Noteworthy Passages: Break

Break by Hannah Moskowitz
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub. Date: August 25th 2009
Pages: 256
Age Level: 15+

Synopsis from Goodreads
Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his body. Everyone knows that broken bones grow back stronger than they were before. And Jonah wants to be stronger—needs to be stronger—because everything around him is falling apart. Breaking, and then healing, is Jonah's only way to cope with the stresses of home, girls, and the world on his shoulders. This is the story of his self-destructive spiral, his rock-bottom moment, and how he finally learns to accept help and find true strength through recovery.

Noteworthy Passages

Jonah; pg. 22
"Yeah?" I pull my shirt up and look at the huge piece of elastic around my ribs. It feels like I'm wearing a corset, which isn't as unpleasant as you might think. I wonder if I have to sleep in this thing. I wonder if it hurts if I poke it.
Yep.

Jonah; pg. 134
The next morning, my feet are shards of glass in a sock. I listen to Jesse on the rowing machine and Will sputtering in his crib until the dizziness tapers enough for me to crawl to my computer.
I Google "broken toes."
I Google "food allergies."
I Google "I'm so dizzy I can't see straight."
I Google "child abuse."
I Google "Am I going to die?"
None of the answers are helpful, although the last one takes me to some creepy links that atleast distract me for a minute.

Jonah; pg. 166
There's fake white-rap music emananting from a nearby house, like a soundtrack.
My cell phone rings in stark realistic contrast. Piercing the bubble of my whatever.
It's Naomi. She's in my phone book as "IMOAN."

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Well that's it folks. If you would like to read my review of Break, you can by clicking HERE. Hope you all are enjoying your week.










PLEASE NOTE: This is a feature hosted here at my blog in which I present you with selected passages or quotes that I deem Noteworthy from a book I've just reviewed. My hopes are of course, that these passages will make you want to pick the book up and read it. This feature was started and created by me in January in hopes of making my blog more unique. That being said, I would like to kindly request that you do not use this feature as it was intended to be for my blog only and is not a meme. If you see some one else using it, please know it is without my permission. Thank you.

Review: Break

Break by Hannah Moskowitz
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub. Date: August 25th 2009
Pages: 256
Age Level: 15+

Synopsis from Goodreads
Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his body. Everyone knows that broken bones grow back stronger than they were before. And Jonah wants to be stronger—needs to be stronger—because everything around him is falling apart. Breaking, and then healing, is Jonah's only way to cope with the stresses of home, girls, and the world on his shoulders. This is the story of his self-destructive spiral, his rock-bottom moment, and how he finally learns to accept help and find true strength through recovery.

Review
I have to admit, I was expecting Break to totally blow me away. Though I did end up liking this book, I felt that I spent more time adjusting to it than anything. Adjusting to the constant language, adjusting to the characters, and adjusting to the writing. Oddly enough though, the plot was one thing that I didn't have a problem adjusting to.

It took a while for me to form a solid connection with Jonah and I found that I didn't particularly care for any of the others characters, except for maybe Jesse. When Jonah was with his friends, I wasn't crazy about his personality. His 'relationship' with Charlotte seemed somewhat superficial. As for his best friend, Naomi, I just wanted to slap her for encouraging Jonah in his 'mission'. Also, though Charlotte made a certain good decision in Break, I was kind of ticked at how she went about handling things. Then there is Jesse whom I liked well enough; at least he showed more concern for his brother. Furthermore, it was Jonah's relationship with his brother, Jesse, that kind of made me warm to him. It allowed me to see his more caring, sensitive and protective side; you could tell that Jonah truly loved his brother. As it turns out, by the end of this book, Jonah had definitely proved to be a deep and complex character that I could care about.

The first half of Break, though compelling, was starting to feel a bit repetitive; but then, it delved deep into the powerful, and gripping part of the book. I even teared up a bit at one point. It was also after the half way point that I was able to quit 'adjusting' and, instead, just start losing myself in the story. I managed to get used to the frequent use of the F-word though I still didn't like this aspect of the book. Also, the writing, which had at first just seemed choppy and slightly amateurish, turned out to be something a little more raw, blunt, and effective.

The ending, in my opinion, was brilliantly done by Moskowitz and probably the best part. There were no promises or false guarantees that everything would work out perfectly; however she left me with the sense that, in time, most of the damage would be healed and that things were on the road to something better.

So ok, Break, in my opinion, had some faults. However, it also had some wonderful, redeeming qualities and I believe Moskowitz shows great promise and potential as an author. This is by no means a light read, despite being a quick one, so I wouldn't recommend this to those looking for such a book. But if something more emotionally wrought and slightly dark is what you are in the mood for, then I say this is the book for you. Chances are I will be reading it again in the future.

Grade
Characters: C
Writing: C+
Plot: B-
Ending: A-
Enjoyment/Likability: C+
Recommendable: C+

Overall: C+

Cover: A-

One Question Blog Tour: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Today I have the pleasure of getting to be one of the stops on the lovely Lauren Baratz-Logsted's One Question Blog Tour. She is the author of the YA books Crazy Beautiful, The Education of Bet (July 12th), and The Twin's Daughter (August 31st) as well as the middle grade series Sister's Eight. I, personally, really enjoyed Crazy Beautiful and can't wait to read The Education of Bet and The Twin's Daughter. Choosing only one question to ask Lauren wasn't easy but I finally decided on one.

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The Book Pixie: If you had to spend the rest of your life in one location, where would it be and why?

Lauren Baratz-Logsted: Where I live now, which is where I've lived for nearly 20 years: Danbury, CT. For people unfamiliar with Danbury, it's a relatively small city but still considered one. It has a multicultural makeup but a geographical sprall that means there's neighborhoods where you can't even tell you're in a city. I like that dichotomy and my daughter loves it here, so for now it suits me down to a T. There's one more reason I give this answer. There are definitely places I have traveled to that I have fallen in love with and could well imagine living - New York City, Seattle, London, Israel, Scotland etc - but it's a philosophy thing. If I'm going to be living a life then I'm going to be loving that life, in the moment, and not wishing myself somewhere else. At least, that's the theory!

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Danbury sounds like a wonderful place to live and I'm happy to hear you are happy there. Such a great, well-thought-out answer!

Here are links to the previous and next stops on the tour:

June 18: Kelsey: What is one place in the world you would travel to in order to promote female education and why? http://thebookscout.blogspot.com/

June 22: Chelle: If you could bring any character - not your own - to life for a day, who would it be and why? http://persephonereads.wordpress.com/

Also, here is more information on Lauren's upcoming YA novel, The Education of Bet:

The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Release Date: July 12th, 2010
Pages: 192

Synopsis
Bet is sixteen, very intelligent, but only knows as much as her limited education will allow. In Victorian England, girls aren't allowed to go to school.

Will is also 16, and though not related by blood, he and Bet act like brother and sister. In fact, they even look like brother and sister. And though they're both raised under the same roof, by the same kind uncle, Will has one big advantage over Bet: He's a boy, and being a boy means he isn't stuck in the grand house they call home. He gets to go out into the world--to school.

But that's not what Will wishes. He wants to join the military and learn about real life, not what's written in books.

So one night, Bet comes up with a plan. She'll go to school as Will. Will can join the military. And though it seems impossible, they actually manage to pull it off.
But once Bet gets to the school, she begins to realize the education she's going to get isn't exactly the one she was expecting.

Start Your Day With Serial: 13 to Life Blog Tour

Welcome to Shannon Delany's Start Your Day with Serial Tour! Shannon's debut novel (and first in her YA paranormal series) 13 to Life started as a winning cell phone novel written in serial segments. During the tour you can read bits of the book in order. Miss a day? Hop to Shannon's blog http://13toLife.us/blog and check the link to the blog tour calendar in her sidebar.

There will also be a contest that will close at the end of the tour. Winners get a bunch of stuff. (More details below the interview.)

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The Book Pixie: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Shannon Delany: I'm one of those people who've always tried to find new and different ways to express myself, so art and writing are very important to me. I'm married, have one energetic little boy and a small farm in Upstate New York. I grew up in a very Pennsylvania Dutch part of Pennsylvania, attended college in PA, worked all sorts of odd (and I do mean "odd") jobs, got married and moved to Florida to teach. Then we came back north, lived in PA again where my son was born, moved to New Jersey then to New York.

TBP: Give us a brief description of your book.

