chibiyusa's Books > Book reviews by chibiyusa

Court trials = Great shows

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 7 September 2008 07:26 (A review of The Magician)

I've never been one for reading descriptions of books usually until I finish reading the book and as a result I often jump into things headfirst without a clue. I found this book randomly used and for sale and was immediately drawn to the guillotine on the cover. I was expecting a fantasy type of story of a magician performing extraordinary feats of magic. I was so far away from the truth of the book it was as if it was a circle and I was actually not that far at all.

There aren't really any "big" events that happen in this book except for the start which is highly exciting and like the last page. As a result the rest of the book reads as just one big build uphill and downhill simultaneously if that makes any sense. I kept waiting for something fantastic to happened but was constantly disappointed by just how normal and boring everything is proceeding. Ed Japhet is essentially this amazing kid with the misfortune of going to a pretty sucky school where the bullies prey on his type. He's an amateur magician and on his prom night he's hired to give a magic show What should have been the best night of his life quickly turns downhill as he's attacked by another student named Urek and what should have been the most straightforward case is quickly thrown in the air because of another magician; in the form of a defense lawyer.

Based on what various media suggests court trials are just flashy shows anyway and not a simple matter of who's in the wrong or right but who has the better lawyer; who can manipulate the jury in such a way to see his side of the story of the way of justice.
It's a great book of the time, highlighting faults in the society of the time that hold true in many degrees in this day. If I had to read Native Son in school I really don't see why teachers shouldn't also add this book to the curriculum.
There can be no happy ending in this shockingly truthful view of fictional events. My edition of the novel proudly proclaims "Soon to be a major movie!" on the back yet as far as I could dig up no such movie was ever created and the book was published more than thirty years ago (with issues that still affect us today). From what I could (not) gather the contents of this book were simply just too intense for movie goers at the time. And too intense for Montello, Wisconsin.

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It needed more Lee and Grant

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 27 May 2008 10:46 (A review of North and South)

To avoid confusion this is NOT the North and South as written by Elisabeth Gaskell which dealt with England but rather the first volume in John Jakes' epic trilogy about the Civil War. I first heard about this book through the miniseries and afterwards on a whim I got it and eventually due to boredom I ended up reading it.

Just coming out of a rather rigorous class of US history this book added a great dramatic backdrop to my historical knowledge of the time. There's a wide cast of characters and mostly they are either a Hazard or a Main. The Mains are an old southern aristocratic family whose wealth is based on a large plantation run on slave labor. The Hazards have this giant fortune from their Iron factories and in lieu of slave labor they use the alternative labor force of desperate immigrant workers.

Somehow or another a son from each family meets en route to West Point military academy and become fast friends. If one watched the miniseries they might be a bit confused since many physical traits and other things of characters have been altered but I can't go into much detail in that seeing as I've watched little of the miniseries.

The most interesting parts of the novel are focused on the character interactions, primarily between the Hazards and Mains. The regional differences sometimes prove to great for even the greatest friendships to bridge. It plays very much like a soap opera and everything seems endlessly dramatized and sexual. Oh and everyone is horny like all the time. Especially Ashton. She can do seven in an hour and a half. Sexual urges play an important role in this book but thankfully "tru luf" can cure nearly all. Nearly anyway. Nearly everyone is destined for one true love though sometimes it never works out in a fairy tale manner. Oh and did I mention that the back drop for this novel is the antebellum period of American history?

For the not so heavily learned in US History the antebellum period refers to the time prior to the (American) Civil War. Unfortunately for the novel for all its lovely overly-sensualized dramatic characters it sometimes feels the need to become a history book. Not that history books are bad or anything but it just feels out of place and it's rather boring to tell the truth. Sometimes it'd sneak in through a seemingly innocent allusion to some political figure or through the constant bickering about North and South that frequently occurs or through an outright history lecture! Some little history may be given to add to a further understanding of the novel but once it sounds more like a textbook than a richly engaging drama it gets tiring. I admit that understanding the political climate is integral for fully understanding the all the turmoil going on but people can get the gist of things and still fully appreciate a good story when one is told.

Perhaps the greatest disappointment was that despite the title being North and South it didn't actually get into the Civil War, at best getting to Lincoln's election to the very and and South Carolina's subsequent succession. Even more disappointing was finding out there were two more novels to read to actually reach any satisfying conclusion about the characters. For me, it's simply not worth the time to read the other novels. It was simply too long and the history lesson was a bit much.

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This is a book about MEN

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 27 April 2008 08:32 (A review of Dirty White Boys: A Novel)

A while back this guy Stephen Hunter comes to our school as part of this literary food thing or something of that nature. I myself was excited since I'd be getting out of class but I realized oh this guy is pretty chill after all. What brought my attention to this book was I believe he mentioned something about it coming out as his son was entering high school and how his son had gotten in some sort of trouble or another because of the first sentence of this book. Apparently said sentence was inappropriate for school so I had to go out and read the book myself to find out what was this sentence. And plus you really can't go wrong with a book titled Dirty White Boys.

First of all before reading this novel one has to first gain an appreciation of manly things. Like lions.

By staring at that image for several hours not only will one get a greater understanding of the novel but one will understand being a man.

Next to take into consideration is the first sentence of the novel:
"Three men at McAlester State Penitentiary had larger penises than Lamar Pye, but all were black and therefore, by Lamar's own figuring, hardly human at all."
The rest of the first paragraph is about how amazing and scary this guy's penis is. Already the book establishes itself as being a book for men, and only the most manly of men.

Lamar's penis continues to be a recurring theme popping out when you least expect it but the main theme is being a man. Lamar is the MAN, but he was so manly that he had to escape from prison with his very cousin Odell, who's missing ALOT of screws up there, and Richard Peed. A sad pathetic creature that was saved by Lamar only because of his drawings of lions. Oh and you got the badass cop man named Bud who is also having an affair with his partner's wife.

The novel alternates between telling the story between Lamar and crew's point of view and Bud's point of view. Personally the Lamar and crew point of view was much more enjoyable and I really didn't care much for Bud's crusade of being a man, but you gotta put the book down sometime and Bud kinda grew on me after a while. There's alot of gun jargon that just went over my head but otherwise provides a sense of realism in this story. Lots of comedic moments too. More of situational humor though than anything. I mean most of the escapades of Lamar and crew is Lamar being amazing, Odell being Odell, and Richard cowering in the corner in fear. And later Ruta Beth making cookies. Or something like that.

I enjoyed this book more than I ever thought I would and for such a manly book such as this. Highly recommend if you are into these high action thrillers with an otherwise unlikely protagonist. You gotta remember though, it's all about the lions and it's all about the attitude. Only then will one achieve true manhood. Not really but I like to think so anyway.

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It has a pink cover!

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 26 January 2008 11:01 (A review of MW)

When I saw this on the shelf I refrained from buying it despite the fact that it was by Osamu Tezuka and it was pink. Quite frankly it looked kinda boring to me. And then I read the description online and kicked myself in the head (repeatedly) for not buying it.

MW (no it doesn't say E3) is like a super HXC chemical weapon that'll kill anyone with just about a single breath. Except for little Yuki who takes in a probably very diluted bit and goes bat-shit insane, essentially losing anything that resembles a conscience or moral. And there's a gay priest (who is his lover) and lesbians and all sorts of cross-dressing. Yuki is apparently good at the cross-dressing since kabuki theater (those all male ones) is in his blood. I didn't realize you can have cross-dressing skillz in your blood but in this book you can. And there's the raped paraplegic women who falls in love with her rapist (Yuki). Your usual fare of corrupt politicians and ded people. (Even a cameo of Shunsaku-Ban! which just about made my day in this otherwise bleak story)

I've read many reviews of this online prior to reading and it's ranged from OMG THIS BOOK IS AMAZING to OMG THIS BOOK SUCKS. Clearly I'm in the former faction. I think it's more to do that I've grown to appreciate Tezuka's style and more importantly the "gekiga" style of manga. It's not for everyone and I'm sure many fans of Tezuka wouldn't like it either. I'm sure it won't appeal much to that "yaoi-crazed fangirl demographic" either. In fact that'd be kinda scary.

