The Magicians

The Magicians (The Magicians #1)

Lev Grossman, 2009

Quentin is a senior in high school, and a genius with his pick of colleges. But he's unhappy. The only thing that brings him any happiness is imagining that his life could be like the series of books that he's been obsessed with since childhood - a Chronicles of Narnia-like tale about children who can enter a magical land called Fillory and go on adventures. So Quentin's life changes - it seems for the better - when he finds himself admitted to a college of magic - real magic - hidden in upstate New York. But learning magic isn't like it is in books - it's hard work, and it brings challenges that Quentin isn't sure he's ready for. But Quentin, it seems, is in for an even bigger surprise than the realities of magic... Fillory is real.

I've heard people describe this as a "grown-up Harry Potter", but I don't think that does this book justice, and will probably just lead to disappointment if that's what you're going into the book expecting. If anything, this book reminds me more of a grown-up Chronicles of Narnia, but set in a school for magic. And no, I don't think that either of those series are for children only - I've read both of them as adults and loved them - but while Harry Potter and Narnia are suitable for both children and adults alike, The Magicians is very much not for children.

I really enjoyed this story, but I think that the book would really have benefited from being divided into two separate books - one book describing (and fleshing out a little more) Quentin's time at Brakebills college, and one book about Fillory. It just felt to me that the story was rushed and that the author tried to cram too much action into one book. I found myself loving the school storyline, felt "meh" about the after school drama, and was fascinated and surprised by the Fillory storyline. And I think if it had been broken into two books, the author could have done each storyline more justice.

That being said, I loved this book. And while it could easily have worked as a stand-alone novel (or a two-parter after being broken up), I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see what happens with these characters. 

The Invention of Wings

The Invention of Wings

Sure Monk Kidd, 2014

When Sarah Grimke turns eleven, she is given her very own slave, a girl her own age named Hetty, but called "Handful". Sarah is appalled by the gift and tries to free her slave, but her wish is denied. As Sarah grows up, she tries to find her place in the world, eventually moving north to join the abolitionist movement. 

This was a very good book, and I can see why it's getting so much praise, although I didn't love it as much as many people I know did. I wasn't expecting the turn it took, as it became more a book about the abolitionist movement and less a book about the relationship between Sarah and Handful, which was what I was hoping for. But that was my own fault for not really looking into what the book was about. 

I didn't know that the Grimkes were real people, but I thought that Sarah's and Nina's stories were really impressive - all the more so for being mostly true. And, despite being less based in specific fact, I liked hearing Handful's story as well. Not perfect, but certainly a good book. Glad I read it.

The Ghost of the Mary Celeste

The Ghost of the Mary Celeste

Valerie Martin, 2014

In 1872, the Mary Celeste was discovered adrift off the coast of Spain. There was no sign of violence or a struggle, but the crew was gone. This mystery ties together the stories of author Arthur Conan Doyle, whose fictional account of the Mary Celeste caused a sensation in the United States, psychic medium Violet Petra, a popular Spiritualist with a personal tie to the tragedy, and journalist Phoebe Grant, who wonders if Petra is a talented fraud or perhaps the real thing.

This book is hard to review. As a story about the medium Violet Petra, I thought it was really good. I found Violet to be an intriguing character - not always sympathetic, but always interesting. I also liked the character of Phoebe Grant, whose interactions with Petra were the high points of the book for me. The Arthur Conan Doyle chapters were, to me, just okay. Well-written, but they just didn't interest me as much as the others, although his last little adventure was good. 

What disappointed me most, however, was the shocking lack of mention of the Mary Celeste itself. Aside from the last section - 30 pages or so - very little of the story tied into the mystery at all. It was always there in the background - Conan Doyle's story, Violet's connection to the Captain and his wife - but had little to do with the story overall. I went into this book expecting an interesting take on the mystery of the Mary Celeste, but that wasn't what I was given. 

So, as an interesting story about Spiritualism, I'd recommend it. I liked the characters and thought that Violet's story was fascinating. As a story about what might have happened aboard the Mary Celeste, however, it is severely lacking. 

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy through NetGalley.