SD: 13 to Life is the first book in a series (and my debut novel). The series follows the Rusakova family and several high school students in Junction (pretty typical small town America except for the weirdness that crops up and builds throughout the series). The Rusakovas come into town sporting a shadowy past. Jessie Gillmansen (our narrator) is pushed into a situation where she has to guide Pietr (pronounced Peter) around school. The other girls all throw themselves at him, but Jessie interprets his attitude (thanks to her own personal baggage) as big-city arrogance. A fan of paranormal novels, Jessie quickly finds herself pulled into a situation far beyond the norm as she learns more about the strange Rusakova family and the other dangerous characters drifting into Junction.

TBP: What three words would you use to describe 13 to Life?

SD: love, loss, werewolves

TBP: Do you believe in werewolves or other supernatural beings?

SD: I believe there are certainly some things we simply can't explain. I've had enough weird stuff happen in my life that I can say with some certainty there's something beyond the here and now. And I know of some people who believe(d) they are/were werewolves and vampires and other such things. Belief's a strange animal itself. If you believe you're a werewolf, who am I to say you aren't? ;-)

TBP: What was your first reaction when you saw your book's cover?

SD: "Hey! That's not what I imagined at all!"

TBP: How long did it take you to write 13 to Life?

SD: The original, serialized version took me five weeks, but it really was just a story skeleton. I probably took another month and a half to put flesh on the bones and add the subplots and little things that people will see weaving together throughout the series.

TBP: If you could co-write a book with any other author, past or present, who would it be and why?

SD: Wow. Good question. I'm a bit of a control freak so I don't know if I'm really the co-writing type. The people I think it'd be lots of fun to write something with would be any of the following: Ann Aguirre, Jeri Smith-Ready, Judith Graves, Robin Wright (an up and coming author) or my brother (who has a masterful imagination). One I'd just love to sort of learn from would be Mercedes Lackey (her Arrows of The Queen were hugely important when I was growing up). If I was co-writing a comic with my choice, I'd say Richard and Wendy Pini of Elfquest for YA and Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules) for MG.

TBP: What are you currently working on?

SD: A few things... One incorporates Native American and Norse mythology and brings a strange endtimes scenario to Florida (sorry guys!). It was my NaNoWriMo for '09. Another is, well, a totally different genre with an emphasis on technology, transportation, social struggles and love.

TBP: What is your favorite comfort food?

SD: Currently? Gooey brownies. But I'm fickle. ;-)

TBP: Where is your favorite place to write?

SD: To actually productively write, I'd say at my captain's desk. To write loose rough drafts or do copy edits? A local coffee shop that serves some awesome caffeine and sandwiches. To write the notes that build into a solid rough draft? In my car (stopped, of course) or in a tent stacked with hay near our Highland cattle (the sheep are too chatty for me to concentrate ;-).

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I hope you all enjoyed the interview and now onto the really good stuff.

Throughout the tour Shannon is allowing us to post sneak peeks into her book 13 to Life.

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13 to Life: Chapter 3, part R (used with the author’s permission)

"Maybe I shouldn't be the one guiding you around Junction. There are a dozen girls who'd jump at the chance.” I dropped the fork onto my tray so it clattered obnoxiously and I brought his schedule into view. I slapped it down in front of him. “Just hand one of them your schedule, okay?"
"No," he slid the schedule back without giving it a glance. "You were assigned a job-"
"A penance, probably," I muttered.
"Whatever." He swept the last bits of food onto his fork and chewed thoughtfully. "I'm your problem."
"You got that right." I stood, leaving to empty my tray.

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Shannon's hosting several contests during the Start Your Day with Serial Tour. The big contest will award one lucky winner with a royal amber pendant, pietersite jeweled bookmark, stuffed wolf, 13 to Life mousepad, pen, tote, signed poster, personalized copy of 13 to Life and both of the 13 to Life pins. All you need to do is comment at 13 of the blogs hosting Shannon during her 30 day tour. Everyone who does so will be entered into a random drawing. Winner may be international.
Shannon Delany's debut novel (and the first in her YA paranormal series), 13 to Life, hits bookstores Tuesday, June 22! Learn more about Shannon at http://ShannonDelany.com/ and http://13toLife.us/blog. Explore Junction at http://13tolifeseries.com/.