Classic Book Review: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

If my memory serves me correctly, it was Edgar Allan Poe who invented the detective story ("Murders in the Rue Morgue") but Wilkie Collins who took it to novel length.
To be perfectly honest, I've had a hard time finding anything decent to read lately.  Nearly all the new YA books seem to be carbon copies of one another.  In desperation, then, I began raiding my bookshelves for things I hadn't read.  Unfortunately, it turned out there were good reasons why I'd never finished reading some of those books.
Finally, I decided I try Collins' classic.  I hoped it would snatch my attention the way a good modern book does.  And I was not disappointed.
Collins borrowed from Poe, yes, and from the real murder case of Saville Kent in 1860, but he also borrowed from Dickens.  The character names here are a good deal of fun.  Dickens used names that gave us clues about the lives/personalities of his characters: Miss Havisham's life is in shambles, and it's a fake, Oliver Twist has a huge turnabout in his life, Mr. Jaggers has a sharp wit and a sharp personality.  Collins named his money lender Mr. Luker and the professional do-gooder who gets involved in Ladies' Aide societies Godfrey Abelwhite.  And the list goes on. :)
I've heard it said that this novel invents the idea of the "closed house" mystery (although that was taken from the the Kent murder) and the use of red herrings, and that it popularized the idea of the quirky professional detective.  All these are in the book, to be sure.  And they work.
Here's the main idea: Several different narrators tell us the tale of the Moonstone from when it was taken by force and murder by one English soldier in India, hidden until his death, and then how, to revenge himself upon his sister who wanted nothing to do with him, he bequeathed the jewel to her daughter on her 18th birthday.  This sounds harmless, but three Indians have been on the hunt to regain the gem at any cost -- even murder -- for years, so, when Rachel inherits it, it puts her whole family in danger.  And when the gem is stolen from her own bedroom that same night, the family goes into an uproar.
So many subplots are woven in and the characterization is so strong that the novel does indeed hold the reader's interest in spite of its 500-ish pages.
Yes, I guessed the identity of the diamond thief immediately, but Collins tricked me into thinking I was wrong each time I convinced myself I was right until the very end when all is revealed.
My one problem with the plot is that when everyone is convinced that the jewel thief has sold the jewel to Mr. Luker and that this money lender has the Moonstone in a bank safe for months, why is it that no one asks the police to investigate that?  Was it not a crime to buy stolen property in Victorian England? Why could the police not have simply asked to see the valuable item and learned whence it came?  This part seems silly to me.
As I keep saying, I loved the characterizations.  The slightly grumpy old butler/steward who thinks Robinson Crusoe is like the Bible and has the answer to everything, the ultra-religious cousin, the two girls with physical handicaps -- one of whom who learns the hard way that men don't look at or like ugly girls, the biracial doctor against whom the locals are prejudiced -- all point out many things that were often whitewashed in Victorian novels.  Women's frustrations and forced dependencies on men are shown.  Prejudice against foreigners, interracial marriage, and the handicapped are worked into the plot.  And all this is done without preaching.
Overall, this is not a book to be missed if you like Sherlock Holmes or just a really good mystery.  In fact, I now wonder what on earth took me this long to get around to reading it.

