Friday, September 24, 2010
Fever Crumb
by Philip Reeve
To start, let me say that the post-apocalyptic setting is not one I am drawn to, and in fact it was the cover of this book and the description of it that drew me in - until I started reading, and found myself curious and, soon enough, invested in Fever's story.
Fever has always been told that she was found as a baby, and brought to live with the Order of Engineers, where she has been raised as one of them: logical, analytical, and dismissive of emotion. She ventures out into the world to assist an archeologist, who begins to turn her world upside down when he brings her to places that she remembers, in vivid detail, despite having lived her entire life with the Engineers. When she is spotted, with her mismatched eyes, by paranoid Londoners who believe her to be a remnant of the species who has lorded over them not long ago, she becomes hunted. Soon, her past, the city's past, and the strange memories become hopelessly intertwined, and she learns the truth about her birth, just as new forces invade the city. At the centre of the desires and fears of many and opposing forces, Fever managed to emerge safe, but thoroughly transformed.
Reeve is a skillful author who draws readers in quickly, building characters and setting up a scenario right away. The larger world around them comes out along the way, and was so fully imagined and so filled with clever details that I found myself becoming more and more curious about it. I am now on the lookout for more by him!
To start, let me say that the post-apocalyptic setting is not one I am drawn to, and in fact it was the cover of this book and the description of it that drew me in - until I started reading, and found myself curious and, soon enough, invested in Fever's story.
Fever has always been told that she was found as a baby, and brought to live with the Order of Engineers, where she has been raised as one of them: logical, analytical, and dismissive of emotion. She ventures out into the world to assist an archeologist, who begins to turn her world upside down when he brings her to places that she remembers, in vivid detail, despite having lived her entire life with the Engineers. When she is spotted, with her mismatched eyes, by paranoid Londoners who believe her to be a remnant of the species who has lorded over them not long ago, she becomes hunted. Soon, her past, the city's past, and the strange memories become hopelessly intertwined, and she learns the truth about her birth, just as new forces invade the city. At the centre of the desires and fears of many and opposing forces, Fever managed to emerge safe, but thoroughly transformed.
Reeve is a skillful author who draws readers in quickly, building characters and setting up a scenario right away. The larger world around them comes out along the way, and was so fully imagined and so filled with clever details that I found myself becoming more and more curious about it. I am now on the lookout for more by him!
Labels: 2009, family, good stuff, middle grades, sci fi
Friday, August 06, 2010
Publisher REview: Boom!
by Mark Haddon
(A foreword to this book notes that it is a rewrite of a long-ago-published book by the former title of Gridzbi Spudvetch!.)
This title by the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is full of action and silliness in equal measure right from the get-go, when Jimbo overhears his teachers exchanging words in another language and starts to snoop.
When it becomes clear that his teachers are not normal humans and are onto he and his friend, Charlie, the stakes climb, and things get dangerous, but when his friend disappears, he knows no adults will believe his story. He's on his own - except for a surprise last-minute addition to the mission.
What follows is funny and fast-paced, and reminds me a bit of a Daniel Pinkwater, or even a slightly (and I mean slightly) toned-down Douglas Adams written for kids. Totally enjoyable, and a great read across the board, though it does have the benefit of great boy appeal.
(A foreword to this book notes that it is a rewrite of a long-ago-published book by the former title of Gridzbi Spudvetch!.)
This title by the author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is full of action and silliness in equal measure right from the get-go, when Jimbo overhears his teachers exchanging words in another language and starts to snoop.
When it becomes clear that his teachers are not normal humans and are onto he and his friend, Charlie, the stakes climb, and things get dangerous, but when his friend disappears, he knows no adults will believe his story. He's on his own - except for a surprise last-minute addition to the mission.
What follows is funny and fast-paced, and reminds me a bit of a Daniel Pinkwater, or even a slightly (and I mean slightly) toned-down Douglas Adams written for kids. Totally enjoyable, and a great read across the board, though it does have the benefit of great boy appeal.
