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The story Mary Sharratt tells in her newest historical novel, Illuminations, seems like pure fiction.  And yet, it's based in fact.  Hildegard von Bingen, a young German girl, really was given to the Catholic Church as a tithe in 1106, when she was just eight years old.  Even as a very small child, Hildegard reported seeing visions, something that must have confounded her family, surely leading them to push her into a religious life.  She began her "career" as the handmaiden of 14-year-old Jutta Von Sponheim.  The two girls (and possibly one other) became anchorites at a remote monastery, where they were bricked into a tiny anchorage and "buried with Christ."  In essence, they were dead to the world, now living just to exalt Jesus with their silent devotion.  Only a small screen looking into the church kept the children from total isolation—through it, they received their meager meals, as well as limited communication with the resident monks, and visits from pilgrims who revered Jutta for her example of extreme piety.  

Sharratt imagines the thoughts and feelings that must have accompanied Hildegard through the 30 years she endured in her anchorage prison.  As her youth ebbed away, the nun took comfort where she could, most especially in her great visions of God as a warm, embracing Mother.  Sharing what she saw, however, often brought trouble.  Some regarded Hildegard's visions as heretical, others as profound.  As she wrote about her visions in essays, poems and songs, she became known as a seer, a prophetess.  After her time in the anchorage came to an end, Hildegard also gained a reputation as an influential abbess, an outspoken defender of women and a prodigious scholar who railed against corruption in the Church and government.  Always surrounded by controversy, Hildegard von Bingen was excommunicated near the end of her life, a condemnation that was only lifted a few months before she died.  In October 2012, she was finally canonized by the Vatican and honored as Doctor of the Church, "a solmen title reserved for theologians who have significantly impacted Church doctrine" (quote from an interview with Mary Sharratt).  

Hildegard von Bingen's fascinating and dramatic story comes to life under Sharratt's skillful rendering.  Although the novel's skimpy on plot, the author manages to keep it interesting by examining Hildegard's relationship with Jutta; her beloved brother, Rorich; and even a kindly monk on whom she develops a hopeless crush.  Whether these small dramas actually occurred or not doesn't matter—they keep the story from getting too odd or dull.  As for Hildegard's religious fanaticism, I found it intriguing, if not wholly convincing.  Overall, I enjoyed Illuminations.  It's not the kind of book that's going to appeal to everyone, but for those who venture between its pages, expect a reading experience that is, well, illuminating.    

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for sexual innuendo and references to rape

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Illuminations from the generous folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt via those at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.  Thank you!

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If you saw her on t.v. modeling the latest fashions from Kopf's Department Store, you'd think 17-year-old Annabel Greene has it all.  She's beautiful, poised and—on-screen at least—beloved by everyone who knows her.  In reality?  Not so much.  Ever since the night her best friend turned on her, Annabel's become an outcast.  She floats through her school days like a ghost, saying little and trying her best to ignore the lies about her that swirl through the hallways.  She can never tell what really happened at the party that ended her friendship with Sophie, so she buries her pain, pretending it doesn't hurt to be shunned.  Home should be Annabel's refuge, but that hasn't been so for awhile now.  With her sister's anorexia and the constant pressure from her mother/agent to take on additional modeling jobs, home feels more like a battlefield than an oasis.  Not that she can bring up any of her concerns; that's not the Greene Family way.  So, Annabel keeps her mouth shut, her head down and her troubles to herself.  

Then, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Owen Armstrong.  A loner who's never without his iPod, Owen's like his music: "dark and angry and loud" (66).  His no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is personality scares Annabel, but their budding friendship means everything to her.  Even though she doesn't dare trust him with her secrets, she feels most like herself when she's with Owen.  The more time she spends with Owen, the more Annabel wants to unburden herself, not just to him, but to everyone around her.  Does she dare to speak up about the fateful night that changed everything for her?  Will Owen hate her when he realizes how much she's kept from him?  Can Annabel risk alienating the one person  who's on her side?  Or is it better to embrace the Greene Family tradition and keep everything bottled up inside her? 

