**Sky Reviews ~ House of Leaves ~ Mark Z. Danielewski**

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Release Date: 2000
Genre: Horror fiction, Romance, Satire, Postmodernism (it defies genre. None of these describe it.)
Source: Bought at B&N
Rating: 5 Bookworms

Synopsis: 

Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth — musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies — the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.

Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices.

The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story — of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

***Sky's Review***

I had originally intended to write a House of Leaves review only after reading the book a second time, but I decided that my summer reading list is so extensive I may not get another read in soon. Also, my first impression may be valuable. Who knows.

Judging from the back cover, many people have tried (and, in my opinion, failed) to describe House of Leaves. It really defies brief description, since the book is filled with numerous and complex plotlines and riddled with detailed nuances. I am of the opinion that one must read this book multiple times in order to fully understand its many facets. This review is accordingly lengthy (sorry!!)

It begins with an introduction by Johnny Truant. His best friend’s neighbor, a strange old man named Zampanò, has recently died. The police report that he died simply of old age, but Johnny can’t ignore the three marks in the floor near Zampanò’s head. Also in the old man’s house is Zampanò’s life work in the form of thousands of bits of paper filled with writing. Here lies, among other pieces, The Navidson Record -- a critical look at a house owned by the Navidson family. Strangely, despite the remarkable length of Zampanò’s essay, nothing he writes about actually exists in either the fictional or real world. Johnny, without really knowing why, begins to transcribe Zampanò’s hefty tome. This is where things really start to go downhill.

Danielewski brilliantly navigates multiple plotlines. As the story progresses, the narrative alternates between Johnny’s annotations and life and the essay-style Navidson Record. The footnotes are often extensive and at times the text is fragmented between pages, interspaced by other information, and even arranged in a circle.

Along with being quirky and intellectual, this book is very dark. The Navidson family finds itself in a very strange house. The inside their house is ¼” bigger than the outside. But more importantly, within lurks an enormous labyrinth with ever-changing walls and an ominous growl. As he transcribes the work, Johnny’s mental health slowly deteriorates. He put the effects of the book best in his introduction:

“Then no matter where you are, in a crowded restaurant or on some desolate street or even in the comforts of your own home, you’ll watch yourself dismantle every assurance you ever lived by. You’ll stand aside as a great complexity intrudes, tearing apart, piece by piece, all of your carefully conceived denials, whether deliberate or unconscious. And then for better or worse you’ll turn, unable to resist, though try to resist you still will, fighting with everything you’ve got not to face the thing you most dread, what is now, what will be, what has always come before, the creature you truly are, the creature we all are, buried in the nameless black of a name. And then the nightmares will begin.”

This book was truly amazing, although not a light read. I thoroughly enjoyed it because it made me think, and I definitely plan to read it at least one more time. If you’re in the mood for something creepy, intensely intellectual, emotional, and generally complicated, I would definitely recommend this book. But be warned -- this book is not easily forgotten.

**Sky Reviews ~ The Blood of Olympus ~ Rick Riordan**

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Release date: 2014
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy/Mythology
Source: Bought at B&N
Rating: 5 Bookworms

Synopsis: 

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen-all of them-and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood-the blood of Olympus-in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

***Sky's Review***

This book was a sharp contrast to the last one I read (House of Leaves). The Blood of Olympus is the final book in The Heroes of Olympus series.

Rick Riordan’s books are always so much fun! Even as the demigods race to save the world they have time to be snarky and light-hearted. I love the way that Riordan develops his characters -- each has a distinct personality and their own set of trials, but in the end each character is important and all of their independent challenges merge into one. I was only a little upset by Leo’s story; he had remained the single character untouched by romance, and I love that, but unfortunately Riordan decided to give him a love interest. They’re cute together, but I was still sad.

The amount of research and care that goes into these books is amazing. They end up being a good lesson on mythology because Riordan manages to throw so many mythological figures into his books. It’s actually helped me out in English class.

Overall, I loved this conclusion to the series. Riordan did a fantastic job in wrapping everything up, and I can’t wait to read his new series, featuring Annabeth’s cousin in the world of Norse mythology.

**Sky Reviews ~ Soul Walker ~ Robyn Jones**

Soul Walker by Robyn Jones

Release date: 2012

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy

Source: Bought off Amazon

Rating: 5 Bookworms

Synopsis: 

"I need to get you to the hospital." He was taking responsibility for me. Only my parents had that job. I stretched my hand out in protest, but the lack of depth perception had my trembling fingers grazing his overheated neck. I swore his whole body shook.

