Book Reviews

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

Posted by on Dec 7, 2014 in Book Reviews, British Columbia | 0 comments

Summary: Despite facing prejudice on a daily basis for wearing makeup and dressing like a girl, Jude views life in the context of filming a movie in which Jude’s own experiences are the subject matter. Everyone in Jude’s life has a part to play, from the crew to the paparazzi and fans. Jude is in love with Luke, one of the movie stars of the production, and is irrepressible in expressing interest, even when punished for it. As Jude’s movie approaches its’ ending, Jude’s intentions to leave small town life and start over triumphantly in Hollywood are conquered by...

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Roxy by PJ Reece

Posted by on Dec 6, 2014 in Book Reviews, British Columbia | 0 comments

Summary: While attending the funeral of her despised great aunt, Roxy’s mother receives a phone call about her estranged father. He’s in a coma, and because her mother is completely overwhelmed at the thought of dealing with him, she sends Roxy in her place to Greece to sort things out. Just before she leaves however, Roxy gets some life-altering news herself. Arriving in Greece reveals a web of secrets and lies hiding the truth about her family’s history, as well as a connection to the land and a different kind of life. As Roxy uncovers the truth behind the lies, she also...

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We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Posted by on Dec 5, 2014 in Book Reviews, British Columbia | 0 comments

Summary: Thrown together thanks to the blossoming romance of their parents, thirteen year-old Stewart and fourteen year-old Ashley find themselves sharing a house, a school and classes. Polar opposites, Stewart is a socially impaired brainiac while Ashley has trouble finding the right word at times and is at the top of the social ladder at school. Learning to live together isn’t easy, especially when complicated by Stewart’s grief over the death of his mother and Ashley’s reluctance to face the fact that her father is gay. Despite all the roadblocks to their relationship,...

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The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen

Posted by on Dec 4, 2014 in Book Reviews, British Columbia | 0 comments

Summary: Starting over in Vancouver, British Columbia after a horrific tragedy in their family, Henry K. Larsen is using a journal to explore his feelings and try to adjust to his new normal. His mother is in Ontario trying to put herself back together, and living with his father in an apartment that used to be a crystal meth lab means the house is pretty dirty and they eat a lot of take out. But while they were driven out of Port Salish because of Henry’s brother Jesse’s actions, the people they meet in their new place are different. Henry and his father find themselves...

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Ravensong by Lee Maracle

Posted by on Dec 3, 2014 in Book Reviews, British Columbia | 2 comments

Summary: Growing up in the 1950s near Vancouver, Stacey lives in a Native community with her family but attends high school in town with the white teens. Her last semester and summer before leaving for university are eye-opening as a classmate of Stacey commits suicide and a ‘flu epidemic strikes Stacey’s community. She grows to learn the white community she is trying to be a part of has its’ own problems, including a complete lack of respect for their Native neighbours. Stacey can see how white culture is invading her community and changing things in a bad way, giving her...

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The Droughtlanders by Carrie Mac

Posted by on Dec 2, 2014 in Book Reviews, British Columbia | 0 comments

Summary: Twins Eli and Seth Maddox are raised in the Keylands, a wealthy post-apocalyptic community with the power to control the weather and a lot of secrets. Droughtlanders are those who live outside the walls of the Keylands, plagued by many sicknesses and long-term drought. After an incident involving the death of a Droughtlander circus performer, Eli starts asking questions and learns his mother Lisette is actually a former Droughtlander working to overthrow the Keylanders in a rebellion. When she dies and Eli knows his own father is responsible, he finds his way into the Droughtlands...

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