Enchanting Review: A Brief History of Montmaray

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MONTMARAY

MICHELLE COOPER

Historical Fantasy YA

Knopf

ISBN# 978-0375858642

304 Pages

$16.99

Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

"Princess" Sophie Fitzosborne lives on the small island of Montmaray with the King, his daughter, her younger sister and a handful of residents who still remain. Her dear older brother is away at school in England and Sophie and family miss him terribly, keeping in contact only through sporadic letters. The house is terribly dilapidated, but despite that, Sophie is happy with her life. And even more so when a letter arrives from her aunt, inviting her to London for her debut. The only thing is, Sophie knows her cousin Veronica won't go and she's reluctant to go on her own. How could she navigate life in London without her? But then something happens that might just jeopardize everything.

I have to admit from the cover blurb, I thought A BRIEF HISTORY OF MONTMARAY might be a bit of a dry read. I was wrong. What I enjoyed most about the book was Sophie herself; she had a great voice and was really likable right from the start. All the characters were very unique: Veronica, Sophie's cousin and daughter of the King, who'd rather hole up in the library and work on the history of Montmaray then head to England and make her debut, not to mention The King himself, who's just a wee bit unstable and prefers to stay locked up in his room, preferring to deal only with the housekeeper and not his daughter nor his nieces. One of my favorite scenes is when we actually get a glimpse of the crazy King as he appears briefly and we see the chaos that erupts around him as he finally emerges from his room and into the kitchen where most of the family is present. From Sophia's memories, we see how the King's wife took off suddenly and how he fell into the state he's in. A great combination of history, intrigue and a dash of suspense, I look forward to reading more from Ms. Cooper.

Michelle Cooper lives in Sydney, Australia. Find an excerpt here: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375858642

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

October 2009

Enchanting Review: Dizzy In Your Eyes: Poems About Love

DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE
PAT MORA
YA Poetry
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0375843754
176 Pages
$15.99
Hardcover—Available
Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE is filled with a collection of fifty poems of different types, from a simple poem, to '3 a.m. Blues' which is the blues to the last in the book 'My Song' which is written as a song.

I have to admit, I'm not usually big on poetry but I really enjoyed DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE. Every poem is different, told from a different narrator's point of view. The one thing they all have in common though is the theme—love. With some of the poems Ms. Mora provides a description of the type of poem on the opposite page, so those interested can learn more about that particular style. Two of my favorite poems are 3 a.m. Blues because I like the lyrical styling and an earlier one in the book, To-Do List because it's very much true to life.

DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE is Pat's second collection for young adults. Pat also wrote My Own True Name: New and Selected Poems for Young Adults and six poetry collections for adults. To learn more about Pat and her books visit her online at www.patmora.com

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
January 2010

Enchanting Review: The Blue Shoe: A Tale of Thievery, Villainy, Sorcery and Shoes

THE BLUE SHOE: A TALE OF THIEVERY, VILLAINY, SORCERY, AND SHOES
RODERICK TOWNLEY
Illustrated by Mary GrandPré
Middle Grade Fantasy
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0-375-85600-6
255 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover--Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

An engaging fantasy read, THE BLUE SHOE is a well told story featuring Hap, a young cobbler's apprentice who ends up sent away to the frightening Mount Xexnax, when he tries to save a mysterious beggar from the same fate. Actually Hap doesn't mind, as he hopes he'll be reunited with his father who was sent there a few years earlier because of his own begging, but what Hap stumbles upon is something he hadn't expected. And it's not going to be easy to break out and return to the small town of Apalanap.

