Virals

Author: Kathy Reichs

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure

Series: Virals (book #1)

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists from the publisher at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage “sci-philes” who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot–if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer’s scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends– they’re a pack. They are Virals.

Positive Elements

Science and technology lessons are woven throughout this fast-paced adventure story. Most notably, the reader learns how sonicators work to remove layers of grunge from an object, how forensics are used to identify a human skeleton, how a person's fingerprint is obtained and then interpreted, and a bit about neuroanatomy. The four friends (referred to as the Virals) are very loyal and protective toward each other. They demonstrate courage and determination as they strive to solve an old murder mystery.

Spiritual Content

Hiram (Hi) is part of a Jewish family, but he does not like accompanying his parents to synagogue. Tory's dad (Kit) took her to church once; she recognized within 10 seconds he had never been there before and they never went back. Tory muses, "I hear the Big Guy's pretty understanding. I hope so." A couple of times, Tory thanks "various deities" when she isn't caught after breaking the law. Another time, she whispers a quiet prayer of thanks, but to whom she is not sure. In a time of distress, Tory thinks "Dear God in heaven!" After recovering from the parvovirus infection, Hiram utters a genuine "Thank God."

Sexual Content

Early in the story, we learn that Tory was conceived when her parents "hooked up" at age 16. She was kept secret from her dad until her mother's untimely death, at which time she was placed into his care.

Tory came home earlier than expected one evening and found Kit and his girlfriend entangled (fully dressed) on the couch. They quickly separate when they see her.

While searching classmate Chase's mansion for clues, the Virals discover that his girlfriend Hannah sleeps overnight at his house when she shows up wearing lingerie.

Violent Content

The Virals are shot at on several occasions. Hi and Shelton use two broom handles to knock a gun out of the hand of a pursuer, and then proceed to knock him out with a blow to the back of his head. The scientist responsible for creating the mutated parvovirus was shot and killed. Hannah shoots at the Virals and accidentally shoots Chase in the commotion (he lives). Tory incapacitates Hannah by whacking her twice in the head with a human bone. When captured at gunpoint, Tory kicks her assailant in the crotch and hits him twice in the head with a rolling pin.

Drug/Alcohol Content

It is mentioned once that Tory is addicted to the caffeine in Diet Coke. Tory's deceased grandparents smoked, but this is a negative memory for her.

Crude/Profane Language

Expletives are disturbingly frequent in this story. There are at least 26 uses of the word "hell"; 16 uses of "damn"; 11 uses of "bastard"' 5 uses of "bitch(es)"; 8 uses of "God" (in vain); and 3 uses of "Jesus" (in vain). The word a** is used 5 times, but it is also used as "kicka**" twice, "jacka**", "Head A**", and "Dr. Dumba**." "S**t" is used twice by itself, but also shows up as "s**tless", "apes**t", "bulls**t" twice, and "Holy s**t." The word "Holy" is also put in front of "hell" and "crap." "Frick" (as in "What the...") is used 3 times and "pissed" is used once.

Kit's girlfriend is described as having "jacked-up boobs."

Other Negatives

Tory doesn't call Kit a "jerk" to his face, but she thinks it. She also sarcastically thinks of stabbing Kit's girlfriend and receiving a medal for it. All of the Virals withhold information from their parents, including their serious illness after becoming infected with the virus.

In their quest to do something good by solving an old murder case, the Virals break laws and disregard adult authority figures. The Virals break into a research laboratory, a library, a lighthouse, and a mansion. When confronted in one-on-one interviews about the lab break-in, the Virals concoct an elaborate alibi and gloat afterward about how successfully they lied about their whereabouts.

Conclusion

The author does a good job making science "cool," and while there is some satisfaction at the end of the story that the Virals are able to use their smarts and their special abilities to solve the mystery, the way they reach their end point leaves a lot to be desired. The excessive, unnecessary use of profanity coupled with the law-breaking, disrespectful tactics makes this a book I cannot comfortably recommend to my children.

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: (Unnamed) book #1

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists from the publisher at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he is not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade - a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up - the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Positive Elements

The boys have done the best they can to create a working society minus adult supervision. There are gardeners, cooks, cleaners, explorers, etc. who answer to the leadership of two primary boys. Teamwork is essential, and the boys work together to solve problems. Difficult decisions are made by a council consisting of the named leaders from each working area of the Glade. Thomas believes that somehow he is partly responsible for the boys' predicament and risks his life on several occasions in order to help them figure out a way to escape. Thomas tells a younger boy that he should never feel bad about crying.

