The Limit by Kristen Landon

The Limit
by Kristen Landon

Middle Grade Dystopian Future
304 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: Ages 10+

Aladdin
978-1442402713
Release Date: September 7, 2010



From the publisher:

An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .

With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.

Read an excerpt.

This is an excellent book for middle grade boys who like some suspense set in a slightly futuristic world.

When Matt's family goes over their debt limit, he's forced to work in a government facility to help pay down the debt. Matt is one of the lucky ones who is smart enough to land on the top floor, where he gets special privileges. At first, it's pretty cool—other than the fact that he misses his family. But then he finds out there's a catch—one that makes it nearly impossible to pay off his family's debt.

When his sister shows up on one of the lower floors, having a seizure right in front of him, Matt decides he must find out what's really going on and get help for all the kids.

The pacing is a little slower, than say, the Alex Ryder series, but it's not bad. You're not on the edge of your seat every single second, and that gives you time to think about what's happening, but there's plenty of suspense to keep the reader involved, especially the second half of the book.

While there's some implied violence and adults who hold the kids captive, it's not over the top at all. I'd feel comfortable with kids as young as 9 reading it, if they were good enough readers to follow the story line.

The Limit deals with a pretty timely topic—uncontrolled personal debt. It's not at all preachy, focusing more on the suspense of what's really going on at the facility. It does make you wonder if something like this might happen in our not-too-distant future...

I think boys and girls from 12 and up will really like this book.

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Content Ratings

Language:

Violence: Very mild.

Drugs/Alcohol:

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Values/Themes: Personal responsibility. Find ideas for discussion/activities here.

Age Appropriate:

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© 2010 It's a Book Affair

The Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson

The Forbidden Sea
by Sheila A. Nielson

YA Fantasy
304 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: 12+

Scholastic Press
978-0545097345
Release Date: July 1, 2010



From the publisher:

A mermaid haunts Adrianne's dreams . . . is she coming to warn her, save her, or drag her down into the depths of the briny sea forever?


When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to keep her younger sister. Adrianne, fierce-willed and courageous, is determined to protect her sister from the mermaid, and her family from starvation. However, the mermaid continues to haunt Adrianne in her dreams and with her song.

Isn't that the most amazing cover?! I think it's absolutely breathtaking.

The story inside is wonderful too. When her father dies, Adrianne's mother suffers from what we'd call severe depression. They lose their income, their status and their home. Adrienne is forced to work on the farm and care for her younger sister, while her mother does mending and her Auntie Minna daily blames her for their situation. Adrienne also must contend with her own version of "Nellie Oleson" in the form of Cora Lynn, and other town bullies. Denn, her lifetime friend and now the boy she secretly loves, has a crush on Cora Lynn. On top of all that, there's a mermaid trying to lure her into the sea.

This is a great mermaid story with a twist. The writing is clear and descriptive. You feel like you're there experiencing life right along with Adrianne. Your heart breaks for her, but you can't help but be inspired by her strength and courage.

Although this is listed as a YA book and the main character is a teen with a love interest, I recommend this book to girls, ages 12 and up, and to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy or a good mermaid story.

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Content Ratings

Language:

Violence: A mermaid scratches Adrianne, but it's not really a violent act.

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© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Bone Warriors by Bron Bahlmann

Bone Warriors
by Bron Bahlmann

Middle Grade/YA Fantasy
278 pages, softcover
Target Reader: 11-15

Sweetwater Books
978-1599553221
Release Date: May 15, 2009



From the publisher:

Craving power and lusting for human souls, the wicked necromancer sweeps the land, leaving behind nothing but death and devastation. Returning home, fifteen-year-old Derrik and his friend Tweaks find their homes burning and families missing. They immediately embark on a rescue quest for redemption and retaliation. Such evil cannot be allowed to roam exempt.

Sinister Giants, colossal green jungle cats, and undead monsters confront them as Derrik and Tweaks encounter inconceivable threats in the forbidden woods, as well as gain unlikely allies. The boys soon realize that their only hope to save their families comes from the very creature they cannot trust. But they re running out of time. How can they put an end to the necromancer's terrifying reign?

Read the first two chapters HERE.

Derrik and Tweaks—best friends since children—are out in the fields when their village is destroyed and their parents and neighbors are taken hostage by the necromancer. The two boys set out on a long journey to rescue their families. Along the way, they meet Ssaska (a reptile man), Clatterin (a set of reanimated bones), a group of giants, "scales" and "furries" (man-like reptiles and mammals), boar-men, old men that turn to stone, and a whole host of other intriguing creatures—born from the imagination of Bron Bahlmann.

Derrik and Tweaks, the two main characters, were well developed. They grow and change, and become prepared to make the final battle when they stand against the necromancer and his army of bone warriors. I loved Tweaks (almost cried at the end). I wasn't quite as fond of Derrik, but that's probably because he behaved more like a typical 15-year-old boy. They gain a couple of traveling companions on their journey to save their family. I liked Ssaska; I wish Clatterin had been a little better developed.

I was amazed at the unique characterizations of the various groups of "people" Derrik and Tweaks encountered—the giants, the boars, the bird people, the alligator pirate, and more. Bahlmann gave them very distinct voices and personalities. I also thought the various fauna and flora in this world were ingenious and very clever.

The storyline was complex and kept me interested. However, as a hero's journey, I felt there needed to be a little more change and growth in Derrik's character. I also thought we needed a little more foreshadowing of the eventual demise of the necromancer and his bone warriors.

The writing was pretty good, with just a few exceptions (a couple of story holes, like how did they know Clatterin was female?). The plot and dialogue were good and tight. My biggest complaint about this book is the overuse of adjectives. It was sometimes too distracting. I'd recommend that on his next book, Bahlmann pull out half of them. And I do hope there is a next book. Bahlmann's book was good, regardless of his age. Overall, I really liked the book and read it in two days.

Oh, and one more thing—the author, Bron Bahlmann, is only 15! Yes. Remember when Eragon came out? And everyone was raving over what a wonderful book it was and that a 15-year-old was capable of writing such a great story? Personally, I didn't like it. I didn't think it was a wonderful book. The writing was weak. Good for a 15-year-old, perhaps, but not good enough to stand against other books in the genre. But guess what? Bone Warriors really is good.

If you like fantasy, I think you'll enjoy this book. I'm looking forward to seeing what this young man will come up with next.



Plot:

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Content Ratings

Language:

Violence: The necromancer is evil. His army slaughters people in real time, but it's not gorey. The main characters fight various "people" and get hurt. Some of the good guys die.

Drugs/Alcohol: The alligator pirate, an adult, drinks something that is similar to ale.

Immorality: No romance.

Values/Themes: Good wins; evil loses. Selfless acts save the day.

Age Appropriate: Pre-teens, teens.

Writing Mechanics: A few typos; adjectives run amok. Other than that, pretty good.



© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Interview with J. Scott Savage

I was one of the lucky ones to get an ARC of Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage. I looked forward to reading it because I've really enjoyed his Shandra Covington series (House of Secrets and Dead On Arrival). I love fantasy so when the package came, I ripped it open and started reading right away. I've had to wait to post my review—and that's been hard because I've wanted to share the love for the two main characters in this book.

Water Keep is the first in a series of fantasy novels written for middle grade readers, although older teens and adults may also enjoy it. Savage has created two unique main characters—Marcus, a disabled boy who uses a wheelchair and lives on Earth, and Kyja, a magically disabled girl who lives on Far World. Together, Marcus and Kyja begin an adventure to save both worlds from the Dark Circle, an evil brewing in Farworld that will also impact Earth. In this book, they begin that adventure by journeying to Water Keep, in an attempt to convince the water elementals to help them save the world.

Along the way, they must face attacks from "...Summoners, who can command the living and the undead; Unmakers, invisible creatures that can destory both body and soul; and dark mages knows as the Thrathkin S'Bae." Pretty creepy. Not only that, they must deal with bullies, feelings of inadequacy, and learn to jump between their two worlds.

The theme for the Scott's blog tour is "Find Your Magic" and I think that's the main message of this book. We each have our own kind of magic and it's important for us to discover what it is and learn to bless the world with it. That's a message everyone needs to hear.

Scott Savage agreed to take time out of his very busy schedule to meet me for a short interview. We chose to meet at the meadow with the dawn chimes at 6:00 a.m. this morning. Since sunrise occurred at 6:12 a.m., I was able to see and hear those absolutely beautiful dawn chimes greet the morning. I brought a basket of fruit for breakfast—some bananas, grapes, plums and assorted berries. We spread out a blanket on a small hill that overlooked the meadow and talked as we waited for dawn.

So, Scott, isn't this one of the most awesome places on Farworld? It's gorgeous here.

This is one of my favorite places to come, and with a breakfast of fresh fruit even. We better talk quick though so we don't miss the dawn chime's song. Marcus is much better at translating them than I am. But I'm working on it.

You call your elementals water, land, air and fire. Why didn't you use "earth" instead of land?

Well, you know, the whole earth thing has been so overused. I was even considering water, air, fire, and hand lotion. But it just didn't have the same zing.

Hand lotion? Really? Did you know that I make custom scented hand lotion? Maybe I'll create one for Farworld.

Whatever. Okay, seriously, it's because earth and Earth are the same word. I don't have a problem with calling a horse a horse on Farworld—even if it does tell jokes.

And pretty lame ones at that.

[Throws a grape at me.] Geez. You like to interrupt a lot, don't you?

Sorry.

Do you want the answer to your question, or not? Anyway, it seems to me that on a planet not named Earth, the land should not be called earth. It could get too confusing. I don't even have anyone from Farworld use that word in the book.

Did you have to do a lot of research to see what Marcus would and wouldn't be able to physically do? Did you try doing some of those things yourself with his limitations? (I'm picturing you scooting down a busy street in New York.)

Not down a New York street. But I actually did scoot across my floor and out in front of the house. The neighbors already know I am weird. I did get some great advice from people who do have disabilities though. For example, I originally had Marcus crawl. But everyone I talked to told me that it is too uncomfortable. They scoot instead.

