Val Muller

As you probably know, this now-famous book is about an Indian-Canadian boy’s experience surviving at sea after a terrible shipwreck. But it’s about a lot more. It’s divided into three sections: the zoo in India, his time at sea, and his time in the infirmary in Mexico. It’s no surprise from the beginning of the book that he survives the shipwreck and lives to tell about it. The point of this book is not about the suspense of knowing whether he’ll survive.

While reading this book, I was slightly annoyed (but curious, too) about why the first 93 pages are mostly about Pi’s experience with religion and zoos (he, a practicing Hindu, becomes Muslim and Christian–all three simultaneously–to the confoundment of his parents). But Pi stresses the fact that there is one God/Truth/Reality, and all the different religions are just different ways of getting there. It’s an interesting read, and it definitely challenges that traditional way most people think about religion and—secondarily—zoos. This first section builds a necessary foundation, though, upon which the shipwreck narrative is stacked. It’s through understanding Pi’s beliefs that we better comprehend his reaction to his shipwreck and his actions to survive.

The next—and longest—section of the book details Pi’s experience surviving on a life boat for the greater part of a year—with a 450-pound tiger (named Richard Parker) on board. When he’s first on the ship, there is also a hyena, a orangutan, and a wounded zebra, but they quickly succumb. Then there’s just Pi and the tiger. Much of this section details the gritty aspects of survival. Pi has been a vegetarian all his life, and when the sea-biscuits run out, he has to rely on eating fish, turtles, and whatever else he can catch from the boat, to survive—as much as it pains him. There are some grisly details, but nothing worse than any other survival story. Though well written, this section was not stellar, and at this point I was wondering why this book became so famous. But wait for it.

Here’s where the spoilers begin. If you don’t mind the plot being spoiled, scroll down. But this last part made the book worthwhile for me, and the process of discovering it unexpectedly augmented my experience.

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The weirdness begins when Pi, on the verge of death, comes upon a floating island (this is after he had a “conversation” with Richard Parker, went blind, and killed another blind man who invaded his boat). The island is composed of algae that has somehow sprouted trees. To this point, the book has been filled with subtle allusions to religions, but at this point it becomes a bit more obvious. At this point, Pi has trained the tiger to respect him as the alpha male. Both Pi and the tiger leave the lifeboat to explore the island. Pi discovers that the plantlife on the island is edible, and the ecosystem is such that it filters out the salt from the ocean water, leaving pure, freshwater pools immersed within the island. The plantlife is sweet and a welcome change from Pi’s now carnivorous lifestyle. Richard Parker (the tiger) returns to the lifeboat every night, and Pi follows suit, worried that he will lose his position as alpha if he abandons the ship for too long.

The island is populated by countless meerkats. They are so inexperienced and sheltered on the little island that Pi can literally just pick them up, and Richard Parker can kill as many as he wants—they come to him willingly, like lemmings jumping off a cliff. It becomes tempting for Pi to stay on the island forever. There’s a clear connection here to the Garden of Eden. If you like analyzing things, you could have a field day here!

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Pi continues exploring the island, and Eden begins to fall. He sleeps in a tree one night (rather than on the ship) and notices that all the meerkats join him in the trees. Not a single one sleeps below. He awakens to see countless fish dying in the freshwater pools, yet the meerkats do not go down to eat them until morning. Pi further explores, finding a tree with strange fruit growing on it. A vegetarian, he is curious about the fruit, which he picks, only to discover it’s not actually fruit. It’s teeth, each one wrapped in leaf after leaf. Pi concludes that the island turns acidic when the sun is not out. The plants actually consume flesh (the “fruit” is the remains of a former, unlucky, inhabitant). Pi is disgusted and decides to leave. The Eden metaphor is less clean here, but one could analyze the nature of temptation and complacency. Would you stay on a near-perfect island, knowing that at night it became dangerous? Or would you return to the difficult and risky life on a tiny boat with a tiger?

Pi leaves.

He soon washes up on the shore of Mexico. There, he is taken to a hospital and interviewed by two Japanese officials who are trying to find out about the cause of the original shipwreck (which happened months earlier). There is some humor interwoven in this part of the book based on the fact that the “author” (the person who is writing down the story of Pi) got hold of a tape of the interview and translated the Japanese the interviewers used to communicate with each other while in the presence of Pi, who does not speak Japanese. Using this technique, the author shows the reader just what the Japanese interviewers really think about Pi’s wild story.

After some humor involving Pi’s squirreling away food, we learn that the interviewers do not believe Pi’s story. Pi tells them an alternate version of the story—this one much shorter than the original—in which the original animals on the ship were actually people (one of them his mother), and in which he was actually Richard Parker. It’s a disturbing story. One is left wondering whether it’s what really happened. Did Pi survive after witnessing the deaths of (and killing, in some cases) the other three people on the boat, and killing the blind intruder (something the tiger did in the original story)? Pi (and the author) withhold the absolute truth from the reader. It’s up to us to decide which story we believe.

With a narrator left to himself the entire time, and delusional on the sea from lack of regular food and water—and a habit of asphyxiating himself to enter a trance-like dreamworld—how can we trust him?

But in the end, it doesn’t matter. Pi has reminded us the whole time that there is one truth in the world. Each religion has its own path to arrive at that truth, but the religion doesn’t change the nature of the truth itself. Similarly, Pi has arrived safely in Mexico after the better part of a year at sea. Whether he survived with a boatload of animals or a boatload of people, the result is still the same. He reminds us that people, and religions (and he even considers science a sort of religion), love stories. They help us understand the world.

I recommend reading this book twice. Read it the first time with an open mind, and read it the second time with a questioning one.

This is the first book in the Fire Mage Trilogy. It takes place in a far future (our own time is referred to as “pre-apocalypse”) in which some have discovered their talents as Mages, finding the ability to do things like start fires with their palms or heal the wounded. Those without powers, lowly humans, are treated like slaves. The main character, Avalon, has run away from home, where she was a danger to her family because (as a fire mage) she had the potential to set things on fire accidentally. She also left home because her sister, a lowly human without any magical abilities, was at risk of becoming a slave.

Avalon escapes with a friend who was delivering a strange fox to Frost Arch. Feeling sorry for the fox, Avalon helps him escape and seeks employment at a wealthy estate in the area, where she is responsible for lighting fires and heating baths. At first, the tiny fox takes refuge in her room, but he soon grows too large and must stay in a nearby barn. The fox is definitely magical, though, sprouting wings and changing colors depending on its temperament.

While working at the estate, Avalon befriends Jack, who obviously has a crush on her (but Avalon is too oblivious and lacking in self confidence to see that). She also falls for one of the noblemen at the estate even though Jack and others have warned her against him. At the end of the novel, Avalon’s fox, which has become the size of a horse and can fly, is taken. At the same time, Avalon finds that she has lost her fire-making ability. Still, she is determined to save him.

Once I was thirty percent into the book, I flew through it, finishing it in less than a day. The plot will keep you turning pages despite a few grammatical errors (your vs. you’re and its vs. it’s, for instance). I felt that I wanted Avalon to succeed despite her denseness at times (Jack loves you!) and her lack of self confidence. I don’t want to spoil too much of the book–there are clues dropped throughout that will help you figure things out on your own, and that was part of the fun for me. I will note that I’m not a huge fan of fantasy books because of the excessive description, but this book kept my interest. The description was just enough to help me paint a picture, but it never over-burdened the story. It’s an intriguing premise, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. It would be a fun read for a high-school student (or even an advanced middle-school reader) or an adult.

For a sci-fi, alien-loving dork like me, this book was right up my alley. I couldn’t wait to read it, and it didn’t disappoint. The book follows high schooler Kaila. For most of her life, Kaila was sheltered—home schooled and protected, even forced to wear a special hat or a black plastic head wrap under a wig so that “they” wouldn’t bother her. She’s always known something was strange about her. For instance, she can communicate with her pets using nonverbal communication like eye contact—almost as if she can tell what they are thinking. But despite her questions, her mother has never told her the truth—like why her eyes are so large, why she has only four fingers, why she is so sheltered, or who her real father is.

As the story begins, she insists on going to high school, where she learns just how cruel humans can be. But she also meets a group of students who, according to the principal, were part of a nearby cult and were recently rescued and being integrated into society. These kids are aptly nicknamed “aliens” and wear silver suits and have large eyes and other weird features—like four fingers.

Kaila knows something is wrong almost immediately, and her two new friends start to catch on, too. It becomes apparent that the “aliens” are—well, aliens! Like Kaila, they are half-alien/half-human, but they seem to have an “us versus them” mentality, and they want to know where Kaila’s loyalties lie. They accept Kaila to varying degrees, but Jordyn takes a special liking to her, and they soon become romantically involved. Kaila discovers that the plastic head wrap her mother forced her to wear actually blocks her psychic powers. The aliens at school, with the help of a teacher, teach Kaila about her abilities. She learns to bend time and space and change the memories and experiences of full-blooded humans. She feels especially torn about this ability, and the waters are muddied. Here is where I will stop giving things away.

I will say, however, that I enjoyed the combination of a fun plot, interesting characters and abilities, and philosophical musing. For instance, the aliens remind Kaila to still her mind and live in the present, rather than being distracted and hurt by thoughts of the past or the future. But at the same time, they encourage her to remain distanced from her emotions. There’s also an examination of faith versus science. Which one will lead Kaila to understand the truth? This book was well-written and compelled me to turn the pages from the very beginning. It’s a great read for a high-school student, but adults like me will enjoy it, too. I’ll definitely be following this author!

The book follows the lives of Donnie and Abbie, two teenagers who undergo more than their share of trouble. As the book opens, Donnie has just experienced the worst tragedy a teenager can face—the loss of both parents. After near despair, Donnie finds love with Abbie, a girl who (coincidentally, as he finds out later on) is the daughter of the woman his father died saving. While there are conflicts going on with Donnie and Abbie’s relationship, the important part is this: later in the book, they both become vampires. That’s right—the last 70 percent of the book follows what the first chapter discusses—vampires.

The strength of this book is its plot. It’s an intricate storyline involving a tribe of Nazi vampires bent on—well, being Nazis. Need I say more? Through the book, the reader learns that there is a sub-culture of vampires that the general public doesn’t know about. For instance, on their way to Canada, Donnie and Abbie realize that there are subtle signs out there leading vampires to “vampire-friendly” establishments where they can easily acquire willing sources of blood. My favorite scene, I think, is one in which the two protagonists meet a five-year-old vampire—that is, a vampire stuck in a five-year-old body. In actuality, the vampire is nearly 100 years old. The image created here—that of a wise five-year-old—is hilarious and clever. I also enjoyed the Native American culture interwoven through the book. Donnie’s mother was Native American and taught him some of her spiritual beliefs, which he uses to cope with the various terrors his life throws at him.

My complaint about the book is the pace. As I read it on Kindle, I was able to track the percentage completed as I read. While the first chapter goes into a bit too much depth about vampire culture (without much of a narrative hook), the next chapters—the first 30 percent of the book—detail the lives of Donnie and his friends before they become vampires. The first 30 percent of the book was almost enough to be a stand-alone novel. I kept waiting for the vampires to show up, and while there were a few subtle scenes hinting at vampires, there wasn’t much, and I felt like I was reading a teenage romance book. Once 30 percent hit, the vampire action started, and I was more drawn into the story. It’s a fairly long book, and I thought the exposition could have been strongly condensed, making a more concise and effective story.

It’s a good book for anyone interested in vampire culture. Once the vampire section starts, there’s a balance of romance, mystery, and action. For example, Donnie finds that he isn’t like most newly-made vampires, who become ravenous when they don’t drink enough human blood. Rather, human blood makes him sick, and he finds himself able to drink vampire blood, something he shouldn’t be able to do. While he and Abbie are training to avoid the handful of vampires who (for various reasons) want them dead, he’s also trying to figure out exactly what he is and how he became a vampire.

I read this book as part of a book tour with Juniper Grove. The above review represents my honest opinion.

Dagger Heart is the first book in the Odin Blood series and one that, as of now, is still free for Kindle. The book takes place in Norway in the 700s and follows the adventures of Erica, a strong-willed heroine with an independent streak.

I was captured from the first page by a tom-boy named Erica, who does not fit in with her Viking society. She is an orphan and enters a strong friendship with Finn, the son of the king. As they grow older, the sexual tension increases, but they don’t talk about their feelings. While compelling, I settled in, thinking this was going to be a simple love story.

Wrong.

In a good way.

I love dark stories, and this one certainly has enough darkness. Erica finds herself drawn not only into a conflict as the center of the three brothers, Finn, Paul, and Kriger—but she also finds herself involved with a witch and a strange clue offered through the dying words of the Queen. And then, just as Erica is torn between marrying Paul (who is kind as far as she can tell) and pursuing Finn (who she loves with all her soul), reanimated corpses appear to attack the village.

Yes, this is a dark tale, right up my alley. My only wish is that the author had gone into more depth establishing the setting. In my opinion, there were not enough clues about Viking culture to make the characters and setting stand out from a generic medieval setting. I would have liked more of these details up front. Still, the story was creative, exciting, and well written, and I recommend it to anyone who likes dark fiction.

Aura follows the awakening of Crystal, a girl who has moved around so much that she’s never fit in. Now, when she finally has a boyfriend, a best friend, and a successful part in the school play, she’s realizing that she’s more special than she ever knew. Crystal’s parents have tried to hide the truth from her, though they always raised her to live a good life. Crystal has a special talent, The Light, which allows her to overcome the tempting power of demons.

The beginning of the book focuses on Crystal’s main dilemma: whether to sleep with her boyfriend after prom. Though Crystal definitely doesn’t want to, she feels pressured by Nate’s sweet behavior and the encouragement of her best friend. But the decision gets easier when Nate seem possessed—and it turns out he actually is. Crystal becomes aware of demons that possess people’s bodies in exchange for the promise of something they desire. For Nate, it was the restoration of his college scholarship. And for some reason, they’re all after Crystal.

So far, however, Crystal has been able to live a good life and resist temptation. When she meets Alec and his family, she learns that there is an entire organization dedicated to fighting demons. They recognize a great power in Crystal—the same power that has made her the target of multiple demons—and decide to train her to serve their ranks.

This book has a great message. Without being dogmatic, it encourages teenagers to make the right decisions despite peer pressure. The book was told primarily through first-person point of view, though there were some intercut chapters in third person through the perspective of the head demon. I liked the suspense created by the shifting perspectives, but the point of view shift was always a little jarring at the start of the chapter. Still, I enjoyed the story and its positive message, and the last half of the book is heavily plot-centered, making it a quick read. I would definitely recommend this book to my high school students. Even the racy or violent scenes were kept extremely appropriate for a younger audience, allowing the message to shine through.

I reviewed this book as part of a blog tour. There’s a Rafflecopter giveaway you can enter for the next few days. Check it out here: a Rafflecopter giveaway