Review: Railsea by China Miéville

Title: Railsea [Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: China Miéville [Website]
Standing: Stand alone novel.
Genre: Young Adult, SciFi, Retelling (ish)
Published: May 15th, 2012 by Random House Publishing Group
Format: Kindle edition; 448 pages
Source: ARC from publisher via NetGalley

On board the moletrain Medes, Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt: the giant mole bursting from the earth, the harpoonists targeting their prey, the battle resulting in one’s death and the other’s glory. But no matter how spectacular it is, Sham can’t shake the sense that there is more to life than traveling the endless rails of the railsea—even if his captain can think only of the hunt for the ivory-colored mole she’s been chasing since it took her arm all those years ago. When they come across a wrecked train, at first it’s a welcome distraction. But what Sham finds in the derelict—a kind of treasure map indicating a mythical place untouched by iron rails—leads to considerably more than he’d bargained for. Soon he’s hunted on all sides, by pirates, trainsfolk, monsters, and salvage-scrabblers. And it might not be just Sham’s life that’s about to change. It could be the whole of the railsea.

Here is a novel for readers of all ages, a gripping and brilliantly imagined take on Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick that confirms China Miéville’s status as “the most original and talented voice to appear in several years” (Science Fiction Chronicle).

I’m not going to lie and say that Railsea is a book I will be recommending to all readers, but I will, with certainty, be recommending it to anyone and everyone I think would enjoy it.  Railsea isn’t what anyone expects to see under the ‘YA’ label.  Many have argued that it isn’t really YA at all, but when a book is pitched as ‘a novel for readers of all ages’, I don’t think it’s really trying to be.  Given its content, I think that ‘a novel for readers of all ages’ is the perfect description for Railsea.  It will appeal to Miéville’s adult fanbase, as well as make him more accessible to younger readers.  The teens who will fall in love with Railsea will be those who probably read a lot of adult sci-fi or fantasy already; they will be smart, appreciate a wry sense of humor, and have a wonderful sense of adventure.  Readers must be patient getting into this one, as it will take you a while to feel entirely at ease with the language and story, and to understand the world that Miéville has built, but I assure you that it will be worth the effort.

As China Miéville  has said himself: “Part of the appeal of the fantastic is taking ridiculous ideas very seriously and pretending they're not absurd.”  I couldn’t possibly describe Railsea in a more accurate sentence.  Railsea is ridiculous, but the respect and authority that Miéville gives to his characters in the story therein left me completely enraptured, enamored, and on the edge of my seat wanting more.  To me, Railsea was hilarious.  I was constantly laughing out loud in the way that you laugh at someone who you are never quite sure recognizes how truly clever they are.  I was initially worried that I would be bogged down in the language, but instead I found myself languishing in it, making Railsea one of the more literary works I have read for some time.

However, the best part of Railsea is the story that is found within all of this.  Railsea is a sort of Moby Dick retelling, but readers shouldn’t go in thinking this will be all about a captain balancing on the edge of sanity pulling all the stops to bring down the big one.  That’s only part of the tale.  In fact, our focus isn’t the captain at all, it is Sham ap Soorap, who dreams of a life more exciting than that of a doctor’s assistant aboard a moler, and gets it.  It’s the story of a sort of treasure map, a high seas adventure, and an escapade to the very ends of the earth. 

Now, those readers who love a focus on excellent world building and plot—Railsea is for you, but for those of you who are all about character development, you may not approve.  It’s not that the characters are shallow, but Railsea is not a book where we get strong images of the characters’ emotions.  And personally, I didn’t feel like anything was missing despite this.  The world of Railsea, with scavengers, pirates, and hunters riding the railsea on trains rather than ships made me think of a futuristic old west, kind of like a more localized take on Joss Whedon’s Firefly.  Add to that giant vermin such as fanged meerkats or predatory chipmunk packs living under the land of the rails, and you have some pretty terrifying imagery going for you.  In addition, Railsea contains a number of illustrations of the creatures described, drawn by the author himself.  I loved seeing them in detail, though I’ll admit I craved to see some of the drawings that Sham himself had done, or others depicting the railsea.

I’m always impressed when an author writes a book so utterly un-sexist, that traditional gender divisions aren’t even a thought.  As was the case with Railsea.  Gender roles are never even alluded to, it is just a part of the world that women do the exact same jobs as men, and nothing whatsoever is thought about this.  Our captain, Naphi, is a woman whose life philosophy has become killing Mocker-Jack, the Mole of Many Meanings.  And she’s not the only strong woman about, there’s scrappers, molers, and Caldera Shroake making Railsea a book that spreads the crazy, savvy, and skill all over. 

I realize I haven’t talked overly much about the plot, but the reality is, you don’t want me to.  You want to dive into the unknown of the Railsea with as few preconceived notions of the plot as possible.  This is one of those books I loved, but about which I still have a hard time adequately formulating my thoughts into words. While I have tried to express that this is not for everyone, I have to stress that those that click with Railsea will really click.  This will certainly be one of my top reads of 2012.

Likelihood that I'll be back for more: Oh goodness yes!  I’ve been wanting to read some China Miéville for some time, and since I particularly enjoyed the zany wit of Railsea, I think my next read will be his other book for younger readers, Un Lun Dun.

Recommended for: Fans of Firefly, Neal Stephenson, Tremors, Treasure Island and Moby Dick.

Real life repercussions of reading this book: Okay, I loved bats before, but now I want a pet day bat so badly it’s ridiculous.  Daybe for best animal companion of the year?

Also:

This one’s for Naphi.

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The Readventurer
The Book Smugglers (in Kirkus)
io9 YA Novels

Audio Review: Fever Crumb by Philip Reeves

Title: Fever Crumb [Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: Philip Reeve [Website|Twitter]
Standing: First book in the Hungry City Chronicles prequel trilogy.
Genre: Young Adult, Futuristic, Sci-Fi
Published: March 1st, 2011 by Scholastic Inc.
Format: Audiobook; 7 hours. Read by Philip Reeve.
Source: Borrowed from my local library.

Fever Crumb is a girl who has been adopted and raised by Dr. Crumb, a member of the order of Engineers, where she serves as apprentice. In a time and place where women are not seen as reasonable creatures, Fever is an anomaly, the only female to serve in the order.

Soon though, she must say goodbye to Dr. Crumb - nearly the only person she's ever known - to assist archeologist Kit Solent on a top-secret project. As her work begins, Fever is plagued by memories that are not her own and Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are. Fever has also been singled out by city-dwellers who declare her part Scriven.

The Scriveners, not human, ruled the city some years ago but were hunted down and killed in a victorious uprising by the people. If there are any remaining Scriven, they are to be eliminated.

All Fever knows is what she's been told: that she is an orphan. Is Fever a Scriven? Whose memories does she hold? Is the mystery of Fever, adopted daughter of Dr. Crumb, the key to the secret that lies at the heart of London?

Haunting, arresting, and astonishingly original, Fever Crumb will delight and surprise readers at every fast-paced, breathless turn.

Philip Reeve has created a most intriguing world in Fever Crumb, the first installment of a trilogy preempting his Hungry City Chronicles (also called the Mortal Engines series--the prequel trilogy was written after).  Now, I haven’t read the Hungry City Chronicles, so I can’t really speak to that effect, but I will say that Fever Crumb was a delightful, quirky, futuristic steampunk-like read.  Fever Crumb appears to be set in our own world, but so far in the future that electronics and such are referred to as creations of the ancients.  While I would argue that Fever Crumb is not technically steampunk, and is rather just straight up sci-fi, it does have a very steampunk-like quality in that the world has a Victorian feel, and thus it will appeal to fans of that genre.

I picked up Fever Crumb on audio after seeing it on YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list.  The title alone grabbed me, and when I read the premise I was drawn in.  The audiobook is read by the author, Philip Reeve, and I am almost always a fan of audiobooks read by their authors (see Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens).  I’m happy to say that Fever Crumb did not disappoint!  Philip Reeve’s narrative was excellent, and with an accent matching Jim Dale’s it was easy to be charmed into enjoying the audio of Fever Crumb.  His futuristic London held some laugh out loud quirks for me, like the use of the term ‘blogger’ as an insult, or instead of Hari Krishna cults on the street there were cults chanting ‘Harry Potter’.  In fact, my initial reaction shortly into listening was ‘why haven’t more people I know read this book?!’  I’m sad to say, however, that my initial interest in Philip Reeve’s London waned by the end.  I did enjoy Fever Crumb, but it turns out I liked the entire storyline significantly less than I liked the idea up front.

