Memoirs of a Geisha

Author: Arthur Golden

Source: Library

Summary: (Goodreads) Sayuri, one of Japan's most celebrated geisha, is both performer and courtesan, slave and goddess. At nine, in a 1929 poor fishing village, she is sold to a geisha house, the buyer attracted by the child's unusual blue-grey eyes. In Gion, the pleasure district of Kyoto, she works to pay back the price of her purchase, while learning music, dance, elaborate costumes and cosmetics, and maintaining a fragile coiffure with a special pillow. With a magnanimous tutor and a venomous rival she survives the intrigues of her trade and the upheavals of war.

Review: High praise was given to this novel and the title is a widely recognized one in the literary world. This is due in big part to the movie adaptation of Arthur Golden's work. In full disclosure of the proceeding review, I watched the movie about three years ago. I also have the vague inkling of a memory in which I read the novel while in elementary or middle school. But it could be pseudo-DejaVu from scenes in the film.

I felt the disclosure was necessary in order to then give my slightly critical review. Too much hype has given this novel a position I don't think it completely deserves. The high ratings are slightly inflated. As a novel, I found this a very good read. It just didn't meet the expectations I thought it would. Memoirs of a Geisha, while a wonderful story, is not a spectacularly symbolic book with extremely deep characters or a quick-paced plot. Now that we have established what my standards were, we can get to a specific review.

The plot moves slow. The pages seem to drag me along and I took frequent breaks while reading this novel. It didn't grab my attention and have me gripping the edge of my seat in anticipation. The narrator prepares the reader for the ending, so in a sense it was predictable.

The author does a good job at setting the scenes and the surroundings for this story to be told. Golden includes a fictional interviewer/translator's note to capture the essence and atmosphere of a memoir narrative. Sayuri sounds like she is telling her stories in an informal setting, looking back and simultaneously reflecting from her experiences while she thinks them. This unique style makes it possible to blur the lines between fiction and reality to convince the reader that this woman's story could have happened exactly as described.

It's believability and structure is a selling point while the reflective nature of the story does slow down the plot. Although geishas were the liberals of their time and were in the business of, in the majority, entertaining in informal parties, I suspect that their Japanese culture would be steeped in traditionalism and strict etiquette. This did not translate well into the voice Sayuri uses to tell her tale. 

The book seems a bit too informal and the word choice is sometimes confusing. There are moments in which Sayuri uses conflicting diction when thinking back on her memories. In some cases, the denotations are used to convey a special meeting, or a sad event, but sometimes the culture and discipline of having lived the life of a geisha does not reach the reader.

In short, this novel did not meet the exaggerated praise heaped on it because it didn't make me want to read it in one sitting. I almost considered not finishing it 300 pages in. As a novel without those added expectations, it is a very good book. The genuinity of Sayuri's memories were well portrayed and it is evident that a lot of thought, and likely research, went into describing the decadent and alluring world in which Sayuri lived. The author's ability to contrast 1930's gion to the effects of war on what seemed like a paradise from the outside, also made this an enjoyable read. As long as you aren't looking for a masterpiece, Memoirs of a Geisha is sure to provide a lyrical trip to Japan.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Supergirl Mixtapes

Author: Meagan Brothers

Source: Library

Summary: (goodreads) In Meagan Brothers's Supergirl Mixtapes, a music-obsessed girl travels to New York City to find herself. After years of boredom in her rural South Carolina town, Maria is thrilled when her father finally allows her to visit her estranged artist mother in New York City. She’s ready for adventure, and she soon finds herself immersed in a world of rock music and busy streets, where new people and ideas lie around every concrete corner. This is the freedom she’s always longed for—and she pushes for as much as she can get, skipping school to roam the streets, visit fancy museums, and flirt with the cute clerk at a downtown record store.

 
But just like her beloved New York City, Maria’s life has a darker side. Behind her mother’s carefree existence are shadowy secrets, and Maria must decide just where—and with whom—her loyalty lies.

Review: 

Maria Costello lives with her perfectly boring dad in South Carolina while her estranged mother is an artist in New York. The stuffiness of the South and a few incidents make Maria force her father and grandmother to let her stay with her mom. Instead of blaming her mother for abandoning her, Maria thinks she understands why a vibrant artist like her mother could not thrive where they lived. But will Maria still see things this way when she makes the trip?

