Once Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris
Summary from Goodreads: A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.
This is a darling, I just need something to match my carefree mood kind of a book. The cover says "part comedy, part love story, part everything but the kitchen sink" and it is all true! It's geared toward the middle grade reader and I would say ages 9 and up would find something to love about it. Jean Ferris keeps her humor light hearted and fun and the love story innocent and fresh. She creates situations that feel uncomfortable and funny at the same time, all the while giving us a glimpse into the mind of a boy who falls in love for the first time. If you are young at heart you will love this!
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Summary from Goodreads: In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them.
Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away. In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.
The premise of this book is very disturbing, but brilliant. This story of three kids who are trying to keep things together, literally, will give you much to think about. I felt horrified at times and had to walk away from the book here and there, just to wrap my brain around what the world had come to in this story. I felt disgusted by the parents who would dispose of their children in such a horrible way, but then I realized that we hear about this in the news all of the time. The people we hear about may not be getting rid of their children for "parts", but they ignore, abuse, mistreat and take for granted the possibility of what their children can be. Just this week we had a 4 year old boy who was tortured and murdered by his mom and step father. While watching the news story all I could think was "Why?". Why did that sweet boy have to be a child of monsters. The thing about this novel by Mr. Shusterman is that it made me ask these same questions. The only difference is that the "parents" weren't viewed as monsters. It was just the way things were done. Life is not something to be taken for granted and this book serves as a reminder of that.
Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away. In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.
The premise of this book is very disturbing, but brilliant. This story of three kids who are trying to keep things together, literally, will give you much to think about. I felt horrified at times and had to walk away from the book here and there, just to wrap my brain around what the world had come to in this story. I felt disgusted by the parents who would dispose of their children in such a horrible way, but then I realized that we hear about this in the news all of the time. The people we hear about may not be getting rid of their children for "parts", but they ignore, abuse, mistreat and take for granted the possibility of what their children can be. Just this week we had a 4 year old boy who was tortured and murdered by his mom and step father. While watching the news story all I could think was "Why?". Why did that sweet boy have to be a child of monsters. The thing about this novel by Mr. Shusterman is that it made me ask these same questions. The only difference is that the "parents" weren't viewed as monsters. It was just the way things were done. Life is not something to be taken for granted and this book serves as a reminder of that.
Sound like a couple of interesting books. Thanks for bringing them to my attention. :)
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