As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

Note: Indignant spoilers.

Genre: Teen, drama, science fiction, medical, anomaly, other worlds, parallel universe, love, betrayal, parenting, death, life, survival, moving on, grief.

Recommended For: No one.

Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Elizabeth Scott to another world where this story makes sense.

Review: When I read this book I realized why I had sworn off teen books for a month. Now don’t get me wrong, Scott is a wonderful writer. I’ve read much of her other works and some of them are my favourite pieces of teen literature. Even this book, in all its horribleness, is better than Twilight (and other teen lit. like it).

I get that Ava is all confused and amnesiac-like, after some unexplained collapse where I’m assuming she is “put in” to this world. I’m just gonna go ahead and say WTF? Let’s go over this very briefly.

1. Ava is remembering her parallel/actual life from another world. Clearly whoever meant to make her forget sucks at their fucking job.

2. Her friends in this universe are such shit-disturbers. So the lesbians I can sympathize with, but the psychotic-potential-killer asshole that tries to drug Ava? WHAT? How is she allowed to walk around with other human beings and why is nothing done about her? Come on, this is fiction-world. Let’s kill the bitch.

3. Ava is cold, annoying and I very much doubt she actually loves Morgan. Screw Clementine. I’d rather die in my own universe than a place I’d be trapped/lost forever. Besides, at least Morgan would go back with her that way.

4. What the hell is a SAT? PDM? Creche? I get there’s some sort of resistance, but what is Morgan? A freaking Mafia boss?

5. Basically, you get fuck-all from this story, except THE question. You’re so confused you question the meaning of life itself.

…42.

That was the most unsatisfying story I’ve ever read. It doesn’t instill rage because of its existence (again, like Twilight, Halo, Hush Hush, etc.), but instead this hollow feeling eats away at me—like I’ve reset my mind and I need to try again.

Legend by Marie Lu

Note: Spoiler ahead.

Genre: Teen, dystopian, plague, Les Miserables, caste, class system, military, war, biological warfare, romance, rebellion, media.

Recommended For: Everyone.

Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Marie Lu to an Avatar: The Last Airbender marathon with me. I am good company, I promise.

Review: June, the heroine is bad ass and clever, but a little spoiled (with the ability to see things from other perspectives) and Day is just…well, Day. 

This story has so much potential because a) things DO happen. I know I said they talk about “things” happening, but they actually follow through. Not only does June (wo)man up; she also manages to break Day out of his executioning.

And b) the author does not hide the gory reality from the reader. People die-young, old, cripple, girls and guys. She introduces us to another form of mass genocide, through genetic and disease testing (see Eugenics and improving the human race).

So much of Legend parallels the realities of yesterday, today and tomorrow (but with more extremes in poverty within the region and such, as well as military) that I feel transported into Marie Lu’s world.

But here are my points of issue:

1. Everyone around June and Day seem to be dying. I’m not sure if this is a convenience thing for the story and plot or if it’s actually a hindrance to them.

2. Clearly Metias was killed by his buddy, insane-sociopath-that’s-into-younger-girls. He shows no remorse for killing and following orders blindly (if it means he gets to hurt someone). For being clever, June catches on a little late and isn’t careful of him when it matters the most. Also, it’s just weird that he’s into her when he’s her brother’s age. Seriously. As for her…is it not just a little crush? Oh god, now that goddamn Jennifer Paige song is stuck in my head.

3. Where the hell are they going again? To some rebel alliance thing (yay, Star Wars)? Oh wait, the colonies, right? I got caught up in Day’s brother being fucking killed, what!? Sorry.

You know that’s (seeking allegiance) not going to work out the way they plan. They’ll probably be split up. And then I’ll be worrying the entire second book whether they’ll be reunited. Jesus, I’m still pissed about Crossed by Ally Condie, haha.

4. I need me some more history. Please. The Republic and the Colonies. It probably makes for a great fucking story. Tell it.

But I love the alternate POVs and hope to see more of that later (perhaps with other characters as well). Also, I’m glad it didn’t end in the most ridiculous sort of cliffhanger ever. For that, Marie, you have my utter, heartfelt adoration. I hate when books use cliffhangers to keep people hooked to the series. They can keep us hooked by writing well.

BUT SRSLY, AVATAR NAO? And then we can eventually watch Korra after. 

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Note: I doubt I’ll ever rate a teen novel this high, unless Neil Gaiman decides to write teen or Diana Wynne Jones rises from the dead. Beware of spoilers.

