Specials

Title: Specials

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Publication date: 2006

Book's setting: The ~Future

Random facts: Third book in a series of four.

Plot summary: Tally has spent the last month under the knife, becoming a Cutter for Special Circumstance. That means that basically she is a human weapon. She is smarter, faster, and more dangerous than any other Special. She and her fellow Cutters are trying to locate New Smoke for Doctor Cable, but when David captures one of the team their plan begins to unravel. Tally and Shay turn to Zane, weak and crippled from the lesions cure, in order to track down New Smoke and get Fausto back.

Favorite aspects: I was really happy with this book. Everything I thought was missing from the previous two was addressed in this volume, mainly the other cities and the international politics under the lesions system. Specials had a much broader scope, the world that Westerfeld created finally felt three dimensional and real because he finally showed me the big picture. Also Zane was wonderful. I really love that boy's character, he's so unchangeable and constant. Surrounded by characters like Tally and Shay who have had so many surgeries they hardly know who they are anymore, his consistent compassion and sweetness was a breath of fresh air.

Least favorite aspects: I know Tally is a special snowflake... literally. But still, Westerfeld! She's not a frigging god! I was a bit disappointed that after everything Tally had done to free her world from their crazy mind control government, she immediately had to prove that she was still superior and would be watching them for failure. The New System had barely got started before she decided she would be the secret Special Circumstance. I understand that it is because of her surgeries- she is still smarter and faster than everyone else... but it made the freedom a bit anti-climactic. The pessimism about the future set in before anyone could even decide what that future might be.

Other works it reminded me of: The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau; The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Sadie's merciless break-down: So I was pretty happy with the way that the series panned out. I guess Tally and David will go live in the forest and raise lots of free children or something. The only thing that bothered me was the Cutters. The concept of the Cutters worked really well in his dystopian society, but it made me a bit uncomfortable sometimes. Cutting is a serious problem within youth culture today and I don't think he took it seriously enough in Specials. It was a clever plot device and he certainly didn't celebrate the concept of self-harm, but it was a bit too nonchalant. I've never done anything like that, nor do I know anyone who cuts, but considering the audience of the Uglies series I'd have thought that Westerfeld might have been a bit more sensitive.
I'm not saying all teens who read ya sci-fi would be cutters, obviously. But given the amount of people reading these books I'd bet some of them do. He made it seem almost... glamorous? Obviously it was glamorous when Tally and Shay were under the influence of the Special Circumstance surgeries, but Westerfeld didn't justify it later. It didn't really bother me too much, but I think it probably seriously bothered someone else.

Recommendation rate: Now that I finished the core three books, I'd say it's worth reading if you're into futuristic society and politics.

The Time of the Ghost

Title: The Time of the Ghost

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Publication date: 1981

Book's setting: England, 20th century

Random facts: This novel is dedicated to Diana's sister, Isobel.

Plot summary: She's a ghost. She has no idea who she is or what happened to her. All she knows is that there has been an accident. She is led to fours sisters who live at a boarding school, neglected by their overworked parents, both of whom teach at the school. The ghost recognizes the girls and realize that they are her sisters... only she has no idea which one of them she is, or how to communicate her urgent message to them. You see, Char, Imo, Sally, and Fenella accidentally stumbled upon an ancient power, Monigan, and Monigan demands a life. The ghost has to identify herself and save her sister before it's too late and one of them is lost forever. A story filled with seances, sacrifices, and attempted exorcisms, The Time of the Ghosts is a chilling and unique fantasy.

Favorite aspects: Too many favorite things so I will number them. 1. It was a sister story, and I am forever a sucker for those. 2. I love black magic and ancient powers and sacrifices and evil dolls. 3. The theme of identity and being ostracized from yourself because you take on so many of your sister's traits was incredibly real. 4. I like how cruel Diana was to Julian. He was bad and there was no justification, no explanation. He just was. 5. The time travel was incredibly well executed. 6. It reminded me of one of my favorite X-Files episodes ever, Audrey Pauley. 7. I love boarding schools a lot. 8. Canada. 9. It was meandering and dream-like and the style really reflected the ghost's mental state. 10. The scene where they hang Imo and the scene where Sally and Julian are calling up Monigan were terrifying and theatrical and JUST SO BEAUTIFULLLLLL.

Least favorite aspects: Diana is never explicit with her romances. You have to hunt for them and pick up on subtext. (Howl and Sophie are truly an exception.) Even though I knew that The Time of the Ghosts wouldn't have any real romance I was a bit thrown-off by Will Howard. Sally and Ned were adorable and hinted at really sweetly... but I was expecting Howard to end up with Imo or Char. I was not expecting Canada. Eh, whatever. I'll ship him with myself.

Other works it reminded me of: Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones; We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson; I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

Sadie's merciless break-down: Diana Wynne Jones... you've done it again. This was actually one of her more straight-forward books, but that doesn't mean it was boring. I think she is incapable of writing a boring book. The Time of the Ghost wasn't just a really great sister book, but it was also an incredible girl power book. Heroines in fantasy, real heroines who save the day all by themselves, are few are far between, but Diana has graced us with a multitude of them. Sally and her sisters are just some of the great ladies/girls that she's fashioned. Charmain, Sophie Pendragon, Polly, Vierran, Vivian Smith... Her characters are true heroines because they are independent and brave and real. Her romances are especially interesting when you compare them to the bulk of fantasy literature. You don't have to look much father than Sophie and Howl to see that. I'm not very good at explaining characters... so I guess I'll leave it at that. But if you ever get tired of dull and perfect fantasy heroines just succumb to Diana Wynne Jones.

Recommendation rate: If you like pagan magic and sacrifices and evil spirits then this is a musssst read.

Hexwood

Title: Hexwood

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Publication date: 1993

Book's setting: 1993

Random facts: Dedicated to the great Neil Gaiman.

Plot summary: A bedridden teenager, an android, a boy made blood, Mordian the Servant, Reigner Two, Vierran of House Guarantee, and the sprawling Bannus. Picture this: Earth is unknowingly being ruled by an intergalactic government. Something is wrong in Earth's Sector Controller so the Reigners send down Mordian to control the Bannus (a sort of energy field that can think for itself, changes, and grows constantly.) At the same time the novel follows the adventures of Ann, a young girl who literally has the Bannus in her backyard.

Favorite aspects: I was 187 pages in before I understood what the hell I was reading. Wait no. That's being too soft on myself. To be really honest I didn't understand the book until I was done with it... and read the last hundred pages twice. But that is Diana for you- it's why I read her books, it's why everything she writes is so fascinating. Ann was spectacular heroine. I think that she is very easy to identify with and also possesses a sort of independence and confidence that a lot of girls wish they had. But what was best about the book was it's portrayal of time. I mean, talk about timey-wimey! Think Doctor Who meets Inception. Characters like Anne had "fixed" timelines and crossed over others' in the wrong order. Characters like Yam were unaffected by the backwards timeline of the Bannus. The story had layers and layers of narrative, some of them more close to the ultimate truth of the book than others. It was told out of order and from the point of view of incredibly unreliable sources. It made you think.

Least favorite aspects: I didn't know what I was getting myself into with Hexwood. Most of the time I spend reading it I was pretty sure I didn't like it. I was just being impatient. Diana doesn't make things easy on her reader. She never does. If you don't want to have to read every single word with care, and some words twice with care, then it's not the book for you. I found the payoff to be well worth the time and effort it took me to read it, but I would totally understand someone who really disliked Hexwood, or even didn't understand it. My brain is wired to deal with weird sci-fi scenarios. I enjoy trying to decode impossible time-travel stories. However Hexwood is not for your average fantasy or science fiction fan. I think you should be very familiar with the style of Diana Wynne Jones before you read it. It was everything bizarre that Diana is capable of in one novel.

Other works it reminded me of: Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones; Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.

Sadie's merciless break-down: Diana Wynne Jones died about a month ago. I read Neil's memoriam on his blog and he mentioned that she'd dedicated Hexwood to him. So I had to read it. I just don't cry often but I cried when Diana died. (And also because Neil is such a perfect writer that anything he says can manage to bring tears to my eyes. I've sniffled my way through everything of his. His novels, his short stories, his poems, his blog posts, his twitter. It's embarrassing.)
But back to Diana. She does these weird things with plot that really should never be done, ever. She breaks every rule. Publisher Weekly said Hexwood had a "muddled narrative and confusing finale." This whole ridiculous book shouldn't have worked. But Diana Wynne Jones gets away with it with ease. It held every hysterical cheap trick up her sleeve... and the entire story was built on this insanity. Yet it made sense in the end.
I think one thing that lets Diana get away with what she writes is that she knows what she's doing. Have you ever read a mystery and been pretty sure that the author was making it up as they went along? Have you ever read a fantasy and noticed that the author really didn't know much about their world after all? Diana can get away with being muddled and unorthodox because she has no plot-holes. She knows her entire universe like the back of her hand and she has a fantastic well-formed plot in her head and you can sense that while reading. Even if you can't puzzle anything out while reading a book of hers it's obvious that Diana does know what she's doing... so you stick with her. Sometimes you have to read the climax twice or three times or more. Sometimes you never understand what in the world happened. But if you don't understand it's not because Diana didn't. It's because your brain is limited and hers just isn't.

Recommendation rate: It's challenging. I mean, not often would I say that about a book other then like, The Canterbury Tales, but this was a challenging book. If you're ready to spend 400 pages in the dark before a muddled resolution then have at it!

Wuthering Heights

Title: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Bronte

Publication date: 1874

Book's setting: 1765-1803

Random facts: This is why we don't marry our cousins.

Plot summary: Lockwood moves into a large estate in Yorkshire and pays his landlord a visit. His landlord is the dark and brooding Heathcliff who lives a secluded and strange life with his daughter-in-law Cathy and nephew Hareton. Lockwood is intrigued by the family and asks his housekeeper, Nelly, to hell his Heathcliff's story. Nelly, who was nanny to almost all the characters in Wuthering Heights, humors him and tells the dark and gothic story of Heathcliff and Catherine's love and destruction.

Favorite aspects: It was well written, that is undeniable. And it was sort of funny and quite enjoyable and I am actually glad I read it. It daunted me at first- 500 pages of gothic romance? But I am glad I did. Actually it was so engrossing I read it in a 12 hour day... after taking a week to get past the first two chapters. It was incredibly vivid, maybe one of the most vivid classics I have ever read. I could see all of the houses perfectly in my mind, the characters were very real, the moors were haunting and beautiful. If only I actually cared about whether anyone lived or died!

Least favorite aspects: I just didn't like the characters. I am a sucker for romances that start in childhood, I'm a sucker for love that boarders social class. So why didn't I care about Heathcliff and Cathy? Because they were idiots. Usually I like the underdog characters and I root for the selfish, proud ones. But Heathcliff and Cathy were just evil. They did absolutely everything they possibly could think of to piss each other off in life, and then continued to manage to piss each other off from beyond the grave. What sort of love story is that? They never even attempted to make the other happy. They were both convinced that the other one "belonged" to them and then when the other did not comply they went out and married other people, had other people's children, ran away, screamed, ran about the moors and almost died, actually died, etc. I mean, there is selfishness and then there is calculated evil. Was this supposed to be romantic, or is the idea that it is some sort of twisted conclusion that some emo girls decided?

Other works it reminded me of: Jamaica Inn by Daphne DuMaurier; The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson; Downright Dencey by Caroline Dale Snedeker.

Sadie's merciless break-down: It's funny. Wuthering Heights, the book I didn't even want to read, became the perfect way to pimp out my favorite book of all time on this blog. That book would be Downright Dencey by Caroline Dale Snedeker, and its sequel, The Beckoning Road. The main difference between Wuthering Heights and Downright Dencey is that Dencey and Jetsam are Christians. I think that Cathy and Heathcliff are very good example as to how being a heathen means your life will suck forever. Both Heathcliff and Jetsam were adopted youths who had to fight to be respected in their worlds. Both Dencey and Cathy were desperately in love with them as children. Heck, even both heroines almost died trying to save the other. But there the two stories separate because Jetsam becomes a Quaker and he goes about his relationship in a mature way, despite the fierce and dangerous passion he feels for Dencey. If Dencey married The Earl of Starr just to spite Jetsam for going to sea then you would have Wuthering Heights. But love prevails in Downright Dencey. Love never prevails in Wuthering Heights and that is why I am hesitant to call it a romance novel. Not only does love never prevail, it's not even respected. Potential love affairs are squashed all over. Lovers are mocked. No one is happy in their relationships. Cathy and Heathcliff do everything in their power to make the other one miserable... but they are supposed to love each other? I don't understand. Wuthering Heights was an excellent books. (Downright Dencey is better. Read it. Now.) But whether or not it was good or not has nothing to do with my next point. I've heard this book talked about like a romance- a gothic romance, but a romance nonetheless. I didn't see that. People go on and on about the epic love in the novel and the great hero and strong heroine. NO. Heathcliff is a creep. Cathy is a manipulated brat. Any girl who finds Heathcliff attractive needs to be introduced to Joe Willard or something. Any girl who finds Heathcliff and Cathy romantic needs to go read some Jane Austen and cool down. It was a dark and exciting and enjoyable, but anyone who wanted to model their love life after ANY of the relationships in Wuthering Heights needs to CONSIDER THEIR CHOICES.

Recommendation rate: It was an excellent book and I enjoyed it. However if you are looking for romance RUN FAR AWAY. This is much more comparable to Vanity Fair than North and South. There is no redemption.

Bloodshot

Title: Bloodshot

Author: Cherie Priest

Publication date: 2011

Book's setting: 2009/2010

Random facts: First novel in what will be a series.

Plot summary: Raylene is a freelance thief and investigator. She's also a vampire. She manages to stay out of vampire politics, living alone and working mostly for humans, until a blind vampire shows up and asks for her help in locating the records of the government experiments that left him permanently handicapped. Within moments of accepting the job Raylene is being tailed by government agents. She knows she should just drop the case, but the government knows about vampires and knows how to hurt them, and she needs to know why.

Favorite aspects: Bloodshot made me feel the world changing around me. The word "hipster" was in it. I'm not sure what to feel about that. There is so much internet. And thumb drives. And mixed coffee drinks. It was current and wonderful. Also, two words: GIRL. VAMPIRE. Raylene is hysterical and fresh and funny and not your classic mopey vampire at all. Actually, none of it was classically "vampire." Bloodshot reminded me of a reverse X-Files; it was from the point of view of the endangered mystical creature instead of the cops. I found it incredibly original.

Least favorite aspects: I wish we could have seen more of Ian. He means a lot to Raylene but we learn basically nothing about him, except that he's a vampire and he's blind and he's sad all the time. Also it was structured rather oddly. It was just very hard to predict. Actually, that's not really a problem... it just is.

Other works it reminded me of: Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman (sort of); Wolf Star Rise by Tanith Lee (sort of).

Sadie's merciless break-down: I haven't been reading much lately. It's so lovely out I just want to spend every waking second under the sun. Besides, it's finale season which means that I'm basically eating and breathing spoilers. Not to mention the NYC world premiere of Doctor Who left me utterly useless for about a week. I'm still recovering. Arthur Darvill's face will do that to you. What better to ease me back into the swing of reading than a frigging awesome vampire mystery epic??
Really this was the least vampire novel imaginable. The only think that made it a vampire novel was the fact that the main character happened to be a vampire. It was more of a PI vs. CIA thriller novel full of gun fights and fun twists. If you get turned off my the idea of a vampire novel simply because they all look like teenage trash, give Bloodshot another chance. There wasn't any sexy symbolization or dark vampire guilt or innocent girls being hoodwinked. Raylene just was. Actually, Priest didn't even feel the need to explain her vampire's mythology. They just were. It was awesome. Did I say that already? It was. It was fast and crazy and really fun. Sometimes it's nice to read something ridiculous and fun. (Who am I kidding? I always read ridiculous and fun books.) I was kind of embarrassed that I was reading another vampire/fantasy/YAish novel but now I decided I shouldn't feel any shame. It was a totally trip and Wuthering Heights (review to follow) was getting dull. No shame, peace out.

Recommendation rate: If you like vampires and awesome exciting books than read it- it was awesome. There was a liberal amount of ~bad language in it. You have been warned.

Called Out of Darkness

Title: Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession

Author: Anne Rice

Publication date: 2008

Book's setting: Rice's life, from the 50's through the 90's.

Random facts: I'm on a quest to read all the favorite books of everyone I love. Amanda recommended Called Out of Darkness to me and I couldn't say no!

Plot summary: Called Out of Darkness is Rice's memoir of her falling out with Christianity and her re-entry into the church, decades later. It's very complete. She starts when she is a very young child and ends with her present. She details all the different eras in her life and the different beliefs she had at those times, but constantly reminds the reader where her life was taking her- back to God, back to a complete belief in him.

Favorite aspects: First of all, I'm not Catholic nor was I raised one. Most of what I know about Catholicism as a sector of Christianity I learned from books or, sadly, tv. Rice really lay down what it was like to be raised Catholic, what it was like to be a part of the church; she captured that appeal. However she was also honest about what drove her away from religion while in college. It was a very candid memoir and I think I learned a lot from it. I was really inspired as well.

Least favorite aspects: I have never read Rice's vampire novels. In Called Out of Darkness she talked often about how the plots of her fantasy novels would reflecting the struggles she was having with atheism. Although I can imagine what the religious symbolism in her fantasies must have been, without ever reading them it was hard to grasp exactly what she meant sometimes.

Other works it reminded me of: Girl Meets God by Lauren F Winner.

Sadie's merciless break-down: I could say a lot right here. I could say so, so much. Instead I'm just going to quote Anne Rice.
"One afternoon I accosted my son, Christopher, on the staircase and demanded, 'Do you believe in God?' Here was a young man not yet twenty, brought up to believe in nothing, and in that time of life when beliefs are most easily dismissed. And Christopher, after a moment's reflection, responded, 'Yes, I believe in God.' How could that have happened? How could our free-thinking son believe in God?
The creation was talking to me of God. My visceral responses to the purple evening sky, to the canopy of oak branches that sheltered out front steps, to the flowers blooming beyond garden fences- my most cherished memories of the beauty of Port-ay-Prince, Haiti, or Rio de Janerio, or Venice, Italy- all this was speaking to me of God. The world around was filled to the brim with God."

Recommendation rate: If you're a Christian or interested in Catholicism this is a really fascinating book.

Fables: Animal Farm

Title: Fables: Animal Farm

Author: Bill Willingham

Publication date: 2002

Book's setting: Alternate modern New York City

Random facts: Sequel to Fables: Legends in Exile.

Plot summary: Snow decides that she and Red need some solitary time to patch up their broken relationship, so she and her sister take a sabbatical of sorts on The Farm. The Farm is the upstate NY compound where the less human fairytale characters have been exiled in order to keep their existence a secret. However Snow and Rose find themselves entangled in a political war on The Farm. The creatures have been kept in isolation for hundreds of years... and they're ready for freedom. Of course, their escape could endanger the lives of every fable character in our world.

Favorite aspects: It was just similar enough to the Animal Farm by George Orwell to be amusing, but not so much like it that I was bored. The fact that it literally took place on a farm for the animalistic fables creatures only made it funnier. I was surprised how well-rounded the animal characters were, especially the pigs. It was a bit hard to distinguish them at first, but they actually each had their own personality and had subtle appearance differences. Also Red Rose was hilarious. As the "sexy badass" character I was a bit worried about liking her, but she had a great sense of humor.

Least favorite aspects: The art was sublime, but some page spreads were really hard to follow. I think of myself as being pretty good at reading comics, at least I've never had a problem before, but Animal Farm was so artistic it lead to distraction.

Other works it reminded me of: Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack by Shannon, Dean, and Nathan Hale; Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

Sadie's merciless breakdown: Mostly I am just sad now because my library doesn't have anything past this volume... nice. Way to go BPL. Way to go. (I know, I should be counting my blessings that I don't live in Hicktown, Unpopulated State, USA. Still.)
I really enjoy reading graphic novels. The more I read the more I appreciate the art form. It's different, it's an entire different media than a book or even a picture book. It's an art form that my brain loves to glut on. It's interactive and gorgeous and incredibly lush. They are fun to read undisturbed; just let your eyes run over the pages and glean the information at the pace of television. Then go back and take your time inspecting each panel with diligent care. Notice the little things. The only comics series I own is Scott Pilgrim, but they are probably the most fun I can possibly have reading. If I want an ~experience, something tactile and exciting, I pick one up for the thousandth time. Basically, I think that the art of the graphic novel is under-appreciated. Of course geeks/nerds adore them, but as mainstream as we've become it's still very common to get grief for being a "comics reader." The Fables series is dense and dark and very majestic. I look forward to reading the next volumes at Barnes and Nobles, huddled in the sci-fi corner, sitting on my coat. It's the best way to read them anyway. (Until a sales associate stares you down and forces you to buy a coffee you don't want.)

Recommendation rate: Same advice as before. Good comics, especially if you find superheros boring.

Pretties

Title: Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Publication date: 2005

Book's setting: The ~Future

Random facts: Second book in a series of four.

Plot summary: Pretties picks up only weeks after Uglies left off. Tally has undergone the surgery and in the process has forgotten almost everything about her life in The Smoke. But her new life as a Pretty isn't as simple as she thought it would be. In her first weeks with the Crims she meets Zane who seems to have a much clearer mind than his peers. When a boy from The Smoke shows up with the cure for the lesions Tally decides to share her secret with Zane. Now the two of them need to find a way to keep the Crims, and all the Pretties, bubbly long enough to escape to find David and his mother and the rest of the cure. Only Dr. Cable and oddly enough, Shay, stand in their way.

Favorite aspects: To be honest I think I liked this one better than Uglies. In the first book the whole idea of the Pretties wasn't very developed... and you just started thinking of them as idiots. A book where the vapid, beautiful ones are the heroes... now that's just a bit more original. Seeing Tally and Shay (who we already loved as Uglies) in their new Pretty bodies gave the entire society more depth and took away the hesitations I had about the Uglies. I also enjoyed the fact that Westerfeld didn't punish Tally and Shay for getting surge, even after they were essentially cured. That definitely helped break down the pretty-and-dumb stereotype the first book only very nearly escaped.

Least favorite aspects: The Pretties' lingo got tiring after a while. In a way it was a strong way of establishing a culture for them that would be immediately identifiable for the reader... but my brain got tired of reading "crim" and "bubbly" and "bogus" and "surg" and "pretty-making." The lingo that the Uglies and The Smoke has in the previous book were much less offensive to my brain. Also Zane and David were awesome foils, but turning them into an over-blown love triangle took away from their individual personalities and storyline.

Other works it reminded me of: The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

Sadie's merciless break-down: I've never read a dystopian novel I loved unconditionally. When you're playing with dystopias you're playing with sensitive and complicated subject matter and you're just doomed to either be too heavy handed or offensive somewhere in your plot. Even the Ember series had it's flaws. (DuPrau, I love you, but give religion a break. For like, two seconds. Please.) All this aside, Pretties handled it's subject matter with utmost care. Perhaps it would have been an even better book if Westerfeld let his guard down and got gritty, or perhaps it would have just been awkward.
Anyway, now I am going to point out something that annoyed me in Pretties that wasn't substantial enough to be filed under "least favorite aspects." One of my big pet peeves is when teen novel authors say their characters "cursed" or "swore" instead of using real words. Westerfeld did it a few too many times in Pretties. My entire body tenses up when I see it written. Dear authors of the world, you have options: Man up and throw a few fucks in OR substitute for less offensive words OR just make cursing a non-issue. (The only time I am okay with seeing the word "swore" in a book is when Riordan does it. Simply because it brings amusing images to mind of Percy screaming strings of profanity.)

Recommendation rate: You obviously shouldn't read it if you haven't read Uglies, it's a sequel dependent on the first one. If you like dystopian lit then pick up Uglies first. If you like that one then try this.