So...this book starts out with a makeout scene. Neva does some kissing with her boyfriend and then there's a little bit of We Must Rebel From the ProtSo...this book starts out with a makeout scene. Neva does some kissing with her boyfriend and then there's a little bit of We Must Rebel From the Protectosphere business before there's another makeout scene...but this time, with her best friend Sanna's boyfriend. Oops, it was really dark.
I'm sorry if this sounds a little flippant, but although I liked this book well enough, it did strike me as a little odd that this is how it began. I actually had to flip back to make sure this was YA, since it was an unusual way for a dystopian young adult novel to start. In any case, this story is about a totalitarian society which strictly controls information and reproductive rights, and warns its citizens about the toxic atmosphere outside of the large dome under which they all live. Things are currently on heightened awareness because there are a lot of people have gone missing. Neva and Sanna try to recruit members to their underground rebellion, though these efforts mostly consist of mild protests such as spray painting signs and things of that nature.
This novel feels very short, somewhat underdeveloped, and fairly lacking in complexity. I liked the idea of what was going on but the execution is a little on the slight side. There's also the prerequisite love...square, as you might imagine, based on the previous makeout scenes I mentioned. Neva can't seem to stop kissing Sanna's boyfriend, and although he rides a motorcycle, it's kind of unclear why anyone is really drawn to anyone else here. There is a really great action scene at the end, however, and I wish more of the book had the same level of intensity and excitement.
Dark Parties is very clearly set up for at least one sequel, but in all honesty that book should probably have been combined with this one for a richer and more satisfying experience, along with more attention paid to plot and character development. As it is, this novel is more in the dystopian-lite category than a true exploration of a bleak alternate universe.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
Terrific. Loved the first half of the book, a little less engaged by the second, overly "sciency" half, when story took a back seat to explanation.
TheTerrific. Loved the first half of the book, a little less engaged by the second, overly "sciency" half, when story took a back seat to explanation.
The Blackstone Audiobooks version read by Robertson Dean is very engaging, by the way. I'm so horribly picky about narrators (It's not an exaggeration to say that I probably give up on roughly 90% of the audiobooks I try), but I loved this actor's voice and passionately measured reading style. And I am immensely fond of the rich, flavorful way that he says the word "garlic."...more
Imagine a place where there are no Elders. No rules. No punishment. Only music and laughter and freedom.
Deadly pleasures await on Ixion, an eerie islaImagine a place where there are no Elders. No rules. No punishment. Only music and laughter and freedom.
Deadly pleasures await on Ixion, an eerie island where young people are transported twice a year when they want to indulge in hedonistic pursuits. It is always night here, and every conceivable vice is available and encouraged. Retra has gone to Ixion in order to find her brother Joel, but her sheltered upbringing makes her cringe at the excess on display. She knows, however, that she cannot stand out and must give into pleasure before she can find what she most desires.
This is a wildly exciting novel filled with visual splendor. There are balloon gondolas. Sleek, stingray-shaped powerboats. Female pirates. Cloaks made of bat skins. Electro-eyes that spy on citizens. Obedience strips that control people with pain. And deadly night creatures who pounce if anyone dares to stray off permitted paths. The island of Ixion feels cool and edgy and treacherous, and the author does a fantastic job of allowing the reader to clearly visualize the thrilling world into which Retra is thrust. I love this passage in particular, which describes the clubs on the island:
Despite her nervousness a thrill pimpled her skin as she absorbed and made sense of the view: lights of every colour, some in soaring arcs, some in clusters, others scattered--ruby, glowing cobalt and bullion gold. A streak of emerald snaked through the middle, dividing the vista in two. The light haloes bled into each other, forming a misty night rainbow.
Ret wants nothing more than to find Joel, so she's determined to forgo the dancing and the music and the drugs and the sex. But she's constantly thinking about Markes, an attractive musician who catches her eye, as well as Lenoir, a dangerously seductive and powerful member of the Ripers, who are the guardians of Ixion. I have to say that I'm not quite sure what Retra sees in Markes other than outward attractiveness, as he seems relatively indifferent to her attention...but it's hard to say what's going on with Lenoir too, since he's holding so much back.
