Book Review: Restoring Harmony

Author: Joelle Anthony

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 8, 2010)

Reading Level: YA (6th grade up)

Source: ARC for review

Rating: 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads:

The year is 2041, and sixteen-year-old Molly McClure has lived a relatively quiet life on an isolated farming island in Canada, but when her family fears the worst may have happened to her grandparents in the US, Molly must brave the dangerous, chaotic world left after global economic collapse—one of massive oil shortages, rampant crime, and abandoned cities.

Molly is relieved to find her grandparents alive in their Portland suburb, but they’re financially ruined and practically starving. What should’ve been a quick trip turns into a full-fledged rescue mission. And when Molly witnesses something the local crime bosses wishes she hadn’t, Molly’s only way home may be to beat them at their own game. Luckily, there’s a handsome stranger who’s willing to help.



Restoring Harmony is a riveting, fast-paced dystopian tale complete with adventure and romance that readers will devour.

When I received the Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Restoring Harmony, I was bogged down with books to read for book club or prior books for review.  In addition, work/life was just really busy.  Some books I have a gut sense that I am going to enjoy and I don't want to rush through them. I had that feeling about Restoring Harmony and I found myself carrying it around but not reading it because the time wasn't right.  Finally, I had just the right time and I devoured the book in one sitting.

Let me just start with what I liked about the book...

I have discovered that I love books with short chapters.  This may be a silly thing but it makes the book feel like a super fast read even if it takes me exactly the same time to read as any other book with the same number of pages. Additionally, it means that the book will go on my list to recommend to reluctant readers.

Another reason that this will go on my list for reluctant readers is that Anthony grabs you from the beginning and keeps you hooked in until the end.  I really don't feel that as the reader I should wade through 75 or 100 pages before the book "gets good".  My reluctant readers won't even hang in there for that many pages before giving up on the book.

My third reason for loving this book - I loved the characters.  Molly is a wonderful protagonist.  She is bright, tenacious, resourceful, and just plain likable.  She is sent out on a journey to contact her grandparents and convince them to return to Canada with her.  Molly embraces her mission and despite obstacles and set-backs plunges forward without giving up and without annoying the reader.  Molly isn't the only character I loved.  There is Spill.  You really need to read the book - you will fall in love with Spill too.  He is swoon-worthy in a very good way.  I am adding him to my list of fictional crushes.

My fourth reason for loving this book - I truly appreciate books that have a sense of community in them and adults who are not all jerks.  I realize YA is written from the perspective of teens, but not all teens hate all adults.

Just a few more things...I can share Restoring Harmony with readers from sixth grade on up.  I appreciated the timeless feel to the book, and the dialogue did not annoy me.  Have you ever read a book where the voice of the characters just irritated you?  I have and it really is a turn off - not so with this book.

Finally, the writing of the book was wonderful.  Anthony does an incredible job in describing her world, the struggles of the society, the challenges facing the characters, the emotions behind the words.  There is intensity and darkness balanced with hope.

Joelle Anthony's debut novel, Restoring Harmony, is a wonderful offering and one that I hope really gets the attention that it deserves.  I look forward to future books by this author.

Check out Joelle's blog for more information about Restoring Harmony and to listen to some related music or check out the wonderfully done book trailer.

Book-A-Day Challenge Week 4 Update

Can't believe that I just finished the fourth week of the Book-A-Day Challenge hosted by Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer).  I did get in 8 books this week including a Manga book which was a new genre for me.  I was aiming for a few more books but I had a couple of days where I was doing some vacation/touristy things with my sister and didn't get in any reading.

Book-A-Day Week 4 Reads:

Picture Books:

Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse by Rebecca Janni  Nellie Sue wants a horse.  She will do just about anything to show her parents that she can be responsible for a horse.  On her birthday, Nellie Sue gets a surprise gift from her parents.  A fun story, with great language, imagination, and illustrations.

Birdie's Big Girl Shoes by Sujean Rim  The illustrations really won me over on this one.  This is a book for every girl who has either wanted to play dress up with her mother's heels or who has played dress up or who has tried to do anything in heels will get a kick out of this book.  Birdie learns that heels aren't all they seem.

