Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Author: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Genre:  Parody, Satire
Publisher: Quirk Publishing
Source: Purchased
Parental Warning: none

“The second unmentionable was a lady, and much longer dead than her companion.  She rushed at Elizabeth, her clawed fingers swaying clumsily about.  Elizabeth lifted her skirt, disregarding modesty, and delivered a swift kick to the creature’s head, which exploded in a cloud of brittle skin and bone.  She, too, fell and was no more.”

Summary:
After a plague befalls England many of the population are infected and become the walking undead.  As a result the women of the countryside are asked to take on a more active role in protecting hearth and home.  It is because of this call to duty that Elisabeth and her sisters are trained in the are of weaponry and martial arts.  In short, they are ninjas tasked with beheading the unmentionables.

As an aside to this we also have the traditional story lines of the romantic entanglements of Lizzie and Darcy, Jane and Mr. Bingley, Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins as well as much of the other major plot points.  All of which, are also interspersed with a zombie and ninja presence.  Even Lady Catherine Deburgh gets her swords on. All of which comes to an usual but expected end.

Opinion:
Not the classic retelling of Pride and Prejudice one would expect, especially given the title, this book met that expectation ten fold.  The original prose interspersed with an undead sub plot and spicier behavior this is not the Bennett family you remember.  I admit, it took me awhile to get into this story but once I did I found it humorous and entertaining.  The absolute absurdity of the Bennett girls being ninjas, the fact that they battle zombies, and a host of other departures from the original prose turned this classic romance into an action adventure in the blink of an eye.

Clearly not a story for everyone (particularly, I imagine, Austen purists) but if you’re looking for an off-beat familiar story this book just might be up your alley.  Give it a try, at the very least you’ll get a good chuckle at some of the odd scenarios characters find themselves in.

Title: Jillian Dare
Author: Melanie M. Jeschke
Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Revell Books
Source: Purchased
Parental Warning: none

“Hoping someone would be home, I stood on the broad porch of the bungalow and knocked on the front door.  I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was until that moment.  Not only had I not slept well in days, but I had not yet recovered from jet lag and the trauma of the recent events.  Since I had stolen away from Carter Plantation before anyone else had awakened, I had neglected to eat any breakfast.  Famished and fatigued, I nearly collapsed in Sharon’s arms when she answered the door.”

Summary:
Jillian Dare moves to a rural Virginia plantation to care for a wealthy man’s daughter while he makes regular trips between the United Kingdom and the United States.  Alone for the majority of her life she is taken by surprise when she falls in love with the father of her young charge.  That is until she finds out that the life they begin to lead is all built on a foundation of lies.

Embracing her faith as a guide she attempts to find her way through the the murky waters of friendship and love to hopefully arrive at her happy ending.

Opinion:
As a modern retelling of Jane Eyre this story didn’t quite grab me.  I can’t be exactly sure why that is but most likely it falls upon the fact that I already knew the story.  I found myself constantly comparing it to what I already knew of the plot and characters of the original.  I imagine this is a pitfall of any re-telling of a classic but in this case it was difficult to overcome.

The speed with which Jillian finds herself professing her love to Ethan was abrupt to say the least.  One day they were friends the next engaged to be married.  I thought the transition between her being an employee to her being his betrothed could have been a bit smoother and certainly worth exploring the in between moments a bit more.

Lastly, I wasn’t at all fond of the section of the story that had Jillian staying with the Brookes.  Mainly because it was here that the book got to it’s most preachy and cliched.  Up until this point faith and God did play a role but it was subtle.  Once Jillian arrived to live with the Brookes and became somewhat involved with John it got extremely overbearing.  He was definitely the domineering caveman in the story where if they did get married Jillian was sure to be the subservient wife doing as she was told.  Yea, that is totally not my bag.

What worked for me?

I thought the part of the story involving Ethan’s wife was well paced and told.  It was not focussed on for a tremendous amount of time but was focussed on well.  I also liked the relationship between Jillian and Mrs. Carter.  The latter became somewhat of a surrogate mother to the orphaned Jillian. She was cautious when appropriate and supportive of Jillian when necessary, even above and beyond her loyalty to Ethan.

As a first foray into Christian Fiction I’m glad to say that this book didn’t turn me off of the genre completely.  There was one element that I didn’t enjoy (ie: John Brooke) but it wasn’t enough to turn me off from reading more.  If you enjoy the story of Jane Eyre and you’re looking for a different version this certainly fits that bill.

Title: Genesis
Author: Bernard Beckett
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Purchased
Parental Warning: none

“Every pause, every flickering of uncertainty: the Examiners observed them all.  This, surely, was how they decided.  Anax felt suddenly slow and unimpressive.  She could still hear Pericles’ last words.  “They want to see how you will respond to the challenge.  Don’t hesitate. Talk your way toward understanding.  Trust the words.” And back then it had sounded so simple.  Now her face tautened and she had to think her way to the words, searching for them in the way one searches for a friend in a crowd, panic never more than a moment away.”

Summary:
Anaximander lives in a world of rigid faith and structure.  A world where plague has decimated populations and changed the way the people of Anax’s country were governed.  Most importantly it became a world that changed how free people were to live the lives of their own choosing.  As part of this world an ultra exclusive Academy has been created where only a chosen few are allowed entrance.  Anaximander, fortunately or not, is one of those few.

As part of her entrance exam she has chosen to provide an oral history of Adam Forde.  A somewhat controversial subject, Adam is a man branded as both friend and foe to her country.  A man Anax considers a hero.  It is Adam’s relationship with Art, the central player in the one act the former perpetrates in defense of humanity, that becomes the singular focus of Anax’s testimony before the Examiners.   In that re-telling, Anax showcases how Adam changed the direction of history and as a result shaped the world they all lived in.

Opinion:
It’s extremely difficult to review this book without giving away the most surprising elements of the story.  But as a lover of dystopian settings I’ll say that this one was pretty awesome. It’s one hundred percent worth your time to read.

It’s a pretty short story that is quickly read. Having said that, however quick a reader can get through is of no real consequence though as it is as profound and thought-provoking a book as many of the classics.  I’m going to get a bit cliche here and say that when all is said and done Genesis is the very definition of a page-turner.

Beckett paints the picture of a stunning locale — futuristic in tone but simplistic in reality.  Moreover, he generates innovative and enthralling characters in Anax, Adam and Art.  Each obviously has their own individual characteristics but are all also bound together by their love of thought.   Their story, told primarily in flashbacks, is a stunning portrait of how one event can be the catalyst to shaping an individual’s opinions on humanity, religion and government.

Subtle hints throughout the story foreshadow the end (which I will not spoil here) but, surprisingly, did not give it all away.  It wasn’t until I went back and re-read certain points that I noticed small references, a word here and there, that reinforced the ultimate resolution to the story.  Beckett was quite masterful in that way.

In case you didn’t already get the idea, I absolutely recommend that anyone read this book.  Even if you aren’t a sci-fi fan (it’s really not overwhelming in the fantasy elements) I believe you’ll find it enjoyable.

It’s Sunday!  You know what that means?  Road trip!!

I’ll start by welcoming the newcomers that jumped on the road over the past few weeks. Please say hi to Becky, Jan, Colleen, and Sheri they’re stops are going to be a wonderful addition to an already awesome trip.

Speaking of which, we have some really awesome stops on the trip today. Let’s get our motors running and head out on the highway shall we?

New York

Books in the City spotlights author Caitlin Macy and reviews her novel Spoiled: Stories

Washington

Books and Movies interviews Glenda Burgess author of The Geography of Love

Books and Movies interviews Joni Sensel author of Reality Leak, The Farwalker’s Quest, and The Humming of Numbers

Bibliofreakblog reviews Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by author Jamie Ford

Excellent trip wasn’t it?

If you are interested in participating in the Literary Road Trip please be sure to head over to the main page (a link is in the top navigation) and sign up.  I’d love to have you!  Until next time, safe travels.

Title: The Truth About Forever
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Group – Speak
Source: Purchased
Parental Warning: none

“The words kept coming, almost too fast, tumbling over my tongue like they’d been held back for so long that now, finally free, nothing could stop them. Not even me.”

Summary:

Macy use to have it all, a great and loving family, a wonderful boyfriend and overall happiness.  Then one day, it all started to change.  Her father passes away, her boyfriend leaves for a summer long trip to camp, and she is forced to settle in to her feelings of discontent and loneliness.  Given the circumstances, the relationship she has with her mother is strained at best causing her to look for not only a social outlet but emotional support.

Enter a brand new job with a local catering company complete with an eclectic group of employees to interact with, one of which is an enthralling and magnetic boy named Wes. Much to her mother’s chagrin she befriends them all and begins to make changes in her life deemed inappropriate.

Macy’s struggle to maintain her new friendships, find a balance between love and friendship, and rebuild her relationship with her mother all come together to shine a light on the strength within.

Opinion:
This was my first Sarah Dessen and I wasn’t disappointed by it.

I particularly enjoyed how all of the characters were so intricately woven together.  Integrated in a way that didn’t shift the story from the over all focus on Macy and her life each still played an important and influential role in her growth.  Further, the diversity of characters made the story much more fun for me.  None felt cliched or over wrought allowing for an enjoyable way to bop back and forth between some of the heavier aspects of the story to something lighthearted and entertaining.

Central to the story was the theme of relationship building.  Macy as the center point in all of the differing relationships as they were forged, rebuilt, or shifted was both expected and not in the least disappointing. It gave clarity to the story and depth of emotion.

Speaking of emotion, the budding romance between Macy and Wes was lovely.  The focus on their friendship from the start as it built into more was realistically portrayed.  A fun and somewhat tumultuous ride they were quite rootable as a potential couple.

All in all this was an enjoyable book.  One that I would recommend to readers who like a good mix of emotion and lightheartedness.