Review of The Big Door Prize by M.O. Walsh

 

Walsh, M.O.  The Big Door Prize.  Putnam, 2020.

 

A new machine has made an appearance at Johnson’s Grocery Store in Deerfield, Louisiana, and lots of people are standing in line to use it. For only $2 and a mouth swab, users receive a blue slip of paper with their life station printed on it.  After reading their results, citizens of the town are buying new clothes and supplies to change what has long been their jobs.  Suddenly, the mayor of Deerfield thinks he should be a cowboy; the school principal wants to retire and become a carpenter; a local musician wants to be a magician; and a high school student thinks he is going to be a major-league pitcher.  It seems like the whole town has gone crazy!

 

Douglas Hubbard, the history teacher at Deerfield Catholic, and his wife, Cherilyn, were high school sweethearts and have been happily married for years.  However, after Cherilyn uses the DNAMIX machine, she thinks she is “royalty” and is no longer content to be just a housewife and make crafts in her kitchen.  On a whim, Douglas buys a trombone and starts taking lessons, but not because the machine gave him the idea.  In fact, the machine told him he was a “whistler” and a “teacher”, which is disappointing to him.  Douglas doesn’t know why Cherilyn is suddenly acting strangely, but he also doesn’t know that she used the machine.

 

Deuce Newman, the town photographer, has had a crush on Cherilyn ever since high school and is still mad that she married Douglas instead of him.  He is hoping to change that result because the DNAMIX machine tells him that he is “royalty”, just like Cherilyn. 

 

There are more subplots involving revenge, a possible school shooting, a gang rape, a Catholic priest, a free taxi driver, a local band, and Cherilyn’s mom, who has the beginnings of dementia.

 

The Big Door Prize is M.O. Walsh’s second novel, and it is humorous and delightful.  It has an old-town nostalgia feel similar to books written by Fannie Flagg.  The book is character-driven, filled with quirky and charming characters and multiple subplots that mesh finely together at the end.

 

Each chapter of the book begins with a cute, engaging title that foreshadows what will occur within that chapter.  The novel is well-paced and the action will keep readers turning the pages.  The book raises an interesting question of what a person would do differently in his life if he has a choice and a second chance.

 

The Big Door Prize received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist.  Give this book to readers who enjoy humorous fiction, books with intriguing characters, and fans of Louisiana novels.  I recommend it for public libraries and give it four out of five fleur de lis!

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for allowing me to read and review this book!

Review of Crazy House by James Patterson

Patterson, James.  Crazy House.  Hanchette, 2017.

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The United States has been split up into cells which are totally controlled by the new government, “The United”.  Citizens have jobs chosen for them, and it is forbidden to leave the cell’s boundaries.  Seventeen-year-old twins Cassie and Becca are trying to keep their family’s farm going after their mom was sent away to have a “mood adjustment” and their dad was hospitalized after trying to commit suicide. 

There have been a number of child kidnappings, and Becca becomes the ninth victim.  She is thrown into a secret prison full of teens and tweens who are now on “Death Row”.  These “prisoners” are tortured, forced to fight one another, and, overall, treated brutally.  Occasionally, one of them is murdered in front of the others.  Cassie ends up as a kidnap victim, joining her sister in prison, and experiences what has happened to her twin.  

Becca and Cassie work together with fellow prisoners to escape and figure out the prison’s secrets, many dealing with cells, the general masses, and the elite, but unknown, population.

This is the second young adult collaboration between James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet.  Although James Patterson is well known for his adult novels, he has been making the foray into the YA world for a number of years now.  Gabrielle Charbonnet also writes under the pen name, Cate Tiernan.  She has written books for both children and young adults.

This dystopian novel has all the surprises, twists, and turns that readers have come to expect from Mr. Patterson.  The prison scenes are, at times, horrific and quite gory--add to that, the experience of having a child murdered right in front of an audience full of kids!  There are reasons behind all of the plot devices, but I do not want to spoil any of the suspense for those who have not yet read the book.

