Book Review: The Maze Runner

I believe this book, The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, came under my radar because it is coming out in movie form this year. It was a possible selection for my book club. I'm glad I added it to my list. A fairly clean book with great appeal for boys, I'll definitely recommend this to my sons in a few years (or perhaps to Bryce if he needs to read a book of his own selection - something he rarely does). I even thought it was headed for some Christian parallels when they began to talk about the need for a sacrifice in order to save the lives of all the others, but this broke down somewhat. I'll probably see the movie when it comes out in September. It looks like it will be good. Here's the trailer:

Thomas awakens to find himself being lifted into a new world in an elevator. This new world, The Glade, has a large group of young men who have been trying to find a way out through a terrifying maze for two years already. The maze walls change every night (after the giant stone walls close on it) and hideous creatures called "Grievers" come out to sting and kill anyone left in the maze. Thomas is desperate for answers but none of the other boys offer up much in the way of information. Then, something strange begins to occur. Used to receiving a new citizen once a month, the boys are shocked when the day after Thomas arrives a girl, Teresa, arrives. If that isn't strange enough, she is clutching a note which says the end is near. She seems to remember Thomas, although Thomas has no recollections of her or his previous life. The intensity grows as things begin to change and they must find a way out or die.

This book was highly reminiscent of the Patrick Ness books, The Knife of Never Letting Go and More Than This. Like the first book, it is a world entirely made up of males with the introduction of one female. Like the second book, the main character has lost memory and finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world of some strange sort, requiring him to figure out what is going on. The telepathic communication between Thomas and Teresa reminded me of the noise of audible thought in The Knife of Never Letting Go. The Creators have placed the boys in the maze-world for a reason, but they seem helpless to figure it all out until Thomas and Teresa arrive. While open-ended, I wasn't terribly thrilled with the ending. It answered questions, yes, but left me wishing for a more satisfying conclusion.

This book had all the elements that appeal to male readers - a male dominated society with their own unique curse-code, monsters, intense challenges, a mysterious and attractive female, a maze, death, and gore. The reading was intensely compelling. Although not as wild a ride as a book by Ness, it was equally riveting. I can see why this was selected for a film interpretation. Can't wait to see the movie. How about you?
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Click here for a review of my experience with the movie and with the prequel, The Kill Order.

The Anxiety of Letting Little Birds Fly Away

At this very moment, my oldest, Bryce, is on a plane headed for Florida for his spring break... on his own.  It has been a nerve-wracking several weeks. When he first came to us with the plan, he said that a friend offered him a place to stay in their condo for spring break. He thought he would just drive down to take up the offer. Just. drive. down. ???? Seriously.

We explained to him that he's never driven a long distance like that before and if he was going to be driving for 17 hours, he would need someone along to spell him. The next day he arrived home from school glowing with the news that his friend, Ross, could drive down with him and spell him. Um, no. Two teen boys in a Ford Mustang on a cross-country trip - not quite ready for that yet, either.

So, I began to scheme another plan. My parents live only two hours away from his destination and in the long decade they've been there, we've never been to visit them (sad, I know). I suggested that Bryce and I do the drive and I take the two younger boys along for a visit to their grandparents after dropping Bryce off at the condo.

I began to get kind of excited about the trip. Sure, we'd be in the car for two solid days down and two solid days back, but it would be an adventure and I'd get to visit my parents and show the boys the ocean for the first time. We're not the type of family who take vacations like this usually. The last time I went to Florida was back when Bryce was five or six and we flew to visit my sister there, when she was living in Key West. We had a marvelous time. We went on a glass-bottom boat, did other touristy things, and had a nice visit with my sister and her family. Another trip to Florida was sounding good.

Then, my van began to make an odd whining noise whenever I accelerate. It's just a small noise, but enough to make me leery of taking on a cross-country trip in it. I suggested I take my husband's truck, but his gas guage isn't working and he merely keeps track of how far he's gone to know when to refill the tank. I wouldn't want to run out of gas, so I didn't feel comfortable with that option either.

In the meantime, Bryce claimed to have possibly found another ride. He knew he had a ride home (with a family whose husband was driving down, but had to fly back mid-week to return to work, leaving an extra seat in their vehicle). But the ride down fell through and we were back at making a decision about the drive down.

I think both my husband and mother-in-law were hesitant to allow me to make the trip. So, we purchased a one-way flight for Bryce (with gas expenses and a hotel for two nights during the drive time, probably cheaper in the long run). Thankfully, we were able to find a spot on a direct flight (no layovers or chances to miss connecting flights). Still, I have been full of anxiety about his taking this big step on his own. My husband says I'm a needless worrier. After all, he's almost 18 ... he ought to be able to handle this.

Still, when I left him at the entrance to the gates this morning, still needing to go through security checks and find the right gate and board the right plane, I felt nervous for him. I'm hoping he manages to board the right flight, secure his luggage at the other end, and find the family who offered him a spot at their condo (they are flying in a little later than Bryce). I'm hoping he doesn't burn significantly (he already got a slight burn at a tanning bed while preparing for the extensive sun exposure), doesn't have his wallet or belongings lost or stolen, doesn't get into any form of trouble down there, and most of all, has a great time on his final spring break for his high school years (he's never really gone anywhere for spring break while all of his friends head off almost every year to some exotic location).

I know he's almost considered an adult, but I still feel like a momma bird watching her little one fly off on his own for the first time. I'm sure the anxiety is normal. I'm also feeling a little depressed over the whole thing. I was actually looking forward to the adventure of a trip and now I'm facing a week at home with two squabbling boys who need physical activity, while the weather here continues to be frigid, wet, and unaccommodating. We plan to take them to Sky Zone and to a laser tag facility at some point during the week. Plus, there's the option of driving down to Bedford, Indiana, to ride in a boat in an underground cave.

Hopefully, Bryce will have a wonderful experience. We will survive our week at home. And one day, we'll make it down to Florida (with Dad along, would be my preference) to visit my parents and perhaps even take in Disney World. I looked up a glass-bottom boat in Ocala, Florida. That would be nice, as well.

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Update: He called to say he arrived safely but his bag wasn't on the carousel. He gave the baggage claim guy all his information and waited there for a half hour before the woman who accidentally took his luggage came back with it. He said her luggage didn't even look that similar and had a pink tag on it. He was so mad he told her to learn to read next time - yikes! Thankful he is there and his luggage situation was ironed out.

A Place for Gender-Specific Books

A new campaign called "Let Books Be Books" is afoot. Their rallying cry? Books shouldn't be earmarked specifically for boys or for girls, but should rather be encouraged to fall into a unisex category. A good book for a boy is a good book for a girl, too. It is merely "a good book."

At first glance, I agree with the premise. The mark of a truly great book is one which crosses all categorical audiences, one which appeals to children and adults, boys and girls, men and women. I would have to say there are certainly those kind of books out there. I want a world where books have such a widespread appeal that simply everyone is talking about them.

But, then again. I don't want that to be the only way books are marketed. As much as I love the books which knock it out of the park for everyone, I also feel there is a place for gender-specific books. The world is made up of categories. Even if you blur the categories, they still exist.

There are books which would not be marketed to young children. Take, for instance, The Hunger Games. I loved the series. I devoured each book with relish. But, I wouldn't encourage my seven-year-old son to tackle those books, despite his advanced reading ability. He might be able to read the words and make sense of them, but developmentally he is not ready to consider the concept of sending a young child off to almost certain death in a gladiatoresque-arena.  I seek out age-appropriate literature for him.

In the same way, I also wouldn't encourage my nine-year-old son to read Jasper Jones, an outstanding young adult title with great boy appeal. I'm not a young adult, yet I loved that book, despite the violence, the constant cursing, and other tawdry aspects which would usually earn my derision. There will come a time when I allow him to read it, and even encourage discussion about the book because although it is outstanding, it presents a very nihilistic worldview, a worldview I don't share. It will provide an excellent opportunity to discuss such things and help him iron out where he stands. But he is not ready for that yet.

