Random Reads: A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

 
Yes, I know what you're thinking. "Kaye, you need another book on that pile next to your desk like you need a third arm!"

Well, a third arm might be handy...

Alright, alright. Truth be told, I've been wanting to participate in Random Reads for a while, but usually by the time I remember, it's the middle of the month - or the end of it. So what's the big deal about this particular meme? Well, basically, you randomly select a book that you've been meaning to use. So in my case, I take my hefty GoodReads list - 1,275 titles on the to-read list, people, and this is taking into account that I check out on average five library books per week, regardless of what's left on the pile at home - and use Random.org to select a page.

I ended up having to do this three times, because two of the pages were basically pre-releases that I can't get my hands on (*sobs*) and the third was a bunch of classics I'd prefer to tackle during the summer, so...in the end, I ended up on page 35. From there, I used Random.org again to narrow it down to lucky number 578.

A Brief History of Montmaray (The Montmaray Journals, #1)
Michelle Cooper
October 13, 2009

“There’s a fine line between gossip and history, when one is talking about kings.”

Sophie Fitzosborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray with her eccentric and impoverished royal family. When she receives a journal for her sixteenth birthday, Sophie decides to chronicle day-to-day life on the island. But this is 1936, and the news that trickles in from the mainland reveals a world on the brink of war. The politics of Europe seem far away from their remote island—until two German officers land a boat on Montmaray. And then suddenly politics become very personal indeed.

I actually won this through Random Buzzers last year - it got lost in the mail somewhere along the way and there were no other copies left. Ah, well, no use crying over spilt milk. In any case, I haven't read any good historical fiction in a while and this seems promising.

The thought of the journal format is making me a little twitchy, though.

Petrucha, Stefan: Ripper

March 1, 2012
Philomel
YA Historical Mystery, 427 pages
Acquired and read: Through the local library; read within two days (though if I'd had the energy, it could have been shorter...)

You thought you knew him. You were dead wrong. 

Carver Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him. But when he is adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency, Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter panic. When the case begins to unfold, however, it’s worse than he could have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons comes into question. As the body count rises and the investigation becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies.

Full of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New York City Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, Ripper challenges everything you thought you knew about the world’s most famous serial killer.

Okay, you say that there's not enough YA for boys? Here, gentlemen, is a title that should tide you over.

At least for a little while.

Carver Young is an orphan. He has no idea about who his parents are, or what happened to them, but he does know one thing: he is meant to be a detective. Of course, that's a bit of a dream when you're living in an orphanage and reading dime novels to make use of your time. However, everything changes for him when he's adopted by retired (cantankerous, eccentric - well, let's just say he's crazy) Pinkerton detective Albert Hawkings - you know, of the Pinkerton Detectives?

...Anyone?

Okay, let's just say that there were awesome. But look them up later.

Hawkings offers Carver a chance at a leg-up into the world of intrigue that he wants to be part of, with his own unique mission: find his biological father. Sounds like wading through phone books and old genealogical charts, right? But Carver finds himself smack-dab in the middle of a different web of circumstance than he thought: a serial killer, right on the streets of New York City, and he seems to be the only one to hold the clues to solving it all.

But, as the author says on the back cover, "You'll never guess how. Or why..."

Well, maybe you might.

Let me tell you: if you're looking for lots of historical truths that are way weirder than fiction (an old-lady cat killer! A hidden subway! An asylum hidden on an island!), chase scenes, street fights and gruesomely murdered bodies, this is the read for you. But, I'd steer clear of it if you're the type of person who gets frustrated with easy clues, almost-to-the-letter predicable twists and...well, some major writing gaffs.

And I quote, "Carver swooned."

...Swooned? Do boys swoon? And doesn't swooning involve a lot of hand-to-the-forehead, delicate sighs of distress, rolling eyes and buckling knees?

Carver lightly falls into a kneeling position on the floor. There is no hyperventilating involved.

Also, boys don't swoon.

They manfully stumble under pressure. They bend, not break.

But, to be fair, that's pretty much the only part of the book that really rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't put it down, and I even mentioned to my sister that this is definitely something teenage boys will probably enjoy.

And the historical figures - Theodore Roosevelt and Alice and there's a mention of Nellie Bly! Have I ever told you how much I admire Nellie Bly?

Warnings: There are some moments where you will be screaming, "Oh my God - that's SO OBVIOUS!" Please refrain from damaging the book in the process. Throwing it at the wall is also frowned upon. Also, there is some mention of exactly what kind of women Jack the Ripper preyed on.