You'll notice that I didn't write a review of the first book in this series, though I've read it. Overall, it contained some wonderful, hilarious, andYou'll notice that I didn't write a review of the first book in this series, though I've read it. Overall, it contained some wonderful, hilarious, and heart-breaking moments, but it lacked continuity and Johannes's overall motivation turns out to be flat and trite. Brilliant opening scene, though, in which Johannes breaks into Hell.
The Detective is MUCH better, though. With only a few brief exceptions, the plot flows, the characters are dynamic and complex, and Johannes is just as much of a necromancing badass as he can be. If you're picking up a Johannes Cabal, you need to accept the steampunky/magical realismy/historical thing that's going on and move on to the character interactions and plot. I can highly recommend the audio book, too, even if you only sample a little of it on Amazon or Goodreads. It bolsters characterization beautifully.
Keep your eye on Mr. Howard. If he continues to develop as an author, he'll rise into the rarefied air of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman in no time!...more
Holy heck. You're going to need to pause frequently so you can ease the diaphragmatic cramps from laughing. The casual violence (we went to breakfast,Holy heck. You're going to need to pause frequently so you can ease the diaphragmatic cramps from laughing. The casual violence (we went to breakfast, threw a first-year in the fountain, then went to rugby practice), the borderline alcoholism, the general shiftiness of all characters involved, and the deep and abiding love they have for each other is not only worth reading, it's a study in humanity. Somehow, even the "bonkers" characters are well-rounded, managing to be both tragic and hilarious at the same time. The plot is much steadier than in the first book, and leaves plenty of fodder for a third book (get on with it, Mr. van de Ruit!). If you don't read well, the setting (South Africa during the end of Apartheid) may be a problem, as may the style. The book is epistolary, which would usually not be a problem, but because the seasons are reversed in the Southern hemisphere and Spud goes to a private school, you may find yourself confused by the scheduling of the missives. Two thumbs up for the good reader, with loads of "guy" humor that a woman will still laugh at. Enjoy!...more
It bears saying that I had no expectations of this book when a colleague handed it to me. I generally don't read chick lit, and when I do, I'm so darnIt bears saying that I had no expectations of this book when a colleague handed it to me. I generally don't read chick lit, and when I do, I'm so darned offended by the ladled-out idea that women have nothing in our lives but worry about men, I can hardly finish. However. Lonely Hearts is lovely. It's all of those things that girls hate about boys (the term "tool" is used to great effect), and all of the bad behaviors we show each other, as well. It's also about the decision to find someone you want, as opposed to need, and how being selfish with your heart can be a good thing. Every time that I thought the book was sliding into juvenile land, the story would turn, the main character would flip out and scream at someone, and I'd feel like things were making realistic progress again. My female students will love this, especially the scenes that feel so real, they'll cringe as they read. Let's just say that there's an epic fight between a brother and a sister while the sister drives a car. The fight is... well, I think "flashbacks" covers it. ...more
If you like Georgia Nicholson but you're ready for something deeper, more 'guy,' and better-fleshed, read Spud. Though it's set in the 1990's, the refIf you like Georgia Nicholson but you're ready for something deeper, more 'guy,' and better-fleshed, read Spud. Though it's set in the 1990's, the references to historical events are few and far between and vague enough that the story will feel fresh for a long time. The main character, Spud (nicknamed this because he has yet to go through puberty), has won a scholarship to an exclusive private school in the boonies. Upon arrival, he discovers that not only are the people around him brilliant, but they are also confirmed eccentrics. His English teacher swears with both enthusiasm and creativity, there's an upperclassman who keeps puff adders living under the stairs, and the boys in Spud's dorm lead night-time expeditions to the local reservoir for the thrill of being chased by the guard dogs. At one point in the story, Spud starts checking himself in mirrors to see if he's started "looking insane." Spud sounds like what he's supposed to be: a highly intelligent, developing personality with excellent manners, a resilient nature who is struggling to grasp the often inexplicable behavior of the people around him. The writing allows his first-person narration to both reveal and conceal Spud's thoughts, so the audience goes along with him as he discovers how he really feels and thinks. My only dislike about Spud is that there are several cricket scenes, and though I've watched my fair share of cricket matches, I understand nothing about it, so I skimmed those passages and moved on. It was enough to know whether Spud's team won or lost. If you'd like a good laugh and an honest appraisal of human nature, read Spud. Don't be put off by the comparison to Catcher in the Rye. Spud is less whiny, more engaging, and far more realistic....more
My mom recommended GLPPPS to me, and though I love my mother, she and I don't necessarily share the same taste in books. That said, I love GLPPPS. It'My mom recommended GLPPPS to me, and though I love my mother, she and I don't necessarily share the same taste in books. That said, I love GLPPPS. It's an epistolary novel (told through letters), so we get the point of view of several characters simultaneously, which has both hilarious and sad consequences. One of my professors once told me that we all reveal who we are through the undeveloped parts of our character, an in GLPPPS, that statement is used to both comic and tragic effect. Because the characters are telling stories not only about themselves, but about others, they unintentionally show facets of the personalities around them. GLPPPS has the potential to be tragic, and in many ways it is because it tells the story of the people of Guernsey during the Nazi's WWII occupation of the island. When the people have 24 hours to decide of they will have their children evacuated before the boats come, it's crushing to think of both the kids who left and the kids who stayed. On the other hand, there are bittersweet elements to that occupation, and the mystery of what has happened to Elizabeth, one of the English women accidentally trapped on the island, carris the story through to the end. All of the relationships in the story are unconventional - and much stronger for it. Really, how many friends have you had that were "normal"? Shaffer takes that reality and works with it. As unlikely as the friendships are, they are all realistic and humbling. ...more
I got to the point where I couldn't read this book during silent reading time in my class, it made me laugh so hard. I'm not an easy touch for this tyI got to the point where I couldn't read this book during silent reading time in my class, it made me laugh so hard. I'm not an easy touch for this type of humor - slapstick and outrageous. ATFFS, however, made me laugh so hard, I snorted. The epistolary nature of the narrative adds so much to the plot. A snippet about a girl who accidentally-on-purpose shaves off her eyebrows is cringingly amusing, but when it's told in five or six installments, each a few minutes apart, and that snippet weaves itself through the rest of the narrative in little comments like, "No news on the eyebrow front," there's no way to avoid laughing until your stomach aches. The fact of the matter is that Georgia is a tragic hero. You couldn't laugh so much if there wasn't something inherently tragic about her inability to enjoy life and admit it. She throws herself into frays in which it is obvious that she will be destroyed, and we cheer her on because she keeps trying. Georgia is who we want to be, because she succeeds through ridiculous perseverance. Read it and laugh, because weeping isn't far behind....more
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