If you are into all sorts of musicians like The Ramones, Patty Smith or Nick Cave, then you may get a whole lot more out of this book than I did. It had the potential to go deep, to cut, to exude emotion, but the lightness of tone and Maria’s indifference made it hard to connect with the deeper issues explored in the novel. The lists of band names and artists were great for exploring new stuff, but I felt that they took up a lot of space. Maybe if I knew those bands and were a hardcore listener, then I would have understood Maria’s story much better. But alas, I regret to describe it as a record junkie’s paradise rather than an emotive story.

Still, I read it in less than twenty-four hours. It was well-written. Scenes had sufficient detail, but managed to allow the reader to build up a personalized version of the settings. The ambiance was of course bright and worldly and grand as I imagine New York City appears to those first entering it. Maria is mostly a positive role model and in many ways is mature for her age. It had a plot that did move forward and was entertaining to read.

As a reader though, I picked up cracks in Maria’s cool exterior. Her dysfunctional life was supposed to be the foundation of this novel, but I felt the author never explored it. I didn’t come close to feeling for Maria. There was just too much fun and glamour and not enough of the angst that should have contributed to Maria’s character growth. She might have learned a thing or two, but overall she was mostly unchanged by the end. This is where my problem with the novel lies. A potential never reached.

Rating: 1 2 3 3.5 4 5

The Color of Rain

Author: Cori McCarthy

Source: Publisher

Summary: (back of book) I have always looked to the stars for answers. The vast, endless, shimmer of space, full of hope and far from the ash and smoke of Earth City. Now my little brother needs a cure. And I will do whatever it takes to find one. Even if it means selling myself.

Johnny has bought my willingness with the promise of passage on his starship. And here the color of my bracelet marks me as much as my red hair.

But Johnny does not know that I am a survivor. And Johnny does not know that his day has come.

Review: Sparing none of the harsh details, The Color of Rain is a gruesomely spun tale of a future in which humanity is a trait largely extinct. But even so, the complex gray areas of right and wrong are explored and the villains are as contradictory, just as mankind tends to be.

The writing is vivid and evokes strong emotions. Descriptive language makes it easy to picture the dreary setting in which this story takes place. Hopelessness is the main emotion driving the beginning part of this action-packed novel, but it is only hope of something better that pushes the protagonist to attempt to escape the chaos of Earth.

Her mission to save her brother leads her to make questionable decisions. Decisions that may only be right when you have run out of any other options. This is where the grayness of life itself comes in. What would any of us risk for the slim chance that salvation could come from the other end of the universe? Rain makes the decision to practically sacrifice herself for her brother. Along the way, she may find a way to also save herself.

The world-building was excellent. If there were areas that I questioned, these were placed on the back-burner as the action took over. The storyline was constantly moving and although some of the romantic chemistry was lacking, the plot kept this book solidly together from beginning to end. Although it is a difficult novel to swallow for the cruelty of its villains and the sadness of those who are the most vulnerable, this was a wonderfully told story that will make readers think for a long time after reading the last sentence.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Not a five because of the lack of chemistry in between characters and also the lack of characterization of secondary characters.

Lessons in French

Author: Hilary Reyl

Source: Library

Summary: (goodreads) It’s 1989, the Berlin Wall is coming down, and Kate has just graduated from Yale, eager to pursue her dreams as a fledgling painter. When she receives a job offer to work as the assistant to Lydia Schell, a famous American photographer in Paris, she immediately accepts. It’s a chance not only to be at the center of it all, but also to return to France for the first time since she was a lonely nine-year-old girl, sent to the outskirts of Paris to live with cousins while her father was dying. Kate may speak fluent French, but she arrives at the Schell household in the fashionable Sixth Arrondissement both dazzled and wildly impressionable. She finds herself surrounded by a seductive cast of characters, including the bright, pretentious Schells, with whom she boards, and their assortment of famous friends; Kate’s own flamboyant cousin; a fellow Yalie who seems to have it all figured out; and a bande of independently wealthy young men with royal lineage. As Kate rediscovers Paris and her roots there, while trying to fit into Lydia’s glamorous and complicated family, she begins to question the kindness of the people to whom she is so drawn as well as her own motives for wanting them to love her.

