Initially, I had no plans to write about The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, even though I had read it. It is not because I do not think it is a good book, or that I did not enjoy it. I actually enjoyed reading it a great deal and think it is fantastic. Mostly, I just do not do well with poetry, whether it be reading it, writing it, or talking about it. But then the book received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and I knew I had to give it space on this blog.
The Situation: Xiomara (See-oh-MAH-ruh) is used to communicating with her fists. She would rather communicate with her words in the shape of her poems, but she refuses to share any of them with anyone, not even her brother, whom she only refers to as "Twin." Ever since puberty hit and her body decided to expand in all different angles, Xiomara has been the focus of a lot of unwanted attention, both at her school and around her neighborhood at home, in Harlem. If it is not the girls and women whispering behind her back, it is the boys and men staring at her and saying words they would be ashamed to say to their mother. And as if in an attempt to make sure those words never result in anything, Xiomara's Mami attempts to keep her daughter focused on church. But the young girl is really not sure she wants to focus on what the well-meaning Father Sean has to say. She wants to focus on poetry. And also boys.
The Problem: When a boy at school named Aman starts to talk to Xiomara about more than their science projects, Xiomara knows she can never let her mother know. But seeing a boy behind her mother's back is almost a team effort. Twin has to hide what he knows and cover for her, while Xiomara's best friend, Caridad, also finds herself lying to her best friend's family, something she hates doing. If that was not enough deception, one of Xiomara's teachers begins to encourage her to join the school's poetry club. Knowing that it conflicts with her confirmation class with Father Sean, Xiomara faces the choice of ditching something she is not that into, and diving into what she has always wanted to do, all at the risk of angering her mother and facing a wrath she has learned to fear. Feeling unheard but always seen, Xiomara must find a way to use her voice, and share her words with more than just the pages of her journal.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel that is written almost completely in verse. Each chapter, if you want to call them that, is a poem, with a title and everything. Occasionally, instead of a poem, there is an essay Xiomara as written for an English class assignment, usually answering a personal question about her life. Ultimately, the point is that this is how Xiomara communicates; this is how she makes herself understood; and this is what she wants to do. The main problem is the person who can arguably be considered the villain of the book. Xiomara's mother has one single focus through the majority of the story, and this is to have her daughter confirmed in the Catholic church. She cares very little for what her daughter wants, and has already decided on the path she wants Xiomara to take. The Poet X touches on the common fear, among both teens and adults, of not being heard and understood, something that both Xiomara and Twin must deal with, along with the fear of not being accepted as they are. And the saddest thing is quite possibly that this fear is a reality for many, even when inside their own homes.
My Verdict: I have never had many of Xiomara's problems. For one, I have been blessed (cursed?) with a mother who has had me pegged since the day I was born. She has always understood me and heard me, even when I did not want her to. I also never had to communicate with my fist, not to say I have never wanted to. What I do understand is the pain of not being heard, maybe not at home, but in other places. And that is a feeling that Acevedo translates well on the page, through Xiomara's words, through Xiomara's poems. And around the middle of the book, the intensity gets to the point that the reader can feel the poor girl's frustration, and fear. The problem cannot be solved by simply opening her mouth. My hope would be that this book gives hope and inspiration to anyone struggling to find their voice, and then make that voice heard.
Favorite Moment: When Xiomara takes down a boy who grabbed her butt.
Favorite Character: Xiomara's best friend Caridad is a grounding force holding her friend together. Twin often serves the same purpose, but Caridad has the advantage of seeing everything as an outsider. And despite them being almost opposites in how they think and act, Caridad is always there for Xiomara, no matter what has happened.
Recommended Reading: As I said, poetry is not my strong suit. But I did also enjoy Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Also told in verse, the story follows a young boy down the elevator as he contemplates taking revenge on the man he believes killed his brother.
Kate Atkinson, author of the well-loved and celebrated Life After Life, as well as its follow-up, A God in Ruins, has come out with yet another historical fiction novel centered around World War II and its aftermath. Transcription follows the life of a young girl and her somewhat reluctant entrance into the world of espionage, in an attempt to play her own small part in the battle against Nazi sympathizers.
The Situation: Juliet Armstrong is recruited by Britain's MI5 at the ripe young age of 18 years-old. Recommended by someone she trusts as just the type of girl MI5 is looking for, Juliet is given the seemingly tedious task of transcribing the dialogue between a group of Nazi sympathizers as they speak with someone they do not realize is not actually on their side. Juliet has stepped into the world of espionage, and the myriad of precautions she must take, as well as the constant guessing game regarding people's intentions, makes this abundantly evident. It is never quite clear to her who is hiding what, who is keeping secrets as opposed to telling her the truth, as who is really on which side. Soon, Juliet's duties are expanded beyond mere transcription, and she is sent into the field to take down a wealthy and well-connected socialite. She imagines this type of work will only last as long as the war does, but at this point, it is impossible to know for sure.
The Problem: Ten years later, Juliet imagines the life she led as a transcriber and agent during WWII to have been left behind, until it becomes abundantly clear that it hasn't. Various figures from the past keep popping up, and Juliet cannot help but wonder if these are strange coincidences, or if the actions of her past are catching up with her. Then she receives an ominous note, claiming that she will pay for what she has done. Also, she is fairly certain she is being followed. Plus, it does not help that she occasionally does side jobs for her previous employer. Using everything she has learned from her brief days as an agent for MI5, Juliet attempts to take on the role of the hunter rather than the hunted. With the few people she can trust, and the various clues she can find, Juliet must attempt to outsmart those that have been controlling the situation since before she joined the scene ten years before.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set partly in WWII England in the year 1940, and partly ten years later in the year 1950. In the former, Juliet is a young, naive, freshly recruited MI5 agent tasked with transcribing the conversations between a group of British fascists. Eventually she is given the more complicated task of befriending someone in an attempt to gain information and have them arrested. Ten years later, Juliet has made a career for herself in broadcasting, but it seems the events of the past are catching up with her...or they never quite went away. More than anything, Juliet wants to be done with the war and is over receiving cryptic notes, while also having figures from her past coming back to haunt her. But what is reiterated to her more than once is that she will never truly be done, and there are people on both sides who want to make sure that is the case.
My Verdict: After reading Transcription, I can see why there was not as much fuss made over this book as there was about Life After Life. There was a certain cleverness, and also devastating heartbreak, that was present in that book that simply does not appear in this one. Juliet tries to be clever, but ends up coming off as more annoying. In fact, her attempts at wit and cleverness can often serve to prove her naivete rather than dismiss it. Also, the events of Juliet's life, whether within MI5 or outside of it, simply are not that interesting. There is some curiosity surrounding who from her past could resurface and why, but when that mystery is solved, anti-climactic is a more than generous word for how the scene feels. Perhaps it is that historical fiction books (particularly about WWII) are plentiful, and there are better ones out there for a reader to spend their time on. Whatever it is, Transcription was disappointing, and often boring.
Favorite Moment: When even the dog, Lily, seemed dubious of the entire operation.
Favorite Character: Godfrey, an agent playing the part of a Nazi sympathizer, always managed to remain just out of Juliet's reach, much to her own frustration.
Recommended Reading: There are elements of this book that reminded me of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. That is a book that people either love, or they hate it with extreme prejudice. I am glad to fall into the former category.
I am so incredibly pleased to have found a science fiction series to follow, even if it is only going to be a trilogy. With pretty much any other genre of books, I tend to avoid series, mostly due to my fear of getting stuck in the middle of something I may realize in the middle of book one that I actually want no part of. But I treat science fiction differently since I have such a hard time finding books to pick up in the first place, so finding a series means there will be more books to come without me having to search for them. Such is the case with Tade Thompson's The Wormwood Trilogy, the first book of which is today's Rosewater.
