Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

age: Ya
genre: dystopia, sci-fi
rating: 5/8 tentacles

Todd Hewitt lives on a planet where everyone's thoughts are psychically broadcast, even animals. When Todd finds something strange in the swamp, his stepfathers present him with his dead mother's journal and a map and urge him to escape town. Todd discovers that much of what he's been raised to believe is a lie. Interesting premise dealing with privacy, truth, and innocence.

Ness writes skillfully (although he overdoes the dialect a little in my opinion). I like the interaction between Todd and Viola. I liked watching Todd slowly make sense of the world, and could empathize with the frustration he felt when his ignorance was proven to him again and again. The way that Patrick Ness deals with the conflicts that would naturally arise from a world in which every man can see into every other man's mind, and only women can keep their thoughts private, adds ambiguous complexity to the story.

I did not like the way that readers were excluded from secrets revealed to the main characters. Withholding information creates suspense, but if withheld for too long, readers will become frustrated. If I'm going to watch somebody show or explain something to Todd, I want to be in on it. Especially if the "big reveal" later on isn't all that exciting and I could've guessed the big secret. Just tell me. What is the point of writing in first person if I don't get to experience everything Todd experiences.

I also don't like Todd because of a thing he did (didn't do) that I can't tell you about. His actions are often portrayed in a manner that seems to suggest a moral lesson, which annoys me. It feels forced to praise a character who shuns murder, even in situations where killing would be a legitimate defense, or would protect a loved one. To me, this is not admirable. It's cowardly and stupid. It's also a little implausible considering the conditions that Todd was raised in, right? Todd goes on and on about how some people grew up in luxury while in his town, people had to fight to survive. But then he only fights to survive up to a certain point. I guess personality can trump environment and up-bringing? I don't know. I feel skeptical about this.

Anyway, the writing is solid and I love the idea of Noise. On to the sequel!

Review: Fearless by Cornelia Funke

 age: YA
genre: fantasy, fairy tale
rating: 8/8 tentacles

Wonderful, dark, fun. Love the characters, love the plot, love the world. I was sad to reach the end of the book and hope the next in the series doesn't take another three years to come out. Because I want it right now. There's so much imagination in this series. And, FYI, this book is one example of a romance I can appreciate.

Spoilers for Reckless beyond this point. You have been warned.

Fearless picks up in the middle of Jacob's search to discover a cure for the fatal curse placed on him by the Red Fairy, the price he paid to save his brother. He has exhausted every magical item he can think of, except one: the Witch Slayer's Crossbow, which would bring its owner unlimited power. This item is Jacob's last hope, but his search is made more difficult by a competitor, a Goyl nicknamed "The Bastard." Jacob and Fox must race against time and surpass the efforts of the Goyl treasure hunter if they want to find the crossbow before the curse is fulfilled.

As in Reckless, the dark, fairy tale world creates a rich, endlessly intriguing backdrop. Jacob and Fox are fantastic, well-rounded, sympathetic characters and I'm rooting for them to end up together.

The reason I'm a fan of the romance in this book is because it's born out of genuine caring for the other person. It's not all about the burning gazes of sultry, golden eyes or swooning or rippling muscles. It's about trust and attachment and affection. And attraction too, but not ONLY attraction. Funke focuses on what I feel are the more important, more fulfilling parts of romance.

It's actually been a little while now since I've finished this book and thinking about it again is reminding me how excited I am about this series.  Now I'm itching to read Reckless and Fearless again.

This book's got everything going for it: great, imaginative setting; authentic characters; and a plot that moves at a consistent pace, keeps readers guessing, and leads to an even more exciting mystery that opens into what I'm sure will be the plot of the next book. Oh and the writing is gorgeous. Cornelia Funke is the best.

Review: Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

age: adult
genre: transgressive
rating: 8/8 tentacles

This is about art and ambition and immortality. It's about inspiration and irony. It's about the torment of geniuses.

There's this animal, amost-hysteria in Chuck Palahniuk's writing that appeals to me. His main characters (I've only ready two of his books so far) are falling apart, inside and out and then sometimes rebuilding themselves, as they strive for the extraordinary, or suppress their potential to achieve the extraordinary, like Misty Marie. The other book I've read is Fight Club.

Diary is honest and desperate and crazy and surreal and sad and tragic. I love the idea of the "lunatic's" ranting on the walls, the missing rooms. The conspiracy. I enjoy reading about the acoutrements of art--makes me want to go paint something

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

age: YA
genre: paranormal, fantasy
rating: 3/8 tentacles

Daughter of Smoke & Bone tells the story of Karou, a blue-haired art student living in Prague. Karou was raised by creatures called Chimaera in a wish shop that connects to portals all over the world. Her guardian, demon-like Brimstone, collector of teeth and purveyor of wishes, sends Karou on shadowy errands that prevent her from living a "normal" life. Karou resents these errands until the portals close, and she's left stranded from her Chimaera family. When Karou embarks on a quest to find them, her adventures dredge up the mystery of her past and she struggles to discover who she is and where she came from. Also she falls in love with a warrior Angel who gazes at her with burning eyes.

I heard a lot of hype about this book before I picked it up, which might explain away some of my disappointment. It has a cool title. It's main character is an art student with sketchbooks full of monsters. The wishes and teeth collecting create a dark fairy tale vibe. All of these elements drew me to the story, but they weren't enough to make me like it.

After reading the first couple of pages of any book, you can get a good idea of the mood and focus of the rest of the story. When DSB begins with Karou's annoyance at an arrogant ex-boyfriend and her vengeful pranks, I was already thinking oh boy, this book is not what I thought it was going to be. I like all the stuff with Brimstone, and the necklaces of teeth and the mystery of their purpose. I like the art school stuff, and the way Karou's friends think the portraits she does of her monster family are this really creative story she's invented. I like angels sweeping silently through cities all over the world, their wings visible only in their shadows. I like the black hand prints burned into the portal doors. I like Karou's hidden past and the war that's waging another world. I preferred the sections set in the other world. The flashback stories.

I don't like the cutesy joking dialogue, the rhetorical questions (thank you I understand what I'm supposed to be wondering about), the abandonment of the plot for the omg we just met and now I love you story. Although this last part can be explained, the explanation doesn't diminish my annoyance at having had to read those scenes in the first place. They feel contrived because they're so romanticized and bear so much resemblance to similar scenes in other YA novels. In these sections, the illusion of reality thins and I feel the author manipulating the characters.

I had repeated urges to cross out lines and paragraphs. For me, the book wasn't dark enough, wasn't suspenseful enough, wasn't real enough. I want to inject some Guillermo del Toro into this. As is, the story feels a little like a cartoon. Maybe you like that. In my opinion, it's not a good thing. I want my novels to feel alive.

Review: Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden

genre: adventure, spy, sci-fi
age: children's
rating: 1/8 tentacles

I have read one hundred and ninety pages of H.I.V.E. by Mark Walden, and am now setting this book aside, forever.  The concept of H.I.V.E.--or, the Higher Institute of Villainous Education--promises a shift in common perspective and is what interested me in the novel. It's not often we get to see the story from the "villain's" point of view. I imagined a school full of Slytherins, where they weren't the grimly regarded slime of the student body, but the celebrated norm. I had hoped for a rollicking adventure with a silly, humorous twist.  I wanted a Percy Jackson experience, but instead found a poorly structured story populated by flat characters, whose plot dawdled and then wandered off to who knows where.

Even the class schedule at H.I.V.E. sounds fun: Villainy Studies, Tactical Education, Practical Technology, and Stealth and Evasion. I wanted to see a bunch of children learn to be hackers, spies, thieves, and strategists. I'm not sure about the class "Villainy Studies," which serves as an example of one of the reasons I didn't like the book. Walden doesn't effectively embody the mindset of a "villain," who is only dubbed as such by the "good guys." I'm sure the best "villains" don't see themselves as evil. They think they're right, that they're superior, that those people trying to thwart their plans are like little buzzing mosquitoes getting in the way. They don't think "I am a villain and that guy over there is a hero." Walden's representation of "villains" is a caricature someone on the outside of this world might conjure up. I wanted to be inside the world, looking at it from an insider's perspective.