In compelling and sympathetic prose, Hilary Reyl perfectly captures this portrait of a precocious, ambitious young woman struggling to define herself in a vibrant world that spirals out of her control. Lessons in French is at once a love letter to Paris and the story of a young woman finding herself, her moral compass, and, finally, her true family.(

Review: Kate is perhaps the most naïve character that I have ever come across. Her rendezvous in Paris is a wild tale that is positively difficult to imagine. How could someone as silly as Kate have such a high adventure and come out relatively unscathed? Kate reeks of bad decision-making skills and it makes her hard to sympathize with. From the beginning, she begins quite the fling with the household’s daughter’s boyfriend. And she somehow falls in love with him at first sight. Madly in love.

Her judgement is based on what she believes others want to hear. She is at the beck and call of a horrid boss and silly Kate feels honored to be in her position. She forms attachments and feels herself a part of the family when in reality she is nothing more than a servant. Her title is a complete euphemism.

Despite her vile character flaws, Kate isn’t the worst character in this Parisian setting. Her fling is an insipid opportunist with a mother complex. Her boss knows every weakness and also how to exploit everyone in her family. If you can call the Schell household a family. Which you probably won’t after reading this novel. The husband of the batty boss is a pathetic, sniveling fool. The children are unsurprisingly pitiful as well. If I had grown up a child of Lydia Schell, I would indeed need psychiatric help. And pills. Lots of pills. It is a crazy book. A crazy story.

Still, there are the characters that bring a sort of balance and sense of normalcy. Ettiene is Kate’s French cousin and fairly stable. Her new American friend Christie is also relatable. Kate’s mother is by far the most logical and grounded persona in this novel. Will Kate be able to take in some of those positive traits? Please read this to find out.

Despite my negativity toward the characters, I find that the urge to throw this book across the room is a sign of a compelling novel. Since I borrowed this from the library, I would never throw it. But I did have the urge to in a few instances. I think the progression of the novel is reasonably spaced and full of interesting events. By the end of the novel, there is a great sense of just barely having escaped something truly catastrophic. The writer built up the setting and added in many details pertinent to the time period. It felt as if I were a part of a global community.

This is quite an adventurous book full of contradictory characters. I bet that once you start, you will be hooked, wondering how our silly narrator will come out of Paris.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Not a five because I didn’t see much chemistry between any of the romantically involved characters. Also, the secondary French characters were very abstract and had little personality. And Kate is a complete fool...

Tween Blog Alert

Hello!

I received an e-mail asking me to let the book blogging community know about a new blog Emblazon, dedicated to tweens launching today. I wrote a paper once on the importance of clearly defining the YA label and think that there is a need to better understand intended ages on YA books. Which is why I am happy that New Adult Fiction is now a thing!

Sometimes YA can feel like a huge scavenger hunt and narrower labels help the reader. So if you know a tween that may be looking for a targeted read, then this is probably a great site to follow. From the e-mail, the following a description:

"Emblazon is a blog written by a collection of indie and traditionally published authors who care about producing high quality stories for kids. We have a particular focus on ages 11 to 14. We call them Tweens. The purpose of Emblazon is to celebrate tween literature. We want to draw attention to this fabulous genre, interact with other enthusiasts whether child or adult, and encourage new writers."

And there you have it! Looking for Tween books? Head on over there! And for coverage of the more general YA label, stay tuned! I think I may or may not decide to post that paper up here, even if it is outdated!

Cover Reveal: The Wind Whisperer

Title: The Wind Whisperer

Author: Krista Holle

Release Day: October 2013

Summary: (from author e-mail)

"At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious.  Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks.  But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.

As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him.  It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior.  Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief.

Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered,Elan is devastated.  Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light.

While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes.  Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die."

---------------------Cover Revealed----------------------

COVER THOUGHTS:

I don't know. Doesn't she look a little feisty? Like not a completely innocent protagonist. It does a good job of portraying setting and the main characters. It is also very obvious what the plot will be about which is nice for a cover to do. Be related to the plot, you know? It makes me wonder what kind of character she will be. Someone to sympathize with or someone who loves knowing that the hearts of two men are in the palm of her hand. Verdict? I like it. I like it a lot. Just not sure if I will like Anaii...

The List

Author: Siobhan Vivian

Source: Library

Summary: (goodreads) An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them.

