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Everyone knows that girls born in the Year of the Fire Horse take on that animal's worst traits—stubbornness, willfulness, independence.  All are qualities guaranteed to bring shame upon her family.  With such a portentous zodiac sign, 16-year-old Jade Moon Chang doesn't stand a chance.  Every move she makes in her little Chinese village is watched, judged.  Finding a man willing to marry such an unlucky girl is the worry of her father and grandfather.  Jade Moon fears the same, but for different reasons.  The last thing she wants is to remain in her tiny town, leashed by a husband who controls her every step.

Then, a stranger arrives, changing everything.  Sterling Promise, Jade Moon's adopted cousin from Hong Kong, comes bearing an amazing opportunity: a chance to live in America.  It sounds too good to be true, especially coming from the smooth-talking Sterling Promise.  Still, Jade Moon can't contain her excitement.  Not only is she leaving Jinjui Village, she's going to America!  A Fire Horse is sure to be welcome in that modern, enterprising world.

But, it's 1923, and Chinese immigrants aren't exactly welcomed to the U.S. with open arms.  In fact, they're held at Angel Island, near San Francisco.  A survey of her fellow detainees confirms that Jade Moon could be held there for days, weeks, even years—as long as it takes to determine she qualifies to stay in America.  If she doesn't pass muster, she'll be deported.  Jade Moon can't let that happen, but as the weeks roll by, she knows she can't remain on Angel Island either.  What is a Fire Horse girl to do?  Take matters into her own hands, of course.  As Jade Moon takes command of her own destiny, she steps right into San Francisco's ugly underbelly.  It's an adventure, sure, but not one anyone—even a Fire Horse girl—is likely to survive.

The Fire Horse Girl, a debut novel by Kay Honeyman, brings the Chinese immigrant experience to vivid life in a story that's as exciting as it is heartfelt.  Jade Moon is a sympathetic heroine, likable because of both her bravery and vulnerability.  Her adventure doesn't gloss over the harsh realities faced by Chinese immigrants in the 1920s—it celebrates their courage.  The Fire Horse Girl kept me thoroughly engrossed, totally entertained and thoroughly charmed.  I loved it.     

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books about Asian immigrants coming to the U.S., especially those by Amy Tan and Lisa See)

Grade:  B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for mild language (no F-bombs), violence and references (brief and not overly graphic) to prostitution

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Fire Horse Girl from the generous folks at Scholastic.  Thank you!

  

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Although Bakerton, Pennsylvania, may not look like much, it's the kind of small town people never want to leave.  Heaven knows, coal mining isn't the most glamorous work, but it sustains many of Bakerton's residents, offering steady—if dangerous—employment.  Neighborhoods like Swedetown, Little Italy and Polish Hill provide affordable housing, close-knit communities, and a sense of belonging.  Generations of families live there, die there.  

Rose Novak, a 43-year-old widow, hails from Italy, but lives on Polish Hill because of her late husband.  Her five children have all grown up in the neighborhood, under the watchful eyes of people they've known all their lives.  Unlike so many others, the oldest Novak kids can't wait to leave home, whether it's for war, work or education.  The younger are tasked with the care of their increasingly frail mother.  As the various Novaks struggle to find their places in a changing world (the novel begins in the 1940s), they will contemplate the meanings of home, family, and duty.

My plot summary of Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh is abnormally skimpy because the novel actually has no real plot.  It's a family saga, one in which all of the characters, young and old, experience various amounts of trouble.  Many of the scrapes they get themselves into are entertaining.  But, because the scenes don't really fit into an overall story arc, the novel comes off as episodic and tangential.  For me, it just plain got dull.  Haigh writes with skill, there's no doubt about that.  So, maybe it's me—I can be an impatient reader.  Whatever the reason, I quickly grew bored with the novel's slow build and meandering storyline.  I appreciate Haigh's ability to bring a place, a time and a people to life, I just wanted it all to play out against an overreaching plot, a good mystery or scandal—you know, something I could really sink my teeth into—and that didn't happen.  Always a bummer.   

(Readalikes:  Haigh has written a new book of short stories about Bakerton [although I haven't read it] called News From Heaven) 

Grade:  C+

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), sexual content and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Baker Towers from the generous folks at Harper Collins.  Thank you!

