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The North Water
by Ian McGuire
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Book Length: 270 pages
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
All I knew about this book before I picked it up was that it had good reviews and it was suppose to be dark.
The book opens by introducing us to Henry Drax who is most likely a psychopath. He follows base instincts to know when to eat, sleep, have sex, get drunk, and to kill. Henry Drax represents everything that is vial about human nature. Yet, this is not really his story.
The novel follows Sumner, an army surgeon that was dishonourably discharged while serving in India. Unable to find work Sumner agrees to be a doctor on a whaling ship. To add to his misfortune Henry Drax is also employed on the ship.
The novel is dark but not graphic. Ian McGuire does a great job describing the characters and the world. He pays extra special attention to the olfaction sensory experience. I do not think I have ever pictured smell so vividly from reading a book. Yet, due to Sumner acting as narrator, the book portrays the potential cruelty of human nature without being so graphic that it was completely unreadable. Instead what is shown is a struggle to overcome base human nature to transform into a better human being.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
by Ian McGuire
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Book Length: 270 pages
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
All I knew about this book before I picked it up was that it had good reviews and it was suppose to be dark.
The book opens by introducing us to Henry Drax who is most likely a psychopath. He follows base instincts to know when to eat, sleep, have sex, get drunk, and to kill. Henry Drax represents everything that is vial about human nature. Yet, this is not really his story.
The novel follows Sumner, an army surgeon that was dishonourably discharged while serving in India. Unable to find work Sumner agrees to be a doctor on a whaling ship. To add to his misfortune Henry Drax is also employed on the ship.
The novel is dark but not graphic. Ian McGuire does a great job describing the characters and the world. He pays extra special attention to the olfaction sensory experience. I do not think I have ever pictured smell so vividly from reading a book. Yet, due to Sumner acting as narrator, the book portrays the potential cruelty of human nature without being so graphic that it was completely unreadable. Instead what is shown is a struggle to overcome base human nature to transform into a better human being.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Book Length: 377 pages
Genre: Children's Chapter, Mythology, Middle school, Urban Fantasy
Percy Jackson is a sixth grader in a boarding school for troubled kids. He seems to be the most troubled of the troubled kids. Yet, like every child fantasizes, he is not really troubled he is special. He is a half god - and not just any god, he is the son of Psydon god of the ocean.
The book is a tale about Percy Jackson finding himself and world for him to belong to. He does this in true mythological fashion by completing a quest that will save the world.
The story is a fun read. I think the success of the series shows that it will connect with a lot of kids. However, I have two gripes with the book. My first is the flippant use of ADHD and Dyslexia. I get that Percy has these diagnoses because Riordan's own son was diagnosed with them. I get the appeal of having a child with ADHD featured in the book. Except that Percy didn't really have ADHD or Dyslexia. He was a half-god with heightened battle skills and a brain attuned to reading ancient Greek. The book discounts these diagnosis and then continues to throw the terms around almost as an excuse. As a parent of children who have their own diagnosis (including ADHD) it is great to see characters they can relate to. Yet having my own diagnosis it irked me the way that it was presented in the book.
My second gripe is that there are three twelve-year-old kids running around the country and no one really thought this was odd. I mean they bought their own train tickets and no one questioned it. The only people in the novel who questioned them wondering around were monsters. I find this a bit unrealistic. Maybe I am just too old.
As published on The Book Recluse Review
by Rick Riordan
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Book Length: 377 pages
Genre: Children's Chapter, Mythology, Middle school, Urban Fantasy
Percy Jackson is a sixth grader in a boarding school for troubled kids. He seems to be the most troubled of the troubled kids. Yet, like every child fantasizes, he is not really troubled he is special. He is a half god - and not just any god, he is the son of Psydon god of the ocean.
The book is a tale about Percy Jackson finding himself and world for him to belong to. He does this in true mythological fashion by completing a quest that will save the world.
