Much fun was had at AuthorCon this year! But who cares. On to the books!
BEST OF THE MONTH
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
This was an easy choice, as it was my only 5-star rating of the month. I loved Zindel's Confessions of a Teenage Baboon, so I was confident I would like The Pigman, which is largely known as Zindel's crowning achievement. It did not disappoint. It was published in 1968, so some of it is dated (rollerskating!), but The Pigman is timeless in the ways that matter. Themes include: parental neglect, death, substance abuse, and peer pressure. This young adult offering from Zindel is a classic for a reason.
WORST OF THE MONTH
Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen
I absolutely love her pitch-dark family drama, Every Last One, but I've been disappointed with the last two I've read. Object Lessons was her first novel, so maybe she improved later in her career. The plot took too long to get going and there were too many characters to keep track of.
The rest:
One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash (collection). Something Rich and Strange was better. Grade: C
Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe. I loved The Butcher Boy. This one, not so much. Grade: D
Brain Camp by Kim/Klavan/Hicks (graphic novel). I've been getting into these YA graphic novels lately, but this one fell a little short for me. Grade: C
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. The House in the Cerulean Sea almost convinced me I'd be a fan of all of Klune's stuff. Grade: C
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (graphic novel). This would be more middle grade than YA. Great feel-good graphic novel. Grade: B
The Bedmakers by Lutzke/Boden. Almost feels like a coming-of-age tale, but for adults. Excellent. Grade: B
The Measure by Nikki Erlich. A sf premise (mysterious boxes show up), but Erlich plays it as a philosophical drama. Grade: B
Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama. Two novellas by Godzilla's screenwriter. Godzilla is best on screen. Grade: C
We're Not Ourselves Today by Lydia Prime/Jill Girardi (collection). Some hits, but quality overall is uneven. Grade: C
The Moorstone Sickness by Bernard Taylor. The Wicker Man meets Get Out. Grade: B
By the Time We Leave Here We'll be Friends by J David Osbourne. Osbourne's first book, a Wonderland Award-winner, but Black Gum is certainly better. Grade: D
Sharkasaurus by Estabrooks/Morales (graphic novel). I'd expect something called "Sharkasaurus" to be a little more fun than this. Grade: C
Headless by Scott Cole. Great B-movie premise. You guessed it: people are losing their heads. A few great scenes strung together, but not a great impact overall. Grade: C
Til next time!
Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
BEST OF THE MONTHThe Pigman by Paul Zindel
This was an easy choice, as it was my only 5-star rating of the month. I loved Zindel's Confessions of a Teenage Baboon, so I was confident I would like The Pigman, which is largely known as Zindel's crowning achievement. It did not disappoint. It was published in 1968, so some of it is dated (rollerskating!), but The Pigman is timeless in the ways that matter. Themes include: parental neglect, death, substance abuse, and peer pressure. This young adult offering from Zindel is a classic for a reason.
WORST OF THE MONTH
Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen
I absolutely love her pitch-dark family drama, Every Last One, but I've been disappointed with the last two I've read. Object Lessons was her first novel, so maybe she improved later in her career. The plot took too long to get going and there were too many characters to keep track of.
The rest:
One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash (collection). Something Rich and Strange was better. Grade: C
Breakfast on Pluto by Patrick McCabe. I loved The Butcher Boy. This one, not so much. Grade: D
Brain Camp by Kim/Klavan/Hicks (graphic novel). I've been getting into these YA graphic novels lately, but this one fell a little short for me. Grade: C
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. The House in the Cerulean Sea almost convinced me I'd be a fan of all of Klune's stuff. Grade: C
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (graphic novel). This would be more middle grade than YA. Great feel-good graphic novel. Grade: B
The Bedmakers by Lutzke/Boden. Almost feels like a coming-of-age tale, but for adults. Excellent. Grade: B
The Measure by Nikki Erlich. A sf premise (mysterious boxes show up), but Erlich plays it as a philosophical drama. Grade: B
Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama. Two novellas by Godzilla's screenwriter. Godzilla is best on screen. Grade: C
We're Not Ourselves Today by Lydia Prime/Jill Girardi (collection). Some hits, but quality overall is uneven. Grade: C
The Moorstone Sickness by Bernard Taylor. The Wicker Man meets Get Out. Grade: B
By the Time We Leave Here We'll be Friends by J David Osbourne. Osbourne's first book, a Wonderland Award-winner, but Black Gum is certainly better. Grade: D
Sharkasaurus by Estabrooks/Morales (graphic novel). I'd expect something called "Sharkasaurus" to be a little more fun than this. Grade: C
Headless by Scott Cole. Great B-movie premise. You guessed it: people are losing their heads. A few great scenes strung together, but not a great impact overall. Grade: C
Til next time!
Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
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