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It's no secret that I love Jodi Picoult.  I mean, it says right on my left sidebar that she's one of my very favorite authors.  And it's true.  Her books speak to me—they don't just keep me entertained, they also force me to consider polarizing issues from all sides.  They make me think.  Still, when I spied the hardcover version of Lone Wolf (see below), I hesitated.  Wolves?  The plot summary sounded Picoult-like, but I just wasn't sure.  I mean I like animals and all, I just don't always enjoy reading whole books about them.  So, I stalled on this one for most of 2012.  Then, one day, I was in a Picoult kind of mood and I decided to give Lone Wolf a shot.  And, guess what?  While the plot does sort of revolve around wolves, the novel is really about how tragedy affects a family.  In other words: it's vintage Picoult. 

The story goes a little something like this:  When Luke Warren—a wolf expert known for his unorthodox ways of studying the animals—is severely injured in a car accident, it throws his already-fractured family into a tailspin.  His ex-wife, Georgie Ng, left him several years ago when she realized she would never mean as much to Luke as his beloved wolves.  Edward, Luke's 24-year-old son, had it out with his dad six years ago and hasn't seen the man since.  Seventeen-year-old Cara knows Luke's not the most traditional of fathers, but she loves him fiercely and can't bear to see the most alive man she knows in a coma.  When it comes to a decision of whether or not to take Luke off life support, each member of the family has a different idea.  Ultimately, it's up to his children, who disagree vehemently on what their father would have wanted.  As they duke it all out in the hospital and in court, Edward, Cara and Georgie reflect on the enigma who is Luke Warren.  Which of them knows him best?  Did he really care about any of them?  And, most importantly, who's the most qualified to decide Luke Warren's fate for him?  

Will the fight draw the broken family together again or tear them apart forever?

I know some readers have tired of Picoult's story "formula," but, like I said, it works for me.  It is, in fact, the thing I like most about reading her.  Picoult always forces me to empathize, to see things from other people's perspectives, to open my mind and heart while considering how different issues affect different people.  Both character- and plot-driven, her books always move at a swift pace, remaining tense and suspenseful until the very end.  Lone Wolf is no exception.  It's not my favorite Picoult book ever, but it still provided vivid reminders of why I love this author so much.  She's just that good.     

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other Picoult books, especially Handle With Care)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for strong language, sexual content, animal violence/gore, and depictions of underage drinking/partying

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Lone Wolf from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.  

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Secrets are not safe with 16-year-old Chelsea Knot.  Everyone knows that.  The juicier the gossip, the more likely she is to spread it.  That's just what it takes to guarantee her place at the top of her high school's food chain.  So, when Chelsea learns a classmate's shocking secret, there's no way she's going to keep it to herself.  But sharing her discovery has terrible consequences.  A boy is beaten almost to death.  When Chelsea identifies his attackers for the police, she's labeled a traitor.  Shunned by the A-listers who used to be her friend, Chelsea finds herself in a place she's never been: the bottom.    

Unwilling to let her big mouth hurt anyone else, Chelsea takes a vow of silence.  Not everyone gets what she's doing, but she sticks with her plan, refusing to utter a word, even when she's ridiculed and bullied.  It's not easy, not at all.  And, yet, it's in the quiet that she learns to hear herself, to know herself, to forgive herself.  But will others do the same?  Or is Chelsea doomed to spend the rest of her high school career as the worst kind of social outcast?

As you can imagine, it's a little hard to feel sorry for the heroine of Speechless, a debut YA novel by Hannah Harrington.  It doesn't help that Chelsea's pretty self-centered, even as she's being "humbled" by her classmates.  Somehow, she just never got roughed up enough for me to sympathize with her.  She's funny, though, and her voice feels authentic.  So, there's that.  And the writing's better-than-average for a teen novel.  There's that, too.  Plot-wise, though, the story suffers because, really, there is no plot.  Chelsea has no clear goal except (it seems) to draw attention to herself, which doesn't do much for her likability.  Overall, I think the novel makes a good point, it just does it in kind of a heavy-handed way and through a heroine who's not all that convincing.  

(Readalikes:  The story reminds me of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson)

Grade:  C

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for strong language, sexual content and depictions of underage drinking/partying

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Speechless from the generous folks at Harlequin Teen via Edelweiss.  Thank you!