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sr_toliver's reviews
523 reviews
Hush by Eishes Chayil, Judy Brown
5.0
In the author's note, Chayil states the following:
"We built walls, and built them high. The walls would keep the gentiles and their terrifying world far away. The walls would protect us and shelter us—and as we built them higher, thicker, wider, we forgot to look inside. We forgot that the greatest enemies always grow from within" (p. 342).
This quote adequately sums up the premise of this book because it discusses how the borders and restrictions created by communities to protect themselves can sometimes be the blockade that hurts certain members within that community. They are supposed to be protected from the others, but who is supposed to protect them from themselves?
In the first part of the novel, the main character, Gittel, switches between 1999-2000 to 2008. The chapters that focus on 1999-2000 show Gittel as a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish girl in New Jersey. The reader becomes acquainted with the traditions, the customs, and the rules of the community and sees how an often confused Gittel conforms to and rebels against certain established practices. Her best friend, Devory, is a major player in this section as her best friend, a girl who was born on the same day that she was, making them honorary twins although they look nothing alike.
All is normal until Devory begins to act out at home and at school. She runs away; she talks back to her parents; she refuses to cooperate at school; she absent-mindedly forgets basic requirements, like wearing shoes. On top of her misbehavior, she begins talking about death and participating in reckless endeavors. Eventually, Gittel finds out why, but she remains silent. Sadly, Gittel continues her silence and the adults ignore Devory's cries for help until it's too late. The sections that focus on 2008 and beyond show the aftermath and inner turmoil that results from the silence, a turmoil that eventually forces Gittel to speak out before she drives herself crazy.
I can't lie and say that this was a fun book to read because of the intense material and the sadness that pervades much of the novel, but I will say that it is a book worth reading (I read it in less than a day). The author mentions that although this is a fictional story, this text was based on real events, events that are kept in secret for fear of ruining the reputation of others unnecessarily. Specifically, she states that "it is a story told through the eyes of children, those who need to learn to understand how and why it happened to them, and those who need to find a way to survive it" (345).
Additionally, there were parts in the book that frustrated me because I couldn't believe how they would think that every non-Jewish person was evil (Gittel goes back and forth with this concept because of her Gentile neighbor isn't evil), that they didn't know what sex was until they were adults (Gittel finds out soon after her engagement at 18), and that everything from internet to television were restricted to ensure that the children's minds weren't tainted with evil worldly things. But after reading further, I realized that there were certain beliefs that my parents held that others didn't. I remembered that I looked at a group differently because I didn't agree with how they did certain things. This book really made me check myself!
Before reading this novel, I never thought to think of the cultural differences within a community that exists less than eight hours away from where I was raised. I think about diversity and cultural difference, but this was a new aspect of it that I've never explored. I don't focus on religious communities, but this book really made me think about religious difference. It showed me just how much the society and various religions within the society can shape and restrain our personal identities.
"We built walls, and built them high. The walls would keep the gentiles and their terrifying world far away. The walls would protect us and shelter us—and as we built them higher, thicker, wider, we forgot to look inside. We forgot that the greatest enemies always grow from within" (p. 342).
This quote adequately sums up the premise of this book because it discusses how the borders and restrictions created by communities to protect themselves can sometimes be the blockade that hurts certain members within that community. They are supposed to be protected from the others, but who is supposed to protect them from themselves?
In the first part of the novel, the main character, Gittel, switches between 1999-2000 to 2008. The chapters that focus on 1999-2000 show Gittel as a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish girl in New Jersey. The reader becomes acquainted with the traditions, the customs, and the rules of the community and sees how an often confused Gittel conforms to and rebels against certain established practices. Her best friend, Devory, is a major player in this section as her best friend, a girl who was born on the same day that she was, making them honorary twins although they look nothing alike.
All is normal until Devory begins to act out at home and at school. She runs away; she talks back to her parents; she refuses to cooperate at school; she absent-mindedly forgets basic requirements, like wearing shoes. On top of her misbehavior, she begins talking about death and participating in reckless endeavors. Eventually, Gittel finds out why, but she remains silent. Sadly, Gittel continues her silence and the adults ignore Devory's cries for help until it's too late. The sections that focus on 2008 and beyond show the aftermath and inner turmoil that results from the silence, a turmoil that eventually forces Gittel to speak out before she drives herself crazy.
I can't lie and say that this was a fun book to read because of the intense material and the sadness that pervades much of the novel, but I will say that it is a book worth reading (I read it in less than a day). The author mentions that although this is a fictional story, this text was based on real events, events that are kept in secret for fear of ruining the reputation of others unnecessarily. Specifically, she states that "it is a story told through the eyes of children, those who need to learn to understand how and why it happened to them, and those who need to find a way to survive it" (345).
Additionally, there were parts in the book that frustrated me because I couldn't believe how they would think that every non-Jewish person was evil (Gittel goes back and forth with this concept because of her Gentile neighbor isn't evil), that they didn't know what sex was until they were adults (Gittel finds out soon after her engagement at 18), and that everything from internet to television were restricted to ensure that the children's minds weren't tainted with evil worldly things. But after reading further, I realized that there were certain beliefs that my parents held that others didn't. I remembered that I looked at a group differently because I didn't agree with how they did certain things. This book really made me check myself!
Before reading this novel, I never thought to think of the cultural differences within a community that exists less than eight hours away from where I was raised. I think about diversity and cultural difference, but this was a new aspect of it that I've never explored. I don't focus on religious communities, but this book really made me think about religious difference. It showed me just how much the society and various religions within the society can shape and restrain our personal identities.
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
4.0
This book is hard to explain, but I loved it! It focuses on Ti-Jeanne for the most part - a young woman with a newborn who lives with her grandmother. What's interesting, though, is that Ti-Jeanne, her grandmother, and her mother are all seers, helping the townspeople in the wasteland that is Toronto. The setting takes place in the metro area of a dystopic Toronto after an economic collapse. Riots have caused people with wealth to move away from the city center, leaving those without (including children) to fend for themselves against the ruthless Rudy, a man who pretty much controls what is left of the city.
The major plot begins with a politician's need for a heart. She is young, but feeble due to her having meningitis when she was young. In this society, animal organ replacement is the norm, and human donors no longer exist, but this politician refuses to take an animal heart replacement. She wants a human heart. To get this, her workers enlist the help of Rudy. They know he is willing to get the heart by any means necessary because of the monetary reward that comes with it, and this drive to find a "willing" human participant is what creates the tangled web of character stories. I will explain two of them, here.
Ti-Jeanne: Her family lineage is a gift and a curse. In addition, her choice of a boyfriend has not helped her situation. She is a seer and can see the moment when people will die, and although she hates it, she is connected to the spirit world at all times. She has run from that aspect of her life for as long as she could, but her visions begin to get worse, and she needs the help of her grandmother to figure out how to live in the physical world while being a conduit to the spirit world. It is because of her gift and her choice of a boyfriend that sets up the conflict in the story. She is forced to face her fate and go up against Rudy to save herself, her family, and her friends.
Tony: Ti-Jeanne's ex-boyfriend, gang/posse member, and buff addict (drug created from the venom of bufo taods). Because of his choices, Ti-Jeanne chose to leave him and to keep his son away from him. In fact, he had no idea that the baby was his because she refused to tell him. Due to Tony's medical expertise (before he got fired for his addiction), he is roped in to one of Rudy's schemes which requires him to kill someone for their heart. But, Tony's not cut out for that life and turns to Ti-Jeanne and her family for aid.
What I loved about this story was the characterization. I felt like I got to know the characters and their motivations well. The author did a great job explaining all that happened without boring the reader with backstory. I especially like the realness associated with Ti-Jeanne and her feelings about motherhood. There were times when she looked at the baby with love, but then there were other times when she just wanted the baby to be quiet. She was happy; she was annoyed; she was frustrated. But, these are all true feelings that mothers have. It's not all happiness, bubbles, and unicorns, and the author captures that.
I did have a hard time with the dialect and the spiritual elements that the characters were consistently talking about and using, but it wouldn't be the same story without it. By the time I finished the first couple of chapters, though, I was able to better figure out. The story was good enough to make me want to stick it out.
