Promise Me Something

Promise Me Something by Sara Kocek
3.5/5 stars
Albert Whitman & Company, 2013
298 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason, I thought this book was about a girl in foster care. Instead it is the seemingly more prosaic story about a girl in high school, wrestling with friendship and popularity issues albeit with some weird twists. That is exactly the kind of story I tend to like IF I can connect with the writing and the main character. Well, yes to the first and not so much for the second here.

Reyna is starting at a new high school without any friends but is soon adopted by Olive, the weirdest girl around. A few months pass with their friendship solidifying until Olive's secret is revealed whereby Reyna bails on her, seeking to gain entry to a different circle of friendship, one that relies upon mocking Olive and other unfortunates pushing Olive to desperate lengths.

I have long had a soft spot for high school settings so it's no surprise that this book caught my eye. While I notice many similarities with other contemporaries, there was something about the writing and plotting that set it apart. Perhaps it was the time devoted to friendships: Reyna still attempts to remain in touch with her third best friends who now attend a different high school, her rocky relationship with Olive, and her new friendship with mean girl Gretchen and her clique. Though there is a romance, it pales in comparison to navigating the tricky waters of girl world. My summary isn't the best, quite honestly but I hope that it captures some of the plot and it leads me to my feelings about the MC.

They are not positive to be blunt. Reyna is pretty cowardly and largely unable to take a stance, afraid to make any waves. I'm not saying this is unrealistic but I found it frustrating as Reyna consistently waffled about acting. Because she generally knew the right thing to do; she was just afraid to do it. And this is sadly so realistic especially in the cases of bullying as represented in this book. Furthermore Reyna's mother died when she was 7 and her father has lately been dating a new woman who also bears a lot of Reyna's anger and aggression. Though this was more understandable (the woman also caused an accident that seriously injured Reyna's father), it certainly didn't help my mental picture of Reyna as someone pretty unpleasant. Again, it's not fair, I was not a pleasant teenager either, but that's how I viewed it.

I'm not even getting in to the heart of the story, which is only alluded to in the publisher summary on goodreads as that would entail some significant spoilers. Suffice it to say that I thought this book took a weird turn but that it kept me engaged throughout and thankfully Reyna does show some growth especially in recognizing the ways in which she acted ungraciously. If you like offbeat contemporaries, this might be an interesting read for you.

Cover: The railroad tracks are surprisingly relevant-wouldn't want to spoil anything though!

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The Last Free Cat

The Last Free Cat by Jon Blake
4/5 stars
Albert Whitman and Company
270 pages
YA Dystopia

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I've made no secret that I love cats so the title and picture intrigued me, right off the bat. As I learned more, I discovered that the future is an awful place. See, a deadly cat flu has caused most cats to disappear and the few that do exist are strictly controlled and available only for the welcome. But who wouldn't welcome an adorable bundle of fur?

Jade sure would and thus, despite the risks, she welcomes a beautiful girl cat into her home and heart, unsure of how this cat is free but pleased to have her. The cat is named Feela and there are some amazing pictures painted about the delight of petting, holding, and loving a cat, sure to thrill cat-lovers. I assume Blake has cats because he captures the experience perfectly.

Unfortunately, this being a dystopia, that's not all there is to the story. The government, which is basically controlled by one mega-corporation that is the only company to breed cats, takes a very harsh view of disobedience, sending Jade on the run with Feela and a surprising companion. Throughout their travails, the number one priority is saving the cat and inspiring hope in those who want free cats again. There is a good mix of fast-paced action and slower resting spots. Although I don't always enjoy books where the main characters are on the run, their love and concern for Feela mingled with mine for a thrill ride.

I especially liked the ending-it feels very British to me, appropriate given the author's nationality, but what I mean is that I don't think an American author would have ended the book like that. If you've read the book, do you agree? It's not how *I* would have chosen to end the book but it's better than some of the alternatives I feared.

Overall: A refreshingly new take on the dystopian world, great for animal lovers.

Cover: Very simple and striking-just the two colors and then the black; I love that the cat is what catches your eye although I, of course, would have preferred a red tabby even if that's not true to the book!

A Beautiful Lie

A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master
4.5/5 stars
Albert Whitman and Company, 2012
318 pages
YA Historical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was first captured by the title; given my stance against lying, what could be beautiful? Then I was sold once I found out it was set in India-that was literally all I needed to know to request. Upon opening the book up, I discovered that it was set in 1947 with rising tensions as India is partitioned into India and Pakistan, with most people choosing their ultimate location based on religion (Hinduism and Islam respectively), such tensions continuing into today.

