My Take On: Catholic, Reluctantly by Christian M. Frank

   George Peterson used to wrestle for a big school. Now he has to go to a Catholic school run by a few parents: John Paul 2 High. Just seven kids in a rundown building where scary things are happening. Then there’s Allie. Gorgeous, yes, but hardly Catholic! Why do they make her go here? And what is Allie so afraid of?

  With a bullet point synopsis reminiscent of Nancy Drew, I wasn’t quite certain of what I was in store for, but I was certain of oine thing: Catholic, Reluctantly was not going to be my usual cup of tea. What I got was a light mystery filled with emotional teen conflicts, some soul searching, hard-hitting elements like hazing and gun violence, and not a lick of magic or monsterage. But I like broadening my horizons, so I gave it a shot. I’m rather pleased that I did.
  The story centers on George, a big time wrestler with a heart of gold who went to the state finals and would like nothing better than to return to his old stomping grounds and his old life, a life where he had nothing to worry about but pinning his opponent and getting his homework done, a life where the impending doom of his new school wasn’t constantly weighing on his mind; Allie an average girl who’s been dropped into a weird, new school after a gun scare at her old school and feels like an outcast among the “goody-goody Catholic kids”; Celia, John Paul 2 High’s principle’s daughter (and the nicest person you will ever read about), who struggles with the weighty belief that she alone has to save the school from being closed down or condemned; and James, a new transfer to JP2 High whose bizarre loner personality and tendency to spout disdain set him at odds instantly with everyone at the upstart Catholic high school.
  A couple unique things I liked about this book were the smattering of IM conversations which filled in the gaps and linked the characters to their respective clicks. The small cast was a little weird at the beginning (I mean a school with only seven students? Sounds kind of strange), but I actually liked it. I thought at first that the author was trying to keep it simple by keeping his (or her) cast so small, maybe make it easier as I suspect that this is his (or her) first novel, but the lack of peopleage was actually very important to the story. The meager student body of the fledgling high school was important; it made it where, in certain situations, the JP2 kids had to either stick together or risk being swept apart. And with such a small group of students there was no room for clicks to form, which really emphasized the fault lines between them. I also liked the (obvious) emphasis on Catholicism; it’s not often that you come across a book that features faith in an interesting and realistic way. It reminded me strongly of The Dead and the Gone by Susan B. Pfeffer in that the characters really struggled with their faith and with what it meant to live it, even when faced by severe persecution. The JP2 High kids really stand out when compared to the rest of the teen populace, and they catch their share of flack about it. When two of the seven teens join the public school wrestling team, more than their skill on the mats is tested. They meet with people who don't understand them, their faith, or why it is that they're willing to stand apart.
I give Catholic, Reluctantly…

…Three and a half zombies!

A quick read with an admirable, if not dimensionally challenged, cast and a heavy-on-consequences but light-on-complexity plot that pulled me along and left me wanting more. I look forward to continuing the saga with Trespasses Against Us.

Happy Reading!

NOTE: Sophia Institute Press, a non-profit, Catholic publishing house, sent me a complimentary copy of this book for review.

And the winners are...

The random number generator has spoken! VVB of vvb reads, a true zombie lover, is the lucky winner. Velvet said her love of zombies are, "too many to count... they just keep coming despite people beheading them ;-D" Great answer, V! And because the randomizer was so much fun to use I've drawn a second winner! The second winner is Corcey of The Flying Muskrat who said, "I love zombie because I love the idea of people eating others brains and us having to run away from them. It makes a great story and I love great supernatural stories with death on the line! Death is one of the biggest prices to pay and when you have to spend your eternity searching and scraping for living people's brains, it just makes it all the more desperate. I love zombies so much I'm currently writing a book where the protagonist's name is Zombie. Love them." I love your blog title, BTW! Corcey will be receiving a surprise work of zombie art entitled "The Attack!"
And while we're at it, I've picked a surprise winner chosen for their clever answer! This lucky winner made me laugh with their hilarious answer. Winner #3 is Heather of Gofita's Page who said, "Zombies rule! My love of zombies comes from Night of the Living Dead which I saw many years ago! I always like to dress up as something dead every halloween and one year was a zombie hippie. That was one of my favorites. Usually buy all the zombie books I can get my hands on as well! There's just something about their brain eating ways that fill me with joy1!"
1: Brain-eating zombies fills me with joy, too.
Heather will also be getting the work titled "The Attack!"
I really did try to post pics of y'alls' prizes, but my computer is being super slooow and won't upload anything *dratted Stone Age relic*. I will try again later, though. In the meantime I'll be getting in touch with you lucky zombiephytes and will be shipping you your prizes ASAP!

