Clearing the Air: In which I defend this blog...

I've been fortunate to never get any "hate mail" per see, but I did recently have 2 accusations leveled against me (and one "accusation" that was conveniently expressed in a post but not to me directly), and this is my attempt to clear the air. So far, I'm sure it's very obvious that I review books. I do not endorse books. I am not a publicity person, I am not in advertising...I review books. And I am always, always honest. Counting here and goodreads, I have reviewed over 100 books in the last year. Out of those 100, there have been only 3 that have been majority-negative. Only 3. The accusation that I never like a book is ludicrous and untrue. It's so much easier to speak in extremes, to say "well she always writes 5 star reviews" or "she hates every book she reads" or even "she hates the author." Well, that is conveniently one-sided. Of those 3 books that I wrote highly negative reviews for, I feel like I had every reason to do so. You may not think it, but I am objective (to a certain extent). The 3 books in question were so outrageous and personally offensive to me that I was totally lost for anything constructive. Have you ever been in that position? Maybe not, but I have, and I don't really like writing negative reviews. But these 3 were so outrageous and really hit me on a personal level, I felt I had to. How wonderful it must be to always find something good. But that's not always the case.
Now, I have written reviews that contain criticism or somewhat negative tones, but most of them are a mix of positive and negative. The last "critical" book I reviewed was Forgive My Fins, which I still gave an overall 'B' rating to, and the first part of which I praised the author and mentioned the things I liked about the book. I did NOT 'hate' it, and to insinuate that I did totally misses the point. On the other side of the scale, even my 5-star reviews are never without something. If I just wrote a drool-worthy review of say The Dark Divine, I wouldn't sound very objective, would I? And who exactly would I help? It may sound weird, but I actually appreciate 1-and-2-star reviews. Some of my goodreads/blogger pals are very outspoken in their opinions, and I appreciate that fully. I want to know why someone doesn't like a book, because in all likeliness, I will probably agree. I guess this is my way of "returning the favor."

And now to the most unpopular part of my "diatribe," concerning authors and what I have said about them: When an author publishes a book, he/she is pretty much saying, "This is as good as I can make it. This is ready to go out and be evaluated by others. I have done all I can." When I read a book, I'm reading a finished product. And yes, this may sound outrageous, but I do expect the finished product to read like a novel, not like a draft. So here's my answer to the accusation made that I personally attack authors: no, I don't. I have said things that are somewhat critical. There have only been 2 times, however, where I have come close to "attacking" an author on a personal level. Both of those cases involved content issues. This may be a really radical idea, but if you're an author and you choose to put content in your books that you know will offend others, you do open yourself up to criticism, sometimes very severe criticism. If that's okay with you, fine! Any person who is creative or in the arts has to have thick skin. But it is a little on the immature side to write things that you know will divide readers and then turn around and complain about negative comments. That's unreal. Now, the accusation made in this circumstance was entirely blown out of proportion. Saying a person seems like "blah blah blah" is not the same as saying they definitely are blah blah blah. And to accuse me of "hating" them is just immature, because pretty much what that says is "If you make any kind of negative comment whatsoever, it's the same thing as 'hating.'" No, it's not. The funny thing is, the comment(s) in question was not made on any of my reviews - it was the kind of thing you have to go looking for to find. And what's even funnier is that I didn't totally 'hate' that book, as I was so conveniently accused of doing. It actually got 3 stars from me. I'm not mean-spirited, and I try to think before I type. I don't set out to hurt anyone's feelings, but I seriously doubt that my 2-and-3 star goodreads reviews are read by the actual authors. By most of their own admissions, they only stick to 5-and-4 star reviews. I don't try to hurt anyone's feelings, but if you're an author, this is your job. If someone calls you unoriginal or says that you sound a certain way, that's not personal. Let's all TiVo The Godfather and replay that scene: "It's not personal, it's business. It's not personal, it's business." But I'm getting off track.
It was heavily annoying to be called out like that, and not even by the author in question, but by other readers, especially when the accusations made against me were not even true, and they reflected the accuser's inability to comprehend anything but "either-or" scenarios. That may sound mean to some of you, but good gracious! It's true. Don't go throwing accusations around unless you're willing to back them up. But really it all boils down to me saying something that got taken out of context and that upset certain people. I stand by what I said, and I encourage the person who made the accusation to go read that comment again and see precisely how I worded it, since s/he seems so comfortable vocalizing their displeasure.

