Description: Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.
   But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

Review: Dread Nation is a very clever and subversive horror novel set in an alternative American Civil War. The North and South have set aside their differences and slavery has ended when the dead rise up, prowl the battlefields, and eat their compatriots. The horror has birthed a new nation and a different type of slavery disguised by the Native and Negro Reeducation Act which forces Native and African American boys and girls into combat schools. Graduates from these schools are a buffer between the living and the undead.
  Jane McKeen is a biracial girl sent to Ms. Preston's school of combat to obtain an attendant certificate. She is trained in combat, weaponry, and etiquette so she can protect her future white employers. Though not an ideal life, the life of an attendant provides an opportunity for education and a chance at a better life. Jane yearns for the chance to be reunited with her mother and return to her home in Kentucky. Jane is an admirable heroine who is above all a survivor. She is quick on her feet, incredibly intelligent, and outspoken which leads her into trouble multiple of times. We get glimpses of her past as she writes letters to her mother and reminisces about home.
 When she is about to graduate her friend, Red Jack, asks for help locating his sister Lily. Jane's attempts to discover Lily's whereabouts land her in a survivalist colony called Summerland, whose motto is restoring America's former glory. Survivalists advocate a disordered view of natural selection that places Jane on patrol from zombies because her skin color makes her expendable and she is firmly under the watchful eye of a vicious sheriff and his psychopathic family. Jane now has an insurmountable task of finding a way out of Summerland not only for herself, but also for those she loves. She must make some unlikely alliances of her own if she is to survive long enough to find her own path to freedom.
  I am not a fan of horror novels and particularly not of zombies, but Dread Nation drew me in as a reader. It is a smart, thought provoking novel that explores horror of the fictional and unfortunately real kind. Ireland skillfully works in the different forms of enslavement, mental and physical, into a complex and engaging story. It is absolutely horrifying to see characters justify oppression, racism, and slavery. Despite these heavy topics, the novel also has lighter moments too where it explores friendship, love, defying expectations, defiance, and resisting paths that are thrust upon you. I am happy to see that this is a beginning of a series, but there is so much more that I want to know about Jane and her friends. This is a solid horror novel for fans of the movie Get Out and the television show The Walking Dead.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence including a scene of torture. There is minor language and antiquated racial slurs. Drug use is also mentioned. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Mayberry, Devils Unto Dust by Emily Berquist

Description: The day Grace is called from the slave cabins to work in the Big House, Mama makes her promise to keep her eyes down. Uncle Jim warns her to keep her thoughts tucked private in her mind or they could bring a whole lot of trouble and pain. But the more Grace sees of the heartless Master and hateful Missus, the more a rightness voice clamors in her head-asking how come white folks can own other people, sell them on the auction block, and separate families forever. When that voice escapes without warning, it sets off a terrible chain of events that prove Uncle Jim's words true. Suddenly, Grace and her family must flee deep into the woods, where they brave deadly animals, slave patrollers, and the uncertainty of ever finding freedom.

Review: Unbound is a story in verse that illuminates the horror of slavery without being overly graphic and informs the reader about the real history of the Great Dismal Swamp sanctuary. This book was heartbreaking to read but enlightening and showed the strength and power of hope and familial love in the face of adversity. Grace is a light-skinned, blue-eyed slave who is called to work in "The Big House," leaving behind her family and friends in the fields. Though she promised her Mama to keep her head down and cause no trouble, Grace can not keep quiet and incessantly questions the injustices she observes from the Master and the Missus, which gives her even more motivation to escape. When Grace crosses the line, she discovers the Missus's decision to sell members of Grace's family at the auction block. Soon, Grace and her family flee to the Great Dismal Swamp on their precarious journey to freedom and become "maroons" who survive independent of society. Though some young readers might find the language and format challenging, they will soon appreciate the rhythmic flow of the poetry and the well-executed pacing. I had never heard of the Great Dismal Swamp and the runaways' sanctuary and learned a lot from this book which in the author's note explains is based on the narratives of the formerly enslaved.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There are allusions to slaves been beaten and hunted by their slave owners though there are no graphic details mentioned. Grace is also light skinned with blue eyes and her father is believed to be a white slave owner though it is not verified in the book. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

If you like this book try: Calico Girl by Jerdine Nolen, Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

  Savage Girl by Jean Zimmerman has an attention grabbing premise: What would happen if a wealthy couple with everything they could possibly imagine came across a so-called "feral child" in a tawdry Nevada sideshow and decides to bring her back to New York and convert her into a society belle? Though light on the suspense, Savage Girl is an intriguing historical fiction.

Description: Bronwyn, a very smart eighteen year-old girl raised in the wild by wolves in Nevada, is adopted in 1875 by the Delegates a wealthy Manhattan couple, and taken back East to be civilized and introduced into high society, but the men who seek to be her suitors start turning up dead.

