Review: "The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma"

"The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma"
by Trenton Lee Stewart


3

Pub. Date: October 6, 2009
Pages: 400

Synopsis: Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other. When an unexplained blackout engulfs Stonetown, the foursome must unravel clues relating to a nefarious new plot, while their search for answers brings them closer to danger than ever before. Filled with page-turning action and mind-bending brain teasers, this wildly inventive journey is sure to delight.

I loved the first two books in this series, but "The Prisoner's Dilemma" moved too slowly for me. I realized I was more than halfway through the book and very little had happened. I love Constance and was happy to learn more about her past, but I felt like most of the book was spent focusing on her past. It was just too much for me. I did listen to this book in audio, so maybe that's why it seemed so bad, but this book just didn't have the fast pace the first two books had. The characters also never seemed to be in that grave of danger for most of the book. They may have been taking a few risks, but none of them seemed that serious in comparison to some of their other adventures. Mr. Curtain was still vicious, but Stewart took some time to show a different side of him. This was another area of the book that slowed down the plot for me.

I did overall like the book and would recommend the series, but I was still surprised that it didn't have the intensity of the other books. The book was really heartwarming and I absolutely loved the ending. I still loved the characters and enjoyed their adventures. Even though Stewart seemed to wrap up the series in "The Prisoner's Dilemma", part of me wants another book just to see the characters in one more death-defying adventure.

Book Review Policy, Author Interviews, and Author Events

Book Review Policy

Timing

I wish I could say I was a super-fast reader, but sadly I am a bit of a slow poke. Sometimes I can read a book in a day or two, while other books will take me a week. I will do my best to get to any books up for review in a timely manner, but I do have a "To Be Read" pile that I try to stick to.

What I Like to Read

I read a wide variety of books, but for the purposes of this blog please only send me books marketed for teens or that involve teen characters with teen audience appeal. My favorite teen genres are fantasy, sci-fi, horror, paranormal romance, realistic fiction, and adventure books. I also enjoy romance, mysteries, and historical fiction. The only genre that I don't usually read is non-fiction, but I do enjoy that from time to time.

My Reviews

I am very honest in my reviews and sometimes I just plain don't like a book, but I always try to simply give my opinion and ultimately let it be known that I am just one person. I will not sugar coat my opinions, but I don't bash authors or books either.

Format

I do have a Nook, so I do accept Barnes and Noble ebooks. If the book is an e-pub or PDF file and compatible with the Nook, then I would be glad to accept that as well. ARCs and finished copies are also welcome.

Author Interviews

If you would like me to add an author interview or anything else to my blog, I would be happy to do one via e-mail. With my crazy work schedule I usually have issues finding time to make calls at reasonable hours of the day and night, this means that phone interviews would be very difficult for me to swing. I doubt many authors would be up to face-to-face interviews, but let me know if this would be their preferred method. Just be sure to keep in mind that I am from Massachusetts.

Author Events

If any teen authors would be interested in doing a signing or another type of event at a small town library outside of the Boston Area, then please let me know. Our library has a teen area and we are always looking for new events to host!

Contacting Me

Feel free to contact me at abookdork (a) gmail (dot) com with any questions, books you would like reviewed, or anything else I can help you with.

Review of "Marcelo in the Real World"

"Marcelo in the Real World"
by Francisco X. Stork


6

Pub. Date: March 3rd, 2009
Pages: 320

Synopsis: Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm.

He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Reminiscent of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" in the intensity and purity of its voice, this extraordinary novel is a love story, a legal drama, and a celebration of the music each of us hears inside.

I absolutely LOVED this book! Stork is a writer who knows how to tell a story. Not only was the plot interesting, but also beautifully written. Marcelo is a wonderful character and I enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes. I loved watching him mature as the summer unfolded. I understood why Marcelo's father wanted him to look at the law firm, but part of me was disappointed that Marcelo couldn't work with the pony's like he had been planning. Even though this happened at the beginning of the book, I truly felt how upsetting this change was to Marcelo. It surprised me how much I cared for him as a character so early on in the book. Some of the challenges that Marcelo faced were things I expected, but Stork surprised me with the ethical and moral decisions that Marcelo was forced to confront.

