Ever

People who know my reading preferences know that while I really enjoy fantasy I prefer it to be grounded in reality. Take Harry Potter, for example. I love the magic and the fact that it can exist in the real world too.

This was not that kind of book, but I was ok with it. It was a little weird at times and definitely different, but I liked it. It's about a girl Kezi and her adventure when she meets the 17 year old god of the winds, Olus. There's very much a Greek mythology feel to this story, but you probably won't guess where it's going even if you know those tales well. One thing that definitely interested me about this story was the idea of the little g god. I don't feel like going into that whole concept right now if you don't already know what it means, but it catches my attention none the less. It's definitely no Ella Enchanted, but Ever is a good quick read worth the small time investment.

Scumble

Before I get to the review can we address how fun this cover is? When my students saw me reading this book they immediately wanted to know what it was. The cover is just SO fun.

I had this book for about and week and a half and then got the notice that it was almost due back to the library. I'd been reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck (more on that when I finish) which understandably takes a lot longer to read than your basic middle grade or young adult book. I put East of Eden on hold to get this one done as quickly as I could.

Those that read my book reviews from the summer may remember I read the book Savvy. I liked it, but the pacing was a little off for me. This companion piece (not to be confused with sequel) was actually more well written in my personal opinion. The pacing was on and the story felt more believable to me. Once again, the plot deals with a family that has types of super powers that begin to show on their thirteenth birthdays. Ledger Kale is no exception to the family rule and his power (or savvy) leads him on a fun and dramatic summer adventure that is a pleasure to read. This book is 400 pages which may turn some readers off, but it's a quick, fun, and easy read with large print on the pages and only takes a few hours to finish. I would definitely recommend it to readers struggling to stay interested in a story, but not necessarily to people my age looking for a really unique and interesting story.

I'm considering starting to read three books at once and finish at least a chapter a day from each. If I start this (I'll decide by today) I'll be reading East of Eden, Opening the Heavens (recommended by a friend for research on a specific topic), and Ever (by the author of Ella Enchanted; just a more fun, easy read to help break up the heaviness of the other two).

Forbidden Sea

So with student teaching and everything else going on in my life, it has been hard to fit in reading. However, I have made a goal to read at least a chapter a day. Last week, I started reading a chapter a day of the book Forbidden Sea and within a few chapters, I could not put it down! I really enjoyed this book. It had an interesting take on mermaids as the town Windwaithe is haunted by an one hundred year old legend of a mermaid who lures her prey out to the sea with her music. When the main character realizes this mermaid is after her sister, she has to try everything to keep her away from the sea. From the first chapter, I was hooked to see what would happen next with the mermaid and the main character's inner struggle with her own personal problems. It is a fast read and has a great story; my only regret is that it left me wanting more, in a good way.  Sheila A. Nielson is a local author and works at the Provo Library in the children's section.