mun-strum-ol-o-gy, n.
1. The study of life forms generally
malevolent to humans and not recognized
by science as actual organisms, specifically
those considered products of myth or folklore.
2.The act of hunting such creatures.
"The Munstrumologist" by Rick Yancey is probably the most gruesome book I have ever read. I do not exaggerate when I say that it is fantastic.
Anthropophagi: Headless beats with mouths in the center of their abdomen, eyes on each of their shoulder blades and a nearly insatiable thirst for human flesh. Doctor Warthrop: One of the foremost experts on Munstrumology and the habits of such ferocious beasts, a man with an ego bigger than most planets. The Situation?: An infestation of man-eating beasts in a small New England town in the late 1800s. Jack Kearns: The man that's brought in to kill them. Will Henry: The twelve year-old boy that's forced to bear witness to it all. Someone has created a river of blood and a path of destruction, bringing dangerous beasts into this town. Blinded by pride, it's impossible to see. And that can have deadly consequences.
Warning: If you are squeamish, do not read this book. If you have an aversion to graphic descriptions, mostly involving decapitations or bugs eating people alive, do not read this book. If you do not like the possibility that there might be monsters underneath your bed at night, do not read this book. But, if you relish those things, then, by all means. Please, I beg you. Read away.
The book is told from Will Henry's point of view, looking back on past events. At least, that's what it's supposed to be, but it reads like your average first-person past-tense novel. But, because he's telling you, though, and you're not supposed to be submerged within the situation to the extent that you're supposed to be in other first-person scenarios, when something is hidden from you it doesn't feel like a glaring omission. Will Henry, though, is portrayed as a twelve-year-old boy very well. You never get the illusion that he's older than his said age, nor do you get the illusion that he's younger, which is a very difficult balance to come by, especially when an adult is writing.
The doctor is an enigmatic figure. Will Henry feels a very strong loyalty to him, though you can't really understand why because the doctor is not the sort of fellow that you'd want to live with. The author tries to make it clear that Will Henry has a very strong bond with the doctor by telling you repeatedly, but you only really begin to see the connection near the end of the book.
Jack Kearns is also a conceited character. He's the stereotypical 'rouge' character, riding up on his metaphorical white horse, concerned about his appearance, expecting people to bow down to him as he proceeds to save the day, and making witticisms that are amusing to the reader but annoying to the people he's interacting This character, though, has fewer morals than the Grim Reaper himself (or herself). There is also a very strange connection from this character to another historical 'legend' that appears at the end of the book. I don't get it, and I hope that it the author follows up on it in one of the sequels.
The plot of this book is fairly straightforward. There aren't very many twists and turns that you can't see coming, but that's okay. Not every book has to be a work of a crazy physiologist (thought, don't we wish that was the case). In this case, the less elaborate plot--don't get me wrong, it's plenty complicated, but it isn't "Ender's Game" thought-provoking--is preferable, leaving us to focus on what really matters. Namely, the blood and the guts.
The language can be a bit troublesome at times. There are hardly any curse words in it, as far as I can remember, it's just the vocabulary. It's written in period-vernacular, not exactly old English, but it doesn't dumb anything down. Which is nice, but sometimes things can get lost among all the pretty words. Yet another reason not to make the plot so complicated. And, if you miss something, you can usually pick it up a bit on, because everything has to be reiterated (no one wants to accept things the first time around).
This book has a fantastic last line, though. "Yes, my dear child, monsters are real. I happen to have one hanging in my basement." I love that line. It's so weird and creepy and gives you such a good picture of what the rest of the book is like. Should I stop gushing right now?
I couldn't find the second book, "The Curse of the Wendigo" in the library when I looked for it, but I will be looking for that. The third book, "Isle of Blood" I believe, was at the library, but there's no point in reading the third book when you haven't read the second. Oh, and, today, (because I know you care so much) I found a tree leaking a strange orange substance in my backyard and I went up and touched it. So, now I'm terrified that little white worms, no bigger than a hair, will eat me alive. And I leave you now with that pleasant thought.
http://www.rickyancey.com/monstrumologist/index.php For some weird reason, this site does not have anything on "Isle of Blood," which results in the fact that I don't really know what the book's called, I'm just hazarding a guess based off of what's in the authors bio.
Showing posts with label Action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Action. Show all posts
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Insignia
"Insignia," by S.J. Kincaid is "Ender's Game" with a twist.
Thomas Raines has spent most of his life traveling from casino to casino, waiting for his dad to finally make a big win. Tom has always been taught to distrust the government, so when a US general shows up and tells Tom that he would be perfect for controlling one of the unmanned drones that does the army's dirty work, fighting for mines and other territories on distant planets during World War III, Tom is apprehensive. This is a chance for greatness, though, the chance to join the few elite of the Camelot Company--a military group of children who control the robots in Outer Space--and to finally become someone important. Tom's all in until they tell him that he has to get a neural implant, a machine in his brain that would make him just like the people is father always looked down on. Thomas Raines must get his mind in order in order to make his own big win, because when gambling with your life everything that makes you you is put into question.
I know that it is unfair to compare anything to "Ender's Game" because Orson Scott Card is a genius writer, but this book can hold it's own. I mean, the premise is basically "Ender's Game" (boy gets taken for military training and plays games instead of learns lessons), but there are a few crucial differences that make the story its own. First, they are not fighting against aliens, they are fighting against other countries, albeit elsewhere in the Solar System. Second, all of the kids have computers in their brains.
The main character, Thomas Raines, is a cross between Eli Monpress and Peter Wiggen, which is fantastic, but I'll get to that in a couple of sentances. The setting, the Pentagon Spire where the cadet kids learn their lessons is a mix of Ender's Battle School and Hogwarts. These crazy combinations are the perfect mix to create something unique and wild, and the author takes full advantage of that.
For starters, Thomas Raines is a unique main character. He has all of the mainuplative slyness of Peter Wiggen, with three-fourths of the ego and all of the creativity Eli Monpress (of "The Legend of Eli Monpress," a series I've yet to review here). He's a lonely kid who has issues with authority and doing what he's told without questioning. He is also one of the most interesting characters I've ever read about. Most characters, one their character and behavioral patterns are established, are relatively easy to predict. You know what their path of action is going to be before they take it which, when done right, is the sign of good writing. T'his book, though, can still surprise you. It's not written in first-person, so you don't know what Tom knows the moment Tom knows it. You have to wait and watch the character traits develop, which takes a while. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just not often that you don't know everything about the main character immediately. When you do know his behavior patterns, it's difficult to predict what he's going to do next, not because of a bad writing style, more because Tom has such a complex personality. Really, it's refreshing.
Tom's friends are also amusing too. Vik, his roommate, is very funny (I think of him as the Doctor of Doom who has a tummy ace :P), as is Wyatt 'Manhands' Enslowe, Beamer, and Yuri. Each of them have their own personalities, and while they might be stereotypical on occasions (Vik has a 'mirror character' in "Ender's Game," except the guy in "Ender's Game" was much more serious) they do provide a nice balance to Tom's suicidal recklessness. The characters who are not Tom's 'friends' are also colorful as well as his enemies. They make sure that the book doesn't get too silly while having a good time. Well, a good a time as you can have when pretty much everything you have is at stake.
Pretty much everything happens at the Pentagon Spire. The division names--and this is where the Hogwarts part of things comes in--are all named after famous commanders. I forget which division Vik and Tom are him, but Wyatt's in Hannibal. There is also a Napoleon division, for example. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the computer coding instructor, Blackburn, sets division against division in a computer code war. You see, it's funny because with the neural implants in their brains, the 'student-cadets' can be controlled with computer code. I just get this picture in my head of hoards of dignified military students acting like sheep and eating the shrubbery . . . Anyway, the place is fantastically (and suitably wacky. Just the place that I would like to go to school in.
Of course, just as all school in all fiction books, there are issues with the school. Or, more importantly, issues with the faculty. Everyone has their own private agenda in Tom's world, so even among all of the physiological manipulation a tussle is bound to happen eventually. Most of the book, though, involves mind games and how physical combat incite deep strategical thoughts.
The plot of the book is very good. With Tom's relatively unpredictable though-pattern, paired with the cast of both goodies and baddies and the situation that they are all involved in, things are rocky. Also, the book doesn't focus on one overall problem. Most mainstream books today follow one or two conflicts -- 1) the main character saving the world, and 2) the main character's love life and maybe 3) the main character's relationship with various other characters. Very annoying. The conflicts in this book is more like 1) to work with or against the system, 2) who to trust and which secrets to keep, 3) the issue with Dominion Agra, 4) the issue with Medusa and the rest of the rival people who have implants in their brain, and 5) the issue that involves issues 2,3, and 4 but is still very much its own issue. Really, it's very interesting and complex and much better than a lot of stuff that passes for Young Adult material. It does make for a very thick volume but, hey, all the more room to showcase the many fantastic characters of the Pentagon Spire.
This is the first book in what is going to be a trilogy. The second book, "Vortex" comes out on July 2cnd. That day, you will find me anxiously waiting at Barnes & Noble, because the twenty dollars that I will spend on that book will be a sure bet.
www.sjkincaid.com The Q&A with the author on the 'home' page is very funny--she has quite a sense of humor--and the 'extras' tab under 'Insignia' (under 'The "Insignia" Series') has a playlist of songs that match up with the book.
Thomas Raines has spent most of his life traveling from casino to casino, waiting for his dad to finally make a big win. Tom has always been taught to distrust the government, so when a US general shows up and tells Tom that he would be perfect for controlling one of the unmanned drones that does the army's dirty work, fighting for mines and other territories on distant planets during World War III, Tom is apprehensive. This is a chance for greatness, though, the chance to join the few elite of the Camelot Company--a military group of children who control the robots in Outer Space--and to finally become someone important. Tom's all in until they tell him that he has to get a neural implant, a machine in his brain that would make him just like the people is father always looked down on. Thomas Raines must get his mind in order in order to make his own big win, because when gambling with your life everything that makes you you is put into question.
I know that it is unfair to compare anything to "Ender's Game" because Orson Scott Card is a genius writer, but this book can hold it's own. I mean, the premise is basically "Ender's Game" (boy gets taken for military training and plays games instead of learns lessons), but there are a few crucial differences that make the story its own. First, they are not fighting against aliens, they are fighting against other countries, albeit elsewhere in the Solar System. Second, all of the kids have computers in their brains.
The main character, Thomas Raines, is a cross between Eli Monpress and Peter Wiggen, which is fantastic, but I'll get to that in a couple of sentances. The setting, the Pentagon Spire where the cadet kids learn their lessons is a mix of Ender's Battle School and Hogwarts. These crazy combinations are the perfect mix to create something unique and wild, and the author takes full advantage of that. For starters, Thomas Raines is a unique main character. He has all of the mainuplative slyness of Peter Wiggen, with three-fourths of the ego and all of the creativity Eli Monpress (of "The Legend of Eli Monpress," a series I've yet to review here). He's a lonely kid who has issues with authority and doing what he's told without questioning. He is also one of the most interesting characters I've ever read about. Most characters, one their character and behavioral patterns are established, are relatively easy to predict. You know what their path of action is going to be before they take it which, when done right, is the sign of good writing. T'his book, though, can still surprise you. It's not written in first-person, so you don't know what Tom knows the moment Tom knows it. You have to wait and watch the character traits develop, which takes a while. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just not often that you don't know everything about the main character immediately. When you do know his behavior patterns, it's difficult to predict what he's going to do next, not because of a bad writing style, more because Tom has such a complex personality. Really, it's refreshing.
Tom's friends are also amusing too. Vik, his roommate, is very funny (I think of him as the Doctor of Doom who has a tummy ace :P), as is Wyatt 'Manhands' Enslowe, Beamer, and Yuri. Each of them have their own personalities, and while they might be stereotypical on occasions (Vik has a 'mirror character' in "Ender's Game," except the guy in "Ender's Game" was much more serious) they do provide a nice balance to Tom's suicidal recklessness. The characters who are not Tom's 'friends' are also colorful as well as his enemies. They make sure that the book doesn't get too silly while having a good time. Well, a good a time as you can have when pretty much everything you have is at stake.
Pretty much everything happens at the Pentagon Spire. The division names--and this is where the Hogwarts part of things comes in--are all named after famous commanders. I forget which division Vik and Tom are him, but Wyatt's in Hannibal. There is also a Napoleon division, for example. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the computer coding instructor, Blackburn, sets division against division in a computer code war. You see, it's funny because with the neural implants in their brains, the 'student-cadets' can be controlled with computer code. I just get this picture in my head of hoards of dignified military students acting like sheep and eating the shrubbery . . . Anyway, the place is fantastically (and suitably wacky. Just the place that I would like to go to school in.
Of course, just as all school in all fiction books, there are issues with the school. Or, more importantly, issues with the faculty. Everyone has their own private agenda in Tom's world, so even among all of the physiological manipulation a tussle is bound to happen eventually. Most of the book, though, involves mind games and how physical combat incite deep strategical thoughts.
The plot of the book is very good. With Tom's relatively unpredictable though-pattern, paired with the cast of both goodies and baddies and the situation that they are all involved in, things are rocky. Also, the book doesn't focus on one overall problem. Most mainstream books today follow one or two conflicts -- 1) the main character saving the world, and 2) the main character's love life and maybe 3) the main character's relationship with various other characters. Very annoying. The conflicts in this book is more like 1) to work with or against the system, 2) who to trust and which secrets to keep, 3) the issue with Dominion Agra, 4) the issue with Medusa and the rest of the rival people who have implants in their brain, and 5) the issue that involves issues 2,3, and 4 but is still very much its own issue. Really, it's very interesting and complex and much better than a lot of stuff that passes for Young Adult material. It does make for a very thick volume but, hey, all the more room to showcase the many fantastic characters of the Pentagon Spire.
This is the first book in what is going to be a trilogy. The second book, "Vortex" comes out on July 2cnd. That day, you will find me anxiously waiting at Barnes & Noble, because the twenty dollars that I will spend on that book will be a sure bet.
www.sjkincaid.com The Q&A with the author on the 'home' page is very funny--she has quite a sense of humor--and the 'extras' tab under 'Insignia' (under 'The "Insignia" Series') has a playlist of songs that match up with the book.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Rebel Hearts
"Rebel Hearts," by Moria Young, is the sequel to the fantastically gruesome "Blood Red Road."
Since Lugh was captured by the Tonton at Silverlake Saba has always relied on her instincts and gut feelings. Instinct and gut feelings got her out of Hopetown. Instincts and gut feelings got her out of Freedom Fields. But Saba's instincts and gut feelings may be failing her as she races back east when she hears a rumor that Jack has fallen in with the Tonton. In an attempt to save him, Saba endangers the lives of everyone she's cared about. As the death toll piles up, she will have to debate what is worth what: Is having her happy ending worth the life of her sister? Is having all she ever wanted worth losing everyone that ever stood by her?
Say that "Blood Red Road" was the second best contemporary dystopian novel. "Rot and Ruin" would be at the top, the best, "Article 5" would be in between the middle and the bottom, and "Hunger Games would be festering somewhere below the bottom. "Rebel Hearts" would be somewhere between "Article 5" and "The Hunger Games." I swear, it was awful.
"The Blood Red Road" is the second best contemporary dystopian novel because there's blood and fighting and general goriness. Epic fights to the death against giant worms, cage fighting, burning down the town in which there was cage fighting, burning down really anything that came close (including demented sun kings and giant worms) . . . Ah, the glory. There was a bit of romance her and there too, which wasn't so bad. But "Rebel Hearts" takes it to a whole new level. It's "Oh, Jack, I miss you" here and "Oh, I want Jack" there and "Jack smells nice" in the middle mixed in with "Oh, I think I might love *insert name here 'cause I won't ruin it for you even though we all knew it was gonna happen*" with a touch of "Oh, *insert name here, I'm not going to tell you because it'll ruin it and it's stupid and random* loves me?" IT'S ALL MUSHY! And not fun at all.
Okay, so, in "Blood Red Road" I sort of got the picture that Saba was like Clint Eastwood in all those Westerns. You know, the lone cowboy (or cowgirl or whatever you want to call it) who rides into town, gets filled up with some sort of righteous anger, burns the place down, and overthrows the evil mayor, all well having fun and making friends with a merry band of outlaws. In "Rebel Hearts" Saba is like that in the beginning of the book, righteous anger and what not, but eventually she gets whittled down into a princess who runs around in dresses. Excuse me? The Angel of Death is no princess, I don't care about that Sky-person-girl's ruling.
I mentioned that there are some other mushy-male components in this. There are. They are unneeded and unwanted and do absolutely no good for anything anywhere anyhow anywhy. They should just not be there. Period. I guess the "random person loves me" was inevitable in some sense. It's random, but it was mentioned slightly in the previous book and it will probably be a big part of the next book, because it seems that this is to be a trilogy (but from this book, I say they cut it off now, and spare us all the horror). The other new male component just detracts from everything. And turns Saba into a princess. And everyone knew that it was going to happen, it seems, except for Saba, because I figured out that it was going to happen back in Hopetown but our newly-whittled princess here had no clue.
So, basically what I'm trying to get at is that this is a decent book--for the first part of it. Then it just goes bonkers. It seems, and no offense to Moria Young here, but it seems that she forgot the parameters she set out for her characters because they seem to be operating outside of them.
On a completely different note, DeMalo is crazy.
So, anyway, "Blood Red Road" and "Rebel Hearts" both seem to be of the "Dust Land Trilogy". (I didn't realize that the name of "Rebel Hearts" was "Rebel Hearts" 'cause "Dust Land" was bigger on the cover so I thought that the whole trilogy was called "Rebel Hearts Trilogy" and that better not be the case 'cause that would be a pretty bad name for a dystopian novel. (Worse than "The Hunger Games.") I don't know what the third one is or when it will come out, but I'll keep an eye for that one.
Basically, what I'm trying to get at is that Saba's lost her way. And if she doesn't find it soon, or if she finds it leads into the arms of some handsome male, I may have to put the book down and walk away. Because Saba's supposed to be my warrior, not my damsel in distress.
As the author's bio says, "Visit www.dustlandsbooks.com to learn more." It's nothing unusual, really.
Since Lugh was captured by the Tonton at Silverlake Saba has always relied on her instincts and gut feelings. Instinct and gut feelings got her out of Hopetown. Instincts and gut feelings got her out of Freedom Fields. But Saba's instincts and gut feelings may be failing her as she races back east when she hears a rumor that Jack has fallen in with the Tonton. In an attempt to save him, Saba endangers the lives of everyone she's cared about. As the death toll piles up, she will have to debate what is worth what: Is having her happy ending worth the life of her sister? Is having all she ever wanted worth losing everyone that ever stood by her?
Say that "Blood Red Road" was the second best contemporary dystopian novel. "Rot and Ruin" would be at the top, the best, "Article 5" would be in between the middle and the bottom, and "Hunger Games would be festering somewhere below the bottom. "Rebel Hearts" would be somewhere between "Article 5" and "The Hunger Games." I swear, it was awful.
"The Blood Red Road" is the second best contemporary dystopian novel because there's blood and fighting and general goriness. Epic fights to the death against giant worms, cage fighting, burning down the town in which there was cage fighting, burning down really anything that came close (including demented sun kings and giant worms) . . . Ah, the glory. There was a bit of romance her and there too, which wasn't so bad. But "Rebel Hearts" takes it to a whole new level. It's "Oh, Jack, I miss you" here and "Oh, I want Jack" there and "Jack smells nice" in the middle mixed in with "Oh, I think I might love *insert name here 'cause I won't ruin it for you even though we all knew it was gonna happen*" with a touch of "Oh, *insert name here, I'm not going to tell you because it'll ruin it and it's stupid and random* loves me?" IT'S ALL MUSHY! And not fun at all.
Okay, so, in "Blood Red Road" I sort of got the picture that Saba was like Clint Eastwood in all those Westerns. You know, the lone cowboy (or cowgirl or whatever you want to call it) who rides into town, gets filled up with some sort of righteous anger, burns the place down, and overthrows the evil mayor, all well having fun and making friends with a merry band of outlaws. In "Rebel Hearts" Saba is like that in the beginning of the book, righteous anger and what not, but eventually she gets whittled down into a princess who runs around in dresses. Excuse me? The Angel of Death is no princess, I don't care about that Sky-person-girl's ruling.
I mentioned that there are some other mushy-male components in this. There are. They are unneeded and unwanted and do absolutely no good for anything anywhere anyhow anywhy. They should just not be there. Period. I guess the "random person loves me" was inevitable in some sense. It's random, but it was mentioned slightly in the previous book and it will probably be a big part of the next book, because it seems that this is to be a trilogy (but from this book, I say they cut it off now, and spare us all the horror). The other new male component just detracts from everything. And turns Saba into a princess. And everyone knew that it was going to happen, it seems, except for Saba, because I figured out that it was going to happen back in Hopetown but our newly-whittled princess here had no clue.
So, basically what I'm trying to get at is that this is a decent book--for the first part of it. Then it just goes bonkers. It seems, and no offense to Moria Young here, but it seems that she forgot the parameters she set out for her characters because they seem to be operating outside of them.
On a completely different note, DeMalo is crazy.
So, anyway, "Blood Red Road" and "Rebel Hearts" both seem to be of the "Dust Land Trilogy". (I didn't realize that the name of "Rebel Hearts" was "Rebel Hearts" 'cause "Dust Land" was bigger on the cover so I thought that the whole trilogy was called "Rebel Hearts Trilogy" and that better not be the case 'cause that would be a pretty bad name for a dystopian novel. (Worse than "The Hunger Games.") I don't know what the third one is or when it will come out, but I'll keep an eye for that one.
Basically, what I'm trying to get at is that Saba's lost her way. And if she doesn't find it soon, or if she finds it leads into the arms of some handsome male, I may have to put the book down and walk away. Because Saba's supposed to be my warrior, not my damsel in distress.
As the author's bio says, "Visit www.dustlandsbooks.com to learn more." It's nothing unusual, really.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
BZRK
"BZRK," Michael Grant, is about a war that's bigger than us . . . but really much, much smaller.
Noah's brother used to be an army hero. Now he's locked up in the insane aslyumn, screaming "Berserk, berserk, nano, nano," over and over again. Sadie's father was the richest man in the world. Now her father and brother are died in a car-crash and the aneurysm in her head is threatening to kill her. Both Noah and Sadie are sought out and initiated into a secret society where they take the name of crazy people because they know that that will be their fate. Thrust into a world that's alien but very close to home, Noah and Sadie must keep their wits about them if they're to make it out of the meat.
Great sci-fi action book, I swear. Also, a great book if you want to learn about the human body . . . but, in many ways, it's quite disgusting. Especially when the start describing eyeballs . . . Urgh, that gives me phantoms just thinking about it.
This book, as my language arts teacher puts it has "language issues." And it does. Lots of them. So, now you've been doubly warned. Please do not sue me if you get a shock while reading this book. Because, see, I'll warn you thrice, these people in this book have language issues, worse than a driver from New Jersey.
But, that aside, I would like to focus on in the characters. You do not get a lot of time to learn about each character, really, you don't get a chapter on each of them full of back detail--not even the main characters. There are a bunch of little details scattered in that gives you an idea of who they are and what their "normal" lives are, but you don't get a lot of preamble before the planes start blowing up and the bugs start crawling. Which is just the way I like it.
I also sort of enjoy the fact that you do not intimately know each character as well as you should, because it puts you in the place of the other characters. No one knows much about each other in this book, they don't even know their real names (read: Keats, Plath, Wilkes, Vincent, Ophelia, Lear . . .), so it adds to the level of reality that you know next to nothing. Also, it makes it seem like none of the characters know anything about themselves, which adds another layer to things.
Personally, my favorite character is Wilkes. She is so wicked . . . I've already stated that I like the bad-girl type, haven't I? And there couldn't have been a better antagonist, because Bug-Man is so arrogant it makes my skin crawl . . . And that's what makes him awesome.
Now, onto the nanos. They are an amazing piece of science-fiction, which may or may not be fiction for much longer. As I once read somewhere, the scariest thing is something that could happen. I heard them talking on the radio about nanotechnology, and I completely freezed up. It won't be long now before people will be fighting on our optic nerves, wiring our brains, and controlling our actions, if they aren't doing it already. I couldn't quite get a picture in my head of what nanos looked like, though. They said they looked like praying mantises, but in my mind they looked more like 'nanobugs,' little toys that my brother has. It's also fun to think about the scale of things. For mascara to be a serious obstacle for nanos, how small must they be? Would you be able to crush one if you found them?
This book would definitely be in my top ten science-fictions books. Of course, there are several things that could've made this story better, several elements, like maybe going longer and telling us what was going to happen next . . . But I mustn't start being greedy, right? This book came out this year, so it's new. We cannot be expecting a sequel any time soon, which is a pity.
We'll just have to sit here and wait, I suppose, twiddle our thumbs for a bit, maybe read another book or two, and pray that Plath and Keats aren't sitting in the cafe across the street, crawling through our meat.
www.gobzrk.com is a cool website. It is not lame, like many other websites for many other books (which shall remain unnamed). You can register, play some sort of game (I haven't tried it yet), and take a quiz on famous insane people of the past! Yey!
Noah's brother used to be an army hero. Now he's locked up in the insane aslyumn, screaming "Berserk, berserk, nano, nano," over and over again. Sadie's father was the richest man in the world. Now her father and brother are died in a car-crash and the aneurysm in her head is threatening to kill her. Both Noah and Sadie are sought out and initiated into a secret society where they take the name of crazy people because they know that that will be their fate. Thrust into a world that's alien but very close to home, Noah and Sadie must keep their wits about them if they're to make it out of the meat.
Great sci-fi action book, I swear. Also, a great book if you want to learn about the human body . . . but, in many ways, it's quite disgusting. Especially when the start describing eyeballs . . . Urgh, that gives me phantoms just thinking about it.
This book, as my language arts teacher puts it has "language issues." And it does. Lots of them. So, now you've been doubly warned. Please do not sue me if you get a shock while reading this book. Because, see, I'll warn you thrice, these people in this book have language issues, worse than a driver from New Jersey.
But, that aside, I would like to focus on in the characters. You do not get a lot of time to learn about each character, really, you don't get a chapter on each of them full of back detail--not even the main characters. There are a bunch of little details scattered in that gives you an idea of who they are and what their "normal" lives are, but you don't get a lot of preamble before the planes start blowing up and the bugs start crawling. Which is just the way I like it.
I also sort of enjoy the fact that you do not intimately know each character as well as you should, because it puts you in the place of the other characters. No one knows much about each other in this book, they don't even know their real names (read: Keats, Plath, Wilkes, Vincent, Ophelia, Lear . . .), so it adds to the level of reality that you know next to nothing. Also, it makes it seem like none of the characters know anything about themselves, which adds another layer to things.
Personally, my favorite character is Wilkes. She is so wicked . . . I've already stated that I like the bad-girl type, haven't I? And there couldn't have been a better antagonist, because Bug-Man is so arrogant it makes my skin crawl . . . And that's what makes him awesome.
Now, onto the nanos. They are an amazing piece of science-fiction, which may or may not be fiction for much longer. As I once read somewhere, the scariest thing is something that could happen. I heard them talking on the radio about nanotechnology, and I completely freezed up. It won't be long now before people will be fighting on our optic nerves, wiring our brains, and controlling our actions, if they aren't doing it already. I couldn't quite get a picture in my head of what nanos looked like, though. They said they looked like praying mantises, but in my mind they looked more like 'nanobugs,' little toys that my brother has. It's also fun to think about the scale of things. For mascara to be a serious obstacle for nanos, how small must they be? Would you be able to crush one if you found them?
This book would definitely be in my top ten science-fictions books. Of course, there are several things that could've made this story better, several elements, like maybe going longer and telling us what was going to happen next . . . But I mustn't start being greedy, right? This book came out this year, so it's new. We cannot be expecting a sequel any time soon, which is a pity.
We'll just have to sit here and wait, I suppose, twiddle our thumbs for a bit, maybe read another book or two, and pray that Plath and Keats aren't sitting in the cafe across the street, crawling through our meat.
www.gobzrk.com is a cool website. It is not lame, like many other websites for many other books (which shall remain unnamed). You can register, play some sort of game (I haven't tried it yet), and take a quiz on famous insane people of the past! Yey!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Chaos Walking Trilogy
The "Chaos Walking" Trilogy by Patrick Ness is a commentary on our society, even though it's set lightyears away.
Todd is the only boy in a town of only men. All of the women died of a native plague on this new planet just after Todd was born, they died of the plague that can broadcasts all men's thoughts to everyone else. Their collective thoughts create the Noise, and through the Noise, nearly all secrets are revealed. But when Todd finds a pocket of silence in the swamps, he has to rethink what he knows of his town and himself. Because when you've been lied to all your life, there's only one way to find out the truth, and fighting back against the convention could have bigger implications than you could ever guess. Especially when your tap is all that's needed to set the dominoes cascading down.
So, a bunch of settlers come to a planet, and find that they can all hear each other's thoughts. They also find an alien species who have hardly any way to communicate with them. What's the next obvious thing that these settlers do. Oh, I don't know, maybe they ought to start a war?
Hmm. Well, you know, we're starving, we're hungry, and we're 60-something years away from any help. We're going to have to live with this alien species for the rest of our lives, and our great-great-great grandchildren are going to have to live with them too. So, heck, why not go for it and start blowing their brains out? Yeah . . . What's the worst that can happen? I love the human thought process. Especially when it's in books, and I don't have to live with the repercussions.
These books, well, about half of the time, these books are written by an illiterate boy. Todd, pretty obvious, right? It isn't as bad as "Blood Red Road," Moira Young, but he spells thing phonetically. I don't have a problem with that, I actually sort of like it, because I'm awful with the spelling part of things, but it might not be your cup'o'tea.
The characters are very strong. Very strong. Each person is unique, painfully so, and they all have their own motives. Some of them are very easy to predict, such as Todd and Viola, but others are more of a wild card. Everyone does things that are morally disgusting, such as committing murder, initiating planet-wide-war, and infecting innocent people with fatal diseases, but it's their reaction after the deed and the motives that drove them that you have to judge them on. Otherwise, you'd wind up hating everyone in the books.
The Land, and you won't know what I'm talking about until you've read the third book, confuses me. It's sort of a peaceful part of the book, except for the fact that the Return is basically baying for blood, but I can't pick out individuals. I couldn't even tell you if the Return is a male or a female. The Return seems male for the most time, but other times it seems female . . . It adds to the overall effect of the story, but it can also subtract from it a bit.
Another thing that subtracts from the story is the obvious bloodlust. It sort of repulses me how many people in this book want war. The Return can't stop begging to stick a knife in the Knife, Todd blatantly harms the captured ones in New Prentisstown, Mistress Coyle goes around blowing up things left and right and smiling while she does it, and the Mayor decides to start a war, just so he can rule. What is with these people? Most of the semi-prominent characters adore violence, and the main characters take part in it just to please the semi-prominent characters. It is repulsive, but enthralling. And it is completely rateable to today. How many bullies hurt others, just because it gives them power? It's a theme you see repeated here, but on a much grander scale.
The New World in itself is intriguing. The fact that everyone can hear the thoughts of everyone else (except for . . . but I won't ruin it), that animals can talk, and that you can hear the thoughts of the animals is really quite an interesting concept. It is said in the book that it's all about information: How much you have, how you can control it, and, of course, how often you get it. Patrick Ness said, in his biography in the back of the first book, that he got the idea from today's society, and how we're always hooked up to information. Computers, television, even radios and newspapers. You name it, we're getting information from it. Again, another theme that applies to today, and today's life.
There are three books, this being a trilogy. The first is "The Knife of Never Letting Go," followed by "The Ask and the Answer," and "Monsters of Men" (because war makes monsters of men . . . ). You might just want to check out all three at once, because both "The Knife" and "The Ask" end on major cliff hangers. Like, major. Major, as in in-your-face, you are going to die if you don't read the next book as soon as humanly possible major. I mean, "Monsters of Men," has a major cliff-hanger too, but you can't do really anything about that one.
And even though all Viola and Todd want is to be safe, they forget that when you spit into the wind you get a convoy of 40 spaceships, the arrows of an alien species, and the hostilities of your own people coming right back at you. I hope you don't.
Todd is the only boy in a town of only men. All of the women died of a native plague on this new planet just after Todd was born, they died of the plague that can broadcasts all men's thoughts to everyone else. Their collective thoughts create the Noise, and through the Noise, nearly all secrets are revealed. But when Todd finds a pocket of silence in the swamps, he has to rethink what he knows of his town and himself. Because when you've been lied to all your life, there's only one way to find out the truth, and fighting back against the convention could have bigger implications than you could ever guess. Especially when your tap is all that's needed to set the dominoes cascading down.
So, a bunch of settlers come to a planet, and find that they can all hear each other's thoughts. They also find an alien species who have hardly any way to communicate with them. What's the next obvious thing that these settlers do. Oh, I don't know, maybe they ought to start a war?
Hmm. Well, you know, we're starving, we're hungry, and we're 60-something years away from any help. We're going to have to live with this alien species for the rest of our lives, and our great-great-great grandchildren are going to have to live with them too. So, heck, why not go for it and start blowing their brains out? Yeah . . . What's the worst that can happen? I love the human thought process. Especially when it's in books, and I don't have to live with the repercussions.
These books, well, about half of the time, these books are written by an illiterate boy. Todd, pretty obvious, right? It isn't as bad as "Blood Red Road," Moira Young, but he spells thing phonetically. I don't have a problem with that, I actually sort of like it, because I'm awful with the spelling part of things, but it might not be your cup'o'tea.
The characters are very strong. Very strong. Each person is unique, painfully so, and they all have their own motives. Some of them are very easy to predict, such as Todd and Viola, but others are more of a wild card. Everyone does things that are morally disgusting, such as committing murder, initiating planet-wide-war, and infecting innocent people with fatal diseases, but it's their reaction after the deed and the motives that drove them that you have to judge them on. Otherwise, you'd wind up hating everyone in the books.
The Land, and you won't know what I'm talking about until you've read the third book, confuses me. It's sort of a peaceful part of the book, except for the fact that the Return is basically baying for blood, but I can't pick out individuals. I couldn't even tell you if the Return is a male or a female. The Return seems male for the most time, but other times it seems female . . . It adds to the overall effect of the story, but it can also subtract from it a bit.
Another thing that subtracts from the story is the obvious bloodlust. It sort of repulses me how many people in this book want war. The Return can't stop begging to stick a knife in the Knife, Todd blatantly harms the captured ones in New Prentisstown, Mistress Coyle goes around blowing up things left and right and smiling while she does it, and the Mayor decides to start a war, just so he can rule. What is with these people? Most of the semi-prominent characters adore violence, and the main characters take part in it just to please the semi-prominent characters. It is repulsive, but enthralling. And it is completely rateable to today. How many bullies hurt others, just because it gives them power? It's a theme you see repeated here, but on a much grander scale.
The New World in itself is intriguing. The fact that everyone can hear the thoughts of everyone else (except for . . . but I won't ruin it), that animals can talk, and that you can hear the thoughts of the animals is really quite an interesting concept. It is said in the book that it's all about information: How much you have, how you can control it, and, of course, how often you get it. Patrick Ness said, in his biography in the back of the first book, that he got the idea from today's society, and how we're always hooked up to information. Computers, television, even radios and newspapers. You name it, we're getting information from it. Again, another theme that applies to today, and today's life.
There are three books, this being a trilogy. The first is "The Knife of Never Letting Go," followed by "The Ask and the Answer," and "Monsters of Men" (because war makes monsters of men . . . ). You might just want to check out all three at once, because both "The Knife" and "The Ask" end on major cliff hangers. Like, major. Major, as in in-your-face, you are going to die if you don't read the next book as soon as humanly possible major. I mean, "Monsters of Men," has a major cliff-hanger too, but you can't do really anything about that one.
And even though all Viola and Todd want is to be safe, they forget that when you spit into the wind you get a convoy of 40 spaceships, the arrows of an alien species, and the hostilities of your own people coming right back at you. I hope you don't.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Department 19
"Department 19," Will Hills, has been published with the tag line: "Battling Vampires since 1892. Now it's time to raise the stakes."
Jamie Carpenter's father died under the bullet of a subatomic machine gun after strange things surrounded the Carpenter house. Jamie's mother was kidnapped after a strange girl tried to kill him in the park. Now Jamie's the only Carpenter left, and it's his turn to go after the biggest, baddest vampire since Count Dracula, and, of course, to rescue his mother. Luckily, he'll have the power of Department 19, Britain's top secret vampire-hunting agency, at his back -- Only if past grudges can be put aside, and Jamie makes it out to the hunting grounds alive.
If you liked "The Slayer Chronicles," featuring Joss McMillan (Vlad Todd's, like, arch-enemy/best friend) by Heather Brewer, you will love Department 19. It's crazy fast-paced action full of twists and turns that you'll never see coming.
The plot is very intricate. Trying to follow it is like trying to untie a length of fishing line that has been nested in by a bunch of animals all winter long. And then dragged through the woods. Only after someone deliberately tied knots in it. But, through all those tangles, you could never see the plot twists coming, which is a bonus. It's the first time in a long time that I've been surprised by a book. That, like, never happens. So I was duly impressed.
Of course, even the best action-thriller has it's problems. First off, there are too many people. Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I don't know. But I know I got the "Blacklight" operators mixed up so many times that I couldn't remember if the people who died had any significance (oops, sorry, spoiler . . . but you knew it was going to happen). Also, it jumps back and forth in time. This could be considered a plus, because it gives you back story and more information on characters, but it gets a bit confusing at times. So, the main problem with this book is that it's confusing until you get to the mid-point. After that, you're over the hump and it's smooth sailing.
Also, I just don't get the character of Jamie Carpenter. He changes from a listless boy who's still mourning his father to an angry young man who can kill vampires in the space of, like, 60 pages. And 25 of those pages are devoted to telling about a man who was in New York City in 1928. So, where's the transition for Jamie Carpenter? In a dynamic character, the change generally happens over the course of the book. In this character, this book, the change happens, nearly in the turn of a page. He watches a video on Blacklight, and boom!, he's a vampire slayer. Okay, then . . .
I do enjoy the character of Larissa, though. Plenty of books try to go against the grain by pointing out that vampires aren't bad, they're just tortured souls. She is a good-ish vampire, and she doesn't try to deny it. That's nice for a change, that a vampire can flinch while sucking down blood, but still does it anyways. Because all of these contemporary vampire types were getting me worried-- do we have to be perfectly in control of ourselves all the time? Quite frankly, do we have to be perfect all the time? If Larissa heard that question, I'm pretty sure she would say "no" too.
There are also several random characters. I won't say names (uh, Kate) but they were random. And didn't really add anything to the plot. Yeah, sure, they step in and save the main character a few times, but that wasn't really necessary.
It is advised that you have prior knowledge about the book "Dracula," Bram Stoker. The classic one, yes. This book ties into that one. In fact, it might be considered a bit of a modern day sequel. I've never read the classic book, so I wouldn't know, but . . . As one of the Blacklight operators ( I finished it two days ago, and I've already forgotten which one it was) says, "The book 'Dracula,' isn't fiction. It's a history lesson." Yeah, okay. There is a very interesting back story on Bram Stoker, though . . .
I bet that I will read the next book when it comes out. I mean, it was a very engaging story, full of blood and gore and all that good stuff. So, Jamie Carpenter, I will remember you and read you again for your vampire-slaying skills and pure adrenaline rush. Not your literary significance.
The website is department19.org The video is overly dramatic, but, whatever. It's pretty hard to make an action video for a book like this without actually injuring someone . . .
If you liked "The Slayer Chronicles," featuring Joss McMillan (Vlad Todd's, like, arch-enemy/best friend) by Heather Brewer, you will love Department 19. It's crazy fast-paced action full of twists and turns that you'll never see coming.
The plot is very intricate. Trying to follow it is like trying to untie a length of fishing line that has been nested in by a bunch of animals all winter long. And then dragged through the woods. Only after someone deliberately tied knots in it. But, through all those tangles, you could never see the plot twists coming, which is a bonus. It's the first time in a long time that I've been surprised by a book. That, like, never happens. So I was duly impressed.
Of course, even the best action-thriller has it's problems. First off, there are too many people. Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I don't know. But I know I got the "Blacklight" operators mixed up so many times that I couldn't remember if the people who died had any significance (oops, sorry, spoiler . . . but you knew it was going to happen). Also, it jumps back and forth in time. This could be considered a plus, because it gives you back story and more information on characters, but it gets a bit confusing at times. So, the main problem with this book is that it's confusing until you get to the mid-point. After that, you're over the hump and it's smooth sailing.
Also, I just don't get the character of Jamie Carpenter. He changes from a listless boy who's still mourning his father to an angry young man who can kill vampires in the space of, like, 60 pages. And 25 of those pages are devoted to telling about a man who was in New York City in 1928. So, where's the transition for Jamie Carpenter? In a dynamic character, the change generally happens over the course of the book. In this character, this book, the change happens, nearly in the turn of a page. He watches a video on Blacklight, and boom!, he's a vampire slayer. Okay, then . . .
I do enjoy the character of Larissa, though. Plenty of books try to go against the grain by pointing out that vampires aren't bad, they're just tortured souls. She is a good-ish vampire, and she doesn't try to deny it. That's nice for a change, that a vampire can flinch while sucking down blood, but still does it anyways. Because all of these contemporary vampire types were getting me worried-- do we have to be perfectly in control of ourselves all the time? Quite frankly, do we have to be perfect all the time? If Larissa heard that question, I'm pretty sure she would say "no" too.
There are also several random characters. I won't say names (uh, Kate) but they were random. And didn't really add anything to the plot. Yeah, sure, they step in and save the main character a few times, but that wasn't really necessary.
It is advised that you have prior knowledge about the book "Dracula," Bram Stoker. The classic one, yes. This book ties into that one. In fact, it might be considered a bit of a modern day sequel. I've never read the classic book, so I wouldn't know, but . . . As one of the Blacklight operators ( I finished it two days ago, and I've already forgotten which one it was) says, "The book 'Dracula,' isn't fiction. It's a history lesson." Yeah, okay. There is a very interesting back story on Bram Stoker, though . . .
I bet that I will read the next book when it comes out. I mean, it was a very engaging story, full of blood and gore and all that good stuff. So, Jamie Carpenter, I will remember you and read you again for your vampire-slaying skills and pure adrenaline rush. Not your literary significance.
The website is department19.org The video is overly dramatic, but, whatever. It's pretty hard to make an action video for a book like this without actually injuring someone . . .
Thursday, August 23, 2012
I am Number Four
"I am Number Four," by Pittacus Lore.
Three are dead. He is Number Four.
Assuming the pseudonym John Smith, "Number Four" sets to settling in in his latest town, Paradise, Ohio. Falling for the ex-cheerleader ex-girlfriend of the town's basketball star doesn't do much to his policy of staying invisible, and staying invisible is everything for the alien who's trying to stay under the radar of the murderous Mogadarians who killed his people and stripped his planet of resources. If John can keep his newly developing powers a secret from the bloodthirsty killers, than their might be a chance that Lorien can be saved. Mistakes come at every turn, though, and John's powers fly out of control. It might be merely a matter of time before the Mogadarians find him, and mark their death total up to four . . .
I am not impressed with this story. It's a typical Hollywood-blockbuster movie, but slowed down a bit, and shoved into a book. Here look at this version of the summary:
There is a mysterious alien male who may or may not have amazing powers that have the potential to save our world from terrifying alien invaders! He also wants to restore his home planet back to it's former glory because it was ravaged by the same species of intergalactic menaces. But, before his powers develop, he must blend in with the high school population to hide from the evil aliens. While he is hiding in a small town, he meets the girl of his dreams and gets into a fight with her possessive ex-boyfriend. When his powers finally show themselves, will our hero be able to escape the detection of the bad guys? . . . No, probably not.
Well, where have we heard that before? Oh, right in the trailer of the next alien-invasion movie. Which, makes sense, because this book is also a movie. But even the book is complete with pretty blonds, unlikely allies, and an aging mentor. I'm sorry, I'm just not happy over here. I guess I just thought it was going to be some fantastic book, some earth-shattering new sci-fi book. Instead, it's horribly cliched.
It has all of the good elements of a fiction book: A gigantic problem that's about to become a whole lot bigger if it doesn't get fixed soon, a hero that's (presumably) going to fix it, and a secret that the hero has to keep hidden from the rest of the world. Yeah, sure. We see that in nearly every contemporary young adult book. It's a reliable formula, as well as a comforting one.
And there's a unique twist to the problem: The victims can only be killed in numerical order. But that premise leaves several unanswered questions; who decided the numerical order? What exactly is a Lorien charm? Who casted the thing, if you said that all of your Elders had fled the planet? There is a lot of mystery in this book, questions that are left unanswered to create hype, but those questions aren't there to create hype, in my opinion, and just leave holes in the reason of the plot.
And, dude, does the girl have to be blond? Does the ex-boyfriend have to be a jock? I thought that we were past this. Oh, sure, it's standard in plenty of realistic fiction/romance books, but this is . . . I don't know. I enjoy stories. Isn't that evident on what I choose to write my blog? This is a pretty good story. It has an intriguing back-story, and a wonderful premise to it. But, I don't know, and I know I've said that before, but . . . I would've done something different, if I had been writing it.
Maybe part of the problem was that I couldn't find anyone in this book to relate to. John was a bit bull-headed, Sarah was a bit of a ditz, Sam was too nerdy and unsocial . . . I probably could've connected with Henri, if given half the chance, but I wasn't. He's always the enemy in John's eyes, the over-protective parent, etc. But he's the only one with any sense!
Also, I just couldn't buy into Mogadaria and Loria, or whatever the planets were called. Those places, no matter how many times they described them or went over their history, there was never any chance that they might've, could've, possibly, maybe been real, that feeling you get when you read a really good book, and you know that that place could really be out there, no matter how implausible.
So, Mr. Four, I wish you luck in saving your planet. But with all your sterotypes, I doubt that you'll be able to save your literary audience from despair.
For more information (not much more, but . . .) the website is http://iamnumberfour.com/
Three are dead. He is Number Four.
Assuming the pseudonym John Smith, "Number Four" sets to settling in in his latest town, Paradise, Ohio. Falling for the ex-cheerleader ex-girlfriend of the town's basketball star doesn't do much to his policy of staying invisible, and staying invisible is everything for the alien who's trying to stay under the radar of the murderous Mogadarians who killed his people and stripped his planet of resources. If John can keep his newly developing powers a secret from the bloodthirsty killers, than their might be a chance that Lorien can be saved. Mistakes come at every turn, though, and John's powers fly out of control. It might be merely a matter of time before the Mogadarians find him, and mark their death total up to four . . .
I am not impressed with this story. It's a typical Hollywood-blockbuster movie, but slowed down a bit, and shoved into a book. Here look at this version of the summary:
There is a mysterious alien male who may or may not have amazing powers that have the potential to save our world from terrifying alien invaders! He also wants to restore his home planet back to it's former glory because it was ravaged by the same species of intergalactic menaces. But, before his powers develop, he must blend in with the high school population to hide from the evil aliens. While he is hiding in a small town, he meets the girl of his dreams and gets into a fight with her possessive ex-boyfriend. When his powers finally show themselves, will our hero be able to escape the detection of the bad guys? . . . No, probably not.
Well, where have we heard that before? Oh, right in the trailer of the next alien-invasion movie. Which, makes sense, because this book is also a movie. But even the book is complete with pretty blonds, unlikely allies, and an aging mentor. I'm sorry, I'm just not happy over here. I guess I just thought it was going to be some fantastic book, some earth-shattering new sci-fi book. Instead, it's horribly cliched.
It has all of the good elements of a fiction book: A gigantic problem that's about to become a whole lot bigger if it doesn't get fixed soon, a hero that's (presumably) going to fix it, and a secret that the hero has to keep hidden from the rest of the world. Yeah, sure. We see that in nearly every contemporary young adult book. It's a reliable formula, as well as a comforting one.
And there's a unique twist to the problem: The victims can only be killed in numerical order. But that premise leaves several unanswered questions; who decided the numerical order? What exactly is a Lorien charm? Who casted the thing, if you said that all of your Elders had fled the planet? There is a lot of mystery in this book, questions that are left unanswered to create hype, but those questions aren't there to create hype, in my opinion, and just leave holes in the reason of the plot.
And, dude, does the girl have to be blond? Does the ex-boyfriend have to be a jock? I thought that we were past this. Oh, sure, it's standard in plenty of realistic fiction/romance books, but this is . . . I don't know. I enjoy stories. Isn't that evident on what I choose to write my blog? This is a pretty good story. It has an intriguing back-story, and a wonderful premise to it. But, I don't know, and I know I've said that before, but . . . I would've done something different, if I had been writing it.
Maybe part of the problem was that I couldn't find anyone in this book to relate to. John was a bit bull-headed, Sarah was a bit of a ditz, Sam was too nerdy and unsocial . . . I probably could've connected with Henri, if given half the chance, but I wasn't. He's always the enemy in John's eyes, the over-protective parent, etc. But he's the only one with any sense!
Also, I just couldn't buy into Mogadaria and Loria, or whatever the planets were called. Those places, no matter how many times they described them or went over their history, there was never any chance that they might've, could've, possibly, maybe been real, that feeling you get when you read a really good book, and you know that that place could really be out there, no matter how implausible.
So, Mr. Four, I wish you luck in saving your planet. But with all your sterotypes, I doubt that you'll be able to save your literary audience from despair.
For more information (not much more, but . . .) the website is http://iamnumberfour.com/
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Nevermore
"Nevermore" is the eighth and final book in James Patterson's best selling series, "Maximum Ride." It's all come down to this, hasn't it? A final battle between good and evil. A final chance for Maximum Ride to save the world. A final decision that could raise or raze civilization. But what is there to fight? With the whitecoats secretly perfecting their 99% plan in some hidden laboratory, though, the Flock busy trying to be "normal" mutants, and Fang's gang trying to do something, anything, to make the difference, the battlefield seems nearly empty.
But Jeb and "Dr. God" have other plans. And bringing back the dead is only one of their strategies. As everything goes haywire, the Voice issuing warnings and assignments, multiple betrayals, the start of the end of the world, Max has just two questions. What's the catch? And can Fang and Dylan ever stop tearing her heart apart, even as the foundation of all that's known crumbles at their feet?
This book wasn't as bad as "The Final Warning," another book in the series. Actually, it was the best one in a while. Which may not be saying much. I stopped liking them around "Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports," but I was hooked: I wanted to know what happened to Max and the rest of the Flock. I mean, come on. Who wouldn't? But I'm sort of glad that it's over, so I can quite with my crazy obsession.
Of course, James Patterson milked the Fang/Dylan dynamic for all it was worth. Hey, I'm not blaming him. It was the only thing that was keeping me on for quite a bit of "Fang." But it was really just . . . dramatic. More end-of-the-world, less candle-lit dinners. Please?
I'm not happy with the ending. Am I ever? But, really. It could've used more action and movement and, I don't know, but it was missing something. Oh, here it is: Tension. And, well, I've heard the saying "surprising, yet inevitable," relating to books, or really all literature. So . . . It was surprising, yes, but not inevitable. It came completely and totally out of the blue. As most of the things come in this series.
I liked the characters in this book. I mean, they were no different from the characters in the rest of the books, but there was something about them here that made them seem more likable. Max isn't as cranky, and she seems like she's a nicer person to be around. Less self-absorbed. You know, things like that. It wasn't a dramatic change, or anything, it was just in the way that they were written.
The whole problem is, I think, is that "The Angel Experiment" was an amazing book. It was fast paced, it was catchy, and it was new. But as the series went on, the story either went too slow or too fast, stopped being catchy and started being annoying, and got old. James Patterson never manages to capture the energy as he did in that first book. You keep expecting an "Angel Experiment," but you don't really get it. Even "Nevermore" only captures a little bit of that energy.
The series started cornering itself during "Final Warning," when James Patterson made the end of the world be about global warming. Yes, that is a big problem in today's society. But one bird kid cannot change the problem. One bird kid cannot save the world from global warming, no matter how determined she is. He could've done so much more with the series, James Patterson could've, but he hemmed himself in. And even within the parameters he set himself, he could've made "Nevermore" so much better.
The series, in order, are "The Angel Experiment," "School's Out--Forever," "Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports," "The Final Warning," "Max," "Fang," "Angel," and last, but certainly not least, "Nevermore."
It was quite a ride, Max. It might not have been the maximum ride, but you can't argue with a good story, so I took what you gave me. And I might just remember you and you're struggle after you've flown off into the sunset.
And, as if you need it again (it seems like I've written this out a dozen times on this site, though it's only been three), the URL. www.max-dan-wiz.com You can read the first 16 chapters free.
But Jeb and "Dr. God" have other plans. And bringing back the dead is only one of their strategies. As everything goes haywire, the Voice issuing warnings and assignments, multiple betrayals, the start of the end of the world, Max has just two questions. What's the catch? And can Fang and Dylan ever stop tearing her heart apart, even as the foundation of all that's known crumbles at their feet?
This book wasn't as bad as "The Final Warning," another book in the series. Actually, it was the best one in a while. Which may not be saying much. I stopped liking them around "Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports," but I was hooked: I wanted to know what happened to Max and the rest of the Flock. I mean, come on. Who wouldn't? But I'm sort of glad that it's over, so I can quite with my crazy obsession.
Of course, James Patterson milked the Fang/Dylan dynamic for all it was worth. Hey, I'm not blaming him. It was the only thing that was keeping me on for quite a bit of "Fang." But it was really just . . . dramatic. More end-of-the-world, less candle-lit dinners. Please?
I'm not happy with the ending. Am I ever? But, really. It could've used more action and movement and, I don't know, but it was missing something. Oh, here it is: Tension. And, well, I've heard the saying "surprising, yet inevitable," relating to books, or really all literature. So . . . It was surprising, yes, but not inevitable. It came completely and totally out of the blue. As most of the things come in this series.
I liked the characters in this book. I mean, they were no different from the characters in the rest of the books, but there was something about them here that made them seem more likable. Max isn't as cranky, and she seems like she's a nicer person to be around. Less self-absorbed. You know, things like that. It wasn't a dramatic change, or anything, it was just in the way that they were written.
The whole problem is, I think, is that "The Angel Experiment" was an amazing book. It was fast paced, it was catchy, and it was new. But as the series went on, the story either went too slow or too fast, stopped being catchy and started being annoying, and got old. James Patterson never manages to capture the energy as he did in that first book. You keep expecting an "Angel Experiment," but you don't really get it. Even "Nevermore" only captures a little bit of that energy.
The series started cornering itself during "Final Warning," when James Patterson made the end of the world be about global warming. Yes, that is a big problem in today's society. But one bird kid cannot change the problem. One bird kid cannot save the world from global warming, no matter how determined she is. He could've done so much more with the series, James Patterson could've, but he hemmed himself in. And even within the parameters he set himself, he could've made "Nevermore" so much better.
The series, in order, are "The Angel Experiment," "School's Out--Forever," "Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports," "The Final Warning," "Max," "Fang," "Angel," and last, but certainly not least, "Nevermore."
It was quite a ride, Max. It might not have been the maximum ride, but you can't argue with a good story, so I took what you gave me. And I might just remember you and you're struggle after you've flown off into the sunset.
And, as if you need it again (it seems like I've written this out a dozen times on this site, though it's only been three), the URL. www.max-dan-wiz.com You can read the first 16 chapters free.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Maximum Ride
Maximum Ride: the series by James Patterson.
Maximum Ride is no ordinary fourteen-year-old girl. For starters, she is basically homeless and has to take care of five other kids and their two dogs. Next, she's on the run from things (and people) who want her dead. It also might be crucial to mention that she's only 98% human. Her other 2% is avian, so she and her unlikely family all have wings.
