(Image from Barnes & Noble)

It's tough being a preacher's kid, especially in a tiny town where sharp eyes detect your every coming and going.  And even sharper tongues report suspicious movements to your father.  Anyway, it's not like 10-year-old Robbie Hewitt goes looking for trouble—it just seems to find him.  He's tried to turn from his wild, mischievous ways, yes he has, but it's not working.  A boy like him just isn't meant to be cooped up in church all day, not when there are trees to climb, fish to catch and bloomers to run up the flagpole.  Still, Robbie knows he has to be careful since his Pa's overly-forgiving nature is already making his position as preacher of the Congregational Church precarious; a few too many misdeeds from the youngest Hewitt could lead to Pa's unemployment.  Then, where would Robbie's family be?   

As the 19th Century winds down, bringing the end of the world with it (at least according to Reverend Pelham), Robbie begins to wonder—what's the point of trying to be a good Christian, anyway?  It's way too much of a burden for someone like him, someone who, "let's face it, ain't got the knack for holiness" (19).  He decides, instead, to become a "heathen, a Unitarian, or a Democrat, whichever was most fun" (19) and to pack as much riotous living as possible into the last months of 1899.  

Even Robbie's surprised by the scale of adventure that comes his way.  But when the young rapscallion finds himself in way, way over his head, he has no idea what to do or who to trust.  Can the avowed "apeist"What' find his faith once more?  Can he fix the messes he's made without getting his Pa fired?  And, most importantly, what exactly will happen to Robbie Hewitt come January 1, 1900?

There's a lot to love about Preacher's Boy, the newest middle grade novel by renowned author Katherine Paterson.  Robbie's a funny narrator, whose rebellious-but-repenting nature makes him both sympathetic and genuine.  His antics made me laugh out loud.  Literally.  The story itself, though, feels a little clumsy to me.  There's not a lot of originality to it, nor is there a strong plot to give meaning to all of Robbie's various exploits.  The characters are vivid, though, as is the disapproving small-town setting.  All in all, the book's entertaining.  Not shout-it-from-the-rooftops amazing, but not a bad yarn either.  

 (Readalikes:  Reminded me of Mark Twain's classics Adventures of Tom Sawyer; Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; etc.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language and intense situations

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Preacher's Boy from the generous folks at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for The Supreme Macaroni Company, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from earlier novels in the Valentine trilogy.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Despite her reservations about the union and an ill-timed kiss with an old friend, 35-year-old Valentine Roncalli is set to marry Italian tanner Gianluca Vechiarelli on February 14.  In six weeks!  Between now and then, Valentine hopes they can straighten out a few major tangles.  Where to live, for instance.  Valentine can't imagine leaving Greenwich Village, where her family set up its now famous shoe company over 100 years ago.  But Gianluca hates the city, much preferring the gentle Italian countryside.  Valentine wants children; Gianluca already has a grown daughter.  Even after she's married, possibly with kids, Valentine will need to work at a frantic pace to keep the Angelini Shoe Company solvent; Gianluca wants a traditional Italian wife, one who has time for him.  Valentine's solution?  Ignore the problems.  The happy couple can work out all the snarls after the marriage.  Right?

Trouble begins even before the couple's honeymoon in the Big Easy finishes.  It seems as if they don't agree on anything!  Valentine's already considering an annulment.  The pair work things out, but the tension between them doesn't fully dissipate, especially when some surprise twists and turns force them to face their worries, fears and stresses head-on.  Is their marriage strong enough to withstand it all?  Or was their tumultuous union doomed from the beginning?  

As much as I adored Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series, I've had trouble getting into this newer series.  For one thing, Valentine's troublesome as a protagonist—her brash personality, fickle nature, and selfish choices often make her difficult to love.  Indeed, I've often wondered why the story's cast adores her so.  Also, the books in this series seem to get too bogged down in detail, making the plots sag.  As for a central conflict that keeps the tale on track, always steering it toward an exciting conclusion, The Supreme Macaroni Company doesn't really have one.  It's more episodic, the only real question being if Valentine and Gianluca will stay married.  In short, it's a little dull.  Even the melodramatic finale doesn't have quite the impact it should.  On the bright side, Trigiani knows how to write about families in a way that's warm, funny and always authentic.  And, if you're a fan of what I call the Trigiani Trifecta (Italian families, Italian food, and New York fashion), you'll find plenty of it here.  I just wish I enjoyed this series more.  Ah, well.

(Readalikes:  Very Valentine and Brava, Valentina by Adriana Trigiani; also her Big Stone Gap series [Big Stone Gap; Big Cherry Holler; Milk Glass Moon; Home to Big Stone Gap])

Grade:  

  

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of The Supreme Macaroni Company from the generous folks at Harper Collins via those at TLC Book Tours.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When Seth Wearing drowns in the violent, choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean, the 16-year-old expects to die.  He does die.  He remembers his bones cracking, his skull shattering against sharp rocks, he remembers dying.  So, how is he now awake?  How is he still living?  Breathing?  Walking around?  It's impossible.  And yet, Seth's body works just like it always has—he feels hungry, thirsty, tired, scared.  He is, as far as he can tell, still alive.  Only, he's been transported somehow to another place—a somewhat familiar place—where's he's alone.  At least, he thinks he's alone.  That's the thing about this new life (afterlife?): he can't be sure of anything.  

As Seth wanders the strange, empty town in search of answers, he's left only with more questions.  Vivid dreams of his old life only add to his confusion.  Did he really live the life he thinks he did?  Or were his years in Washington State just an elaborate fantasy?  Is this heaven, hell, purgatory?  Where is he and, more importantly, how does he escape this dreary, awful world?  

You can probably tell that the plot of More Than This, Patrick Ness' newest YA novel, is a little difficult to describe.  I expect nothing less from the brilliant writer who brought us the Chaos Walking series, but still, I'm hard pressed to explain just how compelling is this mind-bending mystery.  How 'bout a few adjectives to set the stage:  absorbing, unique, edgy, heart-wrenching, heart-pounding.  Yep, all of those work in the case of More Than This.  The novel kept me reading and guessing and wondering to the very last word.  And beyond.  Intriguing?  Totally.  Worth the read?  If you don't mind a little adult content (see content warning below), then yes, absolutely.       

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of Flashback by Dan Simmons)

Grade: