The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project - Lenore Applehans

In TropeTown, Riley is the only Manic Pixie Dream Boy and he's been sent to therapy for going off script. Riley wants to be in control of his own destiny rather than sticking to the same old roles. But rebellion could mean the end for Riley, literally. When the council threatens to retire the trope entirely, Riley and the Manic Pixie Dream Girls must prove their creativity and diversity make them relevant.

OK, let's back up a bit. When I read the description of The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project by Lenore Applehans, I thought, "Um, what?" But, I pre-ordered it because Lenore is one of us, a blogger friend from way back.  As it turns out, the world building is pretty straightforward and not difficult to follow at all. It is, as you may have surmised, a unique world peopled with various types of characters who enjoy a range of activities (including therapy, if necessary). At any time, a Manic Pixie can be called to work in an author's book. There, the Manic Pixie Dream Boy or Girl must play a role in which they will never be one of the primary characters. Being secondary is a drag and it's tempting to go off script. That's what the therapy is intended to stop. When not working in a book, the Manic Pixies and other characters have rich lives with hopes, dreams, love, and worries like anyone else, real or fictional.

I don't want to give away anything else because The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project is a very plotty book with lots of surprises and plenty of questions. What will happen when the council of TropeTown threatens to retire the Manic Pixie Dream trope? Will some of the Manic Pixies choose to plant themselves permanently into a single book and live that life forever? Or, will they band together and find a way to prove their relevance? What happens to tropes who board the train? Do they disappear from existence or do they go off-page forever and become part of what we know as the "real world", the world of readers?

Highly recommended - I was truly worried when I read the first chapter of The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project because I thought it was likely to become so clever it bent itself into pretzels of cute. But, it was clever without being either predictable or unbearable, although it's imperative to put up with the combination of giggles, quirkiness, and moments of thoughtfulness that go with the trope. Full of unexpected wisdom and so many surprises. I loved the experience, loved the denouement, and loved the strength and creativity the Manic Pixies showed when they were threatened. And, I think I can safely say there's no other book I've encountered that's quite like it.

©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Catch-up post - The Dalai Lama's Cat, Coventry, Level 2, Purple Hibiscus & Scarlet

It's about time I did some serious catching up. All of the following are books from my personal collection and all 5 are books that I enjoyed and recommend.

The Dalai Lama's Cat by David Michie is a fictional tale told from the point of view of a cat.  Jenclair's review of The Dalai Lama's Cat was so positive that I ordered a copy of the book and, fortunately, I did love it.

The cat tells how she was rescued from certain death to become a part of the Dalai Lama's household.

In a way, The Dalai Lama's Cat is almost a primer in Buddhism.  As she roams around her home and explores a local cafe, the cat known alternately as Rinpoche, Snow Lion and Bodhicattva charms everyone in her path but also absorbs and shares lessons learned through observation of the monks, the Dalai Lama, the man who owns the cafe and other creatures.

The Dalai Lama's Cat is a lovely, reflective, uplifting tale.  Kiddo also enjoyed it.


Coventry by Helen Humphreys is also fictional, but with a very genuine and terrifying historical setting -- the bombing of Coventry, England by the Luftwaffe on November 14, 1940.

Harriet Marsh begins the evening standing on top of Coventry Cathedral.  It is peaceful but the moon is full, a "bomber's moon". Harriet and a young fire watcher named Jeremy meet on the cathedral and spend the evening helping people, fighting fires, running for their lives.

A little bit love story with an odd sort of connection that leads back to a time when Harriet was young and newly married and briefly befriended Jeremy's mother, Coventry is emotional, graphic and incredibly, horrifyingly vivid.

Highly recommended to those who love reading WWII stories.  Sad and slightly strange writing but it grew on me and the book is utterly gripping.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans is one that I can't believe I didn't sit down and write about immediately -- our Lenore wrote it, after all!  I pre-ordered Level 2 and read it almost immediately.  

Felicia Ward is stuck in a strange afterlife in which the dead spend much of their time in pods, reliving their memories or viewing the memories of others.  Most of the time, Felicia focuses on memories of Neal, the boy she loved.  But when one of her friends disappears from a neighboring chamber and a boy named Julian offers to help her, she goes from reliving the past to moving forward.  

It took me a while to become accustomed to the world of Level 2 and wrap my head around what was going on (fallen angels called Morati fighting to keep the dead from moving to the next level) but once the book became more action-oriented, I really got sucked into it and ended up loving the book.  Way to go, Lenore!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is another pre-order.  I don't actually pre-order books very often, but I absolutely loved Cinder, the first of the Lunar Chronicles, and couldn't bear to wait for a swap copy.

Cinder is a futuristic tale of a cyborg based on "Cinderella" and Scarlet is obviously based on "Little Red Riding Hood".  In Scarlet, Cinder has been imprisoned and is scheduled for execution.  Meanwhile, Scarlet's grandmother has gone missing and when Scarlet encounters a street fighter named Wolf, she is captivated by him.  

Wolf isn't what he seems, Cinder escapes, and eventually you find that the stories of Cinder and Scarlet are interconnected.  I absolutely loved this second entry in the YA series.  I'll probably end up pre-ordering the next book.  If you loved Cinder, you'll enjoy Scarlet.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a coming-of-age story, the kind of book I usually abhor.  But, in this case I had trouble putting the book down long enough to sleep.

Everyone assumes Kambili and her family have a wonderful life because her father is wealthy and revered.  They own several huge homes in Nigeria and her father is known for his generosity, faith and political activity.

But, behind the compound walls lives a family in terror.  Kambili's father is a religious zealot who cannot be pleased.  The slightest infraction (even visiting their grandfather, whom he considers a sinner, for too long) leads to horrific abuse.  The backdrop of this family tale is a military coups; it's as if you're reading about two different wars, although the main storyline is told from Kambili's point of view.  After Kambili and her brother go to visit their aunt, they discover laughter and love -- and knowing those things exist will change their lives forever.

I have never been so angry at a character as I was at Kambili's father, an evil, deceitful man who masqueraded as a kind and loving man of faith.  Purple Hibiscus is truly an amazing work of writing.  

©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.