Book Review

Mar 06

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Maze Runner begins with main character Thomas waking up in an elevator. He can remember nothing about his life, except his name. When the elevator opens, he finds himself in a world filled with about 60 teen boys. These boys have created a society in their world, sustaining on agriculture and supplies that show up weekly from the elevator. As Thomas starts to integrate himself into the society, he becomes frustrated by the secrets surrounding this world, and by the fact that some boys claim to recognize Thomas. When the first girl arrives only a week after Thomas’ arrival, the rest of the boys grow suspicious of Thomas, and it is up to Thomas to figure out what is going on and how they can escape the nightmare that has become their lives.

I tried reading this book a while ago and had a hard time getting into it. But I decided to give it another go. If for nothing else, I love trilogies and really wanted to find a new one I could get behind. And I’m glad I gave this book a second chance.

Dashner not only creates an engaging, different world, but he also creates a new, believable language. The voice of the characters is authentic and, once you get used to it, engaging. And the plot contains just the right mixture of mystery, action, and friendships to keep the reader wanting to know what will happen.

As a main character, Thomas is very likable. He worries that he has a dark past, but that doesn’t matter to the reader when we are shown his empathy towards others and his desire to help. Thomas is a true friend, despite whatever evil deeds might be lurking in the shadows of his unknown past. In addition to Thomas, the other characters are given dimension, each having a likable quality mixed with their own set of flaws.

The Maze Runner would serve as a nice companion book to William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Whereas the society in Lord of the Flies disintegrates with the loss of adults, the boys in The Maze Runner show that society does not have to disintegrate and suggests that an ordered society may just be part of human nature. It could make for a very interesting discussion to read the two simultaneously.

And now for what you all want to know – should you read this book? Yes! I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

Feb 18

Matched, by Ally Condie

Rating: 5 out of 5

Cassia lives in a world where Society makes all of her decisions: what to eat, what to study, what career to undertake, and, most importantly, who to marry. And Cassia is fine with this. She believes in Society’s decisions, and so when Xander’s face appears at her Matching Ceremony, Cassia accepts that he is her best option for a future mate. Until Ky’s face appears on her chip. Although she is told that it was merely a glitch, that Xander is still her match, Cassia cannot stop thinking about Ky and wondering ‘what if?’. As she questions her Match, Cassia also starts to question Society as a whole and for the first time in her life, she wonders whether Society has a right to control her life.

For starters, the cover is amazing. And once you’ve read this book, you will see how appropriate it is too. If there is any book you are going to judge by it’s cover, let it be this one. Whoever designed this cover, I want them to design the cover for my future books. But moving on to the actual story.

At the beginning of the book, I was reminded of DuPrau’s City of Ember. Cassia’s world is ordered in a similar way to Ember. The citizens are told what to do and they do it. The only difference is that in Cassia’s world, the decisions are made by mathematical equations and super computers. Probabilities determine the best course of action.

As the book progressed, it diverged from City of Ember. Matched is intended for an older audience. The characters and their conflicts are more mature. The consequences more dyer.

Condie does an excellent job creating this new world. The tension and the need to conform to the rules set forth by society drip from the pages. I could clearly see the world; I felt anxiety for the characters, about the decisions they were making, and the ones they were not making.

In addition to the world creation, I also enjoyed the character development. Most characters, even secondary characters, grew as the book progressed. This helped to create a dynamic story. So often in books only 1 or 2 characters show real growth, but I could see the change in many characters as the hold of Society began to slip, as more people began to question the role of Society.

The interactions between the characters was also very well done. There were back stories and different levels of tension, and everything was revealed slowly, adding to the reality of this world and these characters.

All in all, I thought this was a wonderful book and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Feb 04

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis

Rating: 3 out of 5

Amy, 17, is cryogenically frozen so that she can join her parents on a special mission to a new planet, one that will take 300 years to get to. 50 years prior to their scheduled landing, Amy’s cryo chamber is unplugged. Not only does she almost die, but she is now stuck on the ship, unfrozen and an outsider. When additional ‘frozens’ are found unplugged, Amy teams up with Elder, next in line to rule, to find out what’s going on before anyone else, including her parents, dies.

There was a lot of hype leading up to the release of this book, and I was incredibly excited about it. The concept alone was enough to make me rush out and buy it. But as I started reading it, I found my excitement ebbing.

The story is well-developed and the world is richly described and convincing. I guessed at some of the twists, but the majority of them came about in unexpected ways and with unexpected consequences. The one element that took away from the story was the use of voice.