I would not want my child to wander the stacks of adult books and come home with a book of erotica because "a book is a book," no specifications allowed. That is a category of book for a specific age and type of person. I understand the category and I steer myself away from it because, in my opinion, it is a classification of book I have no desire to delve into. In such cases, a book is not simply a book.

Books are pegged for specific age ranges. It is a practical function which helps the reader determine the appropriateness of the selection. No one is clamoring for children to be encouraged to read books clearly intended for adults.

So, if the age categorization isn't a problem, why is it suddenly a problem to market a book directly to boys or girls? I understand the outcry. People want there to be neutrality in their children. They want their child to be allowed to determine what things they are drawn to, without being hung up by gender stereotypes.

My nephew went through a stage where he was obsessed with Polly Pockets. He loved their minute size. He loved being able to create a small world with those little dolls. My sister was levelheaded enough to allow him to play with the toy, despite the categorical marketing of Polly Pockets toward girls, and I commend her for that.

But I am not bringing home dolls to my sons in an effort to turn them gender-neutral. I don't believe such a world would be the blessing others perceive it to be. I believe there is a reason for separate genders and a place for a man and a woman in this world. While I don't want my sons to grow up thinking housework and cooking are merely the domain of the wife (which thankfully, in my case, they understand that Dad is a far better cook than Mom), I also don't want them to grow up without a clear vision of the purpose God had when He chose to design them as a male. I want them to be providers, protectors, and warriors for their families. I want them to cherish their wives and treat them like princesses.

If I were to adopt a child from another country, everyone would encourage me to raise the child with an understanding of his/her cultural heritage. It would be in the best interest of the child. It would help affirm who they are in the world. There are many races and they are different, with different cultural backgrounds and tendencies. I love the variety God chose to place on our magnificent earth. If I were to adopt such a child, I would hope to find books specifically targeted to the cultural background of my child.

In the same way, I want my sons to be able to identify books which serve their particular persuasion. I want gender-specific books out there encouraging my boys to embrace their masculinity. Two of my sons are typical reluctant readers. Gender-specific books, like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Jake Drake series, clearly appeal to them more and I am all about finding and selecting books they identify with strongly. (For suggestions for high-quality boy books try Ann Voskamp's son's list or Jennifer Murray's reader's survey list.)

Having said that, I don't want all books to be categorized as gender-specific. The books with crossover appeal should certainly be marketed with crossover appeal. Some of my sons' favorite books have been series which feature a strong female protagonist but, in a wonderful way, appeal equally to my boyish boys: the Junie B. Jones series, the Clarice Bean series, and the Ivy and Bean series, to name a few. If those books had pink covers, it might dissuade my boys from selecting them. I encouraged them to read them anyway. I didn't need a special campaign to tell me they were good books, despite bearing certain appeal to girls.

I feel it is my role as a parent to steer my child toward the books I desire, be they girl-centric or boy-centric. If a book like Pippi Longstocking has general appeal, I want it to be marketed equally to boys and girls. But, if my boys are looking for tales of adventure, I'm all for steering them toward series which are targeted at the boy craving adventure. If I had a daughter, I'm sure I would cradle her in my arms while I read the adventure series to my sons and she might grow into an equal love of the books targeted outside of her gender.

I merely feel there is a place for gender-specific books. There are different genders. There are different audiences for books. Let's not throw out the possibility of gender-specific books in our desire to create a world where there are no lines and no categories and no stereotypes to hold a reader back. I want those dynamic books with across-the-board appeal. I just don't want to throw out the possibility of finding books which cater to my sons and their masculine persuasion. Isn't there room in our world for gender-specific books in addition to those with general appeal? I sincerely hope publishing companies continue to encourage boys to read by helping them select books with boy appeal. In the meantime, I'll continue to seek out the very best literature I can find to open up my sons' horizons to the wonderful world out there, a world full of boys and girls, young and old, black and white.

Book Review: Hate List

I didn't think I was going to like this book, Hate List. It was selected for my March Young at Heart book club (we read young adult literature, but most of us are well past the young adult range). To begin with, it was about a school shooting. Depressing, right? Surprisingly, I did get engrossed in the book and came to genuinely like the main character.

On a lark, Valerie Leftman and her boyfriend began making a "hate list," of things and people they hated. For Valerie, it was all a way of blowing off steam when others bullied her. She had no idea that her boyfriend, Nick Levil, would one day decide to really punish those on the hate list. Valerie attempted to stop him, jumping in front of Jessica, one of the targeted girls, and taking a bullet to her leg. Then, she watched as her boyfriend put the gun to his own head.

That is a summary of what propels the story in this book, but the book is about so much more than the school shooting. The book is primarily about Valerie's road to recovery. She has to decide if she is the hero or villain of the story. She must return to life at her high school and face the fallout of that fateful day. Without much support at home, she works with Dr. Hieler, to face her demons and attempt to see what is really there.

If you're looking for a plot-driven story, you'll have to look elsewhere. But, if you like to delve into the mind of an individual facing a tragic and emotionally-fraught circumstance, then this is the book for you. I appreciated that all of the characters eventually were portrayed as both bad and good. Their humanity was, at times, open and raw, and at other times, tender and redeeming.

This is just another great debut novel. The writing flowed, the characters were well-drawn, the concepts beneath the surface worth considering. I foresee many more titles from this author (who also writes middle-grade fiction and women's fiction - see her website for more information, including information about a novella connected to this book).

Book Review: A Land More Kind Than Home

Wiley Cash's second book grabbed my attention on the recent acquisition list for our library. I joined the hold list, but also checked to see if they had his debut novel, A Land More Kind Than Home. I was in luck.

The cover alone led me to believe this would be a worthwhile read. I love the title, taken from a line in Thomas Wolfe's You Can't Go Home Again (the full quote being: "[Death is] to lose the earth you know, for greater knowing; to lose the life you have, for greater life; to leave the friends you loved, for greater loving; to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth.") The rich colors of sunset on the side of a small hill with a house and trees were inviting. Then there's the quote by Clyde Edgerton declaring it to be "a first novel that sings with talent."

I'd have to agree with Edgerton. I'm always in awe of writers who can move a reader so intensely right out of the gate. No stumbling about with preliminary efforts to nail the voice and plot required to suck a reader in. Wiley Cash has just that ability. He has created a story with an enticing premise and three clearly-voiced narrators.

Jess Hall is a curious nine-year old boy, fiercely protective of his mute older brother, Christopher, a boy everyone calls "Stump." One day, Stump sees something he shouldn't have, and this leads to a path of destructive fall-out. Jess watches it all unfold, alongside the town midwife, Adelaide Lyle, and the town sheriff, Clem Barefield.

The story revolves around the events of one day, a Sunday when Stump's mother, Julie, takes him for a healing service at her extremist church. The charismatic pastor has convinced his parishioners to believe in the Holy Ghost power to allow individuals to hold snakes, drink poison, and miraculously thrive from the laying on of hands. Only Stump doesn't thrive or regain his voice. He dies. His father, Ben, and his newly returned grandfather, Jimmy, want answers.

I loved how the author managed to unfold the tale like a flower coming into bloom. The characters each have rich back-story, but the back-story was never disruptive. It served to tease out the tale. Moreover, he captured rich tension between the characters. Readers simply cannot pry their eyes away as the tale sweeps into further destructive territory.

I already have his second novel, This Dark Road to Mercy, in hand. I'm expecting another excellent read. I foresee a great future for this young, talented writer.

Down but Not Defeated

I had been putting off contacting them ... the publishers who requested two book proposals back in July. I knew that it had been a long time since I had heard anything from them, but fear held me back. If I contact them, I might finally hear their rejection, my brain reasoned. So, I put it off until finally, I got off my duff and wrote the contact person (the editor I had pitched my ideas to at the writer's conference last year, who had then put me in touch with the head editor at her publishing company). I merely stated that I was wondering if they had found time to review the book proposals I sent back in July.

