Divergent VS. Hunger Games

I have read all of the Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) by Suzanne Collins and really enjoyed them.  I  just finished Divergent by Veronica Roth and can say I liked that too.
But what I want to know- what is with all the guns and killing?  I understand teen novels tend to have more angst than say, adult fiction. Both had a bit of that in them.  But the whole teen as killer thing seems to be a new trend in Young Adult Fiction.


I've read other series (My Fair Assassin by Robin LeFever, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare)-all with strong female leads, who also happen to be deadly.


Earlier series like The Enchanted Forest Series by Patricia Wrede or Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce had kick-butt heroines but violence was minimized. Both were written in the 1980's so that may be the difference.


I just wonder if I am just showing my age or has the world become so desensitized to violence that it is prevalent in today's teen stories as well as adult. Has literature written for young teen males always had that edge to it (sorry- I was raised in the 60's and 70's but in a conservative small town.)  What am I missing? 
I know teen girls want to be/deserve to be portrayed as strong, independent people. I get that and like that. I like that girls can solve problems. But when a girl has to shoot a classmate in the head to save herself and "the world as she knows it"-is it the right thing to do? 


I would love to hear what others think of this trend.

The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.
 
Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad. 
 
A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

(From Amazon.com)

I really enjoy this caper novel. It was fun, fast moving and had some great dialogue.  I've read Janet Evanovich for years and enjoy her By the Numbers series. This was my first time reading Lee Goldberg's work-I plan on looking for more.  

I liked the character development. I liked that I could follow the plot without having read the first in the series, The Heist,  

One of the things I liked about the book was that it was plot driven. It had some violence (you were dealing with a corrupt former politician-it's gonna happen) but no real bad language or sex. I can recommend this to everyone- A win-win in my job as a librarian.

I am sure you will  enjoy the book too.

The Preservationist by Jason Kramon

From the first chapter, Jason Kramon creates a carefully crafted suspense story. I really enjoyed it and was impressed with the way he created characters, and setting, and let them tell a good story.
You've probably read that this is a story centered around Julia, a college freshman, with  a big secret in her past. She starts a relationship with a fellow student, Marcus, that she breaks off when complications arise. Complications in the form of Sam, an  older guy she meets off-campus.
What Jason does in the story is to take a familiar plot line and turn it into something a little more dark, a lot more creepy, and filled with more moments of holding your breath while you wait for the suspense to end-and it doesn't.
Family relationships are examined, a few stereotypes exposed, and scenarios shifted just enough to make you wonder.
I really enjoyed the book and was thrilled when I got a copy in exchange for an honest review. I am glad I can give a positive one.

Best of 2012

Here are my favorites for 2012.
They appear in the order I read them-not necessarily how well I liked them or which was the absolute favorite. I hope you have a chance to check some of them out.

Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah

 

Wanna Get Lucky by Deborah Coonts

So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas 

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose 

A Wish and a Prayer by Beverly Jenkins

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Jack:1939 by Francine Matthews

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elizabeth McNeal

 

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma
Publish date: March 21, 2013

A debut novel from a new author (ok, novelist-he has had articles published in several literary magazines) that is outstanding.  The book is about a novelist who loses and re-writes the same novel over the course of several years and almost as many locations.

It is a great story but one that ebbs and flows through the narrative. I loved it and I was at one point, a bit out of patience with it. It is that moving.
The main character, whose real name is never mentioned in the book,  always seems to find someone else's life more fitting than his own. Perhaps that is what makes him an interesting character. Perhaps it is because he is telling the story and you don't need to know what his real name is, he just is. He falls in love easily but leaves the girls almost as easily.

Our story teller has a counterpart, Jeffrey Oakes, who has a best selling novel. Jeffrey is the narrator's friend and nemesis throughout the book. A great exaggeration of a writer; egotistical, manic, addictive personality, and generally unhealthy-Jeffrey is quite interesting and a lovely foil to the narrator.

Of course, there is the one girl who got away, a fairy tale princess who is the third angle of the triangle of Jeffrey and the narrator's youth.

I loved the way the story started with a young boy reading from Kipling's "Just So Stories" and ends in almost the same place.  Lovely way to round out the conclusion of the story.
And I liked the way the story made me feel good to read it.  It is literary fiction, something I read but not regulary.
Really quite good.

An advance readers copy was provided by Viking for review, no other compensation was offered or accepted for this review.

The Other Woman

The Other Woman by Hank  Phillippi Ryan

This was an amazing book!  I read alot and was enthralled by the plot twists that just kept coming.