The story is a fun read. I think the success of the series shows that it will connect with a lot of kids. However, I have two gripes with the book. My first is the flippant use of ADHD and Dyslexia. I get that Percy has these diagnoses because Riordan's own son was diagnosed with them. I get the appeal of having a child with ADHD featured in the book. Except that Percy didn't really have ADHD or Dyslexia. He was a half-god with heightened battle skills and a brain attuned to reading ancient Greek. The book discounts these diagnosis and then continues to throw the terms around almost as an excuse. As a parent of children who have their own diagnosis (including ADHD) it is great to see characters they can relate to. Yet having my own diagnosis it irked me the way that it was presented in the book.
My second gripe is that there are three twelve-year-old kids running around the country and no one really thought this was odd. I mean they bought their own train tickets and no one questioned it. The only people in the novel who questioned them wondering around were monsters. I find this a bit unrealistic. Maybe I am just too old.
As published on The Book Recluse Review
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Book Length: 224 pages
Genre: Children's Chapter, Humor
I have known about Diary of a Wimpy Kid long before I ever picked up the book. It replaced Harry Potter as the book to get kids to read. My own kids love them. Even my youngest who can't focus to read tore through the series. Kinney seemed to find a magic formula when writing this book. Maybe a magic formula that is only understood by kids. I didn't find this book all that great.
I will start off with what I did appreciate about the book. There were a lot more words than I had thought. I had thought it was more of a graphic novel, which my kids love, and less word narrative. Instead, I would describe it as word narrative that uses pictures to be less daunting. The font of the book is very pleasing to children with more attention issues. The plot is extremely relevant.
That being said Greg, the main sixth grader, is an extremely unpleasant character. Yes, he is trying to fit into a new middle school but the kid is mean to his own friends. There is more grown in the side characters than in the main character. Then at the end of the book when he should be taking some responsibility he doesn't. He makes one nice gesture, is not all that gracious about even making that gesture, and then blames his friend for being gone so long - when he was a jerk to him.
It isn't a bad book. I do not regret letting my children read them. I do not think it taught anything bad. It was just unpleasant reading it for myself.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
by Jeff Kinney
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Book Length: 224 pages
Genre: Children's Chapter, Humor
I have known about Diary of a Wimpy Kid long before I ever picked up the book. It replaced Harry Potter as the book to get kids to read. My own kids love them. Even my youngest who can't focus to read tore through the series. Kinney seemed to find a magic formula when writing this book. Maybe a magic formula that is only understood by kids. I didn't find this book all that great.
I will start off with what I did appreciate about the book. There were a lot more words than I had thought. I had thought it was more of a graphic novel, which my kids love, and less word narrative. Instead, I would describe it as word narrative that uses pictures to be less daunting. The font of the book is very pleasing to children with more attention issues. The plot is extremely relevant.
That being said Greg, the main sixth grader, is an extremely unpleasant character. Yes, he is trying to fit into a new middle school but the kid is mean to his own friends. There is more grown in the side characters than in the main character. Then at the end of the book when he should be taking some responsibility he doesn't. He makes one nice gesture, is not all that gracious about even making that gesture, and then blames his friend for being gone so long - when he was a jerk to him.
It isn't a bad book. I do not regret letting my children read them. I do not think it taught anything bad. It was just unpleasant reading it for myself.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
A Brief History of Time
by Stephen Hawking
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Book Length: 224 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Science, Physics
This book was first published back in 1988. I remember reading it when I was in middle school when most of what I read was physic oriented non-fiction. I was fascinated with time. While this did not really go into time as much as the title would suggest, it was one of my favorite books.
It has been many years since I have read this book. I have grown both educationally and maturity. In addition, the field of physics has changed since this work was first published. Reading it again, after many years, the work took on a different perspective. There were many ideas that were once unique and fresh that I found to be commonplace. Even talking about Hawking's hope for black holes to be confirmed was more nostalgic than a scientific wonder. I talk with my kids with them regularly - yes really.
This book deserves to continue to be read. While it was not the first science book to be written for the non-scientist, it is one that made doing such more popular. It is written in such a way to engage and excite even those who do not usually engage in science.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
by Stephen Hawking
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Book Length: 224 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Science, Physics
This book was first published back in 1988. I remember reading it when I was in middle school when most of what I read was physic oriented non-fiction. I was fascinated with time. While this did not really go into time as much as the title would suggest, it was one of my favorite books.
