Reviews Previously Posted on Different Blog

Below is a list of the books reviewed on my Looney Express Crazy Reviews blog. I decided to reserve that blog to only Asian dramas and Anime reviews. Thought I'd share the few book reviews that had been previously posted at Looney here. (I'll create new posts on BookRants soon, instead of just links below.)

Click on a title to be directed to its respective post. The series are in ABC order by Title.

• Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts
• Level 26: Dark Origins by Anthony Zuiker
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
• The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts
• The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I picked up The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time when I visited Powell's in Portland (OMG! Every book lover needs to visit that place. It's HEAVEN!) as I'd heard great things about the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.

I found Christopher to be charming and the way he viewed the world was endearing. What I liked best is that I could relate to his many quirks. I mean, I don't like the colors olive green and brown because they're "shit-colors" as I call them. I find omens in random occurrences. (Any day, I see a pink car means a super fantabulous day.) I don't like my food touching either (but I'll still eat it). I don't feel comfortable with just anyone touching me. I find people and their habit of saying-what-they-mean-by-not-actually-saying-what-they-mean annoying and confusing as well. I have obsessive-like interests. I'm just as hooked on books and reading as Chris (May I call you Chris, Christopher?) enjoys Maths and Physics. Oh, and he's British. I have a weakness for anything and anyone British (I believe I was British in a past life). So yeah, I felt a kinship to Chris.

Once I turned to page one and saw it started with chapter 2, I was like O_o. Then, I kept flipping through and I was like >_< All of the chapters are PRIME NUMBERS, cool! (because I'm a nerd) And I settled in to reading the book with a smirk on my face because I was amused. (I was on the train by the way, but it's NYC and no one looks at you weird on the train no matter what you do because 10 times out of 10, they've seen weirder.)

Other than liking Chris and getting a glimpse into his head, there wasn't anything else interesting about this novel. As a future educator, I was interested in learning a little more about Asberger's in the hopes of gaining some insight as a teacher. As I was reading the novel, I felt as if I was simply reading one of my student's journals (I think I would enjoy having Chris in my class.). I know, I know, the structure of the novel is suppose to be a journal, but there should also be a story.

This novel lacked a real plot. I expected a true mystery novel, but the way the mystery was solved? It was so LAME! I couldn't believe it. I felt so CHEATED. I wanted to stop reading then. I was half way through the book and the mystery was solved, so what else could Haddon, I mean Chris, have to write about? But I kept on reading because I cared about Chris and I wanted to see how things would end up for the old sport. (Just watched The Great Gatsby in theaters. Read my review here.)

As I've said several time, I'm primarily a Character-Reader (made that term up). I read books for the characters because I'm fascinated about other people's lives and I love being in their shoes for a few hours. I enjoyed the time spent with Chris, but the story was crap. And all of the diagrams and font changes and stuff (real eloquent, I know) were so distracting. I was compelled to stop and try to figure 'em out each time (and then give up).

Another concern was the accuracy of Chris' character.While reading I kept asking myself: can I trust that this is a fairly accurate representation of a 15-year-old with Asberger's? I understand that it's a spectrum and each individual is different. But where, what experience is Haddon writing from? I'm not sure I can trust this unless he's had some interaction with individuals with Asberger's. After reading, I did some Googling and Haddon makes it clear that this is not a commentary or accurate representation of Autism or Asberger's as he doesn't know much about it. Read more here: http://www.markhaddon.com/aspergers-and-autism

In that case, if you take The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time as Haddon meant it, "a novel about difference, about being an outsider, about seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way," it'll lessen criticism about Chris' character, but it still doesn't improve the plot.

VERDICT: Enjoyable read because I liked Chris and had fun getting to know him, but the story itself could use a little (okay, a lot) of work. UNLESS, Haddon didn't mean for this to be a mystery story at all and it was simply a way to introduce us to Chris. Hmm... but I still feel cheated, so no. Why does this book have a ton of awards and stuff, again? I really don't see it...

Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes

 

I had never heard of Mrs. Viramontes or her work, until our faculty advisor Dr. Deborah Poe mentioned during an editorial meeting of the Vox Arts and Literary Magazine (which I was Managing Editor of) that she had recently published an anthology with Dr. Ama Wattley, titled “Between Worlds.” My first response, was “Oh, cool title.” My second, “Should I eventually become an English Professor? You get to publish stuff!” My third, which is the one actually articulated out loud was, “Can we invite one of readers to the Launch event?” 

Borrowing a copy of “Between Worlds” from Dr. Poe, which I kept longer than appropriate, I began with the excerpt from Ms. Viramontes’ first novel, Under the Feet of Jesus.  From the very first line, I was struck by the unapologetic and raw portrayal of the Hispanic migrant worker. Reflecting the hardships of the migrants’ lives set against the beauty of an equally harsh landscape, Viramontes pulls readers into an entirely different world, one in which its inhabitants, themselves are caught between worlds, not truly belonging in either one. The one line that struck me the strongest was this one: “He had given this country its all, and in this land that used his bones for kindling, in this land that never once in the thirty years he lived and worked, never once said thank you…”

We ended up inviting Viramontes as our featured reader for out launch and I took the chance to purchase a copy of the novel and even got it signed. I hadn't had time to read it until just recently.

Viramontes at the Vox Fall 2012 Launch Event

The novel in its entirety both lived up to and failed my initial expectations. From the excerpt I had read, I expect to be more strongly drawn into the story and lives of Estrella and her family. However, I maintained a certain distance while reading the book. I wasn't truly invested emotionally or intellectually. I was disappointed in the fact that it seemed like the very best part of the novel was the excerpt I had already read and the rest wasn't as poignant or exciting. I was disappointed by the fact that the excerpt led me to believe that Under the Feet of Jesus (love the title by the way) was more of a tragic love story.  Yet it's not as Estrella and Alejo's relationship doesn't quite go anywhere.

At the same time, though, I appreciated that the rawness I had first experienced continued. Viramontes doesn't try to sugarcoat, or pull her punches in her writing and word choices. Also, I absolutely loved the intermingling of English and Spanish in the text. I was drawn into the authenticity of the story due to the Spanish. However, a few places of confusion that weren't cleared up by context pulled me away from the story as I tried to translate the unknown word. So that irked a bit.

Under the Feet of Jesus is a novel that will join the "Check, read that one, didn't hate, but not anything special" shelf of my library. It has a lot of potential and Viramontes has a way with words that's absolutely beautiful, however I feel it fell short in plot and character development.