Slaughterhouse 5 isn't a Horror Book

Slaughterhouse 5: Or, the Children's Crusade, A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book follows Billy Pilgrim as he has become unstuck in time. The main character bounces between his experiences during World War 2 to being a captive in an alien zoo. Its absolutely weird and ridiculous. Its supposed to be based somehow on Kurt Vonnegut's experiences in Dresden during the 1940's but I failed to see how. I didn't even like the book from a sci-fi point of view.

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A Brave New World

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I didn't like this book due to the shifting viewpoints in the first few chapters. At times I found it difficult to follow the storyline. Otherwise the basic premise of a world controlled by science and ruled by passion is an interesting one. I would not consider this to be a young adult book, however, some teens may find it interesting.

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Speak

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a good book in that it showed how a person can find the strength to keep growing and living after a tragic event. Melinda, is ostracized by her classmates in a way that I found to be realistic after calling the police while attending a party. While some of the events that wrap up the book were a bit unrealistic they didn't ruin the satisfying ending. This secret Melinda carries is one that teenage girls will be interested in but very young teens or younger need parent guidance before reading this book. Parent guidance is recommended only because of the topic not because of graphic details.

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A Unique Look at the Darwins

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith. I liked this book but it wasn't one that captured my complete attention from the beginning. The author tends to ramble a bit as she discusses the marriage of Charles and Emma Darwin. Some of the rambling is necessary to help teens understand the differences between then and now. As I continued to read this book, Emma's struggle with Charles' skepticism of religion drew me into the book. I particularly liked the many quotes inserted from the actual writings of the Darwin's. It made the book feel more accurate however I did wonder if reading the quotes in the context of the letter would change the perception the reader had developed. Would the reader still agree with the author over the connotation of the selected quotes? I can't answer that but I will say that overall the book was more enjoyable than expected.

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Poems aren't Letters

The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read The Firefly Letters which despite its title is not written in letter form at all. It is written in free verse poetry. I thought it was beautifully written but not a book that should be classified as a biography. The author's notes clarify the true parts of the novel but I didn't see how it was necessary to invent an entire character for a biography. It is one thing to create a description for a biography that while based on reality may have a couple inaccuracies and another thing entirely to create an entire character that didn't exist in reality. I am a proponent of accuracy in books that are listed as biographies or non-fiction. It only makes sense that if you are writing about a topic that is a true story you would strive to keep it as accurate as possible.

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