Few authors of contemporary YA are as well-loved as Sarah Dessen.  After reading the author's latest, The Moon and More, I really couldn't figure out why.  Then, I picked up Just Listen.  Now, I get it.  I've heard Dessen fans say that the author just gets teenagers and that's very evident as she tells Annabel's story.  With pitch-perfect voice, a balanced blend of humor and drama, as well as warm, engaging prose, Just Listen really does get it right.  It's a fast, compelling read with messages that speak to us all.  I'm not a Dessen die-hard yet, but you better believe I'm going to be checking out the rest of her books.  And soon.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Speechless by Hannah Harrington; Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; The Space Between Us by Jessica Martinez, and Touch by Francine Prose)

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Things on Pemberwick Island, Maine, don't change much from year to year.  The tourists come, the tourists go, and life moves on for the locals.  Bored with small-town life, most of Pemberwick's teenagers can't wait to leave the island behind.  Not 14-year-old Tucker Pierce.  His family hasn't been in Maine very long, but he loves the area's rugged beauty, the island's quaint, laid-back charm.  It beats living in some dirty, crowded city any day.

Tucker's peaceful island world is shattered when Marty Wiggins, a senior tailback, collapses during a high school football game.  His sudden, inexplicable death stuns everyone, especially Tucker, who saw the rage and confusion brewing in Marty's eyes just before he died.  The football player isn't the only islander acting weird—suddenly, everyone seems to be consumed with an unnatural and deadly kind of aggression.  Something weird is definitely going on.  

Then, SYLO, a mysterious military group, invades the island, taking things from weird to worse.  The soldiers allow no one on or off the island and offer no explanation for their actions.  Have the islanders all been infected with some crazy virus?  Are more people going to die?  And what's with the strange, humming aircraft that circle Pemberwick, but only at night?  Cut off from the outside world, with no t.v. or Internet access, Tucker has no idea what's going on.  He only knows he has to find out.  With the help of his best friend, Quinn, and Tori, the girl he's been crushing on forever, Tucker will figure out what's happening on his island.  Even if it means putting everything—and everyone—he loves in grave danger.

With plenty of pulse-pounding action to keep the pages turning, SYLO by D.J. MacHale is an exciting read that will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers (especially if they're male).  The plot's pretty cliché, the characters pretty cardboard, the writing pretty average, but the story moves along at a frantic pace, making you keep reading in spite of the book's hang-ups.  SYLO's overly long and totally far-fetched, but it wasn't a horrible read.  It's entertaining, anyway.  When I finished the book, I handed it to my 14-year-old son and—no surprises here—he's been riveted since Page 1.  Does SYLO hit the spot for its intended audience?  I'd say yes, yes, it does. 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other YA dystopian books, although no specific titles are coming to mind)

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 To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of SYLO from the generous folks at Penguin.  Thank you!

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Being the daughter of a dedicated disaster volunteer is not easy.  Every time a tornado blows through or a hurricane whips up somewhere in the U.S., Cass's mother flies to the rescue.  Cass tries to feel only pride in her mother's important work—after all, how silly is it to envy a disaster victim?  Besides, the 10-year-old's fondest dream is to join her mom on one of her life-saving crusades.  As soon as her mom returns to little Olyn, Alabama, Cass plans to present her with the idea.  In no time, Cass knows, she and the famous Toodi Blue Nordenhaur, will embark on all kinds of epic, disaster-busting road trips.  They'll be partners, meaning Cass will never have to be separated from her mother again.  She can't wait to implement this perfect, foolproof plan. 

When Toodi finally comes home, Cass gets disastrous news.  Not only is her mom leaving again, but she refuses to take her only child with her.  Cass blames her boring, old dad for the betrayal.  She refuses to forgive him, even when he insists they take their own super-exciting road trip in an ancient RV nicknamed The Roast.  Cass can't imagine anything more boring than traveling with her meat salesman father.  It's only when he introduces her to a magical force called Sway that Cass begins to wonder if there might be more to her dull, dependable dad than meets the eye.  And, if he really can make amazing things happen, then maybe, just maybe they can convince Toodi to come home for good. 

As much as I like the premise behind Sway by Amber McRee Turner, the follow-through just didn't quite do it for me.  The book's a little too quirky, a little too odd for my tastes.  It's a quick, upbeat read, though, and one that teaches some great lessons about family, friendship and finding the good in even the rottenest of situations.  Overall, I thought it was just okay.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a little of Savvy by Ingrid Law) 

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