Sorry for my absence this past week. It's Christmas in May at my house aka my oldest two kids have birthday's two days apart. They turned 5 and 4 this year, and we had a week of preschool cupcakes, birthday cakes, extended family birthday cupcakes, decorating, and so much more going on. It was an exhausting and fun filled week, and I've overdosed on cake, frosting, and cupcake baking for a little while. I'm ready for a break from the cakes; my husband has requested cheesecakes. ;)
I will share some of my birthday baking fun with y'all soon (tho if you follow me on Instagram @alohamoraopenabook you've already seen some), but this week I'm WAY behind on my book reviews. Plus, I have some summer reading book lists I want to get out to you. I'm thinking this week may be a week of books. Yay!
I recently finished Bone Gap by Laura Ruby; it won the 2016 Printz Medal. Basically, this book won an award, and will receive a gold sticker on it's cover, for the best teen young adult (YA) literature novel or book for the year.
Bone Gap earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in my book review. This magic realism, a funky genre that is basically magic but realistic fiction as well, book is really a fantastic book that surprised me in many ways. I will first start by saying that this great read did not earn all 5 stars b/c it lacked the wow factor. I didn't leave the book with a 'Wow' wanting to share it with everyone. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
I felt Laura Ruby created a well written book with a complex unpredictable storyline. I may not have been wowed by this book, but I did think the character development was good. I did find myself really feeling for the characters, especially Rosza. I felt so sad and frustrated for her. I also learned something and found the face blindness to be very interesting.
Bone Gap is all around interesting and well deserving of the Printz. There is some language, but it is in context and I personally would consider this book mostly clean. I'd feel comfortable letting my 9th or up high school student read this book.
While reading this book I got the feeling that Bone Gap is similar to Paper Towns by John Greene, but to be honest I think the searching for a girl and the unknown mystery is the only reason for the similarities. Both Greene and Ruby write complex stories, but their writing styles are different. I guess that one aspect is what makes this a great read aloud.
Amazon had the following book review from School Library Journal:
"It is a rare book that sits comfortably on the shelf with the works of Twain, McCullers, Conroy, Stephen King, and D'Aulaires' Greek Myths-rarer still that a novel combines elements of these authors together. Bone Gap does just this, to superb effect. We start with a boy named Finn and his brother, Sean. Sean is the classic hero: strong, silent, great at everything he does. Finn is a pretty boy whose otherworldly goofiness has earned him the nicknames Spaceman, Sidetrack, and Moonface. Along comes Rosza, a beautiful and damaged young woman, fleeing from some unknown evil. When she disappears, only Finn witnesses her abduction and he is unable to describe her captor. He is also unsure whether she left by force or choice. The author defies readers' expectations at every turn. In this world, the evidence of one's senses counts for little; appearances, even less. Heroism isn't born of muscle, competence, and desire, but of the ability to look beyond the surface and embrace otherworldliness and kindred spirits. Sex happens, but almost incidentally. Evil happens, embodied in a timeless, nameless horror that survives on the mere idea of beauty. A powerful novel."
I'd suggest this book for any 9th grade and up reader. It's not really for the reluctant reader, but it won't push the reluctant reader away.
Happy fantastic Printz Medal Winner magic realism book reading!
