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By:
Becky Laney,
on 3/20/2014
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Fire & Flood. Victoria Scott. 2014. Scholastic. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Did I love Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott? Not exactly. I neither loved it or hated it. I was completely indifferent to it. I would say it is more plot-driven than character-driven. I would say that it is a quick read, but, perhaps more forgettable than memorable when all is said and done. I'll also say that I never once thought of stopping while I was reading it. I wanted to stick with it and find out what happened.
Tella, our heroine, LOVES her brother, Cody. Unfortunately, Cody is dying and there is nothing to be done for him. Or so readers (who avoid blurbs) are led to believe in the opening chapters. It seems Tella, and Tella alone, can TRY to save her brother by participating in the oh-so-mysterious survival game called Brimstone Bleed. The ultimate winner of the games will receive THE CURE which will provide one person with a cure for any disease. In Tella's case, it will be for her brother, Cody. But not all participants are doing this for siblings.
The games are NOT public knowledge though they've apparently been going on every six years for several decades now. Those who survive the game are NOT allowed to speak of what occurred during the games. It also seems the game has a curse-aspect to it. Those that have been invited to participate are related to others who have endured the games. Apparently, Tella's mother has a secret!
So Tella's invitation to participate arrives suddenly. She's barely heard the message when her parents intervene oh-so-dramatically. They try to destroy the device that delivered the mysterious invitation. They fail. (It would be a short book if they'd succeeded!) Tella decides to defy her parents (not a surprise) and follow the instructions and become a contender. Tella realizes that she is one of hundreds participating in this game. There will be only one winner. She's not sure what--if anything--happens to those who fail. There is not a sense of doom like in Hunger Games. And the games do not in any way appear to be publicized.
This is the first in a series. In this book, Tella endures two challenges: the jungle and the desert. The winner of the first challenge receives 2 million dollars. The winner of the second challenge receives a portion of "The Cure" which supposedly means five additional years of life for their sick relative.
Each participant chooses an egg--a pandora. The pandoras, when hatched, reveal themselves to be various mutant animals with magical powers, of course. Without pandoras, NO contestant could hope to survive all the challenges.
Tella's pandora is probably the most interesting pandora. A shape-shifting fox that can read her mind.
What would a survivor-based game be without romance?! So of course, Tella has several guys interested in joining her during the challenges...
Some characters I liked. Some characters I didn't like. I can't say that I truly loved, loved, loved any of them.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Independent Study. Joelle Charbonneau. 2014. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 320 pages. [Source: Library]
Independent Study was an interesting read. I had just reread The Testing, and it was nice to be able to jump right into this story without feeling lost. Cia herself still feels lost at times because her memory of the actual testing is gone. True, she was wise enough to hide clues for her future clueless self, but, having clues--even good, strong clues--aren't quite the same as vivid memories of the horrific past. Essentially, six months have passed, I believe, and the students are getting ready to be tested again, they'll be placed into special training preparing them for future careers. They do not get to pick their "majors." They will take the classes and internships chosen for them by authorities, all for the common good of the future, of course. Most of the characters from the first novel are absent from most of Independent Study. Cia and Tomas are separated by different career paths now. Will and Cia are on the same career path--government--but even Will only has a handful of scenes in the novel. A character that some might consider minor in The Testing, plays a bigger role in the second novel: Michal. He clues Cia in on her past and gives her hope for the present and the future. What if there was a way to abolish "The Testing."
Independent Study is all about Cia seeking to discover the inner-leader inside that is strong and brave and wise and true. Is Cia a great character? Are any of the characters "great"? I'm not sure. I'm not sure that 'liking' most of the characters in a novel is a requirement for it being an entertaining read. I wanted to know what happened next.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Testing. Joelle Charbonneau. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 344 pages. [Source: Review Copy]
I had not planned to reread The Testing in anticipation of reading Independent Study. But as I opened the pages of Independent Study, I felt it only fair to begin at the beginning, to go back and experience it in full, to refresh my memory so that I would be more likely to fall in love with this second book. I am very thankful I chose to spend the time with The Testing. It was interesting to see what I remembered and what I had forgotten. It was interesting to see if the same scenes still stood out to me.
For those that enjoy dystopia, I would definitely recommend The Testing. I liked Cia Vale, our heroine. I liked the brief introduction to the Five Lakes Colony. There was just enough mystery to hook me. Her dad and her brother prove even more interesting upon rereading. I liked the four stages of the test. I liked how the horror comes gradually--surely and inevitably, but paced well in my opinion. I liked the twists and turns. Overall, I thought the characterization was good, was interesting. The world-building was good, perhaps not great, but solid enough. Even though it was a reread, I found it hard to put down!I first read this one in June 2013.