When five-year-old Anna Pierce is offered a chance to have nightmare-free nights for the small price of her voice, she jumps at it. Silence has to be better than all-consuming dreams about blood and death and fangy monsters. The bargain she strikes comes with a secondary benefit, visions of a person's future potential. The combination of visions and silence changes her very nature and soon she's diagnosed with autism. Twelve years of living in her head comes to a screeching halt the moment Peter Davis pulls her out of an icy river. 

Her new life has her twirling, tiptoeing, and crashing through unfamiliar territory, one filled with a cranky grandma, a knocked up cousin, an unpleasant cousin, a bunch of mostly good vampires, and the boy who rescued her. 

To top it all off, the deal she made at five is no more. Anna is expected to talk, to figure out her resurfacing nightmares, and to control her ever-growing powers. And she'd better get it done soon because if the good vamps want a piece of a living, breathing Touched girl, the evil ones simply want. They'll take Anna for their very own.

***Sky's Review***

My mom has been raving about Robyn’s books since the first time she read them, which was before she and Robyn became best friends. I’ve been looking forward to reading her books for a long time because I know how great a storyteller Robyn is!

Soul Walker did not disappoint me. In particular, I loved the beautiful development of characters, and I especially loved Anna. I can relate a lot to the way Robyn described her thoughts and emotions as a kaleidoscope; I thought that the vivid visualization of these intangible elements was gorgeous. I can also relate to Anna’s overly trusting nature -- this was a flaw of hers but I kept forgetting that it was one. Generally, Anna is a wonderful character. I love her quirks and her bubbly personality.

It was a lot of fun to watch Anna enter the world and discover her place in it. That spoke to me, since this is the journey that I will undertake very soon. And although the vampire fad is long gone, I liked the very different approach to it that this book takes. I thought that it was very creative and it’s refreshing to read something so different.

Robyn does an amazing job of painting the world through Anna’s eyes. We don’t just see the maple tree -- we see that big, beautiful maple tree with the purple leaves and all of the connotations it has for Anna. I love it when a book takes me not only to a different place, but also turns me into a different person. Robyn does this from page one; when I was in the early stages of the book, I kept forgetting that I could speak, and as I kept reading, my thoughts started running in the voice of Anna (Robyn?) Her style of speaking is incredibly distinctive and infectious.

Really, the only critique I have is the relative abundance of comma splices. I know that they indicate a more informal style of writing, but four years of editing high schoolers’ work is hard for me to shake (high schoolers are notorious for having a horrible problem with comma splices, according to my teachers.) It bothers me mostly because each type of punctuation takes a separate amount of pause in my head, like musical rests, so comma splices just don’t sound right. Most people probably aren’t quite as neurotic as me, so it’s not really an issue.

Robyn’s writing is truly something magical. Her characters are colorful and full of life and her story is creative and comfortable. I look forward to reading more!

Sky & I Review ~ Ethan Frome ~ Edith Wharton

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Release Date: 1911
Genre: Classic American Fiction
Source: Kindle freebie
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: COYER B2B
Goodreads

Synopsis
Ethan Frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious, and hypochondriac wife, Zeena. But when Zeena's vivacious cousin enters their household as a "hired girl", Ethan finds himself obsessed with her and with the possibilities for happiness she comes to represent.

In of of American fiction's finest and most intense narratives, Edith Wharton moves this ill-starred trio toward their tragic destinies. Different in both tone and theme from Wharton's other works, Ethan Frome has become perhaps her most enduring and most widely read novel.

Sky was reading this for school and since it was something I'd always meant to read, I grabbed a free copy and read it along with her. And since we both read it, and loved it, we thought we'd share our reviews with y'all.

***My Review***

I immensely enjoyed Ethan Frome. Wharton eloquently describes the New England landscape - especially as affected by winter. She also describes life in New England - especially as affected by winter - with aplomb. New England is rather harsh and unforgiving during the winter, where people were forced into a solitary existence as the cold kept them shut up. Life was also affected by technological advancement - like the railroad - which hurt small communities economically and socially.

As for Ethan Frome himself, well, he broke my heart. He grew up in Starkfield, MA, with a family in farming and lumber. Sickness and life in general took its toll on the Frome family. Ethan was called back from college when his mom took ill and that one even changed the course of his life. Ethan had dreams that were smothered. And when he finally found a passionate love, it was too late...his life was already cemented.

Some might say that Ethan deserved what happened to him. I say he was a victim of circumstance - of life. As Mrs. Hale said,

"You've had an awful mean time, Ethan Frome."

He did have an hard time of it. And I'm sure he suffered til the day he died.

