Michele Kirschebaum created the Dewey Decimal Category Personality quiz. It passed very quickly from staff member to staff member at my library and on Facebook. Give a try and see what category you are!
Which Dewey Decimal Category are You?
Created By Michele Kirschenbaum
on March 13, 2014
Ever wonder if you were a book, which Dewey Decimal Classification you’d be categorized as?
You got 800’s – Literature! You are a true bookworm! You are always in the middle of a fantastic book and hit up your local library often. You appreciate not only fiction novels and nonfiction books, but enjoy reading poetry and plays as well! You can recite the plot of quite a few Shakespeare plays and appreciate theater and the arts!
I was incredibly excited to read this debut novel by Rachel Hartman and ordered a copy as soon as available. Fantasy novels are a particular favourite of mine and any novel that features dragons is guaranteed a read, though they do not always measure up to expectations. Hartman’s depiction of humans and dragons living together in a tense peace was an engaging and fascinating read. Reminiscent of the wise and mercurial dragons in Patricia C. Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles that were such a huge part of me and my friends’ childhood.
Hartman’s novel is full of drama, suspense, romance, and a wonderfully complex reimaging of dragons. Once I started the novel, it was impossible to put it down and resulted in a very tired reader as I stayed up until 2 am to finish it. I was impressed by the romance storyline for while it is an important element, it was not the sole motivation or concern of the individuals as opposed to novels such as Twilight. Instead her characters are well rounded and have to deal with issues beyond the boy or girl they like. Seraphina has to hide her very self as she is the product of a marriage between a human and a dragon (in human form) and risks death if others were to find out who she is. Despite this, she is unable to give up on her musical talent which draws the attention of the royal court. Her father adamantly opposes her decision and though he loves her, he too has much to lose if she is discovered and wishes her to hide herself away. In addition to her physical world challenges, Seraphina has inner turmoil as she has unexplained links to other individuals that dominate her mind and has little understanding of what this gift is. Her friendship with the royal family will not go unnoticed and will draw her into court intrigues.
Hartman’s dragons are fully imagined and given their motivations, ideals, and emotions, though they disdain human preoccupation with these. Dragons value intellect and cool reason and logic and actively avoid emotion through voluntary, and occasionally involuntary, excision of it. Hartman’s love of music is evident in this novel and the reader can almost hear the songs simply based on her lyrical descriptions. Her attention to detail in the creation of this fantastical world results in a sophisticated and realistic environment.
In her interview with The Book RatHartman credits several factors for her inspiration of the story including her parent’s divorce and the idea of marrying someone who you didn’t truly know, as well as her love of music and medieval history. She had no difficulty in building the world of Seraphina and was even told by editors that the story needed to be as least as large as the world. When asked what propaganda posters would be used to promote peace between humans and dragons, she suggests “Humans – They’re Not for Breakfast Anymore”. See the full interview below for more details of her writing process.
For those who love this book and want to know what happens with Seraphina and Orma and the tenuous peace agreement, you will have a long wait for the sequel, Shadow Scale, which will be released in March 2015. In the meantime, visit Hartman’s website for further information, reviews of other novels, and interviews.
This book takes on the form of a diary which provides the reader with a unique narrative in which the story is told. Cecil, Henry’s therapist, gives him a notebook in which to record his feelings and life as a means to assist the healing process after “IT”. The diary narrative allows readers access to Henry’s reality and interpretations. While we can interpret other character’s intentions, it is all portrayed from Henry’s perspective. It is difficult to have an objective viewpoint of the story because everything comes through the filter of Henry’s reality. This method of narration makes the book so much more intimate and honest. Readers begin to piece together the story of “IT” through details Henry reveals in his diary and eventually we learn that his older brother Jesse has committed suicide after shooting and killing the bully who has been tormenting him. The revelation of these details in a diary provides the greater context for the situation and removes the “sensationalism” from the school shooting aspect of the situation. Instead the book focuses on the painful realities of bullying and suicide and demonstrates how these incidents cannot be separated from the context of daily life. On her website, Susin Nielsen discusses the motivation for this storyline.
Henry faces the difficulties of loving and hating a family member who is not around for you to ask the questions that need answers, to rage against or to comfort. No one wants to think of a loved dying alone and in that much pain. For all that his family knew there was a problem, Jesse did not share the truth of what he was going through with anyone and even when Henry caught a glimpse of what life was like for him, Jesse swore him to silence. Dealing with suicide is always difficult and painful for it reveals how much inner turmoil can exist for people and how alone they feel.
The introduction of the Reach for the Top team to Henry’s school life was exciting for me as I have never read a book previously that included such an important aspect of my own high school life. This team provided me and my fellow players the same sense of belonging, camaraderie, and pride that Farley and his team members experience. It was a way to participate in a team, especially when many of us would not qualify for sports teams, and a place that celebrated what was discouraged or mocked outside of the team. Here having an interest in reading encyclopedia’s for fun was no longer weird, but accepted and even prized. Like Farley, it allowed us to bounce back to know that we had skills and purpose despite what bullies and even family members may value.
This book deals with painful issues and yet remains humorous and true to real life. It portrays real life, the good and the bad and the painful reality of life going on around us even as we struggle to deal with our own losses and pain. There is no pause button on life for Henry – he has to continue with school and life. It also touches on the often present theme in young adult materials of having to find your own way when the adults in your life are no longer there to guide you. Henry lost more than his brother that fateful day; he lost his friends, home, innocence, and the ability to trust in his parents for assistance and guidance. His Mom is in psychiatric care and his father is following his own path to healing and at the beginning of the novel is relatively oblivious to what Henry needs. Yet once, Henry allows them to reach out, he finds support from unlikely people, especially those who he initially resists so strongly. At the risk of sounding cheesy, this book will make you laugh and cry and is definitely worth recommending to young adult readers.
booknerdsunited 