The evil genius of our young protagonist, Otto Malpense, is witnessed by H.I.V.E., resulting in his abduction and transportation to the school. Upon his arrival, we are immediately informed of Otto's superiority to all of the other students. While they gawp stupidly at the strange new sites the institution has to offer, Otto remains unimpressed, blankly memorizing his surroundings for no apparent reason. Dr. Nero, head of the institution, notices this and marks Otto as a student to watch. Otto goes on, along with his new friend Fanchu Wing, to continuously demonstrate his perfection. I find it difficult to relate to a character who has so little vulnerability. Otto is so implausibly capable that I don't even care what happens to him because there's no risk, nothing at stake. He always comes out on top. Boooring.

Otto very quickly decides that he must escape H.I.V.E. From the moment he arrives, he observes and calculates, saving up all of the information he gathers in case it will be useful in plotting his getaway. There is a lot of obvious noticing, like the author is trying to shine a spotlight on Otto's superior intelligence. Why Otto feels he must escape H.I.V.E. is a mystery to me. The school's existence and location are highly secret and so students are allowed no contact with the outer world during their studies. Perhaps the principle of being "imprisoned" is enough to make someone want to leave, but Otto is given a room, he quickly makes friends, his laundry is done for him, he is fed, and he is going to be taught a number of skills that no doubt he will quickly master but that will likely be useful to him. Why he feels a pressing need to get out immediately is beyond me, and why a number of students quickly express the same desire is even more perplexing.

Much of the novel seems derivative. Otto is a pale, cartoonish, emotionless copy of Ender Wiggin. Franz--the fat German boy who thinks only of food isn't a copy. He IS Augustus Gloop. His father even owns a chocolate factory.

In one scene, students file into a classroom and wait for their teacher. They notice a cat seated on the teachers desk, and vaguely question its presence. Then a teacher's voice comes from the front of the room, addressing the class, and they look around bemusedly for its owner. With some incredulity, they find the voice belongs to the cat on the desk. Hmm, why does this seem so familiar?

Two hundred pages into the story, nothing has happened. Otto arrived at the school, went on a tour, got a roommate, and we saw a flashback of his life before H.I.V.E. and how he came to be at the school. I assume the plot will detail Otto & Co.'s unnecessary escape effort but because I don't understand why they're bothering to break out (they're in no danger at the school and won't suffer by staying) I don't care if their plan is successful and even sort of hope that they fail. I'm not interested in the answer to the question the plot poses and so it is time to take my leave of this story. Goodbye little book. I had hoped we might be friends but it is not to be--back to the library you go.

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

genre: dystopia
age: YA
rating: 7/8 tentacles

This is a sequel, there will be Delirium spoilers.  Don't read the review if you haven't read the first book.

Now that Lena has successfully fled her oppressive society, she must come to terms with losing Alex and face the new hardships that accompany life in the small, self-sustained community of runaways located in the middle of a forest.   

Pandemonium's narrative splits into segments titled "Then" and "Now" that flip-flop between this period, set immediately after Lena's escape, and the present, during which Lena seems to have adapted and thrived, joining fellow runaways Raven and Tack in their rebellion against an organization called the DFA (Deliria Free America).

I found myself looking forward to the "Now" segments.  I enjoyed watching the clockwork of Raven and Tack's plan tick out, observing the smooth efficiency of the DFA meetings that Lena attended, and was intrigued by the character of Julian.  His wounded air and sense of entitlement reminded me a little of Colin Craven, who I like.  Lena watches Julian struggle with his inherited beliefs, delusions from which her own experiences had only recently distanced her--making for an interesting relationship.  In Delirium, Alex drops into Lena's world out of the blue and radically changes everything for her, teaches her to expand her perceptions, to live.  Now it's Lena's turn to do the same for some one else.