I was incredibly excited by the atmospheric lure of the island, and I liked many of the characters that populate it. I was surprised to find, however, that some of the dialogue was not nearly as elegant as the surroundings, and actually bordered on being a little stiff at times. I would also have liked to have seen more emotional depth with the relationships between Ret and her brother and her friends and her love interests. The author describes the sensations of pain and confusion and temptation so well that it would have been great to see that matched with equally vibrant emotional connections.
Still, the story is really fascinating, and the world is superbly immersive in a way that most dystopian YA novels are not. It's also very daring, in that there are frankly sexual (though non-graphic) encounters in Ixion as well as startling violence. There are interesting ideas about the pursuit of pleasure and the nature of human beings surviving in a totalitarian society, and it will be exciting to see whether the whiff of rebellion fully forms in the second installment of the trilogy. There is dark, seductive beauty in the world that Marianne de Pierres has created, and I think most readers will quite enjoy their visit.
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This book was part of the Aussie YA Reading Challenge, hosted by my friend Nic over on Irresistible Reads! It's the second book I've read by an Australian author this year following Rebecca Lim's Mercy, and I'm really enjoying this challenge so far. Sadly, Burn Bright is currently only available in Australia and New Zealand, but hopefully Random House will give it a wider international release soon. If, like me, you cannot wait and would like to order it in the meantime, it's available for international shipping from the Australian bookseller Dymocks.
What makes us human? Is it merely a collection of living flesh and tissue and bone, or is it also consciousness and memory and feeling? R, the young zWhat makes us human? Is it merely a collection of living flesh and tissue and bone, or is it also consciousness and memory and feeling? R, the young zombie who narrates this novel, isn't really sure. But after meeting Julie, a human girl he impulsively saves and hides away in an abandoned plane, he begins to experience thoughts and feelings that he'd forgotten he'd ever had.
Warm Bodies is a wistful love story that is creepy, sad, sweet, and disturbing in equal measure. The notion that it is possible to write a philosophical zombie novel seems quite unbelievable, but the author has accomplished this feat with astonishing ease. Being in R's head is a revelatory experience; he is matter-of-fact, pensive, humorous, and troubled at various different times. After his shockingly violent introduction to Julie, he also becomes animated and severely conflicted and full of yearning. A story like this obviously requires that readers suspend a fair amount of disbelief, but the focus here isn't on the technical aspects of survival anyway, but more on the idea that the desire for dignity and tenderness have just as much to do with humanity as does a collection of blood and muscles and cells.
The gentle sentiment in this story took me completely by surprise, especially as it contrasts so sharply with the visceral feedings that keep the zombies alive. The nourishment comes not only from the nutritional content that is necessary for survival, but also from the associated memories and emotions that each morsel of brain matter contains. This startlingly original idea creates an incredible amount of anguish and guilt and longing for R, and as he becomes more and more deeply attached to Julie, it's impossible to remain unmoved by his plight.
I keep saying I'm not a zombie person, but some of the best books I've read recently have featured them in prominent roles. After being blown away by Feed, Deadline, and The Reapers Are the Angels, I wasn't really sure whether there was still another great zombie story I'd be excited about, but Warm Bodies is a brilliant addition to the non-typical horror, intelligent zombie novel canon. I think that the reason these stories have struck such a chord with me is that they're attempting to explore ideas that are bigger than the issues that are actually on the page. Whether the books are delving into the right to information or the value of life or the struggle to keep the human spirit alive, the presence of the zombies is almost incidental. It's the fundamental questions these novels raise about the nature of humans and humanity that make them such great --and moving--works of literature.
I've been meaning to try out this series for a long time, and I'm glad I started! It's an interesting story that keeps you engaged, and featu3.5 stars
I've been meaning to try out this series for a long time, and I'm glad I started! It's an interesting story that keeps you engaged, and features terrific action sequences. I especially liked how the gore was handled--squicky, but not too over the top. The author isn't afraid to kill of characters you've gotten attached to, and they aren't telegraphed too far ahead of time, either.