Are we going to see more Ishkabiddles in future books? (I love that name.) Like I was thinking maybe in the final scene of the final book, Marcus is about to be destroyed by the evilest person of the Dark Circle and an ishkabiddle could pop up and bite the bad guy on the ankle, giving Marcus the chance to regain his bearings and finish off the bad guys... (you don't have to pay me a royalty for that idea, but an acknowledgment in the book would be nice.)

Oh, yeah, the killer Ishkabiddle scene—it's going to be huge. I didn't originally plan on more Iskabiddles. But demand has been surprisingly strong. So you probably haven't seen the last of them.

Has there ever been a water elemental that couldn't swim?

Only one. His name was Bob.

How long, start to finish, did it take you to write this book? What is your writing schedule like?

Three months of writing. Many more of editing. My schedule is typically delay, delay, delay, rush!!!!

Are there any questions you've been dying to answer, but no one has asked them yet?

I'm surprised no one has asked about why I went with two full blown protagonists and whether or not that was hard to write. The answer is that I didn't want this to be a boy book or a girl book. I wanted Kyja and Marcus to each rise and fall, so to be a sidekick to the other. I tried to write very carefully so that no one would feel Marcus or Kyja was the "main" character. You know, I was really planning to—

Oh, hush! Dawn is here. Look!


Scott continued to babble about his book, his writing career, and what's coming up next for him but I tuned him out. I was too busy watching the loveliest little purple flowers rise out of the meadow grass. The tiny blossoms that look like bells began to chime. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. And their fragrance! Aaahh.

I didn't want to leave, but Scott had an appointment at another blog. He said I could stay at the meadow as long as I wanted, but I was afraid a Summoner might appear at any moment, so after he left, I quickly packed up what was left of our breakfast (which wasn't much; Scott has a healthy appetite) and scurried out of there. Sigh. I really hope that Marcus and Kyja are successful in their fight against the Dark Circle because Farworld is such a lovely place to visit.

You can read sample chapters HERE.

But before I left, I swiped two things which I will give away to two lucky commenters on today's post:

1. A signed original manuscript page which I stole from Scott's brief case when he wasn't looking. It's suitable for framing and sure to be worth lots of money on ebay some day soon.


2. A single petal from a dawn chime. Unfortunately, it turned into a small vial of lilac scented perfume oil when I crossed back to Earth. (I've duplicated the fragrance and it's available here.)
   

To win one of these prizes,
Visit Scott's blog to discover who said, "Magic is not just spells. The magic you see on the outside—making pots and pans fly or brewing potions to make boys swoon before you—is but a tiny fraction of the power of true magic. The real power of magic lies within you. Who you are, what you do, and most importantly of all, what you may become."

Leave a comment before midnight, Sunday, July 20th, stating the name of the person quoted and tell me which of the two prizes (manuscript page or small vial of dawn chime fragrance) you'd like to win.

I will select two winners completely at random and post them on Monday, July 21st.

© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague (#3)
by Brandon Mull

Middle Grade Fantasy
480 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: Ages 9-12

Shadow Mountain
978-1590388983
Release Date: April 21, 2008




From the publisher:

Strange things are afoot at Fablehaven. Someone or something has released a plague that transforms beings of light into creatures of darkness. Seth discovers the problem in its infancy, but as the infectious disease spreads, it becomes clear that the preserve cannot hold out for long.

In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn. The Sphinx has always given sound advice—but is he a traitor? Inside the Quiet Box, Vanessa might have information that could lead to a cure—but can she be trusted?

Meanwhile, Kendra and members of the Knights of the Dawn must journey to a distant preserve and retrieve another hidden artifact. Will the Society of the Evening Star recover it first? Will the plague eclipse all light at Fablehaven? Find out in Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague.

Series books: Fablehaven (book 1), Rise of the Evening Star (book 2)

This is book #3 in the Fablehaven series. I really like this series and suggest it for middle grade readers and people who love simple fantasy.

I felt this book could have been edited just a bit tighter, losing maybe 50 pages. There were a few places where it went on longer than needed. Also, I have an issue with this cover. The first two books had their villains on the cover. The centaurs in this book are not villians. Their one of the good guys, even if they are kind of snooty about it. The illustration that should be on the cover is the one of Ephira (pg 459). I think it would have looked really cool. But boys won't read books with girls on the cover, so I'm sure that's why they went with the centaur. But still. Ticks me off a bit.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. We get to see Kendra again for awhile. We discover a few more secrets about Fablehaven's past and Kendra's powers. Seth acts a bit more responsibly. The satyrs are still incredibly funny (they're my favorite characters). I'm looking forward to book #4.


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Content Ratings

Language:

Violence: The humans are fighting demons. There's some mild violence, but it's not bad.

Drugs/Alcohol:

Immorality:

Values/Themes:

Age Appropriate: Older teens and some adults may like this series.

Writing Mechanics: Needed a tighter edit.


© 2010 It's a Book Affair