I did enjoy the survival segments as well, but because I preferred the other chapters, I found myself disappointed whenever I saw the word "Then" heading a chapter.   The two threads of time are two separate stories, one informing the other, but I wish they had been presented chronologically.  I saw no reason to alternate sections like Oliver did--I don't think this decision increases the drama of the plot, and I wouldn't have kept getting jerked out of the story I wanted to be reading.

Delirium didn't resonate with me and I picked up the sequel mainly out of curiosity.  I approached Pandemonium with a kind of oh-all-right-I-read-the-first-one-so-why-not mentality, without expecting to be impressed, but Pandemonium surprised me.  The plot was much more interesting than its predecessor's, I liked more of the characters (didn't like Hana or Alex, do like Raven and Julian), and Oliver's descriptions were just as beautiful as her writing in Delirium.

Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Oh boy, look at THIS tangle of thorns. Ugliest book cover ever.

genre: dystopia, sci-fi-ish
age: YA
rating: 3/8 tentacles

Sequel alert: beware of spoiling Book 1.

Fever begins just after Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion--their extravagant prison--and we follow them as they attempt to put more and more distance between themselves and the cold science of Vaughn's evil. This type of action calls for a quicker pace than Wither with more focus on plotting and less of that honey-slow description featured in the first installment of the series.  The nature of Fever's plot calls for more movement and a faster pace. Give me action! Give me adventure! Give me... a voyeuristic prostitution tent swathed in vagueness? Wait.

I definitely preferred the second half of the book to the first. There's a kind of slow cloudiness in the beginning, after the initial post-escape excitement. Typical on-the-run adventures primarily move move move. Characters get to one place, interact with people, figure stuff out, go to another place. That's what I expected from Fever Gabriel and Rhine dawdled at times and didn't do much finding out. Like none, actually.

There's definitely some juicy stuff later on. ( Hint: remember how Linden seemed to have no idea that his beloved brides were kidnapped by his father? How he obliviously lavished them with all sorts of luxurious gifts, how he blindly hoped for love? In Wither, I got the impression he almost expected gratitude from his "wives," a repulsive expectation, considering the violent way the girls were extracted from their lives, torn from their families. They witnessed the cold-blooded execution of the other girls, not deemed good enough to belong to Linden. I wanted that violence to be shoved in Linden's face. I wanted his stupid delusions to be shattered into pieces, his stolen happiness punctured.)

It's not that I dislike Linden.  I actually like him a lot--he's a great character. Much more interesting that Rhine's erm... consensual "love" interest.  Oh, Gabriel. What to say about Gabriel. Not much. There's not much about him to discuss. He's blonde, and likes Rhine, and is possessive. That's all I know. He is the paper kite at the end of the string in her hand. If she lets go, he is nothing. He has no characteristics beyond his attachment to Rhine.

Gabriel's bland character contaminates his romance with Rhine (also bland). I blame his possessiveness. They don't seem to have any actual affection for each other. Yes, Rhine shows concern for Gabriel when he's drugged out of his mind. But I think she mostly just feels guilt that she tore him out of one hell only to drag him right into a more horrific one. She feels obligated to protect him, to rescue him from the terrors of this world she's inflicted upon him. I don't see any evidence that Gabriel cares for Rhine, other than the way he glares at those who try to touch her, like a dog snapping at a stranger who wants to take his toy. The guilt is good. I like the guilt; it creates ambiguity and conflict. What I'm not sure I like is Gabriel's flatness. Even if their relationship is a sham, I'd like him to have a little more depth.

What it all comes down to is this: Wither entranced me, this book doesn't feel finished. Nothing pulls the plot forward and I spent most of my time with Fever just waiting.

Review: Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

genre: nonfiction, gaming, life improvement
age: all!, adult
rating: 7/8 tentacles

I spent a large portion of my childhood glued to either the television screen or computer monitor playing all sorts of games with the ferocity of a baby drug addict. Reading Blaster, Kings Quest VII: The Princeless Bride, Super Mario Bros, Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party, Paper Mario, and (especially) Final Fantasy VIII are some of my favorites. I understand the joy that comes from abandoning one's self to the rules and world of a game, from working hard under the constricts of those rules to achieve an arbitrary goal, the path to which is strewn with obstacle after obstacle. I understand the determination, the absorption, and the focus it takes to achieve those goals as well as the pleasure of these comparatively small successes, the pleasure of simply escaping.