The major plot begins with a politician's need for a heart. She is young, but feeble due to her having meningitis when she was young. In this society, animal organ replacement is the norm, and human donors no longer exist, but this politician refuses to take an animal heart replacement. She wants a human heart. To get this, her workers enlist the help of Rudy. They know he is willing to get the heart by any means necessary because of the monetary reward that comes with it, and this drive to find a "willing" human participant is what creates the tangled web of character stories. I will explain two of them, here.
Ti-Jeanne: Her family lineage is a gift and a curse. In addition, her choice of a boyfriend has not helped her situation. She is a seer and can see the moment when people will die, and although she hates it, she is connected to the spirit world at all times. She has run from that aspect of her life for as long as she could, but her visions begin to get worse, and she needs the help of her grandmother to figure out how to live in the physical world while being a conduit to the spirit world. It is because of her gift and her choice of a boyfriend that sets up the conflict in the story. She is forced to face her fate and go up against Rudy to save herself, her family, and her friends.
Tony: Ti-Jeanne's ex-boyfriend, gang/posse member, and buff addict (drug created from the venom of bufo taods). Because of his choices, Ti-Jeanne chose to leave him and to keep his son away from him. In fact, he had no idea that the baby was his because she refused to tell him. Due to Tony's medical expertise (before he got fired for his addiction), he is roped in to one of Rudy's schemes which requires him to kill someone for their heart. But, Tony's not cut out for that life and turns to Ti-Jeanne and her family for aid.
What I loved about this story was the characterization. I felt like I got to know the characters and their motivations well. The author did a great job explaining all that happened without boring the reader with backstory. I especially like the realness associated with Ti-Jeanne and her feelings about motherhood. There were times when she looked at the baby with love, but then there were other times when she just wanted the baby to be quiet. She was happy; she was annoyed; she was frustrated. But, these are all true feelings that mothers have. It's not all happiness, bubbles, and unicorns, and the author captures that.
I did have a hard time with the dialect and the spiritual elements that the characters were consistently talking about and using, but it wouldn't be the same story without it. By the time I finished the first couple of chapters, though, I was able to better figure out. The story was good enough to make me want to stick it out.
Pure by Julianna Baggott
5.0
A large bomb has hit Earth, and everyone except those in the Dome have been affected by the Detonations. Millions have died, and the people who are left on the outside have been left to die in the fallout. Those in the Dome are known as "Pures" by those on the outside. They were untouched by the Detonations, and many have no idea what it's like on the outside because propaganda has hidden the truth. The main character, Pressia Belze is 15 and lives in the back of a deteriorated barber shop with her grandfather. Her hand is fused with a doll's head, and her grandfather's neck is fused with a fan, both were holding these items when the bomb dropped, and everyone who is living on the outside of the dome is either fused with an object (like Pressia), with nature (there are people fused with rock or trees), or with other people (there are things called Groupies, so named because a group of people are now fused together). If that's not bad enough, when children turn 16-years-old, they are taken from their families by the OSR, a revolutionary group who wants to overthrow the Dome and the destroy the perfect people inside who have left them for dead. This group uses the adolescents as new soldiers... or as target practice.
Alternatively, we have the Dome, where the other major character, Partridge, lives. His father is the leader of the Dome, and his brother was a "super-recruit" for the academy, so his last name has a lot of weight. But, although he lives a pretty good life away from "the wretches" (what they call people on the outside), he's unhappy. He hates his father. His brother is gone, and his mother is dead. On top of that, his genetic coding is not working properly. In this place, all young boys goes through a genetic coding process to enhance their skills - they are quicker, more intelligent, etc. His brother was the perfect specimen for these enhancements, but he is not, and his father hates it. One day, his father makes a statement that may mean his mother is alive, so he takes that information and decides to leave the Dome and find the one person who he knows cares for him.
The story is full of twists and turns, and there are many questions that this book puts forth: How malleable is history? Can beauty exist without ugliness? Is it better to live in a cage of ignorance or live in the freedom of a harsh reality?
What I like most about this story was the "beautiful barbarism" of it all. The world that Pressia and Partridge inhabit is dark. I thought The Hunger Games was dark, but it has nothing on this story. There is pain, loss, and sadness throughout the story, and there were times when I had to step away because I was in my feelings a little bit (the mothers' scene was heart-wrenching and triumphant simultaneously). But, the story was beautifully written; the messages about society and power were clear, but not didactic; and the intensity of emotion was electric. I never thought that there could be beauty in a man who has a scarred face and live birds (flapping and all) fused to his back. Baggott showed me that you can find beauty in the unlikeliest of places.
Diversity Elements:
The main character, Pressia, is Japanese and Scotch-Irish;
The race of many other characters is ambiguous, which I liked because I was able to imagine them in my own way
Alternatively, we have the Dome, where the other major character, Partridge, lives. His father is the leader of the Dome, and his brother was a "super-recruit" for the academy, so his last name has a lot of weight. But, although he lives a pretty good life away from "the wretches" (what they call people on the outside), he's unhappy. He hates his father. His brother is gone, and his mother is dead. On top of that, his genetic coding is not working properly. In this place, all young boys goes through a genetic coding process to enhance their skills - they are quicker, more intelligent, etc. His brother was the perfect specimen for these enhancements, but he is not, and his father hates it. One day, his father makes a statement that may mean his mother is alive, so he takes that information and decides to leave the Dome and find the one person who he knows cares for him.
The story is full of twists and turns, and there are many questions that this book puts forth: How malleable is history? Can beauty exist without ugliness? Is it better to live in a cage of ignorance or live in the freedom of a harsh reality?
What I like most about this story was the "beautiful barbarism" of it all. The world that Pressia and Partridge inhabit is dark. I thought The Hunger Games was dark, but it has nothing on this story. There is pain, loss, and sadness throughout the story, and there were times when I had to step away because I was in my feelings a little bit (the mothers' scene was heart-wrenching and triumphant simultaneously). But, the story was beautifully written; the messages about society and power were clear, but not didactic; and the intensity of emotion was electric. I never thought that there could be beauty in a man who has a scarred face and live birds (flapping and all) fused to his back. Baggott showed me that you can find beauty in the unlikeliest of places.
Diversity Elements:
The main character, Pressia, is Japanese and Scotch-Irish;
The race of many other characters is ambiguous, which I liked because I was able to imagine them in my own way
Burn by Julianna Baggott
3.0
In the final insallment to the Pure series, each character finally gets to choose which side they're on, proving to themselves and to the readers if they are willing to go the distance to make things right in the world. The book follows the same characters from the second book - Pressia, Partridge, Bradwell, El Capitan, and Lyda - as they navigate the world separate from each other. Since the stories are connected, but separate, I'll give short, separate descriptions about where everyone is in the book instead of trying to describe the plot in one paragraph.
Ever since Partridge had been brought back into the Dome, they're lives became more restricted than ever. Yes, Partridge has power as the leader of the Dome, but what he didn't realize is how much is at stake, more than he ever realized when he was just his father's son. Every decision Partridge makes is life or death for the people he leads as well as the people who now see him as enemy #1.
Lyda gives herself up in order to stop bloodshed, thinking that if she could just reach Partridge and talk to him, she could help to make a difference. But, what happens when the new, free version of Lyda is put back in the cage that almost caused her to lose her mind initially? Of course, she is carrying Partridge's unborn baby, but that only grants her freedom until the baby is born. What will happen after the baby comes? Will she be able to get through to Partridge? and How will she ever escape the cage after it's locked her in once again?
Pressia is still on a mission to save those who were left outside during the detonations, but throughout this book, she is also on a mission to save herself. After finding the formula, she knows that there may be a cure out there, one that will allow those fused to others to become "pure" again, to erase the past that has scarred them. But, at what cost? Is she willing to give up her truth, her scars, to exist in a reality that neglects the pain?
Bradwell is brooding - really, he spends a lot of this book scowling or mad about something. After Pressia saved his life, he now sees himself as others see him - a monster. His wings are now massive, ugly, but slightly angelic at the same time. Because of this shame and anger, he spends much of the book determined to take down the Dome at all costs. The only problem is that the woman he loves wants the Dome to remain in order to save those who want to be "whole" again. Is his revenge more potent than his love for Pressia? Will he be a lover, a friend, a martyr, or all three when the story ends?