Like other Vertical releases this title is flipped (possibly an attempt to attract a different crowd) and it has lovely packaging. It's an epic 584 pages in hardcover and it retails for $25 meaning you can get quite alot your monies worth. If creepy Tezuka stuff is your thing it might be quite enjoyable. I mean I don't usually root for the "bad guys" in books but Yuki is just so anti-everything it's just like oh well. The only really cool character was Shunsaku-Ban anyway. :D

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Seemed pointless at the time

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 24 January 2008 09:18 (A review of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (B&N Classics))

I kinda signed up for the AP English class on a whim a few weeks ago and only now got around to reading the recquired reading seeing as I had to write an essay discussing the themes of it today.

From what I hear about The Adventures of Tom Sawyer it's mostly a children's book with no deep inner message yet Adventures of Huckleberry Finn seems to tackle a multitude of issues ranging from slavery to finding your place in society. It's very hard to get into and the natural color of the language takes a while to get used to. Hell I had no idea what the in the world the "African Americans" were saying half the novel.

At first everyone seemed really stupid from Jim's interpretation of Solomon and the child cut in half to the introduction of the Dauphin and Duke but then I realized these people aren't stupid and gained much more respect (and in the case of the Duke and Dauphin disdain) for these people. In fact it's Tom Sawyer himself who I've come to this like by the end of the novel. For all his upbringing and well-read nature he comes off as an self-centered manipulitive child who pursues romantic fantasies at the expense of others. Huck is a much more likable character and it was fun to see him grow and interpret the sivilized world around him. It's not about the books you read, the clothes on your back, or even the color of your skin. It's about how you are as a person.

The book has important messages that shouldn't be ignored just because this book is really hard to read or because it's "racist" when it's really not. It's just accurately portraying the people of that place in that period. Course I wouldn't read it again anytime soon.

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So should I call it Mighty Atom or what?

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 13 January 2008 12:58 (A review of The Astro Boy Essays: Osamu Tezuka, Mighty Atom, and the Manga/Anime Revolution)

A bit repetitive but a thoroughly educational and interesting look at Astro Boy and man who created him.

You might have surprised me with one essay about Astro Boy but a whole book! That's pretty epic. Each essay can be read by itself but reading them all at once can be a little bit annoying as many things are often repeated (okay, okay I get it you only mention it every chapter). But when it doesn't repeat itself it gives new insight to Astro Boy and the man who created him. Many fans of anime in the United States in particular are unaware of the greatness that is Osamu Tezuka and this is the first book available to English readers that is all about Tezuka.
It's deceptive in that it's called the Astro Boy essays when it's more about the man behind adorable and lovable robot hero. I suppose since most of the world outside of Japan has no idea who Osamu Tezuka is they are bound to know his most well-known creation, Astro Boy.

The author himself was a friend of Tezuka and knows what he's talking about. He also translated many of Tezuka's work into English. And he has written many other books about similar topics.

Highly highly recommended. It's not just about cute robot kid saving the day, there's alot more to it. Taken at face value will only get you so far. This is about the guy who essentially made anime and manga what they are in Japan today (take that as you will).

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(Mostly) Good short stories

Posted : 2 years ago on 13 November 2007 09:34 (A review of Haunted: A Novel)

People are escaping their lives in a writer's retreat but because they all wanna be rich and famous they end up making themselves victims of each other so they can make an amazing movie or something. Lots of self-mutilation is very important if you wanna become a famous survivor person apparently.

I've always intended to read a book by this guy ever since I watched Fight Club and luckily a friend of mine thrust this novel into my face and I was coerced into reading it and all it's uh... splendor?

The story really kinda sucked. Oh noes humanity sucks and people invent stories and villains so to glorify themselves for future fame with horrible mutilations and murders. Or something like that. Random orgies on Venus. 0_0

It really felt like the author had a bunch of short stories that he wanted to tie together somehow. However it came off as really annoying. If anything read the book but only read the short stories, not much for the actual plot since it was dreadfully boring for the most part and it felt as if you weren't meant to feel especially sorry for the characters despite the fact that you were reading confessions of their innermost secrets.

The short stories are really the strong point in this novel and the motivation to keep reading. Some will probably turn alot of people away but despite the creepiness they are rather amusing for the most part. My personal favorite of course is Guts which recounts the horrors of masturbation in a slightly amusing but most definitely disturbing manner.

It's an anthology of gruesome and slightly entertaining stories that pass the time . If you pick this book up just save yourself the trouble and don't bother with the main plot unless you really want to know how it all interconnects.

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The Ultimate Edition

Posted : 2 years ago on 12 November 2007 08:04 (A review of Fruits Basket Ultimate Edition Volume 1 (Fruits Basket Ultimate Edition))

I've been meaning to pick up Fruits Basket for about the longest time now and somehow Tokyopop understands this (evidently we must communicate).
Lo and behold a giant sized edition containing the first two volumes at the price of about 1.5 volumes. Not bad, not bad.

If you haven't picked it up yet and you have been meaning to, well, now there's no excuse. While the art is strikingly different compared to later volumes and the story doesn't get into the deep meaty stuff until later it's still a fun shoujo manga. And honestly, you really don't have to be a girl to enjoy it. But it might help :P

The description mentioned something about an autograph but uh... I didn't see one.
All the extra content that was in the first and second volumes are still intact. Such as the fanart and summary of the previous book @_@
Also on the back it proudly mentions in bold lettering that it won the Best Manga Award in the American Anime Awards, which was conducted online and if I remember correctly was supposedly any and all manga released in the US but when you actually looked at the choices it was highly skewed into what was hip and happening in the current anime fandom. But don't let that disparage you since it still is a fracking good read.

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Everyday life...

Posted : 2 years, 2 months ago on 13 September 2007 09:36 (A review of Flame of Recca, Vol.23)

There comes a time in shounen fighting stories that there's a break in the fighting and it's the calm before the storm. Once again it's that phase in Flame of Recca.

The only really important thing that transpires is Recca's meeting with the final flame dragon which is quite a surprise and almost makes up for this rather lackluster volume which delved very shallowly in the otherwise mundane lives of the characters. This is what Flame of Recca would be... minus all the death tournaments and crazy ninja fighting.

Personally I can't stand Naruto all too much but Flame of Recca isn't that much better since I dig it for all the reasons I hate Naruto. It's probably because the fandom doesn't haunt me and I'm able to enjoy shounen fighting awesomeness to my heart's content.
Except not in this volume.

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The Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 1: Sea of Shadow review

Posted : 2 years, 3 months ago on 14 August 2007 11:31 (A review of The Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 1: Sea of Shadow)

When I first heard of this I immediately thought of Fushigi Yuugi but then again any story about a girl getting sucked into another world gives me that feeling. That thought perished immediately when I realized how no nonsense it really was. Yoko is essentially what you would call a normal high school girl except for the fact that she gets transported to the world of the 12 Kingdoms and essentially doesn't get a break. The idea of escaping to another world doesn't sound so appetizing after Yoko's troubles.
Plus the details of the 12 Kingdoms themselves are rather complex and feel just as another world should. Fuyumi Ono gives the feeling that the 12 Kingdoms is a legit world and not just some randomly contrived half-boiled idea.

I'm also digging the art, despite the fact that it's only a few pages here and there. Akihiro Yamada's art is lusciously detailed and I tend to stare at it for extended periods of time. But then I again I'm a RahXephon fan and slightly biased since I loved the character designs for RahXephon.

It's not the greatest piece of literature to grace my bookshelf but I've fallen in love with it. If anything the Tokyopop release schedule is rather annoying and leaves much to be desired.

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