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Titles I've written about:
Tempest (2012):
It's a totally solid, competently-written thriller with a likable protagonist and an entertaining cast of characters. It moves along at a quick clip, and the plotting is just as complex and convoluted as a story about time travel should be.
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Jackson Meyer is in college. He's well-off, working on a double major, has a girlfriend he adores, and a job he enjoys. Things are pretty good.
Eight months ago, he discovered that he can travel through time. He can only go backwards, and any action he takes—whether it be an interaction with a person or an object—seems to be erased when he jumps back into his own time, but still. He's only told one other person about it: his science-loving friend Adam*. Together, they've started running experiments in order to better understand Jackson's new ability.
Then, tragedy—in the form of two strange men—strikes, and Jackson's girlfriend Holly is shot. Devastated, scared, and bereft, Jackson is catapulted two years into the past. Trapped in 2007, he is forced to:
A) Fool everyone—including his father—into thinking that he's two years younger than he actually is, and
B) find out what the crap is happening to him,
in order to:
C) get back home, and
D) save Holly.
Fun stuff. Not only does it feature time travel (yay!) and Jackson's ever-increasing powers over it, it's also got a secret maybe-evil-maybe-not time traveling society, some CIA shenanigans, combat training, and a good amount of nausea. Also, there's romance of the he-knows-her-in-the-future-when-he's-twenty-one-and-she's-of-age-but-now-he's-in-the-past-and-still-twenty-one-but-she's-seventeen-so-that's-weird-but-also-sort-of-fun/creepy-because-he's-got-the-upper-hand-in-that-he-knows-all-of-her-likes-and-dislikes-and-also-he's-pretending-to-be-poor-and-also-hiding-the-fact-that-he's-from-the-future-and-that-her-life-might-be-in-danger variety.
Is it likely to win accolades based on its lyrical strength? No. But it's a totally solid, competently-written thriller with a likable protagonist and an entertaining cast of characters. It moves along at a quick clip, and the plotting is just as complex and convoluted as a story about time travel should be.
As Tempest is about a guy in his early 20s, it could reside either at the older end of YA or at the younger end of adult—the realm that some people are starting to call New Adult.
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*Classic Adam line: "Seriously? All the crazy shit that's happened to you and you think I'm insane because I mention parallel universe theory?"
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Book source: ILLed through my library.
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From the Baltimore Sun:
Mary Hastler, director of the Harford County Public Library, read James' first two novels before determining that the series doesn't meet her library's selection criteria. She hasn't read the third novel.
"These books are a very different take on traditional romances," she said.
"In my personal opinion, it's almost like a how-to manual in terms of describing bondage and submissive relationships. A lot of the reviews that came out very publicly and quickly identified these books as 'mommy porn.' Since our policy is that we don't buy porn, we made the decision not to purchase the series."
I don't know if the library director is equating erotica and porn—as far as I know, 50 Shades is considered erotica—but her library very definitely stocks erotica.
La la la la la.
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This issue picks up not long after the first one ended: the body of the murdered man—one of the Young—is now being prepped for autopsy. Everyone is still at a loss about the hows of the death—the as-yet unidentified man hadn't been impaled, incinerated, or decapitated—let alone the whos or whys.
While we see the beginning of CI Suttle's investigation—including the identification of the victim, some research into the strange burn marks on his neck, and a conversation with his valet—as well as a bit more about Suttle's household, including Louisa's reaction to being newly-Young, this issue is really more about providing some background about the world.
Artwork? I'm still not blown away, though I just noticed that all of the Young appear to have amber-colored eyes. The faces, especially, still aren't doing much for me, though I noticed something cool: while the faces of the Young all share a bland similarity (beyond eye color, I mean), the faces of the humans are more varied, and some of them have features so exaggerated that they almost resemble caricatures.
Storyline? As this issue provided more backstory, it got a little infodumpy as it caught new readers up to speed and then introduced more history, but not in such a way that it was egregiously offensive.
I especially like this aspect of the world: the Young (vampires) and the Bright (human) are divided not only along mortal lines, but along class lines. The Young are the upper crust, and the bright are the working class. Which means that the ruling class is very concerned with keeping the details of this murder quiet—if it gets out, as Suttle's superior says, "We won't seem so bloody superhuman and immortal after all, will we?"
Keep going? While this issue didn't do a ton for me, I'm going to keep reading because I do love the premise. I hope very much that ultimately, I'll love it for the story and the characters as well. But my hopes for the series are a little less high than they were.
Previously:
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In this installment of The Daily Circuit, Kerri Miller interviews Sarah Coyne (author of the recent BYU profanity study), Pam Alleyn (founder of LitWorld and LitLife), and partway through, Andrew Karre (editorial director at Carolrhoda Books and all-round rockstar) shows up.
While it was, for sure, an interesting (and polite, thankfully) conversation, I admit to getting a tad worked up a few times. And you might do so as well, regardless of whether you're pro- or anti-ratings.
A few thoughts:
Anyway, like I said, just a few of my thoughts.
