Random Book Haul Reviews!

Several months ago I went shopping at an enormous thrifted book store. I traded in some old books and was able to get several second-hand ones I had never read or heard of before. Since it was a gamble and I knew there would be some I would not like, I got as many as I could in the bargain aisles. It took about two months to finish all of them, and in between I took breaks from the realm of fiction and read something deep and Christian to balance out the fantasy. This way my head wasn’t lost in the clouds half the time. Only a third of the time. Maybe a little more…

After finishing my book haul, I thought How fun would it be to review them? Because while reading them I kept thinking about what I liked and disliked, writing it out in my head like a blog article. These are my personal thoughts, so don’t be put off by them and decide not to read any of those I didn’t like. Some were probably meant for a different target audience, but I’m glad I gave them a try anyway and read some new things.

So without further ado, I present to you: Serena’s Book Haul Reviews

A Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard

3/10

The cover was beautiful, and at only 75 cents it was a bargain deal for me. Alas, upon opening this tale of Japanese culture and the days of samurai, I found it hard to get attached to. For me, it was boring. So boring, in fact, that I stopped ¾ of the way through and just skipped to the end to see if the protagonist got to marry his girl or not. Despite not appealing to me as a story, if the facts were accurate I learned a great deal about ancient Japan and its culture. So while lacking in entertainment it seemed to have made up for it in historical knowledge.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

8/10

This beautiful, colorful tale was rich with bright words and descriptions that sent me swooning. The cover was what caught my eye, but the story inside lived up to every lovely hue and curious image. The protagonist, Alice, is almost completely colorless, an unfortunate situation in a country where beauty and color are THE MOST important things anyone can have. But she doesn’t let her own problems stop her when she sets out on a quest (along with an annoying, conniving guide by the name of Oliver) to rescue her father, who disappeared in the mysterious country of Furthermore many years ago.

Not only were the words and plot breathtakingly beautiful, the twists and turns felt like a rollercoaster. Bonus points for the author NOT turning the guy and girl duo into a romantic couple by the end. I like them better as friends, or, as it sometimes happens to be, mortal enemies. They seemed much more realistic and enjoyable that way. The entire book was a fresh read and wildly unpredictable. I will definitely not be dropping it off at the thrift store (sorry, Samurai’s Tale)

Back to the Divide by Elizabeth Kay

6/10

This book is a sequel in a trilogy, but since each book is its own story I was able to understand the plot quickly. The reason I bought it was because it was 75 cents, and the cover was unusual. Instead of opening like a normal book, the cover was split in two and you can open both sides right down the middle. It has to do with the method of getting to the other world in the story- called the Divide, some sort of magical split between worlds- and positioning yourself perfectly balanced between it.

It actually took me a few weeks to get into it. The story just was not clicking with me. Yet I persisted, and I let it sit for a few weeks then tried again. This time I realized the story was full of unique creatures and realms cleverly described and illustrated. It centers around a human boy named Felix who makes a return trip to the Divide in order to save his parents, who have been turned to stone by a malicious pixie by the name of Snakeweed. My favorite characters were the the clever and funny Brazzles (griffons!). Brazzle and other Divide creature lore was fascinating and well explained without info dumping

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

6/10

I have no idea what I thought of the book, so I'm giving it a solid six out of ten.

It’s so popular that it has actually been made into a movie, and while I can see the appeal to a modern audience it personally wasn’t my favorite.

It takes place in a fantasy world where every four years children are taken from their homes and sent to the schools of Good and Evil: Good for storybook heroes and princesses and Evil for children who can only grow up to be villains. Sophie and Agatha are best friends, with Sophie traditionally pretty and sweet. Agatha is unattractive, sour, and rude. So it's a heart stopping shok to them both when they're dropped into the opposite schools- Sophie is trapped in Evil and Agatha must fight her way out of the pink and perfumed halls of Good, where she is anything but welcome by the other students.

The book was interesting and engaging, breaking the barriers of classic good vs. evil (though the classic tropes are my favorite stories to read, to be honest), and crafts characters who grow deeper with each chapter. The romance and love parts of the plots were ick to me, and when two characters finally became a couple I found the boy continually distrusting and unfaithful.

Nitpicking aside, I did find the character of Agatha wonderful. Though traditionally ugly and frightening, she had the purest heart of any character there, and slowly the book showed readers that not all that looks beautiful is beautiful inside, and not all that is ugly is truly ugly inside. That, I think, was the message, and it is an important one.

Wish by Gail Carson Levine

2/10. The storyline was unique, the message about popularity invaluable, but the way it was told was strange (and sometimes gross) to me. A young girl named Wilma who is the protagonist, and she is unpopular. Most days she's either ignored or teased in her school. One day she meets an old woman on a bus and does her a kind favor. The woman then grants her any wish, and Wilma, not believing it, wishes to be the most popular person in her school.

Wish granted the very next day, and a stunned and delighted Wilma finds herself the object of love letters, sleepover invitations, all the friends she could possibly dream of.

The only problem? Her wish was very specific, and her popularity only extends to the people at this school. With graduation a little over two weeks away, Wilma scrambles to understand the magic and find the old lady so she can redo her wish and get popularity for the rest of her life.

Along the way, Wilma meets some mean spirited people who once again boggled me at how horrid people can be. But she learns to overcome them as well, and she meets many kind ones along the way.

One of these kind people is a boy who seems to have liked her even before her magical popularity. Although they’re just thirteen, they start dating and he gives her kissing classes. It was a little gross reading about these two children passionately kissing again and again and again.

I did finish the book (Unenthusiastically, I must say).

I have mixed feelings about it. My biggest takeaway was the middle school romance, which is honestly quite unhealthy for the target age range reading it.

Shylock’s Daughter by Mirjam Pressler

8/10

For Shakespeare fans, Shylock is a name you probably know well. He is a Jewish man in the play The Merchant of Venice. This story explores the POV’s of characters Shylock, Jessica, and Delilah. For someone who has never seen or fully read a Shakespeare play, this was a wonderful experience. The difference between the POV’s was marvelously captured, as well as their internal struggles and emotions.

I liked how the book showed us the deeply human side of characters who were selfish or cruel, while not defending bad actions. It also was a painful perspective on the persecution of Jewish people and the atrocities committed against them. The story opened questions about family, love, and religion while also taking the reader by the hand and sweeping them away into the streets of Italy, the Jewish ghetto, the aristocratic society of the times, and characters with motives and beliefs that are undeniably human.

The Firefly Code by Megan Frazer

5/10

I spent $3.50 on this book and regret it. It was not a bad story, and the writing was excellent. It just was not my cup of tea. This dystopian story, starring a handful of middle-school children in a utopian city, wasn’t what I normally enjoy when reading dystopian books. Maybe I just prefer the rebels getting out there to overthrow the totalitarian dictators?

Either way, it was a different take on dystopian story telling which I appreciated. Instead of an evil, overbearing government oppressing people and dividing them up into classes, people had much more freedom. The protagonist is a girl named Mori who lives on Firefly Lane with her best friends. Their world within the city limits is peaceful and safe, with cutting edge technology that ensures every child grows up healthy, strong, and possessing special skills unlocked through surgery at the age of 13.

Each summer is full of bike riding, pool parties, and kids just being kids- until a new girl, Illana, arrives. She’s nice, talented, and perfect. Maybe a little too perfect. The arrival of this strange girl opens a side to their society Mori and her friends have never seen, and in the end they must make the ultimate choice: safety, or what they know is right.

This book is not for everybody. At least not for me. And while the technology used in the story gives humanity almost god-like abilities, there was still much to praise, such as themes of friendship, loyalty, and morality.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

8/10

Something hard to overcome in the world of writing is the pressure to be different. “Be unique,” “Don’t use that plotline- it’s been used a thousand times!” “Shock your readers,” “Be unexpected. Don’t let anyone see what’s coming next.”

While this advice can make for a thrilling story, using a “normal” plotline and not tricking your readers also makes a good story. Not one of them is better than the other. That was the magic and charm for me in Dragon Rider. It is the journey of a boy named Ben, a dragon, and a persnickety little brownie, along with a host of other humans and fantastic creatures as Ben and Firedrake the dragon search for the Rim of Heaven, home of the few remaining dragons on earth.

Though there were no earth-shattering plot twists and the author tried very little to keep me fooled about what would happen, it was an excellent story. There was humor, magical creatures to discover, well written characters with unique personalities, an exciting mission to find a safe home for the dragons, and plenty of nefarious villains trying to stop our heroes.

It was suspenseful because the characters could not see what we saw as the readers, so we root for them and beg, “Please, please Ben! Listen to your instincts! There is a giant golden dragon stalking your friends at this moment! Do something!” The omnipotent POV for the reader is not always the wrong one.

As a writer who struggles with making my story different and special, falling in love with Cornelia Funke’s story was a well needed lesson in the true heart of stories. To inspire, amaze, entertain, teach, awake our hearts and fill us with a desire to change the world. And that's exactly what her book did.

And that is it! I hope everyone enjoyed the feedback from my book haul. If you have read any of these books, I would love to hear your opinion. Comment below, and until then-

Keep writing.

-Serena Stellington