BOOK REVIEW: Outrun the Moon / Stacey Lee

TITLE: Outrun the Moon
AUTHOR: Stacey Lee
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

GENRE
Young Adult -- Historical Fiction

REVIEW
My God, it’s full of stars! There aren’t enough stars on Amazon and Goodreads and Audible combined to do justice to how much I loved this book. I get excited whenever I find historical fiction starring Asian Americans, so I bought the audiobook of Stacey Lee’s OUTRUN THE MOON without even reading the description. Which was kind of fun, because I went in knowing only that it was about a Chinese girl in early 1900s California, and every little plot point was a surprise (I had no idea the earthquake was going to feature in the book, let alone throw the entire plot off-kilter). I suppose, in a way, this is how books are meant to be experienced… with the reader knowing no more than the character does about what’ll happen next.

15-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to escape the poverty of San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1906. Armed with nothing more than advice from a business book written by a tough Texan lady, a can-do attitude, and a handful of business connections, she strolls into the halls of St. Clare’s School for Girls aiming to get herself an elite education. However, St. Clare’s only admits wealthy white girls, and even after she manages to talk her way in (through a mix of cleverness and bribery), she finds herself unwelcome. Despite the bullying and blatant racism, she’s determined to succeed. Then the historic earthquake strikes, upending her entire world. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter if you’re an heiress or the daughter of a launderer—the only think you can do is go to the emergency park encampment and hope the army will bring food before everyone starves. But Mercy isn’t about to sit around waiting to be rescued. Resourceful and brave, she rallies her classmates to fight for survival and maybe, just maybe, start to heal this broken city.

To say I loved this book is a glaring understatement. It was one of those audiobooks that had me hoping for traffic jams so I might get an extra chapter in before reaching my destination. I loved everything about it—Mercy, the plot, the setting, the writing, the supporting characters… everything glittered. Lee does a fantastic job of bringing 1906 San Francisco to life, whether it’s the bustling streets of Chinatown or the elitist institution Mercy attends. This book tells the story of one tough-as-nails teen girl while showcasing aspects of history and culture that aren’t often discussed. I really enjoyed the way Mercy’s superstitions, stemming from her Chinese heritage, were subtly woven into her thoughts and actions—and also the way her culture and background shaped the way she saw the world. There are so many little things that mold a person’s perceptions, many of which are too minute for most to notice, let alone capture, and yet whose absence is felt on a visceral level. I get this a lot when reading about Asian characters written by non-Asian authors, so it was lovely to meet one of those rare Chinese American characters who feel 100% authentic. (P.S. In case this review somehow ends up posted somewhere that doesn’t show my profile—I’m Chinese American).

While the plot may sound low-key on paper, the writing style makes it unexpectedly tense. Also, I was so invested in Mercy that I really felt for her… I was rooting for her as she sought to get into St. Clare’s by any means necessary, cheering with her when she succeeded, appalled with her as she dealt with blatant racism, laughing with her as she plotted her revenge on the bullies, horrified with her as she searched for her family in the wake of the earthquake… I was bummed when this book ended because I felt like I was saying goodbye to a friend who was moving to a country without Facebook, meaning I wouldn’t get to see how her life turned out afterward.

This gush-fest wouldn’t be complete without giving a shout-out to the truly fabulous audiobook narrator, Emily Woo Zeller. She really made Mercy’s voice come alive—sometimes with youthful bravado, sometimes with honest vulnerability. And the voices of the supporting characters all felt distinct and unique in their own ways. If my computer keyboard had emojis, I’d be typing a string of applauding hands right now.

So in conclusion… BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stacey Lee is a fourth generation Chinese-American whose people came to California during the heydays of the cowboys. She believes she still has a bit of cowboy dust in her soul. A native of southern California, she graduated from UCLA then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. After practicing law in the Silicon Valley for several years, she finally took up the pen because she wanted the perks of being able to nap during the day, and it was easier than moving to Spain. She plays classical piano, raises children, and writes YA fiction.

REVIEW: All the Butterflies in the World / Rodney Jones

TITLE: All the Butterflies in the World

AUTHOR: Rodney Jones

PUBLISHER: Red Adept Publishing

AVAILABILITY: Purchase links on publisher's website (click here)

GENRE

Young Adult - Time Travel Romance

REVIEW

Full disclosure: I'm a fellow Red Adept Publishing author, and the below reflects my honest opinions.

All the Butterflies in the World is the sequel to Rodney Jones's YA time travel romance, The Sun, The Moon, and Maybe the Trains. In the first book, John Bartley, an earnest 18-year-old from 1875 Vermont, accidentally wanders through a time warp that lands him in 2009, where he meets the spunky 17-year-old Tess McKinnon. A romance blossoms, but ends tragically from John's perspective with Tess's death at the hands of a corrupt sheriff. But from Tess's perspective, none of this ever happened – all she knows is that there's an old-fashioned bum on her doorstep claiming to know her, since another time warp landed John back in the moment before he met Tess in the first place. And that's where Butterflies begins.

Alternating between Tess's and John's perspectives, Butterflies is part sci-fi with the time travel, part historical fiction (about half the book takes place in 1875), part romance, and all entertaining. John is, of course, overjoyed that the girl he loves is still alive, and yet the reunion is bittersweet, since she doesn't remember him at all. Tess, meanwhile, isn't sure what to believe. Her first reaction is that her best friend, Liz, sent John to prank her. But even though she doesn't believe he's a time traveler, she finds his good-natured personality charming and decides to help him find his way around the modern world. The two grow close all over again, and the contrast between John's good-boy earnestness and Tess's sassy-girl snarkiness is fun to watch.

When John, in an attempt to prove his story, looks over old newspapers from 1875, he discovers that his uncle was wrongfully hanged for Tess's murder and decides he has to go back to fix the past. After he fails to return, Tess looks over the papers again and discovers that history has changed – this time, John was hanged, since he was discovered burying Tess's body. Tess isn't about to stand by and let that happen, though, and decides to go through the time warp herself to set things right once and for all.

Butterflies is a charming little story of young love featuring two sympathetic protagonists readers will easily connect with. John is instantly likable, and I, for one, was glad to see the good boy featured in a YA romance for a change. No brooding or tantrums here – John actually seems like he would make a good boyfriend (and the kind most mothers would approve of). Tess falls more into the love-her-or-hate-her category, with her sarcasm and smart-aleck quips. In other words, she acts like a typical American teenager in the 21^stcentury. But underneath it all, she's a compassionate and courageous girl willing to risk it all for the boy she loves, yet smart enough to go in prepared. One of the things I liked best about her was her intelligence – she's an interesting combination of teenage bravado and more mature reasoning. Readers who found her abrasive in the first book will probably like her better in the second, since her perspective adds more depth to her snarkiness.

I loved Sun Moon Trains, and I was overjoyed when I learned that Jones was writing a sequel. And Butterflies doesn't disappoint. It's fun and amusing, sweet and often profound. So do yourself a favor and pick up both books if you haven't already (and why haven't you? Look at those gorgeous covers!).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

While a past resident of Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, New York, and Vermont, Rodney now resides in Indiana, where he whiles away his days pecking at a laptop, riding his ten-speed up the Cardinal Greenway, taking long walks with his daughter, or backpacking and wilderness camping.

His list of past occupations reads like his list of past residences, though his life-long ambition was to be an artist until he discovered a latent affinity for writing.

“In art,” Rodney says, “I was constantly being asked to explain images constructed from a palette of emotions and ideas, which usually required complex narratives to convey their meaning, if there even was a meaning. In writing, the words are creating the images, images are telling a story, the story is evoking feelings. I like it. There’s nothing to explain.”

Rodney’s interests include: art, science, politics, whiskey and chocolate, music (collecting vinyl records), gardening, and travel.

LINKS

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O87R33S

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-butterflies-in-the-world-rodney-jones/1120647919?ean=2940150498266

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/all-the-butterflies-in-the-world

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rodney_Jones_All_the_Butterflies_in_the_World?id=x1OyBAAAQBAJ

Author page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.com/rodney-jones/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23033647-all-the-butterflies-in-the-world

a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: Stone & Silt / Harvey Chute

TITLE: Stone & Silt
AUTHOR: Harvey Chute
PUBLISHER: Red Adept Publishing
AVAILABILITY: Amazon (Kindle e-book), Amazon (paperback), Amazon (Audible audiobook), Barnes & Noble (paperback), and more

GENRE
Historical Fiction - Young Adult/Children's

This book falls into either the Young Adult or Children's (including Middle Grade) category depending on your definitions. The protagonist, Nikaia, is 16 and dealing with her first love, which puts it into YA by the classic definition. However, knowing that the YA definition has narrowed lately to include only the edgy, cynical, not-safe-for-children books, I am confident in saying that this is one that crosses the divide. It is 100% G-rated (no sex, very mild adventure-style violence, no bad words, unless you count "half-breed") and absolutely appropriate for young children.

REVIEW
I know I'm technically not allowed to rate or OFFICIALLY review this book, since Harvey and I share a publisher (Red Adept Publishing, who published my sci-fi series) and house rules say no, but can I please please please gush for a moment? Pleeeeeeease? I'd doing it with full disclosure! Okay, just in case, here are a few more disclosures: Harvey and I are both published by Red Adept Publishing. However, Red Adept Publishing did not ask me to read or review this book. I bought this book on with my own cash monies because I felt like it and read it on my own volition because it seemed like just my kind of book. Neither Red Adept Publishing nor Harvey asked me to review this book or say nice things about it. I swear I swear I swear. All opinions below are my own, and I may get in trouble with one of my bosses (Red Adept Publishing) for writing this, but... I must! Because this book is sooooooo good!!!

Let me start by saying that I was a total Frontier Girl growing up. Like, an American history NUT. I was so into 1800s frontier-type stories, I asked my mother to make me a Laura Ingalls costume when I was a kid and didn't relent until she gave in. I still have that dress, although sadly, it doesn't fit me anymore. I was also a total sucker for Mark Twain's tales of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and on top of that, I was really into Native American history. I watched Pocahontas more times than I can count (all the while knowing the historic inaccuracies, privately detailing them in my diary, and analyzing which ones were okay for the stories and which ones were just Disney laziness). I own native Alaskan art.

So for me, Harvey Chute's STONE & SILT totally hit the spot. It's the story of a young girl living in 1860s British Columbia. AND, she happens to be biracial - half white, half Caucasian. Which, of course, makes her the victim of cruel discrimination. On top of that, she has a major crush on Yee Sim, the nice Chinese boy next door, who has his own worries, being of a much discriminated-against immigrant culture. As a person of Chinese descent myself, I find it wonderfully refreshing to see the Chinese immigration in the 1800s ACTUALLY ADDRESSED. With a REAL LIVE CHARACTER. Because as much as I loved frontier stories, it always bugged me that "Chinamen" were relegated to background roles. And WHAT! A Chinese boy actually gets to be the ROMANTIC LEAD?!?!?! I was totally grinning ear to ear. For real.

On top of its diversity cred (Nikaia's native heritage is explored at length through her mother's family and through rituals/traditions), STONE & SILT is also a fantastically written peek into the past. Perfect for young readers looking to explore American (and when I say American, I mean the whole continent of North America) history. Depictions of 1800s life are gorgeously detailed, and yet the tone is innocent enough to be appropriate for kids of all ages. The heavy theme of racism is explored, and it's handled very well, in a manner appropriate for children and middle schoolers (it reminded me of how slavery was addressed in the American Girl books about Addy, another childhood favorite of mine). 

And then there's the plot. It's a classic whodunit that keeps the reader wondering and the pages turning, especially in the last quarter or so of the book (where there's some fantastic action... and I'm saying that as an action/adventure buff here). The mystery of who stole the gold and murdered the man takes a bit of time to really get moving, and I personally think it's only half the point of the book. The book is really about life in another era, historic traditions, and young love.

I would heartily recommend this book to fans of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books (Little House on the Prairie and its sequels), as well as fans of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. And anyone interested in American history. Especially if they have kids, but even if they don't. Because I don't, and this book made me feel like a delighted little girl again, reading about the curious lives of the people who were here all those years and years before me.

AUTHOR INFO

Harvey Chute grew up in the Fraser Canyon village of Lytton, British Columbia – a town rich in native culture and colonial gold rush history.

In his high school and university years, Harvey spent his summers guiding whitewater raft trips on the Thompson and Fraser rivers.

He works as a program manager for an Information Technology consulting firm. Harvey also created the web’s largest independent Kindle user forum, KindleBoards.com, which is popular with both readers and authors.

Harvey lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife, three daughters, a lovable golden retriever, and a stern cat. He enjoys walking mountain trails, learning blues guitar, and being surrounded by great books.

Harvey’s previously published works include five technical guides in the “For Dummies” series by Wiley Inc.

REVIEW: Dawnflight (The Dragon's Dove Chronicles Book 1) / Kim Headlee

TITLE: Dawnflight (The Dragon's Dove Chronicles Book 1)
AUTHOR: Kim Headlee
PUBLISHER: Self-published
AVAILABILITY: Amazon (e-book), Amazon (paperback), Audible (audiobook)

GENRE
Romance - Historical

REVIEW
Dawnflight is a vivid re-imagining of the tale of King Arthur and Guinevere. In this version of the tale, which makes more historical sense given that King Arthur supposedly lived in the Dark Ages (and not the Renaissance, as most tellings depict), Guinevere is Gyanhumara (called "Gyan"), a Caledonian chieftainess, and Arthur is a Roman general who has recently become the Pendragon, supreme commander of all armies in the British territories.

Gyan is a spirited young woman trained as a warrior, though she has yet to see real battle. Her mother was the chieftainess before her, and she is looked up to by her people as a strong and capable leader. For the sake of peace, Gyan agrees to marry Urien, son of the leader of her clan's deadliest rival. However, though Urien is plenty strong and handsome, he proves to be a controlling brute who, unaccustomed to Gyan's more egalitarian culture, is appalled by her boldness and determined to put her "in her place."

Not long after the betrothal, Gyan meets Arthur, whose good looks, aura of authority, and intelligence steal her heart right away. What's more, he actually respects her strength, and he falls for her just as fast. But his own treaty with the British clans states that Gyan must marry a British nobleman, and he doesn't qualify. What's more, breaking the betrothal with Urien would mean civil war.

Lushly written and vividly described, Dawnflight brings Gyan and her world to life that had me believing every word. The language is beautiful, and each scene was visible in my head as I listened to the audiobook. Dorothy Dickson's narration is mesmerizing and perfectly captures the gorgeous descriptions and the internal monologues of each character.

The strengths of this book really lie in the setting and the characters. Each one is believable, and it's clear that Headlee did a lot of research to put this tale to paper. It reminded me of a combination between Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon and the 2004 King Arthur movie starring Clive Owen and Keira Knightley. Gyan is an intelligent and independent woman who is easy to sympathize with. My one issue with her is the sheer amount of time she spends agonizing over her Urien-or-Arthur dilemma. 

Dawnflight is a romance at its core, with the bulk of the story focusing on the Gyan-Arthur-Urien love triangle. That there are political implications to Gyan's choice raises the stakes somewhat, although the fact that she has the right to marry whoever she wants and that Arthur, being the supreme commander, can rework any treaty he puts down, lowers the danger element. Still, Headlee is very good at describing emotion, and while I personally ran out of patience with Gyan a few times (being more of an action/adventure reader), lovers of romance will eat it up.

Arthur is portrayed as an upstanding yet open-minded leader. Charismatic and good-hearted, he is the ideal romantic lead for this story. His slight arrogance and unwillingness to express his true feelings make him human enough to be believable in this context. And his concern for the people he leads make him an admirable character.

Other notable characters are Gyan's fun-hearted half-brother Perador (or however you spell his name - audiobooks have that as a disadvantage), the young warrior Angus, who follows Gyan like a loyal puppy, Arthur's scheming sister Morge (again, apologies for misspelling), and the wise Merlin, who is a bishop in this story. Angus was my personal favorite - I found his genuine loyalty and desire to be the good guy absolutely adorable and was more distressed when he was in danger than when the bad guys attacked Gyan.

As for the plot - this is one of those slower-paced books that takes the time to really show each setting to its fullest. Toward the end, there is an attack by Scottish raiders on the island Gyan is staying at, which gives both her and Arthur the opportunity to show off their combat skills, but the bulk of the book is very calm when it comes to physical action (although plenty tumultuous in terms of emotional turmoil). The ending wraps things up nicely enough that this book could be read as a standalone, but definitely leaves room for more.

The historical setting of this book is what makes it stand apart from a lot of the other retellings of the King Arthur tale that exist. The book tells a "what if it really happened" kind of story, taking out all the fantastical and supernatural elements in favor of plausible "real world" explanations (such as Merlin being a bishop rather than a wizard). 

All in all, Dawnflight was an enjoyable read, especially with Dorothy Dickson's narration bringing it to life (I credit her with saving me from road rage, as I was listening to this audiobook while stuck in rush hour traffic on the NJ Turnpike). This book will appeal to lovers of Arthurian retellings, fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, and those hungry for romance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kim Headlee lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, goats, and assorted wildlife. People & creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old house ruins -- the latter having been occupied as recently as the mid-20th century -- seem to be sticking around for a while yet.

Kim is a Seattle native (when she used to live in the Metro DC area, she loved telling people she was from "the other Washington") and a direct descendent of 20th century Russian nobility. Her grandmother was a childhood friend of the doomed Grand Duchess Anastasia, and the romantic yet tragic story of how Lydia escaped Communist Russia with the aid of her American husband will most certainly one day fuel one of Kim's novels. Another novel in the queue will involve her husband's ancestor, the 7th-century proto-Viking king of the Swedish colony in Russia.

For the time being, however, Kim has plenty of work to do in creating her projected 8-book Arthurian series, The Dragon's Dove Chronicles. She also writes other romantic historical fiction under the pseudonym "Kimberly Iverson."

REVIEW: The Sun, the Moon, and Maybe the Trains / Rodney Jones

TITLE: The Sun, the Moon, and Maybe the Trains

AUTHOR: Rodney Jones

PUBLISHER: Red Adept Publishing

AVAILABILITY: Amazon US (paperback), Amazon US (Kindle e-book), Amazon UK (paperback), Amazon UK (Kindle e-book), Smashwords (multiple e-formats), Barnes and Noble (Nook e-book), All Romance (multiple e-formats), OmniLit (multiple e-formats)

APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 252 pages

Recommended for readers seeking 19th century American historical fiction and/or innocent romance.

GENRE

Romance—Young Adult/Historical Fiction

The Sun, the Moon, and Maybe the Trains is a nightmare to shelve. It contains elements of a variety of genres, being about a pair of teenage sweethearts, one from 2009 and one from 1875. Although it involves time travel, this book hardly counts as science fiction, as the time travel device is never explained and unimportant. The book is primarily concerned with the life of its teenage protagonist, John Hartley, a lad from 1875 who finds himself in 2009. The majority of the book takes place in 1875, and so it could also be considered historical fiction to some extent.

PACE

In The Sun, the Moon, and Maybe the Trains, Jones takes his time to develop his characters and paint a rich setting, detailing each scene with care. John’s conversational narration and the uncertainty of how things can possibly work out between John and his sweetheart from the future keep the pace moving forward even though this book isn’t a traditional page-turner (even so, I finished it much sooner than anticipated—curled up with it one night and finished the next).

PERSPECTIVE

First person past. John Hartley, a 17-year-old boy living in 1875, narrates this book in a conversational voice. Since he speaks from the point of view of someone living over a century ago, some of his word choices are a bit old-fashioned.

CONTENT REVIEW

John Hartley, a 17-year-old miller’s nephew living in 1875 Vermont, wanders into the woods near his hometown one day and finds himself in 2009. Clueless and confused, he meets the vivacious Tess, a girl his age. She soon gets over her disbelief over meeting someone from the past and does what she can to help John find his way back to 1875.

John, who narrates the novel, is immediately likable. His voice, down-to-earth and often contemplative, shines through the writing in a way that makes it easy to forget that he’s a character on a page. Honest, humble, and kindhearted, he hasn’t a wicked bone in his body. The only remotely negative thing anyone could possibly say about him is that he may be a bit too nice and thus vulnerable. His wide-eyed wonder at the curiosities of 2009 is funny and endearing, especially in his interactions with Tess, who (gasp!) runs around with bare, shaved legs and cusses more than a girl ought to.

Tess is one of those characters that you either love or hate right off the bat. Spunky and smart-mouthed, she comes off as a bit obnoxious as she teases John for his naiveté. And yet it’s that very spirit that draws John to her, that keeps her in his mind even after he finds his way back to his regular life. Not much is said about her back-story other than that she is the child of divorced parents. But actions speak louder than words, and despite her somewhat annoying mouth, her willingness to go out of her way to help John reveals her fundamentally kind nature.

When Tess unexpectedly shows up in 1875 after John finds his way home, trouble ensues. Why is she there? How can John explain her presence and strange behavior? The events that unfurl in the latter part of the book lead to an ending that completely blindsided me (and I’m rarely shocked by twist endings), so much so that I yelled out loud at my Kindle app. And yet, by the time I reached the last sentence, I found myself utterly satisfied with the way things worked out.

The majority of this novel takes place in John’s time, 1875, and the historical setting and everyday culture are believable and clearly well researched. There are barn dances and trips to town, old time justice and contemplation of courtship. The time travel element of this novel is left unexplained, as it is unimportant. It is an Act of God, the hand of the almighty Jones throwing John into Tess’ world to see what he’ll do. Neither John nor Tess have any way of knowing or controlling how or when they’ll end up jumping through time, only that it has something to do with a certain stretch of woods.

The Sun, the Moon, and Maybe the Trains is a charming tale of young love that blossoms from the most unlikely of circumstances. Engaging and absorbing, it swept me away and left me with a smile on my face.

THE NITPICKY STUFF

This book is impeccably edited.

This book contains a few instances of the “s” word but otherwise is completely G-rated.

AUTHOR INFO

While a past resident of Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, New York, and Vermont, Rodney Jones now resides in Richmond, Indiana, where he whiles away his days pecking at a laptop, riding his ten-speed up the Cardinal Greenway, taking long walks with his daughter, or backpacking and wilderness camping. Rodney's interests include: art, science, politics, whiskey and chocolate, music (collecting vinyl records), gardening, and travel.

Like his Facebook page, Follow him on Twitter, or Visit his Website 

Disclosure: Red Adept Publishing is also the publisher of my own novel, Artificial Absolutes. I bought and read this book on my own, and the above reflects only my honest opinion.