Across the Universe is told in first person, but split between two narrators – Amy and Elder. I did not feel that either voice was developed enough for me to easily identify the speaker. I had to keep flipping back to the beginning of the chapter to see who was telling the story and I even thought Elder was a female for several pages into his first chapter. I’ve read other books where first person narration is split among two characters. For this to work, the voices need to be very well-developed (check out Leviathan for an excellent example). Because this fell short for me, it took away from the story. I kept getting distracted, trying to remember who was talking.

Despite my issues with voice, I thought the story was original and intriguing. Not only does Revis tell a good story, but she alludes to some deeper issues that make you think. I can see several English class/book club discussions coming out of this book.

Do I think you should give this book a shot? Yes. It’s worth the read.

Jan 30

You may be asking yourself, what’s with all the book reviews lately? Isn’t this a writing site? Weren’t there only supposed to be 2 reviews a month?

And you would be right to ask. This is, after all, a really good question. Let’s step back for a moment. Think about any expert in any field. If you work in technology, you probably keep up-to-date with the current trends in technology. If you are a scientist, I bet you read new journal articles in your area of interest. Well, the same is true for writers.

Sure, a writer could write with no research, but I question how good the writing will be. Writing is about more than just good grammer. It is about being a good storyteller. And what better way to research this craft than to look at other storytellers, to see what works and what doesn’t? To see how they tell a story? Not that you should copy someone else’s style, but picking up a few tips here and there is definitely not a bad thing. And that leads me to the recent book reviews.

It’s not that I’ve started reading more. I’m reading as much as I always have. But I’m thinking more about what I read. And writing reviews helps me to think about the books even more. Plus, by sharing my thoughts on a book, maybe I will help other writers out there. If you are struggling with voice, what better way to understand it than to read good and bad examples? If you want to get better at character development, why not check out books with a strong focus on this?

Of course, there is another reason to share my reviews. Every time I share a review, I may be introducing one of you, my readers, to a new author or a new genre. And what could be better then finding new, exciting things to read?

If you have found any new, exciting reads I’ve missed or just not gotten to yet, let me know. Nothing beats a good read.

Jan 21

Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins

Rating: 5 out of 5 (One of my new favorites)

Anna, 17, is gearing up for her senior year in Atlanta, only to learn that she will be finishing high school at a boarding school in Paris. Anna is less than thrilled to be leaving her friends, family, job, and almost boyfriend behind. But when she gets to Paris, Anna meets St. Clair, the attractive, charismatic heartthrob of the school, and suddenly Paris doesn’t seem so bad. St. Clair quickly becomes Anna’s best friend, but will they be able to overcome all the obstacles in front of them and become more than just friends? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

I was instantly hooked. But I may be a bit bias. Like Anna, I grew up in Atlanta and, just when it seemed like things might finally be falling into place with the boy I had a huge crush on, I was forced to move to Europe. Unlike Anna, my family came with me.

Having spent three years in an International School located in a country where I did not speak the language and of which I knew little about before moving to, I can attest to the authenticity of Perkins’ story. She captured what it is like to be thrown into this type of situation, and how off it feels when you return home. Upon finishing the book, I immediately looked up her information to find out if Perkins’ was the product of an International School. And I was shocked to learn that she was not. More props to her and her storytelling abilities.

Even if you cannot relate to Anna as an American teenager forced abroad, Perkins’ so honestly captures the turmoil of high school relationships, the angst of moving to a new school, the heartache of betrayal and losing a friend, the complex relationships between teenagers and their parents, that this story has universal appeal. Everyone can relate to it on some level. And Perkins’ captures these feelings and relationships so fully that at times, I felt like I had been thrust back into those teenage years.

Take, for example, the following passage describing a trip to the movies with friends (since I read this on my Kindle, I only know the ebook location, which starts at 1309):

“St. Clair coughs and shifts again. His leg brushes against mine. It stays there. I’m paralyzed. I should move it; it feels too unnatural. How can he not notice his leg is touching my leg? From the corner of my eye, I see the profile of his chin and nose, and -oh, dear God – the curve of his lips.

There. He glanced at me. I know he did.

I bore my eyes into the screen, trying my best to prove I am Really Interested in this movie. St. Clair stiffens but doesn’t move his leg. Is he holding his breath? I think he is. I’m holding mine. I exhale and cringe-it’s so loud and unnatural.

Again. Another glance. This time I turn, automatically, just as he’s turning away. It’s a dance, and now there’s a feeling in the air like one of us should say something. Focus, Anna. Focus. ‘Do you like it’ I whisper.