© 2014 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Elite. Kiera Cass. 2013. HarperCollins. 323 pages. [Source: Library]
I enjoyed reading
The Selection. I enjoyed it for its lightness, its ease. While it is a dystopian novel, it isn't dark or bleak. The world Cass has created is socially unfair perhaps, but it isn't dark and dangerous. If you're looking for an intense action-packed thriller, The Selection and The Elite will probably disappoint. In some ways, The Elite is all about relationships. America Singer's relationship with Prince Maxon, America's relationship with Aspen (the ex who is now a palace guard), America's relationship with the other ladies (Marlee, Kriss, Elise, Natalie, Celeste). I could see why America's indecisiveness might annoy other readers. Her not being able to make up her mind if she wants to remain in the game. America can't separate her feelings for Maxon (she's falling in love with him; she knows she cares for him oh-so-much) from her feelings of doubt about the crown (she spends three hundred pages doubting that she'd be a good princess).
Readers get a chance to know both America and Maxon better in this second novel; both are shown to have strengths and weaknesses. (I didn't feel we got to know Aspen). The game definitely is getting to America in this one. She hates the fact that she doesn't know what Maxon is doing on his dates with the other girls. She hates the idea that he could be kissing other girls. That he could be getting close to other girls. The more she thinks about Maxon's time with the others, the more stand-offish she becomes with him--which doesn't make her time with Maxon go pleasantly. But when these two do manage to communicate, some of the old magic is there.
I enjoyed this one. I enjoyed spending time with America and Maxon. Her parents came to visit for a weekend, and it was lovely getting a chance to know America's father! If you enjoy romance novels, this one should entertain.
© 2013 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Middle Ground. Katie Kacvinsky. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 336 pages. [Source: Review Copy]
Middle Ground is the sequel to
Awaken. Maddie, our heroine, has had her one last chance to conform. So when she brings attention to herself in L.A. by speaking out against virtual school, she ends up in a detention center; her sentence is for six months. Most of the novel focuses on the detention center, and on how corrupt the system is. Will Maddie survive the torturous rehabilitation process?! Can she hold onto who she is and what she believes in most?
I really have enjoyed this series of books. I liked Kacvinsky's focus on the dangers of technology and addiction. It isn't that technology is bad if used responsibly, but, it can be so addictive. In this future world, technology is used to keep the populace content and conformable--to keep them from thinking, questioning, and possibly rebelling.
There is a romance, but, to me this is a secondary story almost.
© 2013 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Sever. Lauren DeStefano. 2013. Simon & Schuster. 371 pages.
Sever was certainly an intense read. If I had to describe it in just one word, I'd say it was bittersweet. This is the final book in the trilogy which perhaps explains why to a certain degree.
The novel opens with Rhine recovering, Linden and Cecily are determined to care for her. Linden may not believe the "outrageous" claims about his own father that Rhine is sharing with him and his oh-so-young wife. But. He still cares what happens to her. And since Rhine is so unwilling to go back to the mansion, and since she isn't strong enough to leave on her own, he comes up with an alternative arrangement. He has a mysterious uncle, an uncle that his first love, Rose, adored; Rhine can go to stay with him until she's ready to leave. Rhine is still determined to find her twin brother.
This allows Rhine time to contemplate how she feels about Linden, to decide if she really wants to annul her marriage with him, to make plans on how to find her brother and possibly stop him from traveling down a dark and dangerous path. While there she begins to learn more about who she is, who her brother is, who her parents were. Her parents apparently have a reputation in the scientific world--a legacy. And some of what she learns changes her...
The world Rhine has lived in has always been ugly...and Sever is a balance between hope and despair.
Read Sever
- If you have read the first two in the series (Wither; Fever)
- If you enjoy dystopian thrillers
- If romance isn't the most important element in your science fiction!
© 2013 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 3/29/2013
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Orleans. Sherri L. Smith. 2013. Penguin. 336 pages.
Orleans is intense and I suspect unforgettable. The novel is set after the Delta and/or the Gulf Coast have been cut off from the rest of the United States. (There being an actual wall to prevent people from entering/exiting.) The reason is simple: Delta Fever is too contagious and there isn't a cure. Everyone is infected with the fever, but each blood type responds differently to the disease or virus. This separates everyone into groups or tribes according to blood type.
Fen, our heroine, is O positive. But soon after the novel begins, her tribe is attacked. Her chieftain, Lydia, goes into premature labor because of the attack. The baby survives, she doesn't. Fen and the baby are what is left of this tribe, and Fen is desperate to provide a better life for this baby. Her goal is ambitious and dangerous. She wants to find a way to smuggle the baby out before it catches the fever. She wants to reach the wall.
Sometimes helping, sometimes hindering, Fen's ambitions is a young scientist named Daniel. Daniel dreams big too. He is desperate to find a cure. That is why he is there illegally.
Orleans is incredibly intense and impossible to put down. If you enjoy disaster and/or survivor fiction, then this one is a must read! It is extremely creepy in places, which I think will definitely appeal to some readers! But even if you don't like horror elements, you may find yourself hooked.
Read Orleans
- If you enjoy great world-building
- If you enjoy meeting strong heroines
- If you enjoy survivor or disaster novels
- If you enjoy dystopian or post-apocalyptic fiction
- If you like darker stories with some horror elements
© 2013 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Reached. Ally Condie. 2012. Penguin. 512 pages.