Fever Crumb is also one of those books that, at least for me, sits on the precipice between Middle Grade and Young Adult.  It is technically categorized as Young Adult, but reads very much like a Middle Grade book.  I’d put it on the brink with books like Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, or C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.  I enjoy this age range, though I find it difficult to peg down at times, but sadly Fever Crumb didn’t grab me in near the same way as the other series mentioned.

The character I most enjoyed in Fever Crumb was, no surprise, Fever Crumb.  Fever is practical and logical to a fault; so much so that she seems almost robotic like.  She won’t drink hot tea (because the transportation of tea is impractical), she shaves her head every other day (hair is an unnecessary vestige of our ancestors, and creates a home for lice), and she certainly doesn’t go in for things like fairy tales or fun.  I think this is why the beginning of the book was so much more enjoyable to me than the end.  I loved seeing Fever’s reactions to things, and observing her thought process.  As the story goes on, she inevitably learns that it is okay to feel, and honestly I found her less interesting when she became more personable. 

The overall story of London, humans, and the scriveners was most assuredly an interesting set up, but I am uncertain that I was caught up enough to carry on.  Philip Reeve does have a unique and charming way of putting a Victorian style on Science Fiction that is different from the steampunk genre in which we normally see this union. 

Likelihood that I'll be back for more:  I did enjoy Fever Crumb, especially in its audiobook format.  However, since my library doesn’t have the rest of the series on audio, and I don’t feel invested enough in the series to purchase it on audio, I do not know that I will be continuing on.

Recommended for:  Those who enjoy older MG/younger YA books, steampunkers.

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Review: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Title: Struck [Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: Jennifer Bosworth [Website|Twitter|Facebook]
Standing: First in a series, can be read as a stand alone.
Genre: Young Adult, Apocalyptic, SciFi
Published: May 8th, 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR
Format: Kindle edition; 385 pages.
Source: ARC copy from publisher via NetGalley.
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn't who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

Ah, Struck.  It was awesome, it was frustrating, I’m thinking it was worth the time I took to read it, but also that I could have lived without doing so.  First thing’s first, let’s talk about the good, because Struck does have some very cool culty goodness to offer.

Mia Price can’t even keep track of how many times she’s been hit by lightning, and it hits her different every time.  Sometimes it will throw you 20 feet, sometimes it will fry your hair, sometimes it will even stop your heart.  Once you’ve been hit, you’re more likely to be hit again, and lightning is attracted to Mia like a star-crossed lover.  As a result, Mia’s family picked up and moved to Los Angeles, where it rarely rains.  There, she’s far less likely to be struck.  She wears all modest clothing to hide the lightning scars that cover her body, Lichtenberg figures, which now encompass her skin.  They usually fade within days of being hit—but Mia’s don’t.  Here’s an idea of what the scars look like:

Pretty cool, eh?  Personally, I think they’re kind of amazing and I’m not sure why anyone would want to cover that awesomeness, but I suppose seventeen year-olds that have been labeled freaks by their former communities are self conscious about this sort of thing.

Struck had the type of fast-paced plot that made the book a breeze.  It takes place in the lull between a massive earthquake and the official apocalypse.  Or, ‘official’ according to the cults.  Er, the cult and the secret society (though I’m with Mia, the two look the same from where I’m standing).  Mia finds herself, and her family, caught between two warring factions, each certain that they will save the world.  However, both sides believe Mia is the key to victory, and they’re willing to cross more than a few lines to win her over to the cause.  Struck plays with the power of belief, particularly in a time of crisis, and paints a frightening image of those who will take advantage of chaos and fear in destruction.  The perversion of playing in people’s heads made me feel dirty, and I loved the real fear and emotion Jennifer Bosworth was able to impart with the actions of those involved.  The plot wasn’t exactly full of surprises, but the writing was solid, and the characters were well-developed if (at least in my opinion) unlikable. 

