Savvy

Law, Ingrid. 2008. Savvy.

Savvy is another book that had me at hello. "When my brother Fish turned thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, the fact that he'd caused it." Isn't that a great first sentence? Puzzling enough to hook you? I think so. A few pages later we read, "Monday through Wednesday, we called our thin stretch of land Kansaska. Thursday through Saturday, we called it Nebransas. On Sundays, since that was the Lord's Day, we called it nothing at all, out of respect for His creating our world without the lines already drawn on its face like all my grandpa's wrinkles." (4) So right from the beginning, the reader knows to expect the unexpected. Our narrator, a young girl named Mississippi (Mibs), has quite a way with words. She's fantastic. She's fun. And she's almost thirteen.

Mibs comes from a "special" family. Around the age of 13, every member of the family comes into their own on their thirteenth birthday. They discover their savvy, their special know-how power. For Fish, it was power of water--rain, thunder, winds, etc. For her brother Rocket it was electricity. Her mother's savvy is perfection. She can do things perfectly or mess up perfectly. Each member of her mother's side of the family is special like that--all unique, all special, all a bit weird.

Mibs is curious, super-super curious to get her savvy. Listen to this description of her waiting, "The itch and scritch of birthday buzz was about all I was feeling on the Thursday before the Friday before the Saturday I turned thirteen." But a few days before--the very day this passage was taken from the narrative--her birthday, her father is in a serious car accident. He's in a hospital almost 100 miles a way. While her mother goes to be with him, she leaves the kids--Rocket, Fish, Mibs, Samson, and Gypsy--at home.

Soon Mibs becomes convinced that her savvy will cure her father, will heal him, make him all better. But as you might imagine, savvy powers, don't quite work like that.

The novel focuses on her impromptu journey to visit her father--no matter what--and the lives she changes along the way on her special birthday weekend.

Definitely recommended.



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Gods of Manhattan

Mebus, Scott. 2008. Gods of Manhattan.

The 'gods' in question in Scott Mebus' Gods of Manhattan are not Greek gods. Just so you know. They are men and women immortalized by legend and fame and success. The mayor of the gods, of Manhatta a world that is invisible to most mortals, is Alexander Hamilton. (All of the gods started out as mortals, but their fame, their success, their ingenuity made them be reborn as immortal gods in this spirit world residing side by side with modern Manhattan.) It's a rather fun premise, for the most part. The gods, these immortal gods, are in danger--real danger. Though immortal, a way has been discovered to kill them, murder them. A special knife that threatens to end everything...unless they get some help from a rather extraordinary mortal, a young boy, Rory.

Rory is your typical hero. He doesn't want to be a hero. He doesn't want the responsibility of saving the world. But with the proper motivation, he may prove to be hero material after all. Like quite a few heroes, he has a younger sister. And this sister plays quite an important role. This butt-kicking heroine loves to be strong and brave. The idea thrills her. She carries around a sword called 'Butt-kicker' for example. Definitely spunky.

I won't get into the particulars now. But fans of Percy Jackson and Fablehaven might enjoy this one. It has history and fantasy colliding...and the result is mostly fun and entertaining. It is the first in a series, and I would imagine that the second one will be even better.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Aurelia

Osterlund, Anne. 2008. Aurelia.

This one was enjoyable. (It wasn't a perfect read, but it held my interest to the very end. The ending I was only ho-hum about.) For those looking for fiction with a fairy-tale-esque feel, then you should definitely consider Aurelia. Someone in the kingdom of Tyralt is out to kill the princess, Aurelia, already three attempts have been made on her life. Robert, the son of a former spy, takes on the role of protector, friend, and suitor in this oh-so-delicious novel. This one has most everything: a king blind to the truth, a cold and resentful stepmother/Queen, a bratty step-sister, and a love that goes beyond socioeconomic 'class' or status. There is a mystery, a mystique about everything.

First sentence of prologue: Death disturbed the night.
First sentence of chapter one: On the night of her younger sister's coming-out party, Aurelia almost died. Of boredom.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Golly-Whopper Games

Feldman, Jody. 2008. The GollyWhopper Games.

If Gil Goodson was to have a chance, any chance at all, he would have to run faster than he was running right now.

I enjoyed The GollyWhopper Games. It's part Chasing Vermeer. Part Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Part The Mysterious Benedict Society. In other words, it's a whole lot of fun. The Golly Whopper toy company is having a contest, a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thousands and thousands of kids want to make it, hope to make it, but no one wants it more than Gil Goodson. His father was fired from the GollyWhopper company--falsely accused of embezzling the company's funds. He's been proven innocent, but the Goodson family is still the town's scapegoats. Gil Goodson wants to win, and if wanting gives you power, then he's fully charged and ready to go. But is he ready to face all of the obstacles and challenges in his path?

Gil is a likable narrator. He is. He's a kid--much like Charlie Bucket--who you want to win. I should note that the other contestants aren't as detestable as Charlie's competitors. The games, the challenges, require mental, emotional, and physical prowess. The finals of the game--for example--require each team of five to solve a logic puzzle. After the mind has been stimulated, then there is a physical stunt required. The puzzles are puzzling. Meaning, the reader can have just as much fun as the characters themselves. For those that love the puzzle-solving elements of Chasing Vermeer and Mysterious Benedict Society, The GollyWhopper Games might be just what you're looking for.

A book that encourages higher thinking skills? A book that encourages team work? A book that encourages determination and diligence? What's not to love?

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Some--but not all--readers might find it a bit predictable. Some might not be on the edge-of-their-seats waiting to see if Gil wins the big game. But even if it is a wee bit predictable on that front, it is satisfying. And being satisfying is important too. After all, I wouldn't want anyone other than Gil to win!

http://jodyfeldman.livejournal.com/

http://www.gollywhoppergames.com/golly1.swf

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews