Stone Rider by David Hofmeyr

Four Stars!

Overall, this novel was a modern, sci-fi take on old westerns. The grit, violence, and raw circumstances make it  a bundle of toughness that shines light on the human quality of perseverance. This is a Mad Max take on the ultimate gun fight, with a bit of modern motorcycle racing.

In a decrepit future world, Earth is barren and those left living on its surface are poor and left to struggle for their meager existence. Humans living on Earth are stuck mining (and dying) for the benefit of those lucky enough to have escaped Earth's surface, those living on the Sky Base. One singular hope remains: the winner of a mystical and treacherous byke race wins passage to the Sky Base and a life of better health, better food, and better overall circumstances.

Adam Stone is a product of his environment. He's born witness to terrible ordeals, lived in squalor, and survived horrific environmental assaults. He's dreamed of winning The Race, but it has never been a reality to even compete. Gangs dominate his world and thwart most moves he tries to make to even enter the race. Adam's character struggles to maintain some measure of the humanity that we cherish, all while trying to survive and seek a better future. His is a story of loyalty, family, danger, humility, pain, and perseverance.

This was a powerful novel that pulled no punches. It is gritty, suspenseful, and at times, depressing. However, the drive to compete and survive pulls this novel from a mere retelling of a race story into something with more depth and insight. This is a debut novel for author David Hofmeyr, and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel, although this was enjoyable as a stand alone novel. I definitely recommend this one, my friends!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

5 Stars!

I am xxxxx-blown away! This was a phenomenal novel! It is probably the best book I've read all year! At it's core it's a science fiction, ya-romance, but it's broader than those simplistic labels.

Let's start off with the structure, because that's where you'll notice a complete divergence from the norm. The "story" is relayed via a collection of briefing documents: conversation transcripts, memos, maps, etc. Soooo, there's a bit of inferring to be done in order to put the pieces of the puzzle together. However, paperclip briefing notes help the reader make sense of the varying documents and point out some easily missed important details for consideration. The integrated graphics and running text plays with shape and space for a truly artistic layout. Much of the story is relayed through transcripts of casual conversations built like text message exchanges making for fun reading.

It is chock full of literary devices for exploration. Allusion with a snarky bite abounds as do other forms of figurative language. Sarcasm is rampant, but I think I enjoyed the many allusions so much more. I found myself laughing when I noticed some of the odder references. Multiple thematic topics are explored including love, loyalty, duty, family, ethics, bioweapons, artificial intelligence, the meaning of life, and more. Rather than a hodgepodge of truisms, these themes are woven throughout with a subtlety that is natural and thought-provoking. The plot develops at a reasonable pace that seems true to a possible real-life scenario. It is neither rushed nor stilted. Goldilocks would say that it's just right. This would be a fun novel to explore with a high school class. Some of the topics are a bit mature for in-class exploration at the middle school level.

I also loved the characters! Kady Grant is a smart 17-year-old dealing with an emotional break up when she is thrust into the middle of a horrific situation. Yet throughout her ordeal, she manages to hold on to her core values, even though others falter. Her ex-boyfriend Ezra Mason is a decent guy also caught up in this fight for survival, but his interactions with Kady are remote by necessity. Add in an insane AI computer, some people constrained by military duty, and some ethical scientists, and you have the recipe for great conflict!

Inherent to the story is its science fiction core. The action begins at a remote mining colony in another universe. Space travel, wormholes, vector jump drives, and technical specs are referenced throughout the tale. Critical to the storyline is the presence of a ship's artificial intelligence onboard computer. For those new to science fiction, these are concepts that should be investigated beforehand so that understanding of the plot is easier. Also, basic understanding of military positions (lieutenant, captain, corporal, etc.) would be helpful as there is a big military component to this novel.

So, a couple of warnings. While there are no explicit expletives, the number of blacked out blanks for expletives leaves little room for the imagination. It's pretty clear what's being said, and being said frequently. Also, there are a few sexual references during conversations among some of the male characters, but I think that makes it a bit more realistic. Yes, this is a violent book with extreme loss of life thrown directly in your face, so this is not a book for those upset by violence.

