This Dark Endeavor

This book reminded me of how much I loved Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  This series takes place before Victor goes away to college and becomes the mad scientist we all know and love.  The reader is transported to a life full of mischief and fun, that eventually spirals into tragedy and ultimately gives way for Victor's darkest desires.  Early on we see how passionate and dark Victor's wishes are, but eerily I found to be more sympathetic to Dr. Frankenstein after glimpsing into he's early years.  He has had to battle being the less desirable twin, and he is truly a smart over achiever... it really makes the Dr. Frankenstein more normal.  (Sort of...)  This first installment will explain or at least foreshadow the reason behind Frankenstein's monster.  And do not fret, we still get to see many of the original characters like Elizabeth, Henry, Daddy Frankenstein, and William.  I highly encourage people to read this book!

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies...  Well I was not impressed by this book.  I really was hoping to read a classic and love it, but I understand that that doesn't always happen. I did like the premise of divulging the concepts behind the human condition, but the execution was not my favorite.  I do like that Golding uses children to communicate his big ideas, but what really didn't work for me was the flow of the words themselves.  I just wasn't impressed, and because I was expecting a worth while ride I am highly disappointed.  His wording was sometimes too much and at other times not enough to become confusing.  I have seen this before in books that are meant to ensnare the reader and produce empathy; however, in this example it just becomes exhausting and boring, for me.  This just wasn't my cup of tea.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

  Today's subject: Enchanted by Kontis.  I just wanted to say that I gave this book 3/5 stars, not because it was awful or not good enough, but because it just happens to be a retelling of many retellings, and also I do not think she wrote this to be ground breaking so 3/5 means "I liked it."

Enchanted is the story of Sunday, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter... funny I have heard of that before, wasn't it sons though? :)  Anyway, Sunday likes writing stories, but she can only write about the past, or else things happen... bad things.  So Sunday writes stories and hangs out in the woods because her father is a wood cutter (her last name is Woodcutter).  Alright, so she meets a frog, that talks! (See where this story is going?)  She tells this frog stories and becomes his friend.  There are also tie ins with fairies (they have fairy godmothers), her house is shaped like a shoe, her brother who her father found one day before she was born trades a cow for beans, she loses a shoe at a ball and at some point the castle falls asleep for a couple of hours.  Again, I ask, do you see where this is going? 

Well if you do, that is the major reason I found this book enjoyable.  There were so many different stories intrictly woven to create the story of Sunday and her seven sisters and three brothers.  Pretty fab if you ask me.  I like fairytale retellings and this by far can be considered a fairy tale retelling but more on the lines of Once Upon a Time television series, where every tale comes together.

Introduction

This is my first blogger since... 2005.  Unlike in 2005, when blogs where used as the present day Facebook is used among teenagers, this blog is meant to communicate with the world at large about books!  I have been slowly getting into the swing of reading books this past year, after many years of reading the required materials in my college English courses.   Now as an ELA certified educator I have regressed to YA novels, finding new and exciting stories that did not exist for my YA years.  I am also becoming aware of the YA crossover, books that can be placed in the YA or Adult genre.  Not every book is a gem but they are interesting, unless of course they are maddening.  This will be a log of many adventures in "storyland."  You're invited to join!