McGonical, herself a game designer, wonders why so many gamers choose to spend their time working toward virtual successes that have little value in the "real world" when they could dedicate themselves to equal but more practical productivity in their lives. In her exploration of the human love--need, even--for games, McGonical references a wide variety examples ranging from Jacks to Tetris to Words with Friends to World of Warcraft to sports. She then suggests applying the structure of game-play (a clear goal, clear instructions, and direct feedback) to real life projects and work. I think this is a fantastic way to give ourselves the sense of purpose often found in games.

A lot of what McGonical says here can be applied to books. A good book allows us to live vicariously through its characters, who often accomplish great things that might feel more important or more consequential than the trivialities of our everyday lives. Books, in addition to games, offer an alternate reality that is in many ways more satisfying than real life. I find this both sad and wonderful. Reality is Broken is ultimately a dissection of the reasons we seek escapist ventures, why we choose the methods of escape that we do, and how we can mold our worlds into places that mimic the games that fulfill us and provide us with such satisfaction.

McGonigal's prose is deliciously clear. She writes with entrancing and efficient simplicity. Her book was a joy to read and provided some fascinating insights into the psychology of gaming, the awareness of which will now influence the way I organize my work projects and my life.

Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

genre: paranormal
age: YA
rating: 4/8 tentacles

*OH, RIGHT.  THIS IS THE FIFTH BOOK IN A SERIES. THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS.  PROBABLY NOT BUT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.*

I have mixed feelings about City of Lost Souls, mainly because it didn't meet the expectations built up by the previous four books in The Mortal Instruments series. This fifth installment reads more like fan-fiction than professional writing. Clare spends way too much time on cliched descriptions of make-out sessions and telling us what her characters are wearing. Really, there is no need to provide detailed descriptions of a character's ensemble every single time he or she enters a scene. Maybe a few times is okay, if the outfit is relevant or contributes to characterization, but lines like this are too much:

"As she came in, Alec looked up and saw her, and sprang to his feet, hurrying barefoot across the room--he was wearing black sweatpants and a white t-shirt with a torn collar--to put his arms around her."

I don't think the color of Alec's sweatpants is important enough to warrant interrupting the action to tell us. Shoving that in there ruins the sentence.

It's one example of the many ways that this novel lacks focus. I often found myself thinking, "What, this again? Get to the good part!" Mostly during the scenes between Maia and Jordan. I felt like there was an inordinate amount of time spent on the trivial exploits of secondary characters. Maia and Jordan's scenes were all pretty much gooey teen romance, which I can't stomach, especially when they're written without any originality. My public library put a sticker on the book's spine with a spooky ghost and the word "Horror." A more accurate sticker might have shown the torso of a man whose muscles rippled under his tightly fitted shirt. There's a couple of those floating around CLS.

The plot--Clary and friends' attempts to find Jace and Sebastian and then stop Sebastian's nefarious scheme--often got bogged down with the aforementioned makeout sessions and fashion commentary, but when it wasn't, when we were right in the thick of things--the book was pretty good. There was a lot of interesting development with Sebastian's character and his relationship with Clary. My favorite scenes were with Sebastian. He's a fantastic--I don't want to say villain, because Clare makes things nice and grey for us. A very dark grey, but grey nonetheless.

To sum up: entertaining plot, surprisingly amateurish writing. Could have used some more editing to really reach its potential, I think.

I'm being a little generous with my tentacles.  According to my chart, poor quality of writing, even with a decent story, deserves a 3 out of 8 but because I'm a fan of the series and it did get a little better towards the end, I'll throw in one more, out of the goodness of my heart.