At times I found myself angry beyond belief, and then a few pages later, I was crying. Wait a bit, and then I'm chuckling. Yes, this book evoked so many emotions for me, but it wasn't overkill. Again, it was just right. I think I liked the fact that this novel wasn't a straight romance, but it had romantic overtones; it wasn't an epic adventure, but it had plenty of heart-pounding action; it wasn't a morose, cerebral text, but it encouraged deeper thought; it may have been science-fiction, but it had the right amount of realism.

My friends, it is a long text (600 pages), but it is totally worth the read. I HIGHLY recommend it!

The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

3 Stars!

For those of us always wanting more time to get things done, an extra day sounds like the ideal situation. For Jax Aubrey, it comes upon him in a terrifying manner. Jax has had it rough for a while; his parents are dead and he's stuck living with a guardian who can barely take care of himself, let alone Jax. When Jax wakes up one day, all of a sudden, everyone, that's EVERYONE, is gone. Thinking he's been thrust into an apocalypse, Jax proceeds to scour for supplies to survive. Little does he know that he's been exposed to an alternate timeline, one filled with magic and a legacy that will affect his every move.

The Eighth Day is a fun romp that ties in survival, magic, heraldry, kings, and family loyalty into one neat package. While not particularly insightful, it's fast-paced plot will keep you involved in the storyline. I like the uncertainty that Jax brings to the story. He knows what's right and what's wrong, but it can be difficult to apply these morals under these new time constraints.

Enjoy!

Seventh Son (The Last Apprentice series) by Joseph Delaney

2 Stars

This was a fairly pedantic fantasy novel. I find it hard to believe that it was a best seller, although perhaps a middle grades audience would appreciate it more. A young boy is apprenticed to a Spook, a person who seeks out boggiest, witches, ghosts, and other creatures of the dark in order to keep his community safe from evil. As you can imagine, this is new territory for Thomas Ward, and much of the book is spent explaining the dangers of these various creatures.

Much of the book was too transparent, so it lost my interest. However, if you are new to fantasy or tales of creatures from the dark, this may be a good entrance point for you.

The Selection, The Elite, and The One by Kiera Cass

3 Stars

This was a decent dystopian novel series with a heavy hit of romance. The action is fast-paced, but it is definitely a chick-lit series. I liked the voice of the main character, and I appreciated the flight of fancy the novel provided. This is not a heavy-hitter, but it is an enjoyable romp. I did find myself chowing through all three of these books in a single day, so even though they are light, they are still compelling.

Enjoy, my friends.

Never Let Me Go by Kazua Ishiguro

2 Stars

Meh. Perhaps previous positive reviews raised my expectations too high, but I just didn't enjoy this book. Promised a dystopian tale with tons of emotion, I found instead a narrative masquerading as a memoir with a hint of dystopian wrongness. The descriptions of the narrator were involved and reminded me of my grandmother's stories -- a bit rambling, but eventually they got to the point, but sometimes it was so late that you weren't sure why the point was even relevant any more.

Soooo, if you're looking for a great dystopian novel... this isn't it. However, if you want beautiful descriptions of childhood friendships and coming of age stories in a slightly altered life situation, then this is for you. There's probably some literary merit in this as well. It just wasn't enough to keep me interested. It just dragged on and on. Since the previous reviews promised that it got really good at the end, I kept plowing through, but any reader who has read more than a few dystopian novels would realize the transparent nature of the secret... and that's the only part that was truly interesting.

I can see this being used in a high school setting as a springboard for discussions on the controversial topic within. Of less literary merit, but certainly more action, consider a book study on the same topic that includes Unwind by Neil Shusterman, The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, and The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow (coming out in September). All have powerful themes relating to otherness, cloning, and disenfranchised youth.

My recommendation? It's only for people who enjoy memoirs.

Undertow by Michael Buckley

Four Stars!

As the title implies, Undertow subtly latches on to you and pulls you into its mystique. From the very beginning, you realize that there are monsters prowling everywhere and the world itself is in disarray. The iconic Coney Island, known for its fun amusements, is now the center of this apocalyptic demise. Trash-ridden, isolated, and filled with undesirables, Coney Island is part of The Zone, an area separated from the rest of the United States using military and police force. Caught in The Zone is Lyric Walker, a girl just wanting normalcy, but she suffers from terrible migraine headaches, so rough that they are classified like hurricanes. Beyond her migraines, Lyric and her family have a secret that they must keep at all costs as their very lives depend on it. All this is revealed in the very first pages, and the suspense just keeps going.

