Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza

I don't post on this blog much anymore. I've started a new one where I choose books from affiliated reading lists (giving me a chance for a small income!) and it keeps me busy. But I had to post here today because I just finished an absolutely incredible book that I need to share.

My book club chose "Left to Tell" for our book this month. I was hesitant to read it because it's one woman's experience surviving the Rwandan genocide. I saw the movie Hotel Rwanda about 10 years ago and it remains one of the most terrifying movies I've ever seen. What happened in Rwanda was horrifying. Seeing it played out on the big screen was difficult (albeit important) to watch. I was worried this book would be a similarly difficult experience. Now that I've finished, I am so grateful I read it. "Left to Tell" is the single most inspiring thing I've read in years--possibly forever.

The real bathroom where 8 women hid for 91
days during the Rwandan genocide.

Immaculee is one of four children growing up in a small village in western Rwanda. When the genocide begins, she hides in a tiny bathroom of a local minister for 91 days along with 7 other women. This bathroom was so, so small. From the photo included in the book, it looks to be narrower than my kitchen table and a similar length. Aside from her oldest brother--who was attending graduate school out of the country when the genocide began--Immaculee was the only member of her family to survive the slaughter.

This book deals with horrific events, but the story is more centered on her spiritual development. Sitting silently in a bathroom for 3 months left lots of time for meditation and prayer. Immaculee shares how God gave her strength, answered her prayers, and eventually showed her how to forgive the killers who murdered her family. It is an intensely spiritual and inspirational story, not to mention written in a way that is gripping from page one until the very end.

If you are nervous about the heavy subject matter, I understand. I felt that way too. But this is a book that everyone--and I mean everyone--should read. It is inspiring; it strengthened my own personal faith in God, and helped open my eyes to the conditions some people must live in. It put into perspective the problems our country faces right now. Suddenly bathroom laws seem completely insignificant when compared to a government that was actively encouraging neighbors to massacre one another.

Go read this book. You'll be inspired and changed and want to make the world a better place.

5 stars

Natural Childbirth After Cesarean by Karis Crawford

I am so far behind on blogging! My 2-year old doesn't nap anymore and I'm having a hard time getting any uninterrupted laptop time without that special quiet part of the day. I've read a few others before this book but I want to get this one out of the way first.

I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and trying to get ready for baby #2 to join our family. My first was delivered by c-section and I'm really wanting to avoid doing that again. My sister-in-law recommended this book she read while trying for a VBAC and I must admit I devoured it. No libraries in the area had it so I got it through interlibrary loan from a library in Missouri. Unfortunately that meant I couldn't renew it or anything, and I kind of wanted to read through some parts again. 

I really liked the general ideology of the authors. They weren't too "crunchy" for my tastes and had a pretty reasonable view of doctors, hospitals, and medications. And by reasonable I mean they weren't super pushy about any one way, acknowledging that every pregnancy and birth is different and different methods work for different people. Overall I loved reading all the stories of women who have had c-sections and worked to make their second (or third) birth a better experience. My c-section was totally unavoidable and I have no guilt or angry feelings toward what happened. In fact, I am incredibly thankful for the technology that is available because without it my daughter (and possibly myself) most likely would have died had we tried to birth naturally. But everything looks normal and healthy this time around and I really want to try and have this baby non-surgically. I'm not totally opposed to an epidural, though the authors of this book encourage other methods of pain relief because epidurals can slow down the birthing process, which can sometimes lead to repeat c-sections; but mostly I want to try and have this baby with the least amount of intervention possible. I've never been in labor before so I can't predict how I might handle it, so when I get there and if I want an epidural, I'll get an epidural and not feel bad about it. I'm not making any rules for myself that I might not be able to keep. 

My whole life I've had this general fear of childbirth. In the movies and on tv, it's shown as this absolutely agonizing ordeal, with the woman screaming and cursing her husband. When I got pregnant with my daughter I thought for sure I'd have to face my fear of childbirth, but then I had a c-section... I'm still somewhat apprehensive, but the more I read books like this one the more empowered I feel. Women have been having babies since the beginning of the human race and we haven't died out as a species, so it can't really be all that bad. If the millions of women before me can do it, I can do it too. It's not going to be easy, but I know I can do hard things. I did a triathlon just before getting pregnant and I've stayed active this whole pregnancy, and I believe that those things will help with my mental and physical endurance. 

