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The End by Lemony Snicket: B-

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

You are presumably looking at the back of this book, or the end of THE END. The end of THE END is the best place to begin THE END, because if you read THE END from the beginning of the beginning of THE END to the end of the end of THE END, you will arrive at the end of the end of your rope.

This book is the last in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and even if you braved the previous twelve volumes, you probably can’t stand such unpleasantries as a fearsome storm, a suspicious beverage, a herd of wild sheep, an enormous bird cage, and a truly haunting secret about the Baudelaire parents.

It has been my solemn occupation to complete the history of the Baudelaire orphans, and at last I am finished. You likely have some other occupation, so if I were you I would drop this book at once, so THE END does not finish you.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Review:
Unfortunately, I found the final volume of A Series of Unfortunate Events to be somewhat of a disappointment. The first half is dull, and one feels that time that could’ve been used to settle some mysteries has been squandered. A couple of things are finally formally clarified, but a lot is left up in the air or, as the book puts it, in the Great Unknown.

At the same time, though, the point is made in the book that we seldom do get answers to all of our questions, which is certainly true. The orphans conveniently discovering all of the answers in the final volume would be satisfying, but it would also be too simple for a series that has spent the last few volumes dwelling on life’s ambiguities. I’m still annoyed, but perhaps not as much as I would be under other circumstances.

A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine: A-

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From the back cover:
Like most families, they had their secrets—and hid them under a genteelly respectable veneer. No onlooker would guess that Vera Hillyard and her beautiful sister, Eden, were locked in a dark and bitter combat over one of those secrets. England in the fifties was not kind to women who erred. They had to fight it out behind closed curtains using every weapon they had. And in this case, it was murder.

Review:
Barbara Vine is a pen name for Ruth Rendell, whose writing I generally like a great deal. A Dark-Adapted Eye is no exception.

The book can’t be called a mystery, really. The culprit is clear from the beginning, as is the method. What is missing is the why. Told from the point of view of the niece of Vera and Eden Hillyard, we are presented with “warts and all” portraits of the women involved, ultimately leading to the circumstances inspiring the drastic act. It’s very well-done and interesting throughout.

One frustrating thing is that the narrator refers to a variety of people by their given names at the beginning of the book without referencing their relationships, so it takes a bit of time to work out who these people are. I ended up drawing a little family tree to help myself.

I also guessed what “the secret” would turn out to be halfway through the book. There was at least one awesome surprise, though. Definitely recommended.

The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh: B+

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From the back cover:
Sir John Phillips, the Harley Street surgeon, and his beautiful nurse, Jane Harden, are almost too nervous to operate. The emergency case on the table before them is the Home Secretary—and they both have very good, personal reasons to wish him dead. Within hours he does die, although the operation was a complete success…

Review:
Wow, a Ngaio Marsh book I actually enjoyed! I think the difference is that we’re not seeing events (and Inspector Alleyn) through the eyes of another character this time. Alleyn seems almost like a different character now. He’s still breezy and flip, but seems to be more consistent in mood and personality. Characterization is not the focus of this novel, but this is still a definite improvement.

The structure of the book was very tidy. The first third is devoted to setting up the victim in life, and those with possible motivations against him. The next third consists of Alleyn’s interviews with all the surgeons and nurses present during the procedure. James Saxon, the audiobook’s narrator, does a fabulous job giving each of these people their own voice, both literally and figuratively. I especially love how he handles a blustery doctor prone to going “ha ha ha” at his own comments.

The rest of the book continues and completes the investigation. The only things I didn’t particularly like were the first appearance by a couple of Alleyn’s civilian buddies (they got on my nerves and disrupted the flow of things) and the pantomime reconstruction of the surgical procedure in question (lo, how it dragged).

A final note: apparently a nursing home is something else in the UK. This is not about a place where elderly folks dwell, but rather a small hospital where surgeries are performed. It took a while for me to get the image of the victim as an old dude out of my head.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart: C+

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From the back cover:
Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?

Review:
I’m sure this book will be compared to Harry Potter. It’s not a total rip-off or anything, but there were enough common elements to be distracting.

For example: the main character, Reynie, is eleven. And an orphan. But what could be better than one 11-year-old orphan? Four of them! Well, the kids are not all technically orphans, but their parents are not in the picture, at least. They each have different strengths and traits, which evokes the House system at Hogwarts. Reynie’s a Hufflepuff, Kate’s a Gryffindor, Sticky’s a Ravenclaw… They have a member on their team they don’t entirely trust, and the old, doddering leader dude assures them she’ll be helpful, but doesn’t disclose his reasons for including her, reminding one of Dumbledore and Snape to some degree.

