Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Quartet Title: The Immortals

Author: Tamora Pierce (American, 1954- )
Originally published: 1983-1988

Page count: 1,151 total

Dates read: 8/14/24-9/17/24

2024 book goal progress: 17, 18, 19, 20 out of 24

Read my other book reviews for my 2024 goals HERE.

1. Wild Magic (1992) - 299 pages

Description:

Young Daine's knack with horses gets her a job helping the royal housemistress drive a herd of ponies to Tortall. It soon becomes clear that Daine's talent, despite her struggles to hide it, is downright magical. Horses and other animals not only obey the mysterious girl, they come to her and seem to listen to her words. Daine will have to learn to trust humans before she can come to terms with her powers, her past, and herself.

Set in Tortall during the reign of King Jonathan III and Queen Thayet, The Immortals Quartet chronicles the time when the world is invaded by immortal creatures and a girl with a magical gift who tries to restore the very balance of nature.

First sentence:
"Each year, at the end of March, a great fair was held in Cria, the capital of Galla."

Favorite quote:
"Evil people say evil things to make good people cry and doubt. Don't let them get that hold on you."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 7/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

This is a cute fantasy story set about 10 years after the Song of the Lioness Quartet. The main character is Daine, who has a special connection to all animals. She is 13 and the book spans less than a year since she didn't have a birthday. I like many of the characters, even if they are a bit simple. As with the other quartet, I'd say this was written for middle schoolers. I don't think I read this one growing up, but I would've loved it due to the connections with all the animals. We learn that whales are extreme pacifists and that dragons, stormwings, spidrens, griffins, and the Kraken exist. Not all immortals are bad, but they were locked away several centuries ago and we don't really know why/how nor why/how they're back now.

2. Wolf-Speaker (1994) - 281 pages

Description:

When humans start cutting down trees and digging holes in peaceful Dunlath Valley, the wolves know that something is wrong. They send a messenger to the only human who will listen - Daine, a fourteen-year-old girl with the unpredictable power of wild magic. Daine and her closest companions heed the wolves' cry for help.

First sentence:
"The wolves of the Long Lake Pack, gorged on a careless mountain sheep, slept as they digested their meal."

Favorite quotes:

A good reminder:

"You're too young to be so close-minded. A little tolerance wouldn't come amiss."

A good response when learning:

"Forgive me. I spoke from ignorance, not contempt."

"So you picked up that stupid human habit of blaming yourself for things you didn't or couldn't control."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 6.3/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

Daine is now 14.5 years old and it's probably been less than a year since the end of the previous book. I'd say this book lasts only a couple of weeks, 5 months at most. In this book, she not only communicates with animals but can also go into their bodies and she starts to shapeshift herself. New immortals we meet include ogres, harroks, coldfangs, and a basilisk. Unicorns have been mentioned but not seen. This is a fun continuation and I really like the basilisk!

3. Emperor Mage (1995) - 294 pages 

Description:

Daine sails to Carthak as part of a peace treaty delegation from Tortall. She is amazed by strange and wonderous sights, including rooms filled with dinosaur bones and the Emperor Mage's zoo. Daine also senses a darkness beneath all the gold and glitter. At the same time, her wild magic is growing and the gods give her a temporary power that is both great and terrifying.

First sentence:
"His Royal Highness Kaddar, prince of Siraj, duke of Yamut, count of Amar, first lord of the Imperium, heir apparent to His Most Serene Majesty Emperor Ozorne of Carthak, fanned himself and wished to Tortallans would dock."

Favorite quotes:

"The prince looked thoughtful. 'So there are drawbacks to your power.'

'There're drawbacks to any power, your highness.' "

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 7.1/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

I enjoyed this one a lot. I liked the characters and there was even a potential love interest, but nothing happened in that regard. The main bummer was that she didn't really learn more about her wild magic or even use it much, except for the temporary OP power the gods gave her. I enjoyed the intrigue and the battle in the end was great, though much of it was predictable. I miss Onua (from the first book), the Basilisk (from the second book), and Cloud (her pony in both of the previous books). She is now 15 and the book takes place about 2-6 months after the last book. I would say this book lasted a couple of weeks up to a couple of months, probably on the shorter end. We see unicorns and centaurs, and merfolk are mentioned.