Imaginative characters, setting and storyline, readers looking for a fun and intriguing middle grade fantasy read shouldn't miss this one. I especially loved the crazy characters of the Mayor and his wife and the way the story flipped from what was happening with Hap and Sophia back to what was going on in town. I liked how the sand that covered the town from a storm turned to glass shortly after Hap's departure to Mount Xexnax, making things difficult for the more evil characters to move around the small town. That scene is almost comical and very laugh out loud worthy and is hands down one of my favorites in the whole book. Told mostly by a mysterious narrator, THE BLUE SHOE moves at a good pace. Hap's biggest mistake is trying to save the mysterious beggar in the blanket from ending up at Mount Xexnax, a decision that has him stealing a stone from the mysterious blue stone. A move that not only ruins the shoe, but gets him exiled to Mount Xexnax in place of the beggar. And when his crush Sophia tries to break him free from prison the night before, Hap refuses, instead wanting to be reunited with his father. Sophia isn't so easily swayed and ends up stowing away on the wagon and going with, which is one of my favorite scenes in the book. However, Mount Xexnax is worse than all the stories and rumors made it seem and Hap suddenly finds himself appointed the one to save everyone there, especially when the guards find Sophia and hold her hostage in the main building, which is where THE BLUE SHOE really becomes a page turning read as you hope Hap can find Sophia and escape without capture.

Roderick Townley’s books have received many stars and accolades. You can read more about him at www.rodericktownley.com. He lives in Kansas.

Mary GrandPré is perhaps best known for creating the jackets and illustrations for the Harry Potter books. She has also illustrated many fine picture books. You can read more about her work at marygrandpre.com.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009

Enchanting Review: Fat Cat

FAT CAT
ROBIN BRANDE
Contemporary YA
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0-375-84449-2
327 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover--Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Cat has always been a bit of a brain. AP classes all the way, and so she's eagerly awaiting what should be one of the highlights of her high school career, the project in Mr. Fizer's research science class. But when she picks her picture out of the stack, instead of something she can be excited about and sure to beat former best friend Matt at, she ends up with a picture of the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. What is she supposed to with that? But the more she thinks, the more the idea begins to form. She'll use herself as the project, eating and living how the early humans lives, which means giving up nearly everything she loves—junk food, her car, TV and make a record of her transformation.

Cat's likeable from the start and I loved her best friend, Amanda, who definitely stole a few scenes on her own, especially at the cafe. At the beginning of the book, Cat's a little on the heavy side, she doesn't seem to be focused that much on her body, though she would like to feel prettier. So when she ends up with the photo of the hominids for her class, and decides to do the project on herself, she couldn't imagine the results or how it'll change her life. As the story moves along, Cat finds herself evolving, not only physically by losing the weight but mentally as well when her social life changes as does her self esteem. She even finds herself bonding more with her little brother. The only thing still negative around her is her former best friend, Matt, who she'd do anything to beat in this competition. It takes almost the whole book before the reader gets to find out what happened to her and Matt's friendship as thirteen year olds. Some of my favorite scenes are when Cat notices him watching her at school and especially when she's talking to one of the guys in class. The first time they meet up at the Zoo is one of the most memorable ones in the book. The awkwardness between the two, Cat's desire to show him she doesn't need him in her life and yet so desperately wants him to apologize for those hurtful words. And the scene between her and Amanda in the car afterwards was great too.

All in all, FAT CAT is a really great and entertaining read as Cat goes on a bit of a journey of self-discovery and finding out what it is in life that truly makes her happy. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a great mix of humor, little romance and friendship.

Robin Brande is a former trial attorney who is also the author of the young adult novel Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature. Robin was herself an overweight teen, and knows that a smart girl can figure out a smart way to be fit. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009

Enchanting Review: The Magical Ms.Plum

THE MAGICAL MS. PLUM
BONNY BECKER
Magical Middle Grade
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0-375-85637-2
104 Pages
$12.99
Hardcover--Available September 22, 2009

Rating: 4 Enchantments

To end up in Ms. Plum's third grade class is a real privilege as there's something magical about what happens in her classroom. And funny enough, none of her students are able to talk about it, even if they want to. Ms. Plum's supply closet hosts a magical secret. Whatever lesson a child seems to need to learn is taught by whatever animal follows them out of the closet. No one knows what's going to come out of there next, but one thing is for sure, almost everyone in class wants their turn.