It's the story of Jane Ryland, a reporter, who has been forced by circumstances to switch from TV to newspapers. She catches what should be a routine story but all of a sudden, turns into the political story of the year.  Maybe not all of a sudden. Jane has good instincts and alot of perseverence-qualities that make a good reporter. Like Hank Phillippi Ryan- still an award winning journalist in Boston.


I won't say much more about it- too many spoliers possible but once you start this, you will be hard pressed to put it down. I can't wait to see what happens next in "The Wrong Girl"

Summer Nights by Susan Mallery

I loved the story of Annabelle, the feisty librarian and Shane,the horse whisperer.
In fact, I have loved all the Fool's Gold books.

Fools Gold is a town in California that is run by women because there has been a man shortage for a long time. The town is working on that and the quality of the men that have been moving in is quite impressive. Not to say that there haven't been a few hiccups-but that is what makes thing interesting.

Take Shane Stryker-the hero of this story. He comes off as a bit of a jerk in the beginning because he has been hurt before and really doesn't want to let another woman make a fool out of him-or break his heart.

So when Annabelle enters his radar, he can tell she is trouble. Which is funny because everyone KNOWS how mild mannered and untempermental librarians are, right? Well, speaking as a member of the profession, no. We are all different and Annabelle is no exception. Warm, funny, smart, and endeared to the town by her willingness to get involved, she is an outstanding person.

But will Shane figure that out?

You'll have to read the book to find out- I wouldn't want to spoil the ending-even if it means you miss out on the opportunity of fantasizing about Shane (big, buff, handsome Stryker brother) clad only in a loin cloth at the end...

The Book of Lost Frangrances by M.J. Rose

I LOVED this book. I found it easy to read (I had difficulty with her earlier works) and very well researched.The Book of Lost Fragrances refers to Cleopatra's famous book of perfumes. Apparently, Cleopatra loved scent and had the formulas all in one place. One of the scents created was supposed to make reincarnation a possibility.
This is the center of the story of Jac and Robbie E'Toile, the latest generation of the House of E'toile, Perfumers. Lots of adventure in the story with the Chinese Mafia in Paris trying to get a hold of the pottery shards that have been in the E'toile family for generations. Robbie wants to give the shards to the Dali Lama who is in Paris, visiting. There is a Chinese national who is in Paris for an art show who is also planning on escaping his handlers to be with the Dali Lama. And chases through the underground catacombs of Paris. There is also a psychiatrist who is trying to get his hands on the pottery shards for his own purposes. And a love story between Jac, Robbie's sister and her old flame who risks his life for her.
It almost sounds like too many htreads to make a neatly patterned story but Ms. Rose does an effortless job of presenting it as a lovely whole tapestry of past lives and current endevours. The characters are engaging and the story is such that I hated to put it down.A really good read.

Childhood Re-visited

I just finsihed an e-galley of Mr. Poppers Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater. And I remember why it is one of my favorite childhood books. Not just because Miss Jasper read it aloud to us in 3rd grade (Thank you, Miss Jasper) but because it is so well written.
Easy to understand-full imagination in flight- I can just see those penguins sliding down the basement stairs- but just lovely sounding passages.

Yes, Mr. Popper and Mrs. Popper are a bit old fashioned (apparently neither of them has a first name) but they seems to get along well enough. And it was written in the 1930's. I have not seen the recent movie adaptation. Hard to guess what Jim Carey will bring to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Media (http://www.openroadmedia.com/authors/richard-and-florence-atwater.aspx) for the chance to re-visit a time when things were a lot easier and Admiral Drake was the biggest guy in the room (at least, per the illustration.) This book deserves a re-read or a first read.

New Year List

Here is the list of my favorite books of 2011. You may have seen some of them posted and you may not have. They are in the order I read them-that's it.It was a slow year; only 62 books read. I had one year where I read 150 books. I wasn't working full time then. And I was reading more of those smaller pieces of brain candy than I have time for now. *Sigh*.

It was a great year for book. My TBR (to be read) pile is bigger than ever but my husband tells me retirement is just around the corner. I'll believe that when the financial planner explains how it's all going to work. And I keep piling up knitting books and patterns also soooooo time will still be an issue. There could be worse problems.

Happy New Year! Happy Reading!

Graceling Kristin Cashore (YA) Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . .

The Oracle of Stamboul Michael David Lukas Ushered into the world late in the summer of 1877 in the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, Eleonora Cohen proves herself an extraordinarily gifted child—a prodigy—at a very young age. When she is eight years old, she stows away aboard a ship, to the imperial capital of Stamboul where a new life awaits her. But it is only when she charms the eccentric Sultan Abdulhamid II—beleaguered by friend and foe as his unwieldy realm crumbles—that Eleonora will change the course of an empire.

