Chandra PrasadRecensioni
Autore di Damselfly
Recensioni
Damselfly di Chandra Prasad
However there were several gross tropes that I wish had been avoided, and I found what happened to the mentally ill character who is trapped without her medication to be very upsetting. It wasn't badly written so much as personally disturbing.
This information is shared with some other girls and a secret society is formed with the girls choosing a daguerreotype illicitly from Lila's library.
The original concept, creativity and writing is excellent in Mercury Boys. The time travel and historical elements are fascinating and could have been further explored. The focus seemed to be more on the toxic friendships and bullying within the group of girls. I did not like any of the characters with the exception of Lila who demonstrated some responsibility and paid a price for caving to pressure from the other girls. Overall, there was a disjointed feel to the story and the reader is left wanting more. However, I will definitely look for future books from this author as she is a talented writer. #BooksForwardFriends
Mercury Boys is a completely unique young adult book. I was intrigued by the idea of being able to dream and interact with people in the past by touching their daguerreotype and mercury. I also liked learning about Robert Cornelious, a real historical figure who is noted to have taken the first selfie. Saskia's character pulled me into this idea with a man from the past helping her deal better with her situation in the present. Lila was the most interesting character for me and the only one that seemed to think about her actions and not get pulled into the other girl's antics. I did enjoy reading about the girl's dreams in the past and how they adapted to life in different eras. Adrienne's Mercury Boy in the Civil War era was the most interesting to me. I do wish that the story focused more on just Lila and Saskia. Paige and Sara Beth reminded me why teenaged girls are literally the worst as they use the Mercury Boys Club for their own purposes. This did add an increased element of suspense and danger, but I do feel like enough tension could have been created between Saskia and Lila and the daguerreotypes they chose. Overall, a diverse young adult read that blends time travel and romance as well as explores race, friendship, sexuality and revenge.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
After a messy divorce, Saskia and her dad move to a new town. She makes one new friend, Lila, who introduces her to a new type of photograph made with mercury - a daguerreotype. The girls eventually discover that by playing with mercury - yikes! - and then going to sleep holding the photographs, they can meet the men in them in their dreams. Each chooses a boyfriend from the past, and they bring three new friends into it - popular, smart Paige, cheerleader Adrienne and master manipulator and wild child Sara Beth.
I wish all of the relationships had a little more depth. I wanted more from the boyfriends in the past, especially Saskia's pick, Cornelius.
The book was at its best when dealing with bullying and jealousy of teen girls and the ways they can easily create a secret world just for them. It gives a devastating portrait of the differences between toxic friendships and true friends.
Despite a few flaws, the concept kept me reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was ready to read this one when I realized it was a retelling of [b:Lord of the Flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327869409s/7624.jpg|2766512]. It doesn't quite follow every detail of the original, which I was glad about when I was trying to figure out who might be who character wise. (Worrying, actually.) The open ending certainly sets this up for a possible sequel.
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Level: High school
Borrowing heavily from many aspects of Lord of the Flies, this novel jumps into the story of several teenagers stranded on an island after a plane crash. The story is told from the first person perspective of Sam, giving insight into her own disturbed family life throughout. As the teenagers work together to survive, the novel delves into the concepts of racism, environmental concerns, and who people really are at their core when allowed to be themselves. The story moves quickly and maintains enough interest, ending with a cliffhanger to leave room for another novel.
As a high school teacher, some of the comparisons with Lord of the Flies felt a little on the nose, but teenage readers would likely find it an interesting companion piece. The main characters make the reader feel invested in what happens to them, branching from some more typical stereotypes often found in YA literature. I especially enjoyed the storyline of Mel, who comes from a family with all daughters who break the gender norms associated with high school girls.
The writing wasn't bad, though it could occasionally feel a little like typical YA literature (obvious dialogue, simple word choice, etc). There are a few instances of sexual innuendo (“hooking up,” as the novel puts it) and a decent amount of violence and death, which is why I recommend this for high school students. Overall, I enjoyed reading and found myself reading more chapters to find out what happens!
I really liked the premise of this story (Lord of the Flies is my second favorite classic), but it fell flat for me for a couple of reasons:
The characters: they were supposed to be 16 or 17, but they came across more like 11 or 12 year olds. Their speech was super simple and they often acted more like an 11 or 12 year old would, given what their situation was.
The main character suffered from the above, but the writing did her a bit of a disservice as well (making her seem like a whiny child hiding behind a smarter, more forceful friend). The writing for her inner dialogue was very clunky, and only had sporadic moments of moving feeling (her and her family's story, especially her poor sister).
The story itself was fun and I really enjoyed the ties to Lord of the Flies. I did have moments where I was excited to see what would happen next, but I was usually left with a "meh" feeling.
Overall, the writing makes it obvious that this was a debut YA novel, but was not exactly bad. It definitely could have used a bit of polishing and the characters were in desperate need of fleshing out.
I really liked the premise of this story (Lord of the Flies is my second favorite classic), but it fell flat for me for a couple of reasons:
The characters: they were supposed to be 16 or 17, but they came across more like 11 or 12 year olds. Their speech was super simple and they often acted more like an 11 or 12 year old would, given what their situation was.
The main character suffered from the above, but the writing did her a bit of a disservice as well (making her seem like a whiny child hiding behind a smarter, more forceful friend). The writing for her inner dialogue was very clunky, and only had sporadic moments of moving feeling (her and her family's story, especially her poor sister).
The story itself was fun and I really enjoyed the ties to Lord of the Flies. I did have moments where I was excited to see what would happen next, but I was usually left with a "meh" feeling.
Overall, the writing makes it obvious that this was a debut YA novel, but was not exactly bad. It definitely could have used a bit of polishing and the characters were in desperate need of fleshing out.
Received this copy from the publisher at YAllfest 2017.
Her three closest male friends at Yale take her along on youthful adventures, pranks, and experiences she couldn't have imagined. She learns much, gives much, hides much and grows. Her spirit and sense of ethics produce other sticky situations. How long can she conceal her real identity?
Adele, as Charlie, comes to terms with her relationship with each family member and matures. She finds a life calling, something she loves to do, and is forced to make tough decisions along the way.
The novel tells just a bit about Amelia's childhood. I would have liked more about her younger years and her love of flying. How did she obtain this interest? In a time in which women were not widely accepted in the sky, what prejudices did she deal with? There was very little about that. Mostly the book covers the beginnings of her fame and the last half is dedicated to her attempt at flying around the world. It sums up her and Fred Noonan's destinations, mechanical difficulties, sickness, and different foods they eat in different places. Something I didn't like was the vagueness of time. One page she is visiting G.P. and his wife, a few pages later they are married.. When did this happen? I would have like more details of her personal life.
One other thing I did not like is the references to Amelia as A.E. It threw me off quite a bit because it is supposed to be a novel and I think Amelia has a more personal feel than A.E. It is one thing to refer to her husband as G.P. as very little about the book focuses on him, but Amelia is the star...
Despite its flaws, I recommend it to aviation buffs, namely women.
The year is 1936. In the small town of Stony Creek there lives a family of four. There is the mother, a washer woman who used to be a privileged daughter of a professor until she married the father, an Italian quarry man. They had two children, a boy, Charles, and a daughter, Adele.
Charles is the apple of his mother's eye and is being groomed to go to Yale on scholarship. Adele is her father's favorite and her mom is preparing her to be the wife of a quarry man and a laundress. The problem is that Adele is smarter than her brother.
This would have been the path that they would have taken except that Charles and his father are killed in a quarry accident. Adele then disguises herself as a boy and takes Charles's place at the all-male college of Yale. Once there, Adele has to adapt to being a boy, take on a eugenics professor who is trying to prove that all immigrants are unintelligent, and try to be an average freshman in college.
She befriends three other boys and an Italian family that almost adopts her. She proves to be very brave and spunky. There is also a visit by Emelia Earhart to the college, which is a wonderful scene.
I absolutely loved this book. The main characters of Adele and her mother, Gertie, are interesting and many-layered. It left me wanting more. I want to know how Adele becomes Adele again. If she finds love with the rascally Wick. Does she ever reunite with her mother and her mother's family? How will World War II affect the lives of these characters? Believe me, you'll want to know, too!
Have you ever fallen in love with a book so deeply that you wanted to keep it and read it again and again? Maybe this is a normal occurrence for you, not so for me. I am a love 'em and leave 'em reader. Once the last page is read, I am on to my next conquest. That was until I read "On Borrowed Wings".
This book moved me beyond words. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised. The book is unpretentious. But when you read the pages, this matches to perfection with the main character, Adele Pierta.
The author places the reader in the middle of the character's quandary, which is to marry a quarryman. In the 1930s, the little town of Stony Creek had three classes of people. There were the cottagers, who were rich vacationers that visit the little Connecticut town from May to August. There were the townsmen, the town's merchants and businessmen. And last were the quarrymen. They worked twelve hour days, six days a week mining granite.
Adele's mother had once been a cottager. But when she married a quarryman, her family disowned her. This rejection drove her mother to educate Adele's brother so that he'd have chance to go to college and not end up a quarryman. Adele's father insisted both his children be educated, but there weren't many opportunities for women.
The same day Charles, Adele's brother, receives an acceptance letter to Yale, a freak mining accident takes his life along with their father. Rather than be forced into an early marriage, she changes her appearance to look like a man and goes to Yale in Charles's place.
"On Borrowed Wings", so appropriately titled, is the story of Adele's first year at Yale. She transforms from a shy, wispy girl into a force to be reckoned with. It's a true treasure of a book and I'll be adding it to my 2007 Most Favorites List!
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