El Capitan said that he loves Pressia. He kissed her. These are things he can't take away, but he feels embarrassed by his confession because now those he's closest to know his secret. Although the secret is out, however, there's a greater mission at hand that needs his attention - the mission that will cleanse his soul and help him to gain forgiveness from others and from himself. With his newfound love for another person as well as the companionship of new friends, he realizes all of the wrong he has done in the past, and he wants to be absolved from all of it. Will he be able to gain forgiveness from those whose family and friends were killed by the precious version of himself, or will his past transgressions end his life?
All in all, I liked this book. It was written just as well as the first two, and I loved the way that Baggott made the characters come to life. I really enjoyed Lyda's progression. She is my favorite character because she is strong even when it seems like she's about to give up. She seemed to be the least selfish out of all the characters, and so I think I was more drawn to her story arc.
My issue with the book is how it ended so abruptly. The last five pages pretty much summed up every character's actions as the Dome was falling, but we never get to see the aftermath. We don't know what happened to many of the characters. The readers never figure out what happened to all of the other strongholds where people were saved from the Detonations. I mean, I get that Pressia is letting go of her father by not convincing Bradwell and El Capitan to stop the Dome invasion and save the map in Ellery Willux's office, but there are still so many loose ends that I feel should have been closed. This is my personal preference, but I just think that the author could have spent less time re-explaining events from the previous two books and spent more time with the ending.
Ever since Partridge had been brought back into the Dome, they're lives became more restricted than ever. Yes, Partridge has power as the leader of the Dome, but what he didn't realize is how much is at stake, more than he ever realized when he was just his father's son. Every decision Partridge makes is life or death for the people he leads as well as the people who now see him as enemy #1.
Lyda gives herself up in order to stop bloodshed, thinking that if she could just reach Partridge and talk to him, she could help to make a difference. But, what happens when the new, free version of Lyda is put back in the cage that almost caused her to lose her mind initially? Of course, she is carrying Partridge's unborn baby, but that only grants her freedom until the baby is born. What will happen after the baby comes? Will she be able to get through to Partridge? and How will she ever escape the cage after it's locked her in once again?
Pressia is still on a mission to save those who were left outside during the detonations, but throughout this book, she is also on a mission to save herself. After finding the formula, she knows that there may be a cure out there, one that will allow those fused to others to become "pure" again, to erase the past that has scarred them. But, at what cost? Is she willing to give up her truth, her scars, to exist in a reality that neglects the pain?
Bradwell is brooding - really, he spends a lot of this book scowling or mad about something. After Pressia saved his life, he now sees himself as others see him - a monster. His wings are now massive, ugly, but slightly angelic at the same time. Because of this shame and anger, he spends much of the book determined to take down the Dome at all costs. The only problem is that the woman he loves wants the Dome to remain in order to save those who want to be "whole" again. Is his revenge more potent than his love for Pressia? Will he be a lover, a friend, a martyr, or all three when the story ends?
El Capitan said that he loves Pressia. He kissed her. These are things he can't take away, but he feels embarrassed by his confession because now those he's closest to know his secret. Although the secret is out, however, there's a greater mission at hand that needs his attention - the mission that will cleanse his soul and help him to gain forgiveness from others and from himself. With his newfound love for another person as well as the companionship of new friends, he realizes all of the wrong he has done in the past, and he wants to be absolved from all of it. Will he be able to gain forgiveness from those whose family and friends were killed by the precious version of himself, or will his past transgressions end his life?
All in all, I liked this book. It was written just as well as the first two, and I loved the way that Baggott made the characters come to life. I really enjoyed Lyda's progression. She is my favorite character because she is strong even when it seems like she's about to give up. She seemed to be the least selfish out of all the characters, and so I think I was more drawn to her story arc.
My issue with the book is how it ended so abruptly. The last five pages pretty much summed up every character's actions as the Dome was falling, but we never get to see the aftermath. We don't know what happened to many of the characters. The readers never figure out what happened to all of the other strongholds where people were saved from the Detonations. I mean, I get that Pressia is letting go of her father by not convincing Bradwell and El Capitan to stop the Dome invasion and save the map in Ellery Willux's office, but there are still so many loose ends that I feel should have been closed. This is my personal preference, but I just think that the author could have spent less time re-explaining events from the previous two books and spent more time with the ending.