Mrs. Magoo Reads

Trauma Queen

Review by Mini Magoo

Also by this author: This Is Me From Now On

Marigold's mom is a performing artist, but not in an acrobatic, party-entertainment sort of way.  No, instead of contorting her body and eating flames, Marigold's mom wraps herself in Saran Wrap and titles the performance "Plastic Surgery".

But now Marigold and her mother are moving away.  Marigold is leaving her best friend, Emma, and crush, Matt, and survive an entirely new school in an entirely new neighborhood.  As soon as she gets there, the drama starts: she is suddenly expected to pick a side between two fighting girls.

What's more, Marigold is getting tired of having a mother who pitches a tent in the community park and reads Hamlet in the voices of the Simpsons.  Marigold is tired of her mother messing up her life, and their move to a new town had crossed the line.

That is, until her mom gets a job teaching theater--at Marigold's school.

Trauma Queen is a laugh-out-loud story about a girl and her mom who just don't understand each other.  The multitude of witty lines and idiosyncratic characters comprised a clever and funny read that will appeal to many 10 to 12 year olds.

Buy this book: Trauma Queen

Fallen Grace

Living in 19th century London, fifteen year old Grace and her sister Lily are at the bottom of the unforgiving social order.  Orphaned and living alone, they struggle to pay their rent and buy food, stopping just short of selling the shoes off their own feet.  The one thing they are determined to never due is join a workhouse.

Author Mary Hooper takes a while to set this scene, and although the pacing is slow, Victorian England is fascinating to read about.  Hooper also creates a very likable character in Grace, and the reader roots for her from beginning to end.

When things take a turn for the worse, Grace and Lily have no idea how they will survive the upcoming harsh English winter.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Grace and Lily follow a path that will forever change the course of their lives.

What follows is an enthralling tale involving a mysterious family legacy and an elaborate deceit.  Hooper weaves various plot elements throughout the novel that come together perfectly in a satisfying end.  Fallen Grace is historical fiction, and the setting of the novel serves as the perfect backdrop for a story that couldn't be told anywhere but London in the 1800's.

Fallen Grace is a perfect novel for middle school readers, who will enjoy their journey to the book's startling conclusion.  Many of the characters are a bit too one-sided for high schoolers, as they were all either good or bad with no grey area.  However, Grace will appeal greatly to younger girls, and the novel's antagonists generate both hatred but also amusement at their antics.

The first half of the book does drag on a bit, but the page-turning second half makes it well worth it.  Readers should pick up a copy of Fallen Grace, and look out for more from Mary Hooper!

Buy this book: Fallen Grace

My Name is Memory

Everybody is reincarnated, often associating with the same souls throughout their different lives (a mother might be a sister in a future life), but most souls do not remember their past lives.  Daniel, however, is different.  He is one of the very few who can remember past lives.  And Daniel very well remembers Sophia, the girl he fell in love with over a thousand years ago.  In his current life, set in present day, Sophia's name is Lucy, but she unfortunately does not have the memory.

Throughout all of their lives, Sophia/Lucy and Daniel have always been torn apart.  Can they finally defy the centuries and be together in this life?  Or will another soul who also has the memory succeed in getting his long-awaited revenge against Daniel and Sophia/Lucy?

My Name is Memory is a romance novel, but my favorite parts were when Daniel described his past lives.  I was fascinated with the way Ann Brashares sculpted the reincarnation process, and the way in which souls travel from life to life.

While this is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that I enjoyed, the ending was a very disappointing one.  I'm hoping a sequel comes out soon to finish the story!  Overall, I would definitely recommend My Name is Memory as an intriguing and unique book.

Buy this book: My Name Is Memory

Revenge of the Geek

Review by Mini Magoo

*Revenge of the Geek is the sequel to Summer of the Geek. This review contains spoilers for Summer of the Geek.* 

Miranda goes to the Notting Hill School for Gifted and Talented Children, also known as Geek High.  Her boyfriend is in boarding school at Maine, but they Skype every night.  She and her stepsister, Hannah, have grown closer over the past year and have even become friends.  Her best friends, Charlie and Finn, are still her best friends, although Charlie (short for Charlotte) likes Finn- and Finn has a girlfriend already.

Meanwhile, Miranda befriends the new girl at Geek High, Nora.  They become close, but Miranda soon wonders why Nora acts like such a chameleon.  When she's with art-lover Charlie, Nora suddenly loves art; when with comedian Finn, Nora tells a lot of jokes; when with Miranda, Nora wears the same clothes, says the same things, goes to the same places, and even claims she has a long-distance boyfriend too!

Miranda is having a hard time believing Nora.  So when she's given a golden opportunity to find out what's up with her new friend, Miranda seizes the chance.

I literally could not put this book down.  It was exciting, funny, and I never knew what to expect!  Although Revenge of the Geek is a light read, it is still enjoyable and meaningful.  I would recommend this great novel to middle schoolers, and I'm looking forward to more from Piper Banks!

Buy this book: Revenge of the Geek

Mockingbird

Review by Mini Magoo

Caitlin’s mother died a long time ago.  Caitlin’s beloved big brother, Devon, just got shot.  Sheand her father are struggling to be a nice family with only the two of them... but it's not working.  Caitlin, who has Asperger's syndrome, doesn’t know what to do or how to act in public.  Devon used to help her with those things, but now he’s gone and she can’t ask him any questions.

Caitlin’s only guide is her counselor, Mrs. Brook, and even though Mrs. Brook is definitely not Devon, she still manages to help Caitlin.  The first step is to help Caitlin make some friends.

As Mrs. Bridges pushes her to reach out to someone, Caitlin ends up befriending Michael, a first grader whose mom was killed in the same shooting as Devon was shot in.  Even though she's in fifth grade, Caitlin is thrilled to have Michael as a friend.  Meanwhile, Caitlin and her father must undergo the difficult task of finding closure.

Mockingbird is a very well-written novel and the characters were brought to life exceptionally well.  Although the book has mature themes running through it, Erskine wrote it in such a way that both kids and adults could understand and enjoy it.  This is an excellent, touching novel!

Buy this book: Mockingbird

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

When Vera's (ex-)best friend Charlie dies, Vera is the only one left with any sense of truth.  Truth about Charlie's family, his background, their friendship, their falling out, and the truth about how he really died.  But how can she bring the truth to light considering what Charlie put her through before he died, and when all Vera wants to do is stay invisible?

This novel is not written chronologically, and I loved the unusual timeline that A.S. King used to tell the story of Vera and Charlie's friendship, as well as Vera's quest to make peace with herself after Charlie's death.  Likewise, the story is not told from just one point of view.  We also hear from Vera's father, Ken, who is still dealing with the absence of Vera's mother, who left many years ago.  Nevertheless, Ken has noticed Vera's alcoholic habit, which she uses to cope when she can't bear her memories of Charlie anymore.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz is about a father and daughter's journey to facing the truth.

A.S. King is also the author of The Dust of 100 Dogs, and from these two books it seems as if her main strength lies in her characters.  Vera is a realistic but strong and smart heroine, and her father and Charlie are both fully formed people with strengths and weaknesses.  I'm looking forward to more wonderful plots and characters from Ms. King!

Please Ignore Vera Dietz is not an uplifting novel, but it is real and will ring true with many readers.  This book will appeal to teens and adults alike.

Buy this book: Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Enchanted Ivy

Review by Mini Magoo

Also by this Author: Ice

Lily's in her junior year of high school and she's obsessing about grades, extracurricular activities, and the SAT test because she really, really wants to get into Princeton for college.  Her grandfather went to Princeton and they, along with Lily's mom, are going to go to the "P-rade" and take a tour of the campus.  Lily’s dad died in a car accident when she was only a few months old and her mom has ‘brain hiccups’ where she can’t remember things.

Lily doesn't think she'll even get an interview to Princeton, but then her grandpa and some of his friends tell her that if she passes a secret test, she'll get automatic acceptance to Princeton.  The test is not a conventional one: Lily's job is to find the Ivy Key.  What's the Ivy Key?  What does it look like?  Where should Lily start?  She gets no answers.

Things change, however, when a (admittedly cute) college boy with black and orange hair shows up, saying he’s her guide, and gives her the first clue.  After that, she must follow his hints, which lead her down a pretty strange path.  She encounters talking gargoyles and "Feeders" that want to eat her.  As she searches for the Key, she begins to unlock secrets that are not only magical and mysterious but also secret and hidden.