I really enjoyed THE MAGICAL MS. PLUM. Every chapter is like a mini story all on its own, featuring a different student in her class. Everyone in Ms. Plum's class learns a lesson by the end of the school year, including Ms. Plum herself, which was one of my favourite chapters of the book. Though this can be a fairly fast read, it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the book and the lessons that the characters learned. I really liked Ms. Plum and my favourite student had to be Darla. Out of the animals that emerged from the supply closet, it's hard to choose a favourite. The monkeys were great, the squirrels and I loved the peacock for Ms. Plum. I have to say that Ms. Plum and the peacock was definitely my favourite scene in the book, simply because you didn't expect anything to come out for the unusual Ms. Plum. The illustrations as well were really great and added a nice touch to the book.
A great read for boys or girls, even reluctant readers are sure to enjoy the magical glimpse into Ms. Plum's world.

Bonny Becker lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. She hopes kids who read THE MAGICAL MS. PLUM will feel less afraid of making mistakes and will that stumbles are a part of how everyone grows and figures things out. Visit her online at http://www.bonnybecker.com

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
September 2009

Enchanting Review: The Other Half of Life

THE OTHER HALF OF LIFE

KIM ABLON WHITNEY

Historical YA

Knopf

ISBN# 978-0-375-85219-0

234 Pages

$16.99

Hardcover--Available May 12, 2009

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

THE OTHER HALF OF LIFE is based on the true story of a World War II voyage. Its May 1939 and the SS St. Francis is setting sail for Cuba and eventually the U.S. filled with Jewish refugees desperate for a new life in a new land. However, none of them could be prepared for the events that are about to take place that will change everyone’s lives forever.

Fifteen year old Thomas is traveling alone. His Jewish father has been imprisoned and his Christian mother has scraped together enough money for his passage. Alone and frightened, he finds himself befriended by a family on an upper deck and slowly a relationship begins to form between Thomas and fourteen year old Priska. Its obvious as you read the story that the author did a great job of researching the events on the SS St.

Francis as its very detailed oriented and the reader can fully picture what life must have been like for those on board. Thomas is a very sympathetic character, as is the family he becomes close to onboard. One of my favorite scenes takes place fairly early in the book when Thomas is invited to dine up in first class with Professor Affeldt and his family. All ready ill at ease, Thomas poses as a ‘cousin’ in order to join the family and is forced to deal with overhearing the waiter’s remarks about the passengers, witness the attention paid to the pretty Priska by the same waiter and share his story with the family that will soon become his friends. A very engrossing read, readers looking for a great historical read based on a real life event should definitely pick up THE OTHER HALF OF LIFE.

Kim Ablon Whitney has published two previous novels with Knopf. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts. To learn more about THE OTHER HALF OF LIFE, including an excerpt, visit the author’s website at http://www.kimablonwhitney.com/books/ohol.html

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

May 2009

Enchanting Review: The Gecko And Sticky: The Greatest Power

THE GECKO & STICKY: THE GREATEST POWER
WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN
Middle Grade
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0-375-84377-8
194 Pages
$12.99 US/ $14.99 CAN
Hardcover--Available May 26, 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

THE GECKO & STICKY: THE GREATEST POWER is a highly entertaining read. Thirteen year old Dave and his talking gecko, Sticky, end up caught in the midst of a bank robbery by the dastardly villain Damien Black. But this isn't the first time Dave has met Damien. In fact, Sticky knows him too. The ancient wrist-let that Dave wears around his arm, gives him both the power of the gecko and invisibility. It was taken from Damien and Damien would really like it back. Dave however, wants to get back the money and the tiger eye ring that Damien stole from Ms. Kulee, the first customer of Dave's courier service.

An engaging read, THE GECKO & STICKY: THE GREATEST POWER is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I loved the humor and the voice of the narrator, who talks directly to the reader, sharing secrets that even the characters don't know. It was filled with fun characters, from Dave and the unusual talking gecko and kleptomaniac Sticky, to even Damien and his love for his 1959 Eldorado Biarritz and the hilarious Bandito Brothers, a bad guy mariachi band. One of my favorite scenes is when Dave and Sticky break into Damien's and are searching for a way out of the tunnels below and into the house and come across the monkey in a cage, who's main job is brewing coffee for Damien. Absolutely hilarious what happens when the invisible Dave breaks the monkey out of the cage and the monkey starts following them.