***Sky's Review***

Those of you who said The Book Thief would be too depressing for you… that book didn’t even touch the level of this one. Ethan Frome started from rock bottom and somehow managed to get lower. It’s the sobering kind of depressing that makes you want to go stare at a wall for a few hours. It’s very harsh and deeply sad.  

Ethan Frome is set in a little town called Starkfield, which is rather appropriately named. The story is set in the middle of bleak New England, around the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when there was no electricity outside of big cities and rural farmers struggled to eke out an existence while their urban counterparts worked in debilitating conditions in factories.

The main character of the story, Ethan Frome, is a relatively young man who has been saddled with tragedy throughout his entire life. Born into a poor family, he was forced to return to the destitute farm and mill in Starkfield by the death of his father. The slow decline of his mother’s health resulted in his requiring the assistance of a girl named Zenobia, whom he felt obligated to marry following the death of his mother. Zenobia, it turns out, was a proficient healer due to her own condition, and Ethan quickly discovered her to be in perpetually declining health, as well. Thus, Zenobia’s cousin, Mattie Silver, was brought into the house to help perform the basic tasks that Ethan’s wife was unable to. Here begins the real tragedy.

Ethan falls in love.

In the dreary and bare world that Wharton has created, I can’t help but believe that she has intentionally forced a harsh reality upon her readers. In Starkfield, as in much of the world, there are no happy endings. Each winter slowly whittles away what could have been the happiness and the prosperity of the town’s inhabitants, leaving behind the empty shells of people who have been absolutely gutted of emotion throughout their lives. Not even love, that bright light that refuses to fail in most stories, can escape the relentless winter. These peoples’ youth, innocence, joys, hopes, dreams, fantasies -- all are stolen by the years of Starkfield winter. In this book, there is no freedom. The characters are trapped in their situations, and even if they tried, they could not escape. In this book, there is no hope. The centripetal emotion of this story is despair.

This book is beautiful. Wharton’s depictions of New England scenery, the glorious Mattie through Ethan’s eyes, the quaint and charming neighbors of the Fromes -- these are all intensely gorgeous bits of the book that provide tantalizing glimpses of love and wonder throughout the narrative. However, although Wharton seems to support the idea that there is beauty even within the darkest depths of despair, in the end, her characters seem to have been destined for tragedy.

If you’re looking for a short, powerful, and sobering read, I would recommend this. Ethan Frome is a fantastic book because it makes you think, and it brings you out of your comfort zone. You are plunged into icy despair, but even though you’re drowning, you can see the light of the moon from below the water.  

**Sky Reviews ~ The Book Thief ~ Markus Zusak**

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Release Date: 2005

Genre: Teen Fiction

Source: Bought at B&N

Rating: 5 Bookworms

Synopsis:

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

     But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.

     In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

***Sky's Review***

This book was amazing in a manner that is almost beyond words, and has definitely made it into my extensive list of favorite books -- although it may have actually reached top five. I’ve heard from numerous people that The Book Thief was an incredible read, but this is one of those books where you have to read it to believe it.

The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, who, in the beginning, is a mere ten years old. Her story begins in 1939 Germany at her brother’s graveside. They were both to be delivered to a foster family by their impoverished mother, but, obviously, her brother never made it. It is here where Liesel Meminger commits her first act of book thievery, a habit which will continue despite the fact that she is illiterate when she first steals The Grave Digger’s Handbook.

Liesel’s new foster family is composed of Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who live on 31 Himmel Street in Molching. Hans Hubermann -- Liesel’s Papa -- is a kindly accordionist who rolls his own cigarettes and whose kindly silver eyes are always there for Liesel. He is the one who, despite being barely literate himself, eventually teaches Liesel to read, and thereby truly instills a love of books in Liesel. Rosa Hubermann -- Liesel’s Mama -- is a rough, swearing, cardboard-faced wardrobe of a woman with elastic hair and an enormous heart beneath all of her more intimidating layers. She supports the family by doing the laundry of the more wealthy families in Molching.

Liesel’s life is quickly turned upside down when her family takes in a Jew named Max Vandenburg. He comes to the Hubermann household in desperation, as a last-resort option stemming from a promise made by Hans Hubermann over 20 years ago. It’s probably the most dangerous thing a family could do, but Rosa, surprisingly, doesn’t curse at the situation, and Hans says, “A promise is a promise.” Liesel, although at first terrified of the stranger in her basement, comes to love Max as family. The reader, too, comes to love Max, with his swampy eyes, hair like feathers, and daydreams of battling the Führer. He’s rather selfless, and it pains him to put the Hubermanns in so much danger, although he has no other option.