She seemed very apologetic. I guess, in my inexperience, I didn't really know what was a reasonable amount of time to wait. I secretly hoped that the reason I wasn't hearing anything was because the proposals were making the rounds of committee meetings where everyone has to get on board before requesting the full manuscript. Probably not the way it works, but my brain was hoping.

She contacted her head editor and he finally sent me a reply. He wrote:

"Thanks so much for submitting both of your young adult fiction proposals.... Thanks also for discussing these proposals with -- -- last summer. She only forwards manuscripts to me that she sees strong potential in, and I greatly appreciate her efforts.

"I am sorry it has taken so long to get an answer to you regarding your proposals. I have found the writing to be top-tier and the story lines to be quite interesting. I wish we could expand our YA fiction by adding both titles.

"But sadly we are tapped out on fiction titles for the next two years...."

So, some sad, but also encouraging, news. On the one hand, it was a no. Ouch! But on the other hand, my writing was declared to be "top-tier" and my ideas "quite interesting." That is a good sign. At least I know I am not sending out rubbish.

I had also heard another no from a different publishing company prior to that. It wasn't unexpected because the contact editor had warned me in advance that their publishing company seldom publishes any young adult fiction. In her rejection, she declared my manuscript to be "a strong book and concept."

The Christian market for young adult fiction is very slim. This begs a whole conversation about why that is the case, but I have no desire to speculate at the moment. For me, it is what it is and I have to work around those limitations.

So, what am I doing? I'm actually moping less than I was when I was waiting for some word. I immediately switched tracks and spent some time fine-tuning my middle-grade manuscript. I then submitted it to Eerdmans, one of the few publishers who will accept unsolicited manuscripts. Of course, they receive thousands of these unsolicited manuscripts each year, so my chances are again slim, but it was worth the shot and it was some form of action. That is what I have resolved to do - keep taking some form of action, attempting to get my manuscripts out there.

I'm not to the point of considering self-publishing yet. I still feel very strongly that I am supposed to seek out a publisher for my work. Maybe when I have exhausted all other avenues, I will turn to that possibility, but for now ... I'm just going to keep plugging away. My brain has been tossing around a few ideas for a women's novel, a much easier market to break into. Of course, my passion is still young adult literature, but it can't hurt to try a different angle.

The real question I keep coming back to is whether or not I should be seeking employment in the midst of this struggle. We could certainly use the extra income, but I wouldn't want to take any kind of position which required me to place my boys in before or after school care, so the options seem limited there, as well. I could go back to something in education, but I'm not sure that is where I want to be either. It is hard to know what to do, but I'm not giving up on my writing. It is still a dream and one I feel is worth pursuing.

Book Review: Pictures of Hollis Woods

This Newbery Honor Book was recommended to me by my mom. Patricia Reilly Giff writes award-winning books. She has great talent, for sure.

Hollis Woods was named for the woods in which she was found abandoned as an infant. A note requested that she be named Hollis Woods. For some reason, this detail made me think that the birth mother was going to show up in the end of the story to reclaim her child. I was wrong.

Hollis is a runner. She's run from the last five or six foster homes she's had. She'll probably run from this new one with an elderly artist who carves wood. But Josie is interesting, if not quite all there in the memory department, and she allows Hollis to be who she is. Hollis begins to love the old woman, but she also continues to remember the last family she fell in love with. Things didn't go so well with that family and the story comes out through a series of pictures Hollis brings to mind throughout the story.

The story weaves in and out through time with Josie and pictures drawn from times with the Regan family, a home where she really felt she belonged. But things transpire to keep her from remaining with the Regan family and things will transpire to keep her from remaining with Josie, but this time Hollis wants to run toward her foster parent instead of away.

It was a fun little book. I loved how the author pried the story out in increments. Hollis was an endearing protagonist and her struggles were heart-rending. It was an excellent middle-grade read and was apparently made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie, as well.