He pauses. ‘The film?’

I’m thankful the shadows hide my blush.

‘I like it very much,’ he says

I risk a glance, and St. Clair stares back. Deeply. He has not looked at me like this before. I turn away first, then feel him turn a few beats later.

I know he’s smiling, and my heart races.”

The moment I read this, I was transported back to the movies as a teenager, sitting next to a boy, uncertain if he liked me, uncertain if I should hold his hand, uncertain if this was a date or just a friendly outing. The way Perkins’ paints this scene is perfect, and the rest of the book depicts the teenage years equally as well.

I cannot express how much I loved this book, or how highly I recommend it. So what are you waiting for? Go get your copy today.

Jan 14

Feed, by M.T. Anderson

Rating: 4 out of 5

Feed provides a haunting glimpse into what the future holds. Set in an America of the future, where citizens have feeds implanted into their brains and the planet is on the brink of collapse, the book follows the story of Titus, a rebellious teen who, through the course of the book, learns that actions have consequences, and even the simplest moment can change everything.

I struggled with this book when I first picked it up. In many ways, Feed reminds me of Catcher in the Rye (not my favorite book). This, coupled with the language Anderson has created, full of rich slang and an authentic voice, took some getting used to. But once I had gotten past the second chapter, I became immersed in the story.

The similarities to our own society were disturbing. The feed has been implanted directly into the brains of the majority of the population. The feed can be used to message a friend or watch a t.v. show or a movie. When you enter a store, ads flash through the feed. The feed even follows individual trends and maps out consumer identities, all to offer customized ads. Does any of this sound familiar?

Today you may find yourself at the dinner table, sending text messages or checking your email, watching YouTube clips on an iPhone or iPad, or sharing everything about your life through Facebook. In Feed, no specialized hand-held device is needed. The only way you can tell someone is using the feed is by their dazed, distracted look. And it’s completely normal. Gone are the days when these activities would be seen as rude. Gone is the sanctity of technology free dinners. And the scary thing is, I can see the Feed being invented in my lifetime.

I don’t usually read books like this, but I’m happy I gave Feed a chance. Not only was Anderson’s creation of voice outstanding and authentic, but his world building was honest and his message was clear. If you want a haunting read or a book that raises questions about the direction our society is heading, this just might be the book for you.

Jan 07

Rumors (Luxe, Book 2), by Anna Godbersen

Rating: 4 out of 5

Rumors is the second book in the Luxe series. Rumors, set in the second half of 1899, continues the story of society girls Elizabeth Holland, Diana Holland, Penelope Hayes, and the maid turned society woman, Lina (Carolina) Broud.

Last week I looked at the first book in the series, The Luxe, and decided I had to find out what happened next, the sign of a successful series. And I was not let down. In fact, I enjoyed the second book more the first.

When you are engrossed in a series, you already care about the characters. If you didn’t care about them, you wouldn’t have continued reading the series. My need to know what happened and Godbersen’s ability to deliver kept me engaged from beginning to end.

What I really liked about this book, especially in comparison to The Luxe, was that, whereas The Luxe was a bit predictable, Rumors kept me guessing. Although I did spend most of the book in a state of anxiety, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I like a book that surprises me, and Rumors delivered surprise after surprise.

Although I enjoyed Rumors more than The Luxe, Rumors did have some of the same downfalls from the first book – Penelope’s character did not grow. I grew bored with her antics and would have liked to have seem some growth. Instead, she was static. Henry grew a little bit, but he also seemed mildly static to me.

All in all, I found this to be an enjoyable read and, based off of the first two books, I recommend this series.

Dec 31

The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Luxe is the first book in a young adult historical fiction bordering on historical romance series. Set in 1899 New York, The Luxe delves into the lives of the New York socialites at the turn of the century. The Luxe begins with a funeral and then takes you further back in time to the events leading up to the death by following the story of four females whose lives are intertwined through a complex series of love triangles: Elizabeth Holland, the well-mannered socialite from an old-money family; Elizabeth’s wild and unconventional little sister, Diana; Penelope Hayes, a new-money socialite eager to pave her way in society and not used to hearing no; and Lina Broud, the once childhood friend and now lady’s maid to Elizabeth.

I thought this book was well done. The descriptions were rich and I felt like I was living in 1899 New York. Godbersen not only revealed the daily life of the upper class, but also gave the reader insight into the less glamorous lower class.

Where the book was lacking was in the development of the supporting characters. I thought that Elizabeth and her sister grew throughout the books along with one of the male love interests, Henry Schoonmaker. Lina and Penelope, however, did not seem to have much dimension. There were attempts at giving Lina dimension, but for me, it fell a bit short. And Penelope had little to no dimension at all. She was a spoiled girl and lacked anything that would cause a reader to sympathize with her.

In addition, I thought some of the foreshadowing was a bit too obvious. I like to be surprised, and while I was surprised in how the ending came about, I was not very surprised by the ending.

What I really liked about the book was that this was an appropriate young adult version of a historical romance novel. While there were suggestions of sexual activity, it was not overtly descriptive. If you read my review of Kristin Cashore’s Fire, you will recall that I think sex in ya books can be tricky. I thought that Godbersen handled this topic with grace that was especially appropriate to the time period in which she was writing.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the way Godbersen began her chapters. Each chapter began with either a newspaper excerpt, letter between the characters, or an excerpt from a manner’s book from the time period, and each excerpt foreshadowed the events of the upcoming chapter.

I highly recommend this book, not just to lovers of history, but to anyone looking for a good love story to get wrapped up in. And perhaps the greatest thing about this book: you won’t have to wait for the sequel, Rumors, to come out, because it and two other books in the series, Envy and Splendor are also already out.

Dec 17

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, by James Patterson, tells the story of a group of genetically altered kids on a mission to save the world. This concept probably sounds similar to things you’ve read before.

But what makes this book (and the series) different is that Max and her ‘family’s’ DNA was spliced with bird DNA, giving them bird bones, a fast metabolism, and wings. In addition, extra ‘talents’ show up every so often, just to keep things interesting and add a bit of aid to the Bird Kids when things get tough.

I’m not going to lie. It took me a while to get into this book. I started reading it about this time last year but kept putting it down. Once I got past the first couple of chapters, I found myself wanting to know what was going on behind the scenes, how the mystery would play out. And I wasn’t all-together disappointed.

Where I was disappointed was in the main character, Max. She seemed to fit too neatly into the hardcore heroine mold that, in my opinion anyway, has been a bit overdone. Whereas Katniss in The Hunger Games managed to merge her hard edge with a realistic vulnerability, Max’s vulnerabilities felt a bit forced; she lacked the honesty found in some of the more memorable characters I’ve encountered in my reading life.

Another problem I had with the book was that sometimes the action became a bit confusing and, at times, forced. I don’t want to go into specifics and give away important scenes, but, like with Max’s character, the writing was not as honest as I would have liked.

All that being said, I read the second and third books in the series and, while I did not find that my general issues with the writing and character development improved with the series, I still found the books to be an entertaining read. If you are in need of airplane or beach reading, give this book (and the series) a try. If you want to recapture the feeling you got reading The Hunger Games, you may want to try something else.

Dec 03

Kelley Armstrong’s YA paranormal, The Summoning, tells the story of Chloe Saunders, a 15 year old girl who is either insane or actually seeing dead people. Following an incident at school, Chloe is forced to enter a group home for ‘troubled’ teens. Once in the home, things are not quite what they seem, and as Chloe begins to unravel the mystery surrounding Lyle House, she discovers that friends can be found where you least expect them and that some things are better left alone.

Chloe is not your typical YA heroine. She is small for her age, awkward, a bit of a goody two-shoes, and cast as the ‘damsel in distress.’ But I found this to be one of the most refreshing things about the book. So many YA books these days portray a bad ass heroine who snubs her nose at authority and is capable of quick, wity responses and rarely needs saving. Chloe felt more real to me; her personality was more like that of girls I knew growing up, more like mine when I was a YA.

The concept behind the book was also engaging. (Warning – sort of spoiler coming up). Although the school for kids with special abilities is a well-known concept, I think Kelley Armstrong did a great job reinventing it, making it something new and unexpected. By placing it in a mental hospital, new challenges were presented that are missing in the other school for wizards/genetically-engineered kids/kids with special powers/x-men stories. I really enjoyed what she did to make this story her own.

And finally, I loved the mystery. I wanted to know what would happen, so much so that the second I finished the book, I bought the next book in the series, The Awakening. So would I recommend this book? Absolutely.

Page 2

Book Review Sunday – The Maze Runner

Book Review Friday: Matched

Book Review Friday: Across the Universe

Reading for Research

Book Review Friday: Anna and the French Kiss

Book Review Friday: Feed

Book Review Friday: Rumors

Book Review Friday: The Luxe

Book Review Friday – Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Book Review Friday: The Summoning