The Book Thief is filled with a whole host of interesting side characters. Most prominent is Rudy Steiner, a little boy with hair the color of lemons, an obsession with Jesse Owens, and the biggest crush on Liesel. He’s Liesel’s best friend, and, although she won’t admit it, a little bit more than that. Also a part of Liesel’s story are the ever-twitching Tommy Müller, Frau Holtzapfel -- who for an inexplicable reason has an intense rivalry with Mama -- the kind-hearted food thief Arthur Berg, the intimidating whistler Pfiffikus, and the fluffy-haired and very strange mayor’s wife, Ilsa Hermann. Zusak does a fantastic job of utilizing these characters to shape Liesel while making sure that they develop as well.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about The Book Thief is the narrator and the exquisite description. The entire story is narrated by Death himself, which is a fascinating and fitting perspective. I enjoyed the writing style of the book even more, though. Zusak often makes use of synesthesia, where you use one sense to describe another, and colors are highly emphasized. They make for wonderfully vivid descriptive passages, and are a descriptive style that is more rarely utilized.

The Book Thief  was an unbelievably astonishing book that I highly recommend. It is full of emotion, and I found myself laughing, serious, and, for the last fourth of the book, crying so hard that I struggled to see the words on the page. It was also fun to read a book about World War II from the perspective of a German. This book was intense and breathtaking, and is not likely to be a book I’ll forget.

**Sky Reviews ~ Clutch ~ JA Huss**

**********************************

Clutch by JA Huss
I Am Just Junco #1
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Genre: New Adult Science Fiction
Source: My mom was gifted a copy
Rating: 5 Bookworms

Synopsis
How long can you lie to yourself before it all comes apart?

In 2152 the avian race is on Earth looking for something stolen from them decades ago – their genetics. At the center of the search lies the Rural Republic; a small backwards farming country with high hopes of military domination and a penchant for illegal bioengineering.

19 year old Junco Coot is the daughter of the Rural Republic’s ranking commander. She’s the most foul-mouthed, wildly unpredictable and ruthless sniper the Rural Republic has ever trained. But when her father’s death sparks a trip into forbidden places, she triggers events that will change everything she knows to be true.

As an elite avian military officer, Tier’s mission is to destroy the bioengineering projects, kill Commander Coot’s daughter, and return home immediately. There’s just one problem. Junco isn’t who she claims to be.

With no one to trust, not even herself, Junco must confront the secrets of her past and accept her place in the future, or risk losing herself completely.

CONTENT WARNING The I Am Just Junco series is NOT YOUNG ADULT. This series contains foul language and graphic violence.

***Sky's Review***

Hopefully everyone knows just how much my mom loves Ms. Huss’ books; I’m here to say that she is absolutely justified in her veneration. Having just trudged through Schindler’s List and The Bluest Eye for school, I desperately needed a break from the super deep, dark, and disturbing realms of literature, and picking up Clutch was the best decision I could have made. It was the perfect balance of action, mystery, suspense, adventure, and, romance for me, and it made me want to keep reading like a book hasn’t in over a year. I haven’t really made the time for independent reading for probably a year now, and it was so refreshing to have a book that I actually couldn’t put down. This book really brought the concept of reading for pleasure back into my life.

Junco Coot is such an exciting character, and she really keeps the story driving. There is a whole lot of mystery surrounding her and her family, which is made apparent from page one, and I have a feeling that we still don’t know everything. I admire Junco because she doesn’t let anything stop her, no matter how formidable the obstacle is. She’s been through much, much more than the average person could even imagine surviving -- although, of course, Junco is no ordinary human.

Tier is an alien of questionable motives, and he and Junco’s relationship is built off of hesitant trust and healthy skepticism from Junco. In the end, though, I suppose he was a “good guy;” he helped Junco out numerous times. I’m excited to see him develop in the next books. Beyond Tier, there was a whole cast of side characters which are woven well into Junco’s adventure. For the most part, they serve to enhance Junco’s journey of self-discovery -- and the majority of them factor into plot twists throughout the story.

Overall, the book was fast-paced and eloquently written, incorporating cool sci-fi elements and fascinating avian mythology to add the the many plot twists. Clutch was fun to read because Ms. Huss made it basically impossible to gather any sort of idea of what was going to happen next; any and all conceptions are proved incorrect time and time again. I join my mom as a member of the J.A. Huss fanclub and highly recommend her books, as reviews are insufficient to describe her incredible writing capabilities. As I said, this book was important for me, and I wish to share the experience with other readers.