A Discovery of Witches Debra Harkness Diana Bishop, a young scholar and the descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott Kelly O’Connor McNees In the summer of 1855, when vivacious Louisa May Alcott is twenty-two and bursting to free herself from family and societal constraints and do what she loves most, she meets Joseph Singer, and as she opens her heart, Louisa finds herself torn between a love that takes her by surprise and her dream of independence as a writer in Boston. The choice she must make comes with a steep price that she will pay for the rest of her life.

The End of Everything Megan Abbott Thirteen-year-old Lizzie Hood and her next-door neighbor, Evie Verver, are inseparable, best friends between whom -- presumably -- there are no secrets. Then one afternoon, Evie disappears and everyone turns to Lizzie for answers. Was Evie unhappy, troubled, or upset? Had she mentioned being followed? Compelled by curiosity, Lizzie takes up her own furtive pursuit of the truth. Haunted by dreams of her lost friend and titillated by her own new power as the center of the disappearance, Lizzie uncovers secret after secret and begins to wonder if she knew anything at all about her best friend.

A Good High Place L.E.Kimball Set during the years prior to World War I in Elk Rapids, Michigan, A Good High Place addresses familial struggles and those of a nation moving inexorably toward the age of the automobile. The sometimes painful adaptations of a faster-paced age are embodied, in part, in the struggles of Luella’s father who, already troubled by the death of his wife, wrestles with the realization that his livelihood as a steamboat captain is becoming obsolete.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand Helen Simonson The Major epitomizes the Englishman with the "stiff upper lip," who clings to traditional values and has tried (in vain) to pass these along to his yuppie son, Roger. The story centers around Pettigrew's fight to keep his greedy relatives (including his son) from selling a valuable family heirloom--a pair of hunting rifles that symbolizes much of what he stands for, or at least what he thinks he does. The embattled hero discovers an unexpected ally and source of consolation in his neighbor, the Pakistani shopkeeper Jasmina Ali.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin (943.086) Erik Larson In 1933, President Roosevelt personally selected William E. Dodd to be the United States ambassador to Nazi Germany. Dodd took his family with him, including his daughter Martha. Initially enamored with the Nazi party and its passion, Martha supported the Third Reich. However, when Hitler's violent policies became apparent, Martha changed her opinion and watched in horror. Here, author Erik Larson offers a chilling first-person account of Germany's transformation under Hitler's rule.

Something Old Something New: A Blessings Novel Beverly Jenkins The citizens of Henry Adams are starting to take bets—will Lily Fontaine and Trent July finally tie the knot? All they want is a nice, simple wedding, but their well-meaning neighbors are turning the no-fuss affair into the event of the decade. Bernadine, the town's fairy godmother, wants Lily to have a storybook wedding fit for a princess, and Lily's nine-year-old foster son is campaigning to be town preacher so he can officiate at the ceremony. Trouble multiplies when Trent is called on to help a new family move to town, not to mention Lily and Trent's task of blending their families together.

The Waiting Place:Learning to Appreciate Life’s Little Delays (248.4) Eileen Button We all spend precious time just waiting. We wait in traffic, grocery store lines, and carpool circles. We wait to grow up, for true love, and for our children to be born. We even wait to die. But amazing things can happen if we open our eyes in The Waiting Place and peer into its dusty corners. Sometimes relationships are built, faith is discovered, dreams are (slowly) realized, and our hearts are expanded. With humor and heart-breaking candor, Eileen Button breathes life into stagnant and, at times, difficult spaces. Throughout this collection of essays she contends that The Waiting Place can be a most miraculous place-a place where beauty can be experienced, the sacred can be realized, and God can be found working in the midst of it all.

The Waiting Place

I won a copy of "The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays" by Eileen Button. It was a wonderful book. I read it in less than a week, which is very unusual for me these days-It seems I am so busy, I no longer take time to read. (I am knitting a great deal, so I get my relaxation time in, not to worry).

"With humor and heart-breaking candor, Eileen Button breathes life into stagnant and, at times, difficult spaces. Throughout this collection of essays she contends that The Waiting Place can be a most miraculous place-a place where beauty can be experienced, the sacred can be realized, and God can be found working in the midst of it all." From Amazon.com

The book was about what we do when we are waiting for life to happen. Good times, bad times, and all the in between life happens times. Eileen conveys all the emotions we experience and really hits notes that resonate . She uses her life experience as examples and I am sure they are not what everyone experiences,but there is something in this book for everyone.

I really appreciate when someone can write so well that I love it or hate it - a book that makes one sit up and take notice. Ms. Button does all this and more-she touches the heart. It's a book you'll have to look for but one worth searching for.

