[Review: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John]

"Five Flavors of Dumb"
Author: Antony John
Series: None
Pages: 338
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Music
Date Published: November 11th, 2010
Publisher: Dial
Format Read: Hardcover from the library

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Summary:

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.

The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?

Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Five Flavors Of Dumb,

I'm in love with you. There, I said it. You're the kind of book that I can get lost in. A book about music, that is about the emotion and the feeling that it gives you. A book that about strong family dynamics. A book that has other issues then the drama of a high school band. And a swoony love story that doesn't take over the rest of the plot. You book, are a great one!

-The White Unicorn

I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much when I started reading this book. I knew it would be fun and I thought the premise was promising, but I never would have guessed how amazing the story would be. John has written a book that is truly special. It's an ode to the music that came out of Seattle, and the grunge era that I personally love. There are whole passages about music and the feelings it gives the characters that made me teary eyed, and not many "music books" can do that for me. 

I adore Piper. She's a total smart-ass and she knows it. In fact that's how she ends up as Dumb's manager. She mouths off a bit and next thing you know she's in charge of a three person band (which quickly turns into a five person band). Thing is, she's deaf. It's a brilliant plot device and John uses it to really bring us into Piper's almost silent world. The thing is, you never feel cut off, because she can feel the feelings of music better than most people with full hearing. It also brings us a lot of family drama, the kind that is realistic, not the soap opera kind. The band and the people Piper meets a long the way help her lighten up a bit (okay, more than a bit) and find out who she really is. 

The book even delves into the culture of Seattle's music scene. The band ends up at Kurt Cobain's house, as well as Jimi Hendrix's (even though his isn't standing anymore). I loved that John made sure to dive into the music history of the book setting. It makes me excited that the younger generations are reading about these music greats in a way that makes sense to them. Also, I loved how much Piper's dad was a closet music buff.

The dynamics between the band itself were well played out. A lot of drama happens, but it was cool to see that in the end they were just a family of misfits that all fit together perfectly. Or almost perfectly, if we're being picky. It was also fun to see Piper become friends with the other girls in the band and to see her come to the realization that one of the fellows had been in love with her for years.

On top of all of that, I loved Piper's family. Her relationship with each member was different and interesting to watch. I really loved how Piper and her younger brother Finn interacted. He seemed like a really cool dude. 

If you love music and interesting characters that deal with big issues in realistic ways, this is the book for you!

Rating:

    5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!

[Review: Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke]

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea"
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Series: Between #1
Pages: 360
Genre: YA, Horror, Mystery, Gothic
Date Published: August 15th, 2013
Publisher: Dial
Format Read: Bought Hardback

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Summary:

 You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, not only has one of the longest titles out there, it's also chalk full of everything I love when it comes to creepy reads.  Seriously, Tucholke wrote something truly unique when it comes to this book.  It's got a high death count, a decent amount of gore (that isn't overdone) and a halo of atmospheric fear that settles around it.  It also manages to feel like a modernized twist on a classic Gothic novel.  Mainly because of the setting and Violet's odd habit of wearing her dead Grandmother's clothes.  It's a blend of the modern and the old school, shaken together like a well made martini.  

Truly, this book is flat out spooky.  There are little children running around in cemeteries with stakes hunting for the devil.  Urban legends about a man in an old train tunnel who killed a bunch of kids.  Rich boys killing their girlfriends and more.  Somehow, Tucholke makes you feel the darkness creeping in with details like this.  She makes you doubt people's intentions and blurs the lines of reality.  It's almost like she has created a disturbingly detailed Gothic fairytale for us to enjoy.  Plus, it had one of the most messed up and also swoony romances that you're going to read this year.  

I really enjoyed the characters in this story.  Violet was a great main character.  You could tangibly feel the conflict that was building up inside of her as the novel progressed.  She knew something was never right about what she wanted, she just didn't know why.  Plus, she was one odd duck and I mean that in the nicest way possible.  River on the other hand is extremely...extreme.  He keeps you guessing and he's the perfect anti-villain.  Or is he?  You just can't tell.  Their relationship is a mess, but it also has it's sweet moments.  It'll make you feel as odd as it will just give you the plain old feels.

That's not the only relationship that Tucholke focuses on in the book.  Nope there is also the strained relationship between Violet and her brother Luke.  It's really honest.  Luke isn't my favorite guy, even though he gets more awesome the longer the book goes on.  And then there is Sunshine, who is Violet's best friend and Luke's sometimes girlfriend.  It's strange that they even hang out together, but Tucholke uses that to her advantage here.  And then little Jake and handsome Neely make an appearance as well, pulling things together.

The setting really ups the foreboding feeling in the pages as well.  The town is small and news travels fast.  So when something goes wrong, everyone knows about it, sooner rather than later.  Everyone walks, everyone knows everyone else and everyone is friendly.  Sometimes too friendly.  Tucholke takes a small town and instead of making normal details quaint she makes them terrifying.  It's just a little twist here and a little tweak there and this little hometown feels more than a little eery.  Not to mention the actual mansion by the sea that most of the action takes place in.  The house itself has so much character that it'll give you the shivers.

So, can you tell that I liked this one, because I really really did.  It hit all the right notes with me.  It gave me all the creepy feels and warped my mind and even played with my childlike sense of wonder.  I highly suggest this one for fans of Gothic novels, horror buffs and people who like to have their brains messed with.  

Rating:

4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!