Human.4 (YA)

Human.4 Mike A. Lancaster. 2011. Egmont USA. 240 pages.

When Danny Birnie told us that he had hypnotized his sister we all though he was mad. Or lying. Or both.

Our narrator, Kyle Straker, is living in a strange, strange world where he and three others have suddenly become irrelevant. It started when he volunteered at a local talent show to be hypnotized. It wasn't that he wanted to volunteer, just that in a moment of weakness he had pity on Danny while he was doing his act. His former girlfriend, Lilly, also happened to volunteer just about the same time he did. Two adults, Mrs. O'Donnell and Mr. Peterson, also volunteered. All were hypnotized. All woke up in this strange, strange new reality.

This book is part science fiction, part horror, and part mystery. It was a quick read! I liked it. I wouldn't say I loved it. But for a quick premise-driven read, it was a good choice.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Butler Gets a Break (MG)

The Butler Gets A Break. A Bellweather Tale. Kristin Clark. Venuti. 2010. Egmont USA. 240 pages.

In the village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay there stands a lighthouse on a hill, known to the residents as the Lighthouse on the Hill. Inside that structure resides the most chaotic family ever to live. And their butler. And sometimes endangered animals that have the ability to poison, maim, or kill in a gruesome manner. And sometimes hobos. And sometimes famous works of art that have been Anonymously Borrowed.
As always, if one is brave enough to get close to the Lighthouse on the Hill, one can look up into the third-story window and see an upright man, at an upright desk, up writing in his diary.


The Butler Gets A Break is the sequel to last year's Leaving the Bellweathers. In my review of the first, I wrote "If ever a book surprised me--completely surprised me--it was this one. Looking at the title, the cover, even the first sentence, nothing whispered the promise of how much fun this book would be, how funny and how right this book would be." I wasn't surprised by the sequel. I expected it to be just as wonderful, just as right as the first. And I was NOT disappointed! It was a delight to read this one.


Tristan Benway, the mostly loyal butler, is still in service to the Bellweathers. But he's about to take an unexpected vacation. When he falls--literally--through the triplets latest art experiment. (Spike, Brick, and Sassy being fascinated with negative space.) His leg is broken bad enough to put him in the hospital. Thus begins this butler's latest countdown. (Cast Removal And Vanquishment Event--CRAVE).

Will Spider, Ninda, and the triplets be able to "survive" without their butler? How will Mr. and Mrs. Bellweather deal with his absence? Will he be missed? Can he be replaced? Will Benway ever relax? Will Benway ever admit that he's become addicted to TV?

I enjoyed this one. It was a great book. Very funny, very enjoyable. I would definitely recommend both books. (Though I think you could read this one all on its own.)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Candor (YA)

Candor. By Pam Bachorz. 2009. [September 2009]. Egmont USA. 256 pages.

Ca-chunk, ca-chunk, ca-chunk. The sound drifts through my bedroom window. Pokes through my homework haze. It's not loud, but it's impossible to ignore. Because it doesn't belong here.

Oscar Banks is only pretending to be perfect. But he may be the only one pretending. You see, in the town of Candor, you are what you hear. And there are non-stop messages (hidden in the music) telling everyone how to behave. Parents with troubled teens pay a lot of money to "transform" their kids into perfect ones. It takes a week or two at most, and then independence and free thinking are things of the past.

Oscar's not following in his father's footsteps. He's only pretending his father (and his inventions) are the best thing ever. He is using "the messages" to accomplish what he wants. He runs a rescue operation. For the right price, he can get you out of town. It's not easy. It's a risk. But if you've got the money and the goods (contraband items), then he might just make you a deal.

Enter Nia. She could just be the love of his life. But with her Oscar faces the most dangerous challenge of all. Love.

I definitely recommend this one. I thought the premise was interesting, and it was nicely carried out. It was hard to put this one down. Some of the characters annoyed me--I must admit Sherman got on my nerves--but for the most part, I really enjoyed this one!



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Of All The Stupid Things (YA)

Of All The Stupid Things. Alexandra Diaz. 2009. [December 2009]. Egmont. 272 pages.

Of all the stupid things he could have done, Brent Staple had to go and do that.

