“The Unwanteds” by Lisa McMann

A student in my bookclub suggested this one and I couldn’t have been happier.  Advertised as “The Hunger Games Meets Harry Potter” it is a nice little book which echoes Harry Potter (and Percy Jackson) but not so much the death and depression found in “Hunger Games.”  It’s more like “Matched,” “The Giver” and other dystopian worlds which look clean and shiny on the outside and are corrupt and morally bankrupt on the inside.  SPOILER ALERT.  You only spend about five minutes in that ugly world, though, with much of the story focused on a world of magic, color and freedom.  The characterizations are great.  Alex, our lead, is a very typical young boy (having just turned 13).  He is creative, curious, outgoing, moody, shy, angry, thoughtful, and everything in-between.  His companions include a kid he doesn’t get along with, and this creates a nice tension as the two boys try to redefine themselves in their new setting.  Creativity is also present in the blending of human and animal, household objects and war weapons.  Somehow, you just gotta love an Art teacher with eight arms (I won’t say more for fear of spoiling it).  One librarian mentioned her concern about this book being placed in the “kids” section.  Never fear.  It is as G-rated as it is delightful.  And yes, like many teen novels these days, it hints at a sequel, but fortunately wraps things up so nicely it could also be a stand-alone.  (UPDATE:  Yeah, it’s a series – book 2 is out, book 3 is coming).  The writing is consistent, solid and literary, but not overbearing.  Chapters move quickly and chapter headings are both clear and funny.  Artwork and fonts are extremely reminiscent of Harry Potter (intentional, I’m sure) and it is a tale that hits on a real chord for many – being a teen who doesn’t fit in.   In any case, it’s been a while since I was able to tear through a 390 page book so quickly, and it was a complete joy, like Spring on a dark winter day.

"Beautiful Creatures" by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

After reading two very dark depressing books I had to escape a bit.  When I heard a newscaster state that the “Beautiful Creatures” movie was “like Twilight, but good,” I knew I had to read it.  This supernatural romance is, indeed, far better than Twilight in terms of literary merit.  Right from the beginning, I was engaged – it has a male protagonist (very unusual for this type of book), quick pacing, and actual descriptions and sentence structures that lend flow and understanding to the storyline!  As time went on, however, I found myself having a kind of love/hate relationship to the novel.  There is a lot to love:  a complex tale with unexpected turns, a lead character who you want to see succeed, subtle humor and excellent research which gives authenticity to everything from the Civil War themes to the Latin/Welsh translations.  There is herb-lore, a Harry-Potteresque style library and realistic portrayals of what people face when losing a loved one.  All of which make this a deep-level book far more enjoyable (to me, anyway) than some of the other popular titles out there.   That’s the good news.  On the down side, the book is written by two people.  Unlike other books written by a duo (“Will Grayson, Will Grayson” or “Sorcery and Cecelia”) this is a single narrative voice, which means there is some inconsistency in pacing and some “circular” writing – which is why the novel stretches to 563 pages when it really doesn’t have to (it is also one of three books in a series … the next two books are equally as weighty).  Descriptions go from rich to wordy, even Dickensian now and then.  Time is important here, and in one instance a five minute period stretches over 30 plus pages.  There is also the tired and somewhat bigoted supposition that those with Southern accents are ignorant and stupid.  And yes, as readers of my blog know, I’m not a huge fan of romance. I don’t mind the lovey-dovey stuff when incorporated into a larger tale, as this is most of the time, but I have little tolerance for the angsty “I love you but disaster awaits and I can never be with you” stuff.  About a third of the way in, Lena’s character got so whiny I wanted to kill her myself.  She’s not a wimp who needs to be saved all the time, but clearly, there are “issues.”  The book starts well and ends well, however, so some mushiness in the middle isn’t horrible.  I’m told the film is “very different” and have qualms about the fact that the crew was specifically told to “avoid reading the book.”  This is never a good sign.  One reviewer mentioned that the outstanding cast makes it a good movie, but it bears so little resemblance to the novel that it is likely to be unsatisfying to those who have read it.  Fortunately, or not, the masses are increasingly seeing films based on books they have never heard of, so perhaps it isn’t an issue.  If I ever get around to seeing the movie, I’ll write up my take.  In the meantime, it’s back to dark, depressing, “downer” books for me.  For those seeking a new series with romance, magic and a sort-of, kind-of vampire, dig in.