Cry Wolf

Cry Wolf: A Political Fable by Paul Lake, 215 pages

After the farmer died, the animals of Green Pastures Farm managed to keep things going.  It wasn't always easy - they couldn't reach the fruit on the higher branches of the trees, and the mouths of lambs proved to be poor substitutes for hands when it comes to milking cows - but the community managed to come together under the Laws left by the farmer and not only survive, but thrive, even defeating an invading bear.  Until, that is, more sympathetic outsiders present themselves, and the clever owl uses the magic of words to bring down the laws and plunge the farm into a spiral of chaos from which it may not recover.

Cry Wolf is a straightforward reimagining of Animal Farm, not only updated for the 21st century - as if such a thing was necessary - but with a revised set of anthropological assumptions, so that it bears little more than a conceptual resemblance to Orwell's original.  Where it does more deeply echo Orwell is in Lake's awareness of the power of words, particularly as they are defined and redefined so that they become tools for confusion rather than communication, and in the ease with which slogans can evoke the power of sentiment to overthrow reason.  What Lake most memorably adds is his exposure of late modern decadence, particularly the unwarranted conviction that a very precarious situation is, in fact, the natural state of things, the unmerited confidence that any disruptions are merely manageable exceptions, and the baseless belief that there are no higher desires than comfort and peace.

Campusland

Campusland by Scott Johnston, 323 pages

There is perhaps no more comfortable place than an elite American university.  This is certainly true of Devon, where English professor Ephraim Russell's biggest worry is beating out a rival for tenure and freshman Lulu Harris frets over being on the cover of a magazine and finding bedmates who meet at least some of her standards.  It is a fragile idyll, however, and it is about to be turned upside down by the ambitions of an activist grifter and an imperious diversity commissar.  

Campusland reads like a combination of an artless Bonfire of the Vanities and a version of the movie PCU where the wacky band of misfits has been pushed to the periphery.  The result, while entertaining, is unsatisfying, as the novel makes a dramatic tonal shift as the climax approaches and Kafka is suddenly swapped with National Lampoon.

Lovely

Lovely by Jess Hong      Hardback Book:  32 pages          

Loved this book.   When I saw the cover I had to open it and read it.    Beautiful sentiments showing that we are all lovely.   Big, small, straight, gay, old, young,  no matter what everyone is lovely and should be treated as unique and beautiful because we all are.  This is such a precious book that I recommend it to everyone.

 - Shirley J

Archie, Vol. 3

Archie, Vol. 3 by Mark Waid, Joe Eisma (Illustrator)     176 pages  

This is the third volume in the "new," contemporary Archie series. This volume features the introduction of Cheryl Blossom to the Riverdale mix. The issues revolve around Archie and Veronica missing each other, due to Veronica's new placement at a boarding school in Switzerland. She meets Cheryl there and a new rivalry is formed.

I love the illustrations for this new series. It features many different comic illustrators and I think it really gives the series a refreshing look. The contemporary feel is reinforced by a more diverse cast - which includes both POC characters as well as LGBTQ+ characters. The story is silly and goofy, but that's the main point. It's just a fun, quick read.

Six of Crows

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, 465 pages

Six dangerous (to varying degrees) teenage criminals team up and hatch a plot to infiltrate an impenetrable fortress and rescue (or kidnap? or murder?) a high-value prisoner, for glory and huge amounts of cash.

This ranks up there with The Raven Cycle as one of the best, most interesting YA series I've read - certainly the best ones still in progress. That's not to say that it's perfect, but most of my criticisms are minor and spoiler-heavy.

The characters are diverse and well-defined, the action is over-the-top and exciting, the world itself is creative and complex. It tackles themes of prejudice and unhealthy (to varying degrees) relationships with a deft touch. While it occasionally succumbs to a "Summer blockbuster" mentality, there's so much to like that even with my minor complaints, it's still a huge success. Highly recommended - I'm already anxiously awaiting the sequel.

Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms

Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms by D. K. Smith  336 pages

 I won this YA novel in a contest on Shelf Awareness (I just love that newsletter).  I’ve picked it up several times to start reading and put it down several times. I could never get past page 40.  Yet, there was something compelling about the story line that kept pulling me back. After reviewing some of the remarks on Goodreads and Amazon, I was determined to give read this book.

I didn’t buy the opening car chase scene that involved two teenagers as part of a larger counterfeiting ring where the police not only pursue them in a high-speed chase, but actually send a helicopter. Maybe it’s because I’m not a tween or teen, but to me it didn’t seem plausible.

There are several things I like about this novel:

• ·        Strong female protagonist and antagonists.
• ·        The main plot is bullying and the willingness to combat it.
• ·        The diversity of the characters.
• ·        It has GREAT bones.

The things I didn’t like are:

• ·        Too many plot lines. The one about Ellis in London should be deleted; it’s irrelevant and confuses the reader. I had to keep going back to figure out what that was going on with those characters. The plot line about the anti-aging drug/terrorism that comes up in the last third is confusing. The counterfeit ring and the bullying are enough. 
• ·        Too many characters that are not truly defined. Yes, Margo and Kat are distinguishable, but the rest all blur together. I can’t remember reading any physical descriptions about the characters that would set them apart. 
• ·        The cover is unappealing. 
• ·        I saw MOB and thought Mafia.

As I stated earlier, this book has GREAT bones. I think another re-write is in order if there is a second printing. The ending gives the allusion that this is the first book in a series. I believe that Smith’s writing will get better as he or she continues to write.

I give Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms 2 out of 5 stars.