Some children’s fiction authors seem to feel obligated to impart messages unto their readers. Featured in The Mysterious Benedict Society are: friends can become your family, don’t let fear cripple you, there’s no shame in accepting help… and TV and radio are evil (those with an “uncommon love of truth” have no interest in either).

The real problem, however, is that the book is boring. Drudgery would be an apt description for the effort required to finish it. The concept, somewhat reminiscent of one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes (creepy headmaster needs children for a nefarious plan), is a good one but the execution could put one to sleep.

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir: A-

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From the back cover:
New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir has earned her reputation as the preeminent historian of British royalty. Now with Innocent Traitor, Weir utilizes her vast knowledge and captivating narrative style to craft her first historical novel, choosing Lady Jane Grey—the most sympathetic heroine of Tudor England—as her enthralling subject.

The child of a scheming father and ruthless mother, Jane is born during a time when ambition dictates action. Cousin to Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, she is merely a pawn in a political and religious game where one false step means certain demise. But Lady Jane has remarkable qualities that help her withstand the constant pressures of the royal machinery far better than any person could be expected to do.

Weir’s striking novel sweeps readers back through the centuries to witness first-hand one of the most poignant tales from a time of constant scheming and power brokering.

Review:
I’ve known of Alison Weir for some time, and always intended to read her nonfiction works. I’ve also long been interested in Lady Jane. As a result, I’ve been looking forward to reading Innocent Traitor ever since I first heard about it.

I’ve only read two other historical fiction novels concerning British monarchy, but this is better than both of them. It isn’t dry, dense, or esoteric, thanks to many events being seen through young Jane’s inexperienced eyes, and therefore prompting some explanation from those around her. The story is told in a series of alternating first-person narratives, in which everyone candidly reveals their ambitions and motives, and sometimes their appearances, too. This is a little weird, as who refers to themself as “a bull of a man”?

I liked everything about the Tudor court, its intrigue, and the risks involved in holding “heretical” protestant views. Catherine Parr was cooler than I ever expected. Elizabeth I was a “clever minx” (much better than the petulant and fickle characterization she got in Philippa Gregory’s The Virgin’s Lover). Thomas Seymour was fun with his foolish scheming, and John Dudley with his slightly more skilled attempts. Queen Mary was sympathetically rendered, and spoiled Guilford Dudley managed to avoid being romanticized as he was in the film version. I feel as though I have learned as well as been entertained.

But… I had trouble liking Jane. She’s far too perfect, and characters of that sort never endear themselves to me. Weir’s scholarship is respected, so probably it’s factually accurate that Jane possessed the skills mentioned. (She can read and write at a young age, is “musically gifted,” is adept at learning languages, and corresponds with a bunch of old dudes about religious matters, to name a few.) However, Weir also fabricates some scenes wherein Jane saves the day: it is she who manages to find something that helps Parr fend off charges of heresy, she who manages to get overlooked in a room so she may overhear pivotal scheming, etc. She gets better as she gets older, though her self-righteousness rankles. A quote on the back of the book claims that Weir is trying to rehabilitate Jane’s “merely pathetic” reputation, which I get, but I think she went overboard.

Even though Jane is ostensibly the protagonist, the scope is wide enough that, even if one isn’t particularly fond of her, there’s much else to enjoy. If you’ve never tried historical fiction, this is a good place to start. It’s not overly stuffy, and neither does it seem plagued with dubious scholarship. I will definitely be reading any further fiction that Weir produces.

Please Save My Earth 21 by Saki Hiwatari: A+

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From the back cover:
Eight-year-old Rin is still tormented by his past life. As Shion, an engineer stationed on Earth’s moon, he spent nine years alone after his home planet was annihilated and a deadly virus took the lives of his fellow scientists. Now, in the conclusion to the Please Save My Earth series, Rin’s plot to destroy the moon base—and all traces of his past life—reaches its denouement. Alice begs Rin not to let his past life as Shion rule his future—and even threatens to jump off Tokyo Tower if Rin chooses to pursue his plot of eventually controlling the world…

Review:
The final volume to this series provides a very satisfying conclusion to the story. Some things required a bit of thought to really appreciate what had happened, but it all ultimately made sense and was not a let down after all this long build-up.

The best parts began when Rin goes to Tokyo Tower. I especially like the first few pages there (58-62), where he’s walking around alone. The worst bits, thankfully scant, were when Mr. Tamura tried to be helpful and ended up making things worse. The last chapter is an epilogue.

I will definitely be rereading this series in the future, and recommend it to any book lover, whether or not they think they have any interest in manga.

Please Save My Earth 20 by Saki Hiwatari: A

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From the back cover:
Rin is finally face to face with Alice again, and he is determined to get the computer password she used in her past life on the KK moon base. But even in the face of his vicious threats, Alice steadfastly refuses—unless he’ll tell her why he needs it. It turns out that Rin’s motives, tied into his past identity as Shion, are more complicated than his former moon compatriots could imagine…

Review:
Another excellent volume. This one primarily consists of Rin and Alice finally talking about all of the things they’ve needed to talk about for a while. We learn why Rin wants the passwords, and also more about Rin’s internal struggles. This bit felt a little tacked on to me, but that might just be because I haven’t read the earlier volumes in a while.