I seriously thought last night about changing Imagination in Focus to only feature positive-reviews. That seems to be the trend, right? But I'm not going to do that, because like I said, most of the time (except for 3 very specific occasions) I do make my reviews as objective as I can. To only feature 5-star reviews would be to warp reality. And you know, I like reading the honest, "I didn't care for it" reviews. I'm not in this to be friends with publishers. I'm not even in this to be popular. I'm in this to be honest, to review books and share information and recommendations. And most of the time, I have a blast doing it. Truly, I look forward to checking updates, reading comments, and making comments, because this is a wonderful community. And thank you to all the friends I've made. Your comments mean so much to me, and I read every single one of them. Thank you for your friendship
:)

Review - UGLIES

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: YA sci-fi/dystopian
# of pages: 425 (pb)
Published by: Simon Pulse, Simon & Schuster
Recommended for: ALL AGES.
Uglies @ Parental Book Reviews

My Thoughts
Wow, what an introduction into the world of Scott Westerfeld! I have heard so many things about him, and he is such a prolific writer. Science fiction/dystopian, alternate historical fiction/fantasy, whatever Peeps is supposed to be...wow. What a talented guy to be able to have such "variety."

All in all, I was very, VERY impressed with Uglies. First off: the writing. Westerfeld is now one of my favorite writers, not only for his immense creativity but also for his ability to blend the JUST RIGHT amount of action, description, and dialogue. This may sound like a weird comparison, but Scott Westerfeld reminds me of a gourmet chef: he knows how to measure out and mix together the right concoction of ingredients in order to make a delicious product!
It made reading Uglies a fun and smooth experience. Let's face it, it's really hard for authors to come up with a story that is 100% interesting and confusion-free, and it's really hard for readers (sometimes, if we're honest) to stay focused and interested the whole time. In all fairness, the middle part of story (from when Tally arrives at the Smoke to when the Smoke is ambushed) dragged just a little, but thanks to the quality of Westerfeld's writing, it never descended into tediousness. Oh, and this is a BIGGIE: there is SYMBOLISM!! Yes, Scott Westerfeld employed the literary device with such skill and thoughtfulness, I can totally see English teachers chirping with delight. I'm going to give this copy to my English-teacher mom :)

Characterization was very well-done. Even considering Fins, I've been on a reading winning streak when it comes to good, well-rounded and likable main characters. Tally Youngblood is one of those characters who seems to divide readers - some of them think she's shallow and a little flat, and others really like her and can connect with her. I'm definitely in the latter category. When I read a dystopian novel, I have to keep in mind that I am reading about a society that is (probably) drastically different from my own, and it's full of people who have a different reality from me. Tally is no exception, and once I put myself in her world, it was really easy to see why she behaves the way she does and why she chooses to make certain decisions. But besides all that, Tally was just a fun character to read about. Once again, master chef Westerfeld had all the ingredients for a great character: she was assertive and witty without being bratty or snarky, she was a good friend (sometimes) who struggled with loyalty and doing the right thing, and she was self-aware without being self-absorbed. Perfecto!
The supporting characters were alright - I particularly liked Shay but didn't really care for Peris (but then again, he is supposed to be kind of an airhead) and the rest of the characters were okay. This book in particular really is about Tally and her journey, so she's the one I paid the most attention to. Oh, and I definitely need to mention Dr. Cable. Excellent, excellent villain! I *think* she's the main antagonist of the series, and wow, she was great. Yes, I have been known to really like certain villains, if they're interesting enough. I kept imagining a woman version of Agent Smith from The Matrix. My absolute favorite aspect of the story was Special Circumstances. That was *so* Matrix!
The world Westerfeld created was really interesting and I enjoyed reading (and studying) Uglies as a science fiction dystopian novel. I love dystopians but haven't read many, and certainly didn't disappoint. This really has nothing to do with my review or my grade, but the only things about Uglies that seemed a bit "much" were some of the details of the society in general, maybe basic Dystopian 101 stuff. To be honest, I started to get a little annoyed with the constant Rusty-bashing. We're the Rusties, of course, and I guess the attitude got to me. But of course, how normal is that? Most societies and cultures kind of get a bit "puffed up" on their own superiority. Yeah, those Victorians were so stupid, they didn't even have purified water or proper sewage systems - what morons! Kind of like that. And I'm just sharing this because...well, I don't know why...but the whole "fall of the Rusties" and the ideals of the new society are a little...not complex. I mean, an oil bug? Environmentally-superior new culture? No more wars because everyone's pretty? It just seems too convenient. And the new society is very similar to our own: people chasing after fun, pleasure... there's really no contrast, except maybe all the hedonists are pretty, not just some. Whatever! It would have been absolute, 100% perfection without the quasi-political after-school-special tone. That's why this is in a small font.

In a nutshell, Uglies was an amazing, enjoyable, and thought-provoking read that I would definitely encourage everyone to pick up. Teens will love the story, and adults will find this book immensely clever.

