The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson is a strange tale set in the pre-Revolutionary colonies. Octavian is a young boy whose mother was a princess in Africa. They both now live in Boston among men constantly conducting experiments. Octavian has the finest of educations, and is a beautiful violin player. As the Revolutionary War approaches, Octavian becomes aware of his real purpose in this strange house with these strange men. Several turning of events take place throughout the book which change Octavian's circumstances and thoughts. The book is written in the form of letters and journal articles and all in the voice of pre-Revolutionary English which can make it difficult to follow. Read this book if you're interested in historical fiction, if you like books that are written in interesting prose, or if you like difficult books that have big vocabulary words. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love

Dear Jane Austen by Patricia Hannon is a work of fiction in which Jane Austen answers "Dear Abby" like letters from her female fans. The book opens with Jane's running commentary on her day along with conversations with people who visit her. Between these conversations, she takes the time to answer questions from fans about what it means to be a woman in the twenty-first century in terms of love and life. Using examples from her famous novels, Jane explains that women should be independent. Honestly, I didn't even get past the first chapter of the book. I feel this book is meant more for people who are very familiar with Austen's novels. I've only read Pride and Prejudice many years ago. Therefore, the constant references to her stories and characters were more annoying and drawn out than inspiring and reminiscent. I had to put the book down, because it wasn't holding my attention one bit. Reading shouldn't feel like a chore. Perhaps I'll return to it one day after I've read more of Austen's novels. Read this book if you're familiar with Austen's works, if you're interested in biographical fiction, or if you are studying Austen in school. I give it a 3 out of 10.

The House of the Scorpion

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is a young adult sci-fi novel about Matt, a young boy who finds out he's the clone of the wealthiest and most powerful drug lord in the world. El Patron runs an entire country called Opium which sits between the United States and what used to be Mexico. El Patron loves Matt, and, even though clones are usually treated as disgusting livestock, gives Matt a quality education and showers him with love. Matt later finds out the real purpose for his existence and struggles with what he shall do in order to escape his terrible destiny. Matt comes to realizations about the world, about people, and about himself. Read this book if you like sci-fi, if you enjoy coming of age novels, or if you're interested in books that might give you a scary glimpse of the future. I give it an 8 out of 10.

This Lullaby

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen is a teenage love story centered around newly graduated from high school Remy. She is so ready to tie up any loose ends at home the summer before she heads off to Stanford for college. This includes dumping her boyfriend, finish planning her mother's wedding, and spending time with her three best friends. While she gets all of this done, an unexpected "summer boyfriend" named Dexter comes along and screws with Remy's plans to leave her home without ever looking back. Remy's cynical take on relationships and love center around her mother's five failed marriages, and her father's only attempt to reach her through a sappy one hit wonder titled "This Lullaby." Remy must decide if her faith in love can be restored of if she can continue living her life as if she doesn't care. Read this book if you like chick lit, if you enjoy love stories, or if you're a sap for happy endings. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

Cry, the Beloved Country

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton is set in South Africa during a politically difficult time for the "natives" as they are called by the white men in charge of the government and businesses. It's the story of Stephen Kumalo, a native priest, who goes on a journey to a "big city" to find his sister and his son both of whom have not written or returned from the alluring city. What he finds there is a broken system set on keeping the natives ignorant and poor while the white men make profits off their labor. The book follows Kumalo's discovery of his broken family and his broken country. When he finally returns, he sees the need to amend the tribal problems that have been growing for quite some time. This book is a slow read, but the characters grow in your heart and the words resonate with your thoughts. Read this book if you're interested in race relations, if you enjoy historical fiction, or if you have time to sit with a book for awhile. I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

Speak

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson follows Melinda's first year in high school. The summer before this year, she attended a party where she eventually called the cops. This action made her lose all of her friends, and she now enters high school as a lonely, quiet girl. As the school year continues, Melinda shares her thoughts and feelings in her own words and begins to explain how and why she closes in on herself eventually choosing barely to speak at all. Soon Melinda shares why exactly she called the cops that night at the party, and the reader begins to acknowledge the pain that she has been through. Read this book if you like stories told by the main character, if you like young adult fiction, or if you like interesting female protagonists. I give it a 9 out of 10.

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank is a sort of loose collection of short stories centering around the same character: Jane Rosenal. The stories begin with Jane as a teenager dealing with her family and her older brother's relationship. Other stories follow Jane's relationships with men, with friends, and with family members. Each story stands out on its own, but together they form an overarching story of Jane as a modern woman searching for who she is as a single woman, a career woman, a dating woman, a young woman, and a family woman. The only story that stands out is a story about Jane's neighbors where she does not even make an appearance. The story is warm, complicated, and endearing, but just doesn't seem to fit in this novel about an interesting woman who is just trying to survive in life. Read this book if you like chick flicks, if you like a book you can pick up and read small snippets from, or if you're interested in stories with complicated and real woman as the protagonist. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.