FLASH REVIEWS: A YA Roundup

So I recently realized that over the past year I’ve read several YA books that I never got around to reviewing. Now, many of these books have sequels out or soon to be released. Here’s a quick look at some of the books I overlooked:

All These Things I’ve Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Dystopia/Crime Fiction/Romance
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

 In a near future where chocolate and
caffeine are contraband, water and
paper are carefully rationed, and curfews are strictly enforced, sixteen-year-old Anya Balanchine finds
herself coping with an ailing grandmother and mothering her orphaned siblings.Oh, and she also gets herself tangled up in the illegal family business while falling for the son of New York’s new District Attorney. Anya is a strong and fascinating character and this book provides a slightly different slant in dystopian literature, but I felt that some of the details strained credibility. For me the book fell a bit flat, especially the romantic relationship. But there’s still hope for this wonderful premise and characters: Book 2, Because It’s in My Blood, is due out September 18, 2012.


Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick
Genre: Apocalyptic Fiction/Horror
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

On the run from an incurable brain tumor, 17-year-old Alex is camping alone in the mountains when catastrophe strikes. The sudden explosion of an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) instantly kills most of the adults and turns many of the younger humans into crazed, flesh-eating monsters. Tough and resourceful, Alex teams up with a contrary eight-year-old and a young soldier named Tom. The first half of this novel is a high-energy gorefest that kept me enthralled, but events take a sudden turn midway though. The creepy factor ratchets up in a totally new way, but the sudden veer had me baffled for a bit. However, the cliffhanger ending takes a turn back in the right direction. There are tons of questions left in the air, and I can’t wait for the sequel, Shadows, due out September 25, 2012! For its foray into societal issues and mores as well as the vivid action sequences, Walking Dead fans will definitely want to check this one out.


Glow (Sky Chasers #1) by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3/5 Stars

Decades ago, when it became clear Earth would not survive much longer, two pioneer spacecraft were launched to locate and colonize  a New Earth. Fifteen-year-old Waverly and her boyfriend Kieran were born aboard the Empyrean, a completely self-contained habitat. The Empyrean and its inhabitants are still at least 40 years away from reaching their goal when their sister ship, New Horizon, inexplicably attacks and kidnaps all of the girls. Suddenly, Kieran finds himself in a power struggle with Seth, who becomes both a romantic rival and a rival to Kieran’s role as future leader of the ship. Meanwhile, Waverly must figure out a way to thwart her captors. This is a fast-paced space epic with some fascinating twists. A less-than-subtle dig at the corruptible qualities of organized religion may alienate some readers.  The second installment of the series, Spark, was released July 17, 2012. 

 

Hourglass (Hourglass #1) by Myra McEntire
Genre: Science Fiction/Mystery/Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole sees ghosts. Or, at least she believes that’s what they are. Now that she is home—after being hospitalized for a nervous breakdown—her older brother and guardian has hired the Hourglass Institute to help Emerson deal with her “hallucinations.” But Micheal Weaver is not the therapist Emerson expects; instead he is a consultant for a secretive organization that works with gifted people of the X-men variety, helping them to develop and use their abilities for good. Emerson believes he’s nuts at first, but soon she’s thinking all sorts of things might be possible, including time travel. This book isn’t perfect, but Emerson is a likeable, slightly offbeat narrator, and the romantic triangle that develops with Michael and Kaleb is intriguing if a bit predictable. Hourglass is a clever combination of science fiction, superheroes, and paranormal romance that will appeal to a wide range of readers. The sequel, Timepiece, is now available.

Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Genre: Post-apocalyptic Fiction
Rating: 3/5 Stars
In a future world where genetic engineering has created a disease that kills women by the age of 20 and men by the age of 25, polygamy has become a way of life for the rich and a means of ensuring survival of the species. Rhine is sixteen when she is kidnapped from her Manhattan neighborhood and forced to become the bride of Linden Ashby, one of the most handsome and affluent young men in Florida. Even as Rhine struggles with her feelings about her new husband, she also develops a wary relationship with one of the household’s male servants. And yet she is determined not to allow her developing relationships to make her lose sight of her goal to escape and somehow reunite with her twin brother. This is a creepy, dangerous world filled with hidden agendas. The narrative tension is high and although I was often frustrated by Rhine’s inner conflicts, I fully plan to discover more of this disturbing world in Fever.

