Review: The Willoughbys

Title: The Willoughbys
Author: Lois Lowry
Genre: YA / Children's Fiction
Published: 2008
Pages: 174
Rating: 6 / 10
Challenges: YA Reading Challenge, A - Z Reading Challenge

Synopsis: (from the book flap)

"Shouldn't we be orphans?" one of the Willoughby children suggests one day. The four are, after all, part of an old-fashioned kind of family, and their parents - well, their parents are not all that one would hope for. Recalling literary heroes and heroines such as Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, and James with his giant peach, the Willoughbys concoct a diabolical plot to turn themselves into worthy and winsome orphans. Little do they know that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby have already begun to formulate their own thoroughly despicable plan inspired by another favorite bedtime story: the tale of Hansel and Gretel...
Villains, benefactors, no-nonsense nannies, abandoned infants, long-lost heirs, and late-life romance all make their appearance along with the irrepressible Willoughbys as the Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry pays playful homage to classic works of literature in this hilarious and decidedly "old-fashioned" parody.

My Review: I won this from Chris last year. I actually read it a few months ago; I've just been really bad about reviewing, especially books that I'm not super-psyched about. And, sadly, this book falls into that category. It's an interesting enough story and a very quick and easy read, but I just didn't love it as much as I thought I would. The children are complete and total brats, and I just couldn't get past that. I understand it's a parody and meant to be making fun of them, but I just didn't like the kids. As they are the protagonists, it makes it difficult to like the book. I did like the adult characters, though, and even found myself sympathizing with the Willoughby parents, which I'm pretty sure wasn't supposed to happen. Maybe I was just in one of my childfree hardcore moods when I read this (I don't actually post on that community, fyi, but some of the stories are amusing), or maybe I just didn't "get it," but I vastly preferred A Series of Unfortunate Events and would recommend that series over The Willoughbys.

Other Reviews:
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If you have reviewed this book as well, leave me a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

Mini-Review: Audrey, Wait!

Audrey, Wait! is a YA novel by Robin Benway. I picked up my copy in a Borders bin for about $4, and it was one of the best deals I've ever gotten. Poor Audrey recently broke up with her rock star-wannabe boyfriend, and he's gone and written a song about it that's quickly becoming the most popular tune of the year. Now she's dealing with paparazzi, jealous groupies, and out-of-control rumors. Audrey, Wait! is Audrey's side of the story, and it's a light, fluffy, and hugely enjoyable read. Audrey is a lovable character, and her relationships (even with her sucky ex) are relateable and real. I loved reading about her dealing with her unexpected fame and the perks and problems that come along with it. Be sure to check out the website - there's even a link to download the book's soundtrack from iTunes!

Other Reviews:
bookshelves of doom
Pop Culture Junkie
Presenting Lenore

Mini-Review: The Taffy Sinclair Series

Did anyone else read the Taffy Sinclair books when they were in elementary school? I started thinking about them again after reading a few reviews on The Dairi Burger, one of my favorite book blogs. There are eleven books in total:

1. The Against Taffy Sinclair Club
2. Taffy Strikes Again*
3. Taffy Sinclair, Queen of the Soaps*
4. Blackmailed by Taffy Sinclair*
5. Taffy Sinclair and the Romance Machine Disaster*
6. Taffy Sinclair and the Melanie Makeover
7. Taffy Sinclair and the Secret Admirer Epidemic*
8. Taffy Sinclair- Baby Ashley- and Me*
9. The Truth About Taffy Sinclair*
10. Taffy Sinclair Goes to Hollywood
11. Nobody Likes Taffy Sinclair

and I managed to find seven (*) of them at this awesome used book store I discovered a few months ago. Reading them again was like going back in time.

The premise: Jana Morgan, Beth Barry, Christie Winchell, Katie Shannon, and Melanie Edwards are all best friends, and they all hate Taffy Sinclair, the prettiest and snobbiest girl in their fifth grade class. And...that's about all you need to know. The titles pretty much speak for themselves, I think, and you can probably imagine the sorts of shenanigans junior high kids in the 80's can get up to.

I loved this series as a kid, and reading it now, I can't imagine why. Jana, the narrator, is annoying and whiny. Her friends are all one-dimensional: Beth is loud and dramatic, Christie is the goody-two-shoes principal's daughter, Katie is the liberal feminist, and Melanie is the quiet fat girl. Seriously, more time is spent talking about her weight than anything else about her. It was a little depressing. On the other hand, Taffy is just awesome. I felt more sympathy for her than anyone else in these books (even before The Truth About Taffy Sinclair, which is her side of the story), and I thought she was more complex than the other characters.

Overall, it's not the greatest series in the world, but it's a fun, quick read. I read these for the YA Reading Challenge, and I'm tempted to count them all as one book because they're so short. I'm still on the lookout for the other in the series.

Young Adult Book Challenge

Click here for the main page.
Rules:
* Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
* Read 12 Young Adult novels. You may list your chosen books any time during the year. Change the list if needed.
* Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.
* You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

My list:
1. Aquamarine, Alice Hoffman
2. Audrey, Wait!, Robin Benway
3. Bingo Brown's Guide to Romance, Betsy Byars
4. Enthusiasm, Polly Shulman
5. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, Ann Brashares
6. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood, Ann Brashares
7. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood, Ann Brashares
8. Taffy Sinclair Strikes Again, Betsy Haynes
9. Taffy Sinclair, Queen of the Soaps, Betsy Haynes
10. Taffy Sinclair and the Romance Machine Disaster, Betsy Haynes
11. Blackmailed by Taffy Sinclair, Betsy Haynes
12. Taffy Sinclair, Baby Ashley, and Me, Betsy Haynes
13. Taffy Sinclair and the Secret Admirer Epidemic, Betsy Haynes
14. The Truth About Taffy Sinclair, Betsy Haynes

14 / 12 - I'd say I'm done! Some of those were really short, though, so I probably shouldn't count them as a whole book. Plus, it's not like I'm going to stop reading YA for the rest of the year...