Staff Review: Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal

 Are you a fan of YA Fiction? Are you tired of reading depressing YA dystopias, especially given the cold, dreary weather we’ve been having? If you answered yes to either of those questions you really should give Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal a chance.

Elvie Nara makes the mistake of falling in lust with Cole Archer, the hottest guy in school. One thing leads to another and Elvie ends up pregnant. She tells Cole and he disappears. Nobody has seen him since Elvie dropped the pregnancy bomb. Did I mention that Cole’s girlfriend, Britta McVicker, and Elvie happen to be archenemies? Now Elvie is at a special school for pregnant teens and she is pretty much counting the hours until she can give the baby up for adoption. Elvie's mother died when she was young and always dreamed of traveling. Elvie wants to visit all the places her mom dreamed of going, and the only way to do that is by giving up the baby.

So far this sounds like a typical teen drama right? Sort of Juno meets Mean Girls? But wait, here is the twist. The book takes place in the year 2074. Hanover School, the school for pregnant teens, is actually an old low-orbit luxury cruiser spaceship. The title “Mothership” totally makes sense now doesn’t it? So Elvie and other pregnant teens are floating in space, going to class, getting prenatal care, hidden from the prying eyes of Earth. Ideal right? Wrong! Guess who also happens to be at Hanover School? Britta McVicker! Cole was a busy boy. Even in pregnant teen school there are cliques, and Britta is still the queen bee.

One day Elvie is skipping class and eating ice cream on the observation deck when suddenly she sees the ship being boarded by men dressed as some sort of space commandos. The mothership is under attack! Guess who happens to be one of the commandos? Cole Archer. What are the odds?

This book is kind of crazy and perhaps that is why I enjoyed reading it so much. Elvie is intelligent, snarky, mechanical, and determined. Cole is an absolute idiot (but he sure is pretty). And things on the mothership are not at all what they seem.

Elvie’s father is fantastic. This man has a contingency plan for every single scenario. Your teenage daughter is pregnant? He has a plan for that. The hood of your car pops open while driving at high speeds? Not only does he have a plan for that, he has actually practiced that scenario. Elvie’s best friend is named Ducky. If you are a fan of 80s movies you would be correct in guessing that Ducky got his nickname because of his resemblance to Jon Cryer’s character in Pretty in Pink (1986). Elvie and Ducky are obsessed with old movies. Ducky supports Elvie 100%. He is the greatest best friend ever.

When the mothership comes under attack, Elvie proves to be one heck of a leader. Her mechanical abilities come in handy and her snarky, sarcastic attitude adds quite a bit of humor. One thing, and this isn’t a spoiler, but I love the nicknames she has for her fellow classmates. My favorite has to be for the girl who is always chewing on her hair. Elvie simply refers to her as “Chewie” throughout the book. The events that lead up to Elvie attending Hanover School, and the attack on the spaceship, are told through flashback chapters in the book. It was nice to not have to suffer through the drama of teenage romance, and just see it through the eyes of the pragmatic and snarky Elvie. I think she gets that from her father.

This is the first book in a planned trilogy. I have some questions about Elvie’s mother, and I suspect there is more to her story. Maybe I will find out if I'm right somewhere within the next two books. This is a quick, fun read. Due to the subject matter, this book is better suited for older teens and adults. The second book, A Stranger Thing, is available now.

~ Amy, Adult Services

Staff Review: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

If you like colorful language and unique dialog in an historical setting, you should enjoy The Good Lord Bird, the 2013 National Book Award winner by James McBride.  When abolitionist John Brown frees a young slave he is under the impression that he is helping a young black girl.  The child, nicknamed Onion by Brown, is unwillingly swept into the Captain's crusade to end slavery.  The story covers approximately 4 years and is told through Onion's eyes.  He portrays John Brown as a strong, righteous man who is a religious fanatic that truly believes in his cause and is willing to sacrifice everything to end slavery.  During his time with Brown, Onion is treated with respect and kindness even though survival was often in question.

Onion's perspective is often humorous but never lets the reader forget the injustices and violence brought about by slavery.  At times the story bogs down with the repetition of Captain Brown's rants, slowing down the middle of the book for me, but the story ends strong.  We know what happens to John Brown, but it's Onion's story you want to finish. His life ends up taking many unexpected turns, but Onion remains resilient throughout the book.

-Michelle, Circulation

To read more about John Brown and the Harper's Ferry raid try:

• Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks (Fiction Banks) An atmospheric novel of John Brown's life told from the perspective of his son Owen.
• Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz (LP 973.7116 HOR) A richly detailed account of the Harper's Ferry raid from the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist.
• John Brown's Spy: the adventurous life and tragic confession of John E. Cook by Steven Lubet (Biography Cook) A biography of John E. Cook, who helped John Brown in the planning of his raid.
• John Brown's Trial by Brian McGinty (973.7116 MCG) McGinty's legal background allows him to focus on the impact of Brown's trial on the United States leading up to the Civil War.

Staff Review: Death Without Cause

Wahlert High School and University of Iowa graduate Pamela Klauer Triolo now lives in Texas.  When she emailed the Library last summer to ask if we’d like to accept a copy of her first novel, I was pleased to find Death Without Cause was already on our shelves.  Now that I’ve read her book, I’m equally glad to report that I want to read The Imposter, the next title in her planned series of health care mysteries featuring nurse Santos Rosa, but it doesn’t have a release date yet.

Robin Cook and Tess Gerritsen are authors of medical thrillers I’ve read in the past.  Pamela Triolo compares favorably; a bit less graphic and a touch more cozy.  All three authors use their medical backgrounds to give an insiders’ view of health care settings, professional ethics and politics. 

The first chapter of Death Without Cause begins with Santos and fellow nurse Patrick Sullivan facing a tense code blue emergency when a local public figure scheduled for a routine knee replacement begins hemorrhaging.  The following chapters alternate from Santos’ point-of-view to the thoughts of an unnamed hospital employee who is plotting a deadly game for patients.  I like that many of the chapters are relatively short; some are less than a page long.

Triolo’s cast of characters and well-plotted storyline kept me absorbed.  The good guys weren’t perfect, and the bad guy wasn’t inexplicably evil.  His motivation, if not his identity, was revealed as the story progressed.  There was a balance in not only the characters, but the action as well.  Details of Santos’ family life and friendships counter the riveting medical action.  Triolo’s time spent working in hospital is evident in her knowledgeable account of how staff respond to unexpected and unexplained problems for patients.  If I ever end up in a critical care situation, I’d want a team like Santos’ co-workers from the Texas Medical Center in my corner. 

The descriptions of Houston reinforce my desire to visit Texas someday; I’d like to attend the Nutcracker Market.  Maybe Pamela Triolo will be there autographing copies of her next book.

 - Michelle, Adult Services

February Magazines of the Month: Mental Floss & Macworld

Mental Floss is a magazine of entertaining trivia, puzzles, intellectual humor, and general edutainment. The magazine was started by two students at Duke University, and has been publishing eight issues a year since 2001. Regular contributors include A.J. Jacobs, Ken Jennings, and John Green. Their website and blog is packed with even more wacky entertainment:  mentalfloss.com

Mental Floss is one of the titles available through our collection of Zinio downloadable magazines.

Macworld is the oldest continuously published magazine specific to the world of Mac products, with their first issue appearing in 1984. Between their print issues, their website (www.macworld.com), and their weekly podcast, Macworld will keep you up to date on all things Apple.

Macworld is also available through our collection of Zinio downloadable magazines.