Final Grade:

Waiting on Wednesday

Here are my mammoth waiting-on books!
*patience is a virtue...patience is a virtue...patience, etc.*

August 24!September 28October 12

April 5

And now here's my disclaimer:
I'm psyched about sequels, but I have yet to read Beautiful Creatures, The Maze Runner, or the first three in the Gone series... but I will! BC I am almost positive I will love, and ditto for the Maze Runner. I've heard a lot of good things about the Gone series from my students so I'm looking forward to those too.

October 12th is a ginormous book-release day!

What are you waiting for?

Now on twitter!

I'm on twitter now!
http://twitter.com/alwaysamelia

(Imagination in Focus was too long of a user name)

It seemed like a good thing to have to go along with the blog :) hope there's nothing much to it!

mini-review, FAHRENHEIT 451

Earlier today when I was staring at my bookshelf, I chanced to pick up my old high school copy of Fahrenheit 451, one of the only dystopian novels I've ever read (besides Brave New World and The Giver...maybe I've read more, but those are the only ones I can think of). Since I'm reading Uglies right now, dystopian novels are all the more interesting, so I started glancing through my copy, skimming over it and remembering why this is one of my absolute FAVORITE classics. Here are some of my thoughts:

What made this a successful dystopian (to me), and what made it so scary is that I could seriously imagine this society existing. It wasn't too far-fetched, and (unlike several of today's authors) Bradbury really didn't hit you over the head with the themes too much. They're pretty obvious anyway. Also, Fahrenheit is one of those few books that can be enjoyed by literally everyone: it's one of those books that draws everybody in. One of the reasons Bradbury holds my respect (and why I like this book so much) is because he doesn't take the easy way out and point the finger at one particular group; rather, he acknowledges (bluntly and truthfully) that

There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches. Every minority, be it Baptist / Unitarian, Irish / Italian / Octogenarian / Zen Buddhist / Zionist / Seventh-day Adventist / Women's Lib / Republican / Mattachine / FourSquareGospel feels it has the will, the right, the duty to douse the kerosene, light the fuse….Fire-Captain Beatty, in my novel Fahrenheit 451, described how the books were burned first by the minorities, each ripping a page or a paragraph from this book, then that, until the day came when the books were empty and the minds shut and the library closed forever.

Well...he certainly nailed my group, haha, but what I liked about this book was that it is much more than just "censorship is BAD!" (which I believe, by the way. Down with banning stuff just because it makes you mad. Grow a backbone). Society here is totally dictated by the whims of minority groups, and they're allowed to set the standards for what is and isn't socially acceptable. His society is also full of gratification-gluttons and their mind-numbing state of happiness. Forget guilt, remorse, compassion or other displays of morality. What's so intriguing in this world is also what is the most terrifying.

And I can't help but wonder how watered down this book would be if it was published for the first time now, in this society. That reminds me of a part from the book:

"You must understand that our civilization is so vast that we can't have our minorities upset and stirred. Ask yourself, What do we want in this country, above all? People want to be happy, isn't that right? .... Well, aren't they? Don't we keep them moving, don't we give them fun? That's all we live for, isn't it? .... Colored people don't like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Burn it."

I'm so glad I read this in high school - the discussions our class had are just as memorable as the book. One of the days we were reading this in class, my teacher commented that most people miss the mark a little on this book. I remember him saying that this is the ALA & the ACLU's poster book on anti-intellectualism and anti-censorship, but ironically, they're not above censoring certain things, like religious material. What some call Separation, others call censorship. Everyone is culpable, and that's the tricky, possibly-complex thing about censorship: it's pretty much an all-or-nothing thing, but what doesn't work is to throw a hissy fit about certain books being censored (for whatever reason), but remain absolutely silent when other texts (and I'm not just talking the Bible) are stripped and/or removed. So what do you do? How do you create and maintain a society where every book is protected?
Ahh, don't you love books that make you think? Yes, Fahrenheit is one of the few dystopians I've read (besides Brave New World, which I liked, but was a little "out there"), but I'm sure glad I read it. And thank you, Mr. Bradbury, for giving us an engrossing cautionary tale, and of course, for "tellin it like it is." No one can call you a sellout :P

I don't know, but for some reason, Fahrenheit reminded me a lot of the 4th of July. It made me remember how fortunate we are to not live in Guy Montag's world. Just some nighttime reflection, that's all.
On a different note, we are not that much closer to August and school starting again. :(

Through a Lens: Jillian!

For this week's TAL, I'm featuring my good blog buddy Jillian from Random Ramblings. She's a fun girl and her blog is always fascinating to visit - stop by her site and meet her yourself!

Here we go -
Do you have character crushes? List as many as you want!
- Yes! Tobias from Animorphs, Todd Wilkins from Sweet Valley series, Kent from Before I Fall, Guy from Willow, And Landon Carter from A Walk to Remember.

If you could be any book character, who would you be?

- Annabeth Chase or Hermione Granger!

If you could live in a fictional world, where would you live?