Reached is the third in the Matched trilogy. (The books are Matched, Crossed, and Reached.) I liked Crossed more than Matched, and I think I like Reached even more than Crossed. I can easily say that I LOVED both Crossed and Reached. The world-building continues in Reached, readers get to see more, learn more. It is narrated by Xander, Cassia, and Ky. New characters continue to be introduced as well. (Lei, Leyna, Anna, Oker, etc.) The time for the Rising has come. The big, big sign of the Rising's coming was the appearance of the plague. When Xander, a medic, sees a toddler with the plague, he knows the time has come, that the Pilot will start the rebellion quickly. He knows that everyone who is a part of the rebellion are all waiting to hear the Pilot's voice. Ky and Cassia aren't aware of the coming Plague and the danger that poses to everyone who isn't immune, but, they are both eager to see the Society brought down. So Reached is essentially a compelling novel about the breakdown of a society. The plague is supposedly "helping" the cause (the rebellion) for it is the Rising who holds enough of the Cure for the public, the Rising that can provide immunizations for those not yet sick. But the plague has a mind of its own not really caring about either side, and the mutations from the original plague mean the Rising is in big, big trouble for they have no cure yet to offer the public. And no cure means people dying, a lot of people dying as they wait for the scientists and doctors and researchers to find something--anything--to find a cure.
Reached is definitely the MOST exciting of the trilogy. I loved, loved, loved reading Xander's narrative. And I love seeing the characters through his eyes. I liked Ky's narrative too, especially at the beginning because it gave readers a way to stay in touch with Indie. And Cassia is still Cassia.
I enjoyed reading a trilogy series where my love and appreciation grew with each book. As much as I enjoyed Hunger Games, I can't say that I loved the other books in the trilogy to the same degree. Especially the last book in the trilogy. Read Reached
- If you like dystopias
- If you like YA romance
- If you like love triangles
- If you enjoy reading about epidemic diseases
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 11/14/2012
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Caught. (Missing #5) Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2012. Simon & Schuster. 352 pages.
I have enjoyed Margaret Peterson Haddix's time-travel series for middle grade. Some of the books I've liked better than others, but, for the most part, I've enjoyed each one. In this fifth adventure, Jonah and Katherine face their biggest challenge so far. The book begins with the freezing of time. Jonah and Katherine are in school when time freezes. They know that something must have happened, but when and where?! They seek out others who have traveled in time--the only people unaffected so it seems by frozen time--but before they get the chance to do anything, Jonah and Katherine find themselves falling through time and landing in 1903. They have a few clues, they know Albert Einstein and his wife are somehow connected to their being there. But for the most part, these two are clueless and choosing to be invisible for as long as possible...but Albert Einstein's wife is clever and knows something is up....
Caught is a fast-paced read. I don't enjoy this series because the characters are well-developed and fascinating. I enjoy this series because of the story, the action, the history. I enjoy learning about different periods of history. I enjoy the author's notes at the end of each book. I like learning what is truth and what is fiction. I enjoy the time travel aspect of the story and the mystery behind it.Read Caught- If you've enjoyed the other titles in the Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
- If you enjoy middle grade science fiction with a time travel element
- If you enjoy children's books with action and mystery
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
The Bar Code Tattoo. Suzanne Weyn. 2004/2012. Scholastic. 256 pages.
The Bar Code Tattoo is a quick read that I ultimately found disappointing. Kayla is weeks away from turning seventeen, in just a few weeks she'll have to choose whether she wants to conform or rebel against society and the government. The tattoo is relatively new--at least to the United States, having been tested first in Europe and Asia. And the tattoo is changing lives, for better or worse. For some who receive it, their lives improve dramatically: new opportunities at work, pay increases, etc. For others, it ruins them almost completely. Some lose their jobs, their homes, their credit or money no longer being "good" enough to be accepted anywhere. Not that any of this is being publicized, not really. Those who speak out against the tattoo are in the minority--or so it seems. And while there are rebel groups out there, well, they don't have the power to change things. At least not yet. Kayla's mind is made up almost from the time of her father's death. She blames--and her mother blames--his suicide to the tattoo. He has NOT been the same since receiving it, the changes coming slowly but surely over a month or two. Kayla joins a group she learns about at school, and so her rebellion begins. It may not seem like much of a commitment at first, but Kayla will ultimately have to make some tough choices.
It is a quick read, very fast-paced, very plot-driven. It started off promising enough, but by the end I was disappointed. The last few chapters were odd. Read The Bar Code Tattoo
- If you're looking for a light, quick read
- If you're looking for a futuristic (2025 or so?) read featuring conspiring evil governments, societies, scientists, corporations, etc.
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Son. Lois Lowry. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 400 pages.
I found SON to be an amazing read!!!! I just loved, loved, loved it! Definitely a book I read in one sitting. In fact, I read The Messenger and Son the same evening. The book focuses on two characters: Claire and Gabe.
When Claire was twelve, she was assigned to be a birthmother. Barely two years later, she gives birth to her first (and only) child. Birthmothers never raise their own children, never care for their own young, not even that first year before it is placed into an adopting family. Because #36's arrival was complicated, Claire is dismissed from her (original) assignment and reassigned to the fish hatchery. Perhaps she should have stopped thinking about the baby she gave birth to, the baby she never even caught a glimpse of. But she happens to have an acquaintance assigned to the Nurturers, and she happens to learn the number of her child. And she learns he was a boy. She takes risks, perhaps, and decides to volunteer--unofficially if she must. Over the course of a year or so, she has the chance to bond with her son. She doesn't know his name, not really. And it's not as if there is a way for her to get her happily ever after, but, she has to make those few precious stolen moments count.
What I loved about Claire's story is that it offers readers an opportunity to revisit The Giver, to see it from another point of view. Readers get a chance to meet Jonas's father, to get to know him, in a way, over a series of encounters throughout the year. Readers also get a chance to explore different sides of the community. Claire is a fascinating heroine, in my opinion. I'm not sure that she's more fascinating than Jonas in The Giver, but, she's an observant, emotional heroine. And I connected with her from the start.
The novel covers many years, and only the first section is set in the same community as The Giver...
The other narrator of Son is Gabriel. Readers get a chance to revisit the community first introduced in Messenger. It gets VERY exciting and dramatic... Read Son
- If you're a fan of Lois Lowry
- If THE GIVER is one of your favorite books and you really want to revisit it and learn more about this chilling community
- If you've read the The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger and want a conclusion to a great series
- If you enjoy dystopias and middle grade science fiction
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Messenger. Lois Lowry. 2004/2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 169 pages.
In anticipation of reading Son, I decided to reread the Giver trilogy. Messenger is the third book, and it is a companion to The Giver and Gathering Blue. The hero of Messenger is Matt, a character first introduced in Gathering Blue. Several years have passed between the two books, and Matt is living with Kira's (blind) father. At one time, both found their village completely ideal. It was a community that celebrated morality: kindness, mercy, tolerance. It was a community that celebrated second chances. Open hearts, open borders, education for all. But times are changing slowly but surely and some are beginning to notice the differences. The Forest is also changing...
At one time Matt felt comfortable entering the Forest. He traveled from community to community. Not everyone COULD enter the Forest, not everyone wanted to enter the Forest. The Forest had a way of letting a person know if he/she were welcome. For those not welcome, it would seem to maliciously attack you.
Matt has ONE HUGE MESSAGE to deliver when the Forest begins to become unfriendly...will he leave the forest alive?
This one stars Matt and Kira (and Kira's father), but also mentions THE LEADER and a certain sled.
This one is definitely a darker novel, and a more symbolic novel.Read The Messenger- If you enjoyed The Giver and Gathering Blue and want to continue on in the series
- If you are a fan of Lois Lowry
- If you enjoy mysteries and dystopias
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Gathering Blue. Lois Lowry. 2000/2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 215 pages.
In anticipation of reading Son, I decided to reread the Giver trilogy by Lois Lowry. Gathering Blue is the second book, it is a companion to The Giver. Readers are introduced to a crippled heroine named Kira whose life is in danger because of her mother's recent death. The village in which she lives has a small tolerance level, I suppose you'd say, for those they deem worthless or less-than. Because of her so-called disability, there are those that food should not be wasted on her, for what good could she ever be to the community. Soon after the novel begins, Kira finds herself on trial. If the court decides in her favor, she'll continue to live in the village, if not, she'll be forced out. Kira lucks out, and she is "rescued" by one of the council. But her life will never be the same, she'll have an honored role in her village, in a way, doing a special job, something that only she can do, but along with the privilege she'll learn some secrets that will perhaps haunt her...
Readers also meet Kira's friend Matt.
I definitely liked this one. I think this is only the second or perhaps third time I've ever read it--I've read The Giver probably six or seven times. I think I appreciated it more this time around. Read Gathering Blue- If you're a fan of The Giver and want to read on in the series
- If you're a fan of Lois Lowry
- If you enjoy middle grade dystopias
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 10/24/2012
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The Giver. Lois Lowry. 1993. Houghton Mifflin. 180 pages.
It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice. He had seen it both times. Squinting toward the sky, he had seen the sleek jet, almost a blur at its high speed, go past, and a second later heard the blast of sound that followed. Then one more time, a moment later, from the opposite direction, the same plane. This is my third blog review for The Giver. (
My first review.
My second review.)
I decided to reread The Giver in anticipation of Lois Lowry's newest book, Son. While there have been two companion books to The Giver--Gathering Blue and Messenger--Son will be the sequel to The Giver. I knew I would need to reread the three previous books in order to fully, fully appreciate and enjoy Son.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE The Giver. It is one of my favorite, favorite books. No matter how many times I read it, I just continue to love it and think it is one of the best books ever. The same conversations get me every time. I just think it's a book EVERYONE should try.
It's a quick read, but a memorable one. The world Lowry has created in haunting and unique. I've read a handful of dystopian novels lately--including Yesterday, Bar Code Tattoo, The Forsaken, Once, Eleventh Plague, Rootless, etc. just to mention the ones I've read this past month or so--and while many dystopias are good, there's something almost magical about this one. The WAY she has written the story. There's not too much telling and not enough showing. To me, it doesn't feel forced or unnatural. It isn't too didactic. The characters feel authentic to the world, and fully developed. That is why it is so chilling, so horrific, so wonderfully haunting.
Read The Giver- If you're a fan of Lois Lowry
- If you want to read one of the best, best books ever written
- If you're looking for a timeless, classic dystopian novel
- If you enjoy science fiction, dystopias
- If you enjoy children's literature
- If you're looking for a Newbery
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 10/15/2012
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Origin. Jessica Khoury. 2012. Penguin. 372 pages.
I'm told that the day I was born, Uncle Paolo held me against his white lab coat and whispered, "She is perfect." Origin has an interesting premise. Pia has grown up in the Amazon jungle almost completely unaware of the world outside the Little Cam research community. She is the result of five generations of experimentation and genetic engineering. The goal, the quest, immortality. And with Pia, at last, they've done it. But it has required great sacrifice. Pia is blind to just how much sacrifice, especially in the beginning. She is so excited to be PERFECT and so excited to be the first of her kind, so trusting, so loyal that she just can't wait to become a scientist too. To take her place alongside those who have almost manufactured her. But one night Pia becomes curious, and what she discovers in the jungle changes everything...
I liked this one. I found it an interesting, fast-paced read.
Read Origin
- If you like science fiction (genetic engineering; quest for immorality)
- If you like mysteries and thrillers
- If you enjoy YA with a little romance
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
What Came From the Stars. Gary D. Schmidt. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 304 pages.
I wanted to love this one, but I'm not sure I can even say I liked it. I found the fantasy sections to be confusing, in an unnecessary way. (I think he could have written it to be more accessible and enjoyable.) YET at the same time, these sections reminded me of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. (I would have preferred to be reminded of The Hobbit!) The realistic sections were interesting. A grieving boy finds an out-of-this-world necklace that changes him in small ways--foreign ways; and since this necklace is highly sought after by evil aliens from a far away planet, bad stuff starts happening in the boy's community. This one had a handful of scenes that I really enjoyed. For example, when Tommy Pepper (our hero) is "fixing" the painting of his principal, I believe. There were a few scenes with delightful details that just worked. And some of the dialogue was great. But I had a hard time connecting with this one for the most part. Read What Came From The Stars
- If you're a fan of Gary D. Schmidt
- If you enjoy children's fantasy OR science fiction
- If you're looking for a unique book on grief and guilt
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 10/9/2012
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Monument 14. Emmy Laybourne. 2012. Feiwel & Friends. 294 pages.
Monument 14 was a quick and mostly compelling read. The book has an interesting premise, for the most part. Life as we know it has ended, at least for the near future, and a dozen (or so) students find themselves for better or worse "trapped" in a superstore. The students vary in age, of course, from kindergartners to seniors or juniors. They must find a way to work together to make the best of a very bad situation: the outside world has turned hostile and there is no guarantee that they'll be able to leave the store in the next few months.
The narrator is one of the older students, a guy named Dean; he happens to be trapped with his brother, Alex. While there are plenty of characters, I didn't really feel connected to anyone. This one was not great at characterization or relationships. Dean happens to have a big, big crush on one of the girls he's trapped with...but she has a boyfriend, another one of the characters. And Dean is having to balance his "love" for her with his need to not make a bigger-than-him enemy.
For those who don't mind a premise-driven post-apocalyptic, this one may work well enough. It was definitely interesting in places, and intense too. But I didn't love it.Read Monument 14- If you like survival-catastrophe-thrillers
- If you don't mind a little teen drama (high school stereotypes abound)
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
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on 10/4/2012
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Rootless. Chris Howard. 2012. Scholastic. 336 pages.
They figured me too young for a tree builder. I could see it in their eyes.Rootless is a great example of a not-for-me book. I was not the right audience for this one, but you might be. If you enjoy dark horror stories, then this one may be just right for you. Banyan, our narrator, is a young man struggling to survive. Like his father before him, he is a tree builder; he builds artificial trees, artificial forests.
In this futuristic world, much has changed, and nothing has changed for the better. This is explored, to a certain degree, throughout the novel, as the mystery is revealed and readers come to learn about how the world is and how it came to be that way.
I would say this book is all about surviving, but, that wouldn't exactly be true. It isn't necessarily about avoiding all risks in order to survive. Banyan, our hero, even seeks out danger at times because he wants answers, he wants the truth. He has seen a picture of his father chained to a tree, a REAL tree, and he wants to know more. On his journey to "the truth" he'll meet a handful of characters, some he'll come to care about a lot. He even finds a love interest.
Rootless is incredibly dark and bleak. The world-building is strong, but it is so very haunting and violent. For some, this book may be a great read.
The back cover description:
There aren't many books left. People burned most of them to keep warm during the Darkness. And after the Darkness, there were no new books because there was no more paper. The locusts had come. And there were no more trees. Read Rootless
- If you enjoy post-apocalypse fiction
- If you enjoy survival/action/adventure stories
- If you like horror novels or thrillers
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
By:
Becky Laney,
on 10/3/2012
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The Eleventh Plague. Jeff Hirsch. 2011. Scholastic. 304 pages.
I was sitting at the edge of the clearing, trying not to stare at the body on the ground in front of me. In The Eleventh Plague, Stephen Quinn, our narrator, has to learn to trust himself--and others. Quinn's life has never been easy. He has a few happy memories of his mother, but, for the most part he's been a salvager traveling the country with his father and grandfather. His grandfather's strength and stubbornness may have kept him alive, but, it kept him from having his own voice and opinion. He never had to make a decision on his own until his grandfather's death and his father's accident. Just a day or so after they bury his grandfather, his father has an accident which leaves him in a coma. Quinn and his father are discovered by a few people from Settler's Landing. He takes a chance and goes with them, hoping that their doctor may know what to do to help his father. But he doesn't trust them exactly, and they don't trust him perfectly either. At least some in the community don't trust him. In the days ahead, Stephen Quinn experiences life as he never has before. He's never had a home before, never had the security and certainty of staying in one place. And he's certainly never been around kids his own age, never attended school, never played baseball, etc. There are so many things about this community that impress him. But the girl who intrigues him most is the one who may just lead him to make a horrible decision...
The Eleventh Plague is an interesting novel. It was a quick and often compelling read. I struggled to keep up with all the new people he was meeting. There were times I felt out of my element, which helped me to connect with the narrator. I liked this one.
Read The Eleventh Plague
- If you like dystopias OR post-apocalyptic fiction
- If you like coming of age stories
- If you like survival/adventure stories
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Day of the Assassins. (Jack Christie #1) Johnny O'Brien. 2009. Candlewick. 224 pages.
The shock wave from an air burst lifted Jack up and threw him backward twenty feet, his body twisting in midair as he flew.I wanted to like this one more. In fact, I was hoping to love it. I love history and love the premise of time travel in my fiction. Jack and his friend Angus are somewhat unlikely time travelers. Though, in a way, they've been preparing for it to a certain degree. Jack has a decided interest in a video game, "Point of Departure" about World War I. The game has levels, of course as you'd expect, and players can try to change history, etc. Angus enjoys the game, too. And one day while they are playing they discover a secret lab of sorts that they guess belonged to Jack's absent-father. They tell one of their teachers about it, and, of course, he just happens to be in the now. Turns out the teacher and Jack's father both know about the oh-so-secret invention of a time travel machine. Anyway, the two boys happen to be in the right place, right time to go back to 1914...and there are good guys and bad guys from the present and past after them. I liked the premise of this one better than the actual story. I'm not sure if it was just my mood, or, if it is a weak story. I liked it well enough, I definitely wanted to know what happened. But, I was hoping to like it more, I was wanting to be wowed.
Read Day of the Assassins
- If you enjoy science fiction and time travel
- If you want to read more about World War I, the events leading up to the war
- If you enjoy adventure stories with a historical focus
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Once (Eve #2) Anna Carey. 2012. HarperCollins. 368 pages.
I started over the rocks, clutching a knife in one hand. The beach was strewn with sun-battered boats, long since wrecked on shore. Once is the sequel to Anna Carey's dystopian novel,
Eve. It has been a month or two--at least--since Caleb left Eve in Califia--a safe refuge solely for women. But Eve, our heroine, has not forgotten Caleb, her feelings for him have not gone away, and she's beginning to realize that they may never go away, that time will not make it easier. Califia may be an amazing place for some women, but not for her.
Once, for the most part, is about what happens to Eve after she leaves Califia. It is about her time spent in the City of Sands--the newly rebuilt Las Vegas. It is about what happens AFTER she is found by the King's soldiers.
Once is a suspenseful fast-paced dystopian novel. It definitely surprised me in several crucial places, which was great. The romance didn't thrill me exactly. It may just be the weakest element in Once. I seemed to like Caleb's character more in the first novel. I'm also not sure how I feel about Eve. She reminded me of Princess Buttercup, in a way. But it was an intense read for many reasons--the politics, the secrets, the lies, the big reveals, etc. So even though I didn't "love" every little thing in this one, I just couldn't put it down!
Read for Presenting Lenore's
Dystopian August.
Read Once
- If you've read and enjoyed Eve by Anna Carey
- If you enjoy dystopian series
- If you don't mind reading series books with unsatisfying endings...
- If you like a little romance with your science fiction
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 8/20/2012
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Mothership: Book One of the Ever-Expanding Universe. Martin Leicht and Isla Neal. 2012. Simon & Schuster. 320 pages.