I think my very favorite part of this book is in one of the last chapters. After telling story after story of women who successfully had a VBAC and spending chapters going over the best methods to avoid repeat cesareans, they close the book by stressing that no matter what preparation you put into your labor experience, you can't control everything. Sometimes the unexpected happens and there's nothing you can do about it. Maybe you'll end up with another c-section. And that's ok. You have not failed as a woman or mother because things didn't end up just the way you wanted. It is so important to accept your experience as it is, without attaching blame or holding onto regret or anger or guilt. You are amazing for doing everything you could to bring life into this world, no matter how it happened. 

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has experienced a c-section and wants to try for a VBAC. Definitely an empowering book.

5 out of 5 stars

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Another book recommended by my friend Stephanie and it was definitely another success. In fact, this might be the best book I've read in months...

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton, introduces us to a little girl who is left alone on a ship sailing from London to Australia in 1913, sent with nothing but a small suitcase containing a new dress and a book of fairy tales. She is taken home by the dock master and his wife and, unable to learn of any family, is raised as one of their own. On her 21st birthday, "Nell" learns the truth and her sense of identity is shattered. She begins a quest to discover who she is: where did she come from? Why was she abandoned? Who is her family? Nell is lead to the Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and begins to uncover the secrets of the Mountrachet family. Unable to solve the mystery in her lifetime, the search is continued after Nell's death by her granddaughter Cassandra, who is finally able to put all the pieces together.

It has been a long time since I've read a book that is as intelligently crafted as this one. Each chapter contains vital information to the story. To make it even more complex, the chapters are not chronological and are pieced together in the way only a truly gifted storyteller can. The mystery unfolds for the reader gradually by following 3 primary storylines: Nell--abandoned in 1913 and sets off to England in 1975 to find her history; Cassandra--granddaughter who picks up the mystery after Nell dies in 2005; and Eliza Makepeace and Rose Mountrachet--cousins in the late 1890s whose stories hold all the information Nell needs to find out who she is.

I found the characters to be richly detailed and authentic, each with a vibrant personality and voice.
-I loved Cassandra and her personal journey to not only discover her grandmother's past, but to find peace and healing for things that had happened in her past.
-I also loved Eliza; she was an incredibly strong and imaginative individual, the kind of person I would be lucky to be friends with. Though she was also kind of an idiot when it came to those she loved, allowing her affection to blind her to the behavior and feelings of others and getting hurt in the process.
- I like Nell and understand her need to know her past, but I was mad at her when she tossed her adoptive parents and siblings aside when she learned she was abandoned as a child. She became so focused on what she had lost that she was completely blind to all that she had.
-At the beginning of the book I liked Rose well enough but by the end I despised her. She used the people closest to her to get what she wanted. Manipulative and cruel and the worst kind of selfish.
-Though I suppose Rose gets is from her mother, Adeline, who is essentially the reason why there is any mystery story at all. Adeline came from humble beginnings and is obsessed with fitting into society and being a proper lady. This results in an irrational need to cover up anything that might cause the slightest scandal. Her perceived inferiority makes her spiteful and bitter and makes life extremely difficult for those around her, particularly Eliza.
-There aren't as many male characters. Linus, Adeline's husband, is a total creeper and I'm glad there weren't too many details about his incestic obsessions.
-Christian is the only truly respectable central male character and becomes the love interest for Cassandra. Woohoo!

I feel like I could write a pretty thorough essay on the characters and themes of this book. I won't, for all your sakes, but I could. It's that great of a story. I tend to read books that I can breeze through in a few days so I had to remind myself to be patient and allow myself to get truly invested in the characters and the delicious mystery. I absolutely, whole-heartedly recommend The Forgotten Garden! It took a few more chapters than normal to get hooked because of all the year/character jumping, but I got there and I know you'll love this book too.

5 out of 5 stars!