Labels: 2010, action/adventure, family, friendship, loved it, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, sci fi
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Owl Keeper
by Christine Brodien-Jones
As this novel starts, it is not clear how much the world is like ours and how much is set in another, very different reality. I'm not much a reader of fantasies or dystopian literature, and liked how this left some of that misty at first, and slowly revealed how much the world had changed in this story. There is an interesting blend of old stories, of folklore nearly lost, and a darkness to the main character's world that add to the moodiness.
You see, he is told that he is allergic to sunlight, and kept hidden away indoors, so that he only roams at all in the dark of night. he receives injections regularly from a doctor, and has a guardian who looks after him, for his parents are working nearly always, and he seldom sees them at all.
As we start to learn about silver owls that had once been revered but were now considered enemies to be destroyed, he also meets a strange girl who appears to live just as far outside of the bounds of normalcy as he does, and they form an instant bond. He is attracted to her fearless fierceness, and they start to explore and question, making some horrifying discoveries about the world and the plans that are soon to be completed. They decide that they are the only ones who understand what is coming, and that they must act, even if their mission is nearly hopeless, and based on half-remembered mythology. They set out on a quest, as it were, fending off dangers human and not on the way, and find surprising resolution and renewal.
This book is very much in the tradition of quest tales, but is told beautifully, with a dreamy quality that mutes the more horrifying parts just enough, and keeps the sense of mystery nicely. There is some lovely bits of poetry tucked in, and a warming feeling of love for this boy, even among terrible, dark times, that makes this especially lovely.
Even though I am not generally a fan of this genre, I really loved this book.
As this novel starts, it is not clear how much the world is like ours and how much is set in another, very different reality. I'm not much a reader of fantasies or dystopian literature, and liked how this left some of that misty at first, and slowly revealed how much the world had changed in this story. There is an interesting blend of old stories, of folklore nearly lost, and a darkness to the main character's world that add to the moodiness.
You see, he is told that he is allergic to sunlight, and kept hidden away indoors, so that he only roams at all in the dark of night. he receives injections regularly from a doctor, and has a guardian who looks after him, for his parents are working nearly always, and he seldom sees them at all.
As we start to learn about silver owls that had once been revered but were now considered enemies to be destroyed, he also meets a strange girl who appears to live just as far outside of the bounds of normalcy as he does, and they form an instant bond. He is attracted to her fearless fierceness, and they start to explore and question, making some horrifying discoveries about the world and the plans that are soon to be completed. They decide that they are the only ones who understand what is coming, and that they must act, even if their mission is nearly hopeless, and based on half-remembered mythology. They set out on a quest, as it were, fending off dangers human and not on the way, and find surprising resolution and renewal.
This book is very much in the tradition of quest tales, but is told beautifully, with a dreamy quality that mutes the more horrifying parts just enough, and keeps the sense of mystery nicely. There is some lovely bits of poetry tucked in, and a warming feeling of love for this boy, even among terrible, dark times, that makes this especially lovely.
Even though I am not generally a fan of this genre, I really loved this book.
Labels: friendship, good stuff, growing up, middle grades, Publisher Reviews, sci fi
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones
by Brandon Sanderson.
Not much is different in this book than the first, as one might expect. There is still the sense that this is a mashup of fantasy and comedy, a sort of Terry Pratchett-ish form of the fantasy genre, but maybe more so. Add, as I suggested last time, a dash of Snicket-ish asides and loops of silliness that turn back on themsleves constantly, and you get the idea.
This time, Alcatraz, Bastille, and some long-lost family members unite to try to break into the very dangerous Library of Alexandria and rescue Alcatraz's father and grandfather, whom they believe to be there. On the way, they have a nasty encounter with some Librarians, in particular a sect known as The Scrivener's Bones, who are a sort of cyborg hybrid.
It's all danger, learning to use weird "talents" more effectively, uncovering some mystical prophecies and magical lenses, and of course, a lot of narrow scrapes. In short, fun and full of adventure, if maybe a bit more busy being silly and flip than is really my own taste. Fans of Pratchett and Pinkwater, though, will love it, I'm pretty sure.