The Situation: In the year 2066, Kaaro is a government agent who resides in Rosewater, a makeshift Nigerian community that has risen up and grown due to the appearance of the biodome. Not much is known about the biodome, except that it is certainly alien in nature, and when it opens, those close to the opening are healed of all ailments, no matter how severe. But the appearance of the biodome has not only brought healing powers and the building of a whole new city, but also the occurrence of people like Kaaro, people with the ability read minds, though that is an incredibly simplistic explanation of what they do. Kaaro once used his abilities for criminal purposes, but now, as a government agent, Kaaro has become useful for interrogations, as well as bank security, and finding missing items and people. It is not a life he is overly satisfied with, but he is paid well, and it keeps him out of trouble. Until it doesn't.
The Problem: People like Kaaro, or "sensitives" as they are called, should not exist, and they appeared after the emergence of the biodome. Now, it seems like someone, or something, is slowly killing them off, one by one, and this means Kaaro is in danger. While he may not love the direction his life has taken, he does not have much interest in dying. Unfortunately, looking for answers means defying his superiors and searching in places he probably should not go. Using clues from his shaky past, and the information he is able to gain now, Kaaro must charge into danger more often than he would like, to face people and beings he would rather leave alone or leave behind. And if government authorities are not standing in his way, then other dangerous criminals, as well as various alien life forms, attempt to stop him for their own reasons. Saving his own life would be great, but it is worth the trouble if all of humanity may be headed towards an inevitable end?
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel that is mostly set in the year 2066 in the fictional town of Rosewater in Nigeria - a town that built itself around an alien biodome and grew steadily outward. Some chapters travel back in time to Kaaro's past, showing exactly how he became the person he is now. Other chapters include various missions Kaaro performed for the Nigerian government, all of which provide clues to the future Kaaro now finds himself inhabiting. Before the government found him, Kaaro was somewhat of an aimless criminal, with theft being his primary vice. Selfish, uncaring, a little cocky, and not interested in real relationships, Kaaro led a destructive path that left many people hurt, and some dead, in his wake. After his forced recruitment as a government agent, Kaaro would continue to find himself in harm's way, though this time it would not be his decision. As a sensitive, he is one of the strongest of his kind, and is the only person to have ever seen inside the biodome. The book gives great detail of how Rosewater came to be, how different groups feel about the aliens that have decided to make their home on Earth, and how people all around the world, not just in Nigeria, are dealing with this strange turn that life has taken.
My Verdict: Like most science fiction novels that I am drawn to, Rosewater takes place in a not-so-distant future, and is set in a place that is easy for me to imagine. Of course, the ease with which I am able to picture this place can probably be attributed to Thompson's masterful descriptions. There were points throughout the novel where I felt lost or was not sure what was going on, but that could be because of the chapters that jump back in time, back to when Rosewater was first building itself. Plus, Kaaro does a fair amount of travel around Nigeria, while also working with various entities, not really giving his allegiance to any one group or person. Even so, the direction of the story becomes clearer the closer the reader gets to the end, but so does the feeling of danger and dread. And once the book does end, something else that is clear is that Kaaro's story is not over, and that the aliens are not done with whatever they are attempting to accomplish.
Favorite Moment: As tragic as it was, when Kaaro is faced with just how destructive his past has been, and how many people have suffered because of it.
Favorite Character: This is tough, because everyone in this book has major issues, and they are all up to something. Kaaro is okay I suppose, though incredibly selfish and destructive. I do not trust Aminat, his new girlfriend. And Femi, his boss, is certainly hiding much more than even Kaaro suspects.
Recommended Reading: For more science fiction set in Africa, I recommend the Binti series by Nnedi Okorafor. All three books are short and to the point, but with plenty of action, as well as fascinating beings and characters.
I am excited to discuss Killing Commendatore, the latest work by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. I cannot quite remember what it was that sparked my initial curiosity for Murakami's work, but after reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, I decided I wanted to read more, and have managed to keep up with his more recent publications.
