I have to maintain a very small collection of “popular” YA novels in my library and am having a hard time deciding whether or not to order new, popular stuff that I think is terrible but that a lot of people seem to be reading. I mean, I already did order that stuff. I feel kind of like a fake telling people to check these books out. But if people have fun reading these other things, who am i to stand in the way of their happiness? :(
Or should I only order books I like? No, probably not.
Your personality is not set in stone. You may think a morning coffee is the most enjoyable thing in the world, but it’s really just a habit. Thirty days without it, and you would be fine. You think you have a soul mate, but in fact you could have had any number of spouses. You would have evolved differently, but been just as happy.
You can change what you want about yourself at any time. You see yourself as someone who can’t write or play an instrument, who gives in to temptation or makes bad decisions, but that’s really not you. It’s not ingrained. It’s not your personality. Your personality is something else, something deeper than just preferences, and these details on the surface, you can change anytime you like.
If it is useful to do so, you must abandon your identity and start again. Sometimes, it’s the only way.
Set fire to your old self. It’s not needed here. It’s too busy shopping, gossiping about others, and watching days go by and asking why you haven’t gotten as far as you’d like. This old self will die and be forgotten by all but family, and replaced by someone who makes a difference.
Your new self is not like that. Your new self is the Great Chicago Fire—overwhelming, overpowering, and destroying everything that isn’t necessary.
Octopus Review
Beauty by Robin McKinley
genre: fantasy, fairy tale
age: YA
rating: 5.5/8 tentacles
Robin McKinley writes refreshingly elegant prose. I was especially taken with the descriptions of the enchanted castle; its somber, grandiose decor; and all of the opulent little details of the wardrobe magically procured for Beauty. I like the idea of the blue dress with silver embroidered birds, the hall of portraits that capture the lives of their subjects, and the haunting, animalistic images in the carved arch over the castle’s entrance.
The existence of magic in Beauty’s world is casually introduced, long before we see any evidence of it, in a way that suggests it might only be the stuff of stories. Beauty’s family, who were born and bred in the city, view the countryside and the forests as the dark homes of goblins, fairies, and dragons. The curiosity and uncertainty in Beauty’s delivery of this information smacks of superstition and I could imagine the stories as follies of the ignorant, people’s beliefs about the Unknown they fear. Like those mapmakers who wrote “Here Be Dragons” across painted seas stitched with snakey coils. This representation of magic gave the world an anchor in reality. The novel begins in a world like our own, or like ours once might have been, and we discover magic along with Beauty. McKinley’s is a whimsical, enchanting magic. Two whirling breezes try to dress Beauty in clothes she feels are too extravagant for her and the tea things and dinner plates move on their own, constantly shoving each other out of the way in an effort to present their dish to the visiting lady.
The character of Beauty didn’t make much of an impression on me. Her love of books lacked wonder and curiosity. Her sacrifice wasn’t much of one—she didn’t seem to mind giving up her life or her family although she did miss them once she was gone. She waxed on about the Greeks and learning languages and struck me as a generally stuffy and uninteresting person. My favorite characters were her father, who had such kind intentions, and the Beast. And Greatheart, who became a capital “C” Character in my mind even though he was Beauty’s horse.
McKinley’s writing style and descriptions posses a lovely, sophisticated maturity. I called her prose refreshing earlier because I’m always glad to find writing without that overly sensationalized hyper-introspection that seems to have become common. That type of writing toes the edge of a cliff, over which is a steep descent into self-indulgent blather. But there is none of that here.
There’s more summary than I would like. A balance between summary and action scenes (scenes that relay info vs. scenes during which action unfolds before us) allows the reader to experience the story with the characters at a steady pace. Too much summary creates too much distance between reader and character and too much action might overstimulate or deaden the pace. It depends. I think Beauty could have done with a few more action scenes.
This particular retelling was more similar to the french film released in the forties than to the probably better known Disney film (which I began re-watching after I finished this book). I don’t think I’ve ever actually read any version of Beauty and the Beast before so I can’t compare it to the original fairy tale (although I can say that the characters and background were supplied with a depth absent from fairy tales), but I enjoyed this book very much. I read it all in one day.
If you like this, or think you might like this, or like Beauty and the Beast type stories in general, I recommend reading East by Edith Patou.
Octopus Review
The Diviners by Libba Bray
age: YA
genre: paranormal
rating: 4/8 tentacles
Evie “I want to see my name in lights” O’Neill gets shipped off to live with her uncle in Manhattan after her flapper antics cause trouble for her well-to-do parents. In New York, a ritualistic serial killer whose crimes smack with the supernatural is on the loose and the police ask Evie’s Uncle Will, owner of a Museum of the Occult, to consult on the case. Unbeknownst to her family, Evie posses a supernatural power of her own, the ability to get psychic readings from objects, and she is convinced that if she uses it, she could play an essential role in the capture of the murderer. But this murderer proves to be darker and more elusive than Evie, Will, & Co. expect.