REVIEW: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction/Apocalyptic Fiction, Coming-of-age
Audience: Adult/Young Adult Crossover

Summary: For 11-year-old Julia, the morning that the world changed forever began just like any other Saturday in her suburban California neighborhood. But she soon learns that the Earth’s rotation is slowing down and that there are CONSEQUENCES AHEAD. Her mother leaps into panic mode, while her doctor father goes to work just like any other day. As the days grow increasingly lengthy, world governments declare that citizens should abide by the 24-hour clock even though it is 40 hours or more between sunsets and midnight might come during the brightest part of the day. Fringe groups of “real-timers” spring up in opposition to the “clock-timers.” Birds fall from the sky, people develop gravity sickness, crops fail. Julia herself feels a mild fear as the world around her gradually falls into turmoil, but she is also coping with the everyday disasters of adolescence: bullying at the bus stop, her parents’ rocky marriage, broken friendships, and her first crush.

First Line: “We didn’t notice right away.”

Tracy’s Thoughts:
This book is written as a retrospective, where a now-adult Julia looks back on the time that her world—both her private world and the world at large—changed. As a narrator, Julia frequently provides insights that the 11-year-old Julia could not know (“It was the last time I ever tasted a grape.”). Sometimes these were effective, but at other times I felt that they were unnecessary and even a bit annoying. But Julia’s story is a compelling one. The changes on Earth are profound, and the daily changes to Julia’s everyday life as she adapts to her changing environment and goes through the ordinary growing pains are equally riveting.

Karen Thompson Walker’s writing is simple and vividly evocative. It is nuanced and descriptive without becoming cluttered or overdone. Take the following passage:

When we finally understood what was happening that morning, Hanna and I rushed outside to check the sky for evidence. But the sky was just the sky—an average, cloudless, blue. The sun shone unchanged. A familiar breeze was blowing from the direction of the sea, and the air smelled the way it always did back then, like cut grass and honeysuckle and chlorine. The eucalyptus trees were fluttering like sea anemones in the wind, and my mother’s jug of sun tea looked nearly dark enough to drink. In the distance beyond our back fence, the freeway echoed and hummed. The power lines continued to buzz. Had we tossed a soccer ball into the air, we might not have even noticed that it fell a little faster to the earth, that it hit the ground a little harder than before. I was eleven years old in the suburbs. My best friend was standing beside me. I could spot not a single object out of place or amiss.

I read this book in one sitting. It is a fast, easy read and a timely one. Despite the fast pace, this is a quiet read—not violently dramatic like so many of the other apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novels glutting the market. The dramas here are mostly small, everyday ones, but they are numerous and poignant. Although I questioned some of the science and would have liked a bit more fullness to the story and characters, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant change from the average “world gone wrong” novel, and the premise was top-notch. I look forward to the next offering from this first-time author.

REVIEW: Among Others by Jo Walton

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: (Really light) Fantasy, Coming-of-age
Audience: Adult/Young Adult Crossover

Summary: Fantasy and a realistic coming-of-age story merge in this tale of a young outcast who finds meaning in the books she loves. When a magical battle with her insane mother leaves Mori crippled and results in her twin’s death, Mori flees to her heretofore absent father in England. Once there, Mori is quickly shuffled off to a boarding school that is a far cry from the fairy-filled valleys of Wales. There 15-year-old Mori struggles to find friends and dabbles in a bit of magic on her own before the inevitable showdown with her mother.

