28 October, 2010Daily Archives

The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson

Order from:
Reason(s) for Reading:
  • I’ve been looking for some quality Middle Grade books.
  • In spite of the animal theme, I decided to give this a go due to all of the gushing I’ve been hearing about it.
I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

After three young wizard apprentices are kidnapped by the evil queen of a distant land, it is up to their familiars, their magical animal companions — a street smart alley cat, a precocious blue jay, and a bumbling tree frog — to save them.

My Review:

Okay – so I’m not a fan of books where animals speak and the story generally revolves around animals (and no, I never read that Warrior series).  I used to love the movies centering around animals as a kid (Hello, Homeward Bound and Beethoven), but outgrew them in my teenage years.

Then The Familiars made it’s way through the blogosphere.. well, I would say.. burst its way instead of made its way.  I’m seeing this book everywhere.  My dislike of animal books kept me from outright buying it.. but now that I’ve read my library’s copy I’m thinking I may just have to make the investment.

This is the best middle grade book I’ve read in a while., ranking up there with the Gregor series and the Ranger’s Apprentice series (which I love, love, love).  The story could have been corny – I mean, we’re talking about a cat, a tree frog and a blue jay here – but it worked.  And I loved said tree frog.  He made the book for me.  I’m still cackling with laughter over some of his lines.

If you have a middle schooler, definitely get this book for him or her to read.  She will devour it, and you will too.  Fun, fun story and I can’t wait for the next one!

I also have a special message here from Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson!

———————————

We are also having a special Familiars-themed Halloween Scavenger Hunt! At each stop along the blog tour, we will be asking a trivia question from our book. After you fill in your answer, the letter that falls in the place of the * can be placed in the corresponding number of the larger puzzle. So for example, since this is question number 24, the letter that lands in the space where the * is can be filled in where the 24 is in the larger puzzle. The larger puzzle will form yet another clue, and anyone who answers it correctly will be entered into a drawing for an autographed book as well as a few other Halloween treats!

Be sure to visit The Familiars blog at thefamiliars.blogspot.com to find links to all other blog stops and find out where to send in your answers! All entries must be entered by November 15.

24. What color are Aldwyn’s eyes?

_*_ ___ ___ ___ ___

Hint: Chapter Two, Page 31

11    5    18    8    15    1       9            7    19    14    23    2    25    16    10    12    20

__  __  __  __  __    __  ’  __        __    __   __   __   __    __    __    __   __   __

17    3    22    6          21     4   24   13

__  __  __   __         __  __  __  __

www.thefamiliars.com (official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0djEE4OzdQ (book trailer)

Happy Halloween everyone!

Andrew & Adam


Lydia
28 October, 2010
Middle Grade, reviews
0 comments

Gateway by Sharon Shinn

Order from:
Reason(s) for Reading:
  • I’ve read everything Sharon Shinn has written and I love her style of writing for young adults.
  • I seem to be on an Asian kick lately – so why not alternate realities centered around China?
I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

As a Chinese adoptee in St. Louis, teenage Daiyu often feels out of place. When an elderly Asian jewelry seller at a street fair shows her a black jade ring—and tells her that “black jade” translates to “Daiyu”—she buys it as a talisman of her heritage. But it’s more than that; it’s magic. It takes Daiyu through a gateway into a version of St. Louis much like 19th century China. Almost immediately she is recruited as a spy, which means hours of training in manners and niceties and sleight of hand. It also means stealing time to be with handsome Kalen, who is in on the plan. There’s only one problem. Once her task is done, she must go back to St. Louis and leave him behind forever. . . .

My Review:

If you haven’t read Sharon Shinn’s YA works, I recommend them.  What I love most about Shinn is her books, while sometimes involving romance, never center around that romance.  There’s no predictable endings and the characters always face complex issues.  While Gateway isn’t as good as The Safe-Keeper’s Secret was, it still has plenty of strength on its own.

Daiyu is the adoptive daughter of a couple who was unable to have a child of their own.  Adopted from China and brought over to the States when she was a baby, she knows very little of China and has never been to visit it.  Now a teenager, she is a hard worker and looking to go to college soon – that is, until she stumbles across a “gateway” to another reality, a reality in which China discovered the United States.

St. Louis is renamed, the landmarks we all know are gone, and the largest minority are Caucasians.  But evil still exists – and it’s against that evil that Daiyu has to figure out where she stands and what decisions she needs to make regarding her future.

This was a very easy book to read, the story flowed well and Sharon Shinn’s development was great, as always.  It seemed a little stilted in parts, however, almost like she was writing for an audience younger than the subject matter would normally speak to – but overall I had a blast with Gateway and will be recommending it.

Check out these review(s):

Bookworming in the 21st Century

Lydia
28 October, 2010
Fantasy, reviews, Young Adult
3 comments
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