Review: Melt by Selene Castrovilla

Date read-May 16, 2014
Date published-November 6, 2014 
Source-Publisher

Dorothy is a new comer to Highland Park, where all the cool kids congregate Muchkinland (a.k.a. Dunkin Donuts). There, she meets Joey, the resident ‘bad boy’ who everyone fears and stays away from. But Dorothy is not deterred by his bad rep, for she sees a wounded person, from the pain of abuse and battling his own demons. Both have an instant connection and their love is not just tested by peer pressure, but of Joey’s home life and a devastating encounter threatens to tear them apart.

 The story is told through a dual perspective, with Joey’s voice as gritty and heartbreaking as anything I’ve ever read. There is a slight variation to “The Wizard of Oz”, but I hardly found any of it in the book. Dorothy’s sweetness balances out Joey’s sharp prose. Some of you might have heard about Selene’s other novels, including “Saved by the Music” and “The Girl Next Door”, a novel that is also heartbreaking. However, you take that novel and ratchet up a billion volts, and that’s enough to not only break hearts but haunt them as well. I re-read the novel twice, which I was not able to put down. The writing is a sucker punch to the very heart and maybe some readers might not have the heart to continue. That will serve as a challenge since the story itself will grip the reader until the last page.

 Selene Castrovilla is indeed a writer worth watching for (the blurb from Jacqueline Woodson on the cover). And “Melt” is a story that is worthy of comparison to Ellen Hopkins. I cannot highly recommend this novel enough.

Book Review: "Inside the Hotel Rwanda" By Edouard Kayihura and Kerry Zukus

Date Read – March 31^st 2014

Date Published – April 1^st, 2014 – BenBella Books

Source: Publisher

For most people who know about the Rwandan genocide in 1994, they first learned about it by the Academy Award nominated 2004 film Hotel Rwanda staring Don Cheadle—who was nominated for Best Actor—portrays Paul Rusesabagina, the manager of the Hotel Milles Collines who single handily saved over 1500 people who sought refuge inside the luxury hotel. He was named the Oskar Schindler of Africa and dubbed a hero by the world. But as the cliché goes, you can’t believe everything you see, especially a Hollywood film. Edouard Kayihura escaped the Hutu extremists and made his way to the hotel. What he saw and experienced was the complete opposite from the film with Rusesabagina threatening to kick out anyone who didn’t pay and drinking with the men responsible for orchestrating the genocide. The hundreds of people, both Hutu and Tutsis alike, have to survive the killings and terror from both the outside and within.

 When I began reading Inside the Hotel Rwanda, I wasn’t able to put it down. The harrowing stories of survival from within the hotel were heart wrenching as survivors struggled day after day for food and drinking the chlorine pool water while Rusesabagina drank the day away with the money he extorted from the people themselves. It was confusing at times while I read and sometimes, I had to go back and re-read the passages. That being said, it not only made me furious, but it was also deeply moving to read about the real heroes of the story, from the UN peacekeepers keeping guard, to the ordinary individuals who risked their lives in bringing people to the hotel, and the camaraderie built regardless of ethnicity. Right after I read Shake Hands with the Devil, written by Romeo Dallaire, commander of the UN mission during the genocide in Rwanda, (A book I highly recommend) I saw the film and was able to point out the inaccuracies of the events and misrepresentation of characters. I do owe some credit to the film in first learning about Rwanda, but still.  

  Inside the Hotel Rwanda is a riveting expose of a so-called hero that Hollywood created and an examination of how it came to be. It is also a deeply moving tribute for the million or so Rwandans killed, the survivors who endured the horror of the genocide, and the brave individuals who risked their lives for the very sake of humanity and who are finally getting their own long-overdue recognition.

To learn more about the book, go to their website

A film I recommend watching, and a great counter-piece to "Hotel Rwanda" is "Shake Hands with the Devil" a Canadian film from 2007, based on the book. It stars Roy Dupuis as Gen. Dallaire and it's a powerful and soul-stirring performance. Not to mention, filmed entirely in Rwanda and in the actual locations where the events took place. Watch the trailer.