So, to sum up:
Winner #1 and recipient of the gilded "Shambling Man" is Velvet
Winners #2 and #3 and recipients of "The Attack!" are Corcey and Heather
Thank you all for celebrating my first blogoversary by entering my little contest and submitting such funny answers. It warms my heart to see so many zombie aficionados!

Happy reading!

My 1st Blogoversary! This calls for a CONTEST!!!

That's right, I've been blogging for a whole year! Now I could go on and on about how it feels like I just started, and how I can't believe it's been a year already, but we've all read that a million times already so I'll just cut to chase. I'm having a contest! What will you win? I'm glad you asked! One lucky winner will be the proud recipient of an original work of zombie art painted by yours truly. I don't currently have the technical ability to post a pic of said artwork, so I'll describe it to you. Picture this: a shambling zombie silhouette on a gilded backdrop with a smattering of blood and gorey goodness. I call it "Shamblin' Man," as in Lord, I was born a shamblin' man! Try to eat the living, I'm doin' the best I can! Anyone know that song? No? Doesn't matter!
Anyway, here's how to enter:
You must be a follower, old or new, I don't care.
You must be a resident of the New World as I'm unsure of how many stamps it takes to ship to Europe.
You must fill out the form below.
And you must love zombies. I won't be budged on this one. ;)


Contest ends May 15, 2010. The winner will be drawn via random.org.
Have fun, my lovely horde!

My take On The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event—an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.
With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

The Dead and the Gone was another slow starter, just like Life as We Knew It, but it was a much more thrilling book overall.
As the story progressed, the tension, and consequently my inability to put the book down, increased. Pfeffer poured more and more dangers and difficulties on Alex, a devout Puerto Rican-American with high hopes. Seeing him struggle to survive the seemingly insurmountable tribulations was like watching him get painted into an ever shrinking corner; you just couldn’t see a way out!
While all the hazards in The Dead and the Gone were the same as its companion (Moon struck by asteroid and knocked out of orbit resulting in riots, tidal waves, famine, plagues, and climate change.), this book was worlds apart from Life as We Knew It. The urban environment of NYC really ramped up the excitement. Alex had to deal with food shortages, missing family members, angry mobs, an atmosphere of death, and the degeneration of his beloved city while trying to keep both his sisters and his faith alive.
I give The Dead and the Gone…

…Three and a half zombies.

This series really puts you into the story. While the dialogue didn’t always ring true, I was still pulled into Alex’s struggle. It made me realize how fragile life is; not just life, but the way we live. It also showed me that if this sort of thing happened I’d be totally screwed.

Happy reading!

My take On Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Libba Bray has created an instant cult classic with this kaleidoscopic coming of age story. In Going Bovine we follow Cameron, a Grade-A underachiever, on an epic save-the-world mission fraught with peril, snow globes, happiness cults, dead jazz musicians, rogue prions, positrons, perhapsatrons, and black holes. He is joined on his quest by an unlikely host of companions, among them a hypochondriac dwarf he met in the fourth floor “smoking lounge,” a punk rock angel with pink hair and spray painted wings, and a Viking lawn gnome that might or might not be a Norse god.
This was a truly amazing book. I was just as entranced by the funhouse vision of pop culture as I was by picking apart the mysterious clues of Cameron’s deteriorating mind for hints of reality. Libba’s vision of “cool” was one of the highlights of the warped reality. It shone a stark light on the ludicrous idolatry paid to the great god Celebrity and the lengths people will go for their fifteen minutes of fame. Her account of the name brand world read like a Ray Bradbury-esque vision of the future; like the reality we know, just knocked ever so slightly off kilter.
This was also a book of questions, the most obvious of which being, “Is the trip real?” The second question posed, “Does it matter whether the trip’s real or not?” And finally, “What’s ‘real’ anyway?” I feel that the reader’s answers depend largely on what type of person they are. A realist-literal-type A person will say that the trip was totally bogus, a figment of a diseased mind. Me, I’m on the flip side of that argument. Reality is what you make of it. Who cares if Don Quixote’s giants were just windmills, he thought they were real and that’s all that mattered. If a boy falls in love with a hallucination, does that make the love any less real? I think not.
My only complaint is that the last chapter was a little supplipherous. It was cool and gave a hopeful, if not slightly ambiguous, spin to the ending, but I went back and reread the second-to-last chapter over. I felt that it was a better ending. But that's just me.
I wish I could've put the cover in this post, because it is my new favorite! I love the sad look in the cow's eyes, very "heading for the slaughter house," which is perfect.
I give Going Bovine…