The Situation: A 36 year-old unnamed painter has just been left by his wife. Turns out she was not kidding when she previously confessed her weakness for attractive men. Devastated and somewhat lost, the painter sets out on an aimless road trip. But when his old car dies on him, he decides to finally settle down at the home of a friend. Actually, that is not quite true. The house was more the home of his friend's father, the famous artist Tomohiko Amada. This seems more than fitting as the painter feels lost not only because his wife has left him, but also in his own career as painter. For several years now he has only done portraits on commission, not painting anything of his own imagination. Now he is staying in the home of one of Japan's greatest painters; a house that contains the great artist's studio where he created many famous works, one of which is still in the attic.
The Problem: When the painter ventures into the home's attic to discover the source of a strange noise, what he ends up finding is Amada's Killing Commendatore, a painting that was carefully wrapped and stored, never to be seen by anyone, until now. The painter guesses that not even Amada's son has seen the painting, or knows it is up there. Not only has the painter found something that is undoubtedly one of Amada's best works, but he has also unknowingly set off a chain of events that will become harder to explain as the months go by. The painter will become acquainted with the incredibly wealthy, and incredibly put-together (almost to the point of it being unnerving) Menshiki, who is a little lost in his own way, and also has his own reasons for living in such a remote location. Then there is Mariye, one of the students in one of the art classes the painter teaches, who also live on the mountain. And finally, there is the Commendatore, who appears to be the physical manifestation of one of the figures from Amada's painting. In order to set things right, and put everything back in place, the painter will have to endure these strange circumstances through to their strange end.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel set in modern-day Japan. Though no exact years or dates are mentioned, it can be guessed that the events took place several years before the earthquake hit in 2011, as this event, and the resulting tsunami, are briefly discussed near the end of the book. Fans of Murakami's work will spot many of his common themes. At the core of the story is the unnamed painter: a 36 year-old who is somewhat lost and incredibly lonely, having been thrown for a loop when his wife tells him she no longer wants to be with him, and has in fact been seeing someone else. And while he is good at painting, his main source of income comes from doing portraits on commission. Throughout his narrative there is plenty of cooking, strange dreams, old records, unusual names, weird sex, a secret passageway, a dried up well-like hole, a precocious teenager, strange and unlikely parallels, and even a cat or two. Yep, it's a Murakami novel alright. There is even a slight historical flashback, as there is much discussion regarding Amada's past, and what the painting of Killing Commendatore could represent.
My Verdict: It is not my favorite Murakami novel that I have read so far, that honor is still reserved for A Wild Sheep Chase. But I can say I found it to be more engaging, and more enjoyable in general, that his previous work, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. Be warned, the pace is incredibly slow, especially in the beginning, and even after things pick up, the book can still be a slog. With that being said, none of it is wasted space. Murakami uses every bit of dialogue and description to build on or to something. The characters, including the nameless painter, as fully realized and interesting, while also maintaining a level of mystery. And in true Murakami fashion, even after the story has ended, it is not entirely clear what has just taken place for the last 681 pages, but somehow, it is still a fun ride.
Favorite Moment: When the painter goes into the attic to investigate a strange noise and finds a horned owl. Perhaps if the noises in my own attic were horned owls and not squirrels, I would be inclined to do as our protagonist and leave the creature alone.
Favorite Character: I'm not big on kids, and even less so on teenagers (and yet I love YA...it's complicated), but I like Mariye. She also upholds my general belief that adults often both underestimate and overestimate the abilities and observation skills of those younger than 18 years-old.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Murakami's 2011 offering 1Q84. Granted, it is a long one, but it is worth it.
Initially, I had no plans to write about The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, even though I had read it. It is not because I do not think it is a good book, or that I did not enjoy it. I actually enjoyed reading it a great deal and think it is fantastic. Mostly, I just do not do well with poetry, whether it be reading it, writing it, or talking about it. But then the book received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and I knew I had to give it space on this blog.