Review: Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

age: children's
genre: adventure, fantasy
rating: 5/8 tentacles

When Peter's orphanage dumps him and several other parent-less boys onto an old ship called The Never Land, he becomes involved with a secret, ancient battle between Starcatchers and Others to be the first to capture the powerful shooting stars that fall to earth. The story offers a magical, star-powered explanation for the existence of Barrie's Neverland in all of its delightful enchantment.

The writing is simple and repetitious, with lots of "he said, she said, he said," which, in my opinion, somewhat limits target readers to those who have not yet acquired a taste for more sophisticated prose: either the very young or the non-reader. I say this as someone who still loves reading children's literature, not someone who just picked up up a kid's book and said, "Aw this writing isn't mature enough for me." When I look at the intelligence and humor and dexterous descriptions in some of my favorite children's books--books I enjoyed as child--I can't help but hold other work up to that same standard. Just compare this with Barrie's original.

In many ways, Peter and the Starcatchers is similar to Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Both stories feature a young boy adventuring with friends. Percy learns about Greek Gods and goes on a Quest with Annabeth and Grover. Peter learns about Starcatchers and, in a questlike manner, attempts to protect a magical item from falling into pirate hands with Molly, Alf, and the other orphans. Both tales are told with a degree of silliness. However, as I read on, it became clear that Peter simply does not possess the same depth as Percy Jackson. The characters felt like characters instead of people and Peter lacked much of his Peter Pan-ness. One might attempt to justify this with: "but he's not Peter Pan yet... Of course he started out as a normal boy!" But I won't buy it. I want the cocky impish child from Barrie's novel and Disney's films. This Peter was too ordinary to be Peter Pan.

Here is another similarity between Peter and the Starcatchers and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: both are based on pre-existing stories. Percy Jackson is based on mythology, which includes countless tales of all the gods that have been twisted and changed through generations of repetition. It's difficult to remain loyal to such varying myths that have already been interpreted and reinterpreted so many times and in so many different ways. The story of Peter Pan is much younger and has a specific source. I love the novel by J.M.Barrie and find it hard to completely accept the way that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have claimed Peter Pan and his world as their own and almost audaciously invented a story of origin that conflicts with Barrie's own novel. I feel much the same as I do when I book I like gets made into a movie that doesn't fit my interpretation.

Peter and the Starcatchers is a fun, youthful adventure and its simplistic narration often gave way to moments of lovely description. Peter did not offer the same cleverness or whimsy as Barrie's Peter Pan or the same pull as Percy Jackson & the Olympians but it was a quick, entertaining read and I will very shortly begin the next in the series, Peter and the Shadow Thieves.

The Good Thing About Bad Reviews

I often feel very mean when I criticize the work of published authors. I’m trying to write a book and I know that it’s a difficult, time consuming process that involves pouring a bit of yourself into your work and, in doing so, making yourself vulnerable—taking a risk. When I point out what I perceive to be ineffectiveness or errors in a novel, I sometimes feel like I am throwing harpoons at an author’s child. But I do it anyway, and I will tell you why.

There is a significant difference between demeaning someone’s work and offering honest, constructive criticism. I always try to make sure I am doing the latter, although I’m sure annoyance sometimes seeps into my review if I am particularly flabbergasted as to how something made it to publication. And I do hold published work up to a higher standard. If something has been professionally edited and put out for sale, it better be worth buying. I expect skillful writing and good quality regardless of whether a work falls under my personal preferences.

I’ve said before that my background in creative writing and workshopping has raised my expectations considerably and made me very picky when it comes to writing style, story arc, and technical issues. My education taught me to read books as a writer, and so I take in everything with a critical eye, always asking myself how something can be better. I’ve been trained to pinpoint weak spots. My reviews are an answer to the question, “What could be better here?” Writing them helps me learn about what doesn’t work in fiction and how to fix the mistakes that I come across before I make them. If an author hypothetically were to see what I’ve written about their book, they would find suggestions rather than insults.

Honesty and respect are the keys to writing effective Bad Reviews. I think it’s important to generate honest feedback. It keeps pressure on writers to produce quality work and improve themselves over time. It also helps readers to determine what books are right for them, and really that is what reviews are for: guiding readers through an endless sea of literature.