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Addie on the Inside and Camo Girl — Standing Up for Others and Themselves

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I really think that I might love novels in verse. This month(ish) I’ve read 4 — this one Addie on the Inside, the two by Ellen Hopkins, and another Cybils Middle Grade Fiction nominee (and National Book Award winner) Inside Out and Back Again.

This book is written in verse (mostly unrhymed free verse), but don’t let that stop you. It might be off-putting to some, but when you read the first few poems, you are pulled right into Addie’s thoughts, and the verse is the perfect vehicle for it.

I’m not a poetry person, but it takes a character driven novel just one step deeper, and I’m growing to appreciate it (and might even seek it out in the future).

Addie is in 7th grade, and it’s not easy. People call her names, and while she doesn’t believe them, she just wants to be seen and understand. It’s particularly hard for her because some of the people who make fun of her were her friends in elementary school. When a popular boy notices her, things start to change. On DuShawn’s arm she feels a little more accepted.

A lot of little things that occur in the life of a young adolescent happen to Addie in this year — the loss of a pet, a first boyfriend, success, failure, and the loss of innocence as she sees the results of cruelty around her. They are ordinary in the life of a middle schooler, but told through the eyes of Addie, they become extraordinary and memorable.

I haven’t read anything by James Howe (though he’s written quite a range from Bunnicula to heartfelt works like these), including The Misfits (not in verse) that Addie on the Inside is supposed to be a “companion” to, and I didn’t feel like I missed a thing.

Another Cybils heroin that reminded me a lot of Addie is Kekla Magoon’s Camo Girl. Though written in “normal” prose, the writing stood out to me from the get-go. And just like Addie, who really wants to help her friends who fit in less than she does, Ellie must be there for her friend Z. He’s not just a misfit, he’s odd. There’s something not quite right with him since his dad left. He’s retreated into the make-believe world that might be okay for a younger person, but is not at all okay for a middle-schooler.

Ellie has some discoloration on her skin, and the mean guys call her “Camo Face.” Sometimes she feels invisible, and sometimes she wishes she was invisible. When a new boy Bailey moves to town, he befriends her. Maybe it’s because she has the only baseketball goal in town, or maybe it’s because she’s the only other African American at school. Regardless, they become friends. He stands up for her, and he even starts to understand her relationship with Z: “He needs me.”

But Z doesn’t understand, and it causes him to retreat further into himself.

I’m not doing this book justice. I love Ellie. I like Bailey. I love Ellie’s mom and grandmother who are dealing with their own pain — the loss of their husband/son — Ellie’s father. They all help Ellie to see that who she is on the inside is what matters and it’s someone she can be proud of.

Kids change in middle school, and old friendships don’t always stand. Both of these books look at why that might be, and also hint that sometimes change is good, and sometimes it’s not even permanent.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.


Though I am a Round I panelist in this Middle Grade fiction category for the Cybils, my opinions are solely my own and are not meant to reflect the final outcome.

Jennifer has changed since middle school, and has probably been on the side of misfit and mean girl. She blogs at Snapshot.

Cybils Fiction nominees, Audio-style

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There aren’t as many audiobooks available as last year, but I’ve found a few. I’m a fan of the audiobook in general, but especially when I’m trying to squeeze in more reading time, I appreciate the flexibility that audio offers me to “read” while I’m doing laundry or cleaning out closets or shuttling my children around.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is a quirky coming-of-age tale, sort of (Do guys really come of age in fiction? Not nearly as much as girls). It’s been described as a sort of memoir/fiction hybrid of Jack’s 14ish summer in Norvelt, Pennsylvania in the 1960’s. Jack ends up getting grounded because of his parents’ different instructions to him (“Mow down the corn so that I can build a runway or bomb shelter,” “Don’t you dare mow down my corn.”), and so he spends a lot of time with founding townswoman Miss Volker. There’s blood (mostly in the form of his nerve-activated nosebleeds), death (as the other founding members are dying off), romance (unrequited senior citizen love), and even Hell’s angels.

Just writing that out, I totally get the fiction/memoir hybrid. I imagine Jack Gantos knew a lot of characters, but they’re all pumped up. That said, even though it’s quirkily larger than life, it also sort of feels normal, or at least fun.

AUDIO NOTES: This audiobook is read by the author Jack Gantos. Listening to him — both his voice and the crazy tales he tells — reminds me a bit of David Sedaris. Fans of his work will likely enjoy this as well. The attitude is the same, too. He doesn’t judge, he just tells it as he sees it. The dialogue and the first person reflections make audio an ideal way to experience it.

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald is a fantastic book. At first, I thought that he might fit under the “dudes with ‘tudes” category, but even though he doesn’t like reading and will do anything (including lie, cheat and steal) to avoid reading for school, Charlie Joe is quite likable, and this book transcends the “boys who don’t like to read” genre. Charlie Joe even references this stereotype in the book, saying that he isn’t like the others who are going to pick up a book and realize how wrong he’s been because now he suddenly likes to read. But the irony is that if you are a bookworm, you get all the jokes and know exactly where he’s coming from.

Charlie Joe and his whole cast of supporting characters are completely charming and include a completely normal loving functional family (!!), teachers who are portrayed mostly as good guys, strong guy friendships that I rarely see in novels, and age-appropriate school crushes.

My words haven’t done it justice, but I’d highly recommend it to ages 10 and up. My 8th grade daughter — who does love to read — loved this one. There are no real “mature” topics here, but one might need a little discernment to recognize that cheating is not a laughing matter (and this is reinforced when Charlie Joe is caught). In addition, there is some middle-school romance which younger kids, boys especially, might not appreciate.

AUDIO NOTES: I would have loved this book in print or audio, but I really enjoyed MacLeod Andrews’ reading of this story. He was neither over the top nor boring, but provided just the perfect inflection to Charlie Joe’s narration, in addition giving individuality to each character.

Flat Broke: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Greed by Gary Paulsen features the same “dude with a ‘tude” that was in Liar, Liar. In fact, the story continues, since Kevin has lost his allowance as a consequence of his lies. It’s billed as a “companion to” and honestly with them both being well under 150 pages, I honestly think that these two books could have been combined into one book. I liked this book better than the first one, but I didn’t love either of them. However, I think that they are each books that you could put into the hands of a middle school boy who doesn’t like reading, and you might get him to read without complaining. I know that the very short length was by design and works in the favor of it not seeing “too hard,” though I still find it odd that a book that is really most appropriate for ages 11 and up is so very short.

Some of his money-making schemes involve gambling, but others are more altruistic and do sort of end up helping others. I don’t hate Kevin and wouldn’t hesitate to put these books in a reader’s hands — the stories and characters just didn’t do much for me.

AUDIO NOTES: The narration from Joshua Swanson was even. He neither added anything spectacular to the story, nor detracted in any way. Audio books are a wonderful way to get more books into the heads of reluctant readers, so you might consider the audio versions if you have a kid in mind who might enjoy these books.

One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street by Joanne Rocklin is an old-fashioned sort of story. It’s set in the present, but it’s the kind of story that any of us could have curled up with on our shag carpets in the 70’s. The nosy neighbor who keeps track of all the activities on Orange Street chronicles what goes on during this day and a night on Orange Street. Most of the action centers around a mysterious man who is hanging around the lone orange tree on the street. Only Ms. Snoops (aptly named, huh?) remembers when the whole street was filled with trees. The children come together to try to save the tree, and in the process learn about themselves as they learn to appreciate their elders and history.

More mature issues such as memory loss in old age, friendship, and disability are touched upon, but it’s in an age appropriate way.

AUDIO NOTES: Lisa Baney’s narration is also quiet and simple, reminding me of a skilled librarian or teacher who delights in sharing a story with children.

Though I am a Round I panelist in this Middle Grade fiction category for the Cybils, my opinions are solely my own and are not meant to reflect the final outcome.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Though it’s a challenge, Jennifer Donovan can’t imagine one more fun than reading as many of the nominees as she can in this 2 1/2 month timeframe. That’s one reason she doesn’t blog at Snapshot so much anymore.

Dudes with ‘Tudes in Cybils Middle Grade Fiction

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As parents, we have to be careful about what our kids are ingesting in the media and even in print. However, most of us want our kids to read, and that involves letting them read what they like. Here are some Cybils Middle Fiction nominees that feature some dudes with attitudes. They don’t like school, they might not like their classmates, and they let you know it! That said, for the most part, these guys are harmlessly entertaining, and will likely appeal to tweens who are reluctant readers or those who like to laugh at the exploits of others.

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts did not grab me at first. Rafe Khatchadorian calls one of his teachers the Dragon Lady, he clearly has contempt for his mom’s live-in boyfriend Bear (who honestly is pretty contemptible), and he’s on a campaign to break as many of the school rules as possible. Oh yeah — and he’s assisted by Leo, someone who his mom doesn’t like him to talk to — because we find out that he’s not real! A 6th grader with an imaginary friend? That was about the point I totally lost it. However, I kept listening, and while this isn’t my favorite book of the year, I will say that it all came together. Leo was explained in a believable and sweet way, his scorn for Bear was vindicated, and yes, he learned his lesson (in a way that will be accepted by kids without making them feel they are being preached at). I can recommend this book, but it’s probably better digested by those able to apply some discernment and not likely to idolize or emulate Rafe the rule-breaker.

AUDIO NOTES: Bryan Kennedy almost over-performed parts of this. His reading in Rafe’s voice is pretty over-the-top, which sort of drew me in and almost turned me off at the same time. However, I think that kids will like it. I also enjoyed some of the effects, such as the modulation when someone was supposed to be speaking over the school PA. This is one of those books that features drawings throughout, and the audiobook producers made sure that listeners won’t miss out, by including the PDFs on the disc that are seamlessly referred to in the reading of the story.

Liar, Liar by Gary Paulsen features another rule-breaker. In the first sentence of the book Kevin, 14, claims to be the best liar you’ll ever meet. The story is creatively structured, with him sharing examples of “he Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Deception,” as the subtitle describes. The voice here is strong and mostly true. He’s fairly likable, even though he’s a self-professed liar. By the end of the story, he’s issuing apologies to those he’s deceived, and he doesn’t get off scot-free, but I wouldn’t say that this is a moral tale about the evils of lying. My biggest concern was not with the theme, but with the deception of who this book is aimed for. There’s some content that is definitely more appropriate to 12 and up (He mentions his 16-year-old sister shouting curse bombs, and he says that he “read Lady Chatterly’s Lover because he heard it was dirty, but couldn’t find the sex parts.”). But the cover looks fairly juvenile — appealing more to a 10-year-old than a 13-year-old, and the 120 page length might also cause older kids to discount it, though it might be the perfect title to put into the hands of a reluctant 8th-grade reader for this very reason.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Ugly Truth is actually my first attempt to read this mammothly popular series by Jeff Kinney. I was expecting a dude with a major ‘tude who was very crude. I was pleasantly surprised, to be honest. Yes, there’s some crude humor (farting boys, and a few mentions of butts and specifically a boy who uses the urinal with his pants pulled down so that you can see his butt), but I wouldn’t really call 7th grader Greg Heffley a bad example. In fact, there was a lot more emotional depth in this book than I expected. This story deals with the awkwardness of puberty, Greg’s search for a new best friend because he and Rowley have had a huge fight, and family relations (specifically with his Gammie and his loser Uncle Charlie on the occasion of his 3rd wedding). I wouldn’t put this in the hands of my 2nd-grader right now, I’d really be okay with him reading them this summer or next year, though I think that the themes and humor would best resonate with those 10 and up.

Though I am a Round I panelist in this Middle Grade fiction category for the Cybils, my opinions are solely my own and are not meant to reflect the final outcome.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Though it’s a challenge, Jennifer Donovan can’t imagine one more fun than reading as many of the nominees as she can in this 2 1/2 month timeframe. That’s one reason she doesn’t blog at Snapshot so much anymore.

All These Things I’ve Done

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All These Things I’ve Done epitomizes everything I love about Young Adult literature. It’s told in a first-person introspective POV by 16-year-old Anya Balanchine. She tells the story in real-time, blow by blow, but there are phrases that indicate that she’s looking back, like “If I had known what was to come” etc. It also has a chatty tone as she addresses the reader directly with asides punctuating her narrative like “I pride myself on being a reliable narrator” or “Feel free to gag” (when she’s describing her mushy love feelings).

Author Gabrielle Zevin knows what teens want and this novel has a little bit of everything: dystopian themes, star-crossed lovers, an organized crime family, a genius, chocolate — all told with humor and introspection and that perfect mix of certainty and insecurity that most teens struggle with. What’s not to love?

Publisher’s description: In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.’s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight–at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

It’s titillating too. The novel’s opening sentence made me think at first think that I wouldn’t be sharing it with my 13-year-old daughter:

The night before my junior year — I was 16, barely — Gable Arsley said he wanted to sleep with me. Not in the distant or semidistant future either. Right then.

. . . but the truth was quickly revealed about this plotline. Anya wasn’t going to have sex because 1) she didn’t really like her boyfriend much and 2) because she upholds the teachings of her Catholic faith that she should wait for marriage. In fact, this very scene sort of sets up Gable as one of the bad guys. However, sex is not labeled as all bad. Later she does struggle with a temptation to get intimate with her current boyfriend, a very real struggle that girls who are trying to avoid sex outside of marriage would relate to. I appreciated the honest portrayal of this teen issue.

All These Things I’ve Done is the first in the Birthright series, and I can’t wait to read more. Though the end will leave readers wanting to know what is going to happen to Anya and her family, and specifically in her romantic relationship, it wasn’t a total cliffhanger. I think that the novel stands alone, which is very important to me.

My daughter Amanda did end up listening as well, but we hadn’t really talked about it until I read my review to her. She said “You make it sound like it’s a really awesome book. I thought it was just okay.” That surprised me, because not only do I think that it is a superb audio version, but probably the best YA book I’ve read this year. She is more an action-girl than an introspective narrative girl, so maybe that’s why. Also, as I indicated above, she’s definitely on the young end of the target market, so perhaps she’ll like it more when she’s older.

CONTENT NOTES: Other than the items mentioned above, it’s a fairly clean read. I don’t remember any swearing, and any other unsavory activities are portrayed in a negative way, not glorified.

AUDIO NOTES: This reader, Ilyana Kadusin, is new to me, but I absolutely loved her. Her voice was realistically youthful (not always a given in YA audios), and carried me right along. The way that the book is written, as journaled thoughts from Anya directly to the reader, makes it a perfect fit to be enjoyed on audio.

Jennifer Donovan would probably rather live without chocolate than coffee. She blogs about other delights at Snapshot (theoretically).

Nerd Girls: The Rise of the Dorkasaurus

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My almost-13 year old daughter Amanda and I were in the bookstore recently. When I held up a book for her, she turned up her nose. “What?” I asked. “They’re in middle school, like you.”

“Mom. Lots of people write books for young kids about people who are older.”

I got her point, and I could certainly think of books that featured 12-year-old girls that were really written for 10-year-olds, but my work as a Cybils judge last year showed me that there are a lot of novels that are perfect for an older 12-year-old (even 13!) middle grade audience.

When I first started Nerd Girls: The Rise of the Dorkasaurus, I wasn’t sure which way it would go. It’s your typical outsiders versus it-girls kind of premise, but the novel itself is anything but simple stereotype.

Maureen is the narrator, and introduces herself as not only uncool but anti-cool. One day she ends up sitting with Allergy Alice (even less cool than her) and Barbara Beanpole at lunch. The girls who rule the 8th grade — the ThreePees (pretty, popular and perfect) — have a plan to make Alice eat peanut butter sandwiches at lunch, which of course she’s allergic to, and video it to see what happens. Maureen steps in and grabs the sandwiches, and shoved them into her mouth. This did not help her reputation as a chubby girl at all. To make matters worse, the girls videoed it and posted it on YouTube, and it’s gone viral.

Adversity brings people together like nothing else can, and from this moment on Mo, Beanpole and Q (because she asks so many questions) were honest-to-goodness friends.

My daughter and her best friend often call each other “nerd,” and I sort of object to that term. However, in this book, the girls appropriate it for themselves, even signing up for the talent show as the Dorkasaurus Girls with the sole goal of dethroning Kiki and the other ThreePees who win each year.

These girls sort of remind me of the kind of guys you usually read about in books. They ribbed each other (a LOT), they experienced vague crushes but didn’t really obsess about them, they didn’t get all mushy about their friendships. As I said, I think that in books the typical approach is that the girls would share their feelings about how important they’ve been to one another and hug and do each other’s nails and makeup. Although this is more dramatic and heartfelt than the laughs at each other’s expense that boys are allowed to have, I think that the relationship that the Nerd Girls have is as true-to-life as the more typical presentation of middle school girls, and I really liked this original angle.

I don’t know if it’s because the author, Alan Lawrence Sitomer, is a guy, or if it’s because he’s a teacher, but it definitely rings true.

So, how did I come out on the age for this book? I think that Nerd Girls straddles that line perfectly. There’s certainly nothing inappropriate for a 9 or 10 year old reader, but I think that as the plot progresses it has enough emotional maturity to touch a true middle-school reader as well.

Find out more at The Nerd Girls World website.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Jennifer never claimed to be cool, but she wouldn’t have called herself a dorkasaurus either (and is choosing to think that others didn’t either). She runs a way cool blog, Snapshot, if your definition of cool is bragging and complaining about children, traveling, eating, or reading.

My Weirder School series by Dan Gutman

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First there was My Weird School where we met A.J. and his 2nd grade class, then My Weird School Daze which brought them to 3rd grade, and now A.J. and the gang are still in 3rd grade in the first two books in the My Weirder School series

My daughter read some of these books in elementary school, but I had never checked them out until I was sent Miss Child Has Gone Wild and Mr. Harrison Is Embarrassin’!. After reading them, I can see the appeal.

I think that these books straddle the line between the silly humor kids love with appropriate moral themes and use of language that parents want. The kids at Ella Mentary school are real kids. A.J. calls Emily the cry-baby and is always trying to think of a put-down for Andrea, but they are normal 3rd grade kids of put downs, and remember, kids are great detectors of truth. They want to read about kids who seem real.