What prevents this from being rounded up for me is that those deaths, while piquing my interest, never moved me as much as they should have--and that's indicative of the lack of emotional investment I felt for the characters. There's a big cast of them in this selective omniscient third party POV, and while their stories are handled well for the most part, they're intriguing without being truly engaging...so the stakes never really feel that high, even when there are dangerous things going on. The pacing also felt a little off to me, and the dialogue is serviceable, but not much more than that.
I give it points for the creepy couple, though, as well as logical and engrossing progressions in plot. I also liked Small Sam's story, and Callum's, and I'm interested in seeing what becomes of Maxie and Blue. Definitely continuing on with the series, as the story kept me interested, surprised me every once in awhile, and I'm curious how the author sustains this for seven books. SEVEN!
A review copy was provided by the publisher....more
The concept of a society in which girls are forced into polygamous marriages may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but I like art that pushes bouThe concept of a society in which girls are forced into polygamous marriages may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but I like art that pushes boundaries or attempts to explore unusual subjects in a meaningful way. Besides, the cover is gorgeous! And on the set decoration front, Wither is a novel that seductively beckons the reader with alluring images and positively drips with atmosphere. Languid young women wander around a mansion in lacy gowns waiting to be impregnated by their joint husband, due to drastically shortened life spans that force them into polygamous marriages. It's pretty much the love child of Ally Condie's Matched and the television show Big Love, as styled by Vogue.
While many of the scenarios and language are certainly quite beautiful, however, sometimes I wasn't sure whether I should laugh at the repeated images of our heroine lounging on a satin bedspread eating candy, all while she's supposedly upset over the situation she's in. There's a strange lack of internal dialogue and emotional distance that make it difficult to empathize with Rhine, and very few scenes that come close to evoking the horror that lies beneath the beautiful exterior of the pampered world in which she lives.
This whole concept just seems like a weird one for YA literature, too. In order for the icky factors of child brides (one of them is only 13), kidnappings, forced marriages, fixation on impregnation, murder, medical experimentations, and so on to be successful, they needed to be overridden by solid world-building, strong characters, and emotional depth. Unfortunately, the whys and wherefores of how society has disintegrated into this is never really explained, and as a result most of set-up for this world seems fairly ludicrous. The questions that were raised in my mind were also never really answered, nor the characters adequately developed. There are surface attempts to create relationships between Rhine and Linden and between the sister wives, but none of them seemed very real or compelling to me--and Rhine's interest in Gabriel seems due to proximity more than anything else. How can people live this closely together for so long and know next to nothing about one another? But is there really anything under the surface at all? After spending 358 pages with Rhine, I still don't feel as though I really know who she is or why people are drawn to her, except that they're supposed to be. It also strains credulity that a healthy young man would (view spoiler)[chastely lie in bed with her for over 10 months and never consummate the marriage, even as he's going through the Kama Sutra with another wife. (hide spoiler)]
Overall, this novel just needed more tension, more anguish, more depth, and more feeling. By the time Rhine finally takes some action, I was fairly impatient with how long it had taken the story took to get there, as well as annoyed by how little information was revealed. I'm also disappointed in the missed opportunity to explore the unusual dynamic of a polygamous relationship, which was one of the weakest aspects of the book. I'm curious to see where the story goes, however, so I'll probably pick up the next installment in the series. But I'm crossing my fingers that the beauty of the language and imagery will also be matched by more intricate plotting and more genuine emotion.
This review does not contain spoilers for either FEED or DEADLINE. One year has passed since Shaun and Georgia Mason found more than they bargained foThis review does not contain spoilers for either FEED or DEADLINE. One year has passed since Shaun and Georgia Mason found more than they bargained for as they investigated the truth behind the Kellis-Amberlee virus, a mutated cure for human disease that led to the uprising of the dead. The events that transpired then have an enormous impact now as the high-profile bloggers from After the End of Times uncover a conspiracy that is even bigger than they ever imagined. A CDC researcher fakes her own death in a spectacular fashion and shows up at their headquarters, and soon the whole team is battling zombies, mutant dogs, and the ever-present ghosts of their past.
When I finished this book late last night, my thoughts were "I have not a single criticism to offer. Not a single one." And this still holds true. Without exception, every question and doubt I raised with Feed is answered here. The action is incredibly intense, the story is densely and intricately plotted, and the book is exceptionally well-paced and exciting. Readers who are leery of zombies still shouldn't have much of a problem, because although there are more tense encounters with the undead, the violence is relatively contained and there are no gross or gratuitous scenes. Most of the terror comes from heart-pounding action and chase sequences, as well as the knowledge of the overwhelming consequences if the team fails in its quest for truth and justice.
Shaun, Georgia, and Buffy all loom large in this sequel, but we also get to know the other staffers better, including the elegant Mahir, the fiercely determined Becks, the quietly steady Alaric, and the sad, tragic Maggie. Most significantly, however, the narrator has shifted to Shaun, whose personality comes through loud and clear in his bitterly funny words, his decisive handling of his team, and his desperately emotional struggle to hang onto what he loves most. Mira Grant met and exceeded every expectation I had for this book, particularly in the devastating truth that comes to light about what might have been. I knew from Feed to expect an emotional reaction, but I could not have prepared myself for the terrible knowledge that these characters have to face. I was literally whimpering from the pain, and tears were streaming so hard that I couldn't see the page.
This is my third 5 star review for a 2011 book, and it is given with no reservations or qualifications. This is a searingly intelligent novel, with hard questions about medical ethics, government responsibility, and the nobility and folly of human nature. And just when you think the author has delivered everything she possibly could, there is a HUGE twist at the end that made me bolt upright and scream in the middle of the night. This twist has far-reaching consequences for both the characters and for society as a whole, and it also answered questions I had about the future in a crazy and unthinkable way.
It will be another year before the third book in this trilogy will be released, and I'll spend much of that time waiting in agony to find out what happens to the characters I've come to care about so much. But oh my stars, what a pleasure it is to be so incredibly excited and thrilled and moved by an author's work.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
REMINDER: DO NOT read the synopsis for this book anywhere if you haven't already read FEED, as it contains potential spoilers for the first book. And please do be careful of reviews that may spoil this one....more
This review is spoiler-free, and safe even for those who haven't read the first two books in the series.
Forget everything you ever assumed about scienThis review is spoiler-free, and safe even for those who haven't read the first two books in the series.
Forget everything you ever assumed about science fiction novels or zombie thrillers: the Newsflesh trilogy defies all expectations. The story that began with a turbulent political campaign in a post-apocalyptic Feed escalates here as the blogger journalists from After the End of Times continue their quest to uncover the truth behind the deadly Kellis-Amberlee virus that has decimated civilization--one that is now mutating and spreading faster than ever before. The breakneck action and intrigue in Blackout is intense as a dangerous rescue mission, disease-carrying mosquitoes, zombie bears, tangled family drama, and a mysterious patient known as Subject 7B all complicate what is already hell on earth.
It's funny that my favorite zombie series actually has the least amount of zombie action in it, but Newsflesh hasn't ever been about the undead anyway--it's about the human response to it. As with The Reapers Are the Angels and Warm Bodies, this series is fascinating to me because it explores the idea of personal integrity within extreme circumstances. What would you do when the world ends? If you're Shaun and Georgia Mason, adopted siblings whose closeness forms an unbreakable team, you lead your fellow bloggers into an unrelenting search for truth--no matter what the cost. Or at least, that's how their story began. But now that the stakes are higher than they've ever been and those they love most are at risk, the focus has shifted to a very human need to hold onto the connections that matter most.