If you have the time, give it a listen for yourself.
But maybe try not to drive your office-mate away with all of your crazypants muttering.
Speaking of, I should go and tell her that it's safe to come back now.
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If you're into epic fantasy and haven't started Alison Croggan's Pellinor series, the first book is priced at $1.99 today.
I haven't, so here I go: click.
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From the Salt Lake Tribune:
The decision to keep the book "behind the counter" in libraries followed an April 30 meeting during which a seven-member committee determined the book didn’t align with district curriculum standards. The committee, comprised of teachers, administrators and parents, voted 6-1 to keep the book off shelves, with a high school librarian casting the dissenting vote.
"State law says schools can’t have anything in the curriculum that advocates homosexuality," Williams said. "That is why it is now behind the counter."
Sigh.
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Anna Dressed in Blood is currently on sale for $2.99.
I can't tell you how much I loved this book.
Oh, wait.
Note: there are a couple of other Tor teen titles available for the same price (and through other vendors) as well.
(via FW)
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Hooray! Just when I was hoping for a Kinsey story, I turned the page, and voila!
It's been three months and three days since her father's murder. One of the first things that Kinsey did after the family moved to the East Coast was change her appearance. In an attempt to stay under the radar—"I don't want to give people one more reason to stare at me"—she got rid of her dreads, piercings, and activist t-shirts. She doesn't even recognize her own reflection anymore, but staying unnoticed is paramount.
Meanwhile, Sam Lesser puts his gifts from Toilet Lady to use... and escapes.
Artwork? The bracelet that Kinsey's father gave her is the only thing that survives her reinvention—she even wears it when she's running track—which is a really nice touch.
Storyline? Kinsey's desire to remain invisible is especially poignant given her guilt about the day her father died: "When they came to kill us, I wasn't heroic. I wasn't brave. Later on, they found bruises on my little brother's throat. That's how hard I was squeezing to keep him quiet." Of course, she doesn't think about it from Bode's perspective: regardless of motivating emotion, in grabbing him and hiding, she very probably saved both of their lives.
In addition to the super characterization, writing, and artwork, the stealthy introduction of multiple mysteries totally has me hooked: How will Kinsey's bracelet factor into the storyline (a key is incorporated into the engravings on it, which would suggest that it's related to the house somehow), and what was her track coach's history with Rendall Locke? What's the deal with the Water Lady? Speaking of, Sam Lesser kind of got screwed by the Water Lady: will he continue to do her bidding, or will he attempt revenge? And, of course, what's the deal with the house?
Keep going? Obvs.
Previously:
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So I think I'll skip the book, tyvm.
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The Incarnation series website.
Titles I've written about:
The Alchemy of Forever (2012):
While the love story with Noah is nice enough, it's the other stuff—dealing with high school, being answerable to loving parents, seeing the consequences of her actions (rather than just moving on*), and finding that she has both more freedom (because of escaping Cyrus) and less freedom (she's underage) than she's used to—that's closer to the heart of her journey.
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London, 1349. After a chance encounter with with the local apothecary's son and a pair of thieves, fourteen-year-old Seraphina Ames' life changes forever: on the verge of death, Cyrus makes her an immortal.
But there's a price. Immortality is hard on your physical body. So hard that they don't usually even last a decade. In order to survive, Sera—and others like her—steal other peoples' bodies.
San Francisco, now. Well over six hundred years into her life, Sera has had enough. She's done with murdering people—because, really, that's what it is—and she's done with Cyrus, who is manipulative and violent and jealous. Her current body is starting to break down, and she's got a secret plan: rather than jump to another body, she's going to commit suicide. In so doing, she'll finally be free of Cyrus and of this murderous cycle.
But then of course, it all goes wrong...
I wrote briefly about The Alchemy of Forever earlier this month. And now, after finishing the book, I'm comfortable in labeling some of the prose as somewhat repetitive. Cyrus's vial makes another appearance towards the end of the book (in a flashback, so I don't consider that a spoiler), and again:
He unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt and pulled out the vial that he always wore on its silver cord. (234)
I know, I know: it's totally not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but that sort of thing always makes me twitch. Anyway.
That aside, I actually really enjoyed this one. There's a romance between a Young Body/Old Mind and a Young Body/Young Mind, but:
A) it's not the primary focus of the story, and
B) it doesn't come off as creepy.
The lack of creep factor is because Sera:
A) has never been romantically involved with anyone but Cyrus, and
B) is now in a body that's about the same age as she was when she was torn from her original body.
So, in a way, this accident is allowing her to see What Might Have Been. While the love story with Noah is nice enough, it's the other stuff—dealing with high school, being answerable to loving parents, seeing the consequences of her actions (rather than just moving on*), and finding that she has both more freedom (because of escaping Cyrus) and less freedom (she's underage) than she's used to—that's closer to the heart of her journey.
Also, the Cyrus subplot? At moments, mondo creepers. Which is always fun.
Looking forward to Book Two.
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Booklist: Alchemy.
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Book source: ILLed through my library.
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