It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

Review: Writing and reading about eight different characters can be a great way to express a bigger idea, or it could fail to connect the reader with the overall story. In this case, it was half and half. As a whole, the novel was great. The different faces of high school jogged my own recent memories of the setting and the voices of each of the girls was authentic. The story flow was almost impeccable and the plot did not feel like a prop for the writing. I enjoyed reading about each girl’s experience after appearing on the list, because each of them led a unique train of thought.

But some girls’ stories were more interesting than others. I couldn’t understand Candace as much as I wanted to, because she was underdeveloped and a bit dull. I didn’t see the growth as a person as well as I thought I should have. On the other hand, Stephanie’s story was so exciting and riveting that I wish an entire novel had been written about her and Milo. I absolutely loved it.

As for the others, Lauren was perplexing. There was a lot of grey area with this nice girl that I didn’t feel satisfied with the end of her story. Abby was a fantastic character. Her sisterly relationship with Fern pulled at my heartstrings more than once and I admit to tearing up. Danielle? Reminds me of some of the athletic girls I knew in high school. Yes, you can be beautiful and strong at the same time! I think there is a self-esteem issue here that was wonderfully addressed. Jennifer was quite the character. She was probably the most grey area character in the entire novel and the most believable. Margo and Brittany both had more going on under the surface than expected.

The standards of beauty are pitted against smarts, physical strength, talents, disorders, feelings, dialogue, actions and every other thing that makes each of us a human.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

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Summer Book Crush Event!

Hot sun, hot sand, cool drinks, dark tans. Ahhhh. But your summer won’t be complete until you land a new BOOK BOYFRIEND, right? Lucky for you, we’ve got you covered!  

SUMMER BOOK CRUSH offers 50+ titles in many genres. This means 50+ chances to (fictitiously) fall in love. And the best part? Each of these gems is only 99¢, but for a limited time only. The SUMMER BOOK CRUSH event starts on June 26th and ends (yes, even the best things in life end at some point) on June 28th. So don't wait up! Mingle with our BOOK BOYFRIENDS and invite all your friends to participate too. There are plenty of BOOK BOYS to share!

 
 Find your summer’s fling between the pages of a book. And don't stop on one - after all we have many BOOK BOYFRIENDS for you to mingle with.

* HAPPY READING * HAPPY SUMMER *

 

Chain Reaction

Author: Simone Elkeles

Source: Library

Summary: (goodreads) Like his brothers, Luis Fuentes is a risk taker; whether he's scaling the Rocky Mountains or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis is always looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by certain rules ― don't trust a boy who says "I love you", boys lie to get their own way and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex's wedding and suddenly she's tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to give him a chance is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by the head of the gang that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. Will Luis's feelings for Nikki be enough to stop him from entering a dark and violent world that could prove to be the ultimate risk?

Review: The youngest Fuentes proves to be quite the interesting character. Dynamic is a great way to describe Luis’ intelligence, sweetness and then need for recklessness. His complexity is part of what makes him so intriguing to Nikki Cruz. Nikki doesn’t hang out with the Mexicans. She doesn’t speak Spanish. Her parents expect her to go to college. Her father is a well-to-doer.  And she has no tolerance for gangs. Nikki is quite the dynamic character herself. Different in many ways from Luis, and at the same time, so similar. A smile and acceptance begin a painfully beautiful story in which family secrets and reputations are out for destruction.

I loved the characters. Nikki’s rich friends each had a redeeming quality to them and most of the secondary characters were memorable. Except for the villains. Whenever there were scenes with the bad guys, I felt absolutely no connection. I don’t know if it was intentional on the author’s part to dehumanize the gangsters. Or if it was Luis himself who dehumanized them, but there was just no connection there. Those characters were completely flat and that made the story a bit unbelievable.

In the end, the romance part was a poignant adventure, but the rest of the plot fell flat for me. It was too contrived. As if the plot only existed to support the romance. Which isn’t how real life is. Luis ended up having a not-so-believable life outside of Nikki Cruz. It was this lack of development and detail in the background that left me a bit unsatisfied with the whole book. Still, if you are a fan of the Fuentes brothers, can you really pass up getting to know Luis? He grows up to be quite the swoooooon-worthy man. Finishing this book won’t be difficult, what with the fantastic characterization, but the plot might leave you a bit disappointed.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5