Genre: Teen, pre-teen, dystopian, political topics, realistic future, war, disarray, rebellion, inspirational.

Recommended For: Everyone…I am not exaggerating here.

Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Neal Shusterman to writing all my ideas out for me in the beautiful, and oddly flowing way he does. Or follow me around while I dictate my entire life, for my own reference (because sometimes I wish I had a way of searching previous memories to the last detail). This could possibly be a form a torture for him. Sorry.

Review: I don’t even know where to start. I was skeptical when I picked up this rather sad and creepy looking book from a local bookstore. I had heard plenty, of course, but that doesn’t always pan out in my experience. Reading it was altogether different from what I expected.

It’s not the typical dystopian society where everything is explained to you right away. Actually, it’s better when things are clarified as you go along. From the beginning I found myself attached to Connor, even though I suspect I’d attempt to be a model 13-18 year old in order not to be unwound. But his absolute stubbornness in being his hot-headed self won me over. Then you meet Risa and Lev and suddenly all their stories collide (almost literally, haha) in this strange twist of chance. This opportunity saves them from their ultimate fate of being shipped off to a harvest camp and being used for their body parts. Not that they’re dead when they are unwound. They’re kept alive in the pieces they so graciously give away.

You see, after the pro-life versus pro-choice war, the Bill of Life changes everything. When a child is 13 to 18 years old their parents have the right to sign them off to be unwound, especially if they aren’t really doing any good (or living up to certain expectations). It’s a bit of the impure and savage masked by civility; something made acceptable by doing nothing and refusing to empathize.

This novel really reminded me of a mix of Repo! The Genetic Opera (with less of the chaos, disorder, gore…and singing) and season four of Torchwood: Miracle Day.

The way Shusterman makes the little things connect and flow is not so much mind-boggling as it is surprisingly pleasant. Because, let’s be honest, most teen lit. does not have much flow. Shusterman’s work is certainly something for teen authors to aspire to, along with John Green, Scott Westerfeld, Patrick Ness, Jessica Verday, and Holly Black.

I might have to read this book again and again and again. And the thought of that actually excites me.

This book has also convinced me to take a break from teen until I’m ready to re-visit things not up to par with his excellence. Yeah, I’m reading real fiction.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Note: I’m not gonna bother spoilering this book or summarizing plot, because I could probably do that in two sentences.

Genre: Teen, love, dystopian, supernatural, weird, odd prose, torture, captivity, power, rebellion, environmental damage.

Recommended For: Teens?

Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Tahereh Mafi to having an inability to escape run-on sentences, because she really hates proper sentences. Wow, that's a lot of sentence in one sentence.

Review: This book kept me on edge. On the edge of a blade slicing, cutting, tearing
tearing
tearing
   through the thrill and suspense. Impatience took a back seat and I let Mafi’s words drive me to the shattering end of the beginning.

This book is great. This book is tolerable. Despite Juliette’s odd prose and short, verb-ful sentences, it really does lack in plot. That isn’t to say I was not entertained, because I was. Juliette makes everything feel so much more intense than it actually is.

Like this:

My eyes snap to the page. I catch myself repeating the same line. This is no good. It’s a waste. Wasting away seconds. Minutes. The tick tick tocking echoes in my mind. Where was I?

That is me trying to figure out where I was in the book.

It’s almost a very crude type of language Mafi uses to keep you attentive. I swear I was reading with owl eyes. I need eye drops. In any case, overlooking the excessive metaphors, verbs, and lack of anything actually substantial to the plot of this series (other than intros, love interest, and, "spoiler," escape), it was fun annoying.

Yes, there was minimal excessive use of strike-through.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Note: Spoilers below.

Rating: 


Sentence: I sentence Michelle Hodkin to a life of tainting children’s classic stories, for my amusement. Because, hello, best job ever.

Review: Firstly, this book began with what I thought was just a girl dealing with major PTSD, hallucinations (after her friends are killed in the same building collapse that she, alone, survived) and a minor case of new-girl-gets-the-hunk (as per usual).

On the one hand, there were a lot more questions left unanswered, but it’s only the first volume…confirming the supernatural element certainly took awhile, but things took a darker more dirty turn. Hodkin doesn’t shy from the possibility of Mara killing other people. It is the only real explanation you immediately think of; next to a stalker killing off anyone that visibly makes her angry (except clearly not the case with Anna being alive). Where do I start with what I liked about this book?

How about how neurotic Mara is? Or how she definitely cares about he reputation even if it’s already in the shits? Or jealousies and friendships can drive people to do stupid things? Or even how incredibly witty the language and details are? Hodkin actually managed to give me chills. Not only was I hysterical about dirty children’s books, but I was also enthralled by the mystery and revelations of the memories of Mara Dyer. And the twist ending flowed so nicely I practically had a heart attack.

Brilliant. But seriously, someone call an ambulance. I think what drives me up a wall is that, like Justine Larbelestier’s Liar, I caught myself trusting the first-person narrative as if it were true or flawless, when I know it’s not. She admits it herself! In the end, you’re questioning everything.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Ilsa Bick to an EMP-free camping trip.

Summary: Ashes was a pleasant and refreshing surprise in the genre of post-apocalyptic teen fiction (or pre- and post-apocalyptic, rather).

Readers follow the story of Alex, a terminal patient, counting down the weeks to her end. It starts off with her mission to Lake Superior, hiking through the woods, to spread her parents ashes over the lake. But she never makes it. She encounters a young girl, Ellie, and her grandfather when the EMP attack occurs. Suddenly, Alex and Ellie recognize themselves as survivors of some sort of “zap attack” and Alex finds she has changed (enhanced sense of smell and her brain tumour seems to have been rendered dormant). But she isn’t the only one who has changed. Kids her age and older have become wild and cannibalistic.

And just as she and Ellie are about to meet their demise at the teeth of one of the Changed, they are rescued by Tom, ex-soldier from Afghanistan that is on leave.

As the three escape to the north, they encounter more “survivors” and eventually are wrenched apart by raiders who take Ellie with them. With Tom injured, Alex seeks help at a local town, Rule, and finds herself trapped in a sort of cultic setting where the Spared kids her age are valued and used to create a future (quite literally used for their baby-making abilities).

But Rule isn’t exactly the comforting place the elders make it seem. There are factions and internal struggles; secrets and abilities, like Alex’s, that have been masked; and a very dark, doomed, end-of-the-world attitude. But when Alex finally escapes she realizes she may be in over head. Rule is not fighting the Changed-they are feeding them.

Review: Just like vampires, post-apocalyptic teen fiction has been getting a lot of attention recently. The Hunger Games may be to blame for that, as well as the influences of The Giver, etc., but the fascination with the end of the world as we know it has been an ongoing topic of study for ages. It was only a matter of time before it became a hot topic in literature.

Ashes does not disappoint the subject either. It has been a long time since I’ve read a fiction book and, from it, learned true things that I never knew before. Bick is clearly a knowledgeable person in general, and does not shy away from it. She uses what she knows and what she has researched as possibilities (EMPs), and twisted it into a not-quite-paranormal story of survival, love and the end of the world.

I think what I love the most about this first part to the story is the honesty in everything to characters do, think and say. There is no wrapping true feelings and occurrences up in a pretty package with a bow on top. It’s ugly and it’s certainly going to get uglier. That’s not to say there isn’t some good in there-there’s plenty, but you certainly take it with a grain of salt.

I definitely suggest this to anyone who has read The Hunger Games trilogy or enjoys mature, YA fiction (with gore).

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Genre: Teen, dystopian, crime, mafia, realistic, fiction

Recommended For: 12+

Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Gabrielle Zevin to life of eating chocolate without getting fat. :)

Review: Now this book may be shaped like a chocolate bar waiting to be unwrapped from its dust cover (wrapper), but it’s not exactly the milk chocolate-y sweetness I expected. Instead, I had bitten into something quite bittersweet—the kind that should be saved for baking only.

In other words, this book is not quite…done, nor is it a happy love story of epic proportions. That is not to say it isn’t a fantastic read, however. I’ve been waiting for a Dystopian teen story like this. I mean, sure, it’s got the typical and silly romance, but Zevin acknowledges something bigger than that. In the background of Anya’s hectic and criminally-tainted life (her father was like a criminal boss, except the illegal item he was dealing with was chocolate), the reader sees glimpses of a ruined country, overrun by the corrupt. There is a lack of water; museums have become clubs; alcohol is legal for all ages; authorities and politics are corrupt (more so than in the present, haha). It’s like future Gotham City (except it’s NYC), but realistic and without Batman.

Anya is desperate to keep her younger sister and her older, damaged brother safe from the tragedy of her birthright. A birthright she fights with every last fiber of her being. It probably doesn’t help that her family’s chocolate has been poisoned and people are dying. Not only does she have to deal with accusations of purposely poisoning her ex-boyfriend, but her brother has decided to work for the very family she has been protecting him from: her own.

This read is very reminiscent of Holly Black’s Curse Workers trilogy, except without the magic. Zevin has created a great world of her own, without the aid of any fancy tricks or crazy-worldwide rebellions. She has created something I can believe and appreciate; especially the reason why things are the way they are.

I cannot wait to read the rest of this series.

The Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday

Note: Tons of spoilers.
Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Jessica Verday to a day off from authoring, and instead watching Supernatural reruns (yay).

Review: This is the first trilogy, in a long time, that my first reaction upon finishing the last words was a “content” sigh, followed by realization and then denial (no, it can’t be over, I want more).

I will not bother to individually comment on the books, other than to say that while the first book in the trilogy (The Hollow) was a little slow to begin with, Verday really did a fantastic job keeping me patient and in my seat; eager to know more about Abbey’s world.

The great thing about this trilogy is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. It doesn’t promise the reader this focused and intense connection to Washington Irving’s Sleepy Hollow. Yes, it takes place in the town of Sleepy Hollow; and certainly we have the main characters of the story (the headless horseman, Katy, and Ichabod Crane…or his descendant).

Now, don’t get me wrong, the story isn’t perfect, but I don’t think it’s meant to be. It was, finally, in The Hidden, that I got to see what was so great about Caspian. I`ll be honest, I didn’t really like him all that much, but I was mostly indifferent. This book showed personality, humour that I got, and finally compassion that I could feel for his "Astrid."

The Revs are a really interesting part of the story. They are kind of like angels and also kind of like reapers (I think Verday may have been watching a lot of Supernatural or Dead Like Me), but instead of defining them, she acknowledges they are beyond human comprehension. I vastly approve of this approach. As one of my professors repeated to me on several occasions: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” And even if we do know, there’s no guaranteeing we can comprehend at an appropriate level. This is a great way of acknowledging “the hidden” with an air of mystery and not trying to explain something that just is. I can accept that.

Even this idea of twin souls; yin and yang; soul mates-it’s woven in a way where it is not a question of fate. Not all twin souls have to end up together. Like Washington Irving’s mate did, you can move on. You can choose to live. And that was something I held onto.

I think the only reason I did not give this book five stars is because of this need to hold onto the idea of living. I did love Abbey and Casper (the friendly ghost) together, but I wanted her to be selfish and choose life. I desperately wanted her to move on, but then in came the changing of time and Kristen was in the mix and I knew. I knew that the complexity of the decision was totally beyond me. I don’t think even I’d know what to do if I were in that situation.

Oh yes, and before I forget, that sex scene. Goddamn, it had ME blushing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this trilogy. The books are not an emotional rollercoaster ride (it's not extreme, it's normal) and they all lead to what you can expect—a bittersweet ending (which is a good thing, in this case). I wish I could have more to read, but my hopes are high for Verday to write another series instead.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Rating: 

Sentence: I sentence Veronica Roth to a staring contest against me. I promise it will be as thrilling as Divergent.

Review: I was going through my old review of Divergent and realized I hadn't really made up my mind about it. But I have now. I had to revise my rating for this book since it got super popular. Okay, so let’s be honest here, people only love this book because: a) you can divide yourself into Hogwarts-like houses/factions through the Sorting Hat dream-drug, and b) dystopian is so in.

And also, this cannot be the first time something like this has happened, where someone has gone against the rules of that not-so-shit-disturbing test-dream. I mean, come on, what the frak is it supposed to mean? That you ate cheese before you went to bed or that you have an embedded and illogical fear of dogs? Forget the effing knife, give me a sledgehammer. Seriously, a dawg should know his place.

The point of the story is that people can’t be categorized right (even though the faction thing has everyone wanting to make those bloody quizzes to find out what faction they’re from)? Why have factions when you just choose where you want to go anyway?

Is it just me, or is your first thought (if you’re power-hungry): Oh HAI Abnegation, I hear you get to be in charge. Where do I sign up? How is there not a Voldemort, in monk’s robes, leading the world to its doom?! How does the end of the world, as we (the reader) know it, make any sense? It’s not really clear, at all, what happened to make things the way they are in Divergent; other than pure idiocy with a dash of alcohol.

The problem I have with this “world” in Divergent, for a lack of a better term, is that it’s all in a kind of void. There aren’t really places, other than Chicago, and there is no mention of places outside of Chicago. The world is Chicago, and that’s a little too small for me, thank you very much. Last time I checked the world was round; not flat and so painfully two dimensional.

But of course the world is just that simple! After all, they’re letting sixteen year-olds choose what faction they belong to. Um, hello? Is it not common knowledge, for all adults that remember being sixteen, that at that age you are at your most confused about your identity? But I figure, hey, this must be part of all the pressure of being a teen in Future Chicago—so I’ll let it go.

And Beatrice, though raised in Abnegation, is not a pushover and just wants to be happy (I guess). Instead of, you know, choosing to be oblivious and happy (Amity) she chooses to put her life at risk every day. Nice, she’s a typical angst-y, emo teen. It’s a miracle she wasn't killed off by the weight of her inflated head.

And her romance with Four/Tobias/her instructor is really quite fascinating since, you know, it defines her entire personality. Not only is it entirely inappropriate to have a relationship with her instructor, but apparently her worst fear is having sex. I’m gonna call it, but if that was her worst fear, their relationship is really not going to work out.

Despite all the character-and-entire-premise-of-Divergent flaws, it was generally enjoyable (at first), with some obvious, potential villains thrown into the mix. Al, unexpectedly, was a sort of antagonist driven by fear, which I can understand and even appreciate. He recognizes that his like for Tris can only go so far when it comes to his survival.

But then rolls in the secretively deviant plot between the leader of the Dauntless and the Erudite to…I’m not sure what they’re really attempting to do, actually. I just need someone to, please, explain to me how being non-divergent (even though I think everyone technically is divergent) led to everyone being zombified and mind-frakked. And it happens just when you know Tris is unaffected by such trivial things.

Despite all that, I think what REALLY bothered me the most about Divergent was how cool her parents seem and then BAM! Roth decides, oh hey, it’s much more convenient if Tris’ parents are dead, so that she has only strings attached to her bff and her bf, Four. You know, for later in the trilogy *hint hint*.

Envy by Gregg Olsen

Rating: 

Sentence: Gregg Olsen, I sentence you to a life of colour-blindness in a store packed with OPI nail polish. Only then will you understand my confusion.

Review: First of all, this book is not my usual cup of tea. I really do like reading some true crime and I also really love teen fiction (guilty pleasures); so the combo of the two appealed to me. It was written, much as I had expected, with the detail of a true crime novel. Little facts here or details of a certain nail polish colour that makes everything feel so eerily real, like it could happen to you.

The story revolves around the apparent suicide of one Katelyn Berkeley, who was (possibly) cyber-bullied to her fate of electrocution via espresso machine.

Now, twin-teen fiction seems to be getting more and more popular, which is fascinating and everything, but in this case I found that reading about Hay-Tay’s perspectives was a little boring. Sure, they’re psychic or something like that and can somewhat “feel” the dead’s messages, but it’s not like I haven’t read about that before. Albeit, it usually involves finding a dead body or using a dead body to touch on the person’s last thoughts before death or something…

HERE BE SPOILERS

There is also just too much going on in this story. I understand that people can be somewhat complicated and that this is also an intro to the series, but seriously, can we focus on one thing please?! With talk of the ten year anniversary for the bus-accident-incident that the twins happened to be involved with, as well as Katelyn; and the alleged suicide of Katelyn; we as readers already have much to cope with. I thought this was supposed to be a small town where practically nothing happened.

And then you’re smacked, in the face, with the fact that something terrible happened to Colton’s mother, Shania; and she had some secret pact with the twins’ mother so she killed the reporter, Moira, to protect them. And of course there was a serial killer like Ted Bundy who murdered Savannah’s sister, Serena. Not to mention there is something really dark and creepy going on with all this psychic crap surrounding the twins.

The twins’ parents are lying; Shania’s been hiding things; Colton is oddly calm about all this; Starla gets away with being a cold, hard bitch; and there is still someone super creepy, dark and evil in the town (at Katelyn’s funeral and thought she deserved what she got) who was lurking/watching the proceedings of some of the happenings in this book.

I am so confused I want to curl up in a ball and forget everything. Did I mention that the little sneak-peak for the second book, Betrayal, is not helping my mind’s state of serious unrest?

Nevertheless, I will still continue with the Empty Coffin series.

EXCELSIOR

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