As far as scientists have been able to determine, the primary function of the human coccyx, or tailbone, is to remind us that once upon a time we were all monkeys or something. But I happen to know that it can still serve a useful purpose. Say, for example, that a pregnant teenager three weeks from her due date, who weighs, oh, approximately 145 pounds (lay off, all right? The baby loves ice cream), were shoved down forcefully on a Treadtrack in gym class by a bitchy cheerleader. Our heroine, Elvie Nara, is one of many students attending a special high school for pregnant teens. The school is in space--a space cruiser in Earth's orbit. When her father enrolled her, she had no idea that Britta McVicker would also be there. The hate is mutual. Their due dates are only weeks apart--and for better or worse--their babies will be siblings. Of course, Elvie isn't sure if Britta is aware of that little fact. The thought repulses Elvie actually. Despite the opening paragraph, Elvie rarely thinks in terms of carrying 'a baby.' An "it" or "goober" at best. Elvie definitely has no intention at all of ever, ever, ever feeling maternal.
On the day of the incident when Elvie is alone and eating ice cream, the ship--cruiser--is attacked by another ship. And thus the scare begins, Elvie racing to join the other girls--hoping to stay ahead of the mysterious gunned invaders. She meets a few other girls on the way, and convinces them to join her in her flight. But what she witnesses next...well...it's almost unbelievable. For she witnesses her teachers drowning her classmates. And then one of the invaders tells her that her teachers were in fact evil aliens. And he should know, because, he is an alien too....
Is there any part of Mothership that isn't over-the-top? I'm not sure that there is. I would say that this one should please fans of Bumped and/or Beauty Queens. The narrator, Elvie, is full of snark. (For those that require clean reads--look elsewhere.) And the book is about as believable as Earth Girls Are Easy. The novel is set in the future--2074.
The story is revealed in alternating chapters--jumping between the present (on board the spaceship) and the past (in the months and weeks leading up to her pregnancy). Ducky, her best, best friend is a big part of these flashbacks.
Read for Presenting Lenore's
Dystopian August.
Read Mothership
- If you like silly, over-the-top, funny adventures that require a suspension of disbelief
- If you like snarky narrators
- If you're looking for aliens in your YA
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 8/10/2012
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For Darkness Shows the Stars. Diana Peterfreund. 2012. HarperCollins. 416 pages.
Elliot North raced across the pasture, leaving a scar of green in the silver, dew-encrusted grass. Jef followed, tripping a bit as his feet slid inside his too-big shoes. I really enjoyed Diana Peterfreund's For Darkness Shows the Stars. Did I enjoy it because it was a futuristic dystopia, OR, because it was a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion? A bit of both. For those expecting Captain Malakai Wentforth to be as swoon-worthy as Captain Wentworth, well, you might be disappointed. Might. For Kai's romance with Elliot North doesn't exactly mirror that of Wentworth and Anne Elliot. Peterfreund has definitely made this story her own.
For Darkness Shows the Stars is definitely a novel about social class or status. There are three "types" of people in this futuristic world: the Luddites, those with the highest status and wealth, the elite, those that have estates and titles, those that MATTER; the Reduced, those with slave status, essentially, they are thought to be mindless sub-humans, incapable of thought and feelings, definitely thought to be genetically inferior; the POST-Reductionists, the children of the Reduced who happen to be smart enough to function with more independence in the world, they have skills and abilities that make them worth something, they are not thought to be mindless and incapable, but, they're "socially" inferior to the Luddites. No matter how smart or brilliant a POST is, no matter how much money they acquire, they will never be on equal status with the Luddites.
Kai and Elliot grew up together; they share a birthday in fact. (Actually, there are three that share an exact birthday: Kai (Post), Elliot (Luddite), and Ro (Reduced).) But their friendship always had to be a secret, for if Elliot's father or older sister, Tatiana, found out, then everyone would get in trouble. Elliot enjoyed Kai's company, enjoyed spending time with him in the barn, enjoyed watching him fix things--he's a mechanic, the son of a mechanic. But when Elliot chose not to run away with Kai when they were fourteen (or possibly fifteen?), the friendship was broken. He chose to leave the estate, to risk everything in hopes of finding a better future. Elliot hasn't heard from him since the day he left, and he still matters to her. She chose to stay not because she didn't love him, but, because she needed to be responsible, because she was the ONLY one capable of being responsible on the estate, the only one who cared for the welfare of the Reduced, and also respected the Posts.
Meanwhile, Elliot's life has been as unpleasant as ever. Her father and sister are heartless and selfish and at times cruel. The novel opens with her father destroying his daughter's wheat field--weeks before harvest. That wheat could have helped feed the Reduced, it could have been sold for a profit, as well, to help the estate. But her father's "need" for a race track was more important. He's unwilling to see that the estate is struggling financially that they have a responsibility to the Reduced and the Posts that work their land/manage the estate. Elliot doesn't even bother protesting; true, the damage is already done and nothing can bring her wheat back, but, she also has a secret of her own. That wheat was her wheat--her special experimental seed. And Luddites do NOT under any circumstances experiment.
So in an effort to help finances, Elliot decides to rent out the estate to Cloud Fleet....and one of the guests is Captain Malakai Wentforth. Of course, there are plenty of other guests as well.
I enjoyed meeting the different characters in For Darkness Shows the Stars. Since this is a retelling, there is always a chance that the characters could have been weak, shallow copies of the original. For the most part, that was not the case.