First Lines: “The Phurnacite factory in Abercwmboi killed all the trees for two miles around…. My sister and I called it Mordor…”

Tracy’s Thoughts:
On the surface, this sounds like a typical genre novel: outsider teenager discovers magical powers, etc, etc. And yet in Among Others, much of the “action” takes place offstage before the novel begins. Instead, the focus is on Mori’s
struggle to find a place and a purpose after losing her sister. Her
innermost thoughts and fears on everything from getting breasts to the
latest Zelazny novel are related through a series of diary entries. The
fantasy elements are very much in the background, but bits of magic slip
though the cracks. Mori sees fairies that look more like plants than the sparkly winged creatures of lore, and her magic doesn’t work like the magic in her beloved books, though she sometimes wishes it did. Instead of grand, sweeping magic, the magic here is ambiguous and inextricably part of the “real” world. It is something that must be taken on faith:

You can almost always find chains of coincidence to disprove magic. That’s because it doesn’t happen the way it does in books. It makes those chains of coincidence. That’s what it is. It’s like if you snapped your fingers and produced a rose but it was because someone on an aeroplane had dropped a rose at just the right time for it to land in your hand. There was a real person and a real aeroplane and a real rose, but that doesn’t mean the reason you have the rose in your hand isn’t because you did the magic.

I love this concept. Mori’s belief in magic of this sort makes so much sense even as I questioned whether Mori’s stories are merely the product of her book-fueled imagination.

In many ways, Among Others it is a love letter to libraries and to books, particularly the science fiction novels of the 1970s. And although I am not a big reader of sci-fi or fantasy, I have a special love for books about books and those who read them. (Case in point: this excellent book, and this book that *might* qualify as my absolute favorite read of 2011.)  Mori’s enthusiasm for the books of Ursula
Le Guin and other giants of the sci-fi/fantasy genres made me want to
hole up for a week (or two) just so I can devour all of the classics she
loves. (Lucky for me, Jo Walton has Mori’s reading list posted on her blog.) Among Others is a wonderful book, with a fascinating and engaging lead character, simple yet elegant writing, and thought-provoking ideas. I recommend it for anyone who has been an outsider, for anyone who has lost someone they loved, and most of all for anyone who loves books even a tenth as much as Mori does.

REVIEW: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction/Fairy Tale
Audience: Young Adult

Summary: This is the story of Cinderella, but with a twist.  Cinderella is “Cinder” a cyborg who is a gifted mechanic and citizen of New Beijing.  As her world suddenly changes, Cinder becomes involved with intergalactic politics, a handsome prince, and some surprising news about her heritage the could change the world as she and everyone around her knows it.

Lucinda’s Views:  As one of many fairy tale variants available on today’s shelves, I must say this has been one of the most enjoyable to read.  I found the story to be engaging, well-written and just “twisted” enough to be a thoroughly new experience.  Cinder as a cyborg and the issues that are raised about how “human” could a cyborg or even an android be give one food for thought. Also the premise that a fairy tale heroine could be anything but a Disney look-alike just really tickles the heck out of me.  So if you like your heroines sassy, a bit rough around the edges, and in no way stereotypical, check out this book!

P.S. there is also a prequel to this story (no spoilers present).  It is called Glitches and be found here.

REVIEW: Lost & Found by Shaun Tan

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre:  Picture Book, Short Stories
Audience: All Ages (9 and up)

Summary: Three (very) short stories, each beautifully illustrated, are collected in this fantastical volume. The first two stories, “The Red Tree” and “The Lost Thing,” were written by Tan while the third, “The Rabbits,” was written by his fellow Aussie, John Marsden (Tomorrow When the War Began). Each story deals with varying themes of emotional disconnection and physical displacement.

First Line: “Sometimes the day begins with nothing to look forward to…” (from “The Red Tree”)

Tracy’s Thoughts:
The key to all three of these stories lies in Tan’s moody, evocative paintings. The paintings are immensely detailed and often offer hidden treasures to observant readers. Some of the images are truly stunning, especially juxtaposed with the simple, lyrical text. In my favorite story, “The Red Tree,” a young girl wakes up and moves though her not-very-good day, her feelings shifting from disappointment to alienation and depression. And yet all along, there are tiny glimpses of hope to find in Tan’s artwork. “The Lost Thing” is
a more upbeat tale of a boy who discovers a strange, lost creature in a chaotic and highly industrialized world. Both of these stories feel very intimate, but the final story has a wider scope. It is both an allegory about imperialism—specifically the invasion of Europeans in North America and Australia—and also touches on environmental concerns. Both of Tan’s stories feel more personal—and, for me, more powerful—but each of the three stories calls to the reader’s imagination and is strong enough to stand alone.

You might also be interested to learn that Tan adapted the second story in this volume into an Oscar-winning animated short. Here’s a peek at the trailer:

REVIEW: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Tracy’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adult/Young Adult Crossover

Summary: The real world in 2045 is a sad, desolate place of poverty, energy-depletion, and pollution. So is it any wonder that most people spend more time in the MMO virtual reality world of the OASIS than in reality? The OASIS is more than just entertainment; it has pretty much taken over the internet, becoming the preferred  online platform for communication, work, and education. It is also the site of a virtual contest with real-world ramifications. When billionaire OASIS creator James Halliday died, he left behind a sort of online treasure hunt, declaring that the first person to solve a series of puzzles, discover three keys, and find the Easter egg hidden somewhere in the vast worlds of the OASIS will inherit his company and his fortune. Within a year, the outside world has immersed itself in all of Halliday’s obsessions—most notably a wide range of 1980s pop culture trivia—hoping to find clues to unravel Halliday’s first puzzle.

But it is 2045, several years after Halliday’s death, before the first key is discovered by an avatar called Parzival and the contest begins in earnest. In real-life, Parzival is 18-year-old Wade Watts, a student who lives in a crammed and precariously stacked mobile home with his less-than-loving aunt. He is obsessed with all things Halliday—from vintage coin-operated video games to Family Ties reruns—and escapes to an abandoned van to adopt his online persona. But now that “Parzival” has solved the first clue, the competition to find the egg intensifies. Along with the other scoreboard leaders, Wade now finds himself in mortal danger from a power-hungry corporation willing to do anything to win—even commit murder.

First Line: “Everyone my age remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the contest.”

Tracy’s Thoughts:
Ready Player One is a total geek fest. If 80s flicks, classic video games, anime, comics, and Monty Python quotes make you happy, it’s definitely the book for you. Of course you don’t have to enjoy them all (I score a whopping one out of five) to get a kick out of this fast-paced—sometimes mind-bending—story of an underdog’s quest to save the day (and himself!). As I read the book, I found myself downright giddy at times. I by no means recognized all of Cline’s 80s references, but many of them (War Games! Better Off Dead! The Back to the Future DeLorean! Schoolhouse Rock! Speed Racer!) put a billboard-sized smile on my face. So, Ready Player One definitely gets an “A” for the 80s nostalgia factor.

But for all its 80s flashback moments, Ready Player One is also a darn good story. It sucks you in, just as OASIS sucks the book’s characters away from their reality. It was fun, for a while, to immerse myself in Wade’s quest and leave my own world behind. (I guess books are my video games!)  Many people claim they read as an escape. This is clearly a primary motivation to Wade’s love of videogames and the OASIS:

Descending the network of metal girders had always reminded me of old platform videogames like Donkey Kong or BurgerTime. I’d seized upon this idea a few years earlier when I coded my first Atari 2600 game (a gunter rite of passage, like a Jedi building his first lightsaber.) It was a Pitfall rip-off called The Stacks where you had to navigate through a vertical maze of trailers, collection junk computers, snagging food-voucher power-ups, and avoiding meth addicts and pedophiles on your way to school. My game was a lot more fun than the real thing.

Of course, real life also bleeds into Wade’s virtual world. It is fascinating how, for me, the characters’ virtual reality and their “real lives” became entwined. I was just as invested in the avatars’ survival as the characters themselves. Perhaps more so.

Ready Player One isn’t a perfect book. The writing was a bit uneven at times (e.g., trivia-laden footnotes pepper the prologue then mysteriously vanish), and the romance between Wade/Parzival and his online crush Ar3mis felt a bit forced. Still, it is a clever, fun read with likeable characters and an intriguing premise. Plus, there’s that nostalgia factor 🙂