And with that we come to the bad.  As stated, I didn’t really like the characters.  In fact, I didn’t really like anyone in this book.  By the end I was ready to throw the book against the wall for lack of ability to shake some sense into or just flat up strangle Mia.  Mia has leverage and power, and she doesn’t even realize it which drives me nuts.  People keep trying to blackmail and lie to get her on their side, and it never once occurs to her that they should be begging and offering her stuff.  I get the whole wanting to help your family thing, but at the same time, I don’t get the overprotectiveness that Mia exhibits.  I’ve never been a big sister, so maybe I just can’t understand, but as the youngest of 5, I’m happy to say my brothers and sisters let me make my own mistakes and didn’t try to shield me from experiencing things the way Mia does with Parker.  Sure, it’s the apocalypse, but I still think that’s just who she is and I’m not a fan.  Also, it takes Mia way too long to figure things out. Wait, scratch that, she never does figure things out, she has to have facts spoon fed to her. 

And then there’s Jeremy.  Oh the love interest.  This is where I started beating my head against the wall and rolling my eyes so much my head hurt.  It’s the whole immediate attraction, can’t take their eyes off each other, become completely stupid kind of love interest.  Yuck.  When they first meet, there is the implication that Jeremy has been stalking Mia.  She actually thinks: “Jeremy, a stalker? No way. A guy like Jeremy didn’t need to stalk.”  Um, so, let me get this strait.  Attractive guys don’t ever do creepy or inappropriate things to girls?  They don’t have to stalk girls, because women just fall naked at their feet?  Mmhmm, you’re really earning my respect here.

Finally, there’s the fictional science.  I understand that sci fi is fictitious, and often requires suspension of disbelief, and I’m cool with that.  Telepaths?  Sure!  Psychics?  Why not?  But when you start implying ridiculous things such as lightening causing an 8.6 magnitude earthquake, I draw the line:

There was a geological survey going on at the time—which, ironically, had something to do with earthquakes—and a crew had opened up a hole in the ground that went way down into the earth, supposedly for miles, all the way to the Puente Hills Fault that runs right beneath downtown. Lightning struck straight into the hole, and immediately afterward there was an 8.6 magnitude earthquake that lasted over three minutes. The top seismologists in the world had formulated a theory that, hypothetically, the friction along the Puente Hills fault line might have acted like a beacon for lightning. When the fault was struck, it increased the pressure on the fault exponentially, setting off the earthquake like a nuke buried miles underground.

Sure, Bosworth gives herself the out by saying that this could neither be proved or disproved, but since the entire plot more or less revolves around the notion of lightning being able to cause earthquakes, I’m going to say no.  Just no.  To be fair to her, I did check with the U.S. Geological Survey’s page on earthquakes.  It states that “If weather does affect earthquake occurrence, or if some animals or people can tell when an earthquake is coming, we do not yet understand how it works.”  But as someone who spent several years as a geosciences major, I find the notion pretty laughable. 

In the end, I had my frustrations, but it was engrossing and such a fast read that I devoured it in two sittings.  It’s a good read for those looking for a plot-driven book, but be ready to ignore some pretty implausible science and annoying characters.

Likelihood that I'll be back for more: Although I enjoyed a lot of Struck, it irked me.  There was a lot of eye rolling and heavy sighing (the annoyed kind, not the happy kind), so I do not think I will be reading the rest of the series.

Recommended for:
I’ll just say this, watch the trailer.  It’s one of the best-done book trailers I’ve seen, and it'll give you a really good feel for the book itself:

Real life repercussions of reading this book:
When there’s nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.

The song in my head after Struck.

