Shout-Out: Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals.

When the deadly MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers, and Americans suffering from these so-called adverse effects were given an ultimatum: Serve the country or be declared a traitor.

Some people chose a third option: live a life of crime.

Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist. She's also a thief. After crossing a gang of mobsters, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super powered criminals on a job that most would have considered impossible: a hunt for the formula that gave them their abilities. It was supposedly destroyed years ago--but what if it wasn't?

Government agents are hot on their trail, and the lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race that could cost them their lives.

Book Review: Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci

Pros: Tula remains an interesting character, entertaining, satisfying ending 

Cons: not much depth, Tula doesn’t explain herself well which leads to some of her problems, faulty economics  

A year has passed since Tula Bane changed her plans and sent both Reza and Caleb to the outer rim.  Now Reza is back, angry at how things went and changed by the horrors he faced there.  He’s discovered a secret source of wealth on the planet Quint, the planet that the space station Yertina Feray orbits.  And wealth has always attracted the man who ruined Tula’s life and sent numerous colonists to their deaths, Brother Blue.  But bringing down Brother Blue isn’t easy when the fictional colonies he founded are the only things keeping Earth safe as a Minor Race in the Imperium.

As with the first book, Tin Star, I really like Tula as a character.  She’s resourceful and full of optimism.  It was cool seeing her in the thick of things, constantly learning more about the world and trying to make the best deals.  I also liked how she utilizes what she’s learned of the various races while travelling. 

Having said that, things work out surprisingly well for her.  Not to say that she doesn’t suffer hardships or that she doesn’t work hard at various times to make things work, but she’s helped by strangers and friends alike in unexpected and sometimes unlikely ways, especially when she starts travelling.

She was also very closed mouthed about her reasons for things, and there were definitely times when she owed certain people explanations for her actions but didn’t give satisfactory ones, yet wondered why those people would find it hard to trust and/or like her.  For example, I was left confused at the beginning of the book by why she’d decided to send Reza to the outer rim when he specifically stated he wanted to go back to Earth (and as an Imperium officer should have been allowed back in, unlike Wanderers and colonists).  Even when he confronts her about this her reasoning is lacking.  She’s also not very sympathetic to what he underwent out there, obviously assuming his experiences were similar to her first months on the Yertina Feray.  But we later learn that things for him and Caleb were a lot worse than what she faced, yet she never properly apologizes for what she put them through.  

Similarly, she wants the human Wanderers to listen to her and avoid the colonies but doesn’t tell them what she knows about the colonies or Brother Blue.  She simply tells them to not listen to other humans, including herself.  Then she’s surprised when they don’t seem to listen to her advice.  Telling them what was really going on would have left them better prepared for what was happening than vague warnings to not trust people.

There’s a decent amount of politics going on, but Tula isn’t in a position to learn what’s happening.  It makes her attempts to disrupt things both difficult and dangerous, as she isn’t always aware of the effect she’s having (which later causes her problems). 

The economics surrounding the alin didn’t make much sense.  At the beginning of the book Tula only accepts currency chits because she understands that the price of alin will fluctuate and decrease.  But as time goes on there’s the implication that the more people who grow and harvest alin the more valuable it will become.  In real life if you flood the market with a product its price drops.  I mention more about this in the spoiler section below.  

I liked the side characters, though you don’t see as much of them as I’d have liked.  I loved the introduction of Elizabeth and seeing a little of how the Wanderers live.

I’ve been reading a lot of hard SF lately, so I kept questioning the timeline in the book regarding how quickly ships travelled and how everyone seemed to be aging as if they were on planets, despite several people spending time on spaceships.  Be aware that this isn’t hard SF and shelve those questions before you start the book or it’ll really bother you. 

I had a lot of minor complaints with this book but they didn’t stop me from finding the book on the whole entertaining.  The book is never dull with a variety of locations and problems for Tula to face.  It’s got some great characters and alien lifeforms, and the ending is very satisfying.

*** SPOILERS ***

With regards to the economics, it doesn’t make sense for Reza to tell anyone he’s found alin on the planet.  As long as he’s got a ready source of the stuff, he can sell it for high value.  But the more people who successfully grow it, the less value the plants will have.  It made the community atmosphere on the planet a little strange since these are people competing with one another for wealth, not colonists hoping to make a home on the planet (with the exception of Tula’s group).  And when the planet got razed I would have thought the plants would be even more valuable again for those who stuck it out.  Yes, the amount of arable land decreased, but I still assumed the eventual crop would be worth it for the true prospectors.

