Book Tour and Review: Call Me Kate: Meeting the Molly Maguires by Molly Roe

 
Call Me Kate: Meeting the Molly Maguires by Molly Roe

Publisher: Tribute Books

Publish Date: November 24, 2008

Hardcover, 168 pages
Young Adult

My Review:
Why I read this:  I was emailed by the publisher about the blog tour for this book, I thought the blurb sounded interesting and I agreed to be a part of the tour.

How is the novel driven:  Character - the action is in the background and the book revolves around how Katie, her family and her friends react to the things going on around them.


My thoughts: I know very little about the north during the civil war, especially the about the people in the coal mining towns that really didn't want to be involved.  I found this look at this time in history to be fascinating.  Seeing it distantly through Katie's eyes was interesting.  Also seeing the everyday life for those not involved in the war, just involved in this time in history was fascinating.

I also knew little of the immigrants and the Irish famine and how the Irish were treated over here once they arrived.  NC History classes really don't cover these things.  Most of our ancestry here is English, Welsh and Scottish so little is known about the Irish, at least to me.

I loved getting to know Katie and those around her.   The book is well-written and as things happen around Katie we get her feelings and thoughts about them and her desire to try and make things right in the world and become so much more than just a female who longs to get married.  The intrigue also adds another dimension in the book.  What will happen next and how far will Katie go to try and make things change around her?  This keeps the plot moving at a fast pace and it kept me turning the pages to see what Katie would do next.


Ms. Roe writes an interesting book with Katie as the highlight and the events plaguing the coal country at the beginning of the civil war at the forefront as well.  I feel I learned a lot during this book and look forward to reading more on the subject.


Very clean for a young adult novel, only references to cursing are used and that is refreshing as well.  I realize it was a slightly gentler time as far as the women were concerned so it holds with the time period well.

If you enjoy young adult historical fiction, anything having to do with the 1860s or just a strong heroine who is finding her place in society then this is a book for you.  Whether you are younger or older, this book has something for everyone.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:
 Coming of age amidst the seething unrest of the Civil War era, feisty fourteen-year-old Katie McCafferty infiltrates the Molly Maguires, a secret Irish organization, to rescue a lifelong friend. Under the guise of Dominick, a draft resister, Katie volunteers for a dangerous mission in hopes of preventing bloodshed. Katie risks job, family, and ultimately her very life to intervene. A series of tragedies challenge Katie's strength and ingenuity, and she faces a crisis of conscience. Can she balance her sense of justice with the law? Call Me Kate is suitable for readers from eleven to adult. The story is dramatic and adventuresome, yet expressive of daily life in the patches of the hard coal region during the Civil War era. This novel will appeal to readers of the Dear America series, as well as more mature readers who will enjoy the story's rich context and drama.


Molly Roe Bio:
Molly Roe is the pen name of Mary Garrity Slaby, a veteran language arts & reading teacher at Lake-Lehman Junior Senior High School. Mary holds a Ph.D. in education from Temple University, and Pennsylvania teaching certification in six areas. She has pursued the hobby of genealogy for the past decade. Mary was born in Philadelphia, raised in Schuylkill County, and currently lives in Dallas, Pennsylvania with her husband, John. They are parents of two grown children, Melissa and John Garrett, cover illustrator of Call Me Kate. Digging into the past has given Mary newfound respect for her ancestors and a better understanding of history. Call Me Kate is the first in the author’s trilogy of historical novels loosely based on the lives of the strong women who preceded her.






YouTube video book trailer:

Book Amazon buy link
Excerpt
Molly Roe Facebook
Molly Roe Blog
Tribute Books website
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FTC Disclosure:  Thank you to Tribute books for my ebook copy of Call Me Kate for my reading pleasure and my honest review.  All Amazon or other retail links on my site are there for the reader’s benefit,  not my own because of NC Laws I do not make money from anything you buy from the links on my blog.

Winners

It's time for another all-inclusive winners post.  I'm playing catch-up after a busy week at work so you get all the winners at once.  Winners have been notified by email and have 48 hours to contact me before I draw a new winner.  Thank you to all who entered and stopped by the blog and congratulations to the winners!

Terminal Care by Christopher Stookey:  Sharon54220

The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard: Colleen T

David Baldacci Audiobooks(True Blue and Absolute Power): Andrea I

Historical Romance Books:

Brenda (bchild5)

Paranormal Romance Books:

Jennifer (meandi09)

General Fiction Books:

Stephanie (bookworm1858)

Young Adult Books: 

Riv Re (rivkarno1)

Book Review: Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

 
Three Quarters Dead by Richard Peck

Publisher: Dial

Publish Date: October 28, 2010

Hardcover, 208 pages
Young Adult, Paranormal (Ghost story)

My Review:
Why I read this: The cover looked interesting and the story sounded interesting.

How is the novel driven:  Action and character, but the character centers around Kerry and her acceptance into the cool school clique and the events that follow after that.

My thoughts: Three Quarters Dead is an interesting take on the ghost story and on teen cliques.  Most of the story is about Kerry and how she joins in with the cool girls seemingly by accident one day.  But as she learns, things aren't always as they seem.

The rest of the story is about how far she will go to be a part of the clique and like most girls she will do almost anything.  I found the story to be highly entertaining for about three-quarters of the story and then when the things really start to happen I found it to be a little too rushed and I kind of thought that a lot of it came out of no where.  I think if I read it again knowing what I do now, I would understand more.  Kind of like The Sixth Sense, if you know the ending you can see the clues through the book.  But when reading it through the first time, it's a little shocking and a little jarring.

It is an entertaining story so don't let my thoughts dissuade you.  It's a perfect Halloween book and I like the way it almost pokes fun at the popular clique and how Kerry eventually learns her lesson.

In summary - fun book, interesting ghost story take, just a little too short and hurried are really my only complaints.  Give it a try and see what you think.

My Rating: 3.5/5.0

Some other reviews:
Freda's Voice
The Literate Mother
Paula Kramer Chicago YA Fiction Examiner


About the Book:
Kerry is chosen by the coolest clique in school and so she thinks life has finally begun. But then it seems all over when her three friends are killed in a shocking car accident. Or are they? Only weeks after the accident, Kerry receives a text from one of the girls: We're all 3 here at my aunt's in the city. Take the 3:50 train. B there.

Exhilarating, terrifying suspense is crossed with a thought-provoking examination of peer pressure in Richard Peck's return to his contemporary teen- and ghost-story roots. This is a master author's gift to the Gossip Girl/Twilight generation: his own smart, stylish, and fun take on the paranormal.

About the Author:
Richard Peck lives in New York City. His extensive list of honors includes the Newbery Medal, the Edgar Award, the Margaret A. Edwards Award, and the National Humanities Medal. He has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award.

Author Page at Random House Publisher


FTC Information: I received this book through Book It Forward Tours.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Book Review: You by Charles Benoit

 
You by Charles Benoit

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: August 24, 2010

Hardcover, 240 pages
Young Adult

My Review:
Why I read this: I requested this one from the publisher because the blurb sounded very intriguing.

How is the novel driven:  Character, this is about Kyle.  There are events, but it is really about Kyle and who he is and what drives the ending to happen.

My thoughts: What an interesting concept in a novel.  I think Mr. Benoit has really made an interesting novel from a male perspective which I feel is an area that is grossly overlooked.  Not only is it from a male point-of-view, I feel it can be read by male and female alike and understood and appreciated.

It starts with an event and then it back tracks to how Kyle got to that point in his life.  It’s an amazing look at a teenager’s life and how little decisions can end up affecting their life and making bigger ones without really meaning to, or did they mean to?
When reading the book really flies.  I pretty much read it in one sitting.  It does  not have chapters, but there are breaks where you can stop if you are stop at the end of a chapter type of reader.  But I dare you to actually want to stop.  I know I didn’t and I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy this in it’s entirety on a Saturday afternoon.

Kyle is a fascinating character.  He never really makes excuses for his behavior or decisions, just states them as facts and what if he hadn’t done a certain thing, would things have changed.

The ending is absolutely stunning and like another blogger I read, I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it.  I will still be thinking about this one for weeks – it’s just that kind of book and that type of ending.

I enjoyed Mr. Benoit’s writing and will read any further forays  of his in young adult writing and I’m interested in his adult writing too.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

About the Book:
This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.

You're just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can't be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?
There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them? Maybe if you can figure out where it all went wrong, you can still make it right. Or is it already too late? Think fast, Kyle. Time's running out. How did this happen?

You is the riveting story of fifteen-year-old Kyle and the small choices he does and doesn't make that lead to his own destruction.

In his stunning young-adult debut, Charles Benoit mixes riveting tension with an insightful—and unsettling—portrait of an ordinary teen in a tale that is taut, powerful, and shattering.

About the Author:
Charles Benoit is a former high school teacher and the Edgar Award–nominated author of three adult mystery novels. This is his first book for young-adult readers. He lives in Rochester, New York.

His Website
Blog


FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.

Fall Into Reading 2010: Question #1

This year as part of the Fall Into Reading Challenge, Katrina at Callapidder Days has questions for us during the Fall.  I personally love this type of thing because it gives me something to post about and I love reading things about other people and their reading habits.

The first question and other bloggers' answers can be found here.


What do you think is the biggest obstacle to your reading? What prevents you from reading as much as you’d like?

My biggest obstacle would be work - having to work 40 hours a week (which I am thankful for my job, don't get me wrong), and then come home and tend to the family things, seriously limits my time to read.

Another thing is guilt, I feel guilty wanting to read when the husband wants to watch something on tv together.  Thankfully our oldest watches a lot of stuff with him so I can go, snuggle up in the bedroom and read.  But sometimes I still feel guilty.

Book Review: Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten

 
Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten

Publisher: Mira

Publish Date: September 28, 2010

Paperback, 384 pages
General Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

My Review:
Why I read this: I was asked by the publicist if I would like to read it and I really like the titles put out by Mira Books.  I read the description and I knew I was hooked and had to read this one.

How is the novel driven:  Action and character, since this is a suspense/thriller novel, action is the dominant driving force, but character development is key as well.



My thoughts: I have read mixed reviews so I wasn't sure what I was going to think about this one before I started.  But as I started reading this one and as I finished I realized I'm on the gushing side of this one. 

Saving Max hooked me from the first page which takes place in the present and then the book starts and goes back to the point in time where the prologue occurred and then the events after.  It's an intriguing start and when the event that occurs in the prologue finally occurs in the timeline of the book - I found I was still really shocked.


As the book continues, the suspense ratchets up.  I went through so many emotions and so many things that I thought was happening only for the author to keep proving me wrong.  Then there is a final aha moment where I figured it out, but it doesn't end there, I was kept on the edge of my seat right up until the end.


The suspense is very tightly written and it is something that will keep the suspense lover intrigued through the book.  I liked the mother of an autistic child (Max has Asperger's) angle and how that mother had a high-stress job as well as being a single-mother yet she still did the best she could for her child.  The book is well-written, the characters are very intriguing.  There is some romance, some family, lots of suspense and it is just a great book.  I think this is one I'll be recommending for awhile. 

Danielle is a character I think most moms will relate to, she is simply trying to balance a career with a personal life and then add a special needs child on top of that.  But she loves him like every mother loves her child no matter what the problems are and she simply wants the best for him, and she never stops wanting the best for him and will sacrifice herself and take risks to make sure he is taken care of.  I think of her as an admirable character and I really like how she is developed through the book.

When I read Heather Gudenkauf's The Weight of Silence for review last year - it was her first book and I felt like it was one of those iffy things, will I like it or won't I, but again it was a Mira book and I love this Harlequin Imprint.  I ended up loving The Weight of Silence and that is how I feel about Saving Max as well.  Antoinette van Heugten is an author worth giving that first chance, and after you read her I'm sure you will want to read more from her and as soon as possible (hint, hint Mira books and Antoinette!)



My Rating: 4.75/5.0

About the Book:
Max Parkman—autistic and whip-smart, emotionally fragile and aggressive—is perfect in his mother's eyes. Until he's accused of murder.

Attorney Danielle Parkman knows her teenage son Max's behavior has been getting worse—using drugs and lashing out. But she can't accept the diagnosis she receives at a top-notch adolescent psychiatric facility that her son is deeply disturbed. Dangerous.

Until she finds Max, unconscious and bloodied, beside a patient who has been brutally stabbed to death.
Trapped in a world of doubt and fear, barred from contacting Max, Danielle clings to the belief that her son is innocent. But has she, too, lost touch with reality? Is her son really a killer?

With the justice system bearing down on them, Danielle steels herself to discover the truth, no matter what it is. She'll do whatever it takes to find the killer and to save her son from being destroyed by a system that's all too eager to convict him.

About the Author:
Author, former international lawyer and mother, Antoinette van Heugten knows first hand the challenges and struggles of parenting a child with Asperger's syndrome.  Her new thriller, Saving Max (Mira Books/Harlequin, October 2010, $13.95), follows mother and lawyer, Danielle Parkman as she admits her autistic son, Max to a psychiatric hospital for increasingly violent behavior.  When Max is accused of murdering another patient, Danielle races to solve the case and uses her legal prowess to prove her son's innocence.  Danielle stands by the son she has always struggled to protect -- even when no one else believes in him.

A member of variou autism support organizations, van Heugten has experience helping parents whose children have been diagnosed with the developmental disorder. Although fictional, Saving Max parallels parts of van Heugten's own relationship with her autistic sons, and the daily struggles of defending and advocating for them at a time when autism was not widely understood.

Her Website
Twitter
Facebook



FTC Information: I received this book from Phenix and Phenix Literary Publicists for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.