Blackout seamlessly combines medical thriller, political intrigue, and pulse-pounding action sequences with unforgettable human drama. How you feel about this series will very much depend on how you feel about the characters in general--if you love the Masons, Alaric, Becks, Mahir, and Maggie, you'll most likely have a fantastic time with Newsflesh. It doesn't mean the characters are perfect, of course; Shaun in particular is mourning a huge loss, and his reckless, desperate behavior in the second book caused a lot of criticism from a lot of readers. For me, I felt his pain so keenly, however, that his torment became mine--and I understood, too, the unconventional, defiant ways in which he grasped for some semblance of happiness as the world around him was destroyed. In books and in real life, I respond very strongly to loyalty, honesty, and the determination to do what's right. Shaun and Georgia, as well as their superbly realized supporting cast, embody those traits in a big way. Because they also are slammed with unbelievable suffering throughout these books that require a brutal amount of self-sacrifice, it isn't any wonder that I feel such fiercely protective love for them, as well as for the ideals they represent.
The author's writing gets better and better in each book, with well-researched scientific dilemmas and brilliant recaps that engage the reader without resorting to long info-dumps. Her brisk, matter-of-fact style of writing suits the story perfectly, and the sophisticated plot is exceptionally well-paced, with shifts from furious action to moments of stark stillness and contemplation handled beautifully. Whether we're getting worked up over red herrings, watching someone facing her own mortality, or respectfully acknowledging fallen comrades, the emotional pitch throughout the book felt utterly right, which is something that is very hard to pull off when there are so many ethical issues at stake.
A few random thoughts with REAL spoilers, because there's no other way to discuss them:
(view spoiler)[Subject 7B's realization of who and what she is is totally kickass. I loved how very true to her character this whole scenario was, and how believably all the cloning issues were integrated with our human need to recognize this person.
The scenes where 7B looks on the 8s made me really sad. :(
I'm so glad that one of the major plot points wasn't rescuing Georgia, because I cannot imagine any situation less likely to happen. The way she escapes and the way everyone reacts to seeing her was pitch-perfect.
I am SO happy to have Georgia back. Sheesh, I missed her so much! And it's nice to have a break from all the crazy of being in Shaun's head, hah.
I'm glad that Shaun and Georgia got to ride off into the sunset a bit, though I'm still sad for the brave, original Georgia who died in such a devastating way.
There were certainly some plot lines that I saw coming, and although I'm a little surprised that we got a HEA, obviously this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book at all. The way it was handled felt just right. (hide spoiler)]
I don't know that I've ever read another series where the emotion it evoked was so intense--Feed left me crying so hard I could hardly see the keyboard, Deadline had me literally whimpering with pain in the middle of the night, and Blackout made me want to scream with excitement and agony and worry all at once. If you'd told me that a science fiction trilogy with zombies could be so searingly emotional or feel so incredibly personal, I'd have told you it was impossible. And I've never been happier to be proven wrong. I know most true fans of this series will race through the pages just like I did, with the same urgency and dread and excitement.
While I'm so sad that this particular story is over (although there are two more Newsflesh novellas coming this year) and I dearly wish they could all turn into zombies so this story could live on forever, I'm happy with the way the story ended. I'm sure Mira Grant's new forthcoming novels Parasitology and Symbiogenesis will be absolutely spectacular.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
P.S. For more proof of the power of Mira Grant's writing, read the alternate ending to FEED, Fed, at the bottom of the review on our blog which is ONLY safe for those who have already read the first book. Holy frak, that woman is an evil genius. ...more
This review may contain mild spoilers, but they're nothing that you won't see in the trailer for the film. That's right, Ridley Scott optioned this boThis review may contain mild spoilers, but they're nothing that you won't see in the trailer for the film. That's right, Ridley Scott optioned this book for a film before it was even published, and it's easy to see why. It's a hugely entertaining spectacle full of adventure and excitement and thrills, with action scenes that you can clearly picture as you read them.
Saba's twin brother Lugh has been kidnapped by a band of horsemen, and she sets off alone on the quest to bring him back. Well, she tries to go alone, but her pesky little sister Emmi keeps finding a way to tag along after her, even though they're trekking through a dried up wasteland filled with danger around every turn.