And Eileen is a really nice (no, I mean cool, I mean I need a word that conveys all that without making her sound like white bread or something that will pass with the next fad-like amazing ) person . Who doesn't love a writer that loves libraries?

So go out and BUY THIS BOOK-it's really good.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees

This was a delightful book. The story of what might have happened to Louisa May one summer when her family lived in New Hampshire. It also suggests that the character of "Laurie" in Little Women was a real live love of Louisa's. This has been a topic of conjecture for some time.

I liked how the author brought all the characters to life and made an appealing story. I always liked the book Little Women (and several of her stories after as well). Learning that Louisa May was so fierce and intense was delightful and explains some of her later writings that were not like LW.

The book reminded me a little of Miss Spitfire:Reaching Helen Keller by Sara Miller. Both take real people who we have heard about and tell their stories from another perspective. All fictional but with solid research to support the story and add the septh that enriches the narrative.

Perfect for summer reading.

The Oracle Of Stamboul

A first novel by Michael David Lukas.
The novel is set in late 19th century Romania and Turkey. It is about a girl, Eleonora Cohen, who is told she is destined for great things.
Her story unfolds quickly-her mother dies right after giving birth to her. Her father, Yacob , tries to raise her as best he can, with the help of his sister-in-law (He marries her to keep it all respectable). Eleonora's aunt is not a very sympathetic character and I did not miss her when she faded from the story.
When Eleonora is 8 her life changes drastically. She stows away in her father's luggage to go to Stamboul with him. There we meet Moncef Bey, her father's associate. All goes well until her father dies in a boating accident. Moncef takes her in as his own and this is where, after a series of other events, she meets the Sultan and becomes The Oracle of Stamboul.

I've tried to outline the story without giving away any of the plot endings. There's lots more to the story but I guess you'll have to pick it up to find out.

I liked the book. There were parts that were very lyrical. Eleonora was interesting -I really liked how thoughtful she became. A good lesson for all of us. Moncef Bey remained rather elusive. I would have liked some of the characters a little more developed, perhaps.

The ending was great and the final line was the best:
"For stones in the river of history look different depending on where you stand."

Planting Dandelions

No, not me, I live in Michigan where dandelions are illegal in most subdivisions. I'm referring to the book "Planting Dandelions: Field notes from a semi-domesticated life" by Kyran Pittman. This is a hysterical book about life. I was thinking about where but the truth is, it could be about any of us, anywhere. Especially if you're a woman. And/or a woman who has children. Kyran really nails the experiences so many of us share and in such a way that you are laughing along with the stories. She has been writing about her life in Good Housekeeping magazine and has taken the stories and put together a great book. I really identified with so many of the chapters and I'm not even as young or cute as she is. I was sent an Advanced Reading Copy by the publisher, Riverhead books so was not paid to say how much fun this book is and how YOU SHOULD RUN OUT AND BUY YOUR OWN COPY. Kyran will thank you - she has 3 boys to feed. I can't wait until she goes through the teen years with them-the stories will only get better. Check out her website: http://www.kyranpittman.com/ the book's site http://www.plantingdandelions.com/

Sing You Home

I was sent an advanced reader's copy of Jodi Picoult's newest book "Sing You Home" by Simon and Schuster. I have finally finished it and surprisingly enough, I liked it.
I had sworn I would never read another Jodi Picoult book after "My Sister's Keeper". That one just wrung me out, emotionally. I really respect a writer who can make you feel something-whether you love it or hate it-when you read a book.
"Sing You Home" does not have quite the same emotional roller coaster that Sister's did. I don't know if it was the multiple voices the book had or the enormity of the topic covered in the book. The book deals with 3 families who, over a ten year span or so, deal with marriage, divorce, cancer, religious rights, alcoholism, homosexuality, fertility legalities, and a bit of teen troubles. Max and Zoe are married and due to fertility issues in both parties, resort to IVF (In vitro fertilization-or test tube babies) treatments. After the latest treatment results in a still birth, Max can no longer live in the marriage. He goes to live with his brother and his wife-who have their own problems- and Zoe crashes. Zoe eventually bounces back and deals with cancer and finds a friend in Vanessa, a school counselor at a high school where Zoe does music therapy. Zoe and Vanessa's friendship evolves into love and they become partners.
Zoe remembers there are 3 embryos frozen at the clinic she and Max used and has to get Max to sign off on them. Max has since become born-again into a church that leans toward the religious right. He thinks the embryos should go to Reid and Liddy- his brother and his wife (who Max has fallen in love with by this time). A legal battle ensues.
I won't tell you how it ends but I was satisfied with the ending. And will be recommending the book to readers. There are alot of plot lines running around in this book but Ms. Picoult manages to weave them into a timely and well-balanced story. And there is a music disc included with the book so you can hear Zoe's voice along with the story. I have to admit I did not listen to the disc-I like to form my own opinions but I am sure you can find additional reviews elsewhere.
Just one last plug- Buy this book from an independent bookseller like one of my two favorites- The Books Connection of Shelby or Aunt Agatha's in Ann Arbor Michigan. Both have great websites as well.