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Hobbitsies
Good Books and Good Wine
The Nocturnal Library
Into the Hall of Books

Review: Starters by Lissa Price

Title: Starters[Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: Lissa Price [Website|Twitter|Facebook]
Standing: First in what I believe will be a duology.
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
Published: March 13th, 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: Kindle edition.
Source: ARC from publisher via NetGalley.
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge

Callie and her younger brother have been living as squatters on the street since losing their parents to a genocide virus.  Unlike the lucky kids, they have no grandparents to take care of them.  When her brother is sick, and they are evicted from a building holding all of their meager belongings, Callie feels she’s reached the end of her rope.  She decides to sign on at Prime Destinations.  Three rentals, and she’ll be free, with an astronomical paycheck.  The thought of an Ender renting her body for fun disgusts Callie, but not as much as letting her brother die.  Callie is in for more than the contract, however, when she realizes that the woman renting her body has more in mind than being young and having fun.  Who is she supposed to turn to, and what is she supposed to do with so little control?

So here’s where I get sheepish, because just last week I faulted Partials for being too similar to Battlestar Gallactica.  Well, if that bothered me, I only loved Starters all the more for basically being the novelized YA version of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse.  I’ll just go ahead and pin that “Hypocrite” badge to my chest now, thank you!

I was sold on Starters from the moment I picked it up.  Not only does the cover give you that totally eerie feeling of being watched, but the story grabs you and doesn’t let you go till the closing page.  Imagine a future where the United States has been ripped apart in a war.  The country has suffered the release of a virus engineered for destruction, but luckily they had a vaccination...just not enough for everyone.  I could totally buy this circumstance--the elderly and children being the most vulnerable were the ones to receive the cure, unfortunately, the adults weren’t immune either and perished.  This left countless children, “Starters” because they’re at the start of their lives, at the mercy of the “Enders”, who are at the end of theirs.  The Starters can’t vote, work, or fend for themselves in any way that isn’t scraping and surviving on the streets.  Only Starters with surviving grandparents to claim them have any semblance of ‘normalcy’, though even those kids have struggled with the situation of a country torn and parents lost.  I was shocked at the implication that the elderly of this nation would just abandon so many of the young, but as the story unfolded, the situation became more believable.  There weren’t enough Enders with grandchildren or benevolent hearts to provide for the mass numbers of Starters, but that doesn’t mean that all Enders were bad, or that the government didn’t attempt to provide solutions (however terrible).  

I would like to get a bit more of the back story of the Spore Wars, and the circumstances leading up to Starters.  I appreciate that there were no info-dumps, but it would be nice to uncover more.  After all, who doesn’t want to learn more about our country becoming such a mess that Mexico would build a wall to keep us out?  I have high hopes that my questions will be answered in Enders.  Also, there is a prequel short, Portrait of a Starter, but I haven’t read it.  The tragedy of Starters was the children--they became the greatest victims of a war they had no part in.  Isn’t this always the case with war?  Certainly, but in Starters, it is in your face and more apparent than ever.

I loved that Callie’s experience slightly paralleled Cinderella’s.  This girl from the streets, no better than trash, is given the opportunity to glam up and turn it all around.  For a time.  Like every Cinderella story, there’s a deadline, and there’s more to the story than can be seen on the surface.  Oh!  And there’s even a total Newsies scene!  Love it!  

Starters was action-packed in a way that had my heart pumping and my brain locked in.  The last time I can pin-point this exact sensation while reading would be during James Dashner’s The Maze Runner.  Both post-apocalyptic books will have you on the edge of your seat, and literally nauseated with the twists and turns that humanity takes.  That, for me, was the best and most powerful thing about Starters.  Despite its similarities to Dollhouse, I had no freaking idea where this book was going.  I don’t dare reveal much of the plot lest it be ruined for others, but as someone who appreciates the unpredictable greatly, I will say that Starters had my jaw dropping and my head exploding by the end.

Likelihood that I'll be back for more:  Absofreakinlutely.  Starters earned a place on my favorites of 2012 shelf, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Enders towards the end of this year.  

Recommended for:  Dollhouse fans, those who enjoy post-apocolyptic/sci-fi YA ala The Maze Runner, body snatchers.

Real life repercussions of reading this book:  Well duh.  If you haven’t seen Dollhouse, you really ought to go watch it.  It’s only 2 seasons, and so effed up the entire time you’ll be thinking ‘how the heck did this ever get on tv?’.  Plus, it’s Joss Whedon!

Salute Your Shorts: Tomorrow is Today by Julie Cross

Hi friends!  I've decided that since I love to talk about short stories and novellas, I'm going to make it my own little feature, complete with this awesome banner my bf made me (with a nod to the show of my childhood of course).  If you'd like to participate when talking about shorts you've come across, you're more than welcome!  Just grab the pic above, and shoot me a link in the comments and I'll do a round-up.  I plan to do at least two Salute Your Shorts posts a month, but you're welcome to post as often or on whatever day you'd like.

Title: Tomorrow is Today [Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: Julie Cross  [Website|Twitter|Facebook]
Standing: Tempest #.5
Genre: Young Adult, Sci Fi
Published: December 6th, 2011 by St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Kindle edition.  
Source: Tomorrow is Today is available free for Kindle.

Sometimes I love shorts because they give me that extra little peek into the lives of characters I adore.  And then there’s those times when I love short stories because they save me from committing to a full-length novel I won’t enjoy.  That, for me, was Tomorrow is Today.

Jackson and his recent friends Adam and Holly are training to be camp counsellors for the summer.  He’s just finished his freshman year at NYU, while Adam and Holly have just graduated from high school in Jersey.  Adam is helping Jackson document and perform scientific experiments to explore his time travel abilities, while Jackson is busy lusting after Holly.  Jackson and Adam are hoping to find out more information about why he has the abilities he does, and also what the limits are.  

When I heard of Tempest, I was super excited.  I’m a massive time travel geek and absolutely could not wait to check it out in YA form.  But given the preview I was provided through the short story, Tomorrow is Today, I’ve determined it’s not going to be the story I was hoping for.  I was looking for it to have a good male point of view, be action packed, and a cool take on time travel.  I wanted more sci fi, and less romance.  It seems like it’s going to be fairly romance-centric, I didn’t like Julie Cross’s writing of Jackson (yes, some authors can write wonderfully from the perspective of the opposite sex, I do not feel like this was happening here), and the time travel aspect seemed iffy.  I found myself peeved by the dialog, and Jackson seemed like a bit of a douche. So I’m sorry to say I will not be joining the crowds of people who have adored Tempest as I had to force myself through the 60 or so pages of this short.  I do think that a lot of people will really enjoy this book, many of you have, but it’s just not going to do it for me.

Review: Partials by Dan Wells

Title: Partials [Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: Dan Wells [Website|Twitter]
Standing: 1st in what I believe is a duology?
Genre: Young Adult, Sci Fi, Post Apocalyptic
Published: February 28th, 2012 by Balzer & Bray
Format: Kindle edition.
Source: ARC from publisher via NetGalley.

Humans created the Partials, human-like machines, in order to fight their wars for them.  Eleven years ago, the Partials rebelled killing off the bulk of humanity and a deadly virus was released that has kept the surviving humans from successfully reproducing.  Now, humans have retreated to Long Island where they attempt to maintain civilization and look to the future by enacting The Hope Act.  The Hope Act requires all women 18 and over to be pregnant as often as possible in the hopes that more babies will provide a chance to cure the RM virus.  When Kira’s adopted sister becomes pregnant, she feels a strong need to do something more to save the baby.  Kira determines that humanity’s best hope lies in their greatest demise, the Partials, and the best chance to cure RM is by studying the enemy.

If you’re curious about Partials, I’m fairly sure this is the book trailer:

Now, this book was good, but it could have been great if it had done a few things differently:

1) Not followed so many of the same plot lines as Battlestar Galactica.  Unfortunately, for me, this made Partials fairly wrote and predictable. I do think that Dan Wells did an excellent job of creating a very probable future with real issues (like The Hope Act) that were unique and believable, but I'm hoping the plot will deviate more from BSG in the upcoming book.

2) Have been told from a male point of view.  I get it, maybe Dan Wells was trying something new, or maybe someone suggested the female perspective because there are more female YA readers.  However, I felt like Partials would have been better suited if it’d been aimed more towards males.  With all of the military and scientific medical speak, action, and lack of gushy romance, I feel like this book could really grab some teen boys--a group that more great books need to be aimed at and written for.  I’m not saying males won’t enjoy Partials, but they will be less likely to pick it up.  I'm also not saying he didn't do a good job of writing Kira (even if I didn't much like her), he did. I’m hoping for a change of perspective in the second book (give me Samm prz).

3) Axed out about half of the dialog.  Did we need to expound on everything?  It went something like this: 5 pages-make a plan. 1 paragraph-realize plan won’t work. 3 pages-adjust for new plan. 1 paragraph-this plan goes up in flames as well.  10 pages-the action.  The action bits were good.  This is what kept me going, but the having to explain things over and over every time we run into someone new or there’s a kink in the plans got really old.  Also I didn’t need Kira’s every thought spelled out for me. This takes away my own ability to think, and I find that somewhat degrading as a reader.  The book could have probably been cut down 100 pages and been better for it.

My final complaint about Partials was that I didn’t really like the main characters, but I know others have, so that’s hardly the author’s fault so much as my personal preference.  I couldn’t stand Marcus, and I didn't like Kira much either.  Anytime anyone pulls out the phrase “If you really loved me you would/wouldn’t do this.” it sends off immediate warning bells in my head that this is a doomed relationship.  And at some point they both say this.  There was a pretty strong supporting cast (color me a Xochi/Samm fan) and since the book highlighted the story and action more than the characters themselves I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Okay!  Done with the negative, because I’d like to emphasize now that despite my complaints, there was a lot to like about Partials.  The story was action packed (you know, between all of the talking), and emotionally charged on a basic instinctual level of survival vrs. personal rights.  This book had me feeling real emotions (mostly anger and frustration), and I appreciate that both sides of arguments were presented in such a way that it was hard to really hate any given side so much as the situation itself.

Likelihood that I'll be back for more:  As annoyed with this book as I was at times, the story was good enough that I’ll check out the second installment (and I really hope this is a duology).

Recommended for:  Fans of Battlestar Gallactica, anyone who enjoys post-apocolyptic sci-fi minus the fluff, and yes, boys!

Real life repercussions of reading this book: Me to boyfriend shortly after starting the book: “If the big twist is that ____________ I’m going to throw this book against the wall.”  400 pages later: Throws book against wall.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder [Amazon|GoodReads]
Author: Marissa Meyer [Website|Twitter|Facebook]
Standing: First in the new Lunar Chronicles quartet.
Genre: Young Adult, Sci Fi, Retelling
Published: January 3rd, 2012 by Feiwel and Friends
Format: Hardcover; 390 pages.  
Source: Borrowed from my local library.
Challenge: Debut author challenge.

Cinder has spent her years since becoming a cyborg (and an orphan, and a second-rate citizen) laboring to provide for her overbearing stepmother and stepsisters.  Her stepmother never wanted to accept Cinder into their home; she feels Cinder is to blame for her husband’s exposure to the plague that caused his death, and only keeps her around as a source of income.  Cinder is, after all, the most talented mechanic in all of New Beijing.  While working, Cinder finds herself approached by an ‘inconspicuous’ Prince Kai, asking her to fix an outdated android that holds some important information.  She’s happy to be of assistance, but helping the Prince becomes increasingly difficult when her younger stepsister, Peony, is infected with the plague and her stepmother opts to volunteer Cinder for treatment research.   

The cyborg draft had been started by some royal research team a year ago.  Every morning, a new ID number was drawn from the pool of so many thousand cyborgs who resided in the Eastern Commonwealth.  Subjects had been carted in from provinces as far-reaching as Mumbai and Singapore to act as guinea pigs for the antidote testing.  It was made out to be some sort of honor, giving your life for the good of humanity, but it was really just a reminder that cyborgs were not like everyone else.  Many of them had been given a second chance at life by the generous hand of scientists and therefore owed their very existence to those who had created them.  They were lucky to have lived this long, many thought.  It’s only right that they should be the first to give up their lives in search for the cure.

I have to admit that Cinder was so much more than I was expecting.  I feel books rarely live up to their hype, and to me, Cinder was one of the most hyped up YA titles of the new year.  So I lowered my expectations, but I have to say, for me this one totally lived up to the hype.  Cinder had all of the elements of a great retelling.  It was true to the structure of the well-known Cinderella, but managed to completely reimagine the details flowing into that structure to support it, and to do so in a way that was completely unique.  

Cinder lives in a future after WWIV, where the world has divided into large territories whose leaders work together regularly.  The moon, colonized hundreds of years previously, has become Earth’s biggest threat where Queen Levana sits the throne as a powerful and manipulative dictator hungering for more.  Prince Kai must deal with dangerous negotiations to maintain peace, while at the same time desperately searching for a cure for the plague, lumotosis, that has ravaged the Earth for around fifteen years.

Cinder made an excellent example of the issue of prejudice.  Cinder finds herself the victim of being considered less than human because of her cyborg status.  She struggles to be accepted into society, insistent on her humanity, while at the same time harboring incredible prejudice against Lunars (those people who inhabit the moon).

I also very much enjoyed the treatment of emotions in Cinder.  This was not an overly emotional book.  There’s no pining, no insta-love, but still the characters come across as very real.  I wish more books out there would realize you don't have to be melodramatic to be genuine! Prince Kai is very kind and down to earth, yet very aware of his duties and sense of responsibility to his people even (or especially) with the trying reality of plague in his own family.  Cinder is, quite frankly, the coolest mechanic since Kaylee of Firefly.  She’s a tough chick who has to wade through pools of crap, but doesn’t sit around moping or even sharing her hardships with those around her.  This definitely can be a fault when it comes to her friendship with Kai, but I still respect the girl for it. And the bad guys? Man...they are evil! You get not only your evil stepmother but also your evil queen, and both have my all encompassing hate in the best way possible.

Cinder's ‘major twist’ was predictable, but in a way that I appreciated.  I don’t feel as if readers were written down to in this case, we’re supposed to get it, and for once I wasn’t banging my head against the wall wondering when the characters were going to figure it out already.  I did have a slight problem with some of the dialog.  It occasionally felt a little off-kilter given the setting, but this was fairly minor.  Finally, some of the sci-fi aspects of the book seemed to be dipping over into fantasy a bit. As the story states, it is not magic, but the explanation still seemed a bit fanciful to me. This aspect didn't reduce my enjoyment though. Overall, I loved this book, and it’s certainly one of my favorites of 2012 thus far.

You can read the first 5 chapters of Cinder free!

Likelihood that I'll be back for more:  Absofreakinlutely!  This is the first book I’ve read this year that I closed and immediately starting bouncing my legs in ancy anticipation for the next installment.  

Recommended for:  Firefly fans. It's not just the Kaylee thing either, with its mixture of Chinese and English influences, Cinder could take place in a similar environment. Anyone who loves a good fairy tale retelling, and chicks that aren’t delicate and won’t apologize for it dammit!

Real life repercussions of reading this book: Omg I can’t decide which of Cinder’s awesome abilities I want most, can you?  I do really like the whole lie detector bit...At any rate, who didn't have this song in their head with all the Iko love?

Shorts: Glitches by Marissa Meyer

Glitches by Marissa Meyer is available for FREE here.

If you’re debating whether or not the extremely hyped, Cinder, is for you, I suggest checking out Glitches!  Glitches is a short story that takes place approximately 5 years before Cinder.  It tells the tale of Cinder, and 11 year old orphan traveling to New Beijing to meet the family that has agreed to take her in.  Cinder’s parents have recently perished in a hover crash, and she herself is lucky to be alive.  After substantive surgeries, Cinder now exists as a cyborg, her most notable features being a new metal hand and leg.  Cinder must learn to adjust to her new ‘features’, like what does that orange light indicate, why can she no longer seem to cry, and what use might she be to the world?  Are the physical traits that alter her humanity glitches?  Knowing she is unwelcome, particularly by her new stepmother, Cinder works to find her place of belonging so far away from everything she has known.

You don’t need to read Glitches to enjoy Cinder, but it will give you a bit more information about Cinder’s backstory, and understanding of how she came to end up where we find her at the beginning of the novel.  Cinder definitely grows up a lot in five years!  My only complaint about Glitches is that while the art is awesomely beautiful (is that a cybornetic cherry tree?!), Cinder’s lost her left limbs, not her right.  But that’s just me being OCD.