DanceFiddler
The Seattle Public Library
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DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 22, 2013
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 22, 2013
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Cameron has a form of mild schizophrenia and purposely goes off his meds in order to hear voices. One of these voices is a girl who wants to be his girlfriend. Just at that point he makes friends with a girl in school who is also interested in being his girlfriend. A love triangle ensues. Interesting premise, but aside from the schizophrenia angle, it’s not really that exciting.Cameron has a form of mild schizophrenia and purposely goes off his meds in order to hear voices. One of these voices is a girl who wants to be his girlfriend. Just at that point he makes friends with a girl in school who is also interested in being…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 22, 2013
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Gloria moves from a poor neighborhood in Accra to work as a live-in nanny for a doctor in Kumasi. The work is easy and even fun, and Gloria begins to explore well-to-do life for the first time, meeting it with a painful innocence. Then things begin to crumble about her. A nice look at life in modern-day Ghana. Gloria’s naïveté is heartrending—you want to pick her up out of the story and tell her the danger she’s in sometimes. Average.Gloria moves from a poor neighborhood in Accra to work as a live-in nanny for a doctor in Kumasi. The work is easy and even fun, and Gloria begins to explore well-to-do life for the first time, meeting it with a painful innocence. Then things begin…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 22, 2013
Comment:
Just don’t read this book. A fourteen-year-old girl gets sucked into the pages of Little Women and begins living as a fifth, middle March daughter. This happens in the prologue. Then over half of the rest of the book basically recounts the plot of Little Women with stilted dialogue (a bad paraphrasing of Alcott’s original) and not much additional information. It doesn’t pick up until the very end, when the protagonist manages to change one detail of the book—a detail I don’t even think needs changing, though many think it does, I guess. Anyway, I hate to be blunt, but this book is as boring as heck and has nothing to recommend it.Just don’t read this book. A fourteen-year-old girl gets sucked into the pages of Little Women and begins living as a fifth, middle March daughter. This happens in the prologue. Then over half of the rest of the book basically recounts the plot of…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2013
Comment:
A teenager fights against the system as all the children in his insular community are vaccinated with a drug to make them docile, stripping them of personality and initiative. A deeply disturbing distopian future (sorry about the alliteration). Well-written, with high stakes (I couldn’t put it down), but oh, it was hard to read.A teenager fights against the system as all the children in his insular community are vaccinated with a drug to make them docile, stripping them of personality and initiative. A deeply disturbing distopian future (sorry about the alliteration).…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2013
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Jace’s abusive father throws him out of the house and with nowhere else to go he runs to his estranged brother’s house, jeopardizing his brother’s carefully-established new life. Thrown together, they struggle with each other and with the past and future. Well-written, a gritty but hopeful story. Warning: for the sensitive, there is a pretty heartwrenching scene of abuse about midway through the book. I could barely get through it. You’ll have to decide if the rest of the book is worth it for yourself.Jace’s abusive father throws him out of the house and with nowhere else to go he runs to his estranged brother’s house, jeopardizing his brother’s carefully-established new life. Thrown together, they struggle with each other and with the past and…
QuietQuiet, BookThe Power of Introverts in A World That Can't Stop Talking
by Cain, SusanBook - 2012Book, 2012
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 21, 2013
Comment:
Explores the world of introverts in American society—the most extroverted society in the world. Discusses how introverts perceive things differently from extroverts and how these bring a different set of skills to the table. Grapples with when an introvert should act like an extrovert and also how extroverts can be aware of introverts in their lives and accommodate them. An excellent book. As an introvert myself I appreciate its existence. This sort of thing needs to be addressed in teacher-prep courses and schools, because our education system is geared for extroverts.Explores the world of introverts in American society—the most extroverted society in the world. Discusses how introverts perceive things differently from extroverts and how these bring a different set of skills to the table. Grapples with when an…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 19, 2013
Comment:
Ellie wants more than anything to get into the local private high school with its impressive speech and debate program. To do so, she has to attend a camp and apply for a scholarship. The trouble? She’s Jewish and the lady in charge of giving out the scholarship is fiercely anti-Semitic. So Ellie pretends to be Lutheran, forcing her to think about her own identity and what it means to be who she is. Kind of a fun book. The hate-filled parts are really hard to read no matter who’s hating whom—but as a Lutheran myself, I would say: take a page from this book and don’t judge anyone—Jew or Gentile—on their cultural identity and the stereotypes thereof.Ellie wants more than anything to get into the local private high school with its impressive speech and debate program. To do so, she has to attend a camp and apply for a scholarship. The trouble? She’s Jewish and the lady in charge of giving out…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 19, 2013
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Piotr, a Polish teenager with German background and stunning Aryan looks, is adopted by a high-ranking Nazi doctor. As he navigates his new family life and the demands of the Hitler Youth, he becomes more and more disenchanted with Nazi propaganda. Of course, to do so is lethally dangerous. Fascinating story, with grim but important historical details—a really good picture of Nazi Germany. A real page-turner. Despite this, the plotline is very meandering—it’s more of a biography of this fictional character with rising stakes. Taken for what it is, it’s gold.Piotr, a Polish teenager with German background and stunning Aryan looks, is adopted by a high-ranking Nazi doctor. As he navigates his new family life and the demands of the Hitler Youth, he becomes more and more disenchanted with Nazi propaganda.…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 19, 2013
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18-year-old Leah is blackmailed into working for a failing airplane business, entangled in a family drama between two brothers about her age—one, she likes, and he’s hired her to seduce the other one. Between the blackmail and the fact that she would do anything to fly airplanes (she’s a licensed pilot with few resources), she gets entangled. The story is interesting and the pilot aspect is a very unique twist. However, the romance is disturbing to say the least. (Seriously—she’s going with the guy who blackmailed her?! That’s Emily Brontë worthy, but not well-written enough to make me forgive the author.)18-year-old Leah is blackmailed into working for a failing airplane business, entangled in a family drama between two brothers about her age—one, she likes, and he’s hired her to seduce the other one. Between the blackmail and the fact that she…
How My Summer Went up in FlamesHow My Summer Went up in Flames, Book
by Doktorski, Jennifer SalvatoBook - 2013Book, 2013
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 19, 2013
Comment:
After Rosie accidentally sets fire to her ex’s car, her parents send her on a road trip with a trusted family friend and his two cronies to straighten her out. Along the way she works through her anger and grief and falls in love again. A lighthearted, funny book—but nothing spectacular, ubiquitously romantic, and honestly the premise is unrealistic. It was fun to read, but I’d hesitate to call it quality.After Rosie accidentally sets fire to her ex’s car, her parents send her on a road trip with a trusted family friend and his two cronies to straighten her out. Along the way she works through her anger and grief and falls in love again. A…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 17, 2013
Comment:
This book is everything that I hate in literature: a story in service to a clear agenda and science fiction so obsessed with technology that every other section is a long explanation of some geeky process. And I loved every page. The book is that good. The story needs the agenda to function, but it is a good story in and of itself, and the agenda is important to consider (the situation described is not far-fetched at all, if hysterical). Doctorow’s explanation of technology and hacking is long but easy to follow and well-interwoven with the rest of the text. If computers make your eyes glaze over, you won’t be able to follow it, but if you’re comfortable with tech-y explanations despite not being capable of producing them yourself, you should have no trouble. Premise: A terrorist attack hits San Francisco, and in its aftermath, California essentially becomes a police state run by the Department of Homeland Security. After being imprisoned and brutally interrogated on an unsubstantiated charge, a teenage hacker decides to fight the system. Gripping. Energetic. Read it.This book is everything that I hate in literature: a story in service to a clear agenda and science fiction so obsessed with technology that every other section is a long explanation of some geeky process. And I loved every page. The book is that…
Earth and AirEarth and Air, BookTales of Elemental Creatures
by Dickinson, PeterBook - 2012Book, 2012
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 17, 2013
Comment:
A few short stories about elemental spirits. Part of a series of such books by the same author. Many stories are set in the modern-day, though a few are more historical in character. On one hand, each story is enchanting and perfectly straddles the line between short story (where we get to know the characters, their hopes and dreams and idiosyncrasies well) and fairy tale. On the other, none of them ends exactly happily, and all have a strange disturbing quality which hampered my enjoyment. Also, I’m frustrated that the Christians had to be the bad guys in nearly every story—though, again, that’s not a quality issue but more of a personal issue.A few short stories about elemental spirits. Part of a series of such books by the same author. Many stories are set in the modern-day, though a few are more historical in character. On one hand, each story is enchanting and perfectly straddles the…
My Dear I Wanted to Tell YouMy Dear I Wanted to Tell You, BookA Novel
by Young, LouisaBook - 2011Book, 2011
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 17, 2013
Comment:
Not sure how this ended up on a YA display shelf, since it’s most definitely adult fiction. However, I’m glad it did, or I wouldn’t have read it. Traces the story of two English couples during the Great War. The war changes each person irrevocably, separating and isolating them in their personal struggles. Gripping, moving, cynical and hopeful at once. It’s also interesting to read about the early days of plastic surgery.Not sure how this ended up on a YA display shelf, since it’s most definitely adult fiction. However, I’m glad it did, or I wouldn’t have read it. Traces the story of two English couples during the Great War. The war changes each person irrevocably,…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 15, 2013
Comment:
This is the story of one of Robin Hood’s Merry Men: Will Scarlet. Except, Scarlet is actually a woman in disguise—the others know this on a need-to-know basis. Then Sir Guy of Gisbourne arrives in town to assist the Sheriff of Nottingham stamp out Robin’s band, and it turns out that he has an old score to settle with Scarlet. A very interesting take on the Robin Hood tale, but nothing spectacular. Scarlet reads like any other girl-who-dresses-as-a-boy-to-avoid-constraints-of-society/guttersnipe character. The character development is kind of sweet, though.This is the story of one of Robin Hood’s Merry Men: Will Scarlet. Except, Scarlet is actually a woman in disguise—the others know this on a need-to-know basis. Then Sir Guy of Gisbourne arrives in town to assist the Sheriff of Nottingham stamp out…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 14, 2013
Comment:
It’s 2041. After the Collapse of 2031, Molly and her family have thrived on their small British Columbia farm. Now Molly, armed only with her fiddle, travels from BC down to Oregon to fetch her aging grandparents from their once-comfortable suburb that’s turned into a crime-ridden wasteland. On the way, however, she gets caught up with a crime syndicate that won’t give her up. A fun, sweet adventure. My favorite part? Tiny details in the book—like practicing in the train station’s restroom because the acoustics are irresistible—might go unnoticed by non-fiddlers (or non-musicians), but are spot-on accurate to anyone who’s been there.It’s 2041. After the Collapse of 2031, Molly and her family have thrived on their small British Columbia farm. Now Molly, armed only with her fiddle, travels from BC down to Oregon to fetch her aging grandparents from their once-comfortable suburb…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 14, 2013
Comment:
A teenage boy wakes up at a train station with no memory of who he is. His only clue is a copy of Walden. He heads to Walden Pond in hopes that he can figure out his identity. Gripping. I also appreciated how subtle the author kept the book’s gritty realism. The amount of bad or horrific things in this book are par for the YA course, yet the author does a graceful job of implying and not giving us detail overload as so many YA authors do. Also, the ending has a sweetness and innocence that I rarely find in kid’s fiction. Overall, it’s no better quality than most of the books I’ve read this summer, but it stands out in a good way based on its tone.A teenage boy wakes up at a train station with no memory of who he is. His only clue is a copy of Walden. He heads to Walden Pond in hopes that he can figure out his identity. Gripping. I also appreciated how subtle the author kept the book’s gritty…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 14, 2013
Comment:
Most of her life, Emma has been gearing up to be a dragon-slayer like her mother. But when her assignment comes, she is suddenly forced to be a fairy-slayer. Not only is this a far cry from dragon-slaying, but fairies are annoying and nearly impossible to kill. Then a gigantic, lethally dangerous fairy arrives, and only Emma can see it. A light-hearted romp with a fun adventure element. Unfortunately, the back cover makes it seem a little more light-hearted than it actually is, which is not the author’s fault, but does detract from the book itself because you have to adjust your expectations when you should be enjoying the story.Most of her life, Emma has been gearing up to be a dragon-slayer like her mother. But when her assignment comes, she is suddenly forced to be a fairy-slayer. Not only is this a far cry from dragon-slaying, but fairies are annoying and nearly…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 13, 2013
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The summer before 12th grade, Summer receives her late sister’s journal. Her sister died right before 12th grade started, before Summer was born, and Summer has always lived in her shadow. As she reads the journal, Summer learns more about her sister than she has ever known, which in turn unlocks truths about herself and her family. A very sweet book, with a family that is refreshingly cohesive after so many of the books I’ve read. It didn’t jump out at me as spectacular, but it’s definitely very good.The summer before 12th grade, Summer receives her late sister’s journal. Her sister died right before 12th grade started, before Summer was born, and Summer has always lived in her shadow. As she reads the journal, Summer learns more about her…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 13, 2013
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A teenage piano prodigy disappears. This covers the story of the past eighteen months before her disappearance, including her deteriorating mental condition, in order to solve the mystery. It isn’t told in prose, but rather in a scrapbook of artifacts, newspaper clippings and brief snatches of conversations. A different experience. A simple and not terribly complex story, but beautifully told. I’m not quite sure I liked the ending, though.A teenage piano prodigy disappears. This covers the story of the past eighteen months before her disappearance, including her deteriorating mental condition, in order to solve the mystery. It isn’t told in prose, but rather in a scrapbook of…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 12, 2013
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Rand is dealing with her sister’s tragic death whens she finds out she’s pregnant. Her friends, including the baby’s father, turn against her, and she’s caught between them and her dysfunctional family (including her cruel mother). As she struggles to keep her head above water, she discovers that her sister’s death wasn’t as clear-cut as it seemed before. Nothing exceptional. The only thing of note is that the author is clearly (from her acknowledgements) a committed Christian, but didn’t feel the need to write an over-moralized “Christian” book, but rather a redemptive book with compassion and understanding. Bravo.Rand is dealing with her sister’s tragic death whens she finds out she’s pregnant. Her friends, including the baby’s father, turn against her, and she’s caught between them and her dysfunctional family (including her cruel mother). As she struggles…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 12, 2013
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At a rehab school, a creepy old man sucks a group of teenagers into trusting him, despite his insane claims. The teenagers trust him to different levels, and as the lies he’s built start to crumble about him, they start to turn against him. (It’s told from the point of view of the teenagers, but I couldn’t figure out how to write the review that way.) A gripping read, totally engrossing. Well-written. No heavy-handed moralizing, just a tale for the sake of it. But the old man, Joshua, is so creepy and downright evil that I felt uncomfortable just reading about him. I would have put the book down had I not needed to see if and how he would finally fall. Read at your own risk, but if you can stomach it, you’ll be rewarded.At a rehab school, a creepy old man sucks a group of teenagers into trusting him, despite his insane claims. The teenagers trust him to different levels, and as the lies he’s built start to crumble about him, they start to turn against him. (It’s…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 12, 2013
Comment:
A friendless high schooler kills herself, and her parents seek to press criminal charges against those who bullied her. The clique that bullied her seeks to keep their names clear. A well-woven story, but unpleasant, with few sympathetic characters and little hope. Also, the author lost me 27 pages in with this sentence: “I love mornings like this in Seattle—you can see Mount Hood from the hill where we live . . .” Mount Hood is in Oregon. You can’t see it from here even on the clearest of days. The Mountain is Mt Rainier! The author has little details about Seattle landmarks (Scarecrow Video) correct, but he somehow missed the name of one of the most important of all (this mistake repeats itself several times). For an out-of-town reader it’s not a big deal, but for a local reader it completely discards believability.A friendless high schooler kills herself, and her parents seek to press criminal charges against those who bullied her. The clique that bullied her seeks to keep their names clear. A well-woven story, but unpleasant, with few sympathetic characters…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 12, 2013
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A young teenager watches as her father abuses her two siblings and largely ignores her. Eventually she realizes she needs to speak out. Told in free verse. As often happens with free verse novels, I had a hard time getting to know the character and didn’t find the book terribly exceptional—though I do appreciate the spare quality of the text that didn’t overwhelm us with the father’s brutality.A young teenager watches as her father abuses her two siblings and largely ignores her. Eventually she realizes she needs to speak out. Told in free verse. As often happens with free verse novels, I had a hard time getting to know the character and…
DanceFiddler's rating:
Added Aug 12, 2013
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Kate Sutton is banished to a gloomy manor that seems to host a dark secret. Soon, she discovers a group of people who just might be the fair folk of the old legends she’s always rejected as a fairy tales. When she & her friend Christopher become their prisoner, she seeks to escape. Based on the old Tam Lin ballad. This is the twentieth time or so that I’ve read it. It’s one of the few books that stands reading again and again.Kate Sutton is banished to a gloomy manor that seems to host a dark secret. Soon, she discovers a group of people who just might be the fair folk of the old legends she’s always rejected as a fairy tales. When she & her friend Christopher become…
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