Book Review: Control by Lydia Kang

Pros: interesting plot, awesome protagonist 

Cons:

For Parents: minor swearing, drug use (but not by protagonists), off page sex, minor violence

Set in 2150, after the collapse of the United States into smaller colonies, Zelia and her younger sister Dylia, are devastated when an accident leaves them orphaned.  When her blood test shows she has a special, and illegal, trait, Dylia is taken by an underground organization that exploits their differences.  Zelia meanwhile, is taken in by an opposing organization where she discovers that her Ondine’s curse isn’t the only thing that sets her apart from others.  As she grows closer to her new family, she also becomes more determined to rescue her sister, regardless of the cost.

Despite most of the characters having special powers/mutation of some sort, this isn’t a superhero book.  There are a few fist fights, but that’s about it for violence and action.  This is a female coming of age story about growing into yourself and trying to protect the people you love from harm.

Zelia is a great protagonist.  She starts off timid and obedient to her controlling father, but when push comes to shove she discovers she won’t back down from making difficult choices in order to get her sister back.  And while I didn’t like all the decisions she makes (and she makes a few terrible ones), all of her actions make sense given her age (she’s 17) and the traumas she’s been through.  She’s never whiny as she works hard to find her sister.  I loved her personality as she becomes quite snarky and bad ass as time goes by.

The plot’s pretty interesting.  You keep learning more about where these powers are coming from and what Zelia’s father was really up to.  There’s a touch of romance coming into the final third of the book, including off page sex.  There’s also some drug use at the club that appears in 2 scenes.

This is a book carried by it’s protagonist and her quest.  It was a hard book to put down and I really enjoyed it.  It’s open ended enough for a sequel but can also be read as a stand alone.

Publisher Spotlight: Flux

There are so many presses now it's hard to remember which ones I do and don't know.  I thought this was new, until I did a bit of research on them and discovered I have a few of their books on my shelf, namely Maggie Stiefvater's Lament and Ballad.  I've heard about some of their other books, including Shadow Walkers, which I've included below.  They've got some great cover art.  

So what kind of publisher is Flux?  From their website: 

Flux is an imprint dedicated to fiction for teens, where young adult is a point of view, not a reading level. You won't find condescension or simplification here. You will find comedy, tragedy, ecstasy, pain, discovery - everything you're likely to find in real life. Welcome to Flux...now.

Their website has category searches for SF, F, Romance, General Fiction, Social Issues and also the gender of the protagonist, which is interesting.

Here's a sample of what they publish:

Insomnia by J. R. Johansson

Her eyes saved his life. Her dreams released his darkness.

After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can’t take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he’s made eye contact with. If he doesn’t sleep soon, Parker will die.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that’s utterly addictive. But what starts out as a chance meeting turns into an obsession; Parker’s furious desire for what he needs pushes him to extremes he never thought he’d go. And when someone begins terrorizing Mia with twisted death threats, Parker’s memory blackouts leave him doubting his own innocence.

Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

A hoverboard appeared in her rearview mirror. “This is the Los Angeles Air Patrol,” a voice boomed. “I command you to land your vehicle in the name of the law.”

Noli Braddock and her best friend V’s incident with a flying auto have landed them in a heap of trouble. And when Noli is sent to a spirit-squelching reform school in San Francisco, she’s sure that her rebellious adventures are over.

Meanwhile, Kevighn Silver has been ordered by the Faerie Queen to bring a mortal girl back to the Otherworld. The magic requires a blood sacrifice every seven years, and only a mortal girl who shines with the Spark—a girl like Noli—will keep the Otherworld from complete destruction.

When an ill-timed wish sends Noli tumbling into the Otherworld, she’s more homesick than ever . . . until V arrives to save her from an untimely demise. But who exactly is V? And if he helps Noli escape, who will save the realm of Faerie from utter annihilation?

Shadow Walkers by Brent Hartinger

Zach lives with his grandparents on a remote island in Puget Sound in Washington State. With only his little brother, Gilbert, to keep him company, Zach feels cut off from the world. But when Gilbert is kidnapped, Zach tries the only thing he can think of to find him: astral projection. Soon, his spirit is soaring through the strange and boundless astral realm—a shadow place. While searching for his brother, Zach meets a boy named Emory, another astral traveler who's intriguing (and cute).

As Zach and Emory track the kidnappers from the astral realm, their bond grows—but each moment could be Gilbert's last. Even worse, there's a menacing, centuries-old creature in their midst that devours souls and possesses physical bodies. And it's hungry for Zach.

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Pros: horrifying invasion story, believable protagonists, compelling story

Cons: 

For Parents: some swearing, kissing, the violence isn't graphic but there are child soldiers, executions, and murder

Cassie has survived the first 4 waves of the alien invasion: light's out, surf's up, pestilence and the silencer.  Seven billion people didn't, including her mother and father.  Her five year old brother was taken away in the 4th wave.  Now she waits for the 5th wave and the courage to keep the promise she made to her brother, that she'd come after him.

