Boy's Life by Robert McCammon

Boy's Life
Written by Robert McCammon

“Maybe crazy is what they call anybody who's got magic in them after they're no longer a child.”-- Boy's Life, by Robert McCammon

Wow, I was enchanted by this book. It took me back to my childhood like no other book has. It was amazing to rediscover that belief that your parents are invincible and the fear when you find out that no one is. The joy of believing in the unbelievable, the magical, and the supernatural--all came flooding back.

When I opened Boy's Life, I'm not sure what I expected, but before I finished the first page I was transported to another time and place. And isn't that why we started reading to begin with? This book was just a pleasure to read, because McCammon has a magical way with words that is simply enjoyable. Reading it was like eating a big piece of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake that was so good you can't even feel a tiny bit guilty about eating it.

I was particularly drawn into the small town of Zephyr, Alabama, its customs, its people. Zephyr is the epitome of the small town, with all its good and it's bad characteristics and characters. McCammon drew a perfect picture of the social and political unrest that would have been prevalent during that delicate time after the civil rights movement.

The Lady, a proud voodoo queen, was one of my favorite characters, although I loved each and every one of the characters if I'm being honest. What particularly attracted me to The Lady was how McCammon allowed her to make such poignant statements about the true nature of racism, not only by her words, but more often by her deeds and her very nature. He somehow managed to make her seem both regal and still entirely humble in nature. She reminded me of another character in one of my favorite series, Alma from The Castor Chronicles series by Kami Garcia. The Lady is what I imagine Alma to be like when she's 100 years old.

Really, many of my favorite parts of Boy's Life reminded me of Garcia's Castor Chronicles (Most Recent Castor Chronicle Book Review). The southern setting, which both Garcia and McCammon have so expertly captured, is no easy feat. The vibrant characters, so real, they seem to walk right off the page and into your Living Room. That perfect blending of superstition, religion, and magic that makes it difficult to tell where the line between real and imaginary is drawn. The classic coming-of-age tale so vivid that it reminds you of your own wild adventures of growing up that until now were completely forgotten.

Boy's Life is one of those rare books that transcends generations and genres. Whether you need to know you aren't alone as you struggle to grow up yourself, you just want the chance to rekindle fond memories of your youth, or you're looking for a book to loose yourself in, Boy's Life is just what the doctor ordered.

For Keeps, by Natasha Friend





For Keeps
Written by Natasha Friend

"I have known Liv since we were six years old, when we first met on the swings at our neighborhood playground. She introduced herself as Olivia Sarah Weiss-Longo, told me she had two daddies, and said my hair looked like Snow White's. How could we not be best friends?" - For Keeps, by Natasha Friend

I was actually looking for a different book by Friend, when I happened upon this one. Since the book I'd been looking for was already checked out, I grabbed this on instead and figured I'd give it a try. I wanted a coming-of-age novel, and it looked like it might fit the bill.

I found For Keeps to be rather heartwarming. It documents the relationship between a teenage girl and her mother. I'm sure many readers can attest to their own tumultuous relationships with one or both parents so this is one of those books that almost anyone can relate to. Friend threw in some interesting side characters, sub-plots, and the usual amount of teen angst.

I thought this was both honest and sweet, while being a light quick read. If you're a teen looking for a book with a storyline and characters that are both witty and charming, or an adult longing to revisit your misspent youth, this is the book for you.

The Time Capsule, by Lurlene McDaniel

The Time Capsule
Written by Lurlene McDaniel

Like all of McDaniel's books, The Time Capsule was about a family who has to struggle with a loved one's terminal disease. It shows, from the inside, how the friends and family deal with the very real possibility of loosing their loved one, as well as the day to day struggles that must be faced. McDaniel also usually writes about young people, so you get the whole "coming of age" obstacles, as well as the life and death struggle. I've always enjoyed the way McDaniel writes and how adept she is at showing you this world from a unique perspective.

I've always found the idea of twins who seem to have some kind of ESP with one another to be pretty intriguing. When I saw that one of my favorite authors had written a book with a little bit of that mysterious twin power I was excited to see where she'd take it. Although, overall, I liked the book and thought that it was worth the read, I was disappointed that twin aspect wasn't as big a part of the story as I had expected, and that when the "twin power" was mentioned it was done so in an almost silly and kind of cliché' way. I would have liked to see her do more with it, but I still enjoyed the book and can recommend any of McDaniel's books if you've never tried her out.

Delirium (Book One of Delirium series), by Lauren Oliver

Delirium
Book One of Delirium Series
Written by Lauren Oliver

"It will kill me, it will kill me, it will kill me. And I don't care." -- Lena, Delirium, by Lauren Oliver

I was really excited when my husband came home on Mother's Day with two books that I'd wanted to read. Ever since I read the Hunger Games trilogy I've been devouring dystopia novels. They are my new favorite genre. I have always loved apocalyptic movies (ironic, as I'm a true atheist), so dystopia novels were the next step to further my addiction.

Unlike Hunger Games, Delirium is more psychological, in my opinion. The plague that "destroyed" society was love, rather than rebellion. Lauren Oliver tells the story of a girl whose mother was a sympathizer (reminding me of how whites who helped blacks before and during the civil rights movement) who had the audacity to fall in love with her husband. The story, as with most dystopias, has two clear sides: the cured (those who have had a surgery to erase any strong emotion and passion, including the ability to love), and their enemies, the Invalids (those who live outside the safety of the communities and have not had the surgery) aided by Sympathizers (those who had the surgery but are against it, or simply think it should be optional rather than mandatory).

This book stirs up all sorts of feelings and ideas as you wonder what it would be like to live in a world where love was a disease, not to mention illegal. How sick and twisted the world must be for someone to willingly give up their ability to love and long for the day when they can be cured and never have to worry about catching the awful disease? Love as a disease is such an interesting paradox to those of us living today. Anyone who has experienced love has also experienced the pain of losing it, but would any one of us give up the ability to love in order to escape the pain of it? I would not do so myself, but yet a tiny part of me can still see the attraction of it.

I especially liked the way Oliver portrayed her characters. She took the moment of the introduction of each character seriously. I felt as if I could picture each of them in my mind and I knew how they'd react to any given situation. I loved the last few chapters of the book, as the characters scrambled through the chaos with a mad urgency. I adored the fact that she surprised me at the end when I'd thought all along I knew what to expect and that I'd already figured it all out...I was wrong. I LOVE being wrong. Anytime I get a shock or surprise I am completely enamored of the author who managed it.

Delirium is a great book, and I can't wait to read Pandemonium! I have a feeling that waiting for the third book, Requiem is going to severely test my patience.