Book Review: The Opposite of Hallelujah

The Opposite of Hallelujah
by Anna Jarzab
449 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 9th 2012
Source: Library
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Caro Mitchell considers herself an only child - and she likes it that way. After all her much-older sister Hannah, left home eight years ago, and Caro barely remembers her. So when Caro's parents drop the bombshell news that Hannah is returning to live with them, Caro feels as if an interloper is crashing her family. To her, Hannah's a total stranger, someone who haunts their home with her meek and withdrawn presence, and who refuses to talk about her life and why she went away. Caro can't understand why her parents cut her sister so much slack, and why they're not pushing for answers.

Unable to understand Hannah, Caro resorts to telling lies about her mysterious reappearance. But when those lies alienate Caro's new boyfriend and put her on the outs with her friends and her parents, she seeks solace from an unexpected source. And when she unearths a clue about Hannah's past - one that could save Hannah from the dark secret that possesses her - Caro begins to see her sister in a whole new light.

I am a huge fan of Anna Jarzab's first novel All Unquiet Things so when I saw The Opposite of Hallelujah on the new YA books shelf at the Library I had to check it out. I had no clue whatsoever what it was about I just new I had to read it because of how much I enjoyed AUT.

The Opposite of Hallelujah surprised me. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it definitely threw me for a loop in the best of ways and even now I'm finding it hard to explain what The Opposite of Hallelujah is about because, well, it has a lot of themes and a lot is going on in it. A LOT.

First you've got Caro, a protagonist that is both relatable, hateable, and by the end a completely changed character. She's unusual because she's one of the first protagonists I've run across where she's not particularly likeable but she's meant to be that way. Caro is selfish, lies easily, and you spend half the book banging your head against the wall thinking "WHY CARO WHY?!?!" But the thing is, she changes, and she grows, and by the end of the book you're thinking "Dang girl, you've come so far. HECK YES YOU DESERVE YOU'RE ADORABLE BOYFRIEND."

Speaking of the said boyfriend he is totally adorbs. Pawel (pronounced Pavel) is Swedish, has an awesome family, and on top of just being a really nice guy (seriously, he's really nice) he has this quirky love for Rube Goldberg machines that I found totally endearing. In case you don't know what Rube Goldberg machines are the game Mouse Trap is the perfect example of a very simple one. When I was a kid I happened to really like Rube Goldberg machines (though I didn't know what they were at the time) so I thought Pawel's obsession with them was really cute. I also just really liked that this book talked about Rube Goldberg machines. Seriously. RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINES.


On top of those two characters (and the awesomeness of Rube Goldberg machines) another main one is Hannah, Caro's long lost nun turned non-nun sister. She's an equally fascinating and multi-faceted character and the way Anna Jarzab deals with her story and struggle is great.

Besides all these characters to work out there's also the plot which is full of a ton of different themes ranging from religion and science, to sisterhood and friendship, to self-discovery and forgiveness. A lot goes on in The Opposite of Hallelujah but Anna Jarzab manages to wrap it all together brilliantly and it works. It really works. I was particularly impressed with the way Anna Jarzab dealt with religion. When authors write about religion there are countless ways they can go wrong and very few in which they can go right. The Opposite of Hallelujah is the perfect example of religion done correctly. It isn't preachy, but it does bring up excellent points about religion and it will make a reader think. Not since Melissa Walker's book Small Town Sinner's have I read something that dealt with the subject of religion so well.

So in conclusion The Opposite of Hallelujah is a lot of things.

It's a story of sisters and self-discovery.

It's about faith and forgiveness.

It's mysterious, beautiful, and full of hope and possibilities.

Ultimately if you're a fan of contemporaries you should definitely pick this one up. You won't be disappointed! I award it 4 out of 5 ice cream cones!

If you want to know a little bit more about The Opposite of Hallelujah, the author Anna Jarzab, and her upcoming Many-Worlds trilogy, be sure to check back tomorrow for an exclusive interview!

Julia :)

Stacking the Shelves: The Hobbit Edition

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews! It's a chance to share all of our bookish goodness with the blogging world. Yay! :D

So these past few weeks have been kinda crazy. Between finals (okay, I only had one final but it was intense so cut me some slack!) and work I haven't had much time to blog, but now I am free for two whole weeks so YAY!!!! You should be seeing a lot more of me this coming semester. Good news right?

Anyways, I titled this one The Hobbit edition because I spend most of the vlog fangirling about The Hobbit and Tolkien in general. In fact, I edited out almost 10 minutes of extra fangirling. It was getting a bit much but I just love The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings so much that once you get me started, it's hard to get me to stop. Be sure to watch the vlog to see all my awesome Hobbit swag (POSTERS YES!) but if you're just here for the books I got you can just scroll down to the list. :)


Library
Feedback by Robison Wells
The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Gifted
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (UK softcover!)
Myth and Magic: The Art of John Howe
Lord of the Rings Bookmarks

Purchased
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Chronicles: Art and Design
The Hunger Games Daily Desk Calendar
Magnetic Bookmarks

Random Hobbit Swag
Hobbit Pen
LOTR Marathon Lanyard
The Hobbit Dog Tag and Tattoos
4 Special IMAX Hobbit Posters

Have any of you guys seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey yet? DID YOU LOVE IT?!?! If you have seen it let me know what you thought and be sure to say who your favorite dwarf was! In case it wasn't obvious in the vlog mine is Kili. Bofur is a close second but Kili is just such an adorable badass I cannot help but love him. BEST. DWARF. EVER. Peter Jackson and Aidan Turner win all the awards  for bringing such an awesome character to life.

Be sure to leave a link to your own Stacking the Shelves/Book Haul post in the comments below and I'll check it out! Have a fabulous week and a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Julia :)

The Boxcar Children is apparently scarier than we all remember....

I was shopping at Barnes and Noble the other day when I ran across The Boxcar Children series sitting on the shelf. Now I know what you're thinking: "Julia, what could possibly be so strange about seeing the Boxcar Children books?" Well let me tell you I took a double take because these weren't the Boxcar Children books that I remember and loved as a child. Oh no, these looked totally different because their covers have been completely redesigned. The result is HILARIOUS. Awful, but hilarious. The publisher must have decided the original covers were just too bland for todays kids and that the action needed to be kicked up a notch because that is the only explanation for the covers complete change in tone. Just look for yourselves:

Original Covers

New Covers

Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember the Boxcar Children being happy tales about 4 siblings who went on vacation and solved extremely harmless mysteries related to pets and "mysterious strangers" who turned out to be good friends or long lost relatives. I remember none of this "Oh my gosh the kids are gonna get struck by lightning" or "Benny is about to drown" stuff. In fact if you compare these covers one set looks like the wonderfully innocent and whimsical stories I remember and the other resembles something more along the lines of "Nightmares in Babysitting."

I mean the new covers set up all sorts of questions. Why is it always Violet and Benny about to die in some sort of natural disaster? Why the heck did Henry and Jessie run ahead in a lightning storm only to leave their siblings behind to get their brains zapped? And most importantly, why did the artist of the cover art always choose to draw Henry and Jessie in a perpetual state of shock while reaching out towards their younger practically helpless siblings? And why oh why are they doing this pose on the cover for The Yellow House Mystery when all Benny is doing is reaching into a hidden compartment in an old fireplace? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

Honestly I LOVE the Boxcar Children so I'm not poking fun at them at all. I just think these new covers do not reflect the true essence of the books at all. I understand they're trying to keep it hip for todays kids but did they really have to sacrifice the reality of the stories to do so?

How do you guys feel about covers getting redesigned with something that completely distorts the tone of the book? Do you like these new Boxcar Children covers? Or do you find them as perplexing and laughable as me? And most importantly, has my memory failed me and The Boxcar Children actually does have a scene involving a near death experience with a lightning storm? If so, do enlighten me. :P

Julia :)

Waiting on Wednesday [22]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking The Spine. The purpose is to spotlight upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Girl Defective by Simmone Howell!

We, the Martin family, were like inverse superheroes, marked by our defects. Dad was addicted to beer and bootlegs. Gully had "social difficulties" that manifested in his earing a pig snout mask 24/7. I was surface clean but underneath a weird hormonal stew was simmering....

It's summer in St. Kilda. Fifteen-year-old Sky is looking forward to great records, and nefarious activities with Nancy, her older, wilder, friend. Her brother - Super Agent Gully - is on a mission to unmask the degenerate who bricked the shop window. Bill the Patriarch seems content to drink while the shop slides into bankruptcy. A poster of a mysterious girl and her connection to Luke, the tragi-hot new employee sends Sky on an exploration into the dark heart of the suburb. Love is strange. Family Rules. In between there are teenage messes, rock star spawn, violent fangirls, creepy old guys, and accidents waiting to happen. If the world truly is going to hell in a hand-basket at least the soundtrack is kicking. Sky Martin is Girl Defective: funny, real, and dark at the edges.

Doesn't this book sound AWESOME?! I mean violent fangirls? Creepy old guys? THIS SUMMARY IS SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE!!! Not to say that I like those things, but you have to admit it's gonna be hilarious reading about them. Plus this whole thing sounds painfully hipster. I am so here for painfully hipster YA literature.

Girl Defective is coming out from Pan Macmillan Australia on March 1st. I guess I'll have to find some other hipster reading material to fill my time till then. Anyone have any suggestions?

Be sure to leave your WoW link in the comments below so I can check it out!

Julia :)

Book Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn
by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
356 pages
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 18th 2012
Source: Purchased

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is the kind of place where nobody locks their doors at night, where parents can sleep easy, knowing their daughters are tucked away safe and sound in their beds. 

But bad things can happen, even to good girls, and sometimes the only way to make things right is to do something wrong.

Lillia used to trust boys, but not anymore. Not after what happened this summer. And she'll be damned if she lets the same thing happen to her little sister.
Kat is through with being called a freak. She's over the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes made at her expense. It all goes back to one person - her ex-best riend - and Kat's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. Now that she's back, he's gonna be in trouble... ' cause she's coming after him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they've each had a taste.

I just want to start this review by saying that I want to live in a place like Jar Island. I don't care that it's isolated, and that you can only take a ferry to get there (talk about being screwed in a zombie apocalypse), and that everyone is all up in your business, I WANT TO LIVE THERE. A world with no fast food or WalMart? TAKE ME THERE!!!!!

Burn for Burn is basically my Jr. High dreams come true. Like most tweens and teens I experienced my fair share of bullying in middle school (even though I was homeschooled. Go figure.) so I can definitely relate to Lillia, Kat, Mary, and their need for revenge. But unlike these 3 girls I did not ever plan or take part in any sort of revenge tactics. However, I'm sure my very bitter middle school self would have been quite happy to take part in a group effort of revenge on those who had wronged me. It would have been awkward though considering they were all people from my youth group and some of them were elders kids. Whoops.... >.<

Anyway, Burn for Burn is one of those guilty pleasure reads. The kind where you imagine yourself as the characters, put yourself in their shoes, and, in this case, imagine the kind of revenge you'd wreak on your old enemies. Classy right? And oh so fun. I wouldn't say that I agreed with what Lillia, Kat, and Mary were doing but I definitely found it entertaining.

Lillia, Kat, and Mary are your stereotypical YA contemporary girls. Lillia is the popular girl, Kat is the girl who was once on the in, but is now on the out, and Mary is the girl who used to be overweight but is now slim and model gorgeous. Let me tell you straight up that there is nothing really special about these characters. If any of those descriptions sounded familiar to you (and I'm sure most if not all of them did) then you won't be too impressed. Mary does have an extra layer to her that I'm excited to see flesh out in future novels, but other than that the characters don't stray far from the familiar YA tropes they resemble. However, it's not the characters that make this story great but the revenge scenario itself. Each girl has a person from her past or present that she wants to get back at, and they're all willing to go to great lengths to make sure these enemies suffer. A LOT.

The revenge theme is what really makes this book. I know Burn for Burn isn't the only YA book on the market that involves revenge but this one felt a lot less catty which is always a plus. While reading Burn for Burn I felt almost like I was rooting for the underdogs and I actually found myself wanting the characters to succeed instead of just thinking they were being obnoxious, whiny brats. On top of that the ending started to give me some awesome Carrie by Steven King vibes which I was really digging. Take that as you may. ;)

Overall Burn for Burn is a pretty solid book. The real draw is the fact that it let me live vicariously through the characters as they carried out their crazy revenge schemes. It's probably not the best thing to admit, but I liked reading about the "bad guys" getting their just reward. I also loved the ending and how Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian spent the entire book romanticizing revenge, only to throw it back in my face as if to say "Is this what you wanted? IS IT?" That was the really great thing about this novel: regardless of run of the mill characters Burn for Burn made me think and got me involved and that is the mark of a good book. On top of that it had me longing for the next installment in this series. A win all around.

I give Burn for Burn 4 out of 5 ice cream cones.

Julia :)