Review: Savage Girl is marketed as a historical fiction/murder mystery and its blurb grabbed my attention right away. Set in the 1870s post-Civil War America, the book's plot centers around a serial killer whose rampage ranges from a rough mining community in Nevada to upper-class Manhattan. Our narrator Hugo Delegate, Harvard-educated son of one of New York's wealthiest and most socially connected families, is locked up for the gruesome murder of another New York dandy. He willingly claims his guilt, but we can easily tell that he is taking the blame for someone else who has committed the real crime. Sensing a story folded in a Hugo's confession, Hugo's expensive lawyers demand he tell them the true story from the beginning.
  Hugo starts with his family's visit to Virginia City, Nev., home of his father Freddy's silver mine. Soon, Hugo's parents, eccentric liberals interested in the nurture/nature debate raised by Darwin, are eager to adopt a young girl they have discovered in a Virginia City freak show, the girl's owner of which claims she was raised by wolves. Of unknown origins, she speaks Comanche as well as a smattering of English, and her performance involves a set of mechanical claws and a swimming tank.
 The unknown girl, whose name turns out to be Bronwyn, travels on the Delegates' private train to New York, where the Delegates plan to give her a makeover a la My Fair Lady and show her off as their prized possession and a symbol of compassion and philanthropy. Bronwyn captivates her audiences, particularly males and never manages to shake off her mysterious aura. Soon one grisly murder after another seems to follow in Bronwyn's wake, the victim always a man who has shown his attraction to Bronwyn's considerable charms. Is Bronwyn, with her animal-like instincts, the killer? Or is it Hugo, with his past mental problems, his capacity to black out and his love for Bronwyn that borders on jealous insanity?
  I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this book. Zimmerman zeroes in the the mannerisms and social issues of the late 1800s much like Edith Wharton did, which for me, was the highlight of this book. I was shocked to find out that cases of feral children being sold and "trained for society" was common especially when a bloody Civil War about slavery was recently over. Unfortunately, the mystery surrounding the serial killer is not as prominent in this book and it felt underdeveloped with new clues and a hurried solution appearing at the end of the book, which made me disappointed. I would still recommend it to those who enjoy a well written historical fiction and are interested in learning the social, political, and philosophical issues that are the driving issues of post Civil War America.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There are allusions to sexual assault and sexual situations though never explicit. There are some disturbing images such as mutilated body parts in the book and some language. Recommended for adults.

If you like this book try: The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawson, The Ghost of Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin

Today I finished Scott Nicholson's supernatural thriller titled Drummer Boy. Scott had contacted me and asked if I would review his books on my blog.  As you may recall, Scott is a freelance writer of paranormal, supernatural thrillers and horror stories and books. He is also been ranked #1 on Amazon's Kindle for ghost and horror stories. Drummer Boy is the third book I've read and reviewed.


Review: I had a difficult time reading this novella. I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters and the plot was just okay. Drummer Boy starts off with a similar feel to "The Body" by Stephen King, where three friends encounter a boy when they are goofing off in the woods. Instead of a body, these kids come across "The Cave", which is known to have haunts by their community. While the friendships and the bonds between these boys ring true, I hard a hard time liking them. They come off as cookie cutter stereotypes-a misfit who is poor but refuses to acknowledge his poverty in public, a closeted gay character who is too nice, and a jock whose loyalty is never really reliable.  The adults in the story weren't enjoyable as well, the males irritated and disgusted me with their crude humor and the desire to "nail" anything that walks.
   The concept of the novella was intriguing. Nicholson blends the Civil War reenactment along with urban legends effectively. The appearances of ghost soldiers were definitely creepy and kept me reading. The suspense slowly picks up as the events lead up to a dangerous ending. Drummer Boy is just an okay read that is easily forgotten. 

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language throughout the novel. There are also lots of crude humor and sexual suggestions in the book, including frank discussion of masturbation. Recommended to adults only.

If you like this book try: The Body by Stephen King or The Farm by Scott Nicholson

  I don't think today's social studies curriculum focuses on the Civil War too much. There is a lot of topics to cover: the various battles, slavery, the Underground Railroad, literature, music, and the Reconstruction. I learned a bit from each of these topics, but not much in depth. While I heard and read about the Underground Railroad, I never heard of the remarkable story of Henry "Box" Brown before until I read Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine.

Description: A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.

Review: In a true story that is both heartbreaking and joyful, Levine recounts the biography of Henry "Box" Brown, who was born into slavery. As he grows up, Henry works in a tobacco factory, marries another slave, and fathers three children. Like many slave families during that time, his family is eventually sold and Henry realizes he will never see them again. With an ingenious idea, Henry persuades his friend and a white abolitionist to mail him in a wooden box to Philadelphia and freedom. Levine's storytelling is very simple and straightforward. She doesn't sugar coat the atrocities associated with slavery, yet the story is very appropriate for children. While the ending does not a happy ending per se, it does close with a bright hope of the future.
 Accompanying the story are beautiful, life-like pencil, watercolor, and oil paint illustrations by Kadir Nelson that resonate with full range of emotions which are palpable to the reader. Although the cover of the book shows a boy, this story is really about the whole history of Henry "Box Brown". At the back of the book, there are bibliographical references and an author's note. 

Rating: 4 stars

Curriculum Connection: Social Studies


Words of Caution: None.

If you like this book try: Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

  I think the dictionary is one of things that we take for granted. It's usually stuck in some place collecting dust or a dark lit area in the library, which no one visits. Have you ever wondered who came up with the idea of creating a dictionary? Who wrote it and what their lives were like? Perhaps this is the librarian in me speaking out loud and who came across The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester and was intrigued.

Description: The Professor and the Madman explains how the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was created and discusses the relationship between the editor and one of his most influential contributors, a psychotic murderer in one of England's cruelest asylums.



Review: I really wanted to like this book, but it failed to hold my attention. I was hoping for a good nonfiction narrative that would meet the expectation of the book's attention grabbing exerpt. Instead I was left with a book where the author is carried away with is passion of etymology and lexicography and left the two main characters of the story as an afterthought. The Professor and the Madman should have been two books, where one book should solely focus on what a dictionary is and its evolution and the other book discuss the lives of the OED's creators. The book opens when Professor James Murray meets his co-editor Dr. William Minor for the first time. Professor Murray is informed and shocked to learn that his co-editor has been in an insane asylum after murdering a man in London. The book's prologue is the only exciting part of the book, what follows is a melodramatic account of what might have happened when the two meet since their meeting was not recorded by anyone. Much of why Minor is diagnosed of certifiably insane is conjectured by the author- ranging from post traumatic stress disorder that Minor went through after the Civil War to his potential sex addiction and paranoia. The sections on the doctor is repetitive and frankly, short on facts. Winchester's writing seem to have been intended to ring true to the 19th century, but I found him to be pretentious, dry, and dull. This book would have made a great long magazine or book article, but as a book it manages to be exaggerated and not fulfilling.  

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There are some mature themes discussed in the book including and not limited to sexually transmitted diseases and physical torture.

If you like this book, try: The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester

  Julie had such a great time doing her first review that she wanted to do another one. I didn't even have to bribe her with chocolate! Thanks again, Julie, for being my guest blogger. Enjoy her review of March!

   I’m always intrigued and not a little wary when an author attempts to take on the embellishment in some way of a beloved classic such as Little Women. I can’t begin to count the number of books published around Austen’s character of Mr. Darcy. Do an Amazon search--I dare you. Even Winnie-the-Pooh spawned a series of philosophy books. I’m not a huge fan of fan fiction either. I find most of it somewhat self-indulgent on the author’s part. March sets itself up not as a sequel or an alternative storyline, but as a companion to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, exploring the experiences of Mr. March while he was away from the girls during the Civil War.





Review: Little Women holds a very special place in my heart as it was the book my mother sat and read to me over the course of a week when I was eleven years old, recovering from major surgery. She patiently read, I yelled at both the characters and the author, she waited and then read some more. At the time my favorite character was Beth, but I see my life has played out much more like Jo’s even though I can identify in some way with all the girls. Clearly that is a major part of Little Women’s timeless appeal; we all see some piece of ourselves alive and coming of age in its characters. In shelving her book next to Alcott’s classic, Brooks had some really big shoes to fill and for most of the book I wasn’t entirely convinced she pulled it off. I’ve always believed, however, that every book is ultimately made or broken by its ending. March ends well.

   
    Much of the book serves as a social commentary on the issues of slavery and racism. Very often I felt preached at. That’s not entirely without base since Mr. March was a preacher, army chaplain, and teacher. He is a man of ideals and strongly held beliefs. It is completely within his character to see the world, internalize it, and then sermonize on it. (At times the audio version even makes March sound pompous. I’m not sure, however, if that should be attributed to the author or the actor’s interpretation.) In any event, the overwhelming feeling is one of helplessness to effect any change for both Captain March and the reader since he is up against such appalling and prolific inhumanity. Capt. March has every one of his dearest held beliefs challenged by the realities of war, pervasive public opinion, and even his own mortal weaknesses.

  March is very well written and dove-tails beautifully with the original. Brooks clearly did her research, even basing her characterization of Capt. March on Alcott’s father, Amos Bronson Alcott. Alcott freely admitted that Little Women was based on herself and her sisters. The last third is told from Marmee’s prospective when she leaves Concord for Washington to bring a very much changed Capt. March home again. This is where I could insert myself easily into the story. Marmee voiced the uniquely female perspective that is Alcott’s strength. This is where I was finally returned to what I loved about Alcott’s book. Given its subject matter and prose, I’m not surprised it won the 2006 Pulitzer.

Note: Alcott did write three sequels to Little Women with Good Wives, Little Men and later Jo’s Boys, but I wonder where she would have taken Mr. March’s story since her own attachment as a writer always seemed to be toward her female characters. Perhaps she intuitively knew that tracing Captain March’s travels and experiences would be as harsh as Brooks wrote it to be. I liked Brooks’ development of the courtship between Marmee and March, how their marriage endured the separation, and the introduction of both Hannah and Aunt March.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There are graphic descriptions of the treatment of slaves and heavy philosophical questions are raised, which is why I think it is more fitting as an adult book, however; I would recommend this book for mature readers over fifteen.

If you liked this book, try: Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.