A perfect example of kid-friendly and parent-approved is the way the boys changed the lines to the popular “Clean Up, Clean Up” song that all the kids were singing when they had to tidy the room:

“. . . me and the guys changed the last line to ‘Even in your underwear.’

It was hilarious. Anything to do with underwear is hilarious.”

I really respect authors. I have come to feel a special affinity for guys who make sure that there are books out there that boys will want to read. Dan Gutman is one of those guys. On his amazon page, he says this about himself:

I’m a pretty regular Jersey guy who spent fifteen years trying to write newspaper articles, magazine articles, screenplays, books for adults, and just about everything else before I discovered the one thing I’m good at–writing fiction for kids. I aim for kids who DON’T like to read, and hopefully the kids who DO like to read will enjoy my stuff too. For all the gory details about me, check out my web site.

Kyle (7) enjoyed these books, and I am glad I checked them out too. I am beginning to have similar irrational feelings of love for these short chapter book series as I have for board books. I love that they are easy-to-read and accessible, inexpensive and enjoyable for kids ready for chapter books, whether those kids are a young 7 like Kyle, or a struggling 9-year-old.

Miss Child Has Gone Wild and Mr. Harrison Is Embarrassin’!, the first two books in the My Weirder School series are out now and a 3rd will join them this fall.

Jennifer Donovan isn’t ashamed of her love affair with books. Find out more about her and family at her Snapshot blog.

Super Diaper Baby 2

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Super Diaper Baby is exactly what he sounds like: a baby who wears diapers and has superpowers. The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby was the first graphic novel by George Hutchins and Harold Beard, who are themselves characters created by Dav Pilkey. George and Harold are mischievous little rascals who draw comic books whose characters come to life due to strange scientific happenings. Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers is the follow-up to Super Diaper Baby and is George and Harold’s third epic novel.

When I asked my going-on-8-year-old what the Super Diaper Baby books are about, he launched into a page-by-page explanation of the books. I’ll spare you his diatribe and just summarize the books. In the first Super Diaper Baby, a baby named Billy drinks super power juice (created by zapping Captain Underpants’s powers) that was intended for Deputy Dangerous, aka the bad guy, and gains the Captain’s superpowers. Deputy Dangerous attempts to steal Super Diaper Baby’s power but instead gets turned into poo. Hijinks ensue as Deputy Dangerous tries to get back at Super Diaper Baby, but he ends up on – where else? – Uranus. Along the way Danger Dog, Deputy Dangerous’s sidekick, saves Super Diaper Baby and becomes Diaper Dog. Got all that?

If the first book sounded convoluted (and a bit gross), Super Diaper Baby 2 takes it to a whole new level. George and Harold are told by Principal Krupp not to write any more books about poo. So of course, they write a book about pee. Dr. Dilbert Dingle invents a machine that turns solid material into water. His cat accidentally aims the machine at Dingle, turning him into water. The cat drinks Dingle in his water form and then pees him out. After being rejected by the townspeople because, well, he smells like pee, Dingle takes revenge in a very Grinch-like manner. Super Diaper Baby and Diaper Dog save the day and Dingle ends up on Uranus along with Deputy Dangerous.

I have to admit I found myself snickering a few times, despite myself. Sure there are misspellings, lots of potty humor and name-calling (though only the bad guys call each other names), but the book is geared to ages 7-10, and Pilkey sure knows how to appeal to that age range. Kids who are fans of the Captain Underpants books are sure to like the Super Diaper Baby books. There’s even a heartwarming moment when Super Diaper Baby lets his dad, who’s been feeling bad about himself because his infant son has all of these abilities and doesn’t really need him, think that he’s the one who’s capturing the bad guy.

Scatological humor isn’t really my thing, but if a book like Super Diaper Baby 2 gets my reluctant reader to read it start to finish in under an hour, I’m not complaining.

Check out the book trailer:

5 Minutes for Books was happy to participate in the “10 QUESTIONS WITH DAV PILKEY” blog tour. Click on over to the Q&A post to read our questions and his answers, and to enter the giveaway for a copy of both Super Diaper Baby books. Comments are closed on this post to ensure giveaway entries in the correct place.

Nancy thinks it would be cool to have super powers. She writes about her boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys

Die For Me

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An interview with my daughter Ilsa, 14, about the book Die for Me

What did you like about this book?

It was about as good as a book can get when it involves French zombies and crazy sisters! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Tell me about what happens.

Kate’s parents die and she and her sister move to Paris to live with their grandparents. She meets Vincent while she is trying to forget her grief by reading in a café. He turns out to be a good zombie, giving up his life to save humans. (In the book, one becomes a zombie by sacrificing your life for another’s; this doesn’t always happens, but once it does, you are fated to repeat this) Sadly, Kate realizes that they can never be together because she can’t stand to watch him die again and again especially because every time he dies, he goes back to age at which he first died, 18, whereas she is of course aging normally.

Who are the bad guys?

It’s very complicated. There are evil zombies, like good zombies in reverse. It is their nature to kill, not save, people.

Tell me about the crazy sister!

Kate’s sister, Georgia, parties to forget her grief. She’s amazingly loyal, but sometimes flies into rages.

Is this a romance?

Yes. Two people fall in love and have to surmount incredible difficulties to be together, given that he’s a zombie and all.

What was the best part?

It’s too hard to pick. I loved the whole book.

This book is one of the 7 in Harper Teen’s Dark Days of Supernatural releases.

Elizabeth sometimes vies with her daughter over books. Read more of their interactions at her blog Planet Nomad.

Nerd Camp

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My 12-year-old daughter and I read Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman together. It was the first time we’d buckled down with a read aloud in a long time, and it was just the kind of book we like to enjoy together — funny and sweet.

I’m not big on the word “nerd,” because it’s used as an insult, and like any insult it makes people feel bad about who they are. However, it totally works in this book. I think that the secret that most adult nerds know deep down is that they don’t really care what other people think. The cover shows this delightful juxtaposition perfectly — there are some mathematical equations for heat and the perfect angle for roasting the marshmallow. The title font shows the different elements, camp (wood), and books, graph paper, and circuitry.

Gabe, 10, has been accepted in a prestigious 6-week summer camp, SCGE or the Summer Gift for Gifted Enrichment, which other kids in the school call the Smart Camp for Geeks and Eggheads. He’s excited about going, but he wants to impress his step-brother-to-be Zack, the ultimate cool guy, who he’s just recently met. He begins wondering how he’s going to look in Zack’s eyes. He knows that there’s a lot of cool things that go on at camp, like boating and swimming and an obstacle course, not to mention Color War.

So, he does what any geek gifted kid would do — he makes a logic proof, which he adds to throughout the summer:

  • Problem: Am I a nerd who has only nerdy adventures?
  • Hypothesis: No

The proof is divided into two columns:

  • Things I can tell Zack (I am not a nerd)
  • Things I can’t tell Zack (I am a nerd)

For example, “My bunkmates are really cool, and we became friends right away!” buuut. . . “They like learning digits of Pi.”

Gabe and his bunkmates Wesley and Nikhil are great guys. Yes, they are gifted, but that’s not all that they are. They know that other kids make fun of them, but they are also proud of who they are. However, Gabe knows that a little self-improvement, like trying out some cooler hairstyles, doesn’t mean that he’s turning his back on who he is.

I really can’t say enough good things about Nerd Camp. The author’s website has some fun supplemental activities, like a scavenger hunt, word games and logic puzzles.

Enjoy it with your favorite nerd (or any kid who loves camp adventures).

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Jennifer Donovan never needed prescription goggles or memorized digits of Pi, but she is awfully proud of her SAT scores. She blogs at Snapshot.

Books on Screen: Open Season 3 DVD, with Giveaway

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Hello, it’s me — once again taking a few liberties with this column, so that I can offer you an animated movie giveaway with a fantastic prize package that also includes some Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs games and merchandise (and that is a true Books on Screen qualified entry. Check out the link to read my original review and comparison of the book and the movie).

Synopsis:

Boog, Elliot and all their forest friends return with an all-new adventure that is their fastest and furriest yet – this time in a big top circus! When Boog’s buddies can’t make their annual guys-only getaway, he decides to take a trip by himself. Stumbling across a visiting circus, Boog switches places with a look-alike circus grizzly and takes over his part in the act. But when the circus decides to go back to Russia, it’s a race against time for Elliot, McSquizzy, Mr. Weenie and the gang to rescue Boog before it’s too late!

Open Season 3 was released on DVD January 25. Want more info? Check out the movie trailer.

One winner (U.S. residents only) will receive an Open Season 3 prize pack consisting of the Open Season 3 DVD, an Alastair plush (aka the llama from the movie), and various prizing from the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movie including a Nintendo DS game, Wii game, PS3 game, toys, recipe booklet, Ice Cream Catch game and more!

Leave a comment if you’d like to win. We’ll announce the winner on February 16.
This giveaway is now closed, thanks to all who entered!

Disclosure: I have not seen this movie, nor previewed any of the prizes (which is very rare here on this site). I am simply taking advantage of the offer to extend this awesome prize pack to one of you.

Jennifer Donovan manages 5 Minutes for Books and blogs on Snapshot.

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Invasion

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Invasion (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) by Jon S. Lewis is a new series for those who enjoy thrilling science fiction. To me it felt a bit like Men in Black on the pages with an all-teen cast.

When Colt’s parents are killed, it quickly becomes apparent that it wasn’t a normal car wreck. The man who hit them was acting strangely, and when Colt starts to look into their death along with friends Danielle and Oz, strange things begin happening to them too.

Colt’s family members have all been a part of Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural (C.H.A.O.S.). It’s all pretty secret, and although Colt has been tested to become a part of the organization, his mind has been wiped clean (reminding me once again of the Men in Black “flashy thingie” that did the same thing).

The author J.S. Lewis has written for D.C. comics. The kids in the book are comic book fans, and they even find clues to help them in an old Phantom Flyer comic book series, which turns out to be more factual than they ever would have expected.

It has a fun, whimsical yet intense feel, delivering plenty of excitement and gadgetry and good guys and bad guys. There’s no language or mature behavior, even though the characters are teens (except a very very mild romantic storyline). This novel would probably be more appreciated by the 10 – 13 year-old reader than an older young adult.

Invasion is published by Thomas Nelson, an historically Christian publishing house, but if that fact would make you flock to it expecting a Christian storyline, or avoid it for the same reason, think again. There is not any sort of Christian theme in it at all. It’s simply an exciting sci-fi/fantasy book set in a realistic high school setting that will appeal to tweens and young teens.

It does not end in a tidy way, and so we have to hang on to read the next installment (January 2012, I believe), but that never bothers my tween at all.

We have a copy of Invasion to give to one of you (U.S. only). Just leave a comment if you’d like to win. We’ll announce the winner on February 9.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Jennifer Donovan enjoys both quiet, character-driven novels and fast-paced, way out there sci-fi. She blogs about books, her family, transitions and trials at her blog Snapshot.

Wicked Appetite

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Janet Evanovich fans are probably aware she has a new book coming out this week. Wicked Appetite is the first in the Unmentionables series, featuring Diesel and Carl the monkey from the Between-the-Numbers books. For those not familiar with Evanovich’s work, she writes a series of books about a bounty hunter named Stephanie Plum, and each book’s title contains a number, e.g. One For the Money. Every so often, Evanovich publishes a Between-the-Numbers book, which is a novella featuring Diesel, a big blonde guy with special powers, or enhanced abilities as he calls them.

Now Diesel has his own series, along with Lizzie, expert cupcake maker with the ability to find enchanted objects, Carl, a monkey with the tendency to give the finger, and Cat 7143, a one-eyed ninja cat that used to belong to Lizzie’s great-aunt. Diesel is on the hunt for stones representing the Seven Deadly Sins, and must protect Lizzie from Gerewulf Grimoire, his cousin with a much more sinister reason for wanting the stones. In Wicked Appetite, they are searching for the gluttony stone, and the road to the stone is littered with junk food, odd collections and other forms of gluttony.

Fans of the Stephanie Plum books will recognize Evanovich’s style – the bumbling heroine, her hulky partner/bodyguard, the comedic sexual tension, the slapstick comedy. But as Evanovich herself once told EW.com, “If you want to cry, you’re not going to like my books. If you want a really good plot, you’re not going to like my plots. My books have pizza and cussing and sexy guys.” If you are a fan of the Plum books, then you’ll like Wicked Appetite. Look for a new Unmentionables book every September.

Notes on the Audiobook

The audiobook is narrated by Lorelei King, who has also read the last few Plum novels, along with novels by Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell. Ms. King has been described as ‘the best known American voice on radio 4,’ having recorded more than 200 programs for the BBC. I was also surprised to learn that she voices Wendy and Packer in Bob the Builder. She did a great job with Wicked Appetite, although her “southern” accent for Lizzie, who is from Fairfax, VA, and Lizzie’s boss Clara, a Boston-area native, left a little to be desired.

I’ve only read the first 7 of the Plum novels, all on audiobook. I find the pace of the books, along with the comedic elements, are perfect for an audiobook. I just sit back and enjoy the story, instead of getting impatient because I can read faster than the narrator speaks, like I do at times with audiobooks.

Nancy thinks gluttony is one of the more fun Deadly Sins. She writes about her 2 boys and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys.

The Bishop

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Editor’s Note: This is Lisa’s last post for us. Thank you Lisa! Keep up with her at Lisa writes…..

Astute readers of this site will be familiar with my affection for the Patrick Bowers Files, a series of novels by Steven James. I’ve reviewed The Rook and The Knight and have eagerly awaited The Bishop, the latest installment featuring FBI agent Patrick Bowers.

As I’ve stated in earlier reviews, James’ novels are not your grandmother’s Christian fiction. They are thrillers in every sense of the word. In fact, The Bishop takes the intensity to a whole new level. The bad guys are beyond bad; they are evil, disturbingly so. And yet, like The Rook and The Knight, James tells his story apart from gratuitous violence and language. He is not unnecessarily explicit and instead employs good storytelling. Really good storytelling. Here’s the publisher’s description:

The game is on.

FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers’s cutting-edge skills are about to be pushed to the limit. When a young woman is found brutally murdered in Washington DC, her killers continue a spree of perfect crimes in the Northeast. But with nothing to link them to each other, Agent Bowers faces his most difficult case yet–even as his personal life begins to crumble around him.

The Bishop is a gripping, adrenaline-laced story for readers who are tired of timid thrillers. Strap on your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride.

The Bishop, also like the novels in the series, is more than a good guy/bad guy tale. There is complex characterization and character development and smart and witty dialogue (and as usual Tessa gets most of the good lines). Certainly the suspense and mystery keep the reader engaged, yet the characters themselves and their interactions are just as compelling if not more so.

James does more than tell a good story. In this novel more so than the others, his characters (and thus by default the reader as well) wrestle with deep philosophical issues such as the problem of evil and man’s responsibility before God. In addition to (gruesome) murder, James touches on other hot topics like abortion and fraud. The Bishop is a complex story that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but will also make you think. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read more about Patrick and Tessa in the next novel in the series.

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa thanks Revell publishers for providing the review copy of The Bishop!

Books on Screen: Despicable Me movie

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Again, I’m sort of bending the rules with this column. I was able to see a preview of Despicable Me on a Universal-sponsored Mom Blogger press junket (click through to 5 Minutes for Mom to read some more details and get a sneak peek of the fun interviews to come this week). It’s a truly great movie that I wanted to share with you here as well.

Though it’s not technically a “book on screen,” a lot of the story revolves around a bedtime story, and I’m excited to actually mention some real book tie-ins, but I will save that post for July 15 after some of you have seen the movie and will understand how cool and great these books are.

The Review:

I don’t particularly like the title Despicable Me, and for that matter, I don’t think that the previews do the movie justice at all. In the previews, you will see Gru, who is trying to be the world’s greatest super-villain. That is somewhat true — he is in competition with Vector, who has done some pretty villainous feats. Those cute little yellow guys that you have seen everywhere (including in the picture with me, above), are Gru’s minions.

When Gru enlists the help of three adorable orphans to best Vector, he is unexpectedly thrown into the role of Father.

Seeing the growth in their relationship, the change in Gru, and his memories of the relationship with his mother is the heart of the story, which makes it a movie that will appeal to adults as much or more than kids. It’s a story about love and insecurity and ultimately acceptance.

There’s plenty for kids as well. The minions are adorable and funny, and the kids in the movie are totally relatable. Much of the talent from Horton Hears a Who worked on this movie, and it has a similar feel to me — funny, entertaining, but with lots and lots of heart.

It’s rated PG for “mild action and rude humor.” I found it to be extremely family-friendly. There is some cartoon action/violence that is mild, and the “rude humor” is probably from two scenes I can recall: the minions Xerox their backsides (the only movie moment that might offend at all), and in a chase scene Gru’s pants come off, revealing some silly boxer shorts. That was honestly ALL I remembered. No innuendo that is meant to appeal to adults and supposedly go over the kids’ heads, nothing that I felt went too far. Unfortunately that is not the case with most children’s films. I agree that most stuff does go over my young son’s head, but it just turns my stomach when I see animated films playing for the cheap laugh. And I got to share my thoughts with one of the producers on that issue.

If you see the movie after it opens July 9, let me know if you agree. I know that my opinions might seem biased, because I got an inside look (check out the details on 5 Minutes for Mom), but right after I saw the early screening before I even left for my press junket, I declared this in my Top 5 Children’s movies ever.

Other Despicable Me posts:

Jennifer Donovan loves enjoying a good story, be it on screen, stage or in the pages. She also blogs at Snapshot, and has been a contributor at 5 Minutes for Mom for four years.

Mailbox Monday — June 28

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The Printed Page invites bloggers to share what books have come into their house each week.

We have really enjoyed jumping into this meme. It’s a fun way to chat about books (which of course we love), and gives our readers here a sneak peek of reviews to come. Check out other participants or join in yourself at The Printed Page.

