Tag Archives: 21st Century

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

American Literature September 9, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

I’m giving away 3 copies of Hunger Games–check out this post for rules & to enter! Synopsis: After winning the Hunger Games, underdog Katniss Everdeen finds herself caught up in political intrigue as rebellion foments in other districts, and when the president himself makes a game-changing move, Katniss must choose between love and freedom. Review: I was totally and completely sucked in and swept away by Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins’s sequel to last year’s it novel Hunger Games. The series is starting to remind me…

The Boy Next Door by Irene Sabatini

African Literature September 8, 2009 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: A Zimbabwean woman strikes up a friendship with a white neighbor suspected of arson, and their lives become inextricably linked. Review: First-time author Irene Sabatini has a marvelous (or should I say, “lekker”) ear for the distinct vernacular rhythms of her native Zimbabwe. In The Boy Next Door, she chronicles a most unconventional love story that begins against the backdrop of the transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. Later, the story settles amid an Africa in flux, dealing with issues of racial and national identity,…

Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King (The Dark Tower)

American Literature September 7, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: Roland and his company prepare to defend a town that sees half of its children kidnapped and “roont” once a generation. Review: Wolves of the Calla is still my favorite of the Dark Tower books. I think it’s because it has the best standalone story of the bunch. Calla Bryn Sturgis, the town, has the feel of the American frontier, and watching Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy prepare to do battle against the kidnapping Wolves is fraught with suspense, tension, and action. I…

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn)

American Literature September 5, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A street urchin discovers that she is Mistborn, able to synthesize metals that give her superhuman powers, and falls into a plan to overthrow the seemingly immortal Lord Ruler. Review: I listened to The Final Empire on audiobook, and I have to say I was really impressed by the narrator’s ability to give every character a different voice. It really made the story easy to follow, especially because the characters themselves were not particularly well-drawn. Oops–did I start criticizing already? Well, another reason I…

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

American Literature August 28, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Sophie Blue is so goth she’s roadkill, at least in her dreams, as she searches for her lost father and tries to find herself. Review: Fade to Blue is very, very hip and very, very stylish–so much so that it made me feel old because I didn’t really get it. I am kind of old, closer to middle- than teenage, so maybe that’s okay. The writing is fantastic, and the plotting creative, but I just didn’t click with it. I think many teens will,…

Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove

American Literature August 27, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: After the sudden death of her husband, a young widow begins to hear his voice at the same time she experiences a sort of amnesia about their last months. Review: Boy, I was really not expecting Talking to the Dead to be such a page-turner! I thought it was going to be an Anne Tyler-esque meditation on grief, loss, and moving on, and since I feared it might be a little dull, it languished on my TBR stack. The book actually has a solid…

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

American Literature August 25, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Five teenagers at an elite Manhattan private school game the system–because they’ve sold their souls to the devil. Review: When I picked up Another Faust, my expectations were low. I figured it was going to be yet another first in a series capitalizing on Gossip Girls and Twilight. Don’t get me wrong–I figured I would like it–but I didn’t expect anything more than light entertainment. So I was thrilled to realize that Another Faust was a spiritual and literary heir to the Gothic tradition…

North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (Wingfeather)

On Reading August 21, 2009 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: Book two in the fantastical journey of the children who are the Lost Jewels of Anniera, a kingdom of legend, as they flee for their lives from those who would see them defeated. Review: As the name might suggest, North! Or Be Eaten is a whimsical adventure filled with inventive language and fantastical creatures. I was really impressed by Andrew Peterson‘s skill in surprising me on every page. The book is quite wholesome, but also has a delightful edginess–not in terms of being overly…

The Book That Made America by Jerry Newcombe

American Literature August 17, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Subtitled: How The Bible Formed Our Nation. Review: In The Book That Made America, author Jerry Newcombe lays out a compelling case for the influence that the Bible and Christianity had over the writing of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and other key documents in the formation of America. It’s worth reading by anyone with an interest in early American history and current politics. However, the book suffers a bit by preaching to the choir. Using Ann Coulter as one of your experts…

The Hunted by Brian Haig

American Literature August 12, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A political thriller about a Russian businessman on the wrong side of his own country–and the United States. Review: I picked up The Hunted because I’m intrigued by Russia, having spent 10 days in St. Petersburg about a decade ago. However, the book turned out to be the kind of manly political thriller that I just can’t get into. I was hoping for John Le Carre but it was more Tom Clancy/Nelson DeMille (I’m actually just guessing on those, because I don’t know the…

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