4. The Realms of the Gods (1996) - 277 pages 

Description:

Daine and the mage Numair are faced with certain death when they are suddenly swept into the mystical realms of the gods, where Daine learns the secrets of her past. But she and Numair are both needed in the mortal world to help fight the desperate war that is raging in Tortall. They undertake the dangerous journey home that will teach them about life and each other. Their path leads them to the final clash, which involves both mortals and immortals.

First paragraph:
"A magical barrier had separated the realms of the gods from the mortal realms for over four hundred years. While it stood, mortals were safe from the legendary creatures known as immortals, so named because, unless they were slain, they lived forever. Giants, Stormwings, griffins, basilisk, tauroses, Coldfangs, ogres, centaurs, winged horses, unicorns: In time all became the stuff of children's tales, or the concern of scholars who explored the records of times long gone."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 3.1/10 - ⭐⭐/5
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

The prologue is a couple months after the last book and then jumps 3 months at the start of Chapter 1. This book lasts a couple weeks to a couple months and Daine is 16. We see some favorite characters from previous books, but very briefly. New immortals we see include giants, tauroses, wyverns, skinners, darkings, sunbirds, and apes with bat wings. We meet a multitude of gods, including the First Platypus (who actually calls himself a duckmole instead of a platypus).

What was good in this story was really good, but what was bad was really, really bad. I think going into the god realms was unnecessary and keeping it a little more 'normal' would have been better. It would have made the suspension of disbelief more constant and the story more immersive. There was just too much in this one and Daine didn't learn anything new with her powers. Daine's parents were annoying and I didn't like them at all. It was nice to meet more dragons and I loved the redemption arch of the stormwings throughout the series. Other characters and events were enjoyable as well, but the bad significantly outweighs the good.

The BIG problem is a 16-year-old having relations with her teacher who's about 15 years older than her. I understand this age gap in relationships was common historically - but the target audience is today's middle schoolers. Will they be aware of this knowledge? Even high schoolers could start thinking, 'Maybe a relationship with one of their teachers isn't too bad.' This book has the potential to groom teens (females in particular) into thinking that having relationships with someone significantly older than you and/or someone in an authority position, like a teacher, is acceptable - and it absolutely is not. There was 0 romance in the other 3 books and then this disgusting relationship was crammed down your throat - and much of it felt very forced and out of left field. The romance should have been with Prince Kaddar in the previous book or just left as it was - with no romance at all.

Unfortunately, this book left me feeling gross and I absolutely cannot recommend this to anyone unless they're an adult and, by then, most adults may not be interested in the writing since it's for middle schoolers. The writing is simple and very predictable. 

Overall Review:

This is a pretty decent series overall, but I do NOT recommend having anyone younger than 18 read the 4th book. The third book has a good ending to the series and the 4th book is unnecessary. Unfortunately, it probably is better just to skip this series altogether. I'm very disappointed with how the 4th book went.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Tamora Pierce have the last words:

" 'He is a good pack leader for you,' Brokefang [the wolf pack leader] went on. 'Humans are like wolves. We all need a pack.' He looked at Cloud [a pony] and added, 'Or a herd.'

'Not me,' the girl said fastening her thing to Cloud's saddle. 'I can hunt alone.'

'No,' Brokefang said. 'It is not just for food that you need a pack. It is for warmth and the pack song. The wolf who sings alone is not happy.' "

-Wolf-Speaker

**********

" 'Like all females, you are sentimental about animals,' the prince replied, his tone superior. 'If you had a croc after you in the water, you wouldn't be so quick to stand up for them.'

'They came after you personally?' She couldn't see this painted fellow doing anything that might wrinkle his clothes.

'Well, no, but everyone says they do.'

Someday I must read this scholar Everyone, she thought as she bit her tongue to keep from giving a rude answer. He seems to have written so much - all of it wrong."

-Emperor Mage

Fables Christmas Comics

This is a short list of Christmas-themed Fables comics! 

If you want the full list of the comic series, please see my Mini-Reviews of Fables.