I really don't know much about that history at all so it's good that at the center of the story is a young boy with an immensely appealing voice, insightful and respectful. His father loves India and it would break his heart to discover its pending separation and the anger within so because he's dying, young Bahil decides to hide the truth from him. This instantly reminded me of the German film "Goodbye Lenin!" where two young people hide the fall of the Berlin Wall from their mother. Since I liked that film, I figured I'd enjoy this book too.

I was right. Bahil comes up with the idea pretty early in the book and recruits his three best friends to aid him in protecting his father from outside sources. Soon many other people in the village are drawn into the lies, amid ever increasing tension and the unstoppable partition. Bahil is a sweet and sensitive boy who immediately gained and retained my sympathy. I found the ending very poignant and I'll admit that I cried. This was my favorite read of August and I think you'll see why if you give it a try.

I would have liked a bit more about the conflict between Muslims and Hindus; I felt like the author assumed that the reader knew more than this reader knew. It just prompts me to do some more research but I wish some page time could have been devoted to filling in a few more facts.

Overall: An amazingly emotional story with a strong protagonist and surrounding characters.

Cover: I like the green and orange-beautiful colors that also bring to mind India and Pakistan's flags. The four boys represent Bahil and his best friends.

The Glass Collector

The Glass Collector by Anna Perera
Albert Whitman and Company, 2012
307 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last year I read Perera's Guantanamo Boy and appreciated Perera's skill in tackling such a prominent part of world politics when most YA shies away from that. Thus I was excited to see another work from her, this time looking at the Zabbaleen people in Cairo, Egypt who collect the garbage of the city. This is another timely topic as the book is set just before the Egyptian uprising of last year, overthrowing Hosni Mubarak.

I'm not very familiar with Egypt so most everything that was discussed was brand-new to me. I did not know that the Zabbaleen were a community within Egypt to collect the discarded trash, sorting and recycling what is still usable far beyond the work of Western waste-collecting companies. They are also Coptic Christians in a predominantly Muslim country and incredibly poor, especially in comparison to the wealthy tourists who visit the city.  Another important part of their economy is maintaining pigs, a casualty of swine flu fears, which majorly impacted them.

All of these strands are present in the story but not as much as I would have liked. Actually I think I would have enjoyed a non-fiction examination of the Zabbaleen written by someone with the skill of Perera because I loved these themes and would like to be more informed about them.

However there is also a story featuring main character Aaron, the titular glass collector who is drawn to the beauty of the glass. I don't know, I just could not connect with this guy. He dreams of a better world, away from his cruel stepbrother and stepfather and starting a romantic relationship with the girl who tends the horses. But he also steals from a shop-owner, lies, and runs away. I generally felt sympathetic toward him as his situation is awful but I was wondering how the story would go. He was not enough to capture my attention nor did the other characters spark for me. Sometimes there were pages where nothing was really happening and the story just stalled. I did not get the feeling that there was an ending that the story was driving to; it was just meandering.

Overall: The story was not as engaging to me due to flat characters but I loved the evocative writing and the idea of this book; I hope I can find more YA books set in locations beyond the USA, Canada, and the UK.

The Poisoned House

The Poisoned House by Michael Ford
Albert Whitman & Company, 2011
319 pages
YA; Mystery
4/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little nervous to pick this book up because I don't read a lot of Gothic infused novels and I'm a complete wimp when it comes to anything related to horror.  However this book wasn't really scary, which was both good and bad, for my own state of mind and the story.

This was good because it meant that I wasn't terrified throughout the entire book. Abigail Tamper is a maid in a manor house as the Crimean War blazes away. She is dominated by the tyrannical housekeeper Mrs. Cotton and soon feels that a the ghost of her mother is haunting her, attempting to get vengeance for her murder. Then the son of the house returns home from the Crimea, badly injured and that's when the tension really kicks up.  All of the characters are pretty basic with one or two defining traits and nothing else going for them.

The bad though was that I was able to predict pretty much everything that came, every revelation that was supposed to be surprising.  I think many people would be bored. Additionally there were some things that didn't work for me; namely that the housekeeper is the sister-in-law to the lord of the house. How does that happen? Wouldn't they be of different social classes, rigidly separated by Victorian society? This is especially odd to me because otherwise the different social classes were separated and any interaction was disapproved of.

I also really loved the epilogue although I can't really tell you why without spoiling it. Let's just say that it pleased me very much and was a fitting wrap-up to the book.

Overall: A decent ghost story if lacking the suspense for a true horror junkie.