Spiritual Content

The boys know they are being watched at all times by their "Creators" (with a capital C), but I never got the sense that the writer wants us to think the Creators are a pseudonym for God. Though he doesn't remember specifics, Thomas senses that the boys are part of a big experiment.

Sexual Content

When Theresa (the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade) is hoisted from the lift, the boys joke that the medical attendant shouldn't have "first shot" at her. Someone else yells, "I'm next!" The leader of the group warns that anyone touching the girl will spend the night with the Grievers (see Violent Content below) in the Maze. Theresa is able to communicate telepathically to Thomas and the two of them are baffled as to how this can be. At one point, Theresa suggests that perhaps the two of them were lovers before having their memories erased. Thomas is attracted to Theresa, but their relationship doesn't move beyond holding hands.

Violent Content

The biggest threat to the boys' safety comes in the form of creatures called "Grievers" (part animal, part machine). Their bodies resemble a slimy slug, six feet long and four feet thick, with several randomly placed mechanical arms wielding dangerous weapons on the ends. The creatures are more likely to be moving through the Maze at night, and the only protection the boys have against them is that the walls of the Glade close at sunset. If a boy is "stung" by a Griever, he must receive a serum or he will die. After receiving the serum, he goes through an excruciating process known as "The Changing," in which his veins turn green and bruises and red marks appear on his body. He thrashes around in a delirious state as some of his old memories come back to him. A couple of the boys' demeanors change significantly after recovering, and they turn against decisions made by the leaders. Things that Thomas did in their past life particularly bother them and one boy attacks him for it. A leader shoots this boy with an arrow to his cheek and we think he is dead. When it is discovered that this boy didn't die, he is banished to the Maze overnight (only the collar from around his neck is found in the morning).

Theresa arrives with the message that "everything is going to change", and things slowly start to do just that. Most significantly the walls of the Glade stop closing at night, eliminating the community's only protection from the Grievers. Grievers roll into the Glade and take (and presumably kill) one boy each evening before retreating to the Maze. Thomas deliberately gets "stung" in an attempt to bring back any memories that could help them solve the Maze and secure their freedom. During their escape, half of the boys are killed in a bloody battle with the Grievers before Thomas and Theresa find the way to shut them down. In a particularly disturbing scene, a younger boy (Chuck) is killed when he throws himself in front of a dagger meant for Thomas. Thomas had made it his mission to get Chuck safely home to his parents. After Chuck dies, Thomas violently attacks the boy who threw the dagger, rendering him unconscious before two friends pulled him away.

Drug/Alcohol Content

Anyone stung by a Griever receives a serum to counter the effects. The serum is one of many provisions sent regularly to the boys by the Creators.

Crude Language

Newcomers to the Glade are called "Greenies." "Shank" is a derogatory way to address someone (the context implies the so-called is a loser or idiot). The word "klunk" is the oft-used term for excrement.

Other Negatives

The Keeper of the Blood House (the place where animals are slaughtered for food) is a disturbing character who seems to like his job a little too much. He makes few appearances in the story, but at one point after butchering a hog, Thomas sees him sitting in a dark corner gnawing on raw pigs' feet.

One boy who went through "The Changing" decides he doesn't want to go back to his old life after seeing the memories revealed to him. As a result, he willingly sacrifices himself to the Grievers with the hope that his life is enough to turn them away while the others escape (he doesn't tell anyone his plan).

Conclusion

This book was a suspense-filled read, mainly because the story is written from Thomas' perspective. If he doesn't know something, the reader doesn't either. The importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty and bravery are strong throughout, but the heaviness of the boys' situation coupled with the desperate escape plan and the death of Chuck left me feeling hopeless at the end. [Spoiler Warning] The set-up for the sequel promises more of the same - the reader is led to believe that the kids are rescued from the Creators by a rogue group of adults, only to learn in the epilogue that the rescue is all a ruse to get them to their next trial. If an adult "rescuer" is telling the truth, the kids are part of an elaborate experiment to find those capable of helping discover a cure for a terrible sickness affecting the world (the "Flare"). I am quite certain I will not read the sequel if I learn the tone is similar to this one.

Sword of Doom

Authors: James Jennewein and Tom S. Parker

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Rune Warriors (book #1)

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists from the publisher at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

Can life get any worse for Dane the Defiant?

The same villagers who once praised him for his courage in defeating Thidrek the Terrifying now blame him for everything that has gone wrong since then: The torrential downpours. The dwindling food supplies. Even the rampant outbreaks of armpit lice. Dane's deceased father would never have let things get so bad, the village elders say.

But then Dane is summoned to the fortress of King Eldred, where he receives the final piece of his father's legacy: an ancient secret written in mysterious runes that leads to no less than the treasure of the gods. But the treasure, he learns, is cursed, and his mother is kidnapped.

And so, braving an army of angry trolls and warring frost giants (and other fantastic creatures there isn't space here to describe), Dane and his friends must decipher the cryptic clues and embark on a quest to find the enchanted treasure and save her life. Oh, and all the while battling ultimate evil. Can Dane be the hero he has always wanted to be? Or will he fall prey to the curse and betray those he loves?

Positive Elements

Messages of love, loyalty, courage, persistence and teamwork are evident throughout this book. Early in the story, when the hero Dane is feeling defeated, his mother tells him, "All men get beaten, son; life does that. But the strong risk failure again and again, refusing to remain beaten." Dane has a deep desire to better know his deceased father and as a result, better know himself. Dane learns through his father's former brother-in-arms (Godrek) that his father chose a domestic life over a life of adventure. Dane has to come to terms with the fact that his father chose love and family over seeking treasure (something that greatly appeals to Dane). By the end of the book, Godrek is so overcome with greed when seeking a long-lost treasure that Dane realizes his father was right - love is more valuable than wealth. Dane and his friends learn the value and importance of teamwork and loyalty as they embark on a quest to stop the evil Godrek and save Dane's mother from his captivity. Additionally, there is a brief plug for the value of reading.

Spiritual Content

The story takes place in the time of the Vikings, so contains many references to Norse mythological characters. There are several occurrences of characters "praying" to the gods. Lut, the village seer, admits to himself

that he is not a "praying man" because he thinks it rarely moves gods to intervene, but he did say a silent prayer in one desperate situation. Lut also

consults runestones to forecast future events. A character known as a Valkyrja (named Mist) plays an important role in the story as one who transports only the bravest of warriors to Valhalla (Viking heaven).

Sexual Content

This is a primary area where, in my opinion, this book starts to fall apart. There are lots of references to the Viking life being one of gaining women's affections and entertaining multiple women. The tone of this area of the story feels much more twenty-first century than what one would expect to be historically accurate in the days of the Vikings. I got the impression the authors were trying to make this story relevant to today's culture, rather than immersing us in the Viking era. At one point, Dane removes his pants to pull a friend to safety and ends up losing his pants. He proceeds to cup his hands in front of his privates when the female member of his party (Astrid) rejoins him. This happened en route to meet the king where he was to be rewarded for an act of bravery. While dismounting from his horse, Dane loses the blanket covering his bottom half. This was witnessed by the king, the king's daughter and all the townspeople who had come out for the hero's welcome. We are told the young women of the town dressed in alluring outfits to catch Dane's eye. There are multiple occurrences of sexual innuendo throughout the story (i.e. the king telling Dane that he and Godrek "chased plenty of skirts" with Dane's father - he was stopped before he could tell more). The ancient seer, Lut, ogles the servants of the king, "admiring their every billow and bulge." Even Dane's pet raven (Klint) is said to have had a "fling" with a female raven during a time of separation from Dane. "There were a lot of ruffled feathers and squawking when Klint flew the roost" to rejoin Dane.

Violence

Though this book makes many attempts at humor, the gruesome acts of violence overshadow the levity by a long shot. There are many battles with swords, knives and axes where victims are shot through the chest, "skewered" through the neck, repeatedly stabbed, and/or beheaded. We learn of creatures known as "wights" with a taste for human flesh, along with a description of how they go about consuming one. The kids encounter a caterpillar-type monster in a cave and witness its consumption of a dwarf, complete with the sound of crunching bones. Thrym, a frost giant and friend to Dane's group, was struck by flaming arrows from enemy trolls. Instead of blood loss, he was weakened by water loss. In one battle with flaming arrows, a human from Godrek's traveling party was burned to death. The evil frost giant leader with a penchant for killing puts dead trolls and humans into a "press" to squeeze out their blood which he then freezes into popsicles, a frost giant delicacy. Godrek kills a man by plunging his sword into the man's belly and spilling out his vitals. Ultimately, a sea monster eats Godrek and spits his slime-covered head out at the feet of Dane and his friends.

Drug/Alcohol Content

Godrek pours powdered "wenderot" into his drink to ease pains from battle. Characters drink ale. The king gives each of his guests a gift of a drinking horn (Dane's mother instructs the servants to only bring non-alcoholic drinks for the 10 year old in their party). Trolls who had been drinking too much are painted in a negative light. Two of Dane's friends drunkenly arm wrestle at a local celebration.

Crude Language

Negative words or phrases present in the story include "pisshole," "muckhead," "idiot," "ass," "motherless bastard," "bastard," "vain, self-lauding ass," and "preening ass."

Other Negatives

One character is dubbed "Fulnir the Stinking" and much is made of his ability to stink up a room. In fact, most of the attempts at humor in this story relate to this character in one way or another. There are several mentions of him scratching his privates. Astrid talks back to the Norns (Furies), her elders, in a disrespectful way.

Conclusion

The positive messages in this story are spelled out rather plainly, almost in a "preachy" way, but in my opinion, they are overshadowed by the sexual innuendo and the violence. I never cared enough about the characters to be concerned when they faced danger - I only dreaded how gory the descriptions of that violence were going to be each time. I think the authors set out to teach the reader something about the Viking lifestyle, but at times it read more like a report than an engaging story. Example: "After the nattmal - the night meal, consisting usually of hot stews and roasted meats - with the horses watered and fed...." We aren't told here what the characters actually ate. As I alluded to earlier, I was confused between information like this, and what seemed like 21st century conversations and behaviors between the characters.

The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians (book #1)

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists from the publisher at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school . . . again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes himself.

Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.

Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he's coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends–one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena–will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Positive Elements

The author does a good job developing Percy's character from a troubled kid to a budding hero. Percy is loyal to his friends, and displays much courage and wit when facing difficult situations. He deeply loves his mother and risks great danger to both protect and rescue her. One of his teachers, Mr. Brunner (who turns out to be a centaur and Camp Half-Blood instructor named Chiron), pushes Percy to do his best in spite of his ADHD and dyslexia. Ultimately, good triumphs over evil, although there is a set-up for the sequel at the end of the book.

Spiritual Content

Given that this is a book incorporating Greek mythology, I was interested to see that the author gave a nod to the one true God. Chiron tells Percy great powers are at work in his life and that gods are very much alive. Percy responds by saying, "Wait, you're telling me there's such a thing as God." Chiron answers, "Well, now, God - capital G, God. That's a different matter altogether. We shan't deal with the metaphysical." He goes on to say he was referring to "gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter."

That said, because worshiping the gods was a common practice in ancient Greece, there are still spiritual elements to the story. Percy learns that monsters (such as a Minotaur) can be killed, but do not die because they do not have souls. They can be dispelled for awhile, but they are primal forces and eventually re-form. The kids at Camp Half-Blood offer bits of their dinners as an aromatic burnt offering to the gods. Percy meets with the spirit of Delphi to learn the prophecy for a quest he has been challenged to accept. She speaks to him through a green mist that wraps around his brain so that he hears her voice in his head. Percy prays on two occasions: once, he says "Father, help me," to his father Poseidon, and another time he finds himself muttering a prayer, though he isn't sure to whom.

One's behavior in life determines which part of the Underworld one lives in after death. At either extreme, "good" people live in Elysium, a luxurious, gated community, and "bad" people live in the Fields of Punishment, where they are tortured for eternity. Percy's quest involves traveling with two friends to the Underworld to meet with Hades. Once there, he sees a televangelist in the entry line who had raised millions of dollars for orphanages, but then got caught spending it on luxury items for himself. He died in a police chase when his "Lamborghini for the Lord" went off a cliff. Percy asks why a preacher who believes in a different hell would be in the Underworld. His friend responds, "Who says he is seeing this place the way we're seeing it? Humans see what they want to see."

Sexual Content

A large part of the stories of the gods and goddesses involve their intimate relations with each other and with mortals. The affairs are not graphically explained in the book, but the reader knows that the relationships occurred, as well as the names of any children that resulted. The author writes that after WWII, the "Big Three" (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades) agreed that they would not father any more children because their children were too powerful and affecting the course of human events too much. However, Poseidon broke the agreement and had a secret relationship with a mortal who conceived and bore Percy. As a result, Percy is considered a demigod or half-blood.

The reluctant director of Camp Half-Blood, Dionysis, has the job partly as a punishment from his father Zeus for having relations with a wood nymph. Ares has a date with his girlfriend Aphrodite who is married to Hephaestus.

Violent Content

There is plenty of sword-fighting (Percy carries a pen that, when uncapped, becomes a sword). When a monster is slain, it explodes into a yellow powder and vaporizes on the spot. Percy kills a minotaur by first removing, and then driving, his own horn into his side. A battle with the Furies involves whips, Percy's sword, and Annabeth's knife. Percy uses his sword to kill Medusa, and then he severs her head and ships it in a box to Mt. Olympus. Percy battles a fire-breathing Chimera. Percy slashes Procrustes with his sword in an effort to save his endangered friends. In a battle with Ares, Percy stabs his sword into Ares' foot, causing ichor (the golden blood of the gods) to flow from the wound. Percy contemplates kicking his cruel stepfather in the groin.

Drug/Alcohol Content

Gabe (Percy's stepfather) is a poker-playing, beer-drinking, and cigar-smoking man. We are told he spends a lot of money on beer. Dionysis is the god of wine and at one point he conjures up a glass. He looks to Zeus and apologizes before changing it to a can of Diet Coke. Some people waiting to enter the Underworld smoke cigarettes. A surfer "screamed something about bad mushrooms" when he sees Percy and his friends surface unexpectedly in the ocean.

Crude Language

In frustration, Percy calls his English teacher an "old sot." Percy nicknamed his stepfather "smelly Gabe." There are several occurrences of curse phrases in ancient Greek.

Other Negative Elements

Gabe asks Percy to provide his gambling funds and to keep it secret from his mom. He is selfish and demanding of Percy's mom. At the end of the story, Percy gives his mom the box containing Medusa's head (it was returned to him by his father). He encourages her to use it on Gabe (anyone who looks at the head turns into a statue). She says she could never do that, but later Percy receives word that Gabe went missing and, "on an unrelated note," Percy's mom sold her first life-size statue of a poker player to an art collector in New York.

Percy, Grover and Annabeth steal clothes from a closed-down water park.

Percy's friend Annabeth (another demigod) explains that he has dyslexia because he is hard-wired for ancient Greek, and in fact, reading it does come easier for him. His difficulty sitting still is because of battlefield reflexes which, in a real fight, will keep him alive. His attention problems are because he sees too much - he has better senses than regular mortals. Annabeth then tells him, "Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."

Discussion

These Literature Circle questions were present in the copy I read, and I thought some might find them helpful when discussing the book:

1. Describe what kind of student Percy Jackson is. What troubles does he have in school?

2. What is Percy's relationship with his mother? Why does he think she has bad luck?

3. What does Percy discover about the Greek gods at Camp Half-Blood? What do they have to do with the camp?

4. Why is Percy more excited than scared about his upcoming quest to the Underworld? What other feelings does he have about his assignment?

5. What clues do Percy and his friends have that all is not right with "Auntie Em"? Why do you think they overlook the clues?

6. What does Percy's fight with Echidna reveal about his character? What new things does he discover about himself?

7. The god Ares says he loves America. He calls it "the best place since Sparta." What does he mean? Do you agree with his assessment of America? Why? Why not?

8. At the Lotus Casino, Percy realizes that unless he gets out quickly, he will "...stay here, happy forever, playing games forever, and soon I'd forget my mom, and my quest, and maybe my own name. I'd be playing Virtual Rifleman with groovy Disco Darrin forever." What critique is the author offering of modern life? Do you agree with it?

9. When describing the effects of Mist, Chiron says, "Remarkable, really, the lengths humans will go to fit things into their version of reality." How is this true in the novel? In Greek mythology?

10. When Percy finally meets his father, Poseidon seems distant and hard to read. Percy says that he is actually glad about this. "If he'd tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled - that would have felt fake. Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around." Do you agree with Percy?

11. How does the last line of the prophecy - you shall fail to save what matters most in the end - come true? What do you think of this ending? Did Percy make the right choice?

12. Throughout the story, Percy is troubled by frightening dreams. In what ways do those dreams increase the tension in the story? Is their menace completely resolved by the end of the story?

13. After her return from the quest, Annabeth resolves to try again to live with her father and her stepfamily. Do you think they will all get along better now? Why? Why not? What do you predict will happen?

14. In the end of the book, do you sympathize at all with Luke's feelings of betrayal? Is there anything you can relate to about his point of view?

15. Percy's learning difficulties become strengths in a different context. What seem to be attention problems enable him to be aware of all sides of attack during a battle. While he struggles to read English, he masters ancient Greek almost effortlessly. What skills are valued most in today's society? How might students who struggle today have been successful in a different moment in history?

Conclusion

I thought this book was a fast-paced, creative, humorous and well-written introduction to the characters and stories of Greek mythology, a subject most children will study at some point in their academic career. As with most books, there is room for discussion and analysis with your reader afterward, focusing especially on separating mythological beliefs from Biblical beliefs. Also, for children who live with ADHD and/or dyslexia, I am not sure how the author's use of these conditions will be received. I did not like the idea that teachers want these kids medicated because most of them are monsters and don't want the kids discovering their true identity.

Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse

Author: Kaleb Nation

Genre: Fantasy

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists from the publisher at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

Bran Hambric was found alone in a locked bank vault when he was six years old. He doesn’t have a clue how he got there, or any memory of his past. There’s only one explanation: Magic. But magic is outlawed in the Great and Glorious City of Dunce.

Eight years later, a twisted, hissing creature confronts Bran and his foster father, Sewey, on their rooftop. Sewey believes it’s a gnome, but not Bran. (Sewey isn’t the brightest Duncelander to begin with.) Bran soon discovers that whatever leapt onto his roof is connected to the mother he never knew…and that Bran himself is the missing link in a plot so secret and evil that those behind it will stop at nothing to hunt him down.

Armed with wands and weapons, Bran’s enemies are about to attack — with all the power of a horrible curse and a terrible crime. Magic won’t be the only law broken in the City of Dunce…

Positive Elements

Bran is an orphaned child who desperately wants to learn all he can about the mother he never knew. Once he learns that she had a criminal past, he still loves her, but refuses to accept an offer from Basyln to complete the work she had started. Rosie Tuttle (a cousin of Mabel who lives with, and works for, the Wilomas family) is very kind to Bran and he thinks of her like a mother. She dreams of writing stories for the newspaper about heroes defeating evil, fighting fire, and rescuing children, but muses that heroes have practically disappeared. She asks Bran what type of person he will be - one who gives up when things get hard, or one who finds the courage to be a hero. Bran later uses this same line to encourage Rosie, and he recalls it again in the climax battle of the book.

Spiritual Content

Since magic of any form is outlawed in the city of Dunce, there is a group of parents that calls themselves Decensitists (the name came about by "butchering the word decency"). They are strictly anti-magic, and make up stories for their children telling them such things don't exist. Someone gives Bran a silver, moon-shaped pendant from his mother and when he puts it on, he is immediately mentally transported to another place - a room containing a lifeless body. When he removes the pendant, he returns to where he was before he put it on. Invisible "forces" or beings seem to be in Bran's room. He senses movement and sees shadows, but nothing ever comes of this. When Bran encounters a gnome hidden in the city, he learns about an old religious custom ("Sevvenyears") where gnomes risk capture to come back to Dunce every seventh year of their lives to visit a sacred Givvyng Tree. Later, that same gnome "murmured a few prayers into the air" and knew what he was to do once he finished. On a different occasion, in desperation, he prays "deep within himself" that his friend is still alive. Bran is told, while being instructed by a mage hidden in the city, that magic comes from a place deep inside, and if you reach deep enough you can feel it, pull it out, and wrap it around your fingers. The story includes a definition of 5 different types of magic that revolve around the elements. They are: 1) Archon - powers in fire, water, earth and air; 2) Comsar - powers revolve around things of the mind; 3) Netora - physical powers including the ability to lift objects telekinetically, and to teleport; 4) Illian - power to make conjurations; and 5) Drimra ("mages of the mortal") - powers deal with the very being in each person, the power to bring forth life. The main nemesis hid his spirit in Bran so that one day when he died, his spirit would live on and he could be brought back to life. He mentally communicates with Bran at several points in the story (his is the lifeless body Bran sees in the vision). Bran is forced to touch his corpse, at which point Baslyn takes back his soul and comes to life.

Sexual Content

None

Violent Content

For a book about magic, there is a surprising amount of gun violence. In the prologue, Bran's mother is shot to death and the scene is witnessed by a young girl. Sewey carries a revolver in his briefcase. Bran and Astara are shot at, but use magic to deflect the bullets. Adi (the mage who taught Bran) is hit in the head with the butt of a gun, and then shot at. Astara uses magic to try and stop the bullet, but thinks she was unable to do so (we later learn she succeeded and Adi survives). Elspeth (the powerful mage who also shot Bran's mother) holds a gun to Astara's head, threatening to kill her if Bran doesn't obey a command. Even Baslyn, the powerful mage nemesis, points a gun at Bran and Astara, about to shoot, but someone steps in to save them just in time. There are several occurrences of characters being seized by the neck and nearly choked to death. Bran is viciously attacked by a raven but discovers it was something of an hallucination - when he comes to, he realizes no one else saw it occur and his injuries have disappeared. When fearing an intruder in the Wilomas' home, Bran carries a kitchen knife with him to explore the basement. The family views a news report describing violence against gnomes. One of the bad guys hits Astara twice across her face.

Drug/Alcohol Content

Mrs. Wiloma (Mabel) is a hypochondriac and takes a large assortment of herbal remedies and other preventative medicines with non-sensical names. She sees an alternative medicine practitioner. A community picnic is likened to a circus or the mayor's birthday - "both of which were very much the same after the kegs of Duncelander Ale had been cracked open." Sewey decides to visit a pub to cool his nerves, and brings Bran with him. Bran asks if he is sure a pub is the best place for that, to which Sewey responds: "Who do you think you are: my father? I'm an adult, I can do what I want!" Sewey orders ale, but is told the sale of intoxicating beverages ended 5 minutes earlier (they both have water). The pub waitress arrives at their table with two cigarettes hanging from her mouth, and one of the bad guys also smokes.

Crude/Profane Language

The phrase "shut up" is used once. Balder (the Wiloma's son) calls Bran a "serf" as he cleans the house.

Other Negative Elements

The Wilomas family is a mess. The dad is arrogant and idiotic, the mom is a manic hypochondriac, the daughter eats candy non-stop, and the son is demanding and lazy. Both children are extremely spoiled. The parents readily give in to their demands and temper tantrums. There are childish displays between husband and wife (at one point when angry, Sewey sticks out his tongue at Mabel). When a bad guy forgets his cell phone in a pub, Bran steals it to try and learn more information.

Conclusion

It is generally my goal to be as objective as possible when I write these reviews, so that readers can use the information I present to decide whether or not to read a book, and then form their own opinion of a story. However, I'm finding it difficult to keep quiet about my opinion of this book! I really did not like it! Only my desire to give every book a fair chance and my commitment to writing this blog kept me turning the pages. It is evident, based on a number of obvious similarities, that the author was heavily influenced by J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. The story is just nowhere near the quality. I thought there were many scenes the author could have left out because they did not contribute anything to the story other than making the book longer (430 pages!). I dreaded any scene involving members of the Wilomas family (besides Rosie) - they were SO over the top. Also, the fact that the gnome prays "deep within himself," and that Bran is instructed to reach deep inside himself to find his magic is, I believe, a postmodern teaching. The only redeeming element of this story, for me, is the message of choosing to do the right thing even when the cards are stacked against you. Unfortunately, there is just too much noise to get through in order to receive it.

Shield of Stars

Author: Hilari Bell

Genre: Fantasy Adventure

Series: Shield, Sword, and Crown (book #1)

Summary

(Note: Since a good synopsis of this book already exists at barnesandnoble.com, I copied the following section from that site. My own evaluation of the book starts with the section "Positive Elements.")

Weasel fumbled the cloth aside. It was a shield, steel plate over dark wood, with rotting leather straps. It looked old, and battered, and real.

A former pickpocket, Weasel is the type of boy most people would avoid. Certainly, no one would ever trust him -- except for one man. Justice Holis took Weasel off the streets, gave him a home, a job as his clerk, and a key to his house. Weasel's new life may be a bit boring, but for the first time someone actually cares about him.

Now Justice Holis is the one in trouble. Arrested for treason, he will surely hang unless someone saves him -- and that someone can only be Weasel. But what can one boy do? Not much without help.

So with a mysterious girl named Arisa by his side, Weasel goes in search of the Falcon, the most dangerous bandit in Deorthas, but also the one person who would be able -- and possibly willing -- to stage a prison break.

But Weasel's fate changes when he stumbles upon a shield. Could this be the one said to have been lost for centuries, the one that bestows power on whoever holds it? If so, Weasel, once a lowly pickpocket, could be the most powerful person in the land.

Positive Elements

In spite of his line that he cares about himself first, himself second, and nobody else, Weasel goes to great lengths to free the man who gave him food, shelter, and a second chance at an honest life. He also chooses to rescue Arisa after she is captured by the palace guard, rather than abandoning her to continue his quest to find the Falcon. This decision results in positive consequences for Weasel. Weasel and Arisa have a discussion where she tells him, “…if you see injustice, if you see that things are wrong, you have to care! You have to try to fix them.” Throughout the story, Weasel prefers to use his wits instead of violence to solve problems. When violent acts occur (see summary below), Weasel often wishes there had been another way. At one point, he deters Arisa from killing some sleeping guards.