Fables #56: Jiminy Christmas (2007)

Jiminy Christmas is mostly about Santa and Ambrose (both Fly and the cub) during Christmas time.

Snow, Bigby, and cubs decorating a Christmas Tree; Santa and Ambrose (cub)

 

Fables #112: All in a Single Night (2012)

All in a Single Night is another Christmas story! It's 5 small chapters that are named and loosely based on the five Christmas stories of Charles Dickens: The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, The Haunted Man and the Ghosts Bargain, and A Christmas Carol. The Fables move back to the Farm and Rose has a crazy night where she meets the other three Paladins of Hope. She meets Santa Claus (the hope for justice and reward), the Little Match Girl (hope deferred), and the False Bride (the hope of revenge). Rose will need to choose what she's a Paladin of Hope for. I think there might be foreshadowing that Red will bring Blue back life - and Theresa gets an odd toy boat as a Christmas present.

Rose Red, Santa, Jiminy Cricket, Reindeer

 

 

Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Quartet Title: Song of the Lioness

Author: Tamora Pierce (American, 1954- )
Originally published: 1983-1988

Page count: 1,206 total

Dates read: 6/9/24-6/16/24; 6/20/24-6/29/24

2024 book goal progress: 

11, 12, 13, 14 out of 24

Read my other book reviews for my 2024 goals HERE.

1. Alanna: The First Adventure (1983) - 274 pages

Description:

Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So, one day, they decide to switch places; Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy named Alan, heads to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page - to become a knight.

The road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's first adventure begins - one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.

First sentences:
"That is my decision. We need not discuss it."

Favorite quotes:
" 'Tis not my opinion that matters. The only way you'll win is if you think you're ready."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 4.9/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

This was a little disappointing since it was written for kids. I first read it when I was a kid myself, so my opinion was a bit skewed. It's simple, direct, and predictable. Alanna starts the book being about 10.75 years old and ends a little before her 14th birthday. The fact that the knights, who are supposed to stand against anything wrong, are all friends with the King of Thieves, just isn't believable/logical. That the King of Thieves is just a friendly guy who's only a few years older than the main character is also very far-fetched. Nonetheless, I still plan on finishing the series for nostalgia's sake.

2. In the Hand of the Goddess (1984) - 264 pages

Description:

Still disguised as a boy, Alanna becomes a squire to none other than the prince of the realm. Prince Jonathan is not only Alanna's liege lord, he is also her best friend - and one of the few who knows the secret of her true identity. But when a mysterious sorcerer threatens the prince's life, it will take all of Alanna's skill, strength, and magical power to protect him - even at the risk of revealing who she really is.

First sentence:
"The copper-haired rider looked at the black sky and swore.".

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 5/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

Again, this was OK. These are children's books and Tamora Pierce's first books, so she becomes a better writer later. Hopefully, the books published after this initial quartet will have improved writing. This book starts about a year after the first book finished, so Alanna's about 15 and it goes until she's about 18.5 years old. The romance seems very forced and I'm having a really hard time rooting for either of the potential love interests. She seems to overcome all her very extreme obstacles very easily - everything is just too pat, perfect, and predictable. As I said, though, I still intend to finish this quartet.

3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (1986) - 284 pages 

Description:

Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mythic fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe's first female shaman. Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes - for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

First sentence:
"Alanna of Trebond, the sole woman knight in the realm of Torall, splashed happily in the waters of an oasis, enjoying her first bath in three days."

Favorite quotes:

"You won't always be able to stand between another person and his fate. You mustn't think you can look after the world."

"It does not hurt men to know women have power, too."

"You're brave to admit you don't know everything and then do something about it."

"Have you ever noticed that when you try to deny some part of yourself, things fall out so you need that part more than any other?"

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 5.4/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

Some logical things just didn't make sense for certain characters or plot points. An example is that the timeline has gotten a bit muddled. The book mentions multiple times that the beginning of the third book is both 4 weeks after the end of the second and 6 years after the end of the first book, but those timelines don't line up. Due to other clues, I'm inclined to go with the third book being 4 weeks after the end of the second book, which means it's 4.5 years (5 max) after the end of the first book. The third book spans a year when Alanna is about 18.5-19.5 years old.