JENNIFER

  • Sand in My Eyes — This looks like the kind of women’s fiction that I like that explores the relationships, thoughts, and actions of women.
  • The reviews on Every House Needs a Balcony: A Novel have been mixed. When you call it the “Israeli Kite Runner,” you are setting a pretty high bar. I’m hoping to like it.
  • Scarlett Fever — Maureen Johnson was the fabulously funny keynote speaker at the BookBloggerCon, and we received an audiobook of Suite Scarlett (review to come). This is the second book that picks up right where the first left off.
  • Champ and Me By the Maple Tree is a fun children’s book by the same guys who wrote The Cods of Cape Cod (linked to my review).

LISA

I received three books in the mail this week:

  • Dark in the City of Light by Paul Robertson–I am so excited about this book! I’ve read Robertson’s previous novels and loved them all.
  • Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand. What I can say? I love a good murder mystery and while I haven’t read anything by Bertrand I’m intrigued by the endorsements describing this as an “astonishing and powerful mystery” and “extremely well crafted.”
  • Reluctant Entertainer, The: Every Woman’s Guide to Simple and Gracious Hospitality by Sandy Coughlin. Okay, okay; true confessions: I am a reluctant entertainer. Here’s hoping this book will help me move from reluctant to gracious in the entertaining department.


Each Tuesday we have a different meme that you join in, from Kids’ Picks to What’s on Your Nightstand, to a Children’s Classics challenge. Join Us!

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Mailbox Monday — June 21

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The Printed Page invites bloggers to share what books have come into their house each week. You don’t have to be a book blogger — just a reader. You can share books that you received as gifts (as I did below), that you ordered for yourself, or that you received for review. Keep reading to see what we received, and check out the other Mailbox Monday participants at The Printed Page.

But beware, just like our What’s on Your Nightstand carnival that takes place tomorrow (and the 4th Tuesday of each month), Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

CARRIE

  • A review copy of Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue arrived this past week. I’ll be participating in a book tour featuring this title, which captured my imagination and I’m really looking forward to it.

  • I was excited to see Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906-1945: Martyr, Thinker, Man of Resistance arrive in my mailbox. I had read the new Bonhoeffer biography by Metaxas earlier in the year (click on that title to read my review) and LOVED it. It definitely whetted my appetite to learn more about this extremely interesting man so I’m looking forward to diving in to that one! Since I indulged you guys in a Bonhoeffer title around these parts already, I”ll likely review this new one over at Reading to Know. So keep a lookout over there if you are interested!

JENNIFER

  • Of Bees and Mist: A Novel by Erick Setaiwan — This book arrived quickly after I requested it last week, and I’m absolutely not sure what to think of it. It’s what I call a genre-buster. I love it when books totally surprise me as the other genre-buster I read did. I think that this one either won’t work for me, or I’ll love it. Anyone read it?
  • Kyle (6) had a birthday party this week, and a few new books came into our house that way. His favorite that we’ve already read more than once is Never Take a Shark to the Dentist: and Other Things Not to Do.
  • I bought him a few of Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie books for an upcoming road trip (using amazon’s buy 3 get one free promotion, which is awesome!). We “discovered” them last year, and they had the perfect level of silly and simple for him. Though he’s quite a good reader now, he isn’t ready (or willing) to sit and read a long book. But he will read Elephant and Piggie, so it’s a good way to spend my book bucks. I buy hardbacks in these, and they are definitely ones that will end up in the “save for the grandchildren” box.

Most of the other books that have come into my house this week have been via NetGalley. I’m stocking up my Kindle for my month of e-reading self-challenge. There are a few that I’m really excited about:

  • Annexed comes out in October from Houghton Mifflin books for Children. It’s a YA title that looks at Anne Frank’s story from Peter’s perspective.
  • Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick is supposed to be a sort of mirror image of Henry James’ The Ambassadors, so perhaps I’ll read it as well for our Classics Bookclub before the November release date. But Henry James? Seems a little weighty. Any thoughts on this idea?
  • I downloaded The Genius Wars from NetGalley this week. It’s the 3rd in a series, and releases in August. My 11-year-old daughter got Catherine Jinks’ Evil Genius and Genius Squad from the library for our driving trip. I’m hoping she’ll fill in any gaps for me, and I’ll just read/review the 3rd one, but it seems like a great series for kids.


Each Tuesday we have a different meme that you join in, from Kids’ Picks to What’s on Your Nightstand, to a Children’s Classics challenge. Join Us!

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Picture Books for America’s Birthday

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I don’t know about you guys but I had SUCH a hard time finding books pertaining to America’s Birthday. I hunted all over the place for a book through which I could introduce my son to the Fourth of July. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places, but it was hard to find something!

This year I was positively delighted to find not ONE, but THREE books from Ideals Books. Here they are, in no particular order.

Where is the best place to start? How ’bout at the very beginning? Story of America’s Birthday tells the young reader that at one point in time, in place of 50 states there were 13 colonies. It introduces the idea that the colonist were not free, but had to pay taxes to the king of England “The colonist did not like to pay taxes to the king. One July 4, 1776, leaders from the colonies met. One of the leaders, Thomas Jefferson, wrote the “Declaration of Independence” that declared America to be free. It briefly hits on the idea that America fought a war against England and eventually gained its freedom and therefore we celebrate our country and our freedom every year on the fourth of July.

Next up is The Story of the Star Spangled Banner which, to refresh your memory, was born when America was once again at war with England. (This almost boggles the mind these days, doesn’t it?) This book generically describes the battle of Fort McHenry, and mentions that Frances Scott Key was a witness to this battle. It explains how the battle raged all night and Key prayed for his country. In the morning light, he saw his country’s flag waving in the distance and he wrote a poem to express his feelings. This poem, of course, became our country’s national anthem. At the back of the book, the lyrics are included for easy reference and for you to warble off key with. (Your children will be ever so grateful! Heh.)

Lastly, in keeping with the theme of America’s Indepdence and freedom, you might also want to look into The Story of the Statue of Liberty. It reads as follows:

“Long ago, France helped America win the Revolutionary War and become a free country. The two countries became good friends. Almost a hundred years later, in 1865, a French sulptor named Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was asked to design a really big gift for France to give to America.”

The book talks about how the statute had to be built in piece, was original brown in color but turned green with time. This is an awesome and quick explanation of one of America’s greatest gifts and treasures. I absolutely loved this book.

But then again, I absolutely loved all of these titles as they are so helpful in sharing the reason behind celebrating the Fourth of July to my preschool aged child.

Would you like to win a set of these three books to share with your young readers? Send up some fireworks and leave a comment below! Good luck! We’ll announce the winner on June 23.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

Books on Screen: The Fabulous Beekman Boys

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The Fabulous Beekman Boys premieres on Planet Green (a part of the Discovery Channel family) on June 16. It is the story of Josh and Brent, two boys from Manhattan who are trying to grow a life and a business in New York state.

I previewed two episodes of the show, and read the book about the first year on the farm, The Bucolic Plague (click over for my review and for a giveaway). I didn’t only read the book, I loved the book.

And as is almost always the case if you fall in love with “characters” in a book, and then see them portrayed on screen, you are going to say “the book is better.” And yes, in this case, the book is better.

If you become fans of The Fabulous Beekman Boys, you must read the book. Even if you don’t care for the show, if the idea of reaching for your dreams appeals to you, read the book.

Brent actually worked for Martha Stewart, and except for the fact that it’s pretty funny (although not as funny as the book — do you see a theme?), it’s very Martha Stewart-ish. They are hosting a harvest festival, complete with costumes, making their own artisanal cheese, and having large dinner parties using the bounty of their heirloom garden.

So here’s what I want you to do. I want you to read The Bucolic Plague and fall in love with these guys and their vision of escaping the hectic life of two New York City professionals, and then tune in to Planet Green to watch The Fabulous Beekman Boys so that you don’t go into withdrawal wondering what is happening at the Beekman mansion.

Jennifer Donovan knows that reality TV isn’t really real, but she enjoys watching it anyway. She blogs at Snapshot (and maybe it’s not so real either).

Start Here

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If you haven’t heard of Alex & Brett Harris, you might be familiar with their older brother – Josh Harris of the I Kissed Dating Goodbye fame. (These days it’s more of a Dug Down Deep fame.) I read Josh’s first book when I was a teen and committed to kissing dating goodbye early on. Yup. I’m one of those ultra conservative types who married the first guy I “dated.” (And yeah, we called it dating.) I really appreciated Josh Harris’ ministry when I was a teen as I found his way of speaking to be an inspiration to me to make certain life goals and stick to them. Whether or not Harris himself would still stick to his original message on dating, I think the general theme of it still rings true and he impacted many teen lives when he still had hair himself. (Heh. I think he’d forgive me for that?)

Not being a teen any longer (dare I say ‘thank goodness’?!), I hadn’t bothered to see what the latest up-and-coming Harris boys had to see to the new teen culture. When offered a chance to check out Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are (which is a sequel to their first book Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations) I jumped at the chance!

I have not yet read their first book so in some ways I feel like I came in mid-game by reading Start Here. It is a direct follow up to the first book. That said, you can easily pick this one up and read it on its own. It’s easy enough to catch the gist of what they are saying. And what are they saying? Their basic message is this:

Teenagers can be useful, productive and engaging members of society – right now.

Twins Alex and Brett are out to share the message with (Christian) teens that they do not have to accept the world’s message that they are to spend their teenage years wallowing around, bored. The Harris Brothers want to encourage teens of today to get up off the couch and away from the video games and do hard things right now. They want to encourage teens to know and believe that life is NOW and not some years from now when you are in your twenties. You can do anything you want to do – NOW. In fact, they’d encourage you to try.

They are offering a message to counter the culture which expects very little from teens when it comes to attidude, behavior and productivity levels. Now, the Harris guys aren’t into working yourself into a dither and never allowing yourself to relax and enjoy life. People in every stage of life need to master the art of play (in my opinion.) Rather, they suggest that you find something that you feel passionate about and start pursuing it! Don’t wait for high school gradutation. Don’t wait for college. Don’t wait for marriage or your first kid. Be responsible and life productively in this very moment. Want to raise money to drill wells in Africa? What’s stopping you? Want to organize a city-wide campaign for a cause you believe in? Start asking questions, get involved, and find people who are like-minded to support and help you! There is no reason you should feel confined to your bedroom or the couch because you don’t feel “old enough” to institute change.

The Bible verse which would be describe the message of this book is:

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are is motivation and encouragement for teens to ‘be all they can be’ while they are teens. In a lot of ways – this is the same message that their brother was spreading when he was their age. Except in this case, I think Alex & Brett’s message is a bit wider and less constricted to one particular topic. I think it’s still a valid message – real life is NOW. So make the most of it!

To get a better feel for Alex & Brett and their ministry and message, visit their website entitled The Rebelution.

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know and Reading My Library.

Forget Me Not

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Regular readers of our site will know this about me: I love a good edge-of-your-seat, keep-you-up-at-night, can’t-put-down thriller. I like suspense; I like mystery. When I read the premise of Vicki Hinze’s novel Forget Me Not I knew it sounded right up my alley…

Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family.

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace.

The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

I wanted to like this book and I did. There are twists and turns aplenty and the mystery surrounding the mysterious woman who mysteriously shows up Crossroads Crisis Center is mysterious enough to keep you turning the pages. In other words, Hinze has crafted a complicated storyline that keeps the tension high. Who is this woman? Why does she resemble Susan? How did she acquire Susan’s necklace? Why can’t she remember? Is there redemption for Ben? Can he forgive himself? Overarching all these questions is the secondary mystery surrounding bioterrorism and international intrigue. Told you it was complicated!

I did like Forget Me Not but I have to be honest: I remained very confused throughout much of the story. I couldn’t figure out which bad guys were which nor could I understand their motives nor their methods. Complicated is good for a thriller; confusion not so much; and sometimes it’s a fine line that divides the two. That being said, Hinze’s portrayal of the resiliency of faith when all else is lost, including memory, is a theme that was interesting to explore through the lives of her characters.

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa would like to thank Waterbrook Multnomah publishers for providing a review copy of this book!

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