mind is reuniting with her beloved uncle. When the colonists meet with tragedy on the island, the only thing that gives Alis some measure of peace is the wooden bird her uncle carved for her. Desperately, she takes her bird and seeks solace in the forest that is forbidden to her. It is here she forms an unlikely friendship with a native girl named Kimi. Eventually Alis must make the most difficult choice of her young life: she must choose between friendship and family.

From the moment I heard about this book I was excited! I have been a history buff for all of my days and am especially intrigued by historical mysteries. Roanoke has always held a fascination for me. How could an entire colony vanish without a trace? Starr Rose diverts the focus from this central question and instead places an emphasis on the everyday life of the people and the natives of Roanoke. She weaves a beautiful tale in an engaging verse format from the alternating perspectives of Alis and Kimi. There were sections of this book where it felt like time had slowed. I held my breath during those moments and heard only a heartbeat while I read those mesmerizing lines. Conversely, I experienced the horror and despair of the characters to such an extent that I considered laying the book down and not picking it up again. This would have been a mistake. However, Blue Birds did not leave me feeling satisfied, as if I had eaten a tasty meal. Rather I felt like I had consumed one of Kate Dicamillo's "Littmus Lozenges," with the "sweet and sad...all mixed up together" and "hard...to separate...out." (See Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo.)  I could not give Blue Birds a star ranking if I tried, but I will say this: Read Blue Birds and exult in its glorious moments, but expect sorrow mingled with joy and possibly a bitter aftertaste.

~Alyssa