This results in a lot of life and death situations, not to mention a lot of confusion and publicity. On the run from various villains and multitudes of their mindless minions Max must figure out who she trusts, who she doesn't, how she'll escape, how she'll deal with a growing crush on one of her team members, how she's going to deal with a six-year-old who thinks she can rule the world, and how she'll save the world. Sound like a lot to you? Well, to Maximum Ride, warrior extraordinaire, leader supreme, and the go-to person if you want spilled blood and a lot of attitude, it's just another ordinary day.
Do you like fast paced books? Do you like sarcasm, wit, and violence in abundance? Then I think you've found your happy place, or happy books, at least. These books also speak of empowerment to the children: there are only a few adults that hold crucial roles, and only one of those adults can actually be considered a good guy. Another overriding theme of the book is that grown-ups polluted the world and messed it up big-time, and it's up to these next generations to save it. And Max is the stereotypical superhero--she can fly, she's strong, she has a pithy comeback to everything, and she shows no mercy to her foes, a courtesy that extends even to some of her family.
The chapters are only a few pages long, sometimes resulting in as many as 144 chapters in a book (The Angel Experiment), and sometimes the writing can get a bit headache-y. You jump from the view point of one character to another without any warning, and you hardly get a page of piece before a new demonized-robot jumps out at you from the margins. Though, when the romance comes, it comes fast and hard and without any warning.
The books are in order as follows: The Angel Experiment, School's Out -- Forever, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, The Final Warning, Max, Fang, Angel, and Nevermore, which is set to come out August 6, 2012. Sure, you can read these books out of order, but you have to have a great memory for the sequence of events. They'll catch you up, periodically, but there are some crucial facts that you have to remember to get everything. Also, reading the last ones first might ruin some twists in the plot lines. Just, so, you know . . . You don't make the same mistakes I did.
This is the fan website: http://www.max-dan-wiz.com/ Mainly blogs and stuff put up by other fans, and a chat room, but there are some sneak peaks and blogs 'written' by the characters in the book, as well as some videos. It's fine.
Maximum Ride is no ordinary fourteen-year-old girl. For starters, she is basically homeless and has to take care of five other kids and their two dogs. Next, she's on the run from things (and people) who want her dead. It also might be crucial to mention that she's only 98% human. Her other 2% is avian, so she and her unlikely family all have wings.
This results in a lot of life and death situations, not to mention a lot of confusion and publicity. On the run from various villains and multitudes of their mindless minions Max must figure out who she trusts, who she doesn't, how she'll escape, how she'll deal with a growing crush on one of her team members, how she's going to deal with a six-year-old who thinks she can rule the world, and how she'll save the world. Sound like a lot to you? Well, to Maximum Ride, warrior extraordinaire, leader supreme, and the go-to person if you want spilled blood and a lot of attitude, it's just another ordinary day.
Do you like fast paced books? Do you like sarcasm, wit, and violence in abundance? Then I think you've found your happy place, or happy books, at least. These books also speak of empowerment to the children: there are only a few adults that hold crucial roles, and only one of those adults can actually be considered a good guy. Another overriding theme of the book is that grown-ups polluted the world and messed it up big-time, and it's up to these next generations to save it. And Max is the stereotypical superhero--she can fly, she's strong, she has a pithy comeback to everything, and she shows no mercy to her foes, a courtesy that extends even to some of her family.
The chapters are only a few pages long, sometimes resulting in as many as 144 chapters in a book (The Angel Experiment), and sometimes the writing can get a bit headache-y. You jump from the view point of one character to another without any warning, and you hardly get a page of piece before a new demonized-robot jumps out at you from the margins. Though, when the romance comes, it comes fast and hard and without any warning.
The books are in order as follows: The Angel Experiment, School's Out -- Forever, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, The Final Warning, Max, Fang, Angel, and Nevermore, which is set to come out August 6, 2012. Sure, you can read these books out of order, but you have to have a great memory for the sequence of events. They'll catch you up, periodically, but there are some crucial facts that you have to remember to get everything. Also, reading the last ones first might ruin some twists in the plot lines. Just, so, you know . . . You don't make the same mistakes I did.
This is the fan website: http://www.max-dan-wiz.com/ Mainly blogs and stuff put up by other fans, and a chat room, but there are some sneak peaks and blogs 'written' by the characters in the book, as well as some videos. It's fine.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
The Inheritance Cycle
I'll start with a basic piece of fiction--The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini.
This is a four part series about a fictional country, Agalasia, in a fictional world. There are elves, dragons, dwarves, humans, 'urgals' (brutes akin to trolls and the like), and a combined race of humans, elves, and dragons known as 'dragon riders' (humans and elves who ride dragons). If it was a historical fiction piece the setting would be the middle ages.
Agalasia is being ruled by an evil dragon rider who is supposed to be the only one who can use magic, but a rebellion has been growing. Our young hero finds himself in possesion of an illegal dragon, the power, and duty, to defeat the evil king, and the influence of a thousand coffers of gold. Aided by an old man, an outlaw, the leader of the rebels, the princess of the elves, the king of dwarves, an herbalist who might be insane, his cousin, and his dragon Eragon holds the fate of the realm in his hand.
It is basically a less complicated version of the Lord of the Rings. No, there is only one ring, but with the vast quantity of magical swords, lances, and belts you have to keep track of it doesn't really make much of a difference. At least with the rings several had the same purpose and only one had a specific name. If you read these books be prepared to have to put up with names such as 'The Belt of Beloth the Wise' and 'Zar'roc.' But, to continue my comparison, Urgals are the Orcs replacement, and instead of sightless beasts on horses you have the Ra'zac riding on letherblanka -- duck-like things riding on other duck-like things.
Thankfully, though, you can get past the complicated and similar names to some degree. And though the covers aren't stuffed full of action when you do get sword- and fist- fights they are coherant and are there for a reason. Another bonus for those unwilling to suspend their disbelief is that the 'magic' in this books comes with a well defined limit. So, while you might see hovering rocks those rocks aren't going to sprout wings and fly away.
The books in this series are as follows: Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger, Inheritance. Please, do yourself a favor and do not read them out of order. The latter three have a preface of what happened in the previous three, but in my opinion, they just confuse you even more.
The books' website--they have a few games on here and some trivia stuff. http://www.alagaesia.com/
This is a four part series about a fictional country, Agalasia, in a fictional world. There are elves, dragons, dwarves, humans, 'urgals' (brutes akin to trolls and the like), and a combined race of humans, elves, and dragons known as 'dragon riders' (humans and elves who ride dragons). If it was a historical fiction piece the setting would be the middle ages.
Agalasia is being ruled by an evil dragon rider who is supposed to be the only one who can use magic, but a rebellion has been growing. Our young hero finds himself in possesion of an illegal dragon, the power, and duty, to defeat the evil king, and the influence of a thousand coffers of gold. Aided by an old man, an outlaw, the leader of the rebels, the princess of the elves, the king of dwarves, an herbalist who might be insane, his cousin, and his dragon Eragon holds the fate of the realm in his hand.
It is basically a less complicated version of the Lord of the Rings. No, there is only one ring, but with the vast quantity of magical swords, lances, and belts you have to keep track of it doesn't really make much of a difference. At least with the rings several had the same purpose and only one had a specific name. If you read these books be prepared to have to put up with names such as 'The Belt of Beloth the Wise' and 'Zar'roc.' But, to continue my comparison, Urgals are the Orcs replacement, and instead of sightless beasts on horses you have the Ra'zac riding on letherblanka -- duck-like things riding on other duck-like things.
Thankfully, though, you can get past the complicated and similar names to some degree. And though the covers aren't stuffed full of action when you do get sword- and fist- fights they are coherant and are there for a reason. Another bonus for those unwilling to suspend their disbelief is that the 'magic' in this books comes with a well defined limit. So, while you might see hovering rocks those rocks aren't going to sprout wings and fly away.
The books in this series are as follows: Eragon, Eldest, Brisinger, Inheritance. Please, do yourself a favor and do not read them out of order. The latter three have a preface of what happened in the previous three, but in my opinion, they just confuse you even more.
The books' website--they have a few games on here and some trivia stuff. http://www.alagaesia.com/
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