Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

I've always enjoyed Orson Scott Card's books, especially Ender's Game, so I was curious when my sister recommended this spin-off of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale.

The story starts in Russia, where Ivan and his family live. Around the age of 10, Ivan's family decides to leave Russia to move to America, but not before visiting Cousin Marek in Ukraine. In the woods near Cousin Marek's home, Ivan encounters a beautiful sleeping woman guarded by a bear. He runs away but is haunted by this image for years to come.

Years later in America, Ivan is a graduate student, engaged to a girl named Ruth, and goes back to Russia to complete his post grad research. Unable to shake his memory of the sleeping woman, Ivan goes back to those woods near Cousin Marek's and frees her from the bear and wakes her from her sleep. Princess Katerina was put under the sleeping spell by the evil Baba Yaga, the witch who torments her kingdom, and Ivan must agree to marry Katerina in order to defeat the witch and liberate her people.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It took a classic fairy tale and threw in modern Ivan and time travel and lots of other great stuff. It was fun to learn about Jewish Russian history and about the differences between Russian fairy tales and American ones. The character development in this book was fantastic; all of the main characters get to tell their perspectives, which really lets you get in their heads; and the love story between Ivan and Katerina was wonderful. I would definitely recommend Enchantment!

4.5 out of 5 stars

(I'm only not giving a 5 star rating because I can't see myself reading this over and over again, even though it was great.)

Angel (Maximum Ride) by James Patterson

Ok, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little tired of reviewing the Maximum Ride books. The plots are all practically the same; some combination of bad guys out to get the good guys and Max trying to save the world. "Angel" was no different. The story picks up where "Fang" (the previous book) left off--Fang has just left the flock and Max is dealing with her feelings of betrayal at being dumped. There's also this new guy, Dylan, who was created to be her perfect match, but it's hard for Max to give this guy a chance when she's pining for Fang. Amidst all the teenage angst, there is a group that is trying to take over the world. So Fang and Max try to set aside their differences and work together to stop the bad guys.

I've made comparisons of books I read to junk food before, and this one definitely fits the mold. It's a book that you only read because you've read the prequels, and once you're done, you're left not feeling very satisfied. Like eating a big bag of potato chips, you only keep eating out of habit, and upon finishing you feel kind of sick and wish you had spent your time in a more productive manner. Luckily, this book is short and a very quick read, so you don't waste too much time on it.

Overall, it was entertaining enough but not all that fulfilling. Pretty much what I expected.

2.5 out of 5 stars


Here's the link to my review of "Fang,"

http://sninny.blogspot.com/2010/08/fang-maximum-ride-novel-by-james.html

which I just read over and was surprised by how much I said I liked it. I do enjoy the Maximum Ride books, but "Angel" just wasn't as good as the others. And I really am getting a little tired of the same repeated plot in each book. And I'm getting annoyed at how short the chapters are; they're like 2-5 pages each! I heard that the series is ending soon and I think that'll be a good thing.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This delightful book came my way from a friend in my ward. We were talking about good books to read and she gave me this one. And I do mean that she gave me this book, which is, in my opinion, quite a gift. There's nothing better than a bookshelf full of good books.

Anyway, I would describe this read as a great follow-up to Harry Potter, or A Series of Unfortunate Events, or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, or the Percy Jackson books. It's about 4 orphans who are discovered by a *mysterious* man named Mr. Benedict through a series of tests. These children all have special abilities--nothing supernatural, just special. Reynie is extremely smart and has a gift of solving complex puzzles. Sticky has a photographic memory. Kate is exceptionally resourceful and always carries around a bucket full of useful supplies, like a slingshot and a mini telescope. Constance has the gift of stubbornness, which may not seem like much, but it turns out to be lifesaving where these kids are sent. Their mission is to go undercover at a school that is training children to send subliminal messages that will brainwash society. It is incredibly dangerous and the kids must pull together to defeat Ledroptha Curtain, the evil mastermind who wants to take over the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It had good humor, an intelligent plot, and fun characters. I'm planning on reading the sequels as soon as I can get them from the library. Good read!

4.5 out of 5 stars