Readers looking for a fun read that will make you laugh, should definitely pick up THE GECKO & STICKY: THE GREATEST POWER. The next book in the series is due out October 2009.

Wendelin Van Draanen is the winner of the 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Children’s Mystery Book for Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief. Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes is a 2003 Edgar Award nominee. Visit Wendelin Van Draanen's Web site at www.wendelinvandraanen.com for the latest on The Gecko and Sticky, Sammy Keyes, Shredderman, and more.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
May 2009

Enchanting Review: Damosel

DAMOSEL (IN WHICH THE LADY OF THE LAKE RENDERS A FRANK AND OFTEN STARTLING ACCOUNT OF HER WONDROUD LIFE AND TIMES)
STEPHANIE SPINNER
Fantasy YA
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0-375-83634-3
208 pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

DAMOSEL, is the Lady of the Lake and is approached by Merlin to make a beautiful sword for the future King Arthur, a task that will take years. But she makes the wonderful Excalibur and presents it to the young King almost nine years later, setting off a chain of events that will change things forever.

DAMOSEL wasn’t quite what I pictured when I read the jacket blurb. I expected more interaction between Damosel herself and Arthur and the rest of the characters anyone familiar with Arthurian legend would expect, but that wasn’t quite the way things were. However, DAMOSEL was a very well written, easily engaging story with a novel twist on things. Most of the story is told through stories told to Damosel or things that happen to Twixt. I have to say I really enjoyed the character of Twixt, the dwarf who Sir Tor rescues from his two evil masters most out of all the characters. Damosel herself was also enjoyable, especially in the early part of the book as she bartered to get the gemstones to make Excalibur and as she shared the Rules that the Lady of the Lake must live by and which Damosel strictly adheres to, which added a nice bit of humor to the story as well.

All in all, DAMOSEL is a very unique read, capturing a side of Camelot I hadn’t read before.

Stephanie Spinner is the acclaimed author of many books for young readers. After a distinguished career in children’s book publishing, she is now a full-time writer. She lives in Sherman, Connecticut.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
March 2009

Enchanting Review: The Anatomy Of Wings

THE ANATOMY OF WINGS
KAREN FOXLEE
Contemporary Young Adult
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0-375-85643-3
288 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available February 10, 2009

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Young Jennifer Day is struggling to deal with the sudden loss of her older sister Beth. With the help of her best friend, Angela, Jennifer begins to construct a book of clues to find where her singing voice has gone and in the process, beautifully tells the story of what happened to her sister. In the end, will the memories help her finally sing again?

Ms. Foxlee creates a wonderful read with her debut novel. Set in Australia, she paints a vibrant portrait of life in a small mining town in the early 1980s, while dealing with the difficult subject of the loss of a sibling. Told in a wonderful voice, THE ANATOMY OF WINGS is truly an endearing story that comes alive on the pages. Watching the changes in Beth that slowly pull her away from her family and lead up to her tragic death and the effect it has on Jennifer and her family, even her neighbors is wonderfully told. But what I really loved about this book was how no small detail didn’t matter. When Jennifer and Angela sneak the box with Beth belongings out and go through it, everything inside the box belongs to a memory that tells the story of what happened to Beth. Even the introduction of the neighbors and the chapters told through the eyes of the different characters show things that lead up and tie in nicely to the end of the story. All in all, THE ANATOMY OF WINGS is an enjoyable debut novel.

Karen Foxlee won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award for Emerging Author, the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize Best First Book and the Dobbie Encouragement Award for THE ANATOMY OF WINGS. She lives with her baby daughter and two cats in Queensland, Australia.


Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
February 2009

Enchanting Review: High Dive

HIGH DIVE

TAMMAR STEIN

Contemporary Young Adult

Knopf

ISBN# 978-0-375-83024-2

$15.99

201 Pages

Hardcover – Available now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

When her deployed mother decides to sell the family vacation property in Sardinia, it’s up to Arden to travel from New York back to the house she hasn’t seen since her father died to close it up and get it ready for sale. Along the way however, she meets four girls from Texas on their way to France for vacation. In a move quite unlike her, Arden abandons her plans and makes a detour to Paris for a few days she’ll never forget.

Ms. Stein creates a wonderful story in HIGH DIVE. Arden is truly a great character. Dealing with life on her own, she finds herself wishing she stuck with her original travel plans when things in Paris start to go wrong. First the hostel the other girls are staying at has no more rooms and she ends up spending the night in an unseemly room across town, the only thing available in her budget. But as HIGH DIVE moves along Arden discovers more about herself and begins to come to grips with her past and her loss.

I really enjoyed HIGH DIVE. Ms. Stein paints a wonderful picture of Paris through Arden’s eyes and I loved the scenes when Arden realizes she should have went along with her gut, and not her new friends ideas when she had the urge to book a room at the same hostel as them when they first arrived in the city. This is one great book that will stay on my keeper shelf!

Tammar Stein has lived in Israel, Europe and the United States. She is also the author of Light Years which was named a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and their son.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

June 2008

Enchanting Review: Likely Story

LIKELY STORY
DAVID VAN ETTEN
Contemporary Young Adult
Knopf
ISBN 978-0-375-84676-2
240 Pages
$15.99
Hardcover - Available May 13, 2008

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Mallory's life is about to hit the fast lane. When she rants on her blog about the lack of reality on soap operas (especially her mother's) and how she could create a better one of her own, it doesn't take long for her cell phone to ring. Her mother's agent has seen the blog, likes the idea and wants her to send over the bible in the morning. The only hitch? Mallory hasn't gotten that far with the idea, heck, it wasn't even an idea till she wrote the blog. So Mallory pulls a situation from her real life and begins an all-night writing session to get the story bible down. Then suddenly, the same network that does her mother's show is interested in Mallory's story and all of a sudden, things in Mallory's life go from calm to chaotic.

LIKELY STORY is a great, entertaining read. Mallory is a really likeable character. Dealing with her soap opera diva mother is one thing, but now she's dealing with the cutthroat world of producers, network exec's-including one of her mother's ex husbands-and trying to secure a starring role for her best friend, Amelia. Not to mention, her love life is something out of a soap opera - she's been seeing K, who's also dating another girl and Mallory might just be developing a small crush on Dallas, the Julliard student who's the perfect casting choice for Ryan.

I really enjoyed this story. LIKELY STORY makes a great beach read as it's a faced paced page turner. I look forward to reading the next in the series, due out this fall.

David Van Etten is the pen name of three authors - David Levithan, David Ozanich and Chris Van Etten. Chris Van Etten is currently a fulltime writer for ABC's One Life to Live; David Ozanich is a freelance writer and playwright; and David Levithan is the author of Boy Meets Boy, and many other young adult novels for Knopf.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
May 2008

Enchanting Review: Becoming Chloe

BECOMING, CHLOE
CATHERINE RYAN HYDE
Contemporary YA
Knopf
ISBN#0375832580
$15.95
Print - Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Jordan is a gay teenager living on the streets of New York City. One night, he hears some sounds outside his attic window. Little did he know that helping a girl in trouble would change his life.

Chloe seems innocent and frail. She’s seen some terrible things in her short life, things that would break others. One day she startles Jordan. She feels the world is an ugly place. Jordan decides to show her otherwise on a road trip. Along the way, both find not only beauty but hope.

BECOMING, CHLOE is a tender tale of how two individuals can bond together even when the odds are against them. The story starts off with a gritty portrayal of two teens society has forgotten about. What’s different about this tale is the underlying theme of hope that is sometimes missing in similar stories. The author shows two believable and vulnerable characters that both learn from each other and find out that they aren’t really that different.

Powerful writing will keep the reader turning the pages as they follow both Jordan and Chloe on their trip.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of the bestselling novel Pay It Forward, which was made into a major motion picture, starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt. She has served on the staff of the Santa Barbara Review and teaches fiction workshops at the Cuesta College Writers’ Conference and the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference

Catherine Ryan Hyde’s website is

Kim Rapier
Enchanting Reviews
April 2008