Ninth Review: Mister Pip

Jones, Lloyd. Mister Pip. New York: The Dial Press, 2006.

Annotation:

Matilda is a fourteen year old girl living on a remote copper-rich tropical island that is being ravaged by war.  Matilda’s only escape from the lingering fear of enemy aggression are the lessons of her eccentric new teacher Mr. Watts who is teaching the children how to use their imagination as they read the Charles Dickens's classic Great Expectations.  But when the conflict finally arrives to her small village, Matilda will be forced to discover if the new world that Mr. Watts helped her create will be able to shield her from the brutalities of war.

Nomination:

Mister Pip is one of the finest examples of literary quality that a reader is likely to find.  The world of Matilda comes to life as author Lloyd Jones deftly inserts vivid descriptions a tropical island home while telling this story though the eyes of a fourteen year old girl who has very little knowledge of the world beyond her tight-knit community.  You are also introduced to most of the members of her quaint little village in a manner that does not seemed coerced in any way.  The village is like a small slice of life that is not too different than any other part of the world.  People laugh and cry, rejoice and show remorse.  Some people gossip while others cling to the tenets of religious guidance.  There is little doubt that Mister Pip has grasped the essence of humanity, and presents it in a way in which anyone from anywhere will be able to relate, and appreciate.

If Mister Pip had been classified as a young adult novel, it might have been considered a challenged title, but it is far more likely that it would have been classified as a censored title.  While it is true that Mister Pip can at times be graphic and gritty, that may be why young adult readers are initially attracted to the novel.  However, the reader will soon find themselves relating to Matilda’s rebellion against her mother, and as Matilda competes with her classmates for her mentor’s attention, more than a few teenagers no doubt will smile in appreciation.  But there is also the draw of how fear can cause you to do things that you would never imagine a rational person could do, even when under duress.  However, it is this horror that makes the perseverance of young Matilda so much more remarkable.  Ultimately, Matilda’s strength within herself and her ability to cast guilt away is an inspiration to every reader, regardless of their age.  

Genre Category: Realistic Novels/Edgy Fiction

Eighth Book Review: Across the Nightingale Floor

Hearn, Lian. Across the Nightingale Floor. New York: Riverhead Books, 2002.

Annotation:

Tomasu is a sixteen year old from a remote mountain village where nothing has ever changed, except for the seasons.  That was until the brutality of war came to his home and destroyed everything and everyone he had ever loved.  Taken in by a kindly lord from a distant land who had suffered the loss of his own family, Tomasu sees this beautiful new land as a place where he can hone his fighting skills in order to seek revenge against the lord who wiped out his village.  However, when a strange old man with supernatural abilities finds Tomasu, he discovers that the art of assassination runs deep in his family, and that his new lord may have been training him to become the most important part of a plan to throw down the oppressive regime that is tearing the land apart.

Nomination:

Across the Nightingale Floor is a remarkably well written book that takes place during a fictionalized portrayal of feudal Japan, but the incredible attention to historical and geographical detail makes one forget at times that they are reading a fictional account of a fictional land.  However, while the time and place may be fictional, the details of daily life and the emotional turmoil each character is experiencing is as real and genuine as any author could hope to portray.  And while some of the characters have far greater burdens to bear, you feel just as sympathetic to those whose hardships may pale by comparison.  And it is these hardships that the characters go through that explain why this book is considered to be a controversial book.  Considering the period of time that this fictional world is based upon, feudal Japan, one should come to expect that violence would play a pivotal role in the story.  But violence in Across the Nightingale Floor is not presented just for the sake of shocking the reader; rather it is presented in a manner that is necessary to keep the story believable (after all, people die during wars).  But since this is a world where wars are fought with knives and swords, killing takes on a much more personal disposition.  

I feel that Across the Nightingale Floor deserves a nomination because it truly encapsulates the protagonist Tomasu at varying levels that most young adults find themselves at one point or another.  At the beginning of the book, Tomasu is a naïve teenager who is just beginning to work with the men of the village, but knows enough to not speak and just listen and watch in order to pick up the norms and mores of the community.  However, his life is fast forwarded almost instantaneously when his village is destroyed and he must flee for his life.  When Tomasu begins his new life, it is with a new purpose and drive.  Suddenly, problems that seemed so vexing before now reveal themselves to him as being insignificant and even childish.  And by the end of the story, Tomasu has accomplished things that he never could have imagined, even after he began his new life.  It is this cycle of growth that the young adult reader will grasp onto, and realize that when one is focused and driven, practically anything is possible.  

Genre Category: Challenged or Censored Title

Seventh Book Review: The Giver

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers, 1993.