Here are some of the things that made this story super fun:
* Saba is a bad-ass. There's no beating around the bush about this, the girl can handle a crossbow and won't let anything get in the way of her goal. * There is cage-fighting. Girl cage-fighting. * There is a thrilling prison escape. * There are giant killer worms.
I could go on and on, but frankly if you weren't convinced by giant killer worms, this is clearly not the book for you. Oh! But there is one more very important thing: Jack. Tall, handsome Jack. Saba doesn't want to be distracted by anything, but it's pretty hard not to pay attention to a guy as attractive as this one. All of these things made Blood Red Road a great escapist fantasy, and I think most people are really going to enjoy it.
There were, however, some things that I felt could have used a little more fleshing out:
* While I liked the pivotal third cage fight, the previous two fights were throwaway scenes, which were lost opportunities for more action. * Some of the transitions between scenes could have been a little smoother. * There are two scenes of sacrifice in this book, both of which I expected, but both could probably have been written to pack more of an emotional punch. I did appreciate the clear visual beauty of the first one, however, * I also think the relationship in this book was probably its weakest point. I like Jack a lot, and I like Saba--but the push and pull between them felt unreasonably drawn out and a little forced. The dialogue there also bordered on a little cheesy at times, though again, I did like them as a couple.
It's also important to note that the dialect in this book, which is harsh and a little grating, may be hard for some readers to stomach. Normally this kind of thing would be irritating to me, but actually I found the speech in the book pretty easy to adjust to, which is a mark of how great a job the author did with moving the action and dialogue along. There is also lots of terrific humor and great characters peppered throughout, though it might've been nice to give them a little more ink.
What makes this book a 3 star book for me, though is that it's an enjoyable read but perhaps one that's not terribly...deep. Or complex. But then again, it's not really trying to be. Overall, the story is a lot of fun to read and the action and adventure provide one heck of a ride. Saba's going to be remembered as a literary heroine who is prickly and flawed, but still fiercely determined and ultimately extremely likable. I can't wait to meet up with her again to see where the next journey takes her.
This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
4.5 out of 5 stars This is a gruesome and beautiful book. This allegorical tale of a 15-year-old girl wandering a barren wasteland should not be beaut4.5 out of 5 stars This is a gruesome and beautiful book. This allegorical tale of a 15-year-old girl wandering a barren wasteland should not be beautiful, because she's fighting off zombies and a guy who's dead set on executing her. But it is. The writing is lush and gorgeous, the kind that makes you want to sink down and roll around in it until some small part of it is absorbed into your skin.
It was deep night when she saw it, but the moon was so bright it cast hard shadows everywhere on the island...a school of tiny fish, all darting around like marbles in a chalk circle, and they were lit up electric, mostly silver but some gold and pink too. They came and danced around her ankles, and she could feel their little electric fish bodies, and it was like she was standing under the moon and in the moon at the same time.
And that is just the first page. Six pages later, Temple stands over a zombie on a beach and crushes its skull with a huge rock. This author does not spare the terrible violence of encounters with the undead, and each confrontation is absolutely brutal and wince-inducing in its savagery. But there are some things you just have to do in order to survive.
Temple is also one of the most unforgettable fictional characters I've ever come across. She is bold, fiercely independent, and terribly damaged. Left on her own by an infected uncle and parents she doesn't remember, she encounters all kinds of people in her travels: a commune of frightened survivors, a group of men who have resorted to creative ways of finding food, a band of vicious mutants, a pitifully tragic family wasting away in their elegant manor, and a mute, helpless man she takes on against her better judgment. And of course, there's also the guy who's tracking her, hell-bent on justice because she dared to kill his brother in self-defense. It's an interesting situation when you have to fear both the living and the undead...as well as the mistakes you've made in your past.
This is a fairly short novel that is written almost like a post-apocalyptic western, but it is one that is packed with incredible power. It's been a few days since I finished reading this book, and I can't seem to forget the bleak intensity and magnificence of its imagery. I suspect that I never will....more
Wendy Darling
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