REVIEW: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

 Posted by at 11:16 am  13 Responses »
Apr 182012
 

057. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Publication: Candlewick; Reprint edition (October 18, 2010), ebook, 479pp / ISBN 0763645761
Genre: YA Sci-fi, Horror

Read: March 27, 2012
Source: Bought

Series: The Knife of Never Letting Go (you’re here!) | The Ask and the Answer | Monsters of Men

Summary from Amazon:

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn’t she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd’s gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

Review

Don’t you just love it when the stars align and you’re finally able to get a book that you’ve been wanting to read (and that other people have been telling you to read) for ages and then you read it and it’s amazing? I do! And that’s what happened with The Knife of Never Letting Go. Continue reading »

REVIEW: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

 Posted by at 6:03 am  4 Responses »
Apr 092012
 

058. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Publication: Scholastic Press (June 1, 2010), ebook, 404pp / ISBN 0439023491
Genre: YA Sci-fi

Read: March 28-29, 2012
Source: Bought

Series: The Hunger Games | Catching Fire (you’re here!) | Mockingjay

Summary from Amazon:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

This review contains spoilers.

Review

I think I was pretty lucky with Catching Fire, because I liked it way more than the first book. I didn’t just like it because it fixed a lot of the problems I had with The Hunger Games– I liked it because it showed Katniss growing as a person (albeit not in the more usual positive way that character growth tends to go), it introduced the rebellion factor, and there are way more interesting characters to read about. The pacing was faster, probably because there was less backstory to get through. And, unlike THG, in this one I think Katniss was more aware of her emotions, especially in regards to other people.

However, despite the fact that I ended up rating it 4.5 birds, I REALLY INTENSELY DISLIKED how stupid Katniss was for the majority of the story. Continue reading »

REVIEW: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 Posted by at 6:53 am  14 Responses »
Apr 022012
 

054. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Publication: Scholastic Paperbacks (September 1, 2009), ebook, 388pp / ISBN 0439023483
Genre: YA Sci-fi

Read: March 23, 2012
Source: Bought

Series: The Hunger Games (you’re here!) | Catching Fire | Mockingjay

Summary from Amazon:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review

I put off reading the Hunger Games trilogy for YEARS, mainly because I’m one of those people who want to read a book in opposite proportion to how many other people love it. Everyone went NUTS over this series from the get-go, and for some reason that meant I didn’t want to read it. It’s almost like if I didn’t discover a thing first, I didn’t want to know about it! Which is hilarious, because usually when I DO finally read the thing I didn’t want to read because it was “too popular,” I end up loving it. So. Continue reading »

REVIEW: The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

 Posted by at 10:45 am  2 Responses »
Feb 082012
 

024. The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
Publication: Balzer + Bray (October 5, 2010), ebook, 308pp / ISBN 0061802085
Genre: YA Fiction (dystopic?)

Read: February 1, 2012
Source: Bought

Summary from Amazon:

Fifteen-year-old Katey (aka Kid) goes to school in the Game—a mall converted into a “school” run by corporate sponsors. As the students play their way through the levels, they are also creating products and being used for market research by the sponsors, who are watching them 24/7 on video cameras.

Kid has a vague sense of unease but doesn’t question this existence until one day she witnesses a shocking anticorporate prank. She follows the clues to uncover the identities of the people behind it and discovers an anonymous group that calls itself the Unidentified. Intrigued by their counterculture ideas and enigmatic leader, Kid is drawn into the group. But when the Unidentified’s pranks and even Kid’s own identity are co-opted by the sponsors, Kid decides to do something bigger—something that could change the Game forever.

Review

I love dystopian fiction, but sometimes I get really tired of post-apocalyptic dystopias. Futuristic dystopias, of the kind where the society is still fully functioning and alive and whatnot, are one of my favorite kinds of non-apocalyptic dystopias. Think Feed or Uglies (although I suppose technically that’s a post-apocalyptic society which has become stable again) or even Inside Out. The Unidentified is somewhere along those lines: it’s a futuristic world built on some of the lines that American society is currently traveling on with an emphasis on the negative over the good. So, basically, it’s what might happen if our obsession with reality TV, consumerism, fame/celebrity, plus the government/ad corporations’ obsession with monitoring people, are ramped up to 11. Continue reading »

REVIEW: The Giver by Lois Lowry

 Posted by at 4:20 pm  12 Responses »
Jan 272012
 

014. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Publication: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (April 26, 1993), ebook, 210pp / ISBN 0440237688
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Dystopia

Read: January 24, 2012
Source: Bought

Summary from Amazon:

Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Review

I’ve put off reading this book for FOREVER, mainly because I really hate the cover. That old dude? Makes me think of The Cay. And The Cay? Made me cry my eyes out when I was in fifth grade. I hate crying, and I thought The Giver would make me cry, so I stayed away. Simple! Continue reading »

REVIEW: Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

 Posted by at 6:51 am  No Responses »
Dec 232011
 

163. Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield
Publication: WestSide Books (December 15, 2011), eArc, 370pp / ISBN 1934813621
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Paranormal

Read: December 6-8, 2011
Source: Author (thank you!)

Summary from Goodreads:

Caitlyn, a telepath, lives in a world where all paranormal talents are illegal. She is on the run from government ParaTroopers. When Caitlyn falls for Alex, a Normal, and discovers dangerous renegade Paranormals, she must choose between staying in hiding to protect herself or taking a stand to save the world.

Review

Hunted is a somewhat atypical paranormal/dystopian book. It’s set sometime in the future, though I don’t think we’re ever told exactly how far in the future it is. It’s sort of dystopian, but only for the “paras,” really. It’s an exciting story, with some conspiracy things going on and a lot of omg-what’s-going-to-happen moments. The characters were pretty good, especially Caitlyn, who doesn’t really waste any time getting in the action. She’s a very active paranormal/dystopian heroine, which is great because normally I think the typical p-heroine is passive for at least the first half of the book. Continue reading »

REVIEW: Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

 Posted by at 9:31 am  6 Responses »
Dec 052011
 

156. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
Publication: Harlequin Teen (March 30, 2010), ebook, 320pp / ISBN 037321006X
Genre: YA Sci-fi, Dystopia

Read: November 26-28, 2011
Source: Singapore National Library

Summary from Amazon:

“Imagine every space in this room filled with people. Constantly being jostled and pushed. In the lower levels there is no quiet place. No peace. To a scrub, this room is paradise.”

I drew a deep breath. I’d spoken more in one burst to this stranger whose room I’d invaded than anyone else in weeks. And with a single word he could alert the Pop Cops and send me to the Chomper. We stared at each other for a few heartbeats.

Before I could retreat he said, “My name’s Riley Narelle Ashon. Any time you need peace, you’re welcome to use my hideaway.”

I’m Trella. I’m a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I’ve got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Review

Let’s be honest here: I was disappointed with this book. After the amazingness that was Storm Glass, I expected something similar with Inside Out, only dystopian-y and more sci-fi than fantasy. While the basic story is good, and while the characters aren’t terrible, I just don’t think that Inside Out is the same level of awesomeness that Storm Glass is. Continue reading »

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