Mini Reviews: The Fox Inheritance, Faking Smart and When You Reach Me
by Jenners • 07/29/2011 • 2.5 Stars, 3 Stars, 4 Stars, Dystopia, F Authors, F Titles, Fiction, Non-Fiction, P Authors, S Authors, W Titles, Young Adult • 44 Comments
I lost my blogging mojo this week, but I thought I’d try to knock out some mini reviews to get me back on track.
The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. PearsonPublisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2011
Pages: 291
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia
Where I Got It: Amazon Vine
My Rating: 3 stars
Brief Description: A sequel to The Adoration of Jenna Fox, this book chronicles the awakening of Jenna’s friends Kara and Locke after 260 years of “cyber-hiberation.” Only their minds were kept alive in digital form, but new technology developed by a Dr. Gatsbro makes it possible for Kara and Locke to have new bodies (based on their old bodies but better) and a new life. However, 260 years of being trapped and isolated have affected Kara and Locke—with Kara being changed most profoundly. When they realize that Dr. Gatsboro is not quite the benevolent savior they thought, Kara and Locke decide they need to escape and find the only person from their past who is still alive—Jenna Fox.
My Thoughts: I was really disappointed in The Adoration of Jenna Fox. I thought the premise was fantastic but poorly executed. (However, I was in the minority as many bloggers fell in love with the book.) I almost passed on reading this sequel but curiosity got the better of me—mostly because I was surprised to see a sequel. (As I recall, the first book said Jenna had destroyed the computers containing Kara and Locke’s minds.) I’m pleased to report that I liked this book better—probably because my expectations weren’t as high. Narrated by Locke, the book has more action (an escape and cross-country chase), and the future world that Pearson created interested me (particularly the relations between bots and humans). Although I thought this book was better than the first one, I still didn’t fall in love. The writing was simplistic, the plot was predictable and some discrepancies just bugged me. Perhaps, most importantly, I just couldn’t buy into the idea that people’s minds could be kept alive digitally. However, if you can suspend your critical thinking and read the first book, you’ll probably enjoy this one too.
Note: I received an Advance Reader’s Edition of this book. The book will be on sale August 30, 2011.
Faking Smart! by Karl Wofbrooks Ager, PhD (hon.) & Martin Fossum. Illustrated by Matt CoryPublisher: CreateSpace, 2011
Pages: 134
Genre: Non-Fiction, Humor
Where I Got It: From the author
My Rating: 2.5 stars
Brief Description: The subtitle of the book is “Get Hired, Get Promoted and Become A V.P. In Six Short Weeks.” Theoretically, it is a satire of business self-help books.
My Thoughts: Oh dear. This is my worst book blogging nightmare: a very nice author asks me to review their self-published book and I don’t like it at all. Such is the case with Faking Smart! When I read Mr. Fossum’s witty e-mail requesting that I consider reviewing the book, I accepted because the book sounded like it could be fun. And it is… in parts. However, the humor that is present is just drowned by overkill and repetitiveness that ended up making reading the book feel like a chore. Although it is a slim book (under 150 pages with illustrations), it still took me more than a week to read it because I kept avoiding it. Giving Mr. Fossum the benefit of the doubt, perhaps my dislike of the book was because I’ve been out of corporate world for almost a decade. Still, I really can’t recommend this. I think this could have made a good short-form essay but, stretched to book form, it just doesn’t work for me.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca SteadPublisher: Yearling Newbery, 2009
Pages: 197
Genre: Fiction (Children’s Books, Ages 9-12)
Where I Got It: From Paperback Swap
My Rating: 4 stars
Brief Description: It is the late 1970s in New York City, and sixth grader Miranda has some big things to deal with: the sudden distance of her former best friend Sal, her mom’s preparation for an upcoming appearance on The $20,000 Pyramid, and arrival of mysterious notes that predict events in Miranda’s life before they actually happen. As Miranda struggles to cope with Sal’s coldness, the mysterious notes begin to take on an element of danger. Miranda comes to believe that she must prevent a tragic death … if only she could figure out what was going on and what she is supposed to do!
My Thoughts: I just fell in love with this book! When reading, it took me right back to my tween years, and I knew this was a book that I would have read and reread at age 10 or 11. In fact, with the 1970s setting, it felt like a book that had been written when I was a tween. At times, I almost felt like I had read this book in my childhood as it had a really specific feel to it that reminded me of two of my all-time favorite books from childhood, From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Harriet The Spy.
I think the feeling of familiarity is that Miranda is living in the real world but is experiencing a “secret” life that has fantastical elements to it. In other words, it is a fantasy book that takes place in the real world. These type of books always appeal to me because they make me think something similar might actually happen to me. (To this day, I cannot be in a museum without thinking of hiding in the bathrooms and living there like Claudia and Jamie in The Mixed-Up Files.) It also felt familiar because Miranda’s favorite book is Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time (which is referenced countless times and is part of the plot). A Wrinkle In Time was one of my favorite books too, and this shared loved of Meg and Charles Wallace and tesseracts helped me relate even more to Miranda.
Suggestion For Reading The Book: Find a smart 10- or 11-year-old kid who likes to read. Get both of you a copy of A Wrinkle In Time and When You Reach Me. Read the books together and discuss. Or, if this isn’t possible, read the book yourself and enjoy being carried away by great children’s literature. Whatever you do, just read this book!
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Oh man, I love the idea of reading When You Reach Me and A Wrinkle in Time together. Why didn’t I think of that?
Isn’t that a match made in heaven???? : )
Well, I’m going to have to get a copy of When You Reach Me. I loved A Wrinkle in Time and the 70′s were a great decade to be a kid.
Oh, and I’m the same way about museums
I think you do need to get When You Reach Me. You meet all the requirements of someone who will love it.
I plan to read the Fox sequel because I really enjoyed the first book, but the whole keeping the mind alive digitally might be too hard for me to buy. I guess we’ll see.
Well, it isn’t any worse than building a person from just 10% of their brain, I suppose! I’ll be curious to see what you think.
I may have to check out the Fox sequel. I didn’t love the first one, but I’m curious about this one. I’m glad you were honest about Faking Smart though, it’s tough to say you don’t love a book, but I certainly appreciate being about to trust your comments.
I wonder if you would like the Fox sequel more because you didn’t like the first book so much. (Just like me.) This was a very different book in terms of tone and pace. I still didn’t fall totally in love though.
I cannot do self-published books. I truly feel that if a book was good, or at least had some sort of merit, that it would find its way into a publisher’s hands. A self-published book is always a red flag for me.
It’s especially hard when the author is very gracious with their review request.
I avoided self-published books for ages and then gave in for reasons I’m not entirely clear about. I think I’ll go back to my policy of politely turning down these requests.
First, I cannot understand why I’m not getting updates from your blog. I’ll check my blogger settings and see what I can come up with. I have some catch up to do.
Secondly, I will skip Faking Smart. That’s too bad. Wish you could have that reading time back, huh?
And now I need to go reread A Wrinkle in Time. I did a college write up on it for an adolescent psychology class. It’s always been a favorite. Oh, I did finish Packing for Mars. In the end I did enjoy it, very detailed on the most basic things. But still interesting.
I’m glad you enjoyed Packing for Mars. It did have a very narrow focus. Mary Roach has a curious mind I think!!!
And I could have predicted you would have been a fan of A Wrinkle In Time based on what I know about you!!!
I’m not sure what is going on with the blog updates. I subscribe to them to make sure they are working correctly and they seem to be. Maybe you need to resubcribe or something.
I appreciate your honesty in these reviews. I really want to read When You Reach Me – didn’t it win an award?
When You Reach Me won a whole bunch of awards … most notably the Newbery Medal!
Regarding the Fox books…I am used to being out of step sometimes with the general Bloggish opinion…but what can you do? Sometimes, as you say, a book just rubs us wrong for any number of reasons.
Usually, with YA books, I’m almost always out of step with general bloggish opinion. I just don’t think that genre is for me.
I just recently bought The Adoration of Jenna Fox, and have been wondering how this sequel would stand up. It sounds like they were both very different books in terms of plot and character. I am hoping to read the first one soon, and it will be interesting to see how our reactions compare to it. When You Reach Me also sounds like a fun book. Glad to hear it was met with much success!
The two Jenna Fox books are very different in terms of tone and plot. I don’t know why the books rubbed me the wrong way. I tend to have problems with YA books though! Don’t know why exactly. “When You Reach Me,” however, was a real winner.
That third book sounds really good! Maybe I should get it and read it before giving it to my granddaughter. I love the 70s.
It would make a great grandmom-granddaughter read!
I was one of the dorfs that loved Jenna Fox. The criticisms all made sense in hindsight but I loved the book while I was reading it. Should I read the sequel? I don’t know. I guess I would if it were handed to me. Now, When You Reach Me has been on the list for a very long time. Raych has the idea…readathon material!
You aren’t alone in loving Jenna Fox … I saw more people liking it than not liking it. I think you’ll find the sequel to be a very different book. If you want, I’ll send you my copy. Just shoot me an e-mail with your address! And I think you’d love When You Reach Me … and you got the kids to read it with!
Great mini reviews. I haven’t read anything you mentioned other than a Wrinkle in Time. (love it). I’ve request “when you reach me” GET THAT MOJO BACK.
It is hard to blog in summer I think!!! I’ve always thought blogging was more suited to the winter months. I’ll do my best to get my mojo back but it is challenging!
I totally felt the EXACT same way about The Fox Inheritance. Maybe my review hasn’t published yet. But when it does you will see – we could have co-written it!
Woo hoo! I’m glad I’m not alone in my opinion about The Fox Inheritance. I always question myself when I don’t really care for a book and criticize it. Now I can rest easy. Can’t wait to read your review!
I will have to try When You Reach Me. I loved Wrinkle in Time!!! Just re-read it a year or so ago too – not quite as magical as my first time – but still good. My son just read the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. He an I are reading the Pendragon series right now – which I am loving.
I’ve not reread A Wrinkle In Time because I’m afraid it won’t be as magical as I remember it. Some things are best left in the past. However, it was wonderful to read a new to me book that evoked memories of reading those magical books of childhood. I”ll have to look into the Pendragon series!
I have said it before, but I will say it again. i just love your mini reviews. Still going strong over here I read 5 whole books this summer….a record for me!
I’m so proud of you for all your reading!!! Keep it up!
My 13-yr-old niece is here so that last book might be something for her! (I’ll skip the others.)
It would be perfect for her I think … and I suspect you would like it too.
That last one sounds great! My ten-year-old daughter might like it. We are reading Harry Potter right now, but I want to introduce her to The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler because I can’t tell you how much I loved that book (or how many times I read it). It was just awesome.
When You Reach Me would be PERFECT to read with your daughter … along with The Mixed Up Files. I adored that book!!
Great mini-reviews! I’m sad that the sequel to The Adoration of Jenna Fox is not very good. I was one who liked the first book but based on your review I don’t think I would like this one.
Well, like I said, I wasn’t a big fan of the first book so you might not want to listen to me. It is a very different book in mood and tone though.
My mojo’s on vacation, too. I think it went to Antarctica.
Hmmm…and you don’t like to be cold so how are you going to get it back????!!
I read When You Reach Me for a readathon and was all, Wheee! Easy YA books with low page counts and large print and ZOMG HEARTBREAK AND WHIMSY. I loved it so hard, is what I mean.
I loved it hard too! : )
When You Reach Me is one of my favorites! It’s one of those that I intend to buy at some point just because I want a copy on my shelf.
I liked the first Jenna Fox book better, but I think it’s because I enjoyed the introspection and speculation on identity and what makes a person a person. The second book was more action-packed, but completely different in tone.
As for the second book – that’s why I hardly ever accept pitches from authors. I just don’t like to accept a free copy and then turn around and say I don’t like it.
I’m pretty sure I read “When You Reach Me” because of you so thank you!!! It was wonderful.
And the second Jenna Fox book did feel like a completely different book … maybe that is why I liked it better! HAHA!
And I learned my lesson about accepting pitches from authors. It just feels too awkward.