This book shares some similarities with Libba Bray’s previous supernatural trilogy. Both follow the exploits of a young girl in a supernatural version of history. Unlike Gemma’s story, The Diviners is written in third person, and instead of focusing primarily on one character, skips between a multitude of them. The book improves when we’ve had time to get to know the characters a little more. The idea of the American Dream seems to pervade the novel. Most of the characters are motivated by a desire to make something of themselves, to be famous, glamorous, celebrated. To achieve an ideal.
While the book did entertain me, I still felt that something was missing. Instead of the distant, sweeping descriptions of the era, which are scattered throughout the novel (one follows wind, blowing through the city and observing its inhabitants), I would have preferred more time spent on individual characters and more specific, more sensory descriptions of the time period filtered through their points of view. There was a little too much name dropping to convince me of the setting’s authenticity and a little too much stereotype to allow me to connect fully with the characters. The only one I really empathize with is Mabel—I would have like to see more of her. I hope she plays a bigger role in the rest of the trilogy.
The story itself is creepy and mysterious, a good fall read. The plot was resolved at the end (Hooray!), but I’m still left with questions about the characters and their lives. I look forward to the unfolding of these mysteries in the next installment of the trilogy.
ireadeverything sent: Dia Reeves writes literary horror and sets it in a fake town in Texas. I've only read Bleeding Violet, but she has one or two more. If that's Macondo enough for you.
Oh thank you I’ll have to look into that one!
The sequel to Cornelia Funke’s Reckless finally exists! I’ve been checking her website for at least two years, waiting for news. Fearless will be released on April 2nd. Already out in the UK, I believe. So excited. Already pre-ordered my copy.
:) :) :)
Thanks so much to everyone who answered my request about fictional settings. I really appreciate it! However, I don’t think I accurately expressed what I was looking for in the phrasing of my question.
This is me trying again:
Does anyone know of any realistic fiction that is set in an invented town/city/country/world?
Examples include William Faulkner’s “Yoknapatawpha County,” Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Macondo” of One Hundred Years of Solitude, etc.
I’m going to have to be snooty and demand “literary” novels because this is for a paper. It’s hard trying to dig these up and the best way I can think of to find them is to rummage through the minds of well read tumblrers.
Thanks! You are all great.
thatwritererinoriordan said: Did you read Oyeymi’s ‘The Icarus Girl?’ I thought her first novel, written while she was a student, was a bit of a disappointment. I’d be interested to know how her work has matured - I have not read ‘Mr. Fox.’
I have not yet read The Icarus Girl, but after enjoying Mr. Fox, have taken it out of the library. I hope I won’t be disappointed. Fox was a bit weird, but weird in a way I like, and with pretty writing.
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Octopus Review:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
age: adult
genre: nonfiction, psychology
rating: 7/8 tentacles
I think it’s a pretty well-established idea that the U.S.A. is an extroverted country with extroverted ideals and extroverted societal expectations. What role, then, do introverts have in this extroverted world? Many guides exist that claim they can coach introverts to participate less stressfully in extroverted activities, like networking or extensive socializing. A lot of these guides are nothing more than advice on how to act more extroverted. How to fake it. Susan Cain’s Quiet is a refreshing and much needed account of how introverts can find their place in society while remaining true to themselves and without stretching their personality and comfort zone in order to feel normal or be accepted.
Quiet contains many stories of people struggling to fit together the knowledge of who they are and the knowledge of who they grew up believing they were supposed to be. It also contains stories of people who live in places with introverted ideals (I’m thinking of moving) and how their way of life and self view differs from introverts trapped in extroverted societies. In these stories, we can see how qualities often looked down on in this society (reservedness, preference for small social gatherings and more abstract conversations, caution) are valued and even sought after. We might see pieces of ourselves that we’ve learned to hide celebrated as ideals.
This book makes me think about how eager everybody is to force their own values and expectations on others, with little empathy or regard for alternate perceptions or ways of life. It’s sad, really. Books like Quiet and people like Susan Cain are steps in the direction of understanding and compromise between the different personality types, so I salute her for that. I recommend this book to introverts looking for some self reflection, self-validation, the strength to live on their terms, and to extroverts looking to understand their introverted friends.
Currently reading
I’m looking for books that have invented settings—completely made up cities and/or countries. However, I’d prefer to stay away from fantasy and science fiction realms. Anything come to mind?
I need this immediately.