…Five zombies.

It’s pretty rare that I come across a book that feels like it’ll stand the test of time; a book that gives the distinct impression of having that special something that imbues it with staying power. I think Going Bovine has that quality. It’s in touch enough with reality to be relatable, yet removed enough to speak a necessary truth far down the road. A hilarious, heart breaking, hopeful, tragic, and truly triptastic read.

Happy reading,

IMM Back!

Get it? I'm backk? Like an IMM? *ahem*
Hellooo, bloggers! Boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here. But I really enjoyed my hiatus; I feel so rejuvenated! That may be due to the fact that I can have chocolate again, but who cares!

I hope y’all had a great Easter/Passover/spring break/whatever. Mine was awesome. I got about five pounds of chocolate for Easter, and I still have about half of it! Hurray for chocolate!
So anywhoo! Back to business! I figured an overdue IMM1 would be a good way to jump back in, so here’s the skinny on what I got, and from whence from it came, for the last forty days and nights.

From Ye Olde Library2:
My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Manchev
The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
Hold Still by Nina Lecour
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
The Dead and the Gone by Suzanne B. Pfeffer

In My Mailbox:
Roadkill by Rob Thurman, book 5 in the Cal Leandros series. I got this as an extra special goody from Perla of Imperial Beach Teens. Perla, you are made of awesome!

Okay, I know there’s more that I got over Lent, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it is. I’m sure it’ll come to me eventually. Or, you know, maybe it won’t. That’s cool, too.

Happy reading, y’all!

Footnotes_________________________________________
1  Kudos to The Story Siren for starting and promoting the IMM meme!
2  These are just the books I finished or am still currently reading from the library. I was so busy with Lent/Easter stuff that I just didn’t have time to read everything I wanted to and ended up sending back a lot of things unread. Shame on you! I know, I know.

Lenten Hiatus/A Chocolately Lament

It's that time of year again! Lent1! Yes, I know it's half way over already, but I felt that chocolate wasn't enough of a sacrifice.
Yes, I gave up chocolate for forty days and nights. No, I do not hate myself. Yes, I could really go for a chocolate kiss right now. In fact, do me a favor, will ya? Eat some chocolate for me. Next time you have a chocolate bar, be sure to appreciate its lovely aroma, and admire its beatific glossiness. Hold it up in salute and say, "This bar's for you, Zombie Girrrl2!" And don't snarf it down like some dime store taffy! Chocolate is the wine of candies; it is meant to be savored, its flavor and texture and aroma should be mulled over. Prose should be written to it! Works of art dedicated to it! Chocolate is the tenth Muse, I say!

Chocolate Mona Lisa

So anyway, on top of chocolate, and also because I've been too busy lately to post and will continue being too busy until after Easter, I'll be giving up blogging and going on a short hiatus. Hopefully, when I return I'll be plied with chocolate bunnies and Cadbury Eggs. I will raise my own toast with a tall, cold glass of chocolate milk. I will- stop talking about chocolate now because it's driving me nuts! Man, I could really use some chocolate! How much longer till Easter already?! *deep-cleansing-breath*
Okay. Enough torment.
I will see you after Easter!

Happy reading!

footnotes_______________________________________________
1  For an explanation of Lent, click here. The description is as close as you can get to the truth of the matter, considering it's a secular article. I tried to find an explanation on a Catholic website, but my search was fruitless. I guess they expect everyone to know what Lent is already.
2  Remeber to honor the R's! You gotta really growl when you say my name.