Another thing that really surprised me about the book was how honest the characters were. None of the characters were perfect, they all had flaws that were flushed out. This made them all feel more realistic, which made me fall in love with them all the more. Arturo, Marcelo's dad, is a character that I struggled with throughout the book. I agreed with Marcelo’s mother that he was just trying to do the best for him, but at the same time it seemed like he was concerned about what society thought about his family. My feelings about him got even more complicated by the end of the book (I would explain but I would be giving away too much), but sometimes family relationships are the most complicated ones that we have.

I wasn't sure where working at the law firm would take him, but the end of the book pleasantly surprised me. "Marcelo in the Real World" has mature language and deals with topics such as sexual exploitation; I would recommend this book to most readers, but I felt you should be aware of some of this content. Even though this is a beautiful story, it is also very realistic and doesn't sugarcoat life. There is a lot of religious discussion in the book, but it does not focus on one religion. I was not raised as a religious person, so I wasn't sure if this aspect of the book would bother me; however, Stork was able to bring it into a book in a way that doesn't feel preachy or exclusive. I truly feel that this is one of those rare books able to combine all my favorite elements that leaving me awed and content.

Review of "Heist Society" by Ally Carter

"Heist Society"
by Ally Carter


5

Pub. Date: February 9, 2010
Pages: 304

Synopsis: When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre . . . to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria . . . to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own — scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected. Soon, Kat’s friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster’s priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and, hopefully, just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history — and with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Ally Carter’s “Heist Society” had me hooked from the first chapter. Even though I knew the basic premise of the book, I loved how Carter took her time developing Kat’s character. Even though we have an idea about her past, she really gets flushed out as the story continues and when new characters are introduced. Kat’s relationship with Hale was another highlight to the story. It is clear that they both have feelings for each other, but it is interesting to see how their flirty friendship unfolds. I also really enjoyed meeting Kat’s family, both her relatives and the one she made for herself in the life of crime.

The plot of the story was very fast past. Arturo Taccone made a great villain for the story and I truly feared for Kat’s father’s safety. Even when the characters came up with plans they thought would work, there would be a twist or something would go wrong and I started worrying all over. Some sacrifices were made and I'm not sure if I would be brave enough to make those decisions. The characters really surprised me how much they were willing to give up in order to help the people they loved.

I was never really interested in reading any of Ally Carter's books before, but now I think I might try her "Gallagher Girls" Series. I just couldn't put "Heist Society" down and I have heard really great things about the rest of her books. I hope that Carter starts on the next book in the series soon, because I can't wait to see what she has in store for her characters.

Review "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side"

"Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side"
By Beth Fantaskey

4

Pub. Date: February 2, 2009
Pages: 368

Synopsis:

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

This book was a lot of fun and I was surprised how refreshing it was to read compared to other vampire books. Jessica was an interesting character to follow. She seemed a little childish at parts, but overall surprised me at the end. I liked the whole idea of being born a vampire and how there is more too it than just being bitten. The guide, "Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions" was a really fun touch to Fantaskey's book; however, my favorite part of the entire book was reading Lucius's letters to his uncle. The rest of the book focuses more on Jessica, but the letters give real insight into Lucius. The letters are funny and it is interesting to see how a foreign vampire reacts to American culture. The letters are about serious things, but Lucius can't help but throw in amusing pop culture references.

Even though I found the beginning of the book a bit slow, it picked up towards the middle of the book and the ending was great. I liked how the characters' were able to surprise me throughout the book. This book is essentially a vampire romance, but the book also has a wider appeal because of the focus of family and self-discovery. Jessica's adopted parents aren't exactly the type that would help your social standings, but their love for her is as strong as any parent's. Jessica's struggle to accept her true identity is something that many people struggle with everyday. Jessica even has issues in high school with bullies and being teased by the popular crowd.

"Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side" is a fun book that will appeal to those who aren't normally fans of paranormal books. I can't wait to read Fantaskey's next book "Jeckel Loves Hyde". If she can create a unique storyline out of a vampire book, I can't wait to see what she can do with "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".