Enchanted Ivy was a unique and original novel with a plot that never slowed down.  I loved the excitement and intensity of the book, and the romance sprinkled throughout.  This will greatly appeal to teens of all ages!

Buy this book: Enchanted Ivy

The Outside Boy

The Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins is a coming-of-age story set in Ireland in the late 1950's.  Christy is eleven years old (almost twelve), and he and his family are, in essence, gypsies.  They travel from town to town, living in one place.  But after the death of Christy's grandfather, Christy's father decides to try to settle down.

It is now that Christy starts to truly grow up.  He is treated badly by townfolk because he is a "pavee" (the word at the time for gypsy), and must come to terms with his status as an outsider.  His relationships with family members become complex, and for the first time he begins to form friendships with people outside of his small circle.

This in itself comprises a touching novel, with a unique setting and carefully crafted characters.  But Cummins spices this up even further.  After finding a stray newspaper photograph once belonging to his grandfather, Christy sets off on a quest to find the truth about his family's history.  This enfolds a sense of mystery and intrigue into The Outside Boy.

The first couple of chapters are the hardest to get through: the plot seems to be a bit slow and the Irish dialect and slang can be jolting.  However, as the reader continues and gets used to the language, the writing seems lyrical rather than displeasing, and the story quickly captures one's attention.  By the second half of the book, I was flying through the pages, eager to find out what happens.

Although the main character is young, The Outside Boy will appeal most to older teenagers and adults.  It's a great book to discuss, so you may want to recruit a friend to read it with you, or introduce it to your book club!

Buy this book: The Outside Boy

The Aristobrats

Review by Mini Magoo

Parker is finally, finally in 8th grade, the year she’s been waiting for since... forever! At last, she can assume her proper place at the top of the populadder!  She and are three best friends, Plum, Akea, and Kiki, (together, they form the group the "Lylas") are going to rule the school.  After all, they are the ones with perfect hair, makeup, clothes, and facebook profiles.  They also compliment everyone- even the ones that make complimenting a difficult task.

So why, why, are they the ones who are chosen to be in charge of the absolutely dorky, non-cool, annoying broadcast of the school?  They need to stay at the highest rung at the top of the populadder, now that it’s eighth grade, possibly the most important year of their lives! They need to have perfect facebook statuses and beautiful appearances every day, and should be focusing on securing their EGB’s, (eighth-grade boyfriends)!

The Lylas are getting out of this broadcast project, and they have a plan.

One unique thing about The Aristobrats is that instead of being snotty and rude like the cliché popular girl, the Lylas are (almost) always kind and good role models.  While the characters sometimes become predictable, I liked that this book broke out of the stereotypes that it might have fallen into.

The Aristobrats is a funny, easy-to-read book that I devoured in a day.  It's great if you're looking for a light read that still carries a message to preteen girls.

Buy this book: The Aristobrats

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Review by Mama Magoo

Now, THIS is a classic!  Timeless questions of whether we, as humans, embody both evil and good, whether we are products of nature or nurture, and whether a conscience is innate or a social structure are some of the issues explored in this rollicking Gothic tale.

Dorian is young and gorgeous and his beauty has been captured in a portrait by Basil Hallward.  As a sort of throw away line, Dorian wishes that he could retain his youth and beauty while the picture ages.  "How sad it is!" says Dorian while looking at the portrait.  "I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful.  It will never be older than this particular day of June...If it were only the other way!  If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old!  For that--for that--I would give everything!...I would give my soul for that!"

Voila!  Dorian's wish comes true.  He realizes it when, at his first act of cruelty, the portrait looks--a touch ugly!  Horrified at the change, and ridden with guilt over its cause, Dorian promises himself he will use the portrait as his conscience, and thereby become a better person.  However, he hasn't counted on Lord Henry and his famous little yellow book having such an evil influence over him.  And Dorian is off on a journey that will captivate every reader who has every wrestled with his or her conscience.

This book will make you laugh out loud and make you shudder within.  And it will definitely make you look differently at your reflection in the mirror.  Of if you have one, at your self-portrait hanging on your wall.

Buy this book: The Picture of Dorian Gray