This book started pretty bad, but about a quarter in it actually got pretty decent. I really liked some of the characters, though some were also very whiny. The characters are one-dimensional and caricature-like, there is no depth, subtlety, or complexity to any character. I don't like how the prince, Jon, was written in this book, but I've started to really like George, the King of Thieves. George's personality/character in no way fits what he would have to be like as the King of Thieves, though. I enjoyed the feminism and cultural progression represented in this book.

4. Lioness Rampant (1988) - 384 pages 

Description:

Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. Alanna must push her uncertainty aside when a new challenge arises. She must recover the Dominion jewel, a legendary gem with enormous power for good - but only in the right hands. She must work quickly, for Tortall is in danger, and Alanna's archenemy, Duke Roger, is back and more powerful than ever. In this final book, Alanna discovers that she indeed has a future worthy of her mystic past - both as a warrior and woman.

First sentence:
"On a March afternoon, a knight and a man-at-arms reached the gate of the Marenite city of Berat."

Favorite quote:

"It always comes to this. A god can guide a mortal, nurture, and teach. And yet there comes a moment when the god must stand away from the fosterling and let the inevitable happen. That's how the universe is fashioned. There are moments when only a human can affect the outcome of events."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 4.1/10 - ⭐⭐/5
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Mini-Review:

This was a disappointing ending to the quartet. Almost everyone ended up with a romantic partner. Death was brushed over and not dealt with. They traveled through a war-torn country with minimal issues. They traveled to the Roof of the World in about two months, which was supposed to be the furthest explored area on maps. It was all very pat and predictable.

The timetable was not particularly clear in this book. My guess is that it started about 2 months after the end of the third book and lasted about 5 months, so she's about 20 in this book. The second half of the epilogue time jumps another 3 months ahead.

Overall Review:

Overall, this is more of a kids (maybe middle school) book. I wouldn't consider this a young adult series, never mind an adult series. It's pretty direct, straightforward, and predictable. The editing/grammar also isn't good - there are multiple errors in all four books. It doesn't quite hold up to what I remember as a kid, but I recommend it for those who have kids and want to share fantasy with them!

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Tamora Pierce have the last words:

"Ye'll be happy only when ye learn t' live with who ye are."

-Alanna: The First Adventure

"Why do boys say someone acts like a girl as if it were an insult? Alanna shook her head, smiling a little. In the three years she had been disguised as a boy, she had learned that boys know girls as little as girls know boys. It didn't make sense - people are people, after all, she thought - but that was how things were."

-In the Hand of the Goddess

" 'You are a terrifying creature. You do not take your place in your father's tent, letting men make your decisions. You ride as a man, you fight as a man, and you think as a man.'

'I think as a human being,' Alanna retorted hotly. 'Men don't think any differently from women - they just make more noise about being able to.'

'Have you not discovered that when people, men and women, find a woman who acts intelligently, they say she acts like a man?' "

-The Woman Who Rides Like a Man

" 'I know I'm a hero. I think about marrying, though, if I could do it and still see the world. It wouldn't be such a bad thing. Not if it was someone I liked and loved. Someone I could laugh with. I want to be a warrior and a woman. I want to travel and serve the king. Who says I can't have a little bit of each?' When she realized what she'd said, she began to grin. 'That's right - why can't I? And I've done pretty well I think!' "

-Lioness Rampant

Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia

Title: Greymist Fair

Author: Francesca Zappia (American, 1993- )
Originally published: 2023

Page count: 284

Dates read: 5/22/24-5/28/24

2024 book goal progress: 9 out of 24

Read my other book reviews for my 2024 goals HERE.





Description on back of book:
Two roads lead into a dark forest. They meet at Greymist Fair, the village hidden in the trees, a place kept alive by the families who never leave. The villagers of Greymist Fair know that the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and they avoid stepping off the path at all costs.

One day, Greymist Fair's young tailor, Heike, sets out on the road in search of the red berries she needs to dye her fabrics. But what she finds will lead her to the heart of the forest

First paragraphs:
"A road leads into a dark forest. It passes through a village some travelers never see. The village is not meant for everyone. To outsiders, it's a place of darkness and whispers, threatened by bright-eyes creatures that live in the wood. Its people are friendly, but insular; its routines familiar, but not inclusive.

A tall man in a dark cloak walks the road. Death follows on his heels. Greymist Fair is their home, but only one of them is welcome. The man is a doctor, a healer. Death can only ever be themself. Curious eyes and spiteful hearts follow them through the forest but do not touch them; the road is safe. The doctor and Death don't waste any time; there are many who need the doctor's help."

Favorite quotes:
"The memory felt like a berry dying on the vine; even now its innards were rotting away, leaving only a husk. It felt like someone else's memory from another time."

"We all make mistakes. The good people try to fix them. Sometimes you can't fix them, and you have to live with what happens. Then you just pray to all the gods you know that you don't have to live with it alone."

"When he reached the far edge of the forest, the trees dropped away suddenly, as if they had hit an invisible barrier they couldn't cross. Foothills rolled away into the foggy distance. There was not another living soul as far as he could see, neither animal nor human, and the effect was what he imagined being a ghost might feel like."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 7/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 8
Atmosphere   - 8
Writing Style - 6
Plot                - 7
Intrigue          - 7
Logic             - 6
Enjoyment     - 7
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

I had expected this to be an adult fairy tale and was a little disappointed to discover that it was more of a teen/young adult novel. It was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the story and all the different characters. I liked that each part of the book, of which there are 9, is from a different character's perspective, but I wish we got to know the characters more deeply. The story still seemed a bit light and almost shallow, which I think is due to it being a teen book. 

I wish the story had more of an overall dark grit to it, as well as being a little more philosophical. Nonetheless, it does have a good representation of personified Death and could be a good way to approach a discussion of death with someone in their teens. There's magic, but it's more of a presence and the little it's actually used is never really explained, which is a bummer. If you're a teen/young adult or like reading those types of stories, I highly recommend this one!

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Francesca Zappia have the last words:

"Death comes for us all, eventually. Forgetting your fear of it can help for a time, and you can live, but Death is not evil. We will all go with Death one day. We don't have to fear them until then, but we also shouldn't ignore them. Death exists just as we do."

American Gods by Niel Gaiman

Title: American Gods

Author: Niel Gaiman (English, 1960- )
Originally published: 2001

Page count: 586

Dates read: 4/6/24-4/17/24; 5/1/24-5/15/24

2024 book goal progress: 7 out of 24

Read my other book reviews for my 2024 goals HERE.




Description on back of book:
Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident. Flying home for the funeral, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Wednesday and he knows more about Shadow than is possible. He warns Shadow that a big storm is coming and from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same.

First paragraph:
"Shadow had done three years in prison. He was big enough and looked don't-fuck-with-me enough that his biggest problem was killing time. So he kept himself in shape, and taught himself coin tricks, and thought a lot about how much he loved his wife."

Favorite quotes:

"There's never been a true war that wasn't fought between two sets of people who were certain they were in the right. The really dangerous people believe that they are doing whatever they are doing solely and only because it is without question the right thing to do. And that is what makes them dangerous."

"Fiction allows us to slide into these other heads, these other places, and look out through other eyes. And then in the tale we stop before we die, or we die vicariously and unharmed, and in the world beyond the tale we turn the page or close the book, and we resume our lives."

"The house smelled musty and damp, and a little sweet, as if it were haunted by the ghosts of long-dead cookies."

(More at the end of the blog!)

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 8.6/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 10
Atmosphere   - 9
Writing Style - 9
Plot                - 8
Intrigue          - 8
Logic             - 7
Enjoyment     - 9
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

Wow. This is the best book I've read in a long time. I love all the mythology tied to it, though I wish it went a little more in-depth about the new 'gods.' I had to look up some of the mythological figures, but I enjoyed doing so. I didn't figure out the main plot twist, which made perfect sense once it was revealed. I was definitely suspicious that things weren't lining up correctly, but I didn't guess what it was. I liked that the story kept me on the edge of my seat and was able to surprise me. I did guess another twist at the very end, but that's because I was looking up the old mythologies and it kind of gave it away. The book had a good ending and tied up all the loose ends. I highly recommend it. I'm definitely interested in reading the second book and the other two related novellas.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Niel Gaiman have the last words:

"Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered. Ideas are more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed, in the end."

"None of this can actually be happening. If it makes you more comfortable, you can simply think of it as a metaphor. Religions are, by definition, metaphors, after all: God is a dream, a hope, a woman, an ironist, a father, a city, a house of many rooms, a watchmaker who left his prize chronometer in the desert, someone who loves you - even, perhaps, against all evidence, a celestial being whose only interest is to make sure your football team, army, business, or marriage thrives, prospers, and triumphs over all opposition. Religions are places to stand and look and act, vantage points from which to view the world. So none of this is happening. Such things could not occur. Never a word of it is literally true."

"Native Americans figured that maybe there's something at the back of it all, a creator, a great spirit, and so we say thank you to it, because it's always good to say thank you. But we never built churches. We didn't need to. The land was the church. The land was the religion. The land was older and wiser than the people who walked on it. It gave us salmon and corn and buffalo... and we were the children of the land, just like the porcupine and the skunk and the blue jay."

"A trail of lightning speared across the clouds, and Shadow wondered if that was the thunderbird returning to its high crags, or just an atmospheric discharge, or whether the two ideas were, on some level, the same thing. And of course they were. That was the point, after all."

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Title: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

Author: James McBride 

(American-African-Jewish, 1957- )
Originally published: 2023

Page count: 327

Dates read: 4/18/24-4/28/24

2024 book goal progress: 6 out of 24

Read my other book reviews for my 2024 goals HERE.




Description on back of book:

In 1972, when workers were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe’s theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe.

As these characters’ stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins of white, Christian America struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town’s white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community—heaven and earth—that sustain us.

First sentence:
"There was an old Jew who lived at the site of the old synagogue up on Chicken Hill in the town of Pottstown, Pa., and when Pennsylvania State Troopers found the skeleton at the bottom of an old well off Hayes Street, the old Jew’s house was the first place they went to."

Favorite quotes:
"She spent hours reading about socialists and unions and progressives and politics and corporations, fighting about a meaningless flag that said 'I'm proud to be American,' when it should have said, 'I'm happy to be alive,' and what the difference was, and how one's tribe cannot be better than another tribe because they were all one tribe."

"American history is not meant to be pretty. It is plain. It is simple. It is strong and truthful. Full of blood. And guts. And war."

"Now there's man's understanding and there's women's understanding. There is white folks' understanding and Negroes' understanding. And then there is just plain wisdom. Every child that breathes their first on this earth will drive their fist through the air and strike nothing. But all children are born with will."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 5.7/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 6
Atmosphere   - 6
Writing Style - 6
Plot                - 6
Intrigue          - 6
Logic             - 5
Enjoyment     - 5
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

It's an OK story that deals with racism (immigration, Africans, African-Americans, Italians, Irish, Polish, Greek, etc.), ableism (deaf, cerebral palsy, institutionalism, etc.), sexism (strong female characters not considered the norm), religious discrimination (mostly anti-semantic, but others, too), and classism (very big money differences between communities). It was a bit more complicated and convoluted than needed. It ended on a positive note... but justice was never really made. It's not a bad story, but... it wasn't all that good either.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let James McBride have the last words:

"The odd group of well-wishers slowly... tromped forward, a ragtag assortment of travelers moving fifteen feet as if it were fifteen thousand miles, slow travelers all, arrivals from different lands, making a low trek through a country that claimed to be so high, a country that gave them so much yet demanded so much more. They moved slowly... moving toward a common destiny, all of them into a future of American nothing. It was a future they couldn’t quite see, where the richness of all they had brought to the great land of promise would one day be zapped into nothing, the glorious tapestry of their history boiled down to a series of ten-second TV commercials, empty holidays, and sports games filled with the patriotic fluff of red, white, and blue, the celebrants cheering the accompanying dazzle without any idea of the horrible struggles and proud pasts of their forebears who had made their lives so easy. 

