Book Review: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

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Pages: 423
Published: Feb 2012
Genres: Fairytale Retelling, Fantasy, Magical Realism

Goodreads Synopsis... 
Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he struggling to maintain the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young girl running through the trees. 

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel come to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they begin to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent territory things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform them all.

Review...   
This book is magic. That's what I was thinking while reading it. I took a curious bite out of the poison apple, and I was in this land no longer. I was in Alaska, in the home of Jack and Mabel. I felt their quiet desperation, the wordless pain that laced every look.

The way that this couple was shown to me is by far my favourite thing about this book. Though the book often felt like a dream, their lives ruled by sadness was very clear. It was depicted in such a simple way. In the absence of things, of laughter, of noise, of children. The nothingness took up all the space and pressed against me. 

Then comes Faina, the snow child. Who fills this absence with a certain kind of magic. Whether it is a literal magic or just the magic of her presence, we are never quite sure. This is how she is portrayed throughout the book. As a mystery, something we can never quite grasp. Which adds immensely to the magical feeling of the snow child.

All of this is set in the diverse and often contrasting land of Alaska. Where it goes from shivering nights to sweat filled days. And where quiet mornings are interrupted by neighbours bursting with energy.

I woke somewhat abruptly from reading it. Wondering if I would ever know completely the mysteries of Faina. If her magic would ever be explained. Smiling at the sweet memory of Jack and Mabel. Wishing that I would fall asleep, so I could return back again.

The Snow Child made me an instant fan of Eowyn Ivey, and I look forward to what she has to offer next.

5/5

Book of the Week: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Inside the book:
Based on a Russian fairytale about a girl, half human half snow. That visits an elderly couple without children each winter. This book is set in Alaska, and follows the tragic but beautiful tale of a girl named Faina, and the childless couple, Jack and Mabel. Whose lives she changes forever.

Outside the book:
I love blue books, and the simple colour scheme and design of this book are absolutely perfect. They give a glimpse of this beautiful story, and drew me immediately to the cover. The snowflakes at the start of each chapter, on the spine, and inside the cover are so beautiful. Adding just the right amount of winter magic.

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Book Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

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Pages: 179
Published: Jan 1993
Genres: Children's, Classics, Dystopian

Goodreads Synopsis... 
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Review...  
This book is like closing your eyes, and experiencing a memory you've never seen before. You know whats happening and you can feel the emotions that are brought out. But you just cant name them, explain them. Its on the tip of your tongue...

So instead of trying, Im just going to give you three reasons you should pick up The Giver.

1. It is not a fast paced dystopian, it is a journey into another world. One that seems perfect and oddly reasonable at first. But that surprises you with how different it is, and how little things can change everything.

2. One of my favourite themes is that to experience pleasure, we must endure pain. It is a lesson often repeated, but the simple way this book shows it, makes it mean more. Makes it striking in its tragic balance. 

3. The way the story is written is so simple, yet so hauntingly beautiful. There is an ambiguity that is present throughout the whole story, especially at the end. And I think this adds to the book. Its like being in a dream. Feeling the intense emotions from what is happening, and then waking only remembering how it felt. 

This was a beautiful book, and I look forward to reading it again in the future. And seeing what it has to say to me then.

4.5/5

Book Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

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Seraphina #1
Pages: 512
Published: Jan 2012
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Mystery

Goodreads Synopsis... 
Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Review... 
I was really sick when I picked up this book. And it wasnt just a little cold, it was me in bed, in pain thinking about dying (because I'm a melodramatic like that). I think its a huge testiment to this book, that while I was reading it, I forgot I was sick. I let go of everything except for Seraphina, and all the dragons! Oh I love me some dragons!

So lets start by talking about the dragons in this book. They were so different from the way dragons are usually depicted, in that they could turn themselves into a human form. This let you see so much more about what its like to be a dragon, and also added so much dimension to these characters.

All the characters really were pretty amazing. Seraphina, is an incredibly likeable protagonist. She is talented, smart and really interesting. I loved seeing the story through her eyes, and also through her head.

The other thing that made this story so captivating was the world. The way that Hartman describes this world is so detailed but not overbearing. Her prose is amazing to read, and her entire story is so well paced. I wanted to keep reading, but I never felt like I was rushed. Also the political and royal  aspects to this world were very interesting, and added so much to the story.

The only aspect of the book that wasnt completely appealing to me was the romance. It was a very small part of the story, the dragons taking most of the spotlight (as they should). I just wasn't feeling the romance, it felt a bit unnecessary and the chemistry was lacking.

All in all though, I loved this book, and cant wait for the next installment which comes out in March 2015. Let the waiting begin!

5/5

Unread Books Tag

This is the first time I've ever counted how many books I own, and it was a little bit daunting. Ok! It was a lot daunting. I just have so many unread books. Time to start reading.

Book of the Week: More Than This by Patrick Ness

All I really know about this book, is that its written by Patrick Ness, someone dies, theres a door on the cover, and also this book is gorgeous. That was more than enough of a reason to buy it.

I really love the black and white, and then the little yellow door. Seriously you guys, this book just makes me happy. I dont even need to read it. Although I definitely will...because you know...Patrick Ness.

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Book Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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Shatter me #1
Pages: 338
Published: Jan 2011
Genres: YA, Dystopian, Romance

Goodreads Synopsis... 
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior

Review... 
You know in the tv show Friends. When Joey writes a letter to an adoption agency for Monica and Chandler. And he tries to sound smart, so he uses a thesaurus on every single word. Turning
"They're warm, nice people with big hearts." into "They're humid, pre-possessing homosapiens with full-sized aortic pumps?"

Yeah... That's kind of what Tahereh Mafi did here. Except instead of using synonyms she used metaphors. I think you can probably see the point Im trying to make. That sometimes, simpler is better. And in the case of this book, simpler would have been much better.

Thats not to say that some of her metaphors aren't amazing to read. "I spent my life folded between the pages of books.” There are more but I cant remember them right now.

However there are also many many ridiculous metaphors.
-"I’m a tangle of butterflies."
-"My eyelashes trip into my eyebrows; my jaw drops into my lap."
-"He says it with a small smile the size of Jupiter."
-“I always won­der about raindrops. I won­der about how they’re always falling down, trip­ping over their own feet, break­ing their legs and for­get­ting their para­chutes as they tum­ble right out of the sky toward an uncer­tain end.” 

If you can get past this style of writing, then you get to the actual story and the characters. The characters are stereotypical, and dull. But hey at least their really hot. The plot is predictable, as its basically a love triangle parading as a post-apocalyptic dystopian.

The only thing I liked about the book, was that it was relatively easy to read, and fast paced in the second half. Also there were some really amazing metaphors, hidden among the thousands of ridiculous ones.

Needless to say, I don't recommend this book. I will not be reading the next book in the series. And hopefully no one will ever wonder about raindrops in my presence again.

1.5/5