The art and expressions are top-notch, and I particularly liked the few pages without dialogue when Rin enters the room where sleeping Alice lies. Because of the layout, it has the potential to be an extremely quick read. I only took longer with it to reread a few pages, since the conversations that were transpiring were so pivotal.

Please Save My Earth 19 by Saki Hiwatari: A+

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From the back cover:
Mokuren awakens from a fever-induced coma a week after her attack, tormented by the realization that Shion lied to her when he said he loved her. After all, if he really did, her Kiche, the mystical mark on her forehead, would have disappeared. Even so, and even though he’s now treating her like a sacred being instead of a fellow human, she can’t stop loving him.

On Earth, Haruhiko tries to convince Alice that Rin needs and loves her. But Alice finds herself in deep trouble, and her disturbing dreams continue, showing her the end of Mokuren’s life on the KK moon base…

Review:
This volume truly has it all. It’s about evenly split between memories of the moon and present day. The former provides insights into Shion’s motivations, his relationship with Mokuren, and their final days together on the moon base. The latter features everyone trying to protect Alice from Rin, as hers is the final password he needs, and Alice reacting to the things she’s remembered. Much drama, and it’s all great.

There’s a cliffhanger of sorts in each time period, but since we know essentially how things turned out on the moon, it’s the present day resolution that I’m eagerly anticipating. I’m very glad I waited until I had the last few volumes before embarking on this final arc because waiting would totally dilute the impact.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay: B

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From the back cover:
Dexter Morgan appears to be the perfect gentleman. He is handsome and polite, and has been in a relationship for nearly a year and a half. Yet appearances can be deceiving, for Dexter is a serial killer who has slain many people. But in this tale, he’s the good guy, for there is one little twist—Dexter only snuffs out other murderers. When another serial killer, with an eerily similar style, starts grabbing headlines, Dexter has a fairly morbid thought. Am I being challenged?

Review:
It should be obvious from the blurb that this book is pretty darned creepy. Not just the fact that there’s a killer on the loose, but that the protagonist is one himself. I was disturbed by my own reaction to the character. On one hand, it was neat that he had insights into the killer’s next moves, and his narrow escape from one of his own escapades made for exciting reading. And then… one is suddenly reminded, by a specific detail about what Dexter has done to someone, or that stray pets were his victims in adolescence, that this guy truly is the monster he proudly claims to be.

The mystery of the book starts out well, but after a certain piece of evidence is discovered, I knew who the culprit would be. The epilogue was predictable, too. A few times the writing tried too hard to be artsy (“And the Need was very strong now, very careful cold coiled creeping crackly cocked and ready, very strong, very much ready now”) but this thankfully wasn’t prevalent.

Another thing that bothered me was that characters use each other’s given names too often in conversations. This trait wasn’t limited to Dexter, who fakes social interaction in an attempt to seem like your typical charming human. I once counted twelve uses of first names (or derivatives thereof) in a single conversation. It’s incredibly distracting. No one I know does this.

I’m not sure yet whether I’m going to read the next book in the series.

The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket: A-

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From the back cover:
Dear Reader,

If this is the first book you found while searching for a book to read next, then the first thing you should know is that this next-to-last book is what you should put down first. Sadly, this book presents the next-to-last chronicle of the lives of the Baudelaire orphans, and it is next-to-first in its supply of misery, despair, and unpleasantness.

Probably the next-to-last things you would like to read about are a harpoon gun, a rooftop sunbathing salon, two mysterious initials, three unidentified triplets, a notorious villain, and an unsavory curry.

Next-to-last things are the first thing to be avoided, and so allow me to recommend that you put this next-to-last book down first, and find something else to read next at last, such as the next-to-last book in another chronicle, or a chronicle containing other next-to-last things, so that this next-to-last book does not become the last book you will read.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

Review:
I found the first half of this book not to be very interesting. About midway through, however, a character appears and spurs a new direction. The last half was great, expounding on the themes of moral ambiguity and less-than-perfect loved ones that were introduced in The Grim Grotto. The Baudelaires are again compelled to act in a manner less noble than they would wish. One thing in particular, though it had been alluded to in an early chapter, completely stunned me.

This book is the darkest yet in the series. Although it doesn’t answer any new questions, there is nonetheless the feeling of wrapping up some things, leaving the way clear for the final resolution in the concluding volume. My enthusiasm had kind of waned for this series (I read the previous volume two months ago), but this installment successfully rejuvenated it.