This is not your typical coming-of-age story, nor is it your standard dystopian novel, nor is it a thriller keeping you on the edge of your seat. It is, though, a combination of these elements that provides for a great thrill ride. The action is subtle but believable. Driving the plot is a sequence of events originating from fear: fear of the unknown, fear of aliens, fear of violence, fear of persecution, fear of mob mentality, and fear of insanity. Yet the narration provided by Lyric is almost hopeful despite the depressing events consuming her life. She is a strong but realistic character who approaches this issues with a matter-of-factness that seems reasonable under the circumstances.

Yes, I loved the strong action and the conflicts with the government and mob groups. It's always fun where there is a strong villain you love to hate. Yes, I loved the gentle unfolding as the secrets revealed themselves. This was exactly the right pacing! Yes, I loved both the main and secondary characters. They each had the right depth and interaction to provide a wonderful storyline.

Negatives? There weren't too many, but I think the tone of the ending was too different from the rest of the novel, and as such, it lost some of the punch that had been building steadily from the beginning. Nonetheless, this was a great story overall, and I can definitely recommend it. I'm really looking forward to the sequel as well, although I think you can stop at the first book and be totally satisfied.

Enjoy, my friends!

Need by Joelle Charbonneau

Three Stars!

The one-sentence summary? Need is a compelling thriller that explores social media and the impact of human needs and motivation. However, it's more than just a thriller or an exploration of teenage motivation. Given Charbonneau's previous dystopian trilogy, The Testing, I had expected a futuristic tale of subtle issues. This was certainly not the case with Need. Instead, Need is based in the present in a typical town with typical teenagers with typical issues, wants, and needs. It soon becomes apparent that "typical" won't continue.

Introduced as a fun game, an Internet activity rapidly engages the teenage population of an entire high school. It seems to start slowly, but the narration plays out the scenarios in a believable "real-time" manner. The story ramps up the fear factor and suspense quickly, all without excessive gore. Need aptly demonstrates the ease of how people are deluded into forgetting basic Internet safety protocols. Sadly, it also makes clear how easily teenage thought is dismissed by those in authority. It truly shows that there are consequences for every action no matter how inconsequential they seem at the time.

I particularly liked how the story unfolded. It seemed so very believable that I was totally caught up in the events as they were revealed. I also liked the voice of the female protagonist. She had her own worries: a missing dad and a brother who needed a kidney transplant along with a host of other typical teenage issues. Nonetheless, she maintained a strength of character throughout the novel even while dealing with some of her own internal flaws.

So why only 3 stars? Well, some of the secondary characters were a bit too stock for my taste: the thoughtless jock, the angst-ridden introvert, the psychopathic loner, the self-absorbed popular girl, etc. Also, while I enjoyed the overall plot, the ending was a bit too succinct. It was a quick ending that tied up the ends too neatly and especially too quickly. Basically, the pacing at the end needed more work. Otherwise, it was an engaging novel that explored some very real issues.

Enjoy the read, my friends.

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle

Let's face it, the cover drew me in when I first saw it at BEA. A falling woman sinking into what? A woman thrown up by magical forces? Like many people, I both cringe and gawk at an accident, and this book drew me in like other "accidents." Once I entered the pages, I was both pleasantly confused and hooked into reading until the end. It's a terrific tale!

Magical Realism... This novel showcases the best aspects of the genre. It begins with a realistic accounting of a seemingly mundane lifestyle with a coincidental family issue. Every year, for about a month, the protagonist's family is prone to accidents; some are minor, but others are so horrific that they stain the future. Throughout the narrator's retelling of events, I was never quite sure if this really happened or if it was the imaginings of a young girl raised in an artistic (read eclectic) family. I think that enigma is what I truly enjoyed about the novel. At some points you say to yourself, "Hey, this is definitely a fantasy novel complete with fairies and witches and supernatural occurrences!" At other times, you convince yourself that these are just the wild imaginings of a deluded young woman. What I particularly loved is that while the ending clarifies many points from the novel, it still leaves the reader wondering which end is up.