Graphic Novels:

Amulet Book 2: The StoneKeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi  Though the first book in this series had some rough spots technically (awkward transitions, and areas that were unclear), I was interested in seeing if book 2 was better developed.  I am glad to say it is.  Emily (The StoneKeeper) and her brother Navin continue on their journey to learn how to control the amulet (and not let it control them), to fight the Elf King, and to save their mother.  Note: This is a Middle Grade level graphic novel.

Manga:

Black Bird, Vol. 1 - Kanoko Sakurakoji  - This was my first time reading Manga and it required that I get use to the back to front, right to left format.  Misao is a 16 year old girl who can see spirits.  These are demon spirits who she discovers wants to eat her (guess her blood is powerful but also smells good).  She is courted by Kyo (a tengu demon and head of his clan) and another demon (also head of his clan).  Classic love triangle and feels like a Japanese twist on the Twilight story.  Interesting.  I will probably give volume 2 a shot but not sure if I want to read every one in the series at this point.  Note: This is definitely a YA Manga series.

Middle Grade:

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper Melody is an 11 year old girl with severe Cerebral Palsy.  She is unable to speak or to let anyone know what she is thinking.  And Melody has a lot of thoughts.  This is a remarkable story about perceptions and attitudes towards children and people with disabilities.  Every teacher should read it.  I think it ill be a contender for an ALA/Schneider Family Award in 2011 (MG book with a character with a disability).

A Place For Delta by Melissa Walker  Joseph spends the summer in Alaska with his Aunt Kate helping to care for a polar bear cub and trying to find out who killed Delta's (polar bear) mother.  An interesting story of friendship, mystery, and the care of the environment.  Read my review here.

YA:

Spirits that Walk In Shadows by Nina Kiriki Hoffman  Jaimie has grown up in a family using magic.  Kim is from a world without magic.  Jaimie and Kim end up as roommates in college.  Turns out that  Kim's struggle with depression may not be purely psychological.  An interesting twist on the typical world of magic, and paranormal beings.

Top Secret Manuscript - I also read an author friend's second book in her paranormal romance series.  The book will be out next year and it will be great.  But I can't say anything more than that.

Adult:

First Rule by Robert Crais  Joe Pike is back and this time it is personal.  A former member of his team has been killed along with his family.  Was he killed because he was "dirty" or did the killer have the wrong home?  I love Robert Crais books and this one was no exception.

In progress:

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne Several teachers on my staff and I are reading a couple of chapters of this each week and discussing it.  Very powerful and practical.

So how are you doing on your summer reading challenge?  Read any good books lately?  Post a comment about what you are reading.

-Aly

2010 Debut Author Challenge Update

Several months ago, I signed up for the 2010 Debut Author Challenge being hosted by the wonderful Story Siren (Krisit).  I have been terrible at posting my reviews on her site.  So in some ways you would think I had done nothing towards this challenge.  But I have and I am going to write one large update right here.  For more information about the Debut Author Challenge click here.

January

Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland  - Twelve year old Polly is a hopeless romantic who loves Pride & Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables.  As she travels about town delivering, scones and other baked goods from her parents' bakery, she schemes about ways to play matchmaker for friends and family.  Hilarity ensues and some lessons are learned.  Read my review here.

February

The Reinvention of Edison Thomas by Jacqueline Houtman - Edison "Eddy" Thomas is a middle school student, who loves to tinker with inventions but struggles to understand innuendos of those around him. After coming in 3rd in a school science fair, Eddy begins to tinker with another invention which leads him to some interesting lessons, new friends, and a lesson in understanding bullying.  Read my review here.

March

Under My Skin by Judith Graves - I love stories that are filled with paranormal beasties, great characters (especially kick-butt heroines), resident hotties, and humor! This one has it all.  It has probably been one of my most fun debut reads.  Fans of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance will love this.  Read my review here.

April

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter - This middle grade debut is filled with magic, humor, history lessons, and some great fun.  Middle grade girls will especially love Abbie and her magical ways.  Read my review here.

13 to Life by Shannon Delany - Between Judith Graves and Shannon Delany, I am becoming more and more a werewolf fan.  I really enjoyed this book.  I read it in one sitting.  Love the characters, the mythology, and the overall story.  Read my review here.

May

Sea by Heidi R Kling - Fifteen year old Sienna (Sea) lost her mother in an airplane accident over the ocean.  Three years later her father decides to take her to assist with orphan victims of the tsunami.  Her journey provides her with experiences that lead her to grow emotionally and personally. Read my review here.

Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy - How many teen girls wish that they were cool, popular, and dating a hunk?  Fifteen year old, Jess learns that it isn't all about appearances but that it really is an issue of girl empowerment and good battling evil.  Read my review here.

June

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus  - So often in Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romances, a human girl falls in love with a supernatural boy or vice a versa.  Hopcus has main characters that are equally matched with secrets of their own.  Great characters, well developed story, and I am already pining for book two. Read my review here.

July

The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere #1) by Jacqueline West - A haunted house, a curious 11 year old girl, talking cats, enchanted glasses, and a mystery.  This was a great read.  What a wonderful Middle Grade debut novel.  One of my favorite reads this year.  Read my review here.

The guidelines of the challenge encourage participants to read at least 12 debut novels.  I am 3/4 of the way to the minimum goal.   However, I am determined to read closer to 25 books by debut authors.  Guess I should get reading if I am going to meet that goal...

-Aly

Book-A-Day Challenge Week 3 Update

Wow!  I am into my third week with the Book-A-Day Challenge hosted by Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer).  I have been this kind of crazy obsessive person with the challenge.  I am determined to get at least 7 books (including picture books) read during the week.

Book-A-Day Week 3 Reads:

Picture Books:

Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed This is an odd (in a good way) story about a friendship between a pig (Pete) and an elephant (Pickles). Pete is a bit uptight.  Pickles is a free-spirit.  The ultimate odd couple.   The illustrations seem to come alive and the story is touching.

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll I loved this twist on "the monster under the bed" concept.  The little boy in the story is unable to sleep without his monster under the bed.  Gabe, his monster, has gone on a vacation.  Substitute monsters are sent but none are just right.  What's a boy to do without his monster to keep him in bed at night?!  Great illustrations.  Great text.  Read my review here.

LadyBug Girl by Jacky Davis  A little girl and her alter-ego Ladybug Girl go out for the day on her own adventures when her brother tells her she is too small to play ball with him and his friends.  I know a lot of little girls who would just adore this book.

LadbyBug Girl At the Beach by Jacky Davis This is a companion novel to Ladybug Girl.  In this installment, our ladybug girl is afraid to admit that she just might be afraid of the water at the beach.  After a day of trying every which way to avoid going into the water, ladybug girl must come to the rescue when her favorite purple pail starts to float away.  Read my review here.

City Dog, Country Frog by MoWillems, John Muth (re-read) I had originally read this prior to it's release so it was fun to actually hold a finished copy in my hand.  Mo Willems is a master at writing wonderful stories with simple language.  Muth's illustrations enhance the story wonderfully.  The concept of the story is a tale of friendship between a dog and a frog.  Willems tells of how the dog and frog play during spring, summer, and fall.  After winter, dog goes to find his friend who is missing (do I dare say...no, I won't).  What will dog do in frog's absence?  The story has an answer to that question.

Graphic Novels:

Amulet Book 1: The StoneKeeper by Kazu Kibuishi  I am not a huge graphic novels fan.  I think I get distracted by the pictures. :-)  However, this one will certainly appeal to 9 and 10 year olds.  A girl discovers a special amulet which is activated after her mother is captured by a creature from an alternate universe.  The girl and her younger brother go in search of their mother and discover the history behind the amulet and the legacy that is bestowed on them.  Read my review here.

Middle Grade:

The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere) by Jacqueline West I will be posting a review of this book soon so I won't say much other than - this is a definite read.  I will edit the post when I have written the review.  Read my review here.

The Kneebone Boy (Advanced Readers Copy) by Ellen Potter  I will be reviewing this book in August closer to the actual release date for the book.  However, I will say that Ellen Potter has outdone herself.  Fans of Lemony Snickets and Pseudonymous Bosch are certain to love this book.

Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell In this novel of coming of age during the Vietnam War, Jamie learns through the rolls of film her brother sends to her to develop that war may not be all that she believed it to be and even her father who is a Colonel in the Army may be helpless to prevent somethings from happening.

YA:

Beautiful Darkness (Advanced Readers Copy) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl I will be doing a review closer to release date on this book, but I will say that fans of Garcia and Stohl's first book, Beautiful Creatures, will love this sequel.

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams This Edgar Winnner for Best YA is a fast, compelling read.  Abrahams leaves you wondering for most of the book who can you trust.  After a slightly slow start, I was unable to put this one down until I finished.