Annotation:

Jonas was born into a seemingly perfect world where there is no pain, no conflict, and no poverty.  He has just turned twelve years old, and has been selected by the elders to be the new receiver of memories, the most important position within the community. But as Jonas receives the memories of generations lost, he begins to realize that the perfect community he has always known has been blinded to reality, and have lost their ability to express human compassion.  As Jonas becomes more aware that people’s smiles are hiding cold heartless actions, and cordial words are concealing sinister intentions, he must make a decision, accept the darkness that is embracing his community, or try to wake his people from their horrific stupor.

Rejection:

The Giver is a very interesting book that does a wonderful job of presenting a very peculiar world through the eyes of an eleven year old boy named Jonas who is about to turn twelve.  Everything seems to be normal to Jonas because, for as long as he can remember, everything has always stayed the same.  His family unit is the same as every other family unit, a father and mother, one son and one daughter.  Everyone dresses the same based on their age.  Everyone performs the same rituals every day, like taking turns explaining their dreams in the morning during breakfast, and discussing their feelings every evening during dinner.  Rules are usually followed to the letter, and those who do not are shamed and expected to apologize immediately.  And if the offense is serious enough, the person is “released” from the community.  Young adults will be no doubt remember a time when their own world seemed so simple, and how life shaking events from their youth seem trivial now by comparison. 

But when Jonas turns twelve, he discovers that he has been selected to be the the new Receiver of Memories, a lifelong vocation that he didn't even know existed.  It is from this point that everything begins to change for Jonas.  As he begins to receive the memories of past generations from the Giver (the former Receiver of Memories), he starts to see that the world is not quite as simple as he once perceived it to be.  The memories reveal to him what real happiness feels like, what real sadness feels like, and even what real suffering feels like.  And as these feelings begin to open his eyes to the reality that he is surrounded by, he comes to the startling conclusion that there is a serious price to be paid for the artificial happiness that has defined his entire life so far.  A teen reader will probably find Jonas as a relatable protagonist as he begins to grapple with understanding the rapidly changing world around him, while at the same time, recognizing the importance of right and wrong.  They will also see that freedom is a relative term based on their own environment, and that the basis of freedom in one person’s eyes can look like oppression and domination through another person’s eyes.

But while there are many positive attributes of The Giver, ultimately I find myself having to reject this book.  There are two main reasons for this decision.  First I felt that the literary quality was a little bit lacking.  It seemed that the reader’s intelligence wasn’t really tested with this book.  And while there were a couple of surprises in the book, most of the “ah ha” moments were rather predictable and did not seem to challenge the reader.  As an example, it was quite clear what it meant to be “released”, and Jonas’s surprise at this realization gave very little credit to Jonas or the reader.  And second, there is no real closure at the end of the book.  Now while it could be argued that the ambiguity of the ending could challenge the reader to come up with their own conclusion, I found it to be more of a nuisance and feeling a bit like a cunning evasion tactic by the author.  But regardless of the pros and cons of the book, it was interesting concept, and should be given credit for showing the reader that true reality will usually take a backseat to each person’s own perception of reality. 

Genre Category: Science Fiction

Sixth Book Review: Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

Shan, Darren. Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2002.

Annotation:

Darren and Steve are best friends who have a love for everything creepy.  So when a secret freak show comes to town, they cannot resist themselves and sneak away in the middle of the night to attend.  During the show Steve realizes that some of the performers are not what they seem, and his frightening discovery starts a cycle of events that will ultimately drive Darren and Steve to a treacherous point of no return.

Nomination:

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare, is a fantastic book that not only creates a sense of suspense and horror for the young teen reader, it also addresses many of the common anxieties that teens face as they begin their path toward adulthood.  Darren, as the protagonist, is forced to consider issues such as deciding how to deal with a friend’s betrayal, figuring out ways to right his wrongs, and learning how to control the physical urges that seem to haunt his every waking hour.  Not only is he dealing with these unfamiliar dilemmas, he must also come to terms with possibility of losing the safe and secure life that he has always enjoyed, and that his parents have always provided.  But most distressing of all is accepting the fact that sometimes one must put the needs of family and friends ahead of their own needs, and be willing to accept the fallout when they cannot.  And just when Darren is pushed to his emotional breaking point, he must deal with a very unusual death, his own.

While Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare may seem like just another teen horror fiction, it shows that it is so much more by highlighting the changes a young teen feels in a truly unique way.  For example, as we get older, we get stronger, our physical urges grow more intense, and we become far more aware of our mortality.  Whereas these changes normally take years to develop (giving the young teen time to adjust and adapt), Darren is required to develop these feelings within a matter of days, forcing him make the best decisions he can with the limited life experience he has gained so far.  And as you watch Darren embark on his dark quest toward damnation, you begin to see that what makes Darren a monster is not centered on new abilities, but it is the hypersensitive state of his normal feelings and physical attributes that cause him to do strange and dangerous things.  It is these highly unstable urges that are creating the monster, not evil influences or supernatural abilities.  And that is the frightening lesson that Darren must learn, or risk losing what little humanity he has left.

Genre Category: Teen Horror