Book Battle 2011: Round 2

Today we are announcing our winner for our Round 2 contestants: Bloody Jack: Being An Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy, and Stravaganza: City of Masks. If you're just tuning in, this is our second year judging for the annual Book Battle, by The Shady Glade. It's a lot of fun, and this year's theme is Best Overlooked - as in, the best overlooked books in YA literature. Here is the bracket if you want to predict (similar to March Madness - click for bigger version):

With all that in mind, here are our reviews of these books, both of which were excellent. We've set them up side  by side for an easier comparison:

Bloody Jack                                                         Stravaganza: City of Masks
by L. A. Meyer                                                    by Mary Hoffman
YA, 2002                                                              YA, 2002

Summary: Both books are adventure stories, so well matched for this round.
Bloody Jack: (from Goodreads) Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.
There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .
Grade: A-
Stravaganza: (from Goodreads) Lucien is seriously ill but his life is transformed when an old Italian notebook gives him the power to become a stravagante, a time traveller with access to 16th century Italy. He wakes up in Bellezza (Venice) during carnival time and meets Arianna, a girl his own age who is disguised as a boy in the hope of being selected as one of the Duchessa's mandoliers. Arianna gives Lucien her boy's clothing and he is selected as a mandolier himself, becoming a friend of fellow-stravagante Rodolfo, the Duchessa's lover, and saving the Duchessa's life when she is threatened by an assassin hired by the powerful di Chimici family. For state occasions the Duchessa uses her maid Giuliana as a body-double but Guiliana commits the fatal mistake of revealing the secret to her fiance Enrico and a sequence of devastating consequences unravels. Meanwhile Lucien has met the original stravagante, the Elizabethan alchemist William Dethridge, and he begins to understand that he may be called to follow in his footsteps. 
Grade: A-

Cover: For both books I tried to get the cover I felt was best overall, since both books have had multiple publications. I think in both instances the covers are alluring, drawing you in to the plot as well as any jacket flap.
Bloody Jack: B+
Stravaganza: B+ 
                                                         
Characters                                                                     
Bloody Jack: Mary/Jack was very well developed, but the rest of the characters weren't. It seemed a little more focused on one person rather than a group of characters interactions.
Grade: B+
Stravaganza: We enjoyed the characters immensely - the children acted their ages, and everything felt very authentic. Many situations could have been stunted or difficult for the characters to interact, particularly with a topic like time travel, but it never felt that way at all.  
Grade: A-

Writing                                                                           
Bloody Jack: The writing was accurate historically, with plenty of description, but not overly so. It dealt with a few sensitive issues tactfully, and overall was easy to digest.
Grade: B+
Stravaganza: The writing was lively, engaging and well done. It handled a sometimes unbelievable situation believably, which takes some skill.
Grade: B+

Worthy of being 'overlooked'?                                         
I felt this was an important grade - after all, what we're saying is that these books should have received the same raves that major bestsellers do.
Bloody Jack: While this doesn't necessarily appeal to the popular trends, it's a fine example of accurate enjoyable historical fiction that deserves notice.
Stravaganza: I particularly hate time travel of any kind and yet I found this an entirely enjoyable read. After being talked into it by Trackgeek, I was delighted to find a book that handled such a scientifically ridiculous notion in an entirely believable and enjoyable way. Plus, the storyline and characters were handled very well, making it something you want on your shelf to reread.

Overall Grade    
Raspberry:
    Bloody Jack: B+
    Stravaganza: A-
Trackgeek:  
    Bloody Jack: B+
    Stravaganza: B+                                                    

The Winner:
It was incredibly difficult - as you can see, both books frequently got similar grades in each category. However, one was slightly better overall, and we both felt the the book that should win was...
Stravaganza: The City of Masks

Head over to The Shady Glade for more winners of Round 2 of Book Battle 2011!

Friday Finds

I know we've been a bit slow about posting  things, but you CAN see all our updates on Goodreads. We add books we've read (or even failed-to-finish) as well as those we've stumbled across that we're hoping to read some day.

Some finds we've discovered lately: (click the title to go to the Goodreads page)

Wisdom's Kiss, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

 YA, September, 2011

from Goodreads: Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure far beyond the staid old kingdom of Montagne.
Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true life secret from his family.
Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips.
These three passionate souls might just attain their dreams while preserving Montagne from certain destruction, if only they can tolerate each other long enough to come up with a plan. Tough to save the world when you can't even be in the same room together.

Wreckers, by Julie Hearn

 YA, March, 2011

from Goodreads: The lid gave, eventually, with surprisingly little noise. Nothing splintered. Nothing broke. No hinges flew, or even creaked, and for a second or two nothing happened at all. Then came the first scream. It blew out a candle, that scream ...'Shut the lid! ...SHUT THE LID!' And so the box was slammed shut, hidden away, and forgotten about. But what lay within was only dormant ...waiting for the time when it would be released, and let loose upon the world. And that time was about to come ...That time is now.

Blood Red Road, by Moira Young

YA, June, 2011

from Goodreads: Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back. 

 

Cross My Heart, by Sasha Gould

YA, April, 2011

 from Goodreads: Laura della Scala knows nothing beyond the convent walls which have trapped and bound her since she was twelve years old. A single night will change her life. She will soon learn the difference between an arranged marriage and true, reckless love. Venice is a dangerous city. Intrigue, romance and power lie at its heart and secrets run through the blood of its rulers. They call Laura 'La Muta'. The Silent One. She is about to break her silence ...but at what cost?

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

YA, October, 2011

from Goodreads: ... a pair are swept up in a daring, dangerous race across a cliff--with more than just their lives at stake should they lose.

Harry Potter World Cup

Apparently the twins who play the Weasley brothers (Fred and George) have set up a World Cup for Harry Potter characters. While there's a little silliness factor involved, there will be actual voting and winners starting June 20th. For the bracket and to vote, click here.

Blank Confession, by Pete Hautman

Blank Confession, Pete Hautman
YA, 2010

from Goodreads: Shayne Blank is the new kid in town--but that doesn't stop him from getting into a lot of trouble very quickly. The other kids don't understand him. He's not afraid of anything. He seems too smart. And his background doesn't add up. But when he walks into the police department to confess to a murder, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. There's more to Shayne--and his story--than meets the eye. As the details begin to fill in, the only thing that becomes clear is that nothing about Shayne's story is clear at all. 

Raspberry: This short book (170 pages) intrigued me from the beginning. I enjoyed it like I thought I would, and halfway through was comparing it to the Outsiders. The characters were well done without embellishment, and the story told in a raw up-front sort of way without being dirty. I was a bit let down by the ending. I think it would have been better to let the reader guess about Shayne, keeping the mystery alive. Plus, the ending actually hurt my image of Shayne and was a bit of a let down. However, a well-done book that will definitely stick with me.


Graded a B-.

Memory Monday: Bella at Midnight, by Diane Stanley

Bella At Midnight, by Diane Stanley
Juvenile/YA, 2006

While reading for the Book Battle, 2011, I find myself rereading old forgotten favorites. I stumbled on this one at the library this weekend and remembered it fondly. I read it in 2007, so not too long ago, but it's definitely one of those good books passed by and forgotten that shouldn't be!

Bella is raised by her wet nurse when her cruel and unkind father, a wealthy knight, refuses to have anything to do with her. Growing up friends with Prince Julian, she is happy and content until she finds out her true roots and is forced to return home. Meanwhile, Prince Julian is called away to be a goodwill hostage between warring nations before he has a chance to apologize to Bella for a moment of meanness. When a plot that could destroy the peace in the land and Julian's life are revealed, it is up to Bella to save the day. With smatterings of fairytales throughout, this is a sweet story to be read over and over.

Raspberry: While the story doesn't quite have the depth of some fractured fairytales I've read and loved, it does charm you with its sweetness overall. The characters are well done, if simple, and the writing is straight-forward. For fans of Jessica Day George and Shannon Hale, this book is a great addition to any girl's shelf.

Graded a B.