Month: January 2016

‘Whatever After: Bad Hair Day’ by Sarah Mlynowski: Fractured fairy tale

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 stars

It’s Rapunzel’s turn to take a spin in Sarah Mlynowski’s middle grade series “Whatever After: Bad Hair Day.” Jonah and his sister Abby take a trip through the magic mirror in their basement to fairyland, where magic is possible. This is the fourth book in the series, and as in all the stories, there is a message to be had.

At the beginning of the book Abby is upset and frustrated. They have moved to a new town, and while Abby was the spelling champion in her old school, she came in ninth in her new school. She wonders if the fact that she did so poorly in the Spelling Bee means that she’s not smart.

She did get a certificate of participation, but it’s laughable (to her) when she is used to getting first prize. Her brother teases her about being a bad speller, which doesn’t help her feelings of inadequacy. To cheer her up, Jonah suggests a trip through the portal into a fairy tale.

When they do enter the mirror, the puppy they brought back from their last fairy tale adventure goes with them. Mlynowski has cleverly had them name the puppy “Prince” so whenever they talk about a prince when they arrive in the fairy tale, the puppy barks. So Abby and Jonah decide to call the “real” prince “Pickles.”

They end up in Rapunzel’s fairy tale, and as usual, something happens to change the story. In this case, Jonah climbs the tower with his soccer shoes (with cleats) on which rip Rapunzel’s hair. The trim that Abby gives her with nail scissors doesn’t help the situation.

They defeat the wicked witch, help Rapunzel meet her prince, and get home safely with Prince, the puppy. And along the way Abby realizes that Rapunzel didn’t need her hair to get the prince and be happy. Sometimes the thing that you think makes you special isn’t really that important. Like being a spelling bee champion.

That’s a great moral for kids in our society. Too many need the trophy or certificate to feel that they are successful. It’s the personal qualities that make a child special — being kind, helping someone, doing a good deed. And if this book helps get that message across, then it should be read in every classroom. Although it’s probably more appropriate for those in grades two through four.

Read all the “Whatever After” books starting with “Fairest of All, ” “If the Shoe Fits,” “Sink or Swim,” “Dream On,” “Bad Hair Day,” “Cold as Ice,” “Beauty Queen,” and “Once Upon a Frog.”

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Scholastic Press for review purposes.

‘Full Cicada Moon’ by Marilyn Hilton: Middle grade historical fiction Use your key for the next article

/ Pamela Kramer

full cicada

Rating: 5 stars

In a time when diversity is celebrated and bullying is punished, “Full Cicada Moon” by Marilyn Hilton is like a look back to to show how far we’ve come. It’s set in the year 1969, a time when civil rights was in the news and man was about to take a giant step of another kind — onto the moon.

Hilton writes the story of thirteen-year-old Mimi, the child of a black Marine veteran and his Japanese wife. Her father is a college professor and when they move to Vermont from Berkeley, California, Mimi experiences prejudice for perhaps the first time in her life. No one in the small college town is used to someone who looks like Mimi, and the reader feels the sting along with Mimi as people ask, “Where are you from?” or “What nationality are you?”

The story is told beautifully in free verse and Hilton’s writing is poetry. When her father tells Mimi about Freedom March with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Washington, D.C., Hilton writes:

“Then he tells me the air on that August day
felt thick with heat and determination
smelled like baby powder, Old Spice, and grit,
sounded like clapping and harmony, a
million footsteps on the same path
tasted like hot dogs and hope.”

Her father continues and says,
“Even now, that day reminds me
that raindrops are stronger than hammers.”

And every time that Mimi does something to stand up for herself the reader is reminded of that fact by the oft-repeated words “drip, drip, drip.” Mimi wants to take a woodshop class but is forced to take home economics instead. Instead of accepting the inevitable, Mimi works to change the system.

Hilton creates a setting and plot that are realistic and also inspiring. Mimi is a fabulous and admirable protagonist — a true hero — in her intelligence, her fervor to change injustice, her loyalty, and her compassion. There will be more than one scene that will have adults reading the book reach for the nearest tissue box. Children reading this will probably not understand all the inferences and subtleties, but will enjoy the book on a different level for the plot and outcome.

The setting becomes important in terms of when Hilton chose to set the story. While Mimi is making small steps on the road to equality, astronauts are making giant steps on the road to exploring space. Mimi wants to be an astronaut, she wants to study science, she wants to build things, and she wants to make a difference. She is the kind of character that inspires readers, and she is the kind of character that will inspire fabulous conversations about many topics ranging from race, bigotry, and equality to cultural differences, friendship and how to cause change.

This book is a great choice to promote classroom discussion and to enhance a unit of study on diversity, heroism, and change. It’s a great choice for readers between the ages of ten and fifteen. This would be a great companion book to “The Sound of Life and Everything,” which takes place in the same period and covers some of the same topics from a different point of view.

Please note: This review is based on the final, hardcover book provided by the publisher, Dial Books, for review purposes.

‘The Look of Love’ by Sarah Jio: About love in all its permutations

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 1/2 stars

In “The Look of Love,” Sarah Jio takes a hard look at love and all its permutations. Innocent love, unrequited love, shared love, platonic love, and passionate fiery love. Which love is best? There is no conclusion; rather, Jio seems to be saying that we all choose the kind of love we end up with.

In the story, Jane finds out that she has been gifted with the ability to “see” love. That means that when she sees love, her vision gets cloudy, she gets a headache, and sometimes she even faints. The doctors find a small tumor which they believe is causing the phenomenon. Jane prefers to believe the French woman who explained to her on her 29th birthday that she must identify the six different types of love before she turns 30 or risk never finding love in her own life.

Jane is a florist — she owns the shop that her grandmother started, which then was her mother’s. Her mother died when Jane was 18, and she still misses her horribly. One slightly disconcerting inclusion by Jio is Jane’s recollection about the day her father left her mother. Her mother’s response to Jane’s childish attempt to help was cruel — yet Jane obviously adores her mother in the rest of the book. Since that’s the only real interaction the reader gets between Jane and her mother, it feels a bit strange.

The story is artfully told from many points of view. Jane tells her story in first person. The stories of her friends are told in third person narrative: Mary, the hairdresser who is married to a musician; Lo, who is head over heels in love with a married man; Katie, who married her soulmate Josh; Jane’s brother Flynn, who falls in love with a woman he sees through his living room window day after day; and Mel, the guy who owns the newspaper stand and falls for the classy Englishwoman who looks down on him.

And then there’s Jane, who meets and falls for a science writer who may not believe in love or her gift.

Jio is brilliant at using the setting to advantage, and readers will want to visit Seattle if just to see Pike’s Market and all the fabulous places Jane and her friends visit. The descriptions of the salty smell of the water and the aroma of cakes baking in the bakery next door make the places come alive. And be prepared to suddenly crave flowers — lots of beautiful bouquets.

Jio’s fans will really love this new story that is all about love, and those who are new to Jio will fall in love with her many characters and her charming storytelling.

Please note: This review is based on the advance readers copy provided by the publisher, Plume, for review purposes.

‘Connect the Stars’ by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 1/2 stars

“Connect the Stars” is a wonderful middle grade book by the husband and wife team of Marisa de los Santos and David Teague. It’s about two middle school students who are each misfits in their own way. Audrey has an ability to tell when someone is lying — almost a supernatural ability to know truth from prevarication. Aaron has almost an eidetic ability to remember anything he has ever read or heard.

But both of their super abilities lead them to feel different from those around them. Audrey catches her best friends lying to her. She thinks that lying is the worst thing one can do to a friend, so she cuts off the friendships. That leaves her with no friends. Aaron is brilliant at facts, figures and dates, but if asked about a feeing — he is lost.

Both Audrey and Aaron get sent to wilderness survival camp for six weeks of intensive hiking through the desert. Their survival leader is crazy, one of their fellow hikers is a huge bully, and the stereotypical mean girl is right there with them. The story is told in alternative first person narrative by Audrey and Aaron, a technique that works well to help the reader understand what each of them is thinking.

It’s middle grade fiction, so Audrey and Aaron always do the right thing even when it means that they might lose some competitions. But when lives are at stake, Audrey and Aaron come through with more intelligence, compassion and integrity than expected. They also learn about how their strengths (knowing if someone is lying and memorization of data) can also be a source of weakness. Their strengths do come in very handy during the ordeal, but they also learn a lot about themselves.

This is a great choice for the fifth through eighth grade classrooms. It would also be a wonderful choice for a read aloud.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by HarperCollins for review purposes.

‘Dangerous Lies’ by Becca Fitzpatrick: Young adult thriller

/ Pamela Kramer

dangerous lies

Rating: 4 stars

Becca Fitzpatrick changes genre with her newest release “Dangerous Lies.” Fitzpatrick wrote the series “Hush, Hush,” a romantic young adult hit which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. “Dangerous Lies” is a young adult thriller in which the main character, Stella Gordon, is in the witness protection program.

She leaves her home and her mother (who is in rehab) to live with a former cop in Thunder Basin, Nebraska, a small town in the middle of nowhere. Stella is used to excitement, and living with a strict and uptight woman is not her cup of tea. She also left behind her boyfriend, who is also in the witness protection program.

Stella is a typical teenager. She takes unnecessary risks to contact her boyfriend, knowing that it’s dangerous. She gets a job, but stands up to the town bully, which the readers just know is going to lead to problems. She is attracted to the boy-next-door (literally) while knowing that the relationship can’t go anywhere.

But the read is filled with action and character building. It’s not great literature, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It’s a great escape book to read in one sitting. It would be a good choice for reluctant readers or for those who like action stories. Some of the surprises are hinted at and readers might guess at the twists and turns ahead of time, but it doesn’t detract from the reading.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for review purposes.

‘The Cat Who Came in off the Roof’: charming middle grade fiction

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 1/2 stars

“The Cat Who Came in off the Roof” by Annie M. G. Schmidt is a charming tale of a shy newspaper reporter and the cats of Kellenthorn, a small town where cats are the preferred pet, and they roam the streets picking up news and tidbits of information.

Tibble is the shy news reporter who only writes about cats. In the first chapter, his editor tells him to stop writing about cats. Unless he finds other stories (that are NOT about cats), he will lose his job. Well, Tibble is extremely shy, and even talking to his editor is stressful for him. When he sees a dog chase a young woman up a tree, he rescues her. But she disappears before he can question her, so accompanied by his cat, Fluff, he writes up the story of the German shepherd who chased a lady up a tree. The reader should note here that Tibble is frustrated because he can’t find his peppermints.

In the next chapter, the reader finds out more about the strange tree-climbing lady. She is really a cat who was changed into a person after she ate a mysterious substance from the rubbish bin next door to the house where she lived. She grabbed some clothes from the lady of the house and is now roaming the streets. She is hungry and asks the neighborhood cats for help.

Imagine Tibble’s surprise when he hears a noise in the kitchen and finds the young lady in his garbage with a fish skeleton in her mouth. She is soaking wet, and his first thought is that she looks like “a sad, half-drowned cat. A hungry stray!” So he feeds her, and, after some discussion, offers to let her sleep in a large cardboard box in his extra room (a storage room). She had wanted to sleep in the cardboard box! He doesn’t believe that she had been a cat until he sees her talking to his cat. She then tells him exactly where his peppermints are after Fluff tells her where Tibble had left them.

One thing leads to another, and soon Tibble is learning all sorts of news — about everybody — to write about through Miss Minou (the cat-lady) and the steady stream of information from all the cats in town. When a teacher, for example, is very sad about not having his 25th anniversary of teaching celebrated (because no one remembers), Tibble interviews him and writes about it. Then the town does celebrate it.

Of course there is a bad guy, Mr. Ellmore, who owns the deodorant factory in town. He hates cats and owns a dog who also hates cats. He wants to be elected as a town commissioner (so he can expand his deodorant factory), so when asked to be the head of the Animal Lover’s Association, he agrees. In the meantime, he kicks cats and whips them when no one is looking. He does other horrible deeds which only the cats witness. Finally, when he drives into the fishmonger’s market (a cat favorite) and injures the fishmonger, only one human, Billy, is a witness. But Mr. Ellmore bribes Billy into silence with a job offer. Only the cats are there to tell the truth.

Tibble finally gets the courage to write about the incident and the truth about Ellmore, but the town and his editor are outraged. There is no proof of the incident until Bibi, a young girl who has befriended both Minou and Tibble, works with Minou and the cats in town to gather evidence about Ellmore’s true nature.

The story is charmingly told and has a predictable but lovely ending. It’s a perfect read aloud for the intermediate classroom or for children from third grade through sixth grade who love animals. It’s utter fantasy, but an adorable fantasy that kids will enjoy. As any cat lover will recognize, Schmidt perfectly captures the mannerisms of a cat-turned-human, and the twist at the end is perfect!

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Delacorte Books for Young Readers for review purposes.

‘Whippoorwill’ by Joseph Monninger: Wonderful young adult story

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

“Whippoorwill” by Joseph Monninger is a beautiful story about a girl, a boy, and the dog who saves them. Wally, the big black dog who lives in the backyard next door to sixteen-year-old Clair, is chained to a pole every day and night. His pathetic world is filled with excrement, bitter cold in the winter, biting bugs in the summer, and barely enough to eat from the scraps thrown on the ground when he is remembered by the occupants of the house.

The story begins on a frigid February night when the temperature in New Hampshire is thirty below zero. Wally is chained, as always, to a pole. His legs are covered with snow, and Claire wonders if he has frozen to death. She says, in the first person narrative, “A dog is a social animal. Tying a dog out on a pole by himself is about the cruelest thing you can do to a canine.”

Because her bedroom window looks out over her neighbor’s yard, she sees Danny Stewart when he throws the scraps at Wally. The Stewarts are Whippoorwills, the New Hampshire term for those whose yards are filled with all kinds of trash and rubbish, cars, and other detritus.

Monninger must have a dog or must have studied them because his description of Wally’s forlorn despair is heartfelt. Even more than food, Wally wants attention. Claire finds a book in the school library by a priest named Father Jasper. Father Jasper taught himself to train dogs and his book gives Claire the strength and the information she needs to try to help Wally.

After her first disastrous attempt to take Wally for a walk, Danny Stewart, the eighteen-year-old boy who lives with his abusive father, cleans up Wally’s yard and bathes him — perhaps ashamed at the conditions under which Wally had been living. The description of Wally is heartbreaking. He is not a young dog, and his life has not been a good one. Claire informs us that “…Underneath his collar, his neck had red sores and fresh blood.” When she talks to him and asks him how he will behave if she unchains him, he cocks his head to the side.

“I saw that he had once wanted to play, and to be friends with humans, and that he had suffered and taken it and he had slept on ice. Despite all that, he still hoped for kindness, and I couldn’t help it anymore. I started to cry and I moved closer and I put my arms around his neck.”

The rest of the story is about Claire, Wally, and Danny. Claire’s mother had died three years earlier in an accident which is still cloaked in mystery. Was it an accident, or did she kill herself? It’s never clear. But Claire lives with her well-meaning, if sometimes clueless, loving father. Danny, next door, lives with his father who is never well-meaning or loving. Those who know him describe him as someone who won’t stop beating up a person even after that person is down. He’s cruel and angry at the world. Since Danny’s mother left, he has been cruel and abusive to Danny.

Danny sees Claire’s attempt to help Wally, and he joins her. Together, they work with Wally and teach him manners. Wally’s gratitude at being with people is touching, and his progress is a wonderful process to encounter. Throughout the book are aphorisms by Father Jasper about dogs, and some of them seem to be aphorisms about life: “What we find in a dog is what we bring to a dog.”

Claire and Danny become friends, but even though they spend time together with Wally, they never really discuss important things. Danny never discusses his father or his home life. He is almost pathetically eager to help Claire with Wally, and to befriend Claire, as if it’s the first time in his life he’s been able to feel positive emotions.

Danny and Wally have much in common. They have both been treated inhumanely for much of their lives, and they both bloom with Claire’s guidance. While Claire is thrilled with the progress they make with Wally, she is also uncomfortable with Danny’s unspoken need for companionship and attention.

“A dog is part of heaven, Father Jasper says. A dog will lead you to heaven if you let him.”

Actually, the book is heartbreaking. It’s wonderful, touching, beautiful, and ultimately, heartbreaking, even though the ending is hopeful. While this reviewer will admit that embarrassing as it might be, this book was requested because of the dog on the cover, it’s much more than a book about a dog, although the dog is central to the story.

“Whippoorwill” is about how life isn’t always what we think it will be, and our dreams don’t always come true. It’s about doing the right thing even if it’s difficult. It’s about not judging others by appearances (or back yards). And it’s about how it’s never too late to change.

This book is perfect for young readers 13 and older. It would be a great choice for the English Language Arts classroom for its themes of compassion, prejudice, loss, change, family, and abuse.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by HMH Books for Young Readers for review purposes.

‘Code of Honor’ by Alan Gratz: middle grade action thriller

/ Pamela Kramer

code of honor

Rating: 5 stars

“Code of Honor” by Alan Gratz is a middle grade book that will keep readers both young and old on the edge of their seats until almost the very last page. The story is about a typical American family. The two brothers in the family are exceptionally close in spite of several years age difference. The mom is a Muslim from Iraq and the dad was born in America (with a name like “Smith,” he’s as American as they come).

Kamran is the protagonist. His older brother, Darius, went to West Point and is now a US Army Ranger, fighting in Afghanistan. When the news breaks that Darius masterminded an attack on the US Embassy in Turkey, the family is shocked. Kamran idolized his older brother and was in the process of finalizing his application to also attend West Point. His congresswoman had recommended him, but after his brother is branded a terrorist, that recommendation is withdrawn. When Kamran sees the tapes of Darius claiming responsibility for the attacks (there are more attacks), Kamran notices that Darius uses the names of characters that they made up when they played together as children. He is convinced that it’s a message to him that Darius is not really a terrorist, but has been captured and forced to participate in the attacks and record the videos.

Kamran and his parents are taken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and kept in isolation while they are questioned. Kamran vacillates between defending his brother and condemning him. Kamran tells his interrogators about the videos and the made-up names that Darius uses. Then he notices that Darius is using another code from their childhood — knocking on the wall to communicate at night.

By using the secret codes, Kamran manages to help discover several of the terrorist plots to kill Americans. But is Darius playing a double game by making Kamran believe what he wants, or is he really trying to help foil his captors? Kamran can’t be 100% sure. When he escapes from his place of isolation, he manages to follow the clues and discover the truth.

There is nonstop action in this story, but Gratz also manages to make Kamran a real character. He gives readers insight into what it feels like to be Muslim in America — not so good much of the time. Kamran is also a character with a strong belief in the “code of honor” that he and his brother created. Gratz pulls no punches when describing soldiers with PTSD, and there is also some violence.

All in all, this is a book that will appeal to a wide variety of audiences. It’s about honor, believing in your gut instincts, doing the right thing, and responsibility. This would be a great read aloud, and it would also appeal to reluctant readers.

Please note: This review is based on the final paperback book provided by Scholastic Books for review purposes.

‘ABC Dream’ by Kim Krans

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

“ABC Dream” by Kim Krans is not just your ordinary ABC picture book. Even the cover gives the indication that this book is something special, something unique. The cover features a black and white unicorn with a horn colored with the same watercolor that shades the title letters “ABC.” The horn is outlined in gold. There is plenty of white space with a few other items and the overall effect is just beautiful.

Each page is not just another letter but another adventure into art. All the illustrations are simple, yet when examined closely, quite complex. The “P” page, for instance, features a plaid letter “P” with a panda sitting leaning against it. Overhead are two palm leaves and scattered on the page are puzzle pieces. The only color is the plaid: red and yellow. Krans uses color judiciously on the pages — almost like a special gift. The black and while drawings are spectacular enough, but Krans doesn’t overwhelm the lovely drawings with too much color. The watercolor washes delicately intensify the artistic experience (which is what reading this book becomes).

Some pages are filled with images. The “L” page includes a double-page spread with a lion lying under some leaves looking at a lamb lying on the letter “L” drawn in intricate lace. The only spot of color is on the green leaves. On the other hand, the “V” page is almost Spartan by comparison with only a violin and vines. But the two page illustrations feature the violin drawn in black and white and the letter “V” on the facing page, also in black and white, with green vines covering both the instrument and the letter.

This is a book for young children learning the alphabet, but also older children will enjoy finding all the things that are illustrated and begin with the letters. Older children and even adults will enjoy the book for the beauty of the illustrations.

This would be a great gift for a baby or young child. It’s a great addition to any classroom library or school library.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Random House Books for Young Readers for review purposes.

‘Don’t Fail Me Now’ by Una LaMarche: Fabulous young adult novel

/ Pamela Kramer

don't fail me now

Rating: 5 stars

Una LaMarche does interracial romance wonderfully as she aptly demonstrated in “Like No Other,” and she doesn’t fail us with “Don’t Fail Me Now.” This new story is a tale that will grab the reader from the very first scene.

It’s about Michelle, the oldest daughter of a drug user (whose African-American parents were righteous church-goers; her father a preacher) and her white husband who led his wife into a life of drugs. Michelle’s mother is still in a tragic cycle of drug use, arrest, trying to stay off drugs to take care of her children (Michelle, her sister Cass and young brother Denny), and relapse.

Michelle knows that her father left the family for another woman, and that he has another family somewhere. What she didn’t realize is that the family is right in Baltimore. When her half-sister and the half-sister’s stepbrother show up at the Taco Bell where Michelle works part-time trying to help out her family, she is shocked.

She is more shocked when Leah, her half-sister, tells her that their father, Buck, is dying and wants to see them. He has an “heirloom” to give Michelle. As it happens, Michelle’s mother was just arrested for dealing drugs, and Michelle is frantically trying to keep her siblings with her and not have child services separate them. So she decides, in an insane moment, that they should all travel across the county to California, where their father is in hospice, to see him.

So begins the cross-country trip with the three African-American kids and the two suburban white kids — all related in some crazy way. LaMarche does a masterful job having the relationship bloom between the kids while still keeping each person’s personality distinct and unique. While Michelle has preconceived notions of what the “white kids'” life is like, she finds that things are not always what they appear to be.

There’s humor, adventure and lots to enjoy in this story of a cross-county journey and coming to terms with ones roots. LaMarche leaves the reader thinking about how in spite of socioeconomic differences, we are all the same at heart. But at the same time, our differences also sometimes define how we think and act. Lots to discuss, lots to think about in this story that would be a great middle school or high school read.

Please note: this review is based on the advance reader’s copy provided by the publisher, Razorbill, for review purposes.

‘Voyagers: Project Alpha’: First in a scifi middle grade series

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 4 stars

“Voyagers: Project Alpha” is the first book in a series that will be written by several carefully chosen children’s authors. The author of the first book, D. J. MacHale, wrote the “Sylo” series aimed at young adults. He hits a home run again, writing a thrilling scifi book that kids will love to read. “Voyagers: Project Alpha” is the first book in the “Voyagers” series aimed at middle grade readers.

The story begins with eight 12-year-old kids competing to be chosen to be one of the four who will be trained to travel into deep space on a mission to save the planet Earth. Earth is running out of fossil fuel and the situation is dire. The solution to Earth’s survival exists on a planet far away — something that could save the planet and those living on it.

The competition is tough, and not all the contestants are willing to help the others. Dash, the protagonist, isn’t necessarily the smartest or the fastest of the eight. He’s not the best flyer, either. But he is really good at thinking of plans and getting people to work together. The first half of the book is about what happens during the competitions and who wins a spot on the team. It’s not only a big honor and exciting, each family will receive ten million dollars.

The second half of the story is about the four young astronauts and their first adventure. Safe to say that because the series will include six books, there is more than just one adventure. The intrepid astronauts will visit many planets in their quest to save Earth. Robin Wasserman writes the second in the series, “Game of Flames,” and the third book in the series, “Omega Rising” is written by Patrick Carman. Great writers all — the series is sure to find a place of honor on children’s bookshelves everywhere.

Perfect for good fourth grade readers through middle school. Even adults will enjoy taking a break from reality and settling down with a quick and easy fun adventure.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Random House Books for Young Readers for review purposes.

‘Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning’ by Richard Paul Evans: middle grade series

/ Pamela Kramer

sotrm of lightning

Rating: 4 stars

“Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning” by Richard Paul Evans is the fifth book in the series of seven books. The series is about a group of teenagers who were accidentally mutated when newborn so that they all have unique abilities — all related to electricity. Hence their name: the Electroclan.

Michael Vey is the main character and he is the character who leads the others, including some friends who are not electrically endowed. In this book, they have thwarted the enemy, the Elgen, but not vanquished them (of course). At the beginning of the story, Michael and the others are attempting to visit the ranch where some of them, including Michael’s mother, were living. It’s where several parents were staying when the ranch was attacked by the Elgen.

Concurrently, the story narrates what is happening with those electrical teenagers who have been working with the Elgen, specifically Quentin, who has been given the most preferential treatment by Admiral General Hatch — the evilest of evil guys ever created in a children’s novel. (A bit of hyperbole, there, perhaps.) Hatch decides to discipline one of his assistants who makes a mistake in the fourth book. This person is Quentin’s mentor and father-figure. (Spoiler alert: Quentin helps his friend and Hatch finds out.)

The Elgen have a devious and evil plan in story for a small island country. What they do when they take over the country is not for the faint-of-heart to read. It’s pretty gruesome.

Will Michael Vey and his group be able to conquer the Elgen? Certainly not in the next (sixth) book. But Evans manages to keep the excitement going and the pages turning. Will the “evil” members of the Electroclan join with Vey and his group? Stay tuned.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Simon Pulse for review purposes.