The collective history of this sad troupe moving down the corridor would become tiny blots in an American future that would one day scramble their proud histories like eggs, scattering them among the population while feeding mental junk to the populace on devices that would become as common and small as the hot dog... a future in which devices that fit in one’s pocket and went zip, zap, and zilch delivered a danger far more seductive and powerful than any hot dog, a device that children of the future would clamor for and become addicted to, a device that fed them their oppression disguised as free thought."

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Author: Stieg Larsson (Swedish, 1954-2004)
Originally published: 2005

Page count: 463

Dates read: 1/29/24-3/17/24

2024 book goal progress: 4 out of 24

Read my other book reviews for my 2024 goals HERE.




Description on back of book:

A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue. It's about the disappearance 40 years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden...and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

It's about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet's disappearance...and about Lisbeth Salander, a 24-year-old, pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age, who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism - and an unexpected connection between themselves.

Trigger Warnings:

-Sexual abuse

-Religious fanaticism and human sacrifice

-Abuse of power

-Manipulations, mind games, and threats

-Extreme violence and other crimes

Note: These are trigger warnings for the book, but this review does not discuss them.

First sentence:
"It happened every year, was almost a ritual."

Favorite quotes:
"Friendship - my definition - is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 6.6/10 - ⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 8
Atmosphere   - 7
Writing Style - 6
Plot                - 7
Intrigue          - 10
Logic             - 5
Enjoyment     - 3
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

I read this book in high school, over 15 years ago (wow, I'm getting old). All I remembered was Salander's mini-story at the beginning of the book and absolutely nothing else (I honestly question if I finished the book the first time around), other than a general weariness due to extreme violence, which led to a hesitancy to reread the book. I decided that was a long time ago and I've changed/grown a lot since then, so I was going to give it another chance. I wish I hadn't. This is an incredibly disgusting book.

I was sickened by most of the book, nonetheless, I got sucked in and it definitely was a page-turner for me. The description says it's a love story, but it most definitely is not. There are 3 non-traditional lovers, and none of them turn into actual love interests... and none of them are all that interesting.  Some choices of the protagonists seemed illogical, and other choices I vehemently disagree with. We're introduced to sooo many characters that are only around for a brief time and then not really mentioned again (Detective Morell anyone?). Also... I really wanted to like Salander, but I just couldn't... and, thinking about it, there isn't any character in the book (of which there is an incredibly large cast) that I particularly liked. Salander's dragon tattoo was mentioned in passing, but had no significance in the book, and don't understand why it turned into the title of the story since I also wouldn't consider her the main character either.

The ending was not satisfying and the book overall was unnecessarily long. The main mystery was enough of a story that could then be broken into the stories of finding out the truth about 2 particular people. On top of the main mystery, though, there's the story of the: magazine Millennium, businessman Wennerstrom, and Salander has two mini-stories of her own, one towards the beginning and one at the end. All of which felt like unnecessary fluff and filler by the time I finished the book. When I got to the ending, I simultaneously thought, 'That's it?' and 'Thank God I've made it to the end. That was way too much.' By the time the main mystery was solved, it felt like a chore to finish reading about Wennerstrom. The main mystery should have been its own sick story... and then if Larsson wanted to make a story out of the other pieces, they should've been their own book. The book definitely draws you in, but, honestly... I don't recommend it.

Personally, I avoid much of the news due to it being incredibly depressing, and I can't do anything about it (government, economy, climate, crime in general, etc.). This book, though fiction, read like a true story to me. I believe that things like this exist and I couldn't help but think of Epstein, as well as other, still living, billionaires of the world today... and what their unknown activities are. I also thought of the American government trying to censor freedom of speech by banning TikTok (a Chinese company), controlling Facebook/Twitter (American companies), and more. My final quote touches on that a bit.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Stieg Larsson have the last words:

"It would be deplorable if the special interests had the power to silence those voices in the media that they find uncomfortable."

Replace 'special interests' with government and/or billionaires/big business. Translation:

It would be deplorable if the government, billionaires, and big businesses had the power/money to silence the voices in the media that can point out their shady business practices and/or outright criminal activity. (Keep in mind that much of the media today is run/controlled by those billionaires in question.)