Novels Now

Trackers by Patrick Carman
Trackers, Book 1

Pages: 224
Ages: 10+
First Published: May 11, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

How far back can you go Adam?

Acquired: Received a review copy from Scholastic Canada.

Reason for Reading: I became a huge fan of Carman’s after reading the Atherton series and was excited to read another book by him.

A book entirely written as an interview, an interrogation. 15 year-old Adam is being questioned by someone to go back to the beginning and tell them what happened. We have no idea who is doing the interviewing, though the assumption is that is that it is high ranking officials, either military or government. Though whether that assumption is true I have not ascertained and part of me highly doubts. Right from the beginning we are teased with foreshadowing, told that something awful has happened and this foreshadowing continues throughout the book. Adam’s three cohorts are used as bargaining chips to keep him talking as he does not know what has happened to them, if they are well and if these “officials” also have them, as they claim.

Through this Q&A format Adam tells the story of how he, a computer high-tech savvy expert with multitudes of invented gadgets and access to any computer in the world meets up with three other teens of various abilities who join together to help the world by tracking down online hackers and fixing weak security systems while leaving behind anonymous notes. They call themselves “Trackers” and they also physically go out on test runs with the gadgets Adam has invented while he stays back at the control room running the operation. They get pulled into a dangerous game when Adam is contacted by an attractive female teen who challenges him to a cyber game he can’t refuse. Next thing he knows his system has been hacked, all his inventions and files stolen and now he is at the mercy of this young woman and a menacing man named Laslo who force him and his team to participate in criminal activities but Adam thinks he can outsmart them in the end. Obviously, due to the current interrogation, something drastically went wrong.

I loved this story. It was a page turner. Each of the four teens were exceptional individuals, from different backgrounds and each was extremely likable in their own unique way. I am very eager to get on with the story in book 2.

Trackers is very unique itself in that it combines video with text. Throughout the book, as the interview was progressing a file would be introduced and Adam would pull up a video that proved what he was saying was true. At this point the reader who has already been directed to a website inserts the password and has the opportunity to watch an actual video of the characters in action. There may also be other things for the reader to do such as examine items in evidence, schematics, etc. I must say this is extraordinarily cool. Unfortunately, I only have internet access on a PC shared with family members. I did watch the first couple of videos this way, but if I had had to read a bit then wait a turn on the computer before continuing to read on it would have taken me weeks to finish the book! Fortunately, for those not able to enjoy the instant gratification of the videos each is included as a written transcript as an appendix at the back of the book and this is the way I eventually ended up reading the book. It did not deter my enjoyment at all. A very exciting, unique, intriguing story!

Revolver by Matt Kindt

Pages: 192
Ages: 18+
First Published: Jul. 20, 2010
Publisher: Vertigo

Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

I do the same thing every morning.

Acquired: Received a Review Copy from the publisher.

Reason for Reading: Pure Plot. I love post-apocalyptic stories.

This is a dark, oppressive story from every angle and will not be for everyone. The art is done with stark, spidery sketches done in blue, black & tan which at first glance were quite different to what I’m used to but as the story progressed I felt they really added to the atmosphere of the plot and contributed to the stark, oppressiveness.

Sam is a lazy guy stuck in a dead end job, who is belittled by his domineering boss and is plagued by his materialistic girlfriend. One morning, on his way to work there is a 9/11 type attack on his office building in Chicago, in fact, airplanes are crashing into major cities all over the US. Later reports of ‘dirty bombs’ are reported and the US goes into a state of post-apocalyptic survival. Sam is busy that day helping others get out of the building and making himself useful ending up with his boss who is in a state of shock. Sam has also found himself capable of viciously standing up for his survival … no matter what. The next day he wakes up back in his regular life where the attack hasn’t happened. And so Sam continues to live opposing days (and whenever he has a nap) one in which he must fight for his life everyday but he feels he has purpose to his life and one in which the world is safe and his life is boring as dirt. He must eventually choose which world to stay in.

I quite enjoyed the story, there is a lot of deep thinking involved, philosophizing and reading between the lines but I enjoyed the brain stretch. The ending is surprising and comes with unsaid but understood conclusions. All 3 characters are cliched, and one could pick on the author for his representation of female characters but when 2 out of 3 characters are female it is unfair to say he chose to especially stereotype the women. However, these stereotypes may have been used on purpose as Sam is not a likable character and the cliched women types bring out his unlikable characteristics purposefully. I think the story is worth reading and quite clever in its eventual climax and ending. One is left with a lot to think about.

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
Fever Crumb, Book 1

Pages: 385 pages
Ages: 12+
First Published: 2009 UK (Apr. 1 2010 US)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

That morning they were making paper boys.

Acquired: Received a review copy from Scholastic Canada.

Reason for Reading: The plot was intriguing and this is my type of book.

A foundling baby girl found by the Order of Engineers, a male society, is taken into the fold and raised to be one of them. The baby came with a note stating her name is Fever and since Dr. Crumb found her it was reasonable that he was the one who took the main caregiver role. 14 year-old Fever is now being sent off to assist an archaeologist, Kit Solent, in his home but when she arrives there she starts having memories of the place that are not her own. Kit seems to expect something from her and the memories become stronger. When riots hit the city, people come after her looking to kill her. She must escape but whose memories is she taking with her?

This is the first book I have read by Reeve and I wasn’t aware that this was the beginning of a prequel series to another series he has already written until I had started the book. That information does not hinder the reading of this book at all, though I’m sure others who have read the Mortal Engines series will probably have insider information that I am unaware of that may make the reading experience more enjoyable.

I did enjoy the story. It is unique. Set in a future earth, so very far in the future in fact that our current time now is known as the Ancients and bits and pieces of our technology are traded and collected even when they are rusted pieces of junk. But anything that actually still works is highly prized and valued. Otherwise this future world is more or less of a medieval nature in culture and custom. Fever is a completely likable main character and I took to her right away. She grows as a person throughout the book starting off timid from a sheltered almost monk-like childhood. As she enters the world outside her boundaries she slowly gains confidence and a voice, strength, determination and becomes more in control of herself while shedding her timidity.

My main problem with the book was that the plot line was slow. It started off well and interesting and then just seemed to lag for me. It took me a lot longer than it should have to read the book. I never totally lost interest but I often wanted it to hurry up and “get on with it!” When the pace picked up and the plot was advancing I was hooked but my interest did come and go. The ending was fast paced and went in an unexpected direction. It feels to me that book two will take Fever to meet many new characters and I’m certainly interested in where all the threads that have been left hanging will continue so I will be reading book 2. I’m just hoping the pace will be more consistent.

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Pages: 297
Ages: 11+
First Published: May 1, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

I peered into the deep-sea canyon,hoping to spot a toppled skyscraper. Maybe even the Statue of Liberty.

Acquired: Received a review copy from Scholastic Canada.

Reason for Reading: I’ve read a couple of other books about permanent settlements on the sea floor and find the concept quite interesting.

It is the future and an experimental colony on the sea bottom is flourishing. Ty was the first child born sub-sea and it’s the only life he knows. When Gemma comes from Topside looking for her brother she joins him in a journey to safe the colony from a force that seems to be out to get the pioneers. A band of Outlaws are attacking pioneer homes, killing their livestock, invading their homes and deflating them, plus Ty and Gemma have evidence they might have killed someone. Things are taken to such a point that Ty and other sub-sea children must reveal a dark secret they have been keeping.

This was a fun read. I read the book in a day and carried it with me everywhere. The descriptions of underwater life sound plausible to this layman. The way the community is set up is very intriguing and makes one want to visit such a place. I’ve always thought that underwater living would make a much more sensible next step than colonization of another planet. Ty has a whole family who play a part in the book’s plot but Gemma is the one who brings the popular orphan theme into play. I found Ty to be a bit of a whiner, disrespectful to his parents and authority so I never particularly liked him but, nevertheless, the book did have an easy to read, pleasant narrative with a sense of humour. The plot becomes quite involved as we have Ty and Gemma searching for the Outlaws, the Outlaws running amok with the pioneers and the government eventually gets involved leaving the colonists in a worse situation than before. Be prepared as the secrets are revealed make this a compelling read.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Pages: 197 pages
Ages: 10+
First Published: Jul. 14, 2009
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

So Mom got the postcard today.

Reason for Reading: I’m working my way through reviewing all the Newbery winners.

Miranda has been best friends with Sal since they were in diapers, but one day Sal gets punched walking home from school and their friendship ends. Miranda starts running into the boy who punched him, Marcus, and they become acquaintances. Miranda loves the book A Wrinkle in Time and reads it over and over and over. Nobody can get her to try a different book and Marcus starts talking to her about the science behind the time-space travel component of the book. On Miranda’s block there is a strange homeless man who talks about strange things, yells things out, talks to her, calls her “smart girl” and every now and then kicks his leg out into the street. He also sleeps with his head wedged under a mailbox. Oh, and Miranda also receives strange messages from an unknown person asking her to do things but most specifically to write the sender a letter. It isn’t until the end of the book that all these elements come together and make perfect sense to Miranda.

An enjoyable book. The science fiction element is light and comes into play towards the end to explain all the strange events. The book also explores friendships as Miranda has relationships with a boy she’s known from being a baby, a bully, a friendly neighbourhood woman, a crotchety old man, a girl who is made fun of at school, and a girl who has been dumped by the snooty popular girl, as well as the snooty girl herself. All of these people at some point Miranda befriends and she learns a lot about how appearances can be deceiving and to get to know the inside person before making judgments. Though sometimes a person’s true self can a disappointment.

I thought the story was well-written, the characters likable and interesting. I read the book quickly and thought the ending was clever. The story never went past good, fine or ok with me though. From a Newbery winner I expect more.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Pages: 766 pgs (ARE)

First Published: Jun. 8, 2010

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

Before she became the Girl from Nowhere - the One Who Walked In, the First and Last and Only, who lived a thousand years - she was just a little girl in Iowa, named Amy.

Reason for Reading: As soon as I heard of this book, which was before any of the buzz or hype had started, I knew I had to read it as I love apocalyptic novels and this had all the ingredients that made it sound like a book I had to read.

First, all the buzz, the hype, the comparisons to classics in this genre and the talk about this book is true. I fell into this door stopper tome and became hypnotized by the world I had entered. I can’t remember the last time I carted an almost 800 page book to the beach with me! But once I had started reading, I was trapped and could only stop reading for the very essentials of life. I have not read Justin Cronin before but this is an author who can write and I will be checking out his two previous works.

Essentially, this is the story of a girl who saves the world. The plot is so complex it is almost impossible to give a summary without writing pages but I’ll try. A hideous scientific experiment goes terribly wrong and a virus is exposed in the United States. It eventually destroys modern civilization on the North American continent (the fate of the world is unknown), leaving behind scattered groups of survivors and horrible infected persons who have been turned into something no longer human. Because of their lust for blood and some of their habits such as death by exposure to light the media, in the early days referred to them as vampires and occasionally to the virus as the “vamp virus”. However, throughout the book various groups have different names for the infected ones, most commonly called virals, and while some names such as “dracs” refer to vampires, everyone knows these are people who have been infected with a virus. In my humble opinion, this is not a vampire book.