Review: "Me Since You" by Laura Wiess

Date Read – January 17^th, 2014

Date Publish – Feburary 18^th, 2014 – MTV Books

Source – Edelwiess

For sixteen-year-old Rowan Areno, her life is separated by Before and After. The before was of her growing up way too sheltered by her police officer father and mother. The after was of skipping school on the last Friday in March, with her friend. Then a devastating crime that her father had to witness and the video of it was leaked, going viral, and Rowan, along with her family having to deal with the fallout. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, a horrific tragedy shatters Rowan’s world all the more. During all of this, Rowan befriends Eli, a witness of the crime who also has to deal with heartache of his own. With his help, Rowan will have to navigate through the world of sorrow, wondering if she will ever feel happiness again.

 When I read “Ordinary Beauty”, I knew Laura Wiess was a writer to be reckoned with. As A.M. Jenkins says “Laura Wiess boldly goes where writers fear to tread.” If I thought “Ordinary Beauty” was a powerful novel, she takes it up to an extreme notch with “Me Since You.” In a few instances, I had to put down my kindle and cry, feeling for Rowan and her ordeal. I was also reminded of my relationship with my dad and how much I love him. I am still haunted by Rowan and her struggles that I still cry. Laura Wiess should be commended with both her stories and her heroines, like Meredith from “Such a Pretty Girl” and Sayre from “Ordinary Beauty” that are as real to me as any person I know.

 As heart wrenching it is to read “Me Since You”, it is a novel that has to be read. There aren’t enough spoken words or written letters that can ever express the rawness of Rowan’s story. This is a beautiful novel that examines regret, sorrow, forgiveness, and ultimately hope.



Coldplay's "Fix You" is a perfect song to describe Rowan and Eli's relationship and how they are both trying to fix each other.

Review: "Falling for You" by Lisa Schroeder

Date read - October 13th, 2013

Date published - January 1, 2013 - Simon Pulse

Source - Personal collection

Rae's life is a complete mess: an absent mother, an abusive step-father, and struggling to find love. She escapes with writing poetry and listening to music, one of the few things she can look forward. That changes when Rae meets Nathan, the new guy at school. Their love grows and Rae feels the love that she has been hoping for and more. But soon, that love is suffocating her and Nathan is unwilling to let her go. Throughout all this, she leans on Leo for support and a love that makes her feel alive. However as events spiral out of control and with danger chasing her, Rae has to make a choice: let the darkness swallow her whole or fighting for the light.

 I've read all of Lisa's books and I absolutely adore her. Usually she writes in prose, however this is the first time she writes in regular prose. At first, I was a bit thrown off by this and had to read back on a few paragraphs. If it was unsteady at the beginning, she makes up for it as the story moves along. It would help if she continues to develop more with writing regular prose if she decides to try it again. The story itself is amazing and of course like in all of her novels, I couldn't put it down. My intention was to read a few chapters, but I never imagined to finish the 300 or so pages of the novel in one sitting (this is the third time this has happened). 

 Lisa Schroeder has never disappointed her legion of fans (me being one of them) and "Falling for You" is another novel that readers will love. The characters are wonderful, the plot is suspenseful  and the message of love and light is something that will stick with readers after the last page is turned. 

For more about Lisa and her books, go to her website.
Check out my interview with Lisa.

Review: "Running the Rift" by Naomi Benaron

Date read - October 11th, 2013

Date published - January 3rd, 2012 - Algonquin Books

Source - Public Library

 

 

 Since he was a boy, Jean Patrick Nkuba wants more than anything to become Rwanda's first Olympic medal winner for track. As the years pass, Jean Patrick runs when he can, the dream of Olympic glory as strong as his legs can carry. But as he becomes older, the fault lines of Rwanda are slowly exposed. The racial tension between the Hutus and Tutsis simmer as Jean Patrick moves closer to his dream. In the fateful year of 1994, Jean Patrick will have to confront the horror that unravels before his eyes and the possibility of losing everything he loves dear.

For over seven years, I have done extensive research about Rwanda and the genocide in 1994, in where a little over a million Rwandans (mostly Tutsis) were killed in three months. When one reads about the genocide, you descend into the catacombs for evil, horror, and brutality. Naomi Benaron has done plenty of research for the novel, which is very accurate. The story begins slowly, but the momentum builds up. At one point, I couldn’t put the book down and I could feel my whole body tense up, the fear roaring through me knowing of the incoming horror that is about to befall on Rwanda. That being said, I couldn’t help but fall head over heels in love for Jean Patrick and the rest of his huge family and friends. It seems as they were real people, which shows to me the author’s devotion to each of them. By the end, I was in tears. When I first heard about the book and checked it out, I had a very good feeling that this was going to be a book that I would love. My instincts were on the dot.

