Review of The Dead and the Buried by Kim Harrington

Point

The Dead and the Buried
by Kim Harrington
4 Scribbles
To be released January 1, 2013

Jade never dreamed she’d live in a big house in an upscale neighborhood, and she’s overjoyed when her dad and stepmom move the family, even if she knows it’s really so her baby brother, Colby can have a better education than she did. But then Jade discovers the things that go bump in the night. Turns out, there is a reason the house was such a good deal. Local “it” girl Kayla Sloane was pushed down the stairs to her death in the house just the year before. Now, Kayla’s ghost is threatening to kill her baby brother unless Jade finds Kayla’s murderer.

Realistic characters and spine-chilling events make for a truly creeptastic read!  Jade feels like an outsider in her family now that her father has remarried, a situation many teens can relate to.  Jade misses her mother, who taught her the metaphysical powers of gemstones. Without her beloved mother, who died of cancer, Jade has no idea who to trust with her stories of Ouija boards and threatening specters, and she’s pretty sure her stepmother will think she’s crazy. Add to this the fact that her dad is always traveling for work and Jade feels alone and helpless. But Jade loves her brother, Colby and is willing to risk anything to save him. Perhaps the most refreshing thing about Jade is that she picks friends based on integrity and not popularity, even though she is tempted to choose poorly in order to “fit in” to her new school. Secondary characters, like Kayla’s brooding ex, Donovan (who makes for a tantalizing love interest), and Jade’s quirky, anti-social friend Alexa add a feeling of diversity and realism to her new school, and also create doubts about who Kayla’s true killer might be. I also liked that Kayla was such a hateful girl and didn’t change after death; sometimes people are just rotten, and dying does not change that, no matter how much people pretend it does.  This mystery is incredibly solid, with clues gleaned from Kayla’s cryptic diary and frequent episodes of haunting and possession that chill the marrow.  Readers who grove on shows like Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State will love this book!

Review of Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Feiwel & Friends

Cinder: Book One the Lunar Chronicles

By Marissa Meyer

5 Scribbles

For a while there I lost my desire to read any book that was a fairy tale spin off, because a few of those I have read have been silly and trite, and so I fought reading Cinder; but then I saw all of the accolades the book is earning and I though, why not? Thank goodness that I finally overcame my apprehension and read this phenomenal book! Cinder is a cyborg living in New Beijing; she was made into a cyborg when she almost died at age 11 and scientists patched her together with artificial parts and internal computer programming to keep her alive. That makes her a second-class citizen to her stepmother, sisters, and pretty much everyone. Since she works as a mechanic to pay her "guardian" stepmother’s bills she devises a plan to run away and perhaps find her family—the family she cannot remember from before the accident. But then the plague comes to New Beijing, and suddenly Cinder finds herself the center of a study to find the cure for the deathly illness that might cost her everything, her freedom, her health, and maybe even her life.

The setting for the story is perfect and unique! Who would have thought that China (of the future) would be so appropriate for this story? Given China’s current manufacturing boom it totally makes sense, and China feels like any Western country, so it’s very easy for the reader to feel at home while reading the story! Cinder’s character, while facing daily prejudice and persecution, is so much fun to follow. The dialogue is very realistic, with Cinder talking exactly like teens today would talk, and sharing the same habits and hopes of teens today. For instance, when she meets the Prince and is asked to fix his Android, it’s all she can do to speak intelligently and not get too distracted by his good looks, even though she knows he’d never speak to her if he knew she was Cyborg! I adored Cinder’s calm under pressure, her love for her younger step-sister Peony, despite Peony’s privilege, and her sense of humor. She is a strong and admirable protagonist that any of us would like to have as a friend. And as for the plot? Perfect. Although anyone who has read Cinderella sort of knows Cinder’s destiny, it’s still a joy to find out how the author will spin the classic tale with Cinder’s character. I was riveted to this story and it’s action; I could not put it down. A great read for the middle grade, junior high, and high school ages—and for that matter, for anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale/sci-fi blend.