One of the survivors is a little girl who was also experimented on, the last one. She turned out different though, she appears perfectly normal and a CIA agent rescues her where they then flee to the mountains and live a reclusive life. A hundred years go by and now commences the majority of the book. How life is being lead now with the remains of civilization around the new societies, living in a world where nighttime is to be avoided, using sources such as batteries but having no replacements once they are gone. This life can only last so long and one day into it walks a girl. A strange girl, who may hold the fate of humankind in her hands.

I just love this book so much!! There are so many characters and all are so deftly created to be complete, complex human beings. The world Cronin has created is amazingly real and is one that is completely believable of a post-apocalyptic society. His characters deal with real issues such as brotherly tensions, falling in love when it is not reciprocated and when it is, overcoming personal fears, and personal growth. The Passage is a journey in many ways. A physical one across land, one of growth personally for each character and a spiritual one as deep questions are raised and realized.

My only problem with the book is that nowhere in the book’s description does it tell me that this is the first in a proposed trilogy. It took a little googling to find that out. So the ending is an ending but it is also a beginning and while I look forward to continuing with the story in the future I was a little miffed at first that the seven hundred odd pages wasn’t going to give me a finite ending. My final word, though, is if you like post-apocalyptic books this is a Must Read as it will no doubt go on to become a classic.

The Remnant by Stephen Baldwin and Andrew Cosby. Art by Julian Totino Tedesco

Pages: 128 pages
Ages: 14+
First Published: Mar. 23, 2010
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

Hi, I’ve just gotten re-married and I need to add my wife to my insurance.

Reason for Reading: Stephen Baldwin’s name first caught my eye. I’ll admit I like the guy. But the plot’s “24″ comparison intrigued me and I wanted to see how (or if) Baldwin’s Christian influence showed up in the book.

Former CIA agent David Stacker has just been married and is looking forward to his honeymoon. As he leaves the Federal Building, it suddenly explodes into a million pieces. Stacker is in hospital briefly with minor injuries. But then the bodies keep piling up as natural disasters around the world become more frequent, he finds a bomb in his kitchen and then people start to vanish into thin air. With a mysterious man telling David he will help him and the police on his trail as a suspect in the Federal House bombing, David finds himself being asked to come back to work for the CIA.

I really enjoyed this book! It is very fast-paced and compelling. The art is gorgeous. The opening scenes start with Hurricane Katrina and a supernatural element that is carried throughout the book. There is a mysterious man who looks very much like an older days preacher: black suit, white shirt and very narrow black tie. The plot starts off (not quietly) but at a beginning point then continues to pick up pace like a rolling stone until the final, shocking, abrupt ending. The story holds a very deep Christian theme throughout which is easily seen if one is looking for it. There is no God or Jesus talk, it’s not Christian in that sense, but in the underlying themes. The ending is very abrupt and makes one think more is to come in future volumes but the ending is the true ending and from a certain Christian point of view makes perfect sense. Now, don’t get me wrong as this is not a Bible-thumping graphic novel. The story is full of excitement, spies, and actually reads like a TV show, thus being compared to “24″ in it’s summary.

As to suitability for teens, the book states recommended for young teens and up. The only thing that would concern me as a parent is the violence, which there is plenty of including blood, though it is not extreme. As to swearing, the word d*mn is used and there is one short sensuous scene with underclothes on which clearly emphasizes it is a married couple “making out”.

I thought the story was exciting and well-done. I enjoyed some of the Christian themes though ultimately it was in conflict with my own Christian beliefs but that didn’t stop me from having a fun ride with this one.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Forest of Hands & Teeth, Book 2

Pages: 407 pages
Ages: 14+
First Published: Mar. 9, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Summary: Gabry lives a safe, secure life in a village beside the ocean and behind a Barrier to protect them from the Mudo (zombies). She lives in the lighthouse with her mother who is the lighthouse keeper whose main job is to kill the occasional Mudo who washes ashore each morning. Gabry loves her life and has no wish to ever leave the safety, as from what she has learned in school, the stories her mother has told her and what she can see with her own eyes from the top of the lighthouse the world beyond is anything but safe. But one night a group of her friends bring her along with them as they breach the Barrier and go to the old amusement park. It is there that all there lives will forever change and Gabry will ultimately leave the village never to return.

Comments: I loved this book! Contrary to early reports that Carrie Ryan was writing a parallel novel and the misleading “a companion novel” printed on the front cover of the book this is indeed a direct sequel to the first book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The book takes place many years later, with a new generation of teens, in a different village but there are a couple of return characters from book one. It’s difficult to review without giving away anything from either book but the main character, Gabry, in Dead-Tossed Waves is a complete contrast to the first books’ main character, Mary. In fact, I’d say that the two books themselves are contrasts.

Gabry’s village is part of the Protectorate: the group of surviving villages. Gabry’s world is real; she knows what is out there beyond the barrier; she knows how likely it would be to become infected by the Mudo and become one herself. Gabry’s mother has knowledge of the outside world and she helps Gabry feel safe in her village by reinforcing in her how deadly it is out there. This turns Gabry into a scared, weak character that must grow as the book progresses as she is thrown into that world and must deal with the challenges she faces. From one who has read the first book, we can see this is all in contrast to the circumstances and the personal character of that book’s main protagonist, Mary.

I must say I deeply felt for Gabry as a character. Her whole world is turned upside down and it is a pleasure to watch her grow from the reluctant, scared girl to a worthy, decision-making, fighting member of her group. There are some twists which were fun as I did not guess them. In fact from early on, I had figured one thing out in my mind as being so obvious I wished the book would hurry up and reveal it, but when it finally did I was sooo wrong! Ha on me! I love it when that happens! Great book, I loved it just as much as the first one. Lots of zombie action, though not as violent as the first book, but certainly a very dark plot, characters die and characters do bad things. Don’t expect any happy endings for anyone. The next book, which I’m presuming will be the last, trilogy anyone?, should prove to be very intriguing in whether the author gets the characters together for the best and one wonders how it will all finish in the end. Eagerly awaiting the next volume!

This was not an ordinary pandemic: it wouldn’t be contained after a few hundred thousand deaths, then obliterated with biotools and bleach. This was the Waterless Flood the Gardeners so often had warned about. It had all the signs: it traveled through the air as if on wings, it burned through cities like fire, spreading germ-ridden mobs of terror and butchery. The lights were going out everywhere, and now the news was fading away; systems were failing as their keepers died. It spelled total breakdown which was why she’d needed the rifle. Rifles had been illegal for years, but laws were no longer a factor. – from The Year of the Flood, page 18 of the ARC -

The year is far in the future, a time when animals are becoming extinct at a rate faster than people can document, and the level of pollution requires individuals to don nose cones in order to go outside. The government is horribly corrupt – creating weird animals like liobams (part lamb, part lion) and embedding diseases into vitamin supplements. Criminals are either executed or sent to serve months “playing” Painball, a deadly form of today’s paintball.

Welcome to Margaret Atwood’s latest dystopian novel which serves as a prequel to her previous work Oryx and Crake. The Year of the Flood takes place roughly during the same time period as Oryx and Crake, but jumps back and forth from the post-pandemic months and the years leading up to the disaster. Jimmy (Snowman) makes a reappearance in The Year of the Flood, but the main characters are two women – Toby and Ren. The novel is narrated first in Toby’s voice then in Ren’s, alternating chapters to provide significant background on not only the state of the world, but each woman’s personal story as well.

The heroes of the novel are members of a (mostly) pacifist, eco-friendly group called the Gardeners. Headed up by a Christ-like man called Adam One, the Gardeners rescue people off the streets (and from morally reprehensible lives), prohibit meat eating of any kind, document the animals being lost to extinction, and work underground to gain information about the various corrupt practices of the government. Both Toby and Ren become members of the Gardeners – Toby as a healer and eventually one of the Eves (female members who take on a leadership role in the group), and Ren who joins the group as a child.

Nobody does dystopian literature better than Atwood – and in The Year of the Flood she provides complex female characters who are faced with futuristic horrors which involve women as sexual tools for men, plenty of violence, and lots of cynicism. There is also Atwood’s signature sense of humor embedded in the story which is often graphic while exploring serious subjects such as pandemics, government corruption, and loss of our natural resources.

I love Margaret Atwood’s writing. I am always astonished by the brilliance of her prose and her ability to tell an engrossing story. But The Year of the Flood is not without its faults. I could have lived without the insertion of Adam One’s sermons and song lyrics from the Gardener’s “hymn” book. I also felt the ending was rather abrupt and left the reader wondering what the future held for the characters (in this way, it was a lot like Oryx and Crake).In some ways, I felt Atwood wrote the ending to connect the novel to Oryx and Crake – it felt a bit contrived.

Despite its faults, The Year of the Flood will appeal to readers who enjoy an engaging dystopian tale and who have read and liked Atwood’s previous work. I would be interested to see if Atwood is planning a third book in the series…and if so, where she might take her characters next.

Irredeemable by Mark Waid
Afterward by Grant Morrison
Volume 1

Pages: 128
Ages: 15+
First Published: Oct. 2009
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

SARAH!

Reason for Reading: The publisher’s plot synopsis grabbed me right away.

Comments: One day The Plutonium, a very powerful superhero turns evil and becomes the world’s greatest super villain. He belonged to a group of superheroes, yet none of them came close to Plutonium’s powers. Now The Plutonium is hunting them all down and killing them and their alter ego families. He has destroyed cities and is a heartless, ruthless killer. The story focuses on his remaining teammates as they try to piece together information about the man inside the costume, what made him turn, and how can they stop him, all while staying on the run as he tries to hunt them down.

This is a stunning story! It opens with a shocking sequence and the action never lets up. There are many layers to the story and this is truly a study in character. The Plutonium is presented as ultimate evil but as the reminiscences of the past Plutonium are brought forward we see the powerful superhero proud and good. We also see the little things and some larger things that happen in his life that aren’t so nice, things that can build up and lay heavy on a guy. The old superhero Plutonium becomes a character the reader can relate to and feel for and yet it is gut-wrenchingly unsettling to see the atrocities he is now capable of.

The book does contain a lot of violence, not the blood and gore type but more along the disturbing death kind. The book is definitely not for the young or the squeamish. Since I’m neither I’m eagerly awaiting Vol. 2 which will be out this Spring.

Hoodoo Sea by Rolf Hitzer

Pages: 243
First Published: Jun. 2, 2009
Genre: science fiction
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

White. The room was a sterile, monotonous white.

Reason for Reading: I was asked to participate in the Blog Tour but I had never participated in one before. I decided I would this time as the plot involving the Bermuda Triangle was just too intriguing to pass over. I used to be into the Bermuda Triangle big time when it was all the rage.
Summary: Canadian Wing Commander Scott Reed has been chosen to command NASA’s secret test flight of the first speed of light craft. Accompanying him is a crew of three. Everything goes according to plan until they enter the Hoodoo Sea (otherwise known as The Bermuda Triangle) where they see bright lights and the craft behaves in impossible ways eventually landing them in a meadow. What follows is a terrifying tale of evil and man’s attempts at survival.

Comments: I really enjoyed this book. Right from the beginning I was hooked. The plot was amazing and took me places I hardly expected. A truly, original plot that was exciting to read. I had a sense of where the plot was going as I read but each time, bang!, something totally unexpected would happen making me feel uneasy the throughout whole read.

My only complaint I have with the book is the dialogue which I found to be saturated with idioms (eg. “expect the unexpected”, “I’m done like dinner”, and “if I do say so myself”, which I just now found by simply opening the book and quickly browsing). This did become a tad tedious (to this reader) but can be chalked up to first book syndrome.

It’s hard to pinpoint the genre of Hoodoo Sea. Obviously it is science fiction. But at times I wondered whether it was crossing over to the horror genre as the pure evilness that exists within its pages rightly fit that definition. Oddly, I also found myself wondering whether the book was Christian fiction. There are two strong Christian characters and the feel had me looking up the publisher halfway through to see if this was from a Christian publisher, but no, it wasn’t. A truly fascinating mixture of genres in a top-notch plot that kept me enthralled from beginning to end. Speaking of ends, I absolutely loved the unexpected ending! It leaves me wanting to see what Rolf Hitzer will come up with next. Recommended!

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton. Introduction by Ray Bradbury.

Pages: 149
Ages: 13+
First Published: Jul.21, 2009
Genre: graphic novel, science fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

It was a pleasure to burn.

Reason for Reading: Cybils nominee

Comments: At this point I think it’s fair that no summary of Fahrenheit 451 is needed. I’m a fan of the novel having read it a handful of time plus I’ve seen the 1966 movie a couple of times. Obviously, I was no stranger to the plot when I sat down to read the graphic adaptation. I was very pleased to find a very faithful adaptation to the novel had been rendered. It’s amazing to see a novel transformed with a minimal amount of text and the addition of graphics to tell the same story. Though one hopes an adaptation will never replace the original, this is a beautiful compliment to it.

The illustrations are very interesting and match the mood of the story done in a limited palette of colours using a trio of colours plus black for the most part though occasionally going down to 2 colours plus black at times. He uses warm reds, yellows and oranges for the fireman scenes while reverting to cool blues, greens and purples for the rest of the book. It sets a dark, oppressive feeling without the need for a narrative to do so.

I can’t quite give this a rating of 5 as I know Mr. Bradbury’s work can’t be equaled but Tim Hamilton has done an excellent job in bringing the novel to the graphic format in a stunningly faithful rendition.

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
(a parallel novel to Oryx and Crake)

Pages: 431
First Published: Sept. 22, 2009
Genre: post-apocalyptic, science fiction (no matter how much the author denies it)
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

In the early morning Toby climbs up to the rooftop to watch the sunrise.

Reason for Reading: Atwood’s new book.  Borrowed from my library.

Summary: A plague has wiped out the majority of the world and the God’s Gardeners cult had been preparing for the end-times (the Waterless Flood) all along. Two women, who were members of God’s Gardeners have survived the plague. One, Ren, because she was in an isolation unit (almost like an apartment) where she was recuperating after being abused by one of the patrons in the sex club where she worked and possibly contaminated. The other, Toby, had locked herself in the beauty spa (heavily secured corporation run) she was the manager of the night the plague hit full force. The story is told from three points of views. Ren’s and Toby’s with both of them telling their present situation and remembering their past life with the God’s Gardener’s. The third point of view comes from the past and follows the God’s Gardeners year by year through sermons given by Adam One which end with a hymn.

Comments: I really enjoyed Oryx and Crake and dived into this book as soon as it came into the library for me. The book was a quick read. I always find Atwood’s writing to flow so naturally her books are often hard to put down, and this was no exception. Ren and Toby are full, realistic characters, quite opposite in nature from each other but both emotionally draw the reader into their lives and thus the book. Atwood’s feminist side shows through here as we see a comparison between the two women. Ren has been treated kindly then thrown aside and later used and abused by men because of her good looks while Toby has been used and abused and later ignored by men because of her plain looks.

The God’s Gardeners cult was pretty creepy in my opinion. Atwood has created a religion which is Old Testament based, yet Pagan in nature and is full of Saint Days. While the group believes in an Old Testament God, they are eco friendly by worshipping animals and nature and are strictly vegan. Near the beginning she has a St. Mowat of the Wolves day and I said to myself, “Oh, Lord please do not let her have a St. David Suzuki day in here or I’m going to through this book across the room”. He did appear, but fortunately it was near the end of the book and I held back my urge.

I would suggest reading Oryx and Crake first. The books are not dependant on each other but this one does reference many things from the first book and you are going to wandering around in the dark as either no explanations, or only brief ones are given. A very quick explanation of the events of the first book are summed up for you at the crucial point in Year of the Flood but a reader will be missing out on a whole book’s worth of insider information if they journey into this without having read Oryx and Crake first.

Ultimately though, I was disappointed with book. It was a good enough book. Fans of Oryx and Crake will have to read it to find out the rest of the story. But I just didn’t get into the story that much. It wasn’t a page turner, even though it read quick enough. The plot kept moving forward but there never was any real suspense, reveals, moments of great emotion or climax even to satisfy. Well, there is a climax and an ending but they are small and weak and I ended the book with a “hmmph”.

The Rapture by Liz Jensen

Pages: 296
First Published: Aug. 11, 2009
Genre: apocalyptic, science fiction, eco thriller
Rating: 3/5

First sentence:

That summer, the summer all the rules began to change, June seemed to last for a thousand years.

Reason for Reading: Apocalyptic fiction is one of my favourite sub-genres.

Summary: It is the not too distant future and the world has entered a new phase, one where global warming has happened and temperatures, weather and climates are no longer what they used to be. Gabrielle Fox is a wheelchair bound art therapist who has started a new job at a Psychiatric Hospital, home to Britain’s most dangerous children and she has been assigned the most dangerous of all, Bethany Krall, who brutally stabbed her mother to death with a screwdriver when she was 12. Bethany also predicts the future, not just any future but future natural disasters (storms, earthquakes, etc.) and as Gabrielle realizes each one comes true she begins to believe her patient and feels guilt for not warning the thousands of people who die. A strange bond develops between therapist and patient with the position of authority often switching.

Comments: I’ll start by saying I neither believe in the evangelical concept of the Rapture nor that global warming has anything to do with human produced carbon dioxide. These are the two main controversies presented in this book. I will also say that ultimately, I did enjoy the plot; the story of the Gabrielle and Bethany, the predictions and the ultimate race for survival as the apocalypse approaches.

Within this world there are two extremist groups; one The Planetarians who know humans are but a blip in the age the Earth and our time is over as dominant species and nature is taking its natural course as it has over millions of years in the past and a new organism will take our place as dominant species. On the opposite end there is The Fifth Wave, a mass convergence and conversion to Christianity who believe The Rapture is at hand. They strive to bring their friends and loved ones to the Lord so they to may rise above the clouds in the rapture. These people happily await the coming of the rapture. Neither of these extremist groups take a major part in the story until well into the book but near the beginning, being a Catholic, I wondered “well, what about Catholics? The author must know we don’t believe in the rapture?” My answer came by page 75 when the main character states during a discussion of disparaging religion is general:

” I was taught by nuns,” I tell him. ” They couldn’t see how tribalistic they were. Or how pagan. As for the traditions, it seems to me that the Catholic Church enjoys just making things up as it goes along. You could almost admire its creativity.”

Right, anti-Catholic view expressed, noted and understood. Catholics are not ever referred to again in the book. I was not impressed with the overall anti-religion attitude carried on throughout the whole book. Though I don’t share the same convictions as the Christians portrayed here it was insulting the way they were shown as smiling, happy, ignorant people joyfully walking to their probable deaths. No respect was shown when conversation turned towards this group. The reveal that comes out about the leader is cliched and unoriginal. While on the otherhand the leader of the Planetarians is treated with respect, while professional people scoff at his ideology, he is, afterall, a man of science.

I was also underwhelmed by a love affair that happened and felt completely out of place within the story and otherwise out of character for the strong roll Gabrielle was playing elsewhere. There were pages and pages of this romantic misunderstanding drivel that I just wanted to shout “Get over it already!”.

Otherwise, the book is well-written, it reads fast. The momentum is there slowly picking up and ending with a crash. Bethany was an outstanding character, the one who really shines through and kept me reading. Even with the religious problems I had, I realized the slant very early on, and accepted it as part of the story. It is fiction after all. I liked the book but didn’t love it. I think other reviewers will say they have felt emotional over the book; it didn’t affect me emotionally at all. I couldn’t see myself as plausibly being in this world Jensen created. However, I do think this book will appeal to many people. The topic of climate change is one many readers will want to explore in this visionary apocalypse of our planet’s downfall from human doings.

Far North by Marcel Theroux

Pages: 314
First Published: Jun. 15 ‘09
Genre: post apocalyptic fiction
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Every day I buckle on my guns and go out to patrol this dingy city.

Reason for Reading: As soon as I saw the words dystopian and post apocalyptic associated with the plot I was there. Those are favourite genres of mine.

Comments: Makepeace lives a solitary life in the Russian/Asian North, the only survivor in a once thriving town of American settlers. This is a world sparsely populated, where occasional persons pass by on the road but only rarely these days. Groups have settled in different areas and Makepeace begins to see what the world is really like after a plane flies by overhead and a decision is made to find the fabled land where civilization is still running, where they still have planes. Makepeace sees native tribes who are friendly and living off the land proudly, native tribes who are brutal and take what they want leaving pillage and bodies behind, a society based on strict religious rule and more but ultimately Makepeace is captured by a slave camp where work is gruelling but at least food is readily and freely given.

I really enjoyed this book. Makepeace is a very interesting character and while secondary characters come and go Makepeace is the one that is fully fleshed out and whose past is slowly revealed throughout the book. The atmosphere is dismal and bleak, as is the writing. I found it a slow read just as the trudging through snow and back breaking work would slow one down, it also slowed down my reading.

Blurbs on this book use either the word dystopia or post apocalypse but I’m going to take a stand and say I would not apply the term dystopia to this book. The world is too large, there are too many societies, the scope is more global and there is no true oppressing force. Sure there is oppression but it is from various sources of different makings. The book is certainly post apocalyptic and as the reason is revealed, truly believable. When reading modern apocalypse books I’m always leery of how heavily they will rely on “global warming” (sorry “climate change”) and I think the author’s theory of our ultimate doom should be believable to those on either side of that particular fence.

Religion is a strong theme in the story as well. Although the author is certainly against it. There are a lot of Biblical references in the narrative and yet the main character is agnostic (at the least) and all the Christian characters are villains or fools. The Muslim characters are shown as grouping in cliques and their religion makes them stand out, for various reasons, in the different societies encountered in the book. Being Christian myself, it is always disappointing when characters don’t find redemption, but neither is the book offensive, in fact, it is quite thought-provoking. How would a truly Christian character or society have affected the outcome of Makepeace’s story?

A fascinating tale of self-preservation at all costs, perseverance that never ends, greed, love, friendship, betrayal. Most of all though it is a desolate, frightening tale of our possible future which still manages to leave a feeling of hope for the future of mankind.

Science Fiction Classics edited by Tom Pomplun
Graphic Classics, Volume 17

Pages: 144
Ages: 14+
First Published: May 15, 2009
Genre: graphic novel, short stories, science fiction
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Yes, in a thousand years people will fly on the wings of steam through the air, over the ocean!

Reason for Reading: I’m working my way through the series and it’s not necessary to read them in any given order.
Comments: This graphic novel contains an anthology of graphic adaptations of one novel and five short stories. H.G. Well’s War of the Worlds is included as are tales by authors such as Hans Christian Anderson, Conan Doyle, Stanley Weinbaum and E.M. Forster’s one and only sci-fi short story.

As a big fan of this series the first big news about this volume is that it is the very first one to be printed in full colour. And they couldn’t have picked a better theme to introduce colour. The book has a joyful feel of a 1950’s sci-fi comic and even artwork to match in Stanley Weinbaum’s “A Martian Odyssey” illustrated by George Sellas. The artwork in each story is suitable to the tale being told and goes from dark Victorian scenes to bright modern comic characters. A delightful set of stories which I enjoyed heartily and had never read before, except of course H.G. Wells’ novel. I just love coming across Conan Doyle’s stories that do not concern his famous detective and this one is no disappointment but my favourite in the volume is E.M. Forster’s “The Machine Stops” which is a chilling dystopia of a world run by machines, amazingly written in 1909. The illustrations are wonderful and pay homage to his other work by showing a delightful Indian flavour both in the characters and colourful palette.

Another great book in the series! These books just don’t disappoint. I only have one concern now and that is with the new addition of colour that they will continue to use colour for each new volume. I would hate to see the b/w volumes disappear altogether and hope they will give great thought on the theme of each volume as to whether colour or b/w is more appropriate. For ex. the Edgar Allan Poe volume just would not have been the same done in colour; you would lose the Gothic feel.

Great news, they already have another volume planned for this year. Out in November 2009 will be Louisa May Alcott, Volume 18.

The Dark Planet by Patrick Carman
Illustrations by Squire Broel
Atherton, Book 3

Pages: 350
Ages: 9+
First Published: May. 1, 2009
Genre: children, science fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

It was the middle of the night when Red Eye and Socket came into the barracks and started walking between two long rows of beds.

Reason for Reading: The last book in the trilogy.

Comments: The third and final book in the trilogy focuses on a theme that the other books made us aware of early on, that of a post-apocalyptic Earth. Edgar follows a map left behind by Dr. Harding and finds himself on his way to The Dark Planet where he feels that everything has been set in motion for him a long time ago. Now is his time to save the children of this almost dead planet.

I really enjoyed this book the most out the three and that’s saying a lot as I have heartily enjoyed this trilogy. But I am a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction and this was a really exciting story that included a dystopian society but does not get too heavy and keeps the book suitable for the middle grade reader. Edgar is back to being our main character as we’ve grown to really care for him through this series. Though Isabel and Samuel do have an important part to play back on Atherton, gone are all the supplementary characters from the first two books. Instead we are met with a whole new group of characters on Earth and the book feels fresh and new. Great story, great new characters and a refreshing new plot that still keeps it’s ties to the one from the previous books while going in a completely new direction. A highly enjoyable read. Recommended! P.S. Even though it’s sci-fi there is a dragon.

Rivers of Fire by Patrick Carman
Illustrations by Squire Broel
Atherton, Book 2

Pages: 303
First Published: May 1, 2008
Genre: children, science fiction
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

It was the middle of the night when Edgar entered the fig grove alone.

Reason for Reading: With the release of the last book in the trilogy this year, I decided to read the series. This is the second book.
Comments: This book picks up right where book one left off and continues the story. I cannot tell you anything about the plot without spoiling details that happen in the first book and I like to keep my reviews spoiler free. So instead I’ll focus on the characters. Edgar and Isabel are split up into different groups this time as they continue on important quests. They both join characters from book one whom we’ve only briefly met before; this time giving us greater insight into those characters. Doctor Kincaid, an aging scientist and Victor his attendant; Samuel, a boy from the upper class Highlands and Horace, the lead guard. We also become better acquainted with the villagers including Isabel’s father and the owners of an Inn in The Village of Rabbits.

The story of is full of adventure, plot twists, mad villains and believable heroes who risk and sometimes give their lives for the greater good. Many of the mainstream reviews call this book, and the series, a fantasy (and the publishers add to the confusion with the fantasy covers) but while the plot does follow your basic fantasy quest premise it is not fantasy at all but science fiction. Everything that happens, is used, or met along the way has a scientific foundation and reason to be, there are no magical or fantastical elements.

I read this book through only stopping when life demanded I must. A real page-turner. I really love the world that Carman has created. It is very unique to say the least. This book ends with a finite ending, all threads are finished off and there is even a “One Year Later” epilogue. So the two book set does end very nicely here. There is a third book however, which goes in a completely different direction and I can’t wait to read it; review to come soon. This is a great series, highly recommended for ages 9 and up!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Pages: 310
First Published: Mar. 10, 2009
Genre: YA, post apocalyptic fiction, horror
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

My mother used to tell me about the ocean.

Comments: Mary’s world is very small and quite simple. Her village is large enough to roam around in and grow crops but it is completely enclosed by heavy-duty wire fencing. Her world is run by the Sisterhood who guide their laws and lives through religion and the Guardians who take orders from the Sisterhood and guard the village with force. Day to day life is quaint and simple but on the other side of the fencing are the Unconsecrated and one bite from them will turn you into one yourself, so you must never get too close to the fence ….

This was a fabulous book! Initially it reminds me of the society portrayed in the movie The Village, while not exactly the same their are many parallels. Mary is a wonderful character. She has a mother who has told her stories, carried down through the generations of women in her family, of the world before and Mary especially dreams of the mysterious place called the ocean. The stories have given Mary something to hold onto and a passion not to accept her world as it is. She is a powerful, strong character. Another thing I especially like is that once we find out the reason for the apocalypse at the end of the book I found the reason so plausible that it really was scary, unlike so many books of today which use the controversial “global warming” theme that I must take with a grain of salt. The book is very well-written, the plot tense and the individual outcomes along the way not always happy. In fact, there are many quite shockingly intense scenes. The zombies are fantastic, I mean who doesn’t love a great zombie book!

There are intense relationships: mother/daughter, husband/wife, friends, and blossoming new found love all in a world in which one may die at any moment. The author has shown the deepness of these relationships with a deft sweep of her pen. The one thing that bothered me about the book was that near the beginning Mary blatantly (and for no reason) states, out of the blue, that she does not believe in God. Then later on in the book she tells us the moment she stopped believing in God. This felt as if it was important and yet the subject was never voiced again. No other character’s belief or non-belief was mentioned and other than making me feel sorry for Mary, it made me wonder why the author stopped short of making her point. However….

Highly recommended! I’ve never given two books a tie as favourite book of the month but this time I just can’t not say this was my favourite although I’ve already said so of another book. I hate to compare to the Twilight books as this book is in a league so much higher than those but I think teachers/librarians should use the comparison to promote this book as it will appeal to the same teen audience, as well as the boys. One could call this a horror book, and it is, but it goes so much deeper into relationships between people, that anyone who can stand the gore that comes with zombies is going to be itching for next year’s (2010) parallel novel. Read this book!

Nicola

Not having read any of the Twilight Series (yes, I heard the collective gasp from the crowd!), I didn’t have any expectations coming into reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer (624 pgs, Little, Brown and Company). I don’t have any of the bias that a lot of readers will have. I didn’t expect to find a book that I would fall head over heels in love with. But that is exactly what happened!! If it’s any indication on how wonderful this book is, I read over 600 pages in 2 short days….hardly pausing for sleep!! I read The Host for The End of the World Challenge, The Stephenie Meyer Mini-Challenge (see…I’m PLANNING on reading the Twilight series!), and The Pub ‘08 Challenge.

In a time when Earth has been almost completely taken over by aliens, there were a few rebel Humans left in existence. The aliens, or Souls, have done a systematic take-over of this planet. They are a parasitic creature that can not live without a Host body. When they are inserted in a human body, their “soul” takes over. You can tell by the silver that shines in their eyes.

Wanderer is unlike most souls. She has lived on 8 other planets in 8 other host bodies. And yet, she has never found a place that she could truly envision herself at home. Hence, the name Wanderer.

Melanie was a rebel human. Along with her little brother Jamie, and her true-love Jared, she was carving out a small existence for herself. But when she saw on the news a person that looked like her cousin Sharon, she knew she had to find her and see if she was still human. That’s why she went to Chicago in the first place. But when she was caught by the Seekers, the souls that were scouring the planet for the last of the humans, she knew she would rather die than become one of THEM. Unfortunately for her, the attempt of suicide failed. Her body was healed, and Wanderer was inserted into her body.

But unlike all the other Hosts that Wanderer had taken over, she couldn’t lose Melanie. Melanie was such a strong human, she refused to let Wanderer completely take over. Mel was still there with her, talking to her and making her miserable. Wanderer knew all of Mel’s memories and feelings. As much as Mel tried to block her thoughts, Wanderer would dream of Jared and Jamie. Soon, Wanderer finds herself longing to find the Humans that meant so much to Mel. On a trip to Tuscon, Mel remembers a map that her Uncle Jeb had drawn for her, and the two of them set off to find out if Jared and Jamie have survived.

But when Wanderer is found by the group of rebel Humans that include her family and friends, it isn’t pretty. No one is sure what to do. They want to hate the alien that has taken over Mel. But things are not always as it seems. And Wanderer isn’t the typical soul.

Can I tell you now how much I LOVED this book?? Although sci-fi in nature, it is so much more than that. It’s a story of love and understanding, acceptance and humanity. This book is so deep and so beautiful that I’m having a hard time putting down in words my feelings for it. Melanie is such a strong human, but there were times that I just wanted to throttle her. She had become jaded and pessimistic during the occupation….and rightfully so. But she didn’t think things through very well. Wanderer was such a beautiful and kind soul. Altruistic was a word that was used frequently, and for good reason. She would rather die than cause pain to other person or soul.

The cast of characters in this book is large, but my favorite would have to be Ian. He was one of the rebels that initially wanted to kill Wanderer. But spending time with the soul, he realized that to be human didn’t always mean being a body without an alien presence. Stephenie Meyer has put together a brilliant novel. Her focus is more on relationships than on the alien presence, and is amazing to read. And the relationships are complex. There is a really weird triangle with Melanie/Wanda/Jared. Then you thrown Ian into the mix and it gets weirder yet. There are some seriously hard scenes to read. And as the end nears, as a reader you can see how difficult it is going to be to end this story well. You come to love the soul as much as the human. In fact, they come to love each as much as they do themselves.

If you are a fan of the Twilight series, I beg you to give this book a chance. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed in this story. I can’t remember the last time a book completely left me so emotionally drained. I laughed, I cried, I cringed at times. But I wouldn’t take back a second of it! This book was Freakin’ Fantastic….and I’m telling you: GO READ THE HOST!!

5/5