edh's reviews
352 reviews

Nobody tells stories about technology, genetics, and ethics like Nancy Kress. Set in the near future, Steal Across the Sky features aliens who have landed on the Moon and have sent a message to Earth: we've been here before, and we did something bad to you, so send us some Witnesses and we'll reveal it to them. There are lots of volunteers to Witness for the aliens (who call themselves the Atoners) and a batch is selected. But these Witnesses seem to have nothing in common other than their age; none are over 30.

The Witnesses are divided into groups of three, given training, and sent off into the universe to land on sets of two planets. One planet holds the key to the other, and to the Atoners' crime. When the explosive secret is revealed to Earthlings, it throws the planet into crisis - the knowledge that something essential has been robbed from humanity has the power to change a fundamental understanding of ourselves, and our existence. That's when the story really takes off - now that Earth knows what has been done to its people, how will the Atoners atone? More importantly, should they?

This is a great pick for lovers of traditional scifi as well as those who enjoy thorny ethical issues. It's got some great, well-developed characters that you'll love or love to hate; they keep the tension and the plot moving briskly forward to the inevitable end.

Looks a bit steamy, also billed for "fans of Philippa Gregory." I'll be the judge of that.

I think this novel tried to do too much in too little space - while we are drawn in to the young Southern girl who marries a British peer, ends up trapped in an unfaithful relationship and then finds true love with another man in a genteel society affair... the story too quickly gives way to her daughter, who falls in love with a most inappropriate young man (in many ways) and from there, I just lost interest. Dedicated romance fans might love it for the dramatic over-the-top plot, but the setting skips too quickly from the US to London to the countryside to Egypt and back again for it to have any appeal to fans of those environs. This is that rare book that should have been sent back, chopped into 2 or more books, and rethought entirely.

This is a pretty solid summer romance to recommend to your Dessen fans & those wanting more meat to their love stories. Auden starts to have a new appreciation for her father's callousness as a husband when she visits him & new wife Heidi for the summer. Their new baby Thisbe isn't very happy either - it seems her main function in the book is to act as a barometer for the storyline. Even Auden's mom is not a source of comfort, as she treats the visit as a way to get dirt on Heidi & make fun of her ex's new relationship. Auden is put off by her mom's fling with a nameless grad student, & struggles to find her own way in love when she makes the mistake of fooling around with the first guy she meets on the beach, then falling into a "non-relationship" with his older brother Eli (who is hiding a requisite dark past). Lots of love tangles ensue, of course. To me, Dessen is the sexed-up alter-ego of Joan Bauer and this latest novel does not deviate from that general formula. No huge surprises here.

I have had several patrons coming in asking for this so figured I should read it & figure out readalikes as the holds list is a tad long.

This is a gentle little epistolary read concerning a London-based writer and her discovery of the events on Guernsey island during WWII. When the English Channel islands were occupied by the German forces, local residents banded together to ward off deprivation, depression, and despondency. As the writer, Juliet, corresponds with the islanders and is drawn into their story, she feels compelled to visit Guernsey to write a book about their experience... leaving behind an over-eager suitor and throwing herself into country living.

Readers drawn to the accounts of wartime living might also enjoy the bleak Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky, while those who like the British setting might be more interested in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.

Another good addition to the Gaslight series... but it was a little obvious who was responsible for the murder right from the start. An interesting plot pitting the irrepressible team of Brandt & Malloy against the wits of a family rumored to be involved in the Black Hand. I mean, you just don't make Uncle Ugo mad, right? If you like a little Sopranos-type action in your historical mystery then this is for you.

Savvy is a nice debut novel that I'd recommend to readers of Deborah Wiles and similar. Mibs is turning thirteen and about to learn what her particular talent in life is -- her savvy. Everyone on her mom's side of the family has a savvy that ranges from the ability to trap radio waves in jars to whipping up storms (the latter being the reason the family lives so far from any water, somewhere between Kansas and Nebraska). But when Mibs' dad is in a car wreck north of Salina on his way to work, the much-anticipated thirteenth birthday goes awry.

Law describes this book as a modern tall tale, and I'd agree. It's nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature against stiff competition (http://tinyurl.com/p4af5p) so obviously folks are seeing a lot of promise here. Her followup novel is due out next year and will be a "companion" novel to this story. Personally, I like the distinctive Midwestern settings and the gentle mix of just enough magic and madness that will have you listening very closely... just in case... the next time you spot someone with a tattoo.

Ambrose's peanut allergy plus some relentless bullies equals being yanked from a Vancouver school by his single mom, who still mourns the sudden death of his father many years ago. Ambrose has no friends, only the kindly Greek couple who rent their basement apartment to his mom. When their son Cosmo bursts back on the scene after being in prison, Ambrose's mom freaks as this is just one more potential danger in their life. However, Ambrose and Cosmo build a secret alliance involving cute girls, Scrabble, and self-defense. But Cosmo's life as an ex-con is not so peaceful when old "friends" reenter his world demanding what he owes them...

This is a great book for older elementary/middle schoolers. Ambrose experiences a lot of personal development and growth as a result of having more caring adults in his life, despite their prison records (or lack thereof). It's a humorous Canadian novel with a lot of heart - recommend with Susan Juby's Alice, I Think to anyone needing young misfits coming of age with a splash of hijinks and mayhem.