VVMBookBlog

The Postcard by Tony Abbott

Jason is basically forced to go to Florida for his grandmother’s funeral even though he has never met his grandmother. He is sent with a directive from his mother to keep an eye on his father and make sure he doesn’t drink. As soon as he gets to Florida things get quite strange. The funeral if full of odd people, and he even gets strange phone calls. Of course his dad does drink. This conveniently leaves time for Jason to follow clues to a mystery with a girl from his grandmother’s neighborhood.

It may seem a bit strange, but it is a mystery in a mystery. The book, itself, is a mystery, but Jason also follows clues and reads letters (shown in the book) which are a mystery. Reading the letters and following the clues helps Jason solve the mystery of the letters helping with the mystery of the novel.

Two young people from two different worlds are brought together when a deadly tsunami wave destroys Mau’s island and its inhabitants (the Nation), and Daphne’s British ship is swept from the sea and destroyed on Mau’s island.

Mau was just returning from his coming-of-age experience and would be coming home to the island ceremony initiating him into manhood.  Daphne (real name Ermintrude) has escaped living with her very proper and controlling grandmother and was on the ship heading to be with her father on another British-owned island.  Then the tsunami hit and now they’re alone on the island, forced to learn each other’s language so they could help treat the other tsunami victims who found their way to the island.

I expected to read just another fantasy book by Terry Pratchett.  Instead I found a book that takes place in a parallel universe, and looks at what human beings can do when everything else is taken away, and all customs, traditions and rituals need to be examined for what they really mean.  When the anger Mau feels at his gods who might have caused the tsunami and the death of his people, he can open his eyes to other realities on his island, along with Daphne whose curiosity and accumulated knowledge help make sense of the secrets they find.

Lots of adventure, especially when the Raiders led by British mutineers arrive on the island to cause problems.  It’s a thick book but one I just couldn’t put down until it was done.  And now I’m left with much to think about when people can change how they see the everyday things around them.

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

Shift is a good name for this novel for three reasons: 1) It involves two teenagers who bike across the United States. 2) It shifts from bike trip (present) to college (future). 3) One of the characters could be considered “Shifty.” When Chris and Win graduate from college they decide to take bike (pedal) across the United States. Along this bike trip, Win leaves Chris. Chris continues on his own and returns in time for his first day of college. Suddenly the FBI is talking to Chris about Win’s location. Win has not been in contact with anyone, and his family is worried. Shift is a mystery in the sense that the reader must read and figure out what happened to Win and how Chris is involved. It is also a story of friendship, family, and most importantly adventure. The book also follows the teenagers bike adventure across the United States.

The Juvie Three by Gordan Korman

Gecko, who is incarcerated for driving a stolen get-away car, is surprised when a stranger comes to visit him in the juvenile detention center. This stranger, Mr. Healy, has “a deal” for Gecko. Instead of being in the detention center, he would be in a half-way house. Half-way between jail and freedom. As he leaves with Mr. Healy he is joined by two other juvenile delinquents, Terence and Arjay. The three will live together and depend on each other to stay “on the outside.” This is difficult for all three, especially Terence. Their lives are confined to school, group therapy, and community service. A nosy neighbor and a social worker who follows the rules, maybe a bit too closely, make life difficult for the three. They are also faced with challenges such as school and staying out of trouble. Life soon gets more complicated.

This is a quick read and an engaging book from the beginning to the end. Readers will not be disappointed as they follow these three on their adventures as they try to stay out of trouble.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

One can count one Neil Gaiman to come up with something weird and creepy. The Graveyard Book fits with his other books such as Coraline although I believe it is better than Coraline. As a baby Bod (Nobody) survives as his entire family is killed by Jack. He somehow escapes to a graveyard where is he is raised by its inhabitants who let him live in their tomb. The story takes Bad from a baby to a teen and follows his adventures as he lives in and sometimes leaves the graveyard. Jack, however, has been looking for Bod since he was an infant and appears to cause problems for Bod.