Scanned by did not truly read:

Nightlight (A Parody of Twilight) by Harvard Lampoon Okay, I will admit it.  I like Twilight.  I think those who love to poke fun at Twilight will love this, but it just annoyed me.  I scanned parts of it but just lost interest after awhile.

In progress:

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne Several teachers on my staff and I are reading a couple of chapters of this each week and discussing it.  Very powerful and practical.

So how are you doing on your summer reading challenge?  Read any good books lately?  Post a comment about what you are reading.

-Aly

Book-A-Day Challenge: Week 2

Before I leave for my vacation (I will still be posting next week), I wanted to do a quick update on my progress with the Book-A-Day Challenge hosted by Donalyn Miller (THE BOOK WHISPERER).

Book A Day Week 2:

Picture Books:

Way Down Deep In The Deep Blue Sea by Jan Peck A little boy discovers a wonderful adventure filled with sea life and sea elements.  The book will appeal to readers who are fans of Brown Bear, Brown Bear.  The rhythmic and repetitive language and beautiful illustrations will draw young children into the book.  And I love the twist at the end.  A definite hit with the under 5 crowd .

Oh No (Or How My Science Project Destroyed The World) by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Dan Santat  This is a fun read and would be especially enjoyable for any elementary class getting ready for a science fair/expo.  The main character has to figure out what to do when her science project (a robot) gets out of hand.  Though I enjoyed the text and kids will get a laugh out of it, I really loved Dan Santat's illustrations more.  I am a huge Santat fan so that was the reason I picked it up in the first place and I wasn't disappointed.

Young Zeus by G. Brian Karas  This is a great introduction to Greek Mythology for younger readers.  The story is written in a way that 1st/2nd graders on up will enjoy the tale of Zeus as a child.  There are also some great humorous lines.  The illustrations do a fabulous job supporting the text.

Picture Books/Non-fiction:

Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy I have become a big fan of non-fiction picture books lately.  Often times written more for 3rd grade and up, they do a fabulous job of drawing readers into a variety of topics and being quite informative.  Though I would say Pop! is written for 2nd/3rd grade on up, I might consider using it with certain Kinder/First classes.  The story addresses bubble gum specifically though it alludes to the history of gum in a general manner.  The illustrations are bright and entertaining and support the text well.  And the fact at the end are great for expanding discussion on the topic.

Middle Grade Fiction:

The Summer Before by Ann Martin  If you are a fan of the Babysitters Club Series, then you will love this prequel.  I read this for a book club without ever having read the Babysitter Club Books.  I can see the appeal it would have for fans of the series or for 9 and 10 year old girls, but for me - it was okay.  The first person who actually reads this post and comments that they want the book...it's yours.

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron  Now this story was amazing.  I loved Lucky. This was an amazingly well written story.  I would recommend it to everyone.  You can check out my review here.

YA Fiction:

Numbers by Rachel Ward  Jem has the ability to see the date (month/day/year) when a person is going to die by looking in his/her eyes. This presents some challenges with day to day relationships. One day while in London, Jem notices that all these people have the same date of death - the current day. She realizes that something is going to happen and works to get her and Spider out of there. This begins a journey of running from the authorities. I found it to be a fast read and pretty interesting. I do need to warn potential readers that there is quite a bit of crass language and also sex in the book so depending on your school and students, you may want to recommend it to older teens. On a side note: I did feel that the language & sex was really a part of who the characters were.

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder After reading I Heart You, You Haunt Me, I immediately went on to read the rest of Lisa's books.  I just love her writing style and her books have gotten more complex and rich as she developed her writing style.  In this book, Ali has to come to terms with her mother's death, her father's remarriage, and new baby.  The emotional journey that Ali goes on is very real and very relate-able.  Just keep the tissues by you when you read this one.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder This is a companion novel to I Heart You, You Haunt Me.  It is set in the same world as her first novel and I am glad that I read them in order.  There is a little gift to her readers if you read it following the first book.  In this book, Schroeder looks at the death of Nico from the perspective of his older brother and his (Nico) girlfriend.  The book is told from alternating viewpoints and the way they end up helping each other through their loss is tender and very touching.  I cried...you'll probably cry...but hope is always a part of Lisa's books.

Okay, more to come next week....keep reading - even if it is only 1 or 2 books a week...

- Aly

P.S. The contest has been won but keep reading the blog.  More giveaways will be happening.