It has been many years since I have read this book. I have grown both educationally and maturity. In addition, the field of physics has changed since this work was first published. Reading it again, after many years, the work took on a different perspective. There were many ideas that were once unique and fresh that I found to be commonplace. Even talking about Hawking's hope for black holes to be confirmed was more nostalgic than a scientific wonder. I talk with my kids with them regularly - yes really.
This book deserves to continue to be read. While it was not the first science book to be written for the non-scientist, it is one that made doing such more popular. It is written in such a way to engage and excite even those who do not usually engage in science.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Book Length: 228 pages
Genre: Classic, Fiction, Romance
I didn't expect to like Pride and Prejudice. I am not sure why. I have enjoyed other books by Jane Austen. There was just too much hype over Pride and Prejudice. There are too many movies that other females swoon over. I do not make a good fangirl - even for book characters. I started the book with the expectation of grinning and bearing it.
Obviously, from my rating, that is not what happened.
Jane Austen is an amazing author who has reached across the gulf of time. This book was originally published in 1813! That is over a hundred years ago. Yet, it is still read. It is still loved. It still remains relevant to readers of our generation.
The writing style is witty. The characters are engaging. Elizabeth Bennet is the parament of strong female lead character. While I may not be swooning over the movies, I will no longer be shying away from Jane Austen's other works.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
by Jane Austen
Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Book Length: 228 pages
Genre: Classic, Fiction, Romance
I didn't expect to like Pride and Prejudice. I am not sure why. I have enjoyed other books by Jane Austen. There was just too much hype over Pride and Prejudice. There are too many movies that other females swoon over. I do not make a good fangirl - even for book characters. I started the book with the expectation of grinning and bearing it.
Obviously, from my rating, that is not what happened.
Jane Austen is an amazing author who has reached across the gulf of time. This book was originally published in 1813! That is over a hundred years ago. Yet, it is still read. It is still loved. It still remains relevant to readers of our generation.
The writing style is witty. The characters are engaging. Elizabeth Bennet is the parament of strong female lead character. While I may not be swooning over the movies, I will no longer be shying away from Jane Austen's other works.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
Ticker
by Lisa Matchen
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Book Length: 273 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Young Adult
Ticker is a steampunk novel complete with springs and gears that drives the book more than the plot does.
Penny is born with a bad heart, so of course, hers is replaced with one made from a clock instead.
Ticker is a world of springs and gears that work almost like magic. The main character having a heart transplant from a clock instead of another heart. When Penny's parents disappear the kidnappers demand that everything related to the Augmentation research be turned over. What follows is a journey against time with lots of characters and a little bit of romance.
The world of Ticker is worth reading, although the writing fell a little flat in places. The climax never reached excellent but I did find it to be an interesting read. It was a different world that the reader is expected to adapt to. I could see where some would have difficulty connecting at all. Personally, I think it could just do with some more depth to the characters and a little more attention on weeding out the plot.
Overall, It was an interesting read. It is good if you are looking for something different.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
by Lisa Matchen
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Book Length: 273 pages
Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Young Adult
Ticker is a steampunk novel complete with springs and gears that drives the book more than the plot does.
Penny is born with a bad heart, so of course, hers is replaced with one made from a clock instead.
Ticker is a world of springs and gears that work almost like magic. The main character having a heart transplant from a clock instead of another heart. When Penny's parents disappear the kidnappers demand that everything related to the Augmentation research be turned over. What follows is a journey against time with lots of characters and a little bit of romance.
The world of Ticker is worth reading, although the writing fell a little flat in places. The climax never reached excellent but I did find it to be an interesting read. It was a different world that the reader is expected to adapt to. I could see where some would have difficulty connecting at all. Personally, I think it could just do with some more depth to the characters and a little more attention on weeding out the plot.
Overall, It was an interesting read. It is good if you are looking for something different.
As reviewed on The Book Recluse Review
