Review: Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina (L)

Synopsis: Nora Lopez is seventeen during the infamous New York summer of 1977, when the city is besieged by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam who shoots young women on the streets. Nora’s family life isn’t going so well either: her bullying brother, Hector, is growing more threatening by the day, her mother is helpless and falling behind on the rent, and her father calls only on holidays. All Nora wants is to turn eighteen and be on her own. And while there is a cute new guy who started working with her at the deli, is dating even worth the risk when the killer likes picking off couples who stay out too late? Award-winning author Meg Medina transports us to a time when New York seemed balanced on a knife-edge, with tempers and temperatures running high, to share the story of a young woman who discovers that the greatest dangers are often closer than we like to admit—and the hardest to accept. (from the online description)

Review: I picked this up from the library after reading Medina’s newest work, Merci Suarez Changes Gear. Having loved that one, I was rather disappointed in this work.

Set during the record-breaking and historic New York City Summer of 1977, we follow Nora as she struggles to settle the many broken pieces of her life. An absent father, abusive brother, and uncertainty about her future combine with the fear of Son of Sam and the record-breaking oppressive heat.

I failed to connect with Nora, although I am not certain that is due to a failing on the author. Her brother, the main antagonist for the story, seems almost like a trope of the violent drug-addled boy of the era. I wish Medina has explored more about why he made the choices that he did, to give him depth and prevent him from just being The Bad Guy in the story. Several of the side characters felt like two-dimensional arc-types – The Friendly Grocery, the Sleazy Janitor, the Angry Feminist. More attention to the complexity of the background characters would have improved the story.

Brisk plot, realistic dialogue, and action, mixed with actual historical events, salvaged the story and made it worth reading. Not a bad story, just not as good as it could be.  There are people who will greatly profit from the story.

Note: This book deals heavily with domestic abuse and violence. It also mentions sex (just in passing). Be advised when reading. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 978-0-7636-7467-0
Year Published: 2016
Date Finished:  5-21-2018
Pages: 310

Review: Harbinger: Omega Rising (Volume One) by Joshua Dysart, Khari Evens, Lewis Larosa, Ian Hannin

Synopsis: Super-powered teenager Peter Stanchek is on a dangerous path. Skipping across the country in a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities, Peter is quickly realizing that he's a psionically-charged "harbinger" with the potential to reshape the course of human history. But Peter's plight has not gone unnoticed. Respected philanthropist and fellow harbinger, Toyo Harada, is about to offer Peter the chance at the things for which the boy has always longed — family, inner peace, self-control — and induct him into the sprawling, secret network of conspiracy and subversion known as the Harbinger Foundation. Now, Peter begins his long road towards a destiny that will shake the very foundations of the Valiant Universe. His first lesson? All power comes with a price! (from the online description)

Review:  Dark and bloody, this story follows Peter, a lost boy with an ability so powerful it might remake the World. Tricked and abused by Harada, Peter eventually lashes out, with violent consequences.

Using the same dark illustrations, shadowed panels, and dynamic lines as the Bloodshot graphic novels, we explore with Peter the dangerous would of those who wise to control everything. Shifting alliances and deadly foes create a world where Peter has no one to trust. For the reader, this creates excellent tension in the story, moving the plot long briskly. There are plenty of gruesome fights and gut-wrenching moments.

If you are a fan of grittier comics (like DC) but want to explore something new, this is the place for you. I would not recommend starting here, however. The story presumes some knowledge of the universe. I would start instead with X-O Manowar or Bloodshot.

Worth reading for anyone looking for a new unique superhero universe. 

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: TBD

ISBN: 9780979640957
Year Published: 2012
Date Finished: 5-20-18
Pages: 137

Review: Bloodshot: The Glitch and Other Stories by Peter Milligan, Duan Swierczynski, Howard Chaykin, Lewis Larosa

Synopsis: Short vignettes of Bloodshot writes and illustrated by different authors. Includes the stories Sleepers, Training Day, The Glitch, Protocol, Heart of the Matter, In This You?, The Gang's All Here, Bloodshot's Guide to Home Safety, and Take Your Best "Shot".

Review: Each story is told in just a few pages (some only one) and explore side-stories along the main story line of Bloodshot. From background on side-characters, to missions the Bloodshot undertakes, to oddly funny parodies, there is a story here for everyone. The Glitch and The Gang's All Here are my favorite. The Glitch because we get to see one of the “lives” the Bloodshot lives. His memories trick him into believing he must return to his wife – but he carries the memories of a man who died. The results are bloody and heartbreaking. In the Gang’s All Here, we travel with him to a mission and see how clever and dangerous he really is.

If you are a Bloodshot fan (and we all should be!) this is a must read. I would not recommend this as a place to start reading about him. These stories do presume a certain previous knowledge of the character and his story. 

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: TBD

ISBN: 9781939346711
Year Published: 2015
Date Finished: 5-20-18
Pages: 101

Review: Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery by Kevin O'Malley and ill. by Patrick O'Brien

Synopsis: A strange bright object streaks across the sky of Jurasica, the home planet of Captain Raptor. The Captain and his brave crew set out to study the object and defend their home.

Review: If Star Trek (the Original Series) and Buck Rogers had a Baby, and that Baby had a kid with the Old School Batman series, this would be it - but with Dinosaurs.

Hilarious and cheesy, with bold bright art and detailed illustrations, the reader follows the intrepid Captain Raptor and his crew to the stars. There, they face dangerous animals and intriguing mysteries.

Children will adore the fun adventures and catch-phrases tossing Dinos and parents might actually not hate reading this one more than a few times. As an adult (and sci-fi lover) I found this laugh-out-loud funny and will be purchasing the rest of the series. Onward to the Stars!

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: TBD

ISBN: 0-8027-8935-8
Year Published: 2005
Date Finished: 5-20-18
Pages: 45

Review: A Chorus for Peace: A Global Anthology of Poetry by Women ed. by Marilyn Arnold, Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, and Kristen Tracy

Synopsis: Women poets from around the world are gathered here to raise their voices together, to speak out against violence and its calamitous effect upon the human soul. Yet there is also a thread of resilience here, an undercurrent of hope that points to the human ability to move on, to build a new life out of a shattered past.

Each poem addresses difficult issues concerning conflict and the lives of women. Some are spirited statements that demonstrate courage even in brutal circumstances; others rage at the perpetrators of war or simply mourn their losses. Together, these works reveal a deep consciousness of both the effects of violence and the human ability to move forward. 

The women whose poems appear in this collection stand for peace. Many of them have seen war and strife on fronts both national and domestic; and they write graphically and poignantly, and sometimes ironically, about conflicts external and internal that tear up their lives and the lives of their families and neighbors. They write about the victims of war and oppression: bewildered and brutalized children, bereft wives and mothers, raped and mutilated women, tormented prisoners and soldiers. And they write about victims of a seemingly failed society and victims of struggling or failed human relationships. 

At the same time, these writers are also crying for peace, searching for peace, and occasionally finding peace. In their search, they point the way for the rest of us. (from the online description)

Review:

This book is broken into the following chapters:

Running from the Smoke (Children in War)
On the Sidewalks of Love and Fire (Women Surviving War)
War and So Forth (The Bitter Waste)
Now That I Am Helpless (Mothers in Ambiguity)
Who Stopped the Dance (Domestic Battlefields)
It Is The Time of Awakening (Reaching and ReBuilding)
Listen for Life (Nature Speaks)
The Heart has Found Home (Peace to the Spirit)

Most of my favorite poems fell unto the first few chapters. They include the following:

"For My Torturer, Lieutenant D" by Leila Djabali
In the Casbah by Salma Al-Khedra Al-Jayyusi
The Century's Decline by Wislawa Szymborska
I Had a Strange Dream by Irina Ratushinskaya
Every Day by Ingeborg Bachmann
Judgement by Meiling Jin
The End and the Beginning by Wislawa Szymborska

Over all, this is a fine collection of poems. They are truly gathered from poets across the world, with not preference given to any one country or conflict. Not all these poems make sense in how they connect to the theme, but that might be my own perception. I'm not skilled at finding the hidden meaning. Worth reading, particular if you are looking to find new poets to read.

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-87745-812-X
Year Published: 2002
Date Finished: 5-16-2018
Pages: 202

Review: The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time, Book Three)

Synopsis: The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

 Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he? In the Heart of the Stone lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn. (from the online description)

Review: In the third book, we follow our characters in the aftermath of the Battle at Falma. Rand, unhinged by dark dreams, follows the call to Tear, to the Stone and the Sword protected there. Following him, Moraine, Lan, Perrin, and Loial encounter the dangers of the road and the strange twists of the Wheel left by Rand. Along the way, they pick up Faile. Also journeying there, for other reasons, are the three women of the Tower – Nyneave, Egwene, and Elyane. We also travel with Thom and Mat, the latter learning about his strange gift of Luck. Danger lurks in the form of Black Ajah, Darkfriends, Forsaken and the zealous Whitecloaks. Will our intrepid heroes survive?

As with the other book, this is simply the continuation of the story. Jordan’s works don’t have the same feel as many series, where you get a distinct story each book. Instead, his books each feel like just another chapter in the story. Adventure and Danger, Magic and Darkness, Evil Doings and Brave Deeds abound.

High fantasy at its best!

Bookmarks: 4 of 5

Awards: None

ISBN: 0-812-51371-1
Year Published: 191
Date Finished: 05-15-2018
Pages: 699

Review: Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Synopsis: Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just how different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren’t going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what’s going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family. (from the online description)

Review: With a deft hand, author Meg Medina brings us into Merci’s world. Starting her second year at a private school, Mercy struggles to navigate a world of privilege and expectations at odds with her personality. Normally, she would confide in her beloved grandfather, Lolo, about her struggles. But Lolo is not himself and no one tells her why. The magic of this book is how Medina takes small events, an assignment at school, a new person in class, riding a bike, a holiday – and builds them into a narrative that wonderfully explores growing up. Medina creates real people, complex, unique, flawed, and complete. Her handling of Lolo and his illness was superb, and in particular, Merci’s anger and reaction nearly made me cry. Merci, brave and stumbling and unsure, is a wonderful character. Watching her discover the truth about herself encouraged me.
I highly recommend this book for any young reader. But in particular, for children facing losing a grandparent to Alzheimer’s, this book would be particularly helpful.

Note: I received this book free via LibraryThing's Early Review Program in exchange for my fair and honest opinion

Bookmarks: 4.5 of 5

Awards: None (Yet)

ISBN: 978-0-7636-9049-6
Year Published: September 2018
Date Finished: 5-16-2018
Pages: 355