Boiling Point

Karen Dionne's latest eco-thriller is out and getting great reviews. We hosted her at the Romeo District Library in January and had a great time.

Her latest book follows the explosion of a volcano in Chile: modeled after a real volcano that wiped out a whole town on the coast of Chile.

Here is a great review (Why re-create the wheel?) that I couldn't have said better myself:
http://www.sciencethrillers.com/2011/latest-book-review-boiling-point-karen-dionne/#more-1842

And here is Karen's website if you'd like to know more:
http://www.karen-dionne.com/

"Balkanized at Sunrise" by Joe Tripician

I saw a blurb about this on Shelf Awareness- a daily read alert website for those interested in the book world. If I e-mailed the author, I might win a book. I e-mailed and Joe himself replied and said if I shamelessly promoted his book, I might win a copy. So here it is- go buy this book. It does sound funny.

If I win said copy, I can tell you how much I enjoyed it. What do you say, Joe?

About "Balkanized at Sunrise"

In the immediate aftermath of the bloody Balkan wars of the 90s, a penniless science-fiction author was hired to write the official biography of Croatia's President, Franjo Tudjman.

In an effort to keep Tudjman out of the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, the Croatian government hired Joe Tripician, the author of "The Official Alien Abductee's Handbook", to pen a state-sanctioned biography for US consumption. The biography, far from a whitewashed piece of propaganda, became a darkly comic and sadly tragic tale of deception, danger, death and desire, where guilt abounds, but responsibility remains elusive.

"Balkanized at Sunrise" is the true story of how Joe navigated between toadying government aides, lying politicians, harassed dissident journalists, and Croatian and Bosnian women looking for a quick visa. It's a fascinating memoir of political, moral, and sexual proportions.

More background on the story here: http://joetrip.com/projects/89-balkanized-at-sunrise

Another Young Adult novel that is NOT just for kids

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Another YA novel that will knock your socks off. I couldn't put it down and am waiting eagerly for the next one (waiting my turn at the library) and then the third is due out later this month.

The Hunger Games is set in a future US that has been torn apart by civil unrest and reconstructed into Districts. To entertain the masses, each district offers 2 Tributes each year to the Hunger Games. The object of this game is to be the last kid standing. Only kids from age 12-18 are chosen.

This year Katniss Everdeen takes her little sister's place as Tribute. The boy from her Distriict, Peeta , is the baker's son. To survive the Games, Peeta and Katniss eventually join forces. They pretend they are in love and end up winning the Games-but at what cost?

I love how the book is paced to keep moving . The action is well timed and not too gory (except maybe the last one and the plot twist to that one is something else.) The characters are engaging and believable. Very well written.

I'm looking forward to reading Catching Fire-the second installment in this trilogy.

Author Love

I have to say, authors are a generous and wonderful crowd. Not only do they share their imaginations with us, they often share so much more.

The public library I work for is in the midst of the summer reading program. We have a section for childreen, teens, and adults. Prizes are strongly suggested to be reading related so we have been actively seeking books as prizes. I found some great authors and author sites (I have posted some earlier) but today I'd like to give a shout out to the group at backspace.org. This group of writers support each other and most recently, they have supported me. So thanks to Willam Mills, Bonnie Turner, Carla Buckley, Randy Sue Meyers, A.S. King, and Karen Dionne- Our program would be a pale shadow of itself without you.

New Star on the horizon?

I just finished Alan Bradley's "The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag" -the second Flavia deLuce mystery. It was excellent. As much fun as the first: "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie".
Set in post WWII England, it stars 11 year old Flavia deLuce, budding chemist and the youngest daughter of three born to Harriet (deceased) and Haviland deLuce. She is quite the cheeky thing and drives her older sisters batty as they, in turn, torment her as only siblings of the same sex can. I speak from experience as an older sister.
The plot is complex but Bradley does a "bang-up" job of creating believable characters and a plot that keeps you guessing. My only complaint, if you will, is how Flavia can outsmart the police. Not that it is impossible, but perhaps, in this case, it was laid on a little too thick. None the less, I look forward to reading more of Flavia's adventures. And what she thinks of next to get revenge on her sisters' attentions.