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Sucker-punched.

A Heart of Stone by Renate Dorrenstein
Book #27 for 2009
Book #4 for Diversity Challenge (American)

After reading The Dream Merchant, I felt a little loopy so I grabbed the first book off my TBR pile just so I could clear my mind, and I didn’t read the back cover (now that I read the summary, I am thinking it wouldn’t have helped) nor did I have any idea what the book was about, as I got it from the book swap at the last BMP party.

I wasn’t planning on reading it, but Tracy Chevalier’s recommendation on the cover (“moving, chilling, powerful”) caught my eye. It started out innocently enough, as a coming-of-age novel high on Americana and it was a compelling read. The protagonist, Ellen, is quite likeable, and I found myself smiling at the quaint family portrait she painted.

A few chapters into the book though, it becomes clear that there is something sinister lurking beneath the surface of the picture-perfect family, and the goosebumps started breaking out. There is a dark mystery at the heart of the book, something that happens after Ellen’s twelfth birthday that continues to haunt her twenty-five years later.

The passages alternate between homey and gruesome, in a disturbing medley. And as the dark family secret was starting to unravel, I couldn’t stop reading, although I was getting increasingly queasy and was stuffing my fist into my mouth to keep myself from screaming and/or getting sick. In a vile sort of way, the book is so engrossing it makes you read through all the trauma, until you feel like you’ve experienced it all as well.

I don’t think I’ll read it again because the first time was traumatizing enough, but it was a very good read that was gripping from start to finish.

***
my copy: trade paperback, now on my BookMooch inventory

my rating: 4/5 stars

Another gem from the bargain bin!

Curse of A Winter Moon by Mary Casanova
Book # 14 for 2009

I read this book thinking it would be something to add to my BookMooch inventory, but I ended up liking it and now I don’t want to give it away.

I got it, hardbound, for P20 at Book Sale and from the summary it appeared to be a werewolf book so I decided to read it, and it turned out to be more of a historical novel.

Marius’ brother John Pierre is born on Christmas eve, and the people of Venyre believe he is marked with the curse of the loup garou — the werewolf– ad will one day unleash his evil in the village. With their mother dead and their father busy at his smithy, Marius is appointed as John Pierre’s guardian as the village keeps close watch for sinister changes in John Pierre.

One fateful winter turns their life upside down as the small village grows obsessed in hunting down the enemies of the Church, and Marius must gather all his courage to keep his family safe.

The eerie cover art confused me into thinking it was a paranormal story, but John Pierre doesn’t seem to show signs of lycantrophy; he just happened to be born under unlucky circumstances — superstitious beliefs dictated that a chiId born on Christmas Eve indicates he will grow into a werewolf (go figure). Instead, I found something better: a well-researched historical novel that homes in on an important lesson that the world seems to never learn: tolerance.

The novel is set in 16th century France, where the Protestants, known as the Huguenots, were persecuted, and hundreds of other “enemies of the Church” were executed, most of them accused of being witches, sorcerers or werewolves. The book vividly captures the tensions of this period from the point of view of innocent children caught in the middle and it’s quite poignant — the boys remind me of Crispin and Basilio in Noli Me Tangere, especially as the abusive clergy is one of the book’s themes.

The book’s one downside is that the story is left hanging at the end, and I wish I could read more. I am hoping the author writes a sequel, because there are very few well-written historical books for young readers, and even fewer on 16th century France for the YA genre.

***
My copy: hardcover with dustjacket, bought from Book Sale MCS

My rating: 4/5 stars

Voila!

The Houdini Box by Brian Selznick
Book #13 for 2008
+
Houdini: The Handcuff King by Jason Lutes & Nick Bertozzi

By sheer chance, I now have two Houdini books in my possession, both from Book Sale, and although I read them a few months apart, I thought they’d go together nicely in a review.

Last year I found the hardbound Houdini: The Handcuff King at the Glorietta branch, in excellent condition, for about P170. It’s a graphic novel presented by the Center for Cartoon Studies, America’s premiere cartooning school.

And then, a few months later, en route to a Christmas party in December, we happened to make a stop (bathroom break) at Cherry Foodarama, where there was a tiny book sale booth, and there I found The Houdini Box, for P60.

While both books are about the famous escape artist, Houdini: The Handcuff King is biographical, while The Houdini Box is about a boy who idolizes Houdini.

I like both books because they offer a rich visual experience.

Houdini: The Handcuff King is a graphic novel, in vintage style, done in a monochromatic pen and ink, tinged with blue shadows. I like the way the visual narrative plays out, as well as the interesting perspectives the panels take on — of course, since it’s a CCS publication, they know what they’re doing.

I also like the back portion of the book, where key details of the novel are discussed, shedding light on their context: Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1908; locks of the time and how Houdini picked them; Bess Rahner and Harry Houdini’s love story; the hat-wearing American society; advertising and journalism in 1908; anti-semitism; public address systems and American college rivalry.

The CCS ad on the back page is great too, visually outlining the cartooning process from idea to production.

The Houdini Box, although not strictly about Houdini, has a charm of its own. The story is about Victor, a boy who idolizes Houdini. When he runs into Houdini at a train station, he begs the escape artist to teach him his secrets, and the answer comes a few weeks later, in the form of a mysterious box. The story is short, funny, and engaging, and captures the magic of Houdini.

The Houdini Box comes before the Caldecott-winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret, but it is clear that Brian Selznick has his own magic in storytelling. His trademark pencil drawings come alive on the page, and his skewed proportions add character to the art.

Houdini is one of the most interesting personalities of the 20th century, and both books certainly do him justice.

***
My copy: The Houdini Box, trade paperback; Houdini the Handcuff King, hardcover

My rating: The Houdini Box, 5/5 star; Houdini the Handcuff King, 5/5 stars