Book Review: Lymeria and Falcon’s Prey by Kristina Coia

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Several readers sent in reviews of Lymeria and Falcon’s Prey by author Kristina Coia.

A Mother’s Review

I would like to tell you about Kristina Coia’s books, Lymeria and Falcon’s Prey. They are simply wonderful. The stories take you on  fascinating journeys into other worlds. From the first chapter the books grip you and do not let go. At the end of Falcon’s Prey, I found myself in tears, it was that moving. It is unbelievable that a 15 year old could write a story that is so gripping. The only bad part about her books was that they were not long enough, they were so good that I wanted more. I can not wait until she comes up with another adventure. I would take off into one of her worlds any day.

These books are safe for 9 years and up to read. I can feel good about recommending these books to my children and my family. – Lauren P., Blairsville, Georgia

A Daughter’s Review

Falcon’s Prey – I very much enjoyed this book because it included many adventures. I love fast-moving books and this was my favorite. It is very interesting. It was exciting as I read it and I couldn’t stop when I started. I told myself that I would put down the book at the next chapter, but the ending of the chapter I was reading, I just needed to know the result of it. It was a very exciting and it was great as a fantasy book for teens. This was a great book to read.

Lymeria – I enjoyed this book as well as Falcon’s Prey because it was again a fast-moving book. It was another great fantasy book because it related to other teens’ lives. It included magic, which interests readers very much. It included a little bit of romance as well as Falcon’s Prey that readers’ like. This book was very interesting. It was very exciting to read this book because it kept me interested in what the characters were doing. – Alexandria B., 12 years old

A Mother’s Review

Lymeria and Falcon’s Prey are two great books, which my thirteen-year-old daughter and myself thoroughly enjoyed. In today’s fast pace and real world these books give you time to sit back and enjoy a mystical and fantasy world allowing us to use our imagination. My daughter was disappointed at the end of the weekend when I did not have a third book for her to read. These books will certainly grab your interest and keep it from the first page to the last. We cannot wait for the next book to be released. – Sharon L.

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Book Review: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

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In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is a gripping story of courage in the face of unjust actions and repression. We had a great discussion in our mother-daughter book club about this book when we read it. Book clubs can talk about whether moms or daughters feel they believe strongly enough in a cause to risk their lives, what may hold people back from rebelling against dictatorship, and the historical events surrounding Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. The story is even more poignant as it’s based on true events. Here’s a review from the girl who chose it.

In The Time of Butterflies follows the lives of four sisters and the decisions they make to join, or keep away from, the revolution in their country. The story tells about the hardships and difficulties they had to face in everyday life as well as revolutionaries. This book was well written and interesting.  – Liz M., Portland, Oregon

Book Review: I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

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Ed Kennedy is only nineteen years old, but already he feels his life is going nowhere. He drives a cab, shares a run-down apartment with his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman, and his social life consists of playing cards with friends who are on the same track he is. He’s also in love with his best friend, Audrey, but he can’t tell her, so he watches as she dates other men who are bad for her.

Then Ed happens to foil a bank robbery, and someone takes notice. His life begins to change when the ace of diamonds arrives in his mailbox along with a cryptic message. As Ed work his ways through a series of cards and tasks that continue to arrive on his doorstep, he’s taken deeper into the mystery of who is sending the cards and why.

In I Am the Messenger, Markus Zusak’s straight-forward storytelling takes the reader right into the gritty realities of Ed’s life and the lives of the people he comes into contact with through the playing cards. Each card Ed receives asks to be a little more involved in the lives of others, often in uncomfortable ways for him. As Ed sets out to complete the task he believes the card is asking him to complete, he ponders not just what he wants to do with his life, but more importantly, what kind of person he wants to be.

Book Review: Going Solo

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After our mother-daughter book club read Going Solo by Roald Dahl, my daughter, Madeleine wrote this review.

Going Solo is a memoir that picks up where Boy left off. It follows Roald Dahl’s adventures in Africa and around the Mediterranean just before and during World War II. From encounters with deadly snakes, lions, and German fighter pilots, this book is filled with adventure and history, and it’s one of my favorite books that our group has read. – Madeleine H., Portland, Oregon

Book Review: Flash Burnout by L. K. Madigan

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Blake has a pretty good life for a high school sophomore. He’s got a girlfriend who loves him and makes him happy, he’s got good friends, and for the most part he likes his classes in school. And he lives in a loving home with two parents and his older brother Garrett. He doesn’t give his situation much thought until he’s showing a photo assignment to his friend Marissa in class one day. When he uncovers a photo of a homeless woman passed out on the sidewalk, Marissa gasps and says, “That’s my mom.” Suddenly he’s compelled into Marissa’s life in unexpected ways and finding out that not everyone leads mundane, uneventful lives away from school.

As he’s drawn to help Marissa more and more, Blake’s relationship with his girlfriend, Shannon, becomes strained. Can he be the friend Marissa needs and the boyfriend Shannon expects at the same time?

Flash Burnout by L. K. Madigan juxtaposes suburban middle-class life against the lives of the homeless and addicted. It shows the toll addiction and neglect can take not only on family members, but also on friends and others in the community around them. The book covers issues of sexual abstinence, safe sex, underage drinking, using alcohol to escape, honesty in relationships and more. It also introduces complex supporting characters that add interest to the story: Blake’s mother is a hospital chaplain, and his father is a coroner. Garrett interns at the morgue with his dad. (Their work discussions make Blake queasy and may do the same for some readers.) Marissa’s brother Gus is a thrill-seeking bike messenger who takes responsibility for his family.

Madigan lives in Portland, and I really enjoyed picking up on some of the local references in Flash Burnout. I would have liked to know more about Blake’s conflicted thoughts between his feelings for his girlfriend and his friend, particularly after a particular event near the end, and I would have preferred less description of Blake’s ordinary life. Even so, I really liked following his story, and I liked that Flash Burnout doesn’t tidy up all the answers into a nice package at the end; instead it asks the reader to consider what will happen next. I believe the issues and the characters should provide great discussions for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and up. Flash Burnout is Madigan’s debut novel, and I eagerly anticipate her next book.

Book Review: Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

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When my mother-daughter book club with Catherine read Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce, we had a long discussion about the many layers of meaning to be found in this seemingly simple story. Here’s what two of the moms had to say:

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll kiss your bad mood goodbye. If you enjoyed Millions, you’ll also get a kick out of Framed! This story of a young boy trying to hold his family and his town together has lots of humor and affection and a little mystery too. The characters are both quirky and endearing, from the child-like, Ninja turtle fan to the elderly sisters who have “cooperative” driving skills! It’ll warm the cockles of your heart. Whatever those are. — Lisa W., Portland, Oregon

This is a little gem of a book. It’s the story of a sleepy little town in Wales called Manod where nothing seems to happen, until one day something wonderful changes everything. The story is told by young Dylan Hughes, the only boy left in town, whose family runs the Manod gas station. Through his innocent, friendly voice we get to know his family and lots of the town’s people. Just when Manod seems about to fall off the map and the family is in deep financial trouble, the National Gallery in London decides to store all its paintings in an abandoned mine in the little town to protect them from local flooding. As, one by one, the people of Manod get exposed to the beautiful artwork, gradual changes take place that will warm your heart and save the town. This story has adventure, mystery and humor, but mostly it is about people and a town discovering not only who they are, but who they can be. My daughter and I both loved it! —  Ellen S., Portland, Oregon

And here’s my review:

What happens to a grey, Welsh town with a depressed economy and dwindling population when world-famous art arrives there for storage in an old mine? Find out in this wonderful tale of what it means to be part of a family and a community. Told through the voice of Dylan Hughes, the only boy left in the town of Manod, Framed will introduce you to a town full of eccentric characters who are inspired by the masterpieces they see to create great changes in themselves and in Manod. It’s a heart-warming, funny tale that’s great to read aloud.

Book Review: Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

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Two girls in mother-daughter book clubs sent in their reviews of Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen.

Flipped was a fabulous book that I genuinely enjoyed reading. It was fun, captivating and easy to relate to. Wendelin Van Draanen so wonderfully expressed moments in the lives of kids and wrote it in a unique style. I couldn’t put it down. Each chapter told the same event, but from both the main characters’ points of view, which just pulled me in and never put me down! As the kids grow older, an unreturned adoration is flipped and holds you emotionally until the very last word. — Franny S., Portland, Oregon

I really enjoyed reading Flipped. The author, Wendelin Van Draanen is very good at writing with expression and makes you feel like you’re there. I could totally relate to some of the things she wrote about. I like her style of writing very much and I think that this book is hilarious and very entertaining. I also liked the way she formatted the book; how she had Bryce, the boy in the story sometimes speaking, and other times Juliana, the girl in the story sometimes speaking. This book also had many surprising twists to it making it so that I couldn’t put it down. I could read it again and again. If you’re looking for a quick, funny, and entertaining book then look no further because it’s here. – Makena, age 12

Book Review: Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey

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I received this review from a mom who recommends this series for mother-daughter book clubs.

I’d like to recommend Anne McCaffrey’s young adult series for your 8-12th grade range. I don’t see anything else I recognize as science fantasy, and this is a classic, with a female main character. The books, in order, are Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums. Dragonsong introduces Menolly, who is a talented teenage musician but her father cannot stand her being anything but what is traditional for women in their village. Menolly is lost, impresses a host of small dragons (fire lizards), and eventually finds both a home in a music school and respect from her family. — Sarah T., Castro Valley, California

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