The narrator's touching concern for her friends and a "missing" girl drive the plot and add intrigue to the seemingly normal events in her life. The dialogue flows easily and maintains an authentic presence. Vivid descriptions abound and add literary merit to the novel. The suspense builds gradually, but is nonetheless compelling. Many thematic topics are explored including loyalty, friendship, bravery, denial, drug use, secrets, and the paranormal.

Widespread inclusion and acceptance as normal of partying with smoking and drug and alcohol use suggest that it is not appropriate for a middle school audience, but is best suited for high schoolers and older. Adults will enjoy the tale as well!

Read on, my friends! This novel has my high regard.

The Storm by Virginia Bergin (Book #2 in The Rain series)

Thanks to the ARC I received at BEA (with a different cover), I was able to continue reading the story of Ruby, a self-absorbed teen who is forced to deal with the complexities of a post-apocalyptic world. Ruby's life fell apart when a microbe arrived on Earth and contaminated ALL the water sources. While it did nothing to animals, people who came into contact with even a raindrop of water ended up dying a painfully horrific death. 

In the first book, H2O, Ruby is so unaware that she continues to care more about her outfits and makeup than finding food or nonhazardous beverages. Unlike the first story, Ruby now seems to be maturing a little bit. She still tells her story via a stream of consciousness narrative complete with side thoughts and splotched out expletives, but her concern for Princess necessarily forces her into a caregiver's role, albeit the bare minimum of care.

What did I like? The story seems to unfold naturally, complete with all the side jaunts and redirection one finds in a normal life. I also liked the way Ruby's relationships with other characters evolved. These were not perfect romances or sibling ideals. Rather, these were the odd connections that developed as a result of her new life circumstances, and that made the story more genuine and appealing.

What didn't I like? Ruby's character is still too whiny and self-absorbed. Plus, she glosses over scientific concepts critical to her survival with a childish indifference. However, if you can accept the totality of her teenage persona, you will definitely enjoy the tale.

Enjoy, my friends... But don't drink the water yet!

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

OK, I'm a sucker for a good cover, and this one had me intrigued from the start: an obvious throne, the danger of a scorpion, and rules thrown in? I was immediately hooked. Add to that a terrific premise for a dystopian novel, and we're good to go. 

In this post-apocalyptic world, an artificial intelligence (AI) keeps order among mankind's warring countries/alliances, and it does so ruthlessly and almost cavalierly. After studying history, the AI determined that in order to prevent war, it must have a personal impact on those who make the decision to go to war. Thus, every nation's leader must give up his or her child to be a hostage. If no war ever happens, the children are raised peacefully in a monastery-like setting (a Precepture), and they are released at age 18. However, if a nation does declare war, the hostage child is immediately taken and killed. Hence, most leaders don't want to go to war. However, this is a post-apocalyptic world, after all, and resources are scarce, especially water. There is a constant tension of imminent war throughout the book.

The tension is increased for the hostage children in the Precepture, known as the Children of Peace. Not only do they have the obligation to remain royal in their everyday poise and conversation, they are expected to gracefully accept their impending deaths with dignity. That's a tall order for ones so young. Add to that the ever-present robotic proctors (spider-like, electric-prodding contraptions), and the AI teachers, and you quickly realize that even simple conversation among the children is highly structured and fiercely monitored. Any deviation from acceptable practice is punished swiftly. So when an outsider hostage child enters the mix after a change of leadership, things are necessarily thrown into disarray, and the plot thickens.

If it sounds this good, why only 3 stars? Well, it takes a LOOOONG time before you realize just how controlled the children must be in order to remain safe. Also, the narrator's description of the pastoral life led by the Children of Peace is extensive but rarely reveals any of the dangers the children face. It's too much description without enough clues about the danger. Once the situation changes, the pace picks up, but it's a long time coming. Also, I wasn't a big fan of the ending. It seemed a bit contrived and quick when compared with the pace in the beginning. It almost seemed like a different writer took over.

Overall, I do recommend the book. However, this is not a book for a reluctant reader looking for dystopian novels. It's a cross between 1984 and Thoreau's Walden Pond, and as such, requires a more inferential reader in order to grasp the inherent dysfunction in the system. This is not appropriate for lower middle school readers as there are several references to sex, but no outright descriptions other than kissing.