Readers will be sucked into this fast-paced novel.  The ending is a real cliffhanger, so I am hoping this is the first in a planned series of books.  I recommend the book for upper middle, high school, and public libraries, and I give it four out of five fleur de lis!

Review of The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig

Haig, Francesca.  The Fire Sermon.  Gallery Books, 2015.

In the distant future, the world has been ravaged by an atomic blast and radiation, supposedly caused by technology.  Twins, one boy and one girl, are now always born to couples.  One twin, the Alpha, is perfect, while the other twin, the Omega, is flawed in some way.  Either a limb is missing, or the baby is blind or deaf, or the Omega is a Seer and has no obvious physical deformities.

Alphas and Omegas are split as soon as possible, with Omegas being branded, banished, and persecuted.  Alphas are the Golden Children, born into privilege and opportunity.  But there is a fatal element to the twin relationship; the twins are linked.  No matter how far apart the siblings live, when one twin dies, so does the other.

Zach and Cass aren’t split until they are thirteen years old.  Cass does her best to hide the fact that she is a Seer, but Zach waits patiently until he can expose her, and she is ultimately branded and exiled.  Years later, Zach has become a leader on the Alpha Council and has Cass kidnapped.  She is imprisoned in The Keeping Rooms, where she is interrogated by The Confessor, an Omega Seer working for the Alpha Council.

After several years, Cass manages to escape and frees another prisoner from a situation worse than hers.  With Council soldiers chasing them, She and “Kip” flee, searching for a supposedly mythical island—a haven where Omegas can live safe and free.  But both Alphas and Omegas need Cass, not just because she is a Seer, but because she sees things differently and hopes for a world where Alphas and Omegas can coexist.

This is the debut novel and the first installment in a new series by Francesca Haig.  The prose the author uses is beautifully written, testifying to her poetry background.  Haig’s world building is amazing and unique, with vivid descriptions of the island, the Omega settlements, and the ocean.  Her characters are strong and well developed.  My favorite character is Kip, who has been through so much, but still manages to remain positive and strong for Cass.

The twin concept in The Fire Sermon offers a fresh and interesting twist in the currently popular dystopian genre.  The action scenes in the book will keep the reader turning the pages!  The movie rights for novel have been optioned by Dreamworks, and the sequel will come out in January, 2016, first in the UK and then in the US.  Haig is already working on the third volume. 

The Fire Sermon will be enjoyed by The Hunger Games and Divergent fans.  I highly recommend it for middle school, high school, and public libraries and give it four out of five fleur de lis!

 *Reviewer’s note:  The copy reviewed was an e-ARC received from Net Galley.

Review of Thin Space by Jody Casella

Casella, Jody.  Thin Space.  Simon and Schuster, 2013.

Marsh Windsor loses his twin brother, Austin, in a car accident in which he is the driver.  He feels extreme remorse and guilt over what has happened and wishes he had been the one to die, instead.  After getting out of the hospital, Marsh begins to hunt for a “thin space”—a type of doorway where living people can enter the world of the dead and where the dead can return.  Mrs. Hansel, his neighbor, told him that she had a thin space in her house before she died.  Marsh’s goal is to find a thin space, go through, and change places with his dead brother.

Marsh has been looking for a thin space by going barefoot because that is the only way to pass through.  He has given up all his activities at school and is getting in a lot of fights.  His school counselor, Mrs. Golden, who also lives on his street, has taken an interest in him and his altered personality.

When a new family moves into Mrs. Hansel’s vacant house, Marsh feels like this is his ticket to get in and look for the thin space.  Maddie, his new neighbor, tries to help him by doing research on thin spaces because she would like to see her late father again.

The pair eventually find a thin space right when they are about to give up.  However, Mrs. Golden has already found the space and has crossed over to see her dead husband.

Thin Space, the author’s debut novel, starts out as realistic fiction and ends up being a paranormal story.  The novel is extremely character-driven.  The guilt and grief that Marsh feels for the part he played in his brother’s death is so thick that they practically ooze off the page.  He is insanely obsessed with finding a way to reach his brother in order to avenge his death.

Marsh’s new neighbor, Maddie, is a strong female character.  Although she seems vulnerable, she is more than able to take care of herself.  She urges Marsh to keep up his search, even as he is wavering.

There is a huge twist that happens at the end of the story that I did not see coming.  As I look back, all the signs were there, but I missed every one of them!   Additionally, the last line of the book is genius!  I highly recommend this novel for high school and public libraries.  I give it five out of five fleur de lis!

Review of Rebel Heart (the sequel to Blood Red Road) by Moira Young

Young, Moira.  Rebel Heart.  Margaret K. Elderry Books, 2012.

In this second installment in The Dustland series, the evil Tonton, led by "The Pathfinder", have become even more brutal than before.  Families are being kidnapped, killed, and forced out of their homes to make room for "Stewards of the Earth" in New Eden.

 

Saba, Lugh, Emmi, and Tommo are heading West through the wastelands with its Wrecker debris, in search of "The Big Water", which is supposed to be a type of paradise.  Saba has been having hallucinations and dreams of people she has killed, and she and Lugh are having disagreements.  Saba wants to part ways with her family and friends and search for Jack, but Lugh thinks that Jack is trouble.

 

In the meantime, Jack is also heading West to meet Saba.  He stops at The Lost Cause, the tavern that Molly Pratt owns, to deliver a message.  Unfortunately for him, members of the Tonton show up while he is there.  Now Jack is missing and is presumed to have joined up with the Tonton.

 

If you are looking for action and adventure, this sequel is for you!  While I feel that Rebel Heart is not as good as its predecessor, Blood Red Road, it is still riveting and exciting!

 

Saba does not start out the story as a strong character, but she overcomes her weeknesses as the book progresses.  Jack is portrayed as a cold-blooded killer and must re-earn his way into Saba's good graces.  Lugh has so many problems, which is logical, bu it makes him appear stubborn and selfish at times.

 

New characters are introduced in this sequel.  My favorite is Dr. Salmo Slim, Traveling Physician and Surgeon, with his camel, The Grand Champeen of the Pillawalla Camel Race, who is pulling a broken down wagon supposedly filled with medicines and potions.  I also loved little Auriel Tai, the "Sky Speaker", who tries to heal Saba's dream demons and is wise beyond her years.  DeMalo plays a large part in the book and tries to appear caring and alluring to Saba, but he has ulterior motives!

 

Like Blood Red Road, this book uses intentional misspellings and no quotation marks in its dialogue.  There is a third installment, as yet unnamed, coming but not until 2014!

 

I recommend Rebel Heart for middle school, high school, and public libraries.

 

**Reviewer's Note:  The copy reviewed was a digital ARC received from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Review of The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted; Bloomsbury, 2010.

"Does not a child recognize her own mother?" This is what Lucy Sexton thinks when she finds a woman who looks exactly like her mother on her family's doorstep. It turns out that Aliese Sexton has an identical twin, separated at birth, and none of her family members, including her, knew! The Sexton family takes in unpolished Helen Smythe and grooms her into a fashionable, cultured woman and then formally presents her to society. Unfortunately, death begins to enter into the picture after the celebration. An intruder enters the house, ties up both sisters, and then brutally murders one of them. Lucy thinks that her beloved Aunt Helen has been killed, but then begins to have doubts. Could it be that her mother was murdered and her aunt is trying to take her mother's place? Even when Aunt Helen was alive, Lucy often got her mother and sister confused! Shouldn't a child know her own mother????

This was a gripping tale, from beginning to end! The attention to detail of fashions of this time period was exquisite. The history was very well-researched, and the customs and manners were woven into the plot. I especially appreciated the way that a secret tunnel and the way it connected two houses was implemented into the storyline. There were so many twists and turns, betrayals, and jealsousies brought out that I was kept guessing until the end of the book!

This is a thriller, and a real page-turner! I highly recommend this book for high school and public libraries. According to barnesandnoble.com, it will be available on August 31, 2010!