Did he or didn't he? Did Tara's boyfriend, Brent, mess around with a cheerleader. A guy cheerleader? When Whitney Blaire tells Tara he did, then she believes her best friend. Without giving much of a chance to Brent to explain. He does deny it, by the way. But the idea of his being with another guy so disturbs her--whether it's true or not--that she can't be with him.

And no one at school has ever mentioned anything about Brent swinging both ways. Not now, not before. I feel like someone played a cruel joke on me, just to make the thought haunt me at night. Part of me argues that I should take Brent back because the incident really wasn't true. That said, knowing the rumor is false still doesn't change the images swimming in my head. (32)

OF All the Stupid Things is a messy book. Overly complicated by having too many narrators. The story is told through three characters. Three supposed best friends. Tara. Whitney. Pinkie. I think if this story had been Tara's alone it probably would have worked better. Tara's story is the main focus, in my opinion, her falling out of love (or lust, or like, or whatever) with Brent, and falling into love with someone new. Someone the cover claims is "forbidden." Step aside, Brent, and walk right in Riley. A gymnast who sweeps Tara off her feet. Tara never thought she'd have a girlfriend, but now that she's met Riley, well, she's so happy with her.

The main problem I had with this one is how mean and unsympathetic and annoying most of the three narrators were. Whitney was someone I didn't just dislike, I absolutely hated her. She was mean. She was spiteful. She was as horrible as horrible can be. Pinkie I didn't dislike so much as I just pitied her. As in cringing while I read her narration because I just felt so absolutely sorry for her. (By the end, I actually started liking Pinkie.) And Tara, well, Tara I was indifferent to. Mainly.

I also thought the jacket flap gave 100% of the plot away. It was definitely way too much information. Jacket flaps should tease readers into picking up a book.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Food, Girls, And Other Things I Can't Have (YA)

Food, Girls, And Other Things I Can't Have. By Allen Zadoff. 2009 [September 2009] Egmont USA. 320 pages.

My name is Andrew Zansky. I'm fifteen years old, and I weigh 307 pounds.

What harm can a little lie do? What about a bunch of little lies? Can they change who you are? Make you unrecognizable even to yourself? Andrew, our narrator, never expected to be found out. About any of his little lies. Especially since some of these lies were ones he was telling himself, that he believed to be true. Who is Andrew? What is his story?

Andrew doesn't want to be "the fat boy" who is always getting picked on, teased, and bullied. He wants to be the one who gets the girl for a change. So when a fairy godmother* of a football player (O) takes him under his wing, under his protection, gets him a tryout for the football team, teaches him what he needs to know about girls, sports, parties, and how to be one of the team, well, life becomes a bit of a fairy tale for a while. Until Andrew starts asking himself some tough questions...

A good coming-of-age story is enjoyable. And while Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have has more than its fair share of predictable moments and insights, it is still enjoyable. What is it about? It's about a boy wanting oh-so-much more than what he has. It's about a boy not knowing what he really wants or needs. And because that is true for so many of us--so many of us have felt confused and frustrated in our lives be it past or present--it makes him--his story--easy to relate to.

*Okay, so he's not really a fairy godmother type. He's the captain of the football team. The most popular guy in school. But he does in a way appear to Andrew to be the means of how he gets all his wishes, all his dreams.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Leaving the Bellweathers (MG)

Venuti, Kristin. 2009. Leaving the Bellweathers. Egmont. 242 pages.

It is nighttime in the village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay.

If ever a book surprised me--completely surprised me--it was this one. Looking at the title, the cover, even the first sentence, nothing whispered the promise of how much fun this book would be, how funny and how right this book would be. Will every reader love this one? Will every reader fall for the quirky humor? Well, it would be nearly impossible for any one book to be beloved by every reader. But oh-how-I-wish this one would find a large fan base! Because I think it's just the right blend of what makes a book work.

What is it about? It's about a disgruntled but oh-so-loyal (but not that loyal) butler who is counting down the days until he leaves his job. For two hundred years, his family has served the Bellweathers. But not anymore. When the two hundred years of pledged service are up, he is so out of there! And to make money for his new start, this butler--Tristan Benway--has decided to write a tell-all book about the Bellweathers. He's got a story to tell, and oh what a story that is! Each member of the family--especially all the Bellweather children--get a chance in the spotlight. And it is a real contest (at times) to see just which one is the wildest, craziest, out-there of the bunch.

I definitely recommend this one. It is funny and unusual. And there is just something about it that works.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews