Book Talk: The Wolves of Mercy Falls

Review: Rot & Ruin

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This one I picked up because I heard about it on the podcast Text Messages. Dr. Buehler hasn't steered me wrong yet.

No one knows what caused First Night--the night when the dead awoke and started killing off the living. And what Benny remembers about First Night is his mother in a dress with red sleeves, and that his brother took him and ran away. Now Benny is 15 and has to find himself a job or he risks losing half of his food rations. He wants something simple, something he doesn't have too work hard at, and something that isn't joining the family business and becoming a zombie hunter like his brother.

I didn't think I'd enjoy a zombie novel near as much as I did. Rot & Ruin is well written with complex characters and enough action to keep the pages turning.

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Review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I picked up Hold Me Closer, Necromancer because I've seen it on a lot of my Centurion friends' lists lately, then came across it in my school's library yesterday. The story is brilliant. The main character, Sam, has had secrets kept from him his entire life. When Douglass (great name for a bad guy, eh?) finds him, Sam goes on a quest to find out who he is, which in turn puts his life in danger.

This novel is told in from two perspectives: When Sam is involved, the story is told first person from his point of view. In order for readers to find out what is going on when Sam's not in the scene (or not in a position to narrate), the narrative shifts into third person. I thought the shift in perspective helped tell a clearer story, and allowed me to connect specifically with Sam's character.

There's enough action, humor, and talking heads for readers to enjoy.



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My Reading Slump

Since the end of my semester teaching 8th grade, I've been in a reading slump. I don't know what caused it, but I've been having a hard time finding a book that I have really gotten into. And that makes me sad.

I went on an excursion today with my school's Rockin' Librarian and came home with two books: Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt and  Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride. Rockin' Librarian read Okay for Now, and if I recall correctly, she liked it. I've seen that title, along with Hold Me Closer, Necromancer on many Centurion's reading lists, so I decided it might be time to give them a go, even though I have a box full of books just waiting to be read.

My choice for first: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer because of what Sherman Alexie said on the cover: "This is a SCARY funny book OR a FUNNY scary book. In either case, it is a GREAT book. I LOVE iT" (capitalization in original). It's the funny that's a draw for me. I think it's time for a funny book and since I have to wait until August for Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer it is. I'll let you know what I think.

Happy reading & DFTBA