- Probably in a world like Fablehaven (by Brandon Mull). Of course, it will have to be walking distance from Hogsmeade (HP) and driving distance to the shire (LOTR) ;)

Ever been scared/freaked out by a book villain?

- Most definitely. Professor Umbridge from HP series, Sauron from LOTR, Alex de Large from A Clockwork Orange, Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of The Lambs, Patrick Bateman from American Pyscho, and Norman Bates from Psycho.

Is there a book/series that everyone seems to have read but you?

- The Mortal Instruments series!

Which book[s] make you cry?

- A Walk to Remember, Where The Red Fern Grows, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Book Thief, Still Alice, Bridge to Terabithia.

Which book[s] make you laugh?

- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams!

Have you ever been unable to finish a book?

- I actually tried reading 1984 by George Orwell back in middle school, and could not finish it. I only got to read it completely when I was a senior in high school.

What book did you like when you were a kid?

- Babysitters Little Sister, Animorphs, Nancy Drew, The Secret Garden, and A Little Princess.

Any cool/funny reading habits or quirks?

- I hate book and spine creases, tears, smudges, writings, and folds. However, I do dog-ear them when I stop reading. I never use a bookmark -- though I do collect and have so many of them!
- Oh and I can not read in cars and planes because I get nauseated easily, which is quite frustrating. What else am I supposed to do to kill hours and hours?

When is your favorite time to read? Favorite place?

- My favorite time to read is at night. But I read whenever I get the chance to! I bring a book with me everywhere. Favorite place would be in my room, in bed!

If you could hang out with an author for a day, who would it be?

- Lauren Oliver (because she seems extremely nice, fun, and so down-to-earth!) And J.K. Rowling....... just because that's J.K. Rowling.

If you could adapt a book/series into a movie, it would be...

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

What is your favorite word?

I actually have a lot of favorites but I'll just give four: Carnations, Serendipity, Subconscious, and Ethereal.

What is your favorite book quote?

From The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield; "I never read without making sure I am in a secure position. I have been like this ever since the age of seven when, sitting on a high wall and reading The Water Babies, I was so seduced by the descriptions of the underwater life that I unconsciously relaxed my muscles. Instead of being held buoyant by the water that so vividly surrounded me in my mind, I plummeted to the ground and knocked myself out. I can still feel the scar under my fringe now. Reading can be dangerous."

ONE WORD ANSWERS FOR...
Bestsellers : cool
Book blogs : best!
Vampires ; eh
Science fiction : sure
Classics : bronte!
Harry Potter : favorite.

If you could recommend ONE BOOK to everyone, it would be...

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.

Thanks, Jillian! I loved the Animorphs series too (Jake was my crush!). And 'ethereal' is definitely an awesome word :)

If you'd like to be featured in TAL, leave me your email address so I can get with you.
Happy 4th, everybody!

Review - FORGIVE MY FINS

Forgive My Fins - Tera Lynn Childs
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
# of pages: 298
Publisher: Harper Collins: Katherine Tegan Books
Amelia's Age-Level Recommendation: 12+ (great for middle schoolers and up)My Thoughts
Forgive My Fins was a fun, entertaining read perfect for summertime. It's also the only book I can think of that's about mermaids. I definitely enjoyed reading about a new "paranormal" creature, that's for sure! (*New YA trend prediction!*)

There were several things I liked about this book. I don't think I've ever read a YA story about mermaids, so I had nothing to compare this to. Therefore I went in with a pretty open mind and as far as a story about mermaids goes, I liked it. Childs did a great job of creating the mermaid kingdom of Have-No-Idea-How-to-Pronounce, and her mythological backstory was very creative and original. Thank you, Tera Lynn! Creativity is something I look for in my "grading", and Fins really impressed me!
Childs is also the kind of author who pays attention to "the little things." She's even gone so far as to create mer phrases/slangs, which may come across as a little cheesy, but still fun and cute. Childs does cute very well.
Honestly, I've read a lot of other reviews that say that Fins is a little on the predictable side. I would have to disagree. There were actually several times throughout the story when I was really surprised by the turn of events. Some of the time, I could guess what was going to happen next, but several times something would happen that I didn't expect. Not going to spoil anything, but I was a little disappointed with the ending. If you've read Fins, do you agree?
As much as I enjoyed Fins, though, and as much as I love Ms. Childs' books, I just had a really hard time warming up to the main character, Lily. I think that's because the story is told in her narrative, and so we get a little too much "Lily" and not enough other people. Sometimes she'd say things that were just downright mean, and so I know this review sounds kind of awkward, because as much as I loved the story, I kind of didn't like the main character. Have you ever had a reading experience like that?

HOWEVER: There were SO MANY GOOD THINGS about this book, and so I definitely recommend you give Fins a try! It's also a CLEAN read, so this is one that I can recommend to my students as well!

Final Grade: