Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Melodrama, angst, and humor are blended quite nicely Volume 8 of Boys Over Flowers.

Description: Rui and Tsukushi are finally dating, but it's not all smooth sailing for the couple. In a jealous fury, Tsukasa challenges Rui and Tsukushi to a basketball game. And if they lose, they are going to be expelled from Eitoku Academy!

Review: In volume 8 of Boys Over Flowers, Kamio takes a closer look at the themes of being true to yourself and listening to your heart. Though we don't see a major plot development occur in this volume, we do continue to see the different layers of the characters.
 Heartbroken, humiliated, and betrayed by his best friend Rui, Tsukasa is determined to get Rui and Tsukushi kicked out of school. Tsukasa's family is a big money donor to the school and he's convinced that if he stopped the donations, the headmaster of Eitoku Academy will have no choice but to comply to his commands.    Tsukasa is a hot head, but it is clear from his strong emotions that he feels deeply about Tsukushi. The expulsion of Rui and Tsukushi is more than shock value, but more of a sign of Tsukasa's pride and status. Education and social structure are important in Japanese culture. Being kicked out of school will tarnish Tsukushi's family reputation and you can read Tsukushi's terror of this potentially occurring on her face as well as see the scenarios of how her parents will interact in her head. 
   While his friends fail to convince him that he is being irrational, Tsukasa's sister offers a more civilized resolution: a challenge to a three on three basketball game. The loser of the game has to submit to the demands of the winner. The game was my favorite part of this volume. It demonstrated how each character interacted with the other. The drawings for this portion of the manga worked well. The panel arrangement and the close-ups of the characters faces illustrated the pacing and importance of the game. 
  The volume ends with some important reflections. Rui confesses to Tsukushi about his feelings which once again sends mixed messages. Tsukasa seems to show everyone that he has come to terms that Tsukushi doesn't share his feelings, but I can see him turning wheels in his head for another plan to win her heart. I curious to see what Tsukasa has up his sleeves.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, crude sexual humor, and scenes of underage drinking.

If you like this book try: Boys Over Flowers Vol. 9 by Yoko Kamio, Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances by Masami Tsuda, Mars by Fuyumi Soryo

  If you are looking for a provocative page-turner, read The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. With delicious moral complexity and great writing, Stedman creates a world where there is no right answer and where justice for one person is another person's tragic loss. 

Description: After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. 
   Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them. 


Review: The Light Between Oceans is a haunting tale that can only end in heart break. It is a story of moral dilemmas centered around two couples, a desperate attempt at happiness, and a life forever changed. Tom Sherbourne is an emotionally scarred World War I war veteran who returns to Australia looking for the comfort of solitude as a lighthouse keeper on remote Janus Rock island. While others complain of being far removed from other locals, Tom finds peace and unexpectedly falls in love with the vibrant and spirited Isabel. Their romance is sweet and progresses naturally. They marry and hope to start a family, but Isabel suffers miscarriages then loses a premature baby. Stedman effectively describes their gut wrenching pain, the slow fractures in Tom and Isabel's relationship. Tom desperately wants things to go back to normal, the pain reminding him of the war he can not shake off while Isabel sees a cold man and feeling along in her own personal war. My heart ached for both of the characters and I really hoped that they would get some ray of sunshine after some really rough months. 
  The sunshine does indeed come after two weeks after their last catastrophe. Miraculously a dinghy washes ashore containing a man's body and a crying infant. Isabel wants to keep the child, which she sees as a gift from God; Tom wants to act correctly and tell the authorities. Isabel's joy and attachment to the baby is so immense and the prospect of giving her up so destructive, that Tom gives way. 
  Like many things in life, all good things must come to an end. Years later the identity of the baby and her real family history resurface. Once again Isabel and Tom are faced with another moral dilemma: to admit to their mistake or to hide? As a reader I became so absorbed in this story not because of its plot but for the way Stedman puts her characters through the moral wringer. The plot as if almost ready made for a movie is so cleverly constructed and precise in providing character development that makes even the reader struggle for a resolution. Normally in stories of similar cases you could easily identify who is being selfish and clearly in the wrong, but with knowing the context of the situation things aren't easily black and white. The suspense leading to the resolution is fantastic and makes you turn the page quickly. With lush descriptions of Austrailia and vivid characters, this is a great debut novel and a perfect choice for a book club selection.  

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language and gory descriptions of a miscarriage and delivery of a baby.

If you like this book try: The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shrieve, Atonement by Ian McEwan, The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarity

  What do you get when you mix the sensibility of Jane Eyre with the tongue in cheek humor of Lemony Snicket? A thoroughly enjoyable series called The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. Currently there are four books in the series, which can be enjoyed by a wide audience. The Mysterious Howling is the first book in the series.

Description: Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.
   Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.
  But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?


Review: The Mysterious Howling has all the check-marks for a Lemony Snicket ripoff: three unfortunate orphans, a series of unexplained events, and a droll offstage narrator but those similarities stop there as Wood takes a refreshing look at these old conventions in children's literature. You see the children of Ashton place were raised literally by wolves and they really aren't the protagonists of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. The main character is actually a Mary Poppins like teen governess named Miss Penelope Lumley who has recently graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females.     
  Penelope is an adorable, naive, fresh-off-from-school graduate who is ready for her first job. When she sees a job posting for a governess, she applies and gets the offer right away despite the fact that so many people have tried to convince her not to take the job. Understanding commitment, Penelope accepts the offer and believes there is nothing that can deter her from being a successful governess that is until she meets the children- three near-naked bodies, so dirty that you can barely see their eyes, and who are growling like wolves. 
  Instead of running out of the household like any ordinary governess, Penelope takes the time to understand the children by learning about how wolves behave in nature and thus using those skills to get the attention of her charges. Penelope is sweet and patient with the Incorrigibles and soon they gain her trust and loyalty. The Incorigibles make large strides in their learning as Penelope actually has them listening to poetry, playing about with Latin, and forming almost complete sentences. Named after various characters in history and literature, the Incorrigibles are delightful and their training session with Penelope was my favorite part of the book, which had me chuckling and smiling. 
  While Penelope has been able to manage the Incorigibles thus far, there is a sense of foreboding at Ashton Place. There are a lot questions raised and mysteries to be solved such as how did Lord Fredrick came upon these children? Who wants them out of Ashton Place and why? Is there someone living behind the staircase wall who is making all the weird noises at the manor? There are also questions surrounding Penelope herself: Why was the job post specifically targeted to her? Why does she have the same hair color and type as the Incorrigibles? While nothing of these questions are addressed, I didn't mind it so much because it is just a starter of a really promising series. Smartly written with good understanding of its middle-grade audience as well as adult humor that may fall under the young readers radar, The Mysterious Howling, is both fun and funny. I enjoyed it so much that I've already have the next two books up for review soon. The series gets better and better and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for Penelope and the Incorrigibles.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 4-6.

If you like this book try: The Hidden Gallery (The Incorrigible Children of Aston Place #2), Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

  I had a very lukewarm reaction to Divergent. For me to enjoy a dystopian novel, I need a book with a strong world-building. I need to be convinced that there is something indeed wrong with the society in order to understand the main character's plights and motivations. The world building, in my opinion, gives the book not only structure but a foundation to a good story. For me the Divergent series has lacked this essential ingredient and it has tried unsuccessfully to incorporate it into the story. What had the potential to be a really good story turned to out to be mediocre at best.

Description: Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Review: Insurgent has a very strong case of middle book syndrome despite a great opening left by the cliffhanger of Divergent. Rocked by the recent simulation war, the five factions engage in increasingly dangerous power plays to pick up the pieces. Instead of filling in some back stories of the characters and the world as I had hoped, Roth fills her 500 pages book with plot that is filled with lots of twists and turns that is suppose to make your heart pump. Unfortunately the plot doesn't move very much nor very quickly as we try to make some sense of who is really pulling the strings in this faction world. I found a lot of the plot twists to be too predictable and I couldn't keep track of all the characters that are virtually exactly alike come and go in this volume. I still can't muster up any emotions for any of these characters including the central characters and couple, Tris and Tobias.
  The relationship between Tris and Tobias was fun to watch as they began to trust one another and grow as a couple in Divergent. In Insurgent the couple has mutated into a bizarre parent-child relationship where one patronizes the other by giving them rules to follow while the other stamps their feet as a petulant child in resistance. Tris's reckless behavior and cry-wolf type of self sacrifice takes out the importance of her role in whatever she is suppose to do in this 'mysterious' world Roth has created. There is a decent commentary about grief and forgiveness, but that quickly veered into preachy mode and eventually tumbled into whine mode a la "I don't want to do this anymore. Wah!" The only thing that kept me from chucking this book across the room was a slither of hope that explanations will come in the final installment as we learn little clues about the outside, but then again I could have just skipped the entire 450 pages of this book and went straight to the ending in order to save time and avoid my frustration.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: The violence in Insurgent is much stronger and there is a large body count and there are some heavy make-out scenes featuring Tris and Tobias. Recommended for Grades 8 and up.


Description: The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
  But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Review: I really hoped Allegiant would redeem itself after a flimsy middle book, but alas it continues the downward spiral of Insurgent. Though we do finally get answers to why Tris's world is separated into factions, the reasons behind Roth's post-apocalyptic world is a half baked concept of racism that is based on a highly oversimplified examination of human personality and genes. Instead of spending time to explain what it means to have 'pure' genes versus 'defected' genes, we are once again plunged into a boring and rehash plot of Insurgent where Tris and the gang run from one megalomaniac trying to rule the world to another. The grand revealing of the outside was completely anti-climatic and the fact that the setting was post-apocalyptic Chicago was completely irrelevant.
  Once again we are introduced to a new large cast of transient characters that had virtually no impact on the story besides moving a limping plot along, which is completely unlike the pace of Roth's earlier installments that move almost lightening fast. In fact there were many times I had to put the book down because I got so bored and I gave up hope in trying to come to terms with the huge plot holes and the scientific nonsense.
  Tris becomes a bit more tolerable in this one after she let all her angst out in Insurgent, but her recklessness is what mars her reputation as a strong heroine for me. Must she always be right and the only one undergoing dangerous situations? Tobias, in contrast, is stuck on "woe is me" island and though I understand he has been scarred by his rough life, but can we get past that when the end of the world is here? Tris and Tobias have rocky moments in Allegiant, more of the patronizing type though there are a few sweet moments.
  I know there has been many heated discussions about the ending of Allegiant, but for me I saw it coming a long time ago. It was the neon-flashing-in cap letters obvious especially with a lot of the red herrings featured both in Divergent and Insurgent. I can see what type of book that Allegiant was suppose to be-one full of emotion and intensity, but regrettably it completely missed the mark. If this series was not popular with the teens that I work with, I would have definitely taken a pass on this series, but I wanted to make sure that that I knew about the series in order to help them with reader advisory questions.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence, an ambiguous scene of sensuality, and some language. Recommended for Grades 8 and up.

If you like these book try: Candor by Pam Bachorz, Maze Runner series by James Dashner

 It's Monday and time for Manga Mondays! Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers.

Description: Going home for his grandfather's funeral, thirty-year-old bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a younger lover! The rest of his family is equally shocked and embarrassed by this surprise development, and not one of them wants anything to do with the silent little girl, Rin. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to take her in himself! But will living with this overgrown teenager of man help Rin come out of her shell? And hang on, won't this turn of events spell doom for Daikichi's love life?!

Review: Bunny Drop is unlike any manga I've read before. The story is centered on a very strange relationship: thirty year old bachelor named Daikichi who takes responsibility of raising his six year old aunt named Rin (Yes, you read that correctly. Daikichi's grandfather had an affair and had an illegitimate daughter) after no one in his family wanted to take care of nor to be reminded of Grandpa's dirty little secret. Daikichi is completely out of his depth and has no idea of what it takes to become a parent. As a result, both Rin and Daikichi form a familial bond though they no absolutely nothing about one another. The story in this volume is really adorable, warm and funny without being saccharine. 
  The chapters in this manga are appropriately labeled episodes Daikichi and Rin overcome common obstacles facing parents today such as buying appropriate clothing and food, finding a daycare for Rin while Diakichi works, and bed wetting. I love the bond of  Daikichi and Rin which comes across more of a brother and sister relationship than father and daughter. They argue and pout but in the end begin to understand one another's quirks and get along. Rin maybe your typical six year old but she does have an aura of an old soul. Normally, these awkward types of relationships are generally depicted as overly cute and reserved for comic relief but it comes off as very natural in this story. Daikichi will faces tough questions from Rin including about it means to die and when do people die. I'm sure other tough questions about Rin finding her deadbeat mother and what to label Daikichi and Rin's relationship.
  Like the story, the artwork of Bunny Drop is very simple yet elegantly drawn. The author spends much more time and detailed in drawing the characters rather than the setting, which reflect on the character driven story. Compared to the other mangas that I've read the panels are large which is nice because the dialog and the artwork don't have to fight for room. All in all an enjoyable series starter and I definitely look forward to continuing the series.  

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Despite the fact that Rin is Daikichi's grandfather's love child, there isn't anything else inappropriate in the story. Though you will find this manga in most libraries's adult manga/graphic novel collections, I wouldn't have any problems recommending this volume to teen readers.

If you like this book try: Bunny Drop Vol. 2 by Yumi Unita, Yotsuba&! manga series by Kiyohiko Azuma