Enjoy, my friends!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

After much anticipation, I was able to grab a copy of Six of Crows while at BEA2015 in NYC. The lines were long, so I knew that others shared my love of Leigh Bardugo's alternate Grisha world. This book definitely lived up to the hype, but first timers need to beware of a few things. 1. You really need to read at least the first book in the Grisha trilogy (Shadow and Bone) in order to understand some of the characters and the underlying conflicts present in Six of Crows. Grisha are a completely different type of being with seemingly supernatural powers and their own hierarchy and limitations. Reading Shadow and Bone will allow you to better understand this critical background before plunging into a world where this knowledge is taken for granted. 2. This book is set in the same world as the Grisha trilogy, albeit a different location, but it's flavor is totally different. This is not a book where the characters are fighting merely to survive. Rather, this is a book where the characters are fighting for a better future, and that's what I like about this book.

Faced with an impossible, almost Herculean, task, this team must somehow overcome their distrust of each other and utilize their unique gifts in order to succeed. However, as in real life, each character has some hidden, disabling secret that could jeopardize the job for all. It is this character background that gives the story its wonderful flavor and adds depth to each of the characters. Slowly revealed throughout the course of the novel, each new revelation not only makes sense and better explains what has happened before, but it also provides a new plot twist that complicates the future and the potential success of the "mission."

Bardugo's storytelling is compelling and her plot is masterfully confounding and simultaneously intriguing. The protagonist, Kaz, is a bottom dwelling con artist/trickster who has risen through the criminal ranks as a mastermind of planning and control. Just when you think you've figured out what is going to happen, Kaz flips you over and knocks you sideways. His planning genius and the related surprises make this story a true page-turner. I was hooked and unable to put it down until I finished it.

Also compelling were the characters themselves and the tenuous relationships they built with each other. There is a wraith of a spy, a sharpshooter with a gambling problem, a rich runaway, etc. Their disparate and unique abilities would ordinarily seem incongruous to a storyline, but Bardugo manages their interaction in a manner that seems real and not contrived. Their development just makes sense.

My only problem was my dismay at the ending. Clearly, there is a sequel forthcoming, but the ending was just not satisfying or compelling enough to keep me going. I'm a fan of Bardugo's storytelling, but lesser fans may be disappointed due to the sudden thud of the ending. Forewarned is forearmed, right?

My overall suggestion? Definitely read this book, but become familiar with the Grisha world first. Enjoy, my friends.

After the Red Rain

After the Red Rain

by Barry Lyga, Peter Facinelli, and Robert DeFranco

I received an ARC of this book at BEA, and I was immediately drawn in. In fact, it was the first book I wanted to read of the many I had picked up while at BEA. The cover is the first clue that you are entering a post-apocalyptic world. The "cracked" letters and burning pile of debris let you know that this won't be a pretty picture. Indeed, that was certainly the case.

The prologue was creepy and a bit confusing, alluding to an earlier time frame, but it's connection doesn't become apparent until much later in the text. The today of the novel is a terrible potential future: humankind is impoverished, resources are scant, especially "natural" food, and people have been subjugated to the territorial magistrates, overlords who control work and the meager rations.

As is common in post-apocalyptic novels, one person stretches the rules to suit her own purposes. Deedra is an explorer who pushes the boundaries of acceptability in order to scavenge for items and food to supplement her rationed-near-starvation diet. While exploring, she encounters an almost perfect boy named Rose. Immediately, I assumed I would be reading a transgender tale of some sort, but that notion was quickly dispelled and much later replaced with the notion of transhuman.

Deedra's reaction to Rose and her subsequent actions propel the plot at a reckless speed that kept me rooted to turning pages without stopping. I felt her character had real truth. Hers was the outlook of a person who had been told this is the way it is and always has been. Yet in a world where history is a reflection of frequently edited wikis on the net, history is no longer fact, but a human construct of varying, and often conflicting, opinions. Deedra's hopelessness and despair reflect this mentality but seem to grasp for something more.

Stock characters abound, but they play their roles well and serve the overall plotline perfectly. My curiosity about this new world had me intrigued, but the later efforts at world building seemed stagnant and redundant. The strengths of this novel are its interesting observations about human nature in a post-apocalyptic world and its frenetic pace that keeps the reader engaged in the thrilling story. Some vocabulary is a bit high for most middle schoolers and even high schoolers, but overall it is a genuinely readable novel, enjoyable even for adults.

My final take? Go ahead and get it. It's worth the read!