The Highest Hope - Chapter 2
Labels:
fantasy,
fiction,
serialized novel,
southern gothic,
the highest hope
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Enjoy it here!
Please note I've decided to leave the posting to FictionPress instead of my blog because it's just too much of a pain to format.
Book Review - Ink
Labels:
amanda sun,
book review,
fantasy,
ink,
paper gods,
paranormal romance,
romance,
the paper gods trilogy,
urban fantasy,
young adult
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| Cover art courtesy of Barnes and Noble |
Author: Amanda Sun
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: June 25, 2013
Version I Read: Kindle
Rating: 3/5
I’ve been trying to get away from YA paranormal romance as of late, because it’s all just so boring and not very well written. Ink is only a partial exception to that, but I found myself picking it up anyway because the premise and setting intrigued me.
Ink follows the story of Katie Greene, an American teen having to go live with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, upon the death of her mother. Grieving for her mother, feeling like an outsider in a completely different culture halfway across the world, all she can think about is going to live with her grandparents in Canada instead. But when she meets mysterious Tomohiro and strange things begin happening around her involving ink, Katie realizes there’s more to Tomohiro than the rumors suggest.
For the most part, Ink is pretty typical for its genre. Mysterious boy in high school who turns out to be some kind of supernatural being, tries to push the girl away for her own protection, girl is “special” for some reason, boy loses girl for some dumbish reason, no real plot to speak of, yadda yadda yadda.
That being said, there are a few things that set Ink apart from the crowd:
The culture. Amanda Sun has clearly been to Japan, because I have too and I can vouch for nearly everything being precisely true. The accuracy of it truly makes the Japan of the book come alive, so kudos to the author on that front. The one odd exception to this is the Kami themselves, who don’t resemble mythological Japanese kami at all. That being said, her take on them is interesting.
The dialogue. The banter between Katie and Tomohiro feels real and makes them feel more like real people than typical protagonists in a paranormal YA novel. Fortunately, Tomohiro also escapes the “abusive boyfriend” problem that tends to crop up in YA because all of his “bad boy” attributes turn out to be complete accidents or lies, and, aside from his powers, he turns out to be a rather normal Japanese teenager.
The true natures of Ishikawa and Takahashi were also pretty well-done, with Ishikawa turning out not to be so bad a guy (adequately foreshadowed) and Jun being kind of a megalomaniac wanting to take over the world (not so adequately foreshadowed, but it worked because it was an interesting twist). Yuki and Tanaka don’t have much personality, but they do feel like normal high school students. I was interested in Shiori and wanted to learn more about her.
At first I rolled my eyes at the ending (Katie’s grandparents being able to take her in and Tomohiro encouraging her to leave so she won’t be hurt because of his power) but it was not too badly done because of the last few paragraphs, where Katie says screw it and doesn’t go. I also consider Katie herself to be a rather strong heroine, as she knows kendo and uses it when they’re captured by yakuza. Even without using her physical strength, she manages to be an imposing figure, not afraid to speak her mind or challenge others.
The Verdict: Not perfect by any means, especially compared to my sensibilities and standards, but if you’re still on the prowl for Twilight clones, you could do a lot worse than this one.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Book Review - Talon
Labels:
book review,
dragons,
julie kagawa,
talon,
talon saga,
young adult
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| Cover art courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: October 28, 2014
Version I Read: Audiobook
Rating: 4.5/5
I’ve always had a lot of respect for Julie Kagawa, ever since I first picked up The Iron King. She has always managed to do the whole typical “teen paranormal romance” while, you know, actually having an interesting plot. Since her publishing contract appears to be with Harlequin Teen, that alone is pretty impressive.
Because I really, really don’t like vampires and post-apocalyptic stories, however, I ultimately chose to take a pass on Blood of Eden. But when I heard she had a new series coming out about dragons, I was more than ready to give it a shot, and I was not disappointed.
Talon follows siblings Ember and Dante Hill, who are nearing the end of their training in the global dragon organization called Talon. They are dragons, who can shift into human form, and after years of lessons are now living amongst the human population for a summer as something of a final test. Once they complete integration, they will be assigned their positions in the organization. Ember, while happy to be experiencing something resembling freedom, has a rebellious streak that begins to blossom into full mutiny when she meets a rogue dragon, Cobalt, who tells her of Talon’s true nature. Meanwhile, the Order of St. George, a militant organization dedicated to killing all dragons, has gotten reports of a dragon imposter in the town Ember and Dante are living in, and they are going to send their best operatives to find the “sleeper” and kill it. But their “perfect soldier,” Garret, may get way more than he bargained for.
I listened to the audiobook, which is something I’ve tried to do more of as of late. (I can read more books that way!) I’m not as familiar with the medium as I am plain old books, but I thought the performances were pretty darn good. (And Chris Patton is a dragon! Awesome!)
Here there be spoilers!
The characters are pretty good, maybe not the most original, but likable and good nonetheless. I especially like how Ember actually is a badass who, for the most part, doesn’t need to be rescued. So often in YA paranormal romance, a spunky heroine turns into useless so the guy can save her. Not Ember. She does get help every now and again, but she kicks ass all the way. Dante keeps the reader guessing as to his true feelings and allegiance, before the ending, which is pretty heartbreaking for the reader as well as Ember. It’s interesting to see Garret’s inner thoughts and how both he and Ember begin the story as pretty convinced their side is right before changing their opinions throughout the story (while expected, I think it’s done well). Garret’s inner whining about how he can’t be with Ember even though she captivates him can get a little irritating at times, but nothing too serious. And Riley/Cobalt is a rebel with an attitude, trying to save young dragons from the organization. It’s hard not to like him, and Wes, the snarky hacker, for that matter. Even the human girls Ember hangs out with feel like people, and not just stereotypical blonde bimbos.
The plot really kicks into high gear near the end, with Ember and Garret discovering each other’s secrets and choosing to spare each other’s lives, Ember deciding to flee with Cobalt, and Dante choosing to remain with the organization rather than follow his sister. This sets up readers nicely for the next novel, with Garret captured and about to be executed by St. George for collaborating with a dragon, and Dante and Talon’s search for Ember. I came to realize just how much I liked these characters and cared about what was going to happen to them.
The biggest plot hole in this book (I even went back to the first chapter and listened to the first half of it again to make sure I wasn’t missing an explanation) is the human involvement with Talon. It’s never adequately explained in Talon, and in Rogue, it appears Kagawa might be handwaving it, which is a bit of a disappointment. I can understand if the humans they have working for them are being bought out, and that many of them don’t know the true nature of the organization, but given what I know about humanity, I have a hard time believing Talon could get too many humans (short of ones being raised by Talon, I guess) to think of themselves as a “lesser” species (we're not known for being humble). For that matter, I think she needs to go into more detail about how Talon operates in general, but she has more books for that, so I'll give it a pass for now. I also think the choice of having Ember discover and love surfing was a little “Californian surfer dude/dudette” cliche, but not too obnoxious.
The other thing I’m hoping Kagawa addresses in later books is Cobalt’s network of escaped hatchlings, its mechanics, and his plan for it. So far, it’s pretty clear that he and Wes are running this operation single-handedly, which I think is a tiny bit farfetched, mostly because a juvenile can’t be the only rogue dragon out there attempting to screw over Talon. I really hope we get to see more rogue dragons.
The Verdict: I’d say Talon gets off to a slower start than most, but I’m glad I stuck around, because the story seems to get more interesting the deeper you get into it.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
On "All Girls Want Bad Boys"
Labels:
bad boys,
domestic abuse,
draco in leather pants,
human psychology,
philosophy
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Sadly, this "desire," I suppose we can call it, can carry over into real life, as there are countless stories of women staying with their abusive husbands because they want to “change” them.
There have been several scientific theories posed as to why this phenomenon exists, with most coming to the conclusion that a "stronger" man is more desirable evolutionarily so he can help protect the woman and her offspring, as well as provide her with healthy offspring. Understanding this phenomenon is important, but what’s more important is that it does happen, oftentimes with tragic consequences.
That all being said, I’m going to say that I have a big issue with either implying or outright telling girls and women that they shouldn’t attempt to help someone just because that person “can’t change.” People change. Perhaps not as easily or magically as they do in fiction, but people can change and they can grow into stronger, better people. I’d even go so far as to say that a supporting partner can easily be one of the main causes for a human being to live a more emotionally fulfilled and happy life than they would have otherwise. Because, in my experience, the vast majority of people simply want to be understood and supported.
This is NOT to say, however, that I think ANYONE should stay in an abusive relationship, no matter how much you "love" them. And I’m not saying all or even most "Bad Boys" would make good boyfriends. (I think the core of the matter lies in our largely apparent inability to teach our girls to value themselves, but that's a discussion for another time)
What I am saying is that people need to be supported, understood, and loved, no matter what stage they are in life. And discouraging people from doing that, from feeling compassion for others and acting on that compassion, I think, is one of the many things that is wrong with this world.
Book Review - Mouseheart
Labels:
book review,
children's literature,
Lisa Fiedler,
mouseheart
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| Cover art courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: Lisa Fiedler
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: May 2015
Version I Read: Paperback
Rating: 4/5
Version I Read: Paperback
Rating: 4/5
Man, I’m just on a children’s book kick recently, aren’t I? The most recent book I’ve completed that I feel I need to write a review on is Lisa Fielder’s Mouseheart.
Animal fantasy seems to be really in right now, what with the success of the Warriors series and the myriad of similar series that have followed it. Mouseheart appears to be kind of on the same track, and in many ways it’s rather typical for its genre. But I think this book goes to show there’s really nothing wrong with that. And because I like mice and rats in real life (I've owned many), I always appreciate when an animal fantasy story focuses on them (Rats of NIMH is one of my favorites, perhaps obviously.)
I wouldn’t call the plot of Mouseheart particularly spectacular or original. What does stand out is the characters. They all have well-defined personalities and motivations, and nearly all are at least somewhat sympathetic. Hopper is a relatable hero, his sister Pinky is an unapologetic badass, Zucker is a nice guy stuck in the pretty bad situation of having to betray his own father in order to save lives, Firren is an awesome revolutionary lady rat, and Titus, horrible as he is, shows some signs of regret and "doing what he has to do." And the idea of the main villain being a prissy housecat that got tossed out on the streets and then clawed her way up is pretty cool too.
One big criticism of the book I have is Zucker’s speech patterns. Perhaps it’s because he’s trying to seem less princely around Hopper, but his attempts at sounding like the “cool big bro” didn’t do much for me at all, and I felt it detracted severely from the writing and the story, and didn’t present Zucker as the kind of character the author was intending.
Either way, I’ve found myself pretty drawn into this world and I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel.
The Verdict: A fun book with a lot of good characters, barring some dialogue issues and unoriginality. I think parents and kids will enjoy it.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Book Review - Jurassic Park
Labels:
book review,
dinosaurs,
fiction,
jurassic park,
michael crichton,
science fiction
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| Cover art courtesy of Barnes and Noble |
Title: Jurassic Park
Author: Michael Crichton
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: November 1990
Version I Read: Mass Market Paperback
Rating: 4.5/5
Ah, Jurassic Park. Perhaps one of the only times in history that the movie has been better than the book.
That’s not to say the book is bad. It’s actually very good. It just has the misfortune of being overshadowed by one of the most successful (and in my opinion best) movie adaptations of all time. (Apologies. This review cannot help but make comparisons, and this is opinion, meaning there is quite a good argument to be had as to why the book is better.)
Nearly everyone knows the story of Jurassic Park. Rich eccentric builds a park with dinosaurs on an island off the coast of Costa Rica. And later there’s running and screaming.
Now, science will tell you this can’t work. DNA degrades over time, rendering it impossible to clone. Not to mention getting enough DNA from a blood sample in a mosquito to clone from is also highly unlikely. Not to mention the fact that T-Rex would have had feathers, dilophosaurus probably couldn’t spit venom, and velociraptor was the size of a chicken. But none of that matters, because both the book and the movie are just that freaking awesome.
I’ve been a fan of Jurassic Park since basically as long as I can remember. I had to convince my mother to let me see it when I was, like, five, and as I’m typing this, we’re actually going to go see it at a midnight showing at a local art theater, so I’m super excited.
So back to the book that started it all. I read the book many years ago when I was younger, but I opted to reread it last month in order to better comprehend it as my adult self. Obviously there are a lot of differences; some of which work better or answer questions those familiar with the movie might have. You obviously have a lot more time for detail in the book, which certainly adds to the credibility of this park. For example, the book elaborates on the reason the dinosaurs’ vision is based on movement (because of the added frog DNA), why the triceratops/stegosaurus was sick, and Dodgson’s motivations in contracting Dennis Nedry to steal the embryos.
There’s also the characters in general, as most have significant differences from their movie counterparts. (Wu and Harding get to do things! Gennaro is kind of badass! Hammond is an asshole! Grant has a beard!) Hammond being rather unsympathetic is particularly jarring to those familiar with the film, and I do wish he’d had something else to him, because as-is he’s kind of a flat character. It's also pretty horrific that two of the main deaths (Wu and Regis) were because they were trying to help someone else. Yeah, it was douchy of Regis to run off on the kids when the Rex attacked, but he came back out of guilt only to be Tyrannosaur dinner. And Wu died because he was trying to warn Ellie there were raptors nearby. Yikes.
A lot of it, I think, comes down to personal preference as to whether you like movie!character or book!character better. I think nearly everyone prefers movie!Hammond, and I certainly prefer book!Gennaro. Muldoon is pretty close between the two versions, but he gets to live in the book, which is nice. In contrast, book!Malcolm dies. It was an interesting choice for Spielberg to switch the ages of the kids - in the book, Lex is the younger sibling, and not nearly as useful. The elaboration on their parents’ divorce and the fact that Lex is obviously the favored child of their father, however, is well-done and quite sad for both Tim and Lex.
Although I do find Crichton’s choice to try and keep us guessing for the first parts of the book as to what’s going on rather well done, it is kind of odd when, even just from looking at and reading the book’s cover, it’s clear there are dinosaurs running around. Guitierrez’s presence was also odd, as you’re almost led to believe he will be the main character, before it then switches to Grant for the remainder of the book (until Guitierrez shows up again, somewhat randomly, at the end).
The book is technically classified as a thriller, and I think it succeeds in that area pretty well, particularly the scenes with the raptors near the end (and in the laboratory with Grant), the aviary scene, and the part when Grant and the kids are trying to avoid the T-Rex and get to the riverboat. I always admire writers who can make us feel afraid or anxious without the help of visual media, the way film can do, I feel, more easily. Goes to show how powerful the human imagination is.
The one thing I wasn't too keen on was the prose itself. While obviously written by a scientific mind for an intelligent audience, the prose are pretty "basic," which can take away some of the awe and imagery I'm sure Crichton's trying to conjure.
While I hold scientific progress in high regard and generally disagree with Crichton’s rather anti-science standpoint, I think the cautionary point about “just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should” is well-taken. (That, or they could just have people who know what they’re doing running Jurassic Park)
The verdict: Jurassic Park is a great book that, if you like dinosaurs or smart thrillers, you should read, no matter your familiarity with the film.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
The Highest Hope - Chapter 1
Labels:
fantasy,
free book,
serialized novel,
southern gothic,
the highest hope
·
Chapter
1
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