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Over the Christmas holiday my sister in law lent me the movie North and South. She said I'd probably like it because of how much I like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Plus it stars Richard Armitage who plays Thorin Oakenshield in the Hobbit (of which I am a huge fan) and I thought it'd be fun to see him in a different role. Last week I finally watched it and instantly fell in love and decided I simply must read the book. Besides, after all these fantasy and paranormal books I've been reading lately I decided a nice Victorian novel sounded divine.

 

Our heroine is Miss Margaret Hale, the daughter of a parson, Mr Hale, who decides to abruptly uproot his family from the quiet country town Helstone for the bustling factory town of Milton. As Margaret in confronted with her prejudice of mill-owners and factory towns, she becomes acquainted with lower class factory workers, particularly the Higgins family, and a mill-owner Mr Thornton. She becomes personally invested in the social inequality and injustices she sees between the two classes, all the while cultivating unconscious (for most of the novel) feelings for Mr Thornton, who also has feelings for her.

 

I loved this book. I love that so much of it is focused on the political issues of the time it was written. I probably don't need to point out that I live for a really good love story, and the romance between Mr Thornton and Margaret, while not the focus of the book, is sweet and provoking. The only negative I can have is that I wish the ending was more developed. You root for Margaret and Mr Thornton for the full 400+ pages, so the ending should adequately represent the struggles they both (and the reader) go through to get there. At least the movie embellishes on the ending to make it a little more satisfying. But overall I was so happy to have discovered this gem. It's definitely more serious and darker than Pride and Prejudice, and has less romance than Jane Eyre, but anyone who is a fan of either of those (or any other Jane Austen, Bronte, or Dickens), I highly recommend North and South.

 

5 out of 5 stars

Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale, Illustrated by Nathan Hale

 I've never read any graphic novels before and I've always been a little skeptical of them. When I think of graphic novels I think of nerdy, comic book obsessed, acne ridden teen boys, hiding out in their dark and dusty bedrooms. I'll admit I was mildly embarrassed to be browsing the graphic novel section of the library (after I was able to find it). But I must say, these were two of the most fun books I have ever read. I picked these up, of course, because they are written by Shannon Hale, whose books I have reviewed on this blog many times. I love her stories and was certainly not disappointed with these gems. Co-written by her husband with detailed and beautiful illustrations by Nathan Hale (not related), these short stories were captivating and full of action, humor, and a touch of romance.

Rapunzel's Revenge is the story of Rapunzel (obviously) and really gets going once her "mother" (at least, the one who calls herself her mother) puts Rapunzel in a tower for being disobedient. Mother Gothel has powerful magic and can make things grow but uses her magic to enslave the people. Her tower is actually a very, very tall tree. Food grows magically and somehow Rapunzel's hair is affected by the magic and grows super long. She escapes by using her hair as a lasso and soon runs into Jack. Together, Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk) and Rapunzel go on an adventure to stop Mother Gothel's reign of terror, with the help of her trusty hair, and help people along the way, becoming heroes of the west. 

Calamity Jack picks up where Rapunzel's Revenge leaves off and is told from Jack's perspective. The pair heads east to Jack's hometown, where Jack is hoping to reunite with his mother and rebuild her house, since the first was destroyed by a giant beanstalk. When they arrive, they find themselves in a war zone and the city under attack by huge ant people and protected by giants. Jack and Rapunzel discover the giants are behind the ant people threat and fight to expose them to the city. In addition to the adventure, Jack goes through a personal journey of proving to his mother, Rapunzel and himself that he is a "good guy," despite having a shady background of scheming to get what he wanted.

Adjusting to reading a book that depends on the pictures to tell most of the story took a little time, but once I figured it out, the pictures were actually really fun to interpret and added so much to the story. I wish each book was about 3 times as long and I hope they write more sequels, though I haven't heard any reports for more books. I loved these books; they were so funny and easy to read. The pictures were so beautiful and detailed and expressive. Character development was also surprisingly good. Fun, fun stories I would absolutely recommend to everyone! Even those opposed to graphic novels, like I used to be. 

5 out of 5 stars

On Becoming Babywise

So it's been months since I've posted any book reviews, primarily because I haven't read anything. This is due to the recent addition to my little family of a beautiful baby girl named Sadie. She is my pride and joy. Chris and I have been adjusting to becoming parents; the hardest part has been the lack of sleep and trying to figure out what her cries mean and how to stop them. After the first few weeks we were exhausted and my sister-in-law Allison recommended we read this book, On Becoming Babywise. I devoured the whole book in 2 days. What I got out of the book was that I should implement a 3-hour schedule consisting of sleep, eat, and play. Many people get the order wrong and do eat, sleep, play, which eventually creates a dependence to eat before falling asleep. So we have been doing this 3 hour schedule for 6 or 7 weeks now and it has really helped organize our lives. Sadie knows what to expect of her day and that has helped transition to sleeping longer at night. She is 11 weeks old and last night slept for 7 hours! The night before she did 6, before that did 4 then 3, before that another 6... so she has been doing FANTASTIC this last week or so. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this pattern will continue because I cannot say how much better I feel after 7 straight hours than 3+2+2. I definitely would recommend this book. I don't think any method can be a cure-all for sleep problems but Babywise really helped add some predictability to our lives which made everyone happier.

5 out of 5 stars

Fablehaven (revisited) by Brandon Mull and comments on my rating system

I've been putting off updating my blog because I've read so much over the holiday season and I'm a little overwhelmed at writing it all down. I went to Utah for Christmas and visited with my in-laws and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I did not have access to the internet and thus could not stay on top of blogging about my literary adventures.

I've been wanting to reread Fablehaven for awhile now and thought that Christmas break would bee a good time for it. I'm not really going to say a whole lot about Fablehaven since I already reviewed it here. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories again and I think they still earned the 5 star rating I gave the first time through.

I was talking last night with my husband Chris about how we rate books vs movies. Chris says he rates books more harshly because of the time investment required to complete them, while movies can be finished within a matter of a couple hours. We discussed the different aspects that should go in to a book rating, like how interesting it is to you, depth, meaning, etc. We basically decided that rating books is really difficult. When I read a book like Fablehaven, which I loved and was fully engaged in throughout the story, I want to give it a top rating. But then I wonder, does Fablehaven deserve the same 5 star rating as a book like Jane Eyre or The Lord of the Rings? I'm sure many would disagree with me, but I say why not? I decided that I rate books on my blog based on how much I enjoy them. If I loved a book but can't necessarily pinpoint why I loved it so much or why academically it should be given a high rating, I think it's ok to rate it however I please.

So here's to Fablehaven and keeping it's 5 stars!

The Pop-up Book of Phobias by Gary Greensburg

I saw this book at Barnes and Noble the other day and thought it was hilarious. I just had to share...

Arachnophobia: The fear of spiders. (this is one of my personal fears)

Glossophobia: The fear of public speaking (also one of my personal fears)

Acrophobia: The fear of heights

Mysophobia: The fear of germs

Thanatophobia: The fear of death

Coulrophobia: The fear of clowns.

Dentophobia: The fear of dentists.

There was another page on claustrophobia, the fear of closed spaces, and it made you feel like you were in a crowded elevator. Even the page wouldn't open all the way to increase the sensation of being closed in. It was a pretty brilliant page and I'm sad I couldn't find a picture of it. Pretty awesome book!

I feel funny giving this a rating, seeing as how it's so different from the books I usually write about on this blog. But still, this was pretty amazing and it gave me a good laugh. As far as pop-up books go, I think this one takes the cake.

5 out of 5 stars

The Hunger Games; Catching Fire; Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Wow. I just finished the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy this afternoon and I'm not entirely sure how to blog about it. I was recommended these books months ago and told that I HAD to read them because they were amazing. I put off reading them primarily because they were never available at the library and I always had something else to read. My mom was the first person to recommend them to me, she heard about them from her book club. Then my sister Teresa read them and advised that I have all three books on hand when I started because the story is continuous and we all know how frustrating it is to finish a cliffhanger ending and not have the sequel available. So when I visited my family for Thanksgiving I was able to borrow all three books at once since my dad had recently purchased them. I read the first 2 chapters of The Hunger Games on Sunday night after coming home from Thanksgiving with the family and knew right away that these books were going to be a dangerous read with my upcoming full-time work week. I finished book 1 Tuesday evening, Catching Fire on Thursday evening, and Mockingjay on Saturday afternoon (today). I read for a few minutes in the morning before going in to work, during my hour lunch break, my evening work out at the gym, and for about an hour or so after dinner before bed. These were some intensely difficult books to put down.

I don't want to tell much about the plot because I don't think I could do it justice and I also don't want to give anything away for those who are currently reading them or will soon do so in the future. If you'd like a plot synopsis you can read about it here for The Hunger Games, and just do a little snooping on Google and you can easily find reviews for Catching Fire and Mockingjay. But just as a warning, I probably will end up giving things away unintentionally, so if you really don't want any spoilers whatsoever you should probably stop reading now.

There are a few things that I've been thinking about since I finished reading. For one, I am impressed by how much I care about the characters Collins created in her story. I felt genuine anxiety when Peeta was captured, sorrow when Finnick was killed, amusement with Haymitch, inspired by Katniss' courage, fear when I could see no way out for the heroes. Katniss, who is the voice of the story, became an especially real character, almost like a best friend or a sister, or perhaps myself in some strange, alternate reality. I often became frustrated by her inability to see her relationships with others clearly and her ineptitude in communicating her feelings to those she cares most about. I really, really love Peeta. Collins did a beautiful job in developing his character and relationship with Katniss. I think I was somewhere toward the end of book 1 when I decided that I really wanted Katniss to fall in love with Peeta, even though we had been briefly introduced to her best friend Gale (who I was initially rooting for as the love interest) before the hunger games started. There were also several minor characters who were introduced briefly in the beginning and after making multiple brief appearances throughout took on a great significance toward the overall story. Particularly Darius, the redheaded Avox girl, Madge, Greasy Sae, Rue... I loved Collins' use of her characters to tell the story.

Upon my completion of Mockingjay I felt like I had read a story of deep significance, though I can't really put in to words what it is. Sort of making me want to take more interest in politics, but while also making me think about all the good things I have in life. It reminded me a bit of the gladiator games in ancient Rome, how people took entertainment in forcing people to fight to the death. Collins was inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus, where the city of Athens was forced to provide boys and girls to be killed by the minotaur. The idea of taking pleasure in watching children kill each other was a horrible one to deal with. In fact, there were a lot of horrific things that Katniss and the others had to experience. I can't imagine having to live the kind of life that was common in Panem.

I really loved how Collins would quote or allude to things throughout all of the books; it really made the story stronger and made you pay attention to every detail. It was kind of fun to find obscure references to previous events and remember where they came from and what had happened. Her use of symbols was also fabulous; I particularly loved the theme of the mockingjay.

I think that everyone should read these books. They are moving, exciting, inspirational, sad, humorous, disturbing, and beautiful. They were all I could think about for the 5 days it took me to read them. They fully captivated me and left me happy I had chosen to take the ride.

5 stars

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book came to me as a recommendation from my mother who read it in her book club. Turns out this is a highly popular book club choice, and after reading it, I can see why. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is set in the 1960's in Mississippi and is told from the perspective of 2 black maids (Aibileen and Minny) and 1 white lady (Skeeter), all of whom are tired of the rigid rules and lines that define their lives. Skeeter wants to be a writer and starts the project of writing a book from the point of view of the maids working in white families. She interviews a dozen or so maids in Jackson who tell their experiences working in a white world, even though it's very dangerous to be telling stories, good or bad, about your past and present employers. Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny work hard to see this project come to fruition and eventually influence the way the people in their town view each other.

It took me a couple tries to really get into this book, but once used to the tone and language the story is written in I really, really enjoyed it. There wasn't much of a love story to it, which is usually something I look forward to in a good book, but I didn't feel like the story needed any romance. It had a good amount of suspense and humor and dealt with real life issues. It made me think about what it might have been like to grow up in the south and deal with issues of race. Having grown up in California where diversity was celebrated, I have never really experienced or understood racism. Now living in Virginia, where I think scars of racism still exist, I have been thinking more about how silly it all is. People are people, and that's that. I really love the character of Aibileen in the story. She's this sage grandmotherly/motherly woman who is strong and kind. She takes care of a little white girl, Mae Mobley, and tells her "secret stories" about Rosa Parkes, Green Martian Luther King, and other examples to teach her tolerance and love for everyone, that they are all the same. She tells Mae that she is smart, kind, and good, hoping that she will see these things in herself and be a good person for it.

I didn't particularly care for the ending; I was expecting everyone to live happily ever after, but it didn't end that way. I won't say what happened, but I was hoping for more. But even still, I was left feeling full of love for people, especially the kids I work with. They frustrate me, tire me out, give me bad dreams, make me want to rip my hair out, but I really do love them. Each one is special and it breaks my heart to know that many of them do not get the love they need from home. The take home message for me from this book was about love, and I think that's a pretty fabulous feeling to get from a book. I definitely recommend this one.

5 out of 5 stars

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

This was a fabulous book and I loved it!! Based on the fairy tale by the Grimm brothers, "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale was a beautifully written tale. I've never heard the story before so I was quick to get lost in the magic of the writing.

Ani is the crown princess in the land of Kildenree. In her youth her aunt teaches her the language of birds and how to know the language of a horse. Years later she finds her mother made an arrangement for her to marry the prince of Bayern, so she and a group of guards and her lady-in-waiting make the journey across the mountains to Bayern. During the several month journey, as they approach Bayern, there is mutiny in the group and Ani is forced to flee for her life while her lady-in-waiting intends to take Ani's place as princess. She finds herself alone and pursued by murderers and she seeks refuge in the forest. She eventually makes her way to the city where she finds a job as a goose girl tending the king's geese. She meets all kinds of good people, most of them forest born, while working in the city. Through the rest of the story Ani tries to find a way to convince the king that she is the rightful princess while avoiding the traitors who would kill her. Along the way she learns the language of the wind and makes wonderful friends.

I was unable to put this book down for very long. There truly is magic in Shannon Hale's writing! It was a beautiful story and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to all!

5 out of 5 stars

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

This book was AWESOME. Again I am tipping my hat to Kerry for the recommendation.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E Pearson, is about 17-year-old Jenna who wakes up from an 18 month long coma. She doesn't remember the accident she was in nor can she remember anything about her life or who she is. She spends time reviewing home movies of her life to help her piece together her identity. As some memories begin to return Jenna is forced to relive the details of the accident and confront her parents about it's aftermath.

The story is set in a nearish future where medical science can do pretty much anything. What I liked most about this book is that it makes you question the ethics behind a nearly limitless scientific world. Just because you can save something or someone does it necessarily follow that you should save them? Where is the line between God and science? What is the soul? Where does it reside? Can you lose it? How do you retain your humanity when your body and brain are no longer natural but man-created? Interesting questions that we as a society may be faced with in a future that may be closer than we think. I've always thought ethical questions are fun to discuss and think about and I loved that this story made me think about things I hadn't considered before.

I also loved the writing style and how the story was told. I didn't figure out the secrets too far in advance; there were plenty of mysteries and questions right to the end. I feel like this was a book that the author put a lot of heart and energy into writing; this was no quick-written story. It was beautiful and I loved it. I recommend The Adoration of Jenna Fox to everyone.

5 out of 5 stars

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

I've been putting off this post for a little while because I wanted to write about all of the books together, but then I realized that this might mean a really long post and I've never been particularly long winded, so I'll do my best. These books were recommended to me by several people, the latest being my sister Teresa and brother-in-law Frank. The author, Brandon Mull, was actually on of Frank's roommates at BYU, which I think is funny because he also knows Stephenie Meyer from his home ward in Arizona. I guess Frank just has awesome connections to people who write books that I really like! Moving right along, the Fablehaven series was SOOOO GOOD!!!! I recommend it to everyone; I absolutely loved it.

Book 1: Fablehaven

Fablehaven sucked me in right away and I quickly fell in love with the two main characters, 14-year-old Kendra and 12?-year-old Seth. They are fun, real kids who actually act like siblings. Their banter is very entertaining. The world that is set up in such a beautiful way and I was so quickly drawn in. In this story Kendra and Seth discover the secret world of magical creatures that live around them during their visit to their grandparents, who happen to be caretakers of the magical preserve Fablehaven. Fun first story!




Book 2: Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star

This was a step above the first book on the "exciting" scale. I feel like the first book could have stood on it's own as a single, fun book without any sequels. So I enjoyed how Book 2 brought you back into the story at the end of their school year to spend their summer break at Fablehaven. We start to experience what betrayal feels like by characters you think you can trust, which becomes a theme that the author tends to touch on quite a bit. Kendra and Seth do make some lasting relationships and encounter some creative difficulties in this second book, including surviving being eaten by a huge demon, finding an artifact, and destroying an evil revenent. Always good times!


Book 3: Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague

In this book the adventure and trials get stepped up again in intensity and excitement. The preserve is being taken over by a plague that is turning all the creatures dark/evil. In this book we get to know a greater variety of the kinds of creatures that live on the preserve. And just so we're all clear, the centaurs are total jerks! I would not want to have anything to do with them. The satyrs are fun; highly immature and add a lot of spunk to the story. They help lighten the mood when things get too serious. Seth and a character named Warren also have fabulous senses of humor. Throughout their adventuring in the last couple books Kendra and Seth have acquired some new and useful abilities that help them save the preserve from the source of evil that is threatening to take over. Of course they save the day while meeting more fun and exciting characters along the way. Fun story! Oh, and Kendra totally meets a cute boy in this book who we quickly fall in love with. At least I did, but then I'm a total sucker for adolescent romance.

Book 4: Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

Again, a large step up in excitement from the last story. You can feel the tension growing as you get a feel of what they need to accomplish before the end of the series in Book 5. Getting an idea of the overall purpose behind the adventuring made it more intense for me. This book was definitely the most....I don't wanna say emotional but I guess it was in the sense that it toyed big time with your connections with the characters. Brandon Mull was very successful in making you fall in love with several particular characters so that you really come to care about their well being and how they relate to other characters. Because he was so successful in creating meaningful characters, the ending in this book REALLY pissed me off!!! I haven't been so angry from reading anything in years. In fact, it's possible that I have never been as angry as what happened at the end of this story. I'm still fuming, even though I know everything works itself out by the end of Book 5. But holy cow! I don't want to put in too many details here in case anyone who might happen to read this blog actually reads these books, but man, it was intense. So even though it made me really mad, there were some seriously creative and fun adventures in this story, including being kidnapped, escaping from vampires, and breaking into a dragon sanctuary to steal an artifact. Brandon Mull created such a crazy twist ending and again visited his theme of serious betrayal, which I suppose is safe to say what caused the emotional roller coaster I went through in the last couple chapters. I hope I'm not giving away too many details; I'd really hate to spoil the story for anyone...maybe if you read this and want to read Fablehaven take a break before reading so you can forget everything I wrote about the story.

Book 5: Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

So in all the previous books Kendra and Seth and a bunch of others have been trying to collect 5 artifacts that serve as keys to the demon prison Zzyxz. A bad guy is trying to open the demon prison which would basically mean the end of the world cuz the demons would get out and slaughter everyone. So the good guys are trying to get the artifacts and make them safe to save the world from the demons. Basically in this book they fail to keep the artifacts safe and so now have to prepare for how to keep the world safe from the demons. There is an epic battle at the end, very exciting as should be expected. And there is also a new love interest in this story for Kendra! which I was very happy about. This guy is really cool and we like him a lot. The sap in me wishes that there had been more details about their budding romance, but I have to remind myself that these books were written for 10 to 12-year-old kids who have no desire to read about how Kendra and (I won't ruin the story for anyone by saying his name here) hold hands or how he puts his arm around her. But the story ends very well and the world doesn't get destroyed by demons. I definitely read this book in 3 days while simultaneously hanging out with my family. I had a really hard time putting it down at all. Captivating read!

Overall summary: Fablehaven is fabulous! I'm already considering buying all the books because I think I'll want to read them again. Plus I think Chris should read them and someday I'll read them to my kids. I think they're just as fun as Harry Potter and I have all of those books. I love adding to my library when I find truly entertaining (and clean!) literature. Everyone needs to read these stories!


Rating: 5 stars! (I rarely give 5 stars, so this must be big.)