Spiritual Content

While we aren’t given specific dates, the context of the story seems to take place in the Middle Ages. Worship of the “One God” is becoming more commonplace, especially among the townspeople. “The God be praised” or “the God be thanked” were phrases thought or said by different characters. When Arisa asks Weasel if he is a follower of God, he recalls early memories of cold, stone walls, hard benches, and an old man talking on and on while his mother told him to keep quiet. He tells her that since God didn’t save either of his parents, he doesn’t figure he owes Him anything. At one point when Weasel and Arisa need a safe place to hide, they go to a church that opens its doors each evening to provide food and shelter to the poor and homeless. The church is involved in organizing the rebellion against the current regent, and when Weasel and Arisa meet with the priest (whom Weasel knows through jobs for his master), he is in the process of burning all his evidence and preparing to leave the city lest he get captured like the other conspirators. The priest relates seeing three parallel shooting stars that he believes were a sign from God that He is taking a hand in the current events.

Most of the country-folk secretly worship the old gods, more out of custom or superstition than real faith. For example, farmers post a straw doll (representative of a god called the “Lady”) on a fencepost near their crops to bring her blessing on them. There is a group of people in the country who call themselves “The Hidden.” The townspeople suspect them of kidnapping small children and sacrificing them to the gods, though there had not been a proven case in several hundred years. Arisa uses a deck of arcana cards to tell Weasel his fortune on two occasions. Most of the cards contain an image of one of the old gods and each card delivers a message to the hearer. (see "Conclusion" for further discussion) When Weasel expresses his doubt of the ethics of fortune-telling, Arisa says only those who have “withe” (meaning 'one with the earth or with earth magic') can accurately interpret the cards, and she had been told she has this.

Sexual Content

A drunk patron in a tavern asks Arisa why she is dressed like a boy. While suggesting how she could better dress, he runs a hand over her breasts.

Violent Content

On different occasions, members of the palace guard cuff both Weasel and Arisa in the head. One blow to Weasel knocks him out, and a blow to Arisa leaves her face black and blue. Arisa demonstrates fighting skills that make Weasel wonder who she really is. In self-defense and on different occasions, Arisa administers a groin kick to an adult male, breaks three fingers of an adult male who touches her inappropriately, stomps on and breaks a guard’s foot, and slashes an officer’s arm with a knife. The Falcon kills the unlawful regent with a gunshot to the head. Weasel observes that the bullet hole above the regent’s eye is smaller than he expected, but that the entire back of the regent’s head appeared to be missing.

Drug/Alcohol Content

Weasel and Arisa stay in taverns/inns along their journey. Weasel puts half a bottle of sleeping syrup into a cask of ale in order to drug the guard so he could free Arisa. He is concerned the dose may be too high and fears he might poison the guard (something he does not wish to do).

Crude/Profane Language

The words “arse” and “bastard” are used once. Weasel calls the young prince a “withless piece of sludge.”

Other Negative Elements

Before going to work as a scribe for the judge, Weasel survived as a pickpocket. He uses this "skill" a number of times during his search for the Falcon. Road bandits justify their thievery by putting their bounty toward funding the rebellion against the regent. They contrast what they do with what the royal guard does when they use force to arrest people for not paying their taxes, and then live a life of luxury.

Conclusion

The arcana cards seem to play an important role in the story, as both times Weasel hears his fortune, several pages are devoted to the interpretation of the cards. I didn't know what to make of the fact that the last card turned over for Weasel was the card for the "One God," called "the god of the book." The image on the card is a book representing knowledge, scholarship, and all the good works of man's intellect. Arisa explains that in the past, the "One God" was considered one of the lesser gods because His only interest was the affairs of men. As He became more popular, His priests changed His name from "the narrow god" to the "One God." In my opinion, the author does not make her beliefs about God very clear in the story. I felt confused as to what to think about God by the time I finished the book. There were several passages that made me think she respects God and His church, but then the main character has negative memories of attending church, and he tells his friend he didn't think he owed God anything. At one point of desperation, Weasel does give some thought to learning how to pray, but nothing more is said about this. In addition, God was just one of many other gods on the arcana cards. The message on His card didn't seem to carry any more weight than the messages on the other gods' cards.

While overall this book does contain a positive message of loyalty and friendship, I would not recommend it due to the confusing message it delivers about God.