Review: Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

Title: Wintersmith
Author: Terry Pratchett
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: HarperCollins; October 2, 2007 

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The third in a series of Discworld novels starring the young witch Tiffany Aching...

When the Spirit of Winter takes a fancy to Tiffany Aching, he wants her to stay in his gleaming, frozen world. Forever. It will take all the young witch's skill and cunning, as well as help from the legendary Granny Weatherwax and the irrepressible Wee Free Men, to survive until Spring. Because if Tiffany doesn't make it to Spring—

—Spring won't come...

Wintersmith is the first and only book I have by Terry Pratchett. I also remember reading the first chapter a long time ago then setting the book aside for some reason or another. And honestly, I don’t know why I did that, because Wintersmith was one heck of a fun book. Sure, it began on a more somber note as winter tightened its grasp on an already weather-beaten town. But, from that point on, the story delved into how that opening chapter was relevant to the plot.

Wintersmith is about Tiffany Aching who made an unfortunate mistake one night, by interrupting a story that wasn’t her own—a story that might as well have been as old as time itself. So therein lays the problem. Tiffany’s accidental mistake had unintended and far-reaching consequences that she couldn’t have foreseen.

The POVs in this book alternated between a multitude of characters, but this worked to benefit the story. The different perspectives sort of fleshed-out the world a little more—by showing what was happening in other parts of the setting, from the perspective of other characters. There were moments of genuine humor that had me laughing out loud, and I also liked how Pratchett approached magic. It seemed almost natural for the world of Wintersmith.

Tiffany was an interesting character. Currently away from home, she was spending time with witches while learning magic. I liked how dedicated she was to learning what she could and couldn’t do with her abilities. The Wee Free Men were interesting, and their antics were often entertaining as they strived to help Tiffany. Who else? Oh, yes, the other witches—Miss Treason, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and a few others. There was plenty going on with them. Miss Treason was certainly one of my favorite characters from Wintersmith, besides Tiffany that is.

So, while I'm unfamiliar with the majority of the series, I had no trouble getting into Wintersmith. It was an easy and highly entertaining read.

Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Title: Need
Author: Carrie Jones
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Publisher/Publication Date: Bloomsbury, January 1, 2008

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara...

So, last week I read Need by Carrie Jones, and I have to say that It was pretty good; yet, this book had its ups and down. Sure, there were cheesy/cute moments, but in terms of general reading experience and enjoyment, Need was a fun book and an interesting opening to the series.

Need was definitely a paranormal novel. A half-frozen, decidedly sleepy town in the middle of nowhere? Check. Mysterious things happening upon arrival? Check. Paranormal elements? Check. All the semi-necessary ingredients for a paranormal pie heaped with an extra added dose of trouble. I actually liked the way Jones chose to gradually introduce the supernatural aspects into the story. As the story progressed, it became apparent that trouble had been brewing for a while. So, it was nice to see how well those details were developed, and later integrated into Zara’s story.

Zara is the main character, and she was sent to live with her grandmother to help her cope with a recent death in her family. That part of Need was pretty good. The writing was good and made it easy to get into the story, but it also captured Zara’s emotions in a way that made them seem realistic—when it concerned her family.

One of the lower points for me was some of  Zara’s blatantly bad decisions. Despite repeated warnings, she insisted on walking right into trouble against better judgment. The romantic aspect wasn’t necessarily my favorite, but I didn’t really pay much attention to it. I was more interested in the mystery and its solution. It wasn’t all bad of course, I liked the majority of the secondary characters—especially Zara’s new friends and her grandmother, Betty. The paranormal aspects, writing, and the overall plot were also good.

So, Need was interesting. Would I continue on with this series? The copy of Need that I have has a small sneak peek of the second book in the very back. And, just from the sneak peek alone, things seemed to be getting very interesting. So, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of picking up the next book. (Actual Rating 3.5)

Review: Founding Myths: Stories that Hide Our Patriotic Past by Ray Raphael

Title: Founding Myths: Stories that Hide Our Patriotic Past
Author: Ray Raphael
Source/Format: Purchased, Hardcover
More Details: Nonfiction, History
Publisher/Publication Date: MJF Books, August 11, 2007

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Much of what you thought you knew about American history is wrong...

Our best-loved tales actually sell America short, Raphael says. This nation was founded not just by the handful of "founding fathers" we have come to admire, but also by the revolutionary activities of innumerable and nameless patriots who are not mentioned in textbooks. Why should only a select few get the credit? The collaborative spirit and effort of the American people is an important concept for children (and adults) to learn...

“The stories work best because they clarify and vindicate who we are—but they also conceal who we don’t want to be.” (p.244).

What if the Revolutionary War could not be defined by simple paragraphs that summarized the events that transpired? What could be the reason to twist fact and mix it with speculation—to make for a better story? Sometimes the cause was poor record keeping at the time, or simply a romanticization of facts to make historical events into a favorable story—good vs evil. All those things and more were explored in Founding Myths by Ray Raphael.

Founding Myths can be summed up by one simple phrase: food for thought. This book gave me a lot to think about. The founding myths, as explored in this book, painted a grim but realistic picture of history, in contrast to the almost rosy-hued lens that gave misconceptions popularity among fact. This selective isolation of stories overshadowed real accomplishments, struggles, and suffering—and gave a narrow view to a broad history. One thing that I noticed while reading the book is that there were a few common themes: effort, collaboration, and strategic planning/preparation. Founding Myths offered an organized look at the events that gradually led to the Revolutionary War. The book also made mention of the ordinary people who had taken part in such monumental events in history instead of focusing on one limited group—as well as the state of politics/alliances abroad during the same time period.

The best books, whether they're nonfiction or fiction, leave a lasting impression. That was my reaction to Founding Myths, and I’m glad I decided to give it a chance. (Actual rating 4.5)