I also enjoyed the story; there were just enough twists in the story that it really worked as an original story. The dystopian setting was interesting to me. I didn't have all my questions answered--at least not right away--and this futuristic society definitely added something to the story.
Read for Presenting Lenore's
Dystopian August.
Read For Darkness Shows the Stars
- If you enjoy science fiction, dystopias, post-apocalyptic fiction
- If you enjoy futuristic stories
- If you are interested in a new retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion
- If you enjoy a little romance in your science fiction
© 2012 Becky Laney of
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By:
Becky Laney,
on 7/10/2012
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Raider's Ransom. Emily Diamand. 2009. Scholastic. 368 pages.
Cat puts up his nose to sniff the breath of wind barely filling the sail, and opens his small pink mouth to speak.Knowing that I could never quite do justice to Raider's Ransom in my review, let me encourage you to just pick up this one and give it a try. I can't promise that you'll love it. But. You just may. It's that kind of book. The kind that actually delivers what it promises.
If you like action/adventure quests, I think you'll really, really appreciate Raider's Ransom. I think you'll enjoy the world Diamand created in the novel. I think there will be scenes that stay with you. I think you'll enjoy not only her world-building but her characterization and storytelling too.
The heroine of Raider's Ransom is a young girl, Lilly. She may be young, but she's a fisherman with a small (very small) boat of her own. And to the dismay of some, she's the owner of a cat, a sea cat. Not something to be taken lightly in her community of survivors. When she's at home, on land, she stays with her grandmother. But. Readers don't get a chance to see a more relaxed Lilly. For the novel opens with Lilly discovering the tragic truth: when she was out sailing her vessel, out fishing, the raiders (or should that be Raiders?) attacked her village. They were looking for something specific, the attack wasn't just random. I don't know if that makes things better or worse for Lilly since one of the things they were looking for was her cat. The Raiders kill Lilly's grandmother, and kidnap the Prime Minister's daughter. One might think that they kidnapped her for a nice ransom, but, they had something even more in mind. They return without their sought-after object, a particular jewel. And that's only the beginning. The problem? Well, I can't talk about this one without revealing too much. I think this is one of those that is best discovered all on your own. Trust me.
So. I won't go into details. But I will say we get another narrator. And that proves most interesting indeed! For I certainly wasn't expecting it at all.
This one went above and beyond all my expectations. It really did. It surprised me in a good way.
Read Raider's Ransom
- If you like survival stories or starting over stories;
- If you like action/adventure stories with a quest, a journey, a mission
- If you like action stories with battles and close escapes
- If you like dystopias, novels set in the future with a society quite unlike our own
- If you like good storytelling
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
Tempest. Julie Cross. 2012. St. Martin's Press. 352 pages.
Saturday, April 11, 2009,Okay, so it's true. I can time-travel. But it's not as exciting as it sounds. I can't go back in time and kill Hitler. I can't go to the future and see who wins the World Series in 2038. So far, the most I've ever jumped is about six hours in the past. Some superhero, right?Tempest is a great example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. For me this cover just doesn't work, it doesn't shout out time-traveling-spies, does it? And with a premise as appealing as time travel (in general) AND featuring mysterious secret agents fighting evil-time-travelers, it should have an awesome cover.
Jackson Meyer is our time-traveling hero with a girlfriend named Holly. But within chapters, Holly's life is in danger--she's dying before his eyes--and Jackson does the only thing he can do: panic as he jumps backwards in time. Because of the traumatic events leading to the jump, Jackson does something he's never done before which traps him in the past--in the year 2007. Once there, he'll have plenty of time to find out who he is, who his father is--why his Dad is so very, very weird and out-of-touch with him, and much much more. He has tons of questions, and he wants some answers at least. Mainly: can he change the future, is there anything he can do to prevent the tragic events leading up to Holly's (alleged) death? Also: can he find a way to jump back to the future, or is he stuck in 2007? Will he have to relive two years of his life? And then there's all the super-super mysterious stuff about himself, his father, his mother, his abilities, etc.
So how does he spend his time? Well, he a) time-travels back and forth in his own past trying to piece together clues b) meets his girlfriend, Holly, years before he "really" meets her c) meets his best friend, Adam, years before he's supposed to really meet him d) confronts his Dad with some super-tough questions.
This one has dangers, thrills, mysteries, secrets, lies, spies, and time-travel. What is NOT to love?! Seriously!!! The book has a GREAT premise. Jackson is a fully developed character whom we get to know surprisingly well considering how this is an action/plot/premise-driven book. Loved the emotional range we get, not only all the scenes about Holly or with Holly, but all the scenes about his twin-sister, Courtney. There was even a great heart-to-heart with his Dad towards the end. The book has a quite a few complex relationships, and I appreciated how they were developed. I loved also the exploration of consequences. I really appreciated the ending, I thought it was just right.
Read Tempest
- Time travel
- Good vs. Evil
- Secret Agents/Secret Agencies
- Romance from a guy's perspective
© 2012 Becky Laney of
Becky's Book Reviews
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