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[b: Mark of the Thief|17453187|Mark of the Thief (Mark of the Thief, #1)|Jennifer A. Nielsen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402065517s/17453187.jpg|24341792] is a fast-paced, energetic read. There are few lulls in the action. Around every corner is a new trial for Nicholas Calva, from the moment he tires of being a slave until the end of the story. It's the beginning of another series that Nielsen fans will gobble up.
My one concern, and I hope that gets fixed later in the story, is the character of Livia, Nic's sister. At the moment, she's not very well-developed, and is mainly being used to stir Nic into action. Oh, I need to stay in the mines to protect her. Oh, I need to find her because she's been kidnapped. Oh, I need to give into the villain because he's going to kill her. As an adult gender studies major who's read far too many critiques of video games and comics suffering from this same plot line, I'm not sure I really want it perpetuated in the stories I recommend to kids as well. I'm holding out hope that because this is the first in the series that Nielsen will make Livia into more of a well-rounded character, rather than the MacGuffin she appears to be here. And please, please, don't let her be fridged.
My one concern, and I hope that gets fixed later in the story, is the character of Livia, Nic's sister. At the moment, she's not very well-developed, and is mainly being used to stir Nic into action. Oh, I need to stay in the mines to protect her. Oh, I need to find her because she's been kidnapped. Oh, I need to give into the villain because he's going to kill her. As an adult gender studies major who's read far too many critiques of video games and comics suffering from this same plot line, I'm not sure I really want it perpetuated in the stories I recommend to kids as well. I'm holding out hope that because this is the first in the series that Nielsen will make Livia into more of a well-rounded character, rather than the MacGuffin she appears to be here. And please, please, don't let her be fridged.
I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who hasn't already had their problems diagnosed by a professional. However, for me it was exactly what I wanted: a book that had pictures of poses that would be beneficial for healthy knees along with ideas of whole series that might help.
A powerful tale from Sheinken. It captured the feel of the times and showed how the Pentagon Papers impacted the Vietnam War and its ripple effects to today.
For my fellow Maine Student Book Award reviewers-- This book will not be like the Hunger Games, which can be YA and still fall on the list.
That aside, I feel this is an excellent start to a new YA series. Wars fought over lack of water seems very logical to me, especially with the melting of the polar ice caps. That children are kept as hostages by the UN so that war is prevented and there's a evil AI overlord is just icing on the cake. I personally was a big fan of Greta, our narrator, and her entire arc (from realizing the facade she's built for herself, to her romantic not-quite-a-triangle arc.) I am especially intrigued by the ending, which I will not spoil here. Definitely a sequel to look forward to!
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in return for my review.
That aside, I feel this is an excellent start to a new YA series. Wars fought over lack of water seems very logical to me, especially with the melting of the polar ice caps. That children are kept as hostages by the UN so that war is prevented and there's a evil AI overlord is just icing on the cake. I personally was a big fan of Greta, our narrator, and her entire arc (from realizing the facade she's built for herself, to her romantic not-quite-a-triangle arc.) I am especially intrigued by the ending, which I will not spoil here. Definitely a sequel to look forward to!
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in return for my review.
This is a beautifully illustrated picture book about exploring your house and your backyard in the nighttime. I really like how Gerstein did the night illustrations, dark on dark shades figures.
I hope this book finds its readers. This story is told in lyrical prose, close to poetry but not quite, and meanders a bit through a brief time in the life of Sophea, called Sofie, who lives in Portsmouth NH with her father, Johnny. I could feel Portsmouth come alive around me in Farish's story, and I can picture Johnny going on fishing trips and coming back. Sofie desperately wants to keep him home in NH, but the fishing industry is dying and he needs to go away. This prompts her mother and grandmother to move in, people Sofie wants nothing to do with, as they have been long absent from her life. He also doesn't want her to see Luke, a deckhand of his who is suffering from PTSD after being a medic in Afghanistan.
I was initially troubled by the idea of a romance between a almost 17 year old and a 22 year old, but it does work in the story. You can feel the draw between the two of them. I'm glad the story ends the way it does, which feels realistic. It's not happily, everything-tied-in-a-bow, but there is a sense of acceptance that feels right.
I was initially troubled by the idea of a romance between a almost 17 year old and a 22 year old, but it does work in the story. You can feel the draw between the two of them. I'm glad the story ends the way it does, which feels realistic. It's not happily, everything-tied-in-a-bow, but there is a sense of acceptance that feels right.
There are so many ways a heart can break that are explored in this story: war, miscarriage, lost child, lost husband, betrayal. Everyone is sympathetic in this story, and everyone is somewhat to blame. I understand why the story goes the way it does, but part of me wishes that Isabel and Thomas could have adopted a child afterward to help ease the pain.