YA Book Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

On the whole, this was an excellent book for older teens and adults.  The writing was very good, the plot was tight -- although a touch predictable with regard to who the villain actually was -- and the characters multi-layered.
This seems to be (sigh) yet another book that is the first in a series, although it does stand alone nicely. (And the teaser at the end indicates that book 2 will likely follow a sub-plot with a different protagonist.)
The book is set in a fairly historically accurate (as far as I could tell) Medieval Brittany at war with France.  The main paranormal element is that Ismae, the protagonist, is the daughter of Death, one of the nine old gods that the Pope is working so hard to replace.
Ismae's mother has apparently been seduced by Death before the book starts, and her father -- or rather, her mother's husband -- forces the mother to go to an herbalist for abortive drugs.  When the abortion doesn't work, the father beats both the mother and Ismae as often as possible for it.
The book begins when Ismae is sold to a pig farmer for a wife at age 13, but when he sees the birthmark left by the abortive drugs, he beats her nearly senseless.  She is rescued by the herbalist and the local priest and smuggled to a strange convent where the nuns serve Death.
After roughly 3 years of training, especially in poisoning, Ismae -- now 16-ish -- is sent out on two trials.  She easily kills both times, but both times is intercepted by another man, Duval.
After the second assassination, the head of the convent decides that Ismae will go with Duval as his mistress in order to be a spy at court.
At this point, the book becomes more about politics than most younger teens would want to read.  The 12-year-old duchess of Brittany has been promised to several different princes.  Her governess is a traitor and wants her to marry her (the governess's) half-brother.  France is on the brink of invasion.
And, of course, Ismae is falling in love with the man she's likely to have to kill, Duval.
The romance part is pretty predictable, and the real villain is obvious almost from the start of Ismae's journey, so the book isn't very mysterious in that way.
Still, it's one of those books that makes you want to read, even if you can figure out the basics of the end anyway.  And there are some mysterious points.  For example, near the end, Duval is being poisoned.  It's really obvious to the reader (although Ismae seems pretty stupid about it) WHO is poisoning him, but HOW the poisoning is being done is far less clear.
The editing in this book is quite decent.  There are a few problems with eating scenes (plates?  wouldn't it be trenchers?  and wouldn't the meat served to nobles already be cut and in sauce?) and some real problems with neither the author nor the copy editor knowing rules about using "who" and "whom," for sometimes the characters (who all use very formal language, not modern slang) use the pronouns correctly, and sometimes not.
Oh, and the book is told entirely in present tense, which always bugs me, but some people are not bothered by it.
The book also raises some complex issues about feminism.
LaFevers gives us a large number of very violent men, and nearly all of the women are treated like property.  Their limited choices are pointed out over and over again.  All this, unfortunately, is pretty historically accurate.
Then we have the women who actually have some power: the nuns, the late duke's mistress, the governess.  They're all quite nasty and scheming.  It takes Ismae FOREVER to realize what's obvious to the reader from the start: the nuns consider her a pawn and property every bit as much as her father and her pig farmer husband did.  She's being used by all those in power, not just the men.


SPOILER ALERT:
At the end, Duval gives her a choice about marriage.  And, of course, she is a skilled assassin, so it's not like she can't take care of herself.  But it's not a totally happy and empowering ending for her.
END SPOILER.

I really enjoyed this book, but I won't be recommending it for the junior high school library.  Here's why: there are a whole lot of uptight parents who will freak out over the fact that abortion is referred to in the book.  I don't want to deal with those parents.
Also, the book is long and very political.  To an AVERAGE reader of age 13-15, that translates into "boring."  Most young teens simply won't even try to deal with this much complexity.
However, the book deals fairly and honestly with issues that I think young teens need: the treatment of women, the idea that one needs to think for oneself and not blindly trust everyone who CLAIMS to be looking out for you, and, yes, abortion.
I would, therefore, recommend the book to young teens who can handle the length and political complexity of the book.  For example, I managed The Three Musketeers just fine at age 14.  Grave Mercy is less complex than that.
So, while I won't be putting in my classroom or recommending it to the school librarian, I will be recommending it to certain students.
Now, for high schools, I think this is a fine choice for a library.  It's also a great book for adults who like YA, as it has the depth adults often crave but has the traditional plot structure that is lacking in so much literary fiction.  Really, the book reads more like genre fiction for adults, but with no gratuitous sex scenes and with a teenage protagonist.

YA Book Review: Scandalous! by Hallie Fryd

I just happened to see this on the library shelf, and I grabbed it because it looked interesting -- and it is!
This is a perfect history book for a young teenager (and something like a "bathroom book" for an adult).  Each article is written in four small pages, packed with interesting info and pics, all organized alike into sections such as: "The Scoop," "The Players," "What Went Down," and "Why we still care."  The articles are also written in chronological order, telling 50 of the biggest scandals of the 20th Century, from Evelyn Nesbit to Elian Gonzalez.  Naturally, a lot of info is left out in such a short article, but Fryd does a fine job of giving a balanced perspective and hooking the reader in.  (One would hope that a kid would want to read more on at least a few articles after finishing the book.)  Both genders and various ethnic backgrounds are represented in the book, as well.
Overall, I think it's a great little read for teens or any reluctant reader, as you can begin anywhere and only read what interests you in short, well-written bursts of information.
I think I'll get one of these for my classroom.

Someone Else Recognizes The Book Blogger Copying Frenzy

Although she doesn't admit to agreeing with me, the book blogger at dream-wish-live (it's a blogspot blog, so you can find it easily without my linking to it and creating linking issues) is supporting my reference to the amount of copying that goes on with the book blogging clique.  Writing about a favorite meme called "in my mailbox," she says this:
 In the last two weeks alone, since the story broke out, I have seen so many bloggers come up with different titles for IMM, but with the same concept. If that's not plagiarizing, then I don't know what is. First few titles I saw were, Book haul, Stacking The Shelves, Weekly Recap, and the latest new one I've seen is, What's In It For You? 
Now it's fine if you want to give IMM a new name since you are no longer supporting Kristi. But my beef with the situation is that bloggers are giving themselves the credit for coming up with the concept. No, you guys did NOT come up with the concept. It is NOT a new concept, but still an old one, otherwise known as IMM. You stole it. My simple solution to this is, just give her the credit. Otherwise, you guys are still doing the same thing as she is, and aren't any better. It just makes me so mad that people are hypocrites when they start coming up with thousands of new titles, but with the same subject. Why is it different for Kristi, but not you guys who are stealing her idea?