This is a brutal invasion story.  These aliens know how to wipe out humanity and do so in sweeping waves, each more destructive than the last.  Through Cassie's eyes we learn about the 4 previous waves, and through her eyes, and those of a few other characters, we slowly learn what the 5th and final wave is.

There's a fair amount of violence, particularly when the child soldiers come into the picture.  But it's violence that serves a purpose and isn't graphically portrayed.  This is a book that questions humanity.  What will humans do to survive?  What makes you human in the first place?  The book doesn't answer these questions, making it a great jumping point for discussion.

The characters are believable, falling apart under the pressures of the new world and picking themselves up again because doing otherwise means death.  This makes the book difficult to put down.  The writing is intense and while you may see the revelation that is the 5th wave coming, it doesn't stop it from being horrifying in its implications.

The ending is very tense, though I'm not sure I believe the kids could accomplish everything they do, and it ignores the larger picture.  But it does give a good closure for the book.

I highly recommend it.

Razorbill Fall Preview

Last friday I had the opportunity to go to the Penguin Offices in Toronto for the Razorbill Fall Preview.  Razorbill, for those of you who don't know, is Penguin's YA line.

Sequels to some awesome sounding series are coming out.  Which means my to be read pile's grown some more as I've been woefully under reading it lately.

The first book's already on my list (because it sounds great and that cover is amazing), but in case you haven't heard of it, here you go:

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects'' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people''s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . .

The only outcome that''s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Book two, Rebel Spring, will be out in December.

Slated by Teri Terry

Kyla has been Slated—her memory and personality erased as punishment for committing a crime she can't remember. The government has taught her how to walk and talk again, given her a new identity and a new family, and told her to be grateful for this second chance that she doesn't deserve. It's also her last chance—because they'll be watching to make sure she plays by their rules.

As Kyla adjusts to her new life, she's plagued by fear. Who is she, really? And if only criminals are slated, why are so many innocent people disappearing? Kyla is torn between the need to know more and her instinct for self-preservation. She knows a dangerous game is being played with her life, and she can't let anyone see her make the wrong move . . . but who can she trust when everyone is a stranger?

I'm afraid I missed the release date for this one, but the sequel's called Fractured.

Champion, book three of Marie Lu's Legend series, will be out in November.  I loved the first book but haven't had the chance to pick up the second yet.  

Legend by Marie Lu 

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic''s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic''s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country''s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June''s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family''s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias''s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Throne of Glass is getting a new cover for the paperback edition, that will match that of book two, Crown of Midnight (which just got a starred review from Kirkus).

Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

There were some books that are series starters, rather than sequels:

Gameboard of the Gods by Rachel Mead

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military's most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Control by Lydia Kang

Control is set in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

After the violent death of her father, 17 year-old Zelia loses her younger sister, Dylia, during an abduction at a foster care agency. It turns out her sister Dylia isn’t just pretty and sweet—she’s illegal. In the year 2150, DNA must be pure by law, and anyone with enhanced genes face death. Zelia’s only allies are the freak-show inhabitants of her new, underground foster home. Along with the unexpected love of a very strange boy, she will need her flaws and their illicit traits to save the only family she has left.

Finally, and this is about a sequel again, The Gypsy King's sequel, A Fool's Errand, now has a cover!  We got to meet the author, who was very funny and excited to be writing the third book (currently slated for next May). 

A novel with only light fantasy elements, this series is supposed to be good for the history crowd too.  I've got the first book so look forward to my review soon. 

The Gypsy King by Maureen Fergus

A runaway slave with a shadowy past, sixteen-year-old Persephone has spent four long years toiling beneath the leering gaze of her despised owner and dreaming of a life where she is free to shape her own destiny. Then, one night, a chance encounter with a handsome chicken thief named Azriel changes her life forever.

Sold to him for a small bag of gold coins, Persephone soon discovers what she already suspected: namely, that Azriel is not what he seems. And when she realizes that he believes Persephone has a special destiny—she is determined to escape him and his impossibly broad shoulders.

But things are no longer as simple as they once were.

Torn between her longing for freedom and her undeniable feelings for the handsome thief with the fast hands and the slow smile, Persephone faces the hardest choice she will ever have to make.

And no one—least of all her—could have imagined the shocking truth her decision will reveal.

If I Had ALL the Time in the World Teen Edition part 3

There are so many books I'd love to read, both old and new.  Since I won't actually get to read them all, I figure I could showcase some.  Maybe other people will read them and tell me what I'm missing. :)

These are books I heard of from some of the publisher previews I've been privileged to attend.  Note, a few of these are kids books rather than teen, but they still sound fun. :)

Ashes by Ilsa Bick

It could happen tomorrow . . .

  

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom-a young soldier-and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. 

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it's now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

Danny is sick of running. Harvest Cove is the latest nowhere place he's drifted through with his dad. In summer, people come to stay in cottages on the vast lake. In winter, Harvest Cove is a ghost town hidden away in Canada's Big Empty. Danny's been running forever, but Harvest Cove might be his last stop. The place has a way of making people disappear.

As the cold sets in, Danny and his new friends stumble on a centuries-old nightmare. They start seeing things. Impossible things. And in winter, there''s no escape from Harvest Cove.

Bookweird by Paul Glennon

Norman Jespers-Vilnius is just an average eleven-year-old kid-until he absentmindedly nibbles on the edge of a page and wakes up inside his favourite book, the Undergrowth Series. Norman finds himself smack in the middle of an epic battle of animal kingdoms, where he forms a close friendship with young Malcolm, a future king. After joining Malcolm's fight he winds up back in his own bed, dirty and in torn pyjamas. But his adventures have only just started. It soon becomes clear that Norman has been caught by a mystifying force called "Bookweird"- Norman finds himself inside books his family is reading, mixing up plotlines. When he tries to undo an act of violence in his sister's horse novel, he has to explain the appearance of a pony to some disgruntled policemen at a crime scene in his mother's favourite thriller. Can Norman put all of the stories back on track and return these fictional worlds to normal? Or will Bookweird trap him in the pages forever?

Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty? by David Levinthal

Break-in at the Three Bears family home? It could only be one dame. Wicked witch gone missing from her candied cottage? Hansel and Gretel claim it was self-defense. Did Humpty Dumpty really just fall off that wall, or was he pushed? Here are five fairy-tale stories with a twist, all told from the point of view of a streetwise police officer called Binky, who just happens to be a toad in a suit and a fedora. When Snow White doesn''t make it to the beauty pageant, Officer Binky is the first to find the apple core lying by her bed. When an awful giant mysteriously crashes to the ground, upsetting the whole town, Binky discovers exactly who is responsible. Author David Levinthal and illustrator John Nickle retell these classic stories in the style of a 1940s noir detective novel-for kids!

The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

A feast for the brain, this gory and genuinely hilarious take on zombie culture simultaneously skewers, pays tribute to, and elevates the horror genre.

Seventeen-year-old Nero is stuck in the wilderness with a bunch of other juvenile delinquents on an "Inward Trek." As if that weren't bad enough, his counselors have turned into flesh-eating maniacs overnight and are now chowing down on his fellow miscreants. As in any classic monster flick worth its salted popcorn, plentiful carnage sends survivors rabbiting into the woods while the mindless horde of "infects" shambles, moans, and drools behind. Of course, these kids have seen zombie movies. They generate "Zombie Rules" almost as quickly as cheeky remarks, but attitude alone can't keep the biters back. Serving up a cast of irreverent, slightly twisted characters, an unexpected villain, and an ending you won't see coming, here is a savvy tale that that's a delight to read - whether you're a rabid zombie fan or freshly bitten - and an incisive commentary on the evil that lurks within each of us.

Book Review: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Pros: interesting premise, fast paced ending

Cons: protagonist isn't very likable and makes unwise decisions,  no social commentary

For Parents: no language or sexual content, lots of gun and knife violence 

West Grayer's world is an enclosed city.  Fear of those on the outside breaking in created a law that all babies are born with the physical aspects of two sets of parents, genetically altered to look like identical twins.  Sometime between the ages of eleven and eighteen both people are activated.  At that point they have thirty-one days to kill their Alternate (Alt).  If neither completes, they'll both die.  West's oldest brother and younger sister were both killed by their Alts.  Her mother died as a PK, a Peripheral Kill, during someone else's completion and her dad's just committed suicide.  West is determined to survive her activation and prove she's the best qualified for their city's way of life.

This is a teen book adults won't enjoy as much as the intended audience.  As a protagonist, fifteen year old West is too determined to do things herself, doesn't need help and makes her decisions with the idea that her actions don't impact anyone else.  She's angry and feeling unworthy of being the alt left alive, and makes choices that cause her to feel these things more over time, rather than less. 

Despite how the synopsis sounds, this isn't a cat and mouse hunt between the girls like Marie Brennan's fantasy duology Doppleganger and Warrior and Witch (republished as Warrior and Witch).  It's focused primarily on West's avoidance of her assignment, though the ending does have some tense scenes when she's finally on the prowl.  

It's also not a vehicle of social commentary, the way Battle Royal and the Hunger Games are.  There's no deeper meaning to why the kids are forced to kill each other or much in the way of questioning its efficacy of turning out a society of adults prepared for - and ready to repulse - an invading army.

I found West's decision to become a striker interesting as I would have expected assassinating a legal target to be easier than killing random people.  I wanted to see more of the psychological effects that killing had on her.  Instead she's emotionally shut down (which is an effect, but not the one I'd expected).  I didn't quite believe she would be accepted so readily as a striker.  I would have expected their qualifications required more than merely a desire to become one.  She should have had to pass some sort of test of skill and/or discretion before she got the tattoos.

I expect teens will love this, while adults who want more philosophical discussion in their books may want to give it a pass.

New Author Spotlight: Gretchen McNeil

New Author Spotlight is a series designed to introduce authors with up to 3 books in the different SF/F subgenres.

Today's spotlight shines on Gretchen McNeil! Her books are:

• Possess by Gretchen McNeil (Balzer + Bray)
• Ten by Gretchen McNeil (Balzer + Bray)

Here's the cover copy for Ten:

Don't spread the word!

Three-day weekend. House party.

White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do not want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives, three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, which involve their school's most eligible bachelor, T. J. Fletcher, and look forward to three glorious days of boys, bonding, and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly, people are dying, and with a storm raging outside, the teens are cut off from the rest of the world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn't scheduled to return for three days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Check out these other books if you want some creepy serial killer tinged Halloween reading:

• Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance (Square Fish)
• Beyond by Graham McNamee (Wendy Lamb Books)
• The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (HarperCollins)

Book Review: Beyond by Graham McNamee

This is my second R.I.P. (Readers Imbibing Peril VII) review, and the first book.  I'm not sure I'll be able to get a second book in as planned, but we'll see.  If you want to see what reviews others have written, check here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pros: great characters, fast paced, honest chills, no romance

Cons: too short!

For Parents: no content

The real reason behind Jane's numerous brushes with death is too crazy for anyone but her fellow 'creep sister' to believe.  So when she starts hearing voices and seeing things - in addition to her already extreme sleepwalking and migranes - she only tells her friend Lexi what's really going on.  Somehow, she's picked up a ghost.  One who wants her dead, and is able to use her own shadow - and body - to kill her.

This is a brilliantly written teen novel.  The chapters are short and punchy, making it very fast paced and quick to read.  The characters are fully fleshed: Jane's parents who love their daughter and want to help but don't know how.  Jane, who wants to explain but knows they won't believe her.  Lexi, whose father left when she was young, and who makes dark films in order to understand the world.

The story is explained through quick flashbacks to Jane's various deaths, her friendship with Lexi and dealing with the present.  There is a love interest, but it's kept low key and just barely factors into the plot.

The ghost is suitably terrifying, as is it's reasoning for wanting Jane.  There is some adult creepiness involved with the ghost's past that comes into play with Jane's present, but it's passed over with limited details.

It's a great book for younger teens to adults who want a decent - but not gory or too terrifying - scare.   And the author's Canadian. :)

Book Review: Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Pros: examines real life issues, sympathetic protagonist who gains inner strength

Cons: ending seemed too simplistic given the problems the protagonist faced

For Parents: minor sexual content and descriptions of self-inflicting wounds

Melissa Miller is a cutter.  It's the only way she can deal with the emotions surrounding her.  She knows others wouldn't understand.  Her ex-boyfriend called her a freak when he saw her scars, and broke up with her.

Even so, she doesn't take it well when the personification of Death arrives with a package and tells her her blade's going to slip.  Death knows the worst is yet to come for Missy and he's chosen her as the new incarnation of WAR. 

Though this book is better written than the first of the series, Hunger, in terms of characterization and details, I found myself unable to properly understand Missy's reasoning for cutting herself.  She was entirely sympathetic as a protagonist and yet, while without being anorexic I could relate to Lisabeth Lewis, I had a harder time relating to Missy's way of dealing with her problems.  I imagine this will not be as much of an issue for most teens (who are deep in the trials of high school), whether they're at risk or not.

I also felt the message here overshadowed the story more than in Hunger.

I found the ending problematic.  Things got wrapped up too quickly for me to feel that the character was honestly going to change how she dealt with things, learn to trust others and become a strong woman in control of herself and her life.  I imagine cutting yourself for psychological reasons takes a fair bit of time and effort to overcome.  With her parents continuing their neglect of her and the few weeks of intense pressure at school due to the incident that causes her blade to slip, I can't see her rehabilitating as quickly as the ending seems to suggest.

On the other hand, the protagonist does start to deal with her problems and learns that she can't overcome some things by herself.  She learns there are time when you must trust friends and learns to believe in herself.  In addition to this, it has a good message for youth and adults alike, and treats a difficult issue that's relatively ignored when it comes to fiction. 

Book Review: Meridian by Amber Kizer

Pros: interesting premise, fast paced
Cons: unrealistic motivations, obvious plot twists
For Parents: nothing to worry about in this book

Meridian is used to things dying around her: insects and animals do it all the time.  She's always felt pain no doctors could treat.  When she witnesses a car crash on her 16th birthday, the pain she feels is intense - and she wasn't even injured.

Her parents send her off to her great aunt's to learn how to be a fenestra, a window for souls to pass through so they can go to heaven/nirvana.

It's an interesting premise and the light romance doesn't hurt.  I found the opening had too many pop references for my taste (since I generally don't get them) and some of the character's motivations are bizarre.  Meridian's mother wants her to have as long a childhood as possible so she doesn't explain anything to Meridian about who she is and why things keep dying around her.  This leaves Meridian completely unprepared when her life's put in jeopardy and has her believing that she's responsible for killing things.

Even Meridian's great aunt, who's annoyed at the girl's parents for the informational void, doesn't entirely explain what's going on, making Meridian dig for information vital to her survival.

And while I can understand that Tens, the aunt's helper/protector, is annoyed at having no choice in who he's destined to protect and thereby in his future, taking it out on the confused Meridian doesn't help matters.

I also found the church/Aternocti connection obvious and wondered 1) how the aunt missed it and 2) what 'good things' the church did that she alluded to at one point.  The church moved in and suddenly the two main employers in town shut down, it implemented a bread and juice confinement plan for pregnant women, after which the first seven women on it died.  I understand that people do strange things when afraid, but these are obvious correlations.  Why would you blame someone who has lived in the community for years and who has always helped people for a few bad events that happened soon after the church arrived?  One of which was a direct result of church action.  And how could the aunt have missed all of it?

But those are adult complaints.  Most teens will sympathise with Meridian's plight and enjoy the budding romance between her and Tens.

Book Review: Outside In by Maria Snyder

Pros: good pacing, interesting story, realistic relationship development

Cons: Trella manages to do an awful lot despite injuries and being tracked at one point

The Pop Cops are in the brig and a committee now runs Inside.  But the scrubs aren't happy and most have stopped working.  Trella's still reeling from the events of Inside Out and doesn't want more responsibility.  So she's only a consultant to the committee, which is ignoring all of her suggestions.  After a blast destroys a key system and injures a lot of people, Trella discovers that it was not an accident but caused by saboteurs.  How could things have gone so bad so fast?

Ms. Snyder's forte is with relationships, and this book shows off her skill in that regard.  Trella's relationship with Dr. Lamont begins strained and slowly develops into something new.  Her relationship with Riley also progresses at a natural pace, with her reckless behaviour causing him stress and hesitation with regards to taking things further.

As with the previous book, Trella makes mistakes and grows as a person when she acknowledges them.

Lots of unexpected twists will keep readers on their toes.  While Trella does endure more pain and injuries, again recovering remarkably fast, she remains a fun, flawed character.

Book Review: Inside Out by Maria Snyder

Pros: protagonist experiences real growth of character

Cons: Trella recovers from severe injuries surprisingly fast


For Parents: no content issues or language, mild violence

Trella knows their world is a cube.  Though she's a scrub, and relegated to a life of drudgery cleaning the ducts on levels 1 and 2, she's snuck to the upper levels often enough.

Now her skill at navigating the ducts and breaking the rules is going to get her into trouble.  Her only friend is convinced that Gateway - a door to an outside world - exists.  To prove him wrong she must retrieve something from the upper levels.  Only the authorities have set a trap and she's about to spring it.

While neither the idea of a two-tier society nor an enclosed environment are unique, their combination and lack of known history by the inhabitants makes this story interesting.

Trella's do it herself mentality could be grating, but it's not.  She's a teen who wants more from life and who's willing to change as her world expands.  She does heal much faster than I believe is possible, and functions well under high amounts of pain, but that's becoming common in teen dystopian fiction.

And she's given time to think about events and see the consequences of her actions, allowing for true character growth.

Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Pros: high tension, action packed, interesting concept, character growth, good use of literary techniques to achieve the above, great message, you'll be left reaching for the next book in the series

Cons: There's some violence, so it's rated 14 and up, some actual swearing (and lots of 'fake' swearing),  for stronger teen readers

Unlike the older men in his village of Prentisstown, Todd Hewitt was born on this world.  He was born with the Noise - the sound of everyone's thoughts - man and animal,  night and day.  Born after the war that killed all the natives, the Spacks.  Born after the Spacks unleashed the germ that caused the Noise and killed all the women.

Todd Hewitt is 30 days from his 13th birthday.  Thirty days from becoming a man when he and his dog Manchee come across something they've never encountered before.  Silence.

This encounter turns Todd's world upside down, as everything he thought he knew about his world is brought into question.  He's forced to flee with the source of the silence in an attempt to find answers and safety from the men of Prentisstown.  Men who are finally putting into motion a plan they've been brewing for years.

Patrick Ness is a master of the craft.  He uses first person to get the reader into Todd's head and, despite the Noise, Todd and those around him manage to keep secrets - from each other and the reader.

Repetition is used for emphasis, while clipped phrases are a means of ratcheting up the tension.  Ness also cleverly sidesteps the use of profanity by using 'effing', while letting the reader know the boy isn't REALLY saying 'effing'.

Every time you get close to understanding what's going on something else happens, forcing Todd further along his journey, and pulling the reader along for the ride.

There's also a great message towards the end.  And you'll want the sequel on hand when you finish this one.

This is one of the best teen books I've ever read.  It's great for both teens and adults, and you'll be hard pressed not to read on.

Book Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Pros: good pacing, lots of action and plot twists, interesting and realistic (if sometimes infuriating) characters

Cons: I wanted the kids to do the smart thing - rather than the right thing; because a lot of the actions taken are adult, I kept picturing the kids as being at least 16 when the protagonists were actually 14

For Parents: good for reluctant and/or weaker readers, no sexual content but a fair bit of violence and some racial slurs

It's school as usual for Sam until the teacher disappears. It doesn't take the kids long to discover that everyone in Perdido Beach over 15 is gone. There is now a barrier they can't cross enclosing a 20 mile radius and powerful bullies are setting themselves up in positions of power.

And some of the kids are acknowledging they have strange abilities.

Gone has an excellent mix of characters. There are bullies who manipulate with words and others who use violence. There are decent people who want someone in charge who will keep order, who don't want to be the one in charge. There are cowards and heroes, kids who are responsible, kids who are victims. I thoroughly hated a few of them, particularly Quinn and his use of racial slurs.

It was easy to forget that the protagonists were all 14 or under. While there was one real psychopath in the book, most of the kids were adverse to killing - even when it was in their best interest (I find it frustrating when characters in books don't get their comeuppance. In life I'd never urge a 14 year old to kill another kid, but in a book you want to good guys to win and the bad guys to die, not come back in the next book to make things hard for the good guys again. On the other hand, it's a better message for kids that they shouldn't kill, so the author did the right thing).

The pacing was great. For a 550 page book, it's a quick read. There are numerous plot twists and the cause of the disappearance is explained in a rational manner.

Great for adults who want a quick, entertaining read, or kids who want a good story. There is some violence but I don't remember any swearing and there's no sexual content.

SF Signal "Our Favourite Books" Podcast

The SF Signal Podcast #19 is the first live podcast I've done. I was a lot more relaxed than for the phone in. :)

Here were my 'best of 2010' books (and please note these aren't in ranked order, this is the order I spoke about them on the podcast):

For Fantasy:
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay
Desert Spear by Peter Brett
Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

For Science Fiction:
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald
Veracity by Laura Bynum
State of Decay by James Knapp

For Teen SFF:
Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins (as that's the one in the series published this year. I loved the other 2 books in the series as well.)
Eon by Alison Goodman
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
bonus: (ie not a 2010 publication) The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (I intend to read his 2010 release - the third in the series, Monsters of Men - before the year is out.)

I came out of the podcast with new books to look up, so go listen to what the other SF Signal bloggers have to recommend.

Book Review: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Website: www.randomhouse.com/teens/mazerunner/home.html
Blog: jamesdashner.blogspot.com

Pros: lots of tension, great pacing

Cons: while I still didn't connect with any of the boys, I didn't find them as annoying as I did in the first book

Picking up directly where The Maze Runner left off, The Scorch Trials doesn't let the Gladers relax much before the next round of horrors begins.

While you find out a bit more of the mystery surrounding the boys - including the fact that there was a similar experiment for girls - a lot of mysteries remain at the end of the book.

Look forward to a wild ride of one bad thing followed by another.

This book is definitely better than the first one. All of my complaints for it were dealt with/not applicable here. The pacing is good, there's some downtime to appreciate the situation the boys are in but not enough to feel bored. There's little character development, but the book takes place over two weeks so that's to be expected. And what development there is, follows logically from the events of the story.

While I felt teens would enjoy the first book better than adults, the sequel is a fantastic book for readers of all ages.

Can't wait for the third, when I hope to learn what's really going on with WICKED.

Book Review: Hunger By Jackie Morse Kessler

Author's Website: www.jackiemorsekessler.com

Pros: good message that doesn't come off as preachy, realistic look at anorexia

Cons: the books length meant the story was less developed and detailed than it could have been

Lisabeth Lewis is having a tough time. Whenever her mother's around, which isn't often, she's super critical, her boyfriend's too good for her, and her (now former) best friend accused her of being anorexic. As if. She's too fat to be anorexic!

To top it off, she's been chosen by Death to become Famine, Horseman of the Apocalypse.

Hunger is a book with a message. That message is that eating disorders are bad, and those with them don't see the problem with what they're doing or that they need help. Often in books like this the message overshadows the story, becoming preachy. That doesn't happen here. While the novel is short (less than 200 pages), the Famine storyline develops naturally, as does the collapse of Lisa's life due to her eating disorder. And while becoming Famine helps her recognize that she has a problem, it doesn't solve it. Lisa must take steps to solve her anorexia, above and beyond developing a backbone to stand up to the 'thin voice' in her head.

The only cons are that I'd have liked more story development to flesh out her relationships more, and that Death reminded me of Terry Pratchett's anthropomorphized personification from the Discworld series. They both have bizarre senses of humour, but Kessler's isn't the skeletal spectre Pratchett uses.

This is a good book for teens, whether they have an eating disorder or not. Lisa's POV is stark and realistic. I liked how Lisa's problem bloomed from over exercising and obsessively watching what she ate to paranoia and suicidal thoughts. Teens need to learn that some secrets aren't meant to be kept. This book could help identify those who have problems - to themselves or their friends.

A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association).

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Pros: realistic teen male characters, positive reactions from teens under pressure

Cons: frustrating plot

Thomas wakes up in an elevator with no memory of his life. When the elevator stops, doors on the ceiling open and he's helped out by a group of boys living in the Glade, surrounded by a Maze. Once a month a new boy arrives and once a week supplies come up the elevator. The furthest back anyone remembers is two years.

The day after Thomas arrives something unusual happens. The elevator opens again. This time, there's a girl inside.

As I've mentioned in previous teen reviews, there are two types of kid/teen books. Those you read and appreciate only as a youth and those that are equally good when you're an adult. I'd put the Maze Runner in the first category.

I'll start off with the positives, as my complaints contain spoilers to explain my points.

This is a great book for teen boys. As a loner in school I can sympathize with Thomas, both in his desire to learn more of what's going on as well as his need to keep his own counsel on matters of importance.

I especially liked how, despite the problems facing them, the boys set up a community that focuses on hard work and co-operation. Too often visions of boys in solitude show social break downs, pitting each one against the other or banding together in small violent groups (think: Lord of the Flies). In this book, when someone steps out of line they are dealt with. Violently. Not because the boys are incapable of other forms of justice (they have a jail cell) but because they can't afford the break down of order that could arise with rebellion or psychosis. In a tough situation they act with the good of the many in mind. And it works.

The glade was well planned, with the inhabitants utilizing specialized vocabulary to explain their existence and the problems facing them. It also allowed the author to have the kids use realistic language without filling the book with curses, which I thought was clever.

Now for the bad points - from an adult perspective. The Maze Runner is a book of questions. Thomas is teeming with them, and the reader is too. The problem is, no one knows the answers. While Thomas learns more about the glade and the maze, there's no one to answer the more important questions - what is the purpose of the glade/maze and why were these boys sent there. This is a series, with the idea that answers will be forthcoming in future books, but I found it frustrating that so little was revealed, even at the end of this book.

The book depends heavily on repetition. Thomas mentions several times how odd it is that he has memories of a life - movies, school, etc. - but can't remember faces or names of people and places. Another aspect is the repetition of information. Someone would mention something and a few paragraphs later someone else would ask about it. And sometimes the information is contradictory.

***Potential Spoiler Alert (I'll make it as general as I can while explaining my point)***

At the end of the novel a group of characters try a risky plan to escape the maze. They have to reach a certain place and type in a code. Doing so turns off the Grievers - the monsters that inhabit the maze. They know this, but afterwards someone questions what might have happened to those who remained behind and the consensus is that the Grievers got them despite the fact that the Grievers were turned off by the code.

***End Spoiler Alert***

But my biggest complaint was that I never liked any of the boys. There was nothing wrong with them besides being a bit annoying at times. They were all three dimensional characters, with good points and bad points. Unfortunately, we only see them through Thomas' eyes. And as Thomas' opinions of them changed, waffling between liking them and hating them, so too did mine as a reader. It meant that when people started dying at the end, I didn't care. That always disturbs me. Fictional or not, if the author is doing a good job I should feel something when someone dies.

Still, the book had enough positives that I'd recommend it for teen readers, if not necessarily their parents. The book has no sex, a little violence (mostly off screen) and lots of fake swearing.