Book Review: I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

I am Half-Sick of Shadows
by Alan Bradley
9780385344012, $23.00, Delacorte Press (Random House)

Another almost-indescribable Flavia de Luce adventure! Seriously, I'm not even worried about gushing too much, because every single novel in this series delivers. It's the best mash-up of a child protagonist's inquisitive nature, Sherlock Holmes's logic, historical literary fiction, murder mystery, and general good fun.

Continuing to explore the lives of land-rich, cash-poor, post-World War II, British countryside gentry, the Flavia de Luce novels each feature a murder mystery solved by 11-year-old Flavia herself. In this, the fourth novel in the series, Colonel de Luce has finally succumbed to mounting debts by allowing a film studio to take over Buckshaw, the de Luce estate. Movie star, Phyllis Wyvern, with complete cast and crew descend, all in the week before Christmas. In between concocting a sticky tar substance to catch St. Nicholas (just to make sure he IS real), Flavia is busy NOT getting in the way of the film company and making friends with Ms. Wyvern, much to her sister Feely's consternation.

Soon most of the village has also descended as Ms. Wyvern has agreed to give a special one-act performance of Romeo & Juliet to help raise funds for a new church roof. When a blizzard traps the town at Buckshaw, there are plenty of suspects when Flavia discovers Ms. Wyvern dead in her room during the night after her performance. Inspector Hewitt turns up, of course, and though he tries to avoid Flavia's assistance, she is, as usual, several steps ahead of him. All the favorite (and those favorite-to-hate) characters are present during this trying time, including Aunt Felicity who has more to do with this mystery than Flavia can imagine. Old war secrets, unexpected family connections, Dogger's bottomless wealth of information, and some good old-fashioned sleuthing all combine to help save the day in a truly shocking display of chemistry.

A great seasonal read for those who don't want anything too naughty OR nice.

Book Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

The Scorch Trials
by James Dashner
9780385738767, $9.99, Delacorte Press (Random House)

This is the second book in the Maze Runner trilogy. You can read my review of Book 1, titled The Maze Runner, here.

They thought the battle was over when they left the maze, but it soon becomes clear they've only moved on to stage 2 of these twisted games, designed to test the Gladers beyond their already stretched limits. Thomas wakes up on the morning after their "rescue" to find Teresa gone, a new boy in her place, and the Gladers in a panic as Cranks try to break into their enclosure. 

Cranks are zombie-like creatures that have been infected with a disease the Gladers later find out has infected the world. The new boy, Aris, says he's from Group B - a group of all girls, except for him. Oh, and Aris can speak in Thomas's mind, just like Teresa. Slowly Thomas and the Gladers piece together that there are two groups out there, and they're both competing for the same prize: The Gladers are told they've all been infected by the disease, but if they make it from point A to point B in the allotted amount of time, they will be given a cure. 

Sounds simple enough until they're plunged into total blackness where they can't see the deathly beheading orbs, then shocked by the almost constant sunlight battering down on them as they struggle to run across a desert, all with dwindling food and water resources. Lightning and rain storm burns them while they run toward a city - toward friend or foe, they're not sure, but they know they need to get out of the killing rain. In the city they meet Brenda and Jorge who promise to lead them safely through the Crank-infested city in exchange for the antidote, but first the group gets separated and both factions have to battle their way toward their destination point.

Less gruesome than The Maze Runner though still deadly, The Scorch Trials, puts Thomas, and all the characters, through a more bitter emotional journey, complete with deception, betrayal, and dreams/flashbacks Thomas has to a strange time and place that almost make it seem like he might have had a hand in creating all of this torture. But for what greater purpose? Who can he trust? And as before, he has to wonder what Teresa means when she mind-speaks to him, "WICKED is good."

Recognize that voice? Part 2

For the second time in as many years, you are now able to access my voice over the airwaves!

I had the pleasure of returning to the WAMC radio studio in Albany, NY last week, along with Joan Grenier, one of the Odyssey Bookshop's co-owners.

To listen to us talk about books (Joan about adult fiction and non-fiction, me about children's books), check us out here.

To check out the first show I was on last year, check out my previous post.

Here are the books I spoke about:

Picture books:

• Wendel's Workshop by Chris Riddell, 9780061449307, $16.99, HarperCollins
  
  
• Forever Friends by Carin Berger, 9780061915284, $16.99, Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins)
  
  
• Extraordinary Pets by Barroux, 9781609050115, $15.99, Blue Apple Books

Middle Grade:

• Sluggers (series, formerly known as Barnstormers) by Loren Long and Phil Bildner, Simon & Schuster
  
• The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Jules Feiffer, 9780547238692, $16, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 Teen or Young Adult:

• The Devil's Breath by David Gilman, 9780440422396, $9.99, Delacorte Press (Random House)
  
  
• Heist Society by Ally Carter, 9781423116394, $16.99, Hyperion (HarperCollins)
  
  
• Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta, 9780763643614, $18.99, Candlewick Press