But has the blogging clique turned on this woman and screamed at her for pointing this out?  Nope.  She's only gotten two comments so far.
Now, I'm not suggesting that the cliques should turn on her and spew out hate, but it is interesting that she points out copying the week after I do and now it's no big deal.
Still, I'm glad she sees the copying -- even if she's one of the ones who goes right along with all the memes.

YA Book Review: The Agency: Traitor in the Tunnel by YS Lee

I've really enjoyed this series by YS Lee.  The first book has a slow beginning, but everything else has been great.  Lee combines strong female characters, historical research, multi-culturalism, mystery, and good writing into a very appealing YA series.
Mary Quinn is an undercover agent with a past: she's an orphan who was rescued from hanging after being captured as a housebreaker.  She's undergone an identity shift and training to be a secret agent/detective in Victorian London.  In this third book in the series, she's working as a housemaid right in Buckingham Palace, where she must deal with looking into theft, the unwanted advances of well-off young men who think servants are there for their pleasure, a threat to the Queen, an annoying reporter, a talkative roommate, her own father, and -- of course -- the ever-present James Easton, whom she finds irritatingly irresistible.  It's a good mix.
It's refreshing to have an Asian main character.  It's also so very good to see writing that underscores that women don't have to wait to be rescued and that catching and pleasing a man does not have to be the ONLY thing in a woman's life.  (In other words, this book is anti-Twilight.)
Sex is mentioned, as is prostitution, but it's not played up, nor do we get details.  However, it is frank.  Parents who are very sensitive about what young teens read might not like this.   I think it's appropriate and helpful for young girls to know reality, but I know of some parents who would object, so I'm putting in the warning.
Overall, this is a fine book for teens.

MG Mini-Review: Monster High 4-- Back And Deader Than Ever by Lisi Harrison

And I just keep reading this series.....
I think it's all of Harrison's puns and pop culture references that keep me entertained.
In this episode, it's all about Draculaura's strained relationship with her dad, Frankie's dealing with being mediocre instead of the sort of person who makes a difference, and Melody's dealing with a love triangle and her desire to be in a grunge band.
There's not much to it, but it is fluffy fun -- if you can overlook how it constantly reinforces the idea that school is just there so teens can see all their friends.
Note to parents: this volume puts out the idea that sneaking into bars underage to hear good bands is something that "cool" parents should approve of.  That's be something some parents of pre-teens might want to discuss with their young readers.
Overall, I'd say these books are rather a tween equivalent of a "beach read."

What I Read And What I Didn't Bother To Finish For April of 2012

It's been a busy week, so I'm a bit behind on posting this.
(I also notice I've got even MORE comments stacked up to read through.  I had assumed by now that last weekend's post was... well, so last weekend.  Apparently not.  I also notice I've picked up a number of stalkers anonymous followers.  That either means they're scared to show their faces for fear of book clique retaliation -- or else they are the clique members themselves.  Hmmm...  Oh well.  Let us go on.)
As I've been complaining the last few months, I'm just not finding much in the way of really new YA fiction that can hold my interest longer than a few seconds right now.  Hence, this month's list is yet again MUCH shorter than most of my monthly lists from last year.  Even my rejection list is tiny, as most books haven't even made it far enough for me to read more than the cover flap.
I think I might perhaps re-read older stuff if this trend continues.
But here's the April re-cap (numbered consecutively from January):

Books I read:

16. Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer 4/1/12

17. Storm by Brigid Kemmerer 4/6/12

18. Babe In Boyland by Jody Gehrman 4/7/12

19. Forgotten Bookmarks by Michael Popek 4/12/12

20. Re-Creative by Steve Dodds 4/13/12

21. Secrets of Rusty Things by Michael de Meng 4/14/12

22. Timeless by Gail Carriger 4/15/12

23. All About Emily by Connie Willis 4/26/12

Books I rejected:

8. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvator 4/20/12  The writing was good, but the couple had gotten together after only a few chapters.  What’s the point of a romance after they’re together?  The fun is in the chase.  Happiness is wonderful to live, but boring to read.