Variant

Yes, I know it's another science fiction book. Yes, I know I haven't been updating frequently. No, that's not a problem. It's really only because of my really crazy schedule that leaves me with no time to do any of the things I love (including blogging) for most of the week.

It's a book by Robison Wells, the author of Blackout, which I reviewed last month. I feel extremely sad that one of his books was sitting on my desk for nearly four weeks without me bothering to read it. Not what I intended, but I had almost five books to read before it.

Here's the cover-

Benson knows what it feels like to have to start fresh in a new area nothing like what you're used to. It's the drill. Being an orphan, he's used to moving from family to family. Some keep him from a few days to a week and others keep him for a few months. But no matter how attached he gets to his new family, Benson ends up having to move to a new family.
That all changes the year he signs up for a scholarship to Maxfield Academy. It seems like a prep school for smart kids, but Benson realizes that it's far from ordinary. In a school where there are no adults, there are three gangs of kids. One group is called Society, the keepers of the peace. Next is Havoc, the tough guys who think they're better than everyone. And last, Variant. The outcasts who didn't fit with either Havoc or Society. And they're probably the ones who haven't lost their sanity yet.
But soon their days of fun and games are over when Benson's friend Lily disappears and he has a disturbing vision about his girlfriend Jane that probably wasn't even a vision. After the two incidents, everyone is determined to break out. No matter what the cost.
However, there are spies within them and no one is safe. Who knows who is a spy and who is a student. Their last hope is to get out alive.


My thoughts-

Very well written. I'm not sure if I could call it science fiction. The androids could make it be science fiction, but I'm just not seeing it. Anyways, it was extremely well written. I felt like I was there along with Benson, struggling through each day.
I'm just having some after-finishing thoughts, but what happened to Lily? Was she kidnapped? Is she dead? Who knows. That's why there's a second book. And sadly enough, I have no clue what the name of that second book even is. So I have no way of requesting it. That's just horrible.
And also, the part where Benson woke up and saw himself in a well with Jane was a little weird. What bothered me enough was that she was drenched in blood and she pulled out her ear and plugged it in the computer. Not my type of thing. After reading that, I wanted to call it a night and go to sleep, but I kept reading.
And what makes me really sad was that Mason was also an android. He tried to kill Benson and Becky when they got over the wall because that was what he was programmed to do. He was programmed to kill anyone who got over the wall.
And honestly, why did Benson care to bring Becky with him, She's just a stuck up Society girl who is living her life having to suck up to the Iceman and the school. (the Iceman is the only adult in the school who gives out the morning announcements. He's nicknamed the Iceman because he reads the announcements each day in this sort of scary monotonous voice.)
But over all, the story was very interesting. It was full of crazy plot twists and all sorts of unexpected things got thrown at you. Which wasn't a bad thing in this case. Despite all the twists and turns, the story was relatively easy to follow. And simplicity is the best in novels. I honestly don't think anyone can stand reading a novel that has a way too complicated plot to even follow. (Actually, when I was a little younger, I wrote this really interesting story about animal-human shapeshifters that was so confusing even I couldn't follow it sometimes. That's why I know from experience that simple stories are usually much easier to read than very detailed stories with complicated plots. I guess I've gotten better as a writer. That's good to know.)

((I will find out the name of the second book in this series and definitely include it in my next post. Which might not be for a while because the first two weeks of November will probably leave me with almost no time to do anything.))

The Foundling (Monster Blood Tattoo Book #1)

It's been almost a month since I wrote an article. The reason- Life caught up to me and wasn't going to let me go. But I did get to read. Quite a bit. About this book, it's way better than the title sounds. Take it from me.

Honestly, if there's anything I'm really into, it's either monster hunting or alien attacks. Don't know why it appeals to me, but that's just how I am. Hey, I'm also into a few books about necromancy and some of the whole Angel and Demon fad.

The cover-

Rossamund is a boy with a girl's name. For all his years at the orphanage, he was always teased that his parents thought he was a girl and that he was a weakling just like a girl. Until the day where he was requested by the army to be a lamplighter, lighting the candles at night around the army camps.

Leaving the Orphanage is hard enough, but Rossamund is stuck trying to navigate in unfamiliar territory with his only guide, Fransitart the groundskeeper. 

When he is to board a boat that will take him to a town near to his destination, Rossamund meets a girl also headed for a destination in that area. Her name is Europe, a traveling monster hunter. Well, the trainer of a monster hunter. The real hunter is her partner who could be considered part monster himself.

They together make a duo that kills monsters that are bothering humans. They have a job to take care of in a forest in the province where the boat reaches. 

After finishing a fight and Europe's partner dead, Rossamund accidentally finds out her real identity. In truth, she is nothing like a monster hunter. In fact she has a more powerful role than he could have ever imagined. And since her partner has died, Rossamund is in for a very different occupation.

While traveling with Europe on their various quests, Rossamund is in for the ride of his life, finally realizing that "some people can be downright lethal."

Movie Rating- Rated PG-13 for violence and some disturbing scenes

My thoughts-

One of the most thought provoking monster novels I have ever read. The details are a little hard to grasp when you are beginning the book, but once you are probably half way through the book, you start to understand the amazing ways of Rossamund's world. 

And the last hundred pages are all an Explicarium which explains the workings of the land of the Half-Continent, giving answers to most of your questions throughout the book.

Rossamund is a really interesting character. He and Europe really do make the best team. They are pretty much exact opposites and their fights are what make the book very light at times. But the majority of the book was meant to be a scary novel meant for Halloween time with a very deep meaning.

What I must say is that you are provided with illustrations of the characters and the monsters, so it is actually a bit easier to picture the characters the way the author pictured them. Honestly, the monsters look way scarier when they are drawn than what I imagined. And I never imagined Europe to be the age she is. And Rossamund is described to be older, but in his picture, he looks like a little kid. I finally understand the ripping out hair that some authors might feel like doing when they find that everyone imagines the same character differently. That's why some provide illustrations. But never before have I seen a whole world laid out for me in this way.

I can't wait to get the other books in this series, but I put it on my hiatus list for a while because I have a lot of books to read, both for school and outside of school. And honestly, the stack of books on my desk is like a tower now. I don't even think it could be called a stack. And I bought a few more books to add to my library of a room and plan to buy some more tomorrow. More reviews on those coming up when life decides to let go of me (aka, when I actually manage to finish all my homework and studying. Which is just about never. Hey, I often struggle to find time to write during the day).

Pathfinder (Pathfinder Book #1)

Another Orson Scott Card book. Ah, the wonder. Because of the Ender's Game series, I am a major fan of his books. Because of that series, I have begun to love the amazing world of science fiction where almost anything one can dream of is possible. Since reading Ender's Game, I've been reading much more science fiction than I ever cared to do in the past.

Once again a result of my endless time surfing through the library books. I have to say that even though it's a highly inefficient method of finding interesting books, it works nearly 85% of the time.

The cover-

Rigg can see the paths of the people around him. Like little colored areas in front of him, he can trace how a person traveled from place to place. Even animals have their own paths which he can see and use.
After a big misunderstanding between a friend over the death of a loved one, two unlikely companions find themselves on a journey to the ancient city of Aressa Sessamo to find Rigg's sister and secure the throne for him.
However things are not as simple as they seem. The city is divided into those who want Rigg to rule and those who want him dead. In fact, when his great grandmother Aptica Sessaminka was queen, she wanted every male member of the Sessamoto family killed. Even when little babies were born, they were slaughtered for the crime of being male. In this new place in a foreign city, Rigg must not trust anyone, being supported by those who want him crowned and constantly hunted by those who want him dead.
Life just becomes a battle to survive to see the next day for him as he thwarts the queen's evil plans and saves his sister to regroup with his true allies, an inkeeper named Loaf and a boy named Umbo who can shift time. The four of them, aided by a scholar who personally knew Rigg's father try to escape their only home before the queen and her Army commander get to them first.

My thoughts-

It's an extremely long book and a thing that should be read in chunks. Obviously the size shows that reading it will take a while. It took me about two and a half weeks. I often wonder how long it took to write a book like that.

The beginning is a little boring and the first two hundred or so pages seem to drag on forever. What really made it so slow was Umbo's initial mistrust for Rigg after seeing him "kill" his younger brother Kyokay. Rigg tries to reason with him multiple times that Kyokay's death was bound to happen. That boy was so adventurous that eventually it was going to kill him. It was as simple as that. But Umbo insisted that Rigg murdered him, leading a mob with his father Tegay to storm down the door to Rigg's house so he could be killed.
After this, it takes a while for them to form a bond that could be considered friendship. When the fighting in the beginning is over, the plot is very speculative and one can finally realize what makes up a society and what can so easily tear it into pieces. I like how both Rigg and Olivenko keep making good points with Param always confused and Loaf and Umbo bickering all the time. It added a bit of humor to the rather serious plot and the real danger they were being put in.
To me, Rigg and Olivenko show that the brightest of scholars can come from the most unusual of places. Param shows that the status that someone was born into does not necessarily secure a comfortable life. Loaf and Umbo show that even those who work for their bread can achieve as high of a status as the royals in their opinions.

The first book is sort of a lead-in to the rest of the series, and now looking back and trying to explain it, it's impossible without giving the end away. But as something to look for that I really enjoyed, all the answers to the questions are given right at the end of the book. Soon they figure everything out and can continue with their quest.
What seems right by the theories the characters have come up with at the end of the first book seems completely nonsensical by the time their ideas change at the end of the second book. So nothing is ever clearly right or wrong. To put it in analogy, it's like a tunnel that forks into a left and right passageway. If they go one way, they will be eaten up by a monster and if they go the other way, they will get to go through the path to freedom. What's so interesting about this book is that, in case they pick the wrong turn and are faced with the monster, Rigg and Umbo can just pop their crew back in time so that they can try the other path and get out, leaving the previous version of themselves to be swallowed by the monster. Except they also have multiple rules to be followed, like how they must not their previous selves see them and other things.

Movie Rating- PG-13 for violence, brief bouts of strong language, some disturbing scenes

((I highly recommend reading the sequel. It  deepens the mystery even more, adding a new problem to the arsenal of them. Look for Ruins, book two in the Pathfinder series. And once that's finished, the third and final book, Visitors will end the story.))

Blackout

I'm very sorry for not updating often. I was on vacation for almost a