Flight into Fantasy

Yesterday I reviewed the adult fantasy and SF I’ve been reading. Today, I’m going to take a brief look at some of the YA fantasy I’ve gone through over the past few months.

• Skellig by David Almond came recommended by Nymeth. It’s the story of a sad and lonely little boy whose family moves to a ramshackle house. His parents are preoccupied by the fact that his baby sister is seriously ill. Michael, the boy, is fascinated by the garage, which is condemned, and discovers a strange, winged man inside. He begins feeding the man, and with the help of a misfit girl he meets, he begins finding hope again.

  This story packs a lot in a very few words. It took me a while to get into it, and I’m still not entirely sure everything worked for me. I enjoyed the imagery, and I enjoyed the story’s gentle hopefulness, but I’m not sure it’s a book I would have chosen to read on my own. I think this one will get a C.

• I Was a Teenage Fairy is the first book by Francesca Lia Block that I’d read that wasn’t part of the Weetzie Bat series. like the Weetzie Bat books, Block takes us to a glittering version of Los Angeles. We meet Barbie, a struggling teenager whose mother, the worst stage mother ever, wants her to be a model so that she can relive her glory days. Barbie finds herself powerless, and she befriends Mab, a fairy she meets. Mab has a lot to teach Barbie, and in turn, there’s a lot Barbie can teach Mab as well.

  This is the kind of urban fantasy I like–the kind that evokes a definite sense of wonder. I don’t think I’d want to live in Block’s L.A., but it sure would be fun to visit. I found Barbie to be a bit of a doormat at first, but I adored Mab, and I liked watching Barbie come to find a sense of pride in herself. This one gets a strong B.

• Graceling by Kristen Cashore is another book I read because of all the hype. I think Renay was the one who eventually got me to pick this up. And I’m glad she did. While the book does lose a few points for not being as awesome as advertised, those don’t really matter outside of my head. This story features Katsa, a prickly, sharp-tongued young woman with different-colored eyes and amazing special powers. Mary Sue fanfic, right? Well, I thought it veered that way at the beginning, and so it took me a while to truly get to like Katsa. But gradually, without my picking up on it, Ms. Cashore made me care about her. It’s the vulnerability that I really like in my bad-ass fighter chicks, and though Katsa hides hers well, eventually it became obvious and from that point on, I was in her corner all the way. I also really loved Po, and I got why Katsa finds him fascinating. And I do have to say that I agree with part of Renay’s assessment of the book, and I’m glad to see a book end with the couple still together but not married, because that’s a perfectly acceptable choice, and anything else wouldn’t have been true to Katsa. My grade wavers on this one from a B to a B+, so I think I’ll be generous and go for the higher grade, because I do want to revisit this particular fantasy world.
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling wasn’t a book I’d intended to read. I actually haven’t readd any of the supplimentary Harry Potter materials, because honestly, that kind of stuff feels a bit like the author cashing in on the hype. And, in this case, that’s exactly how I felt reading these stories. I didn’t feel like I got much insight into wizarding culture that I’d missed before, and the fairy tales, while interesting in and of themselves, are kind of forgetable. I think I’ll stay clear of JKR until she writes another actual novel. C- for this one.

Come back tomorrow for some quick peeks at the romances I’ve read.