  “Running the Rift” is filled with horror and terror, but also tenderness and hope. It is a loving tribute to the people of Rwanda, not just to the dead, but for the survivors whom refuse to give in to the painful past, and in doing so carrying the nation forward towards a better tomorrow. The resilience and determination of Jean Patrick will resonate with readers, just like it did with me.  A valuable addition to the literature of Rwanda, Naomi Benaron has done justice for the people of Rwanda and of our common humanity.

 

Naomi wrote an excellent essay on the evolution of "Running the Rift" and the duty of telling the stories in regards to social justice. Read here.

Review: "Exit Wounds: One Australian's War on Terror" by John Cantwell

Date Read - October 3th, 2013
Date Published - October 1st, 2013 (Ebook) - Melbourne University Press
Source - NetGalley

 In 1974, John Cantwell, a young boy from Queensland, enlisted into the Australian Army. He served in Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1 as a Major-in-Command of a British tank squadron. In 2006, Brigadier General Cantwell was deployed to Iraq as the director of strategic operation for the multinational forces. And then in 2010, Major General Cantwell served as commander of the Australian forces in Afghanistan. Although he returned a year later to the safety of his native Australia, Major General Cantwell was still in a battle that he has fought in secret for almost two decades: Post traumatic stress disorder. It wasn't long before the past horrors of all three war campaigns have finally taken their toll and his personal unraveling began.  Instead of being considered for the plump job as the Chief of the Army, he ended up in a psychiatric hospital.
  A while back, I had read an excerpt of the book and I was stunned.  Once I read the first sentence on the book, I wasn't able to put it down. The story had a deathly vice-grip on me and by the end of the night I had read over a quarter of the book.  I was instantly revolved by the eye-witness accounts of death and destruction, from seeing burned corpses to having to identify some of the fallen troops under his command. What also moved me was the deep and abiding love he has for his wife, Jane, who wrote two chapters about her experiences with her husband's battle with PTSD. By the time I finished, I was crying, completely dumbstruck. At that moment, I knew my life was changed.
  In the similar vein of Romeo Dallaire's "Shake Hands with the Devil" (another life-changing book that I highly recommend) "Exit Wounds" is a tragic, heart-wrenching, and deeply moving account of a soldier's fiery descent into hell. It will shake you to the very core, but will leave you in awe of the raw courage of John Cantwell and exposing his past trauma in the hope of raising much needed awareness on the silent war that is destroying our troops.






Watch the book trailer for Exit Wounds.
Read an excerpt of Exit Wounds.

Review "Chanda's Wars" by Allan Stratton

Publication date: March 8th, 2008 - HarperTeen
Date read: August 20th, 2013 (First reading: January, 2009)
Source: Public Library

 For the past six months, Chanda has had to become an adult in caring for her two younger siblings. The pain of losing her mother to AIDS is still fresh for Chanda, especially the shame and stigma surrounding the disease. Chanda decides to take her brother and sister to see their relatives, determined to end a bitter feud and mending their relationship. Little does Chanda realizes is that a horrifying attack conducted by the ruthless General Mandiki with his band of child soldiers, will reek destruction and death throughout the whole village. With a young tracker accompanying her along with her wits and courage, Chanda will venture out and try to rescue her two siblings whose lives hang in the balance.
  I first read "Chanda's Wars" back in 2009 and it wasn't until yesterday that I saw it on the shelve at the local library. It took me less than a day to finish the book. Four years later, it took me little more than five hours to finish. The story is fiction, but the circumstances are very real. Hundreds of thousands of children are being used as soldiers, forced to commit acts that no child should ever do. At times it is hard to read, but the story itself and it's heroine, will keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning (like me). 
 "Chanda's Wars" is a heartbreaking, horrifying, but life-affirming story filled to the brim with humanity, courage, love, and hope. Allan Stratton has done justice for the children whose lives are destroyed by war and giving us a story worth reading and a cause worth fighting for.