It's all danger, learning to use weird "talents" more effectively, uncovering some mystical prophecies and magical lenses, and of course, a lot of narrow scrapes. In short, fun and full of adventure, if maybe a bit more busy being silly and flip than is really my own taste. Fans of Pratchett and Pinkwater, though, will love it, I'm pretty sure.
Labels: 2008, action/adventure, humour, lukewarm, middle grades, sci fi, witches and wizards
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card.
I am not a science fiction reader, but I do make occasional forays into unfamiliar genres of children's and teens' fiction in order to broaden my horizons and better my Readers' Advisory skills from time to time. I often start with the big names, the classics, the always-on-the-list items, figuring there has to be a reason people keep talking about them. And so it was that I picked up this classic starting point for teen Sci-Fi.
The story begins as young Ender, just six years old, is plucked from school and sent to Battle School to learn among the big boys. It seems many hopes ride on this tiny genius being their next great fleet commander, a gem of rare tactical brilliance, and hopes of destroying the "Buggers" and avoiding future wars lay with him. He is pushed hard, odds stacked against him and circumstances manipulated in any way possible to make him work harder. Years before any one else in history, he was pushed up to a position of command within the school, in charge of his own army of soldiers - green ones, at that, whom he was to mold. All old rules about resting time and battle practices were thrown out in the interest of pushing him and his crew to the breaking, forging them by fire. Not long after, he is again moved up, some five years earlier than normal, to Command School, where he is pushed further and harder than before, now being trained and opposed by the only surviving hero from the earlier wars.
Throughout, we see the master manipulators discussing their concerns, their needs and fears about Ender and about the upcoming invasion, which make this whole thing both more and less humane. Ender is no normal kid, to be sure, even at six he is light years ahead of most average ten- or twelve-year-olds, a genius who had been annealed to pain by his cruel older brother. This and the twist at the end, as well as Ender's occasional lapses into frustration and his fear about his own nature give this an incredibly deep humanity, rather than being a mere adventure tale. He had to be, as they explain to him when all is said and done, someone empathetic enough to understand the enemy and thus defeat him, but survivalist enough to make the tough decisions about us or them. He is indeed, just that person. For this extra depth and dimension, I really, really liked it.
I am not a science fiction reader, but I do make occasional forays into unfamiliar genres of children's and teens' fiction in order to broaden my horizons and better my Readers' Advisory skills from time to time. I often start with the big names, the classics, the always-on-the-list items, figuring there has to be a reason people keep talking about them. And so it was that I picked up this classic starting point for teen Sci-Fi.
The story begins as young Ender, just six years old, is plucked from school and sent to Battle School to learn among the big boys. It seems many hopes ride on this tiny genius being their next great fleet commander, a gem of rare tactical brilliance, and hopes of destroying the "Buggers" and avoiding future wars lay with him. He is pushed hard, odds stacked against him and circumstances manipulated in any way possible to make him work harder. Years before any one else in history, he was pushed up to a position of command within the school, in charge of his own army of soldiers - green ones, at that, whom he was to mold. All old rules about resting time and battle practices were thrown out in the interest of pushing him and his crew to the breaking, forging them by fire. Not long after, he is again moved up, some five years earlier than normal, to Command School, where he is pushed further and harder than before, now being trained and opposed by the only surviving hero from the earlier wars.
Throughout, we see the master manipulators discussing their concerns, their needs and fears about Ender and about the upcoming invasion, which make this whole thing both more and less humane. Ender is no normal kid, to be sure, even at six he is light years ahead of most average ten- or twelve-year-olds, a genius who had been annealed to pain by his cruel older brother. This and the twist at the end, as well as Ender's occasional lapses into frustration and his fear about his own nature give this an incredibly deep humanity, rather than being a mere adventure tale. He had to be, as they explain to him when all is said and done, someone empathetic enough to understand the enemy and thus defeat him, but survivalist enough to make the tough decisions about us or them. He is indeed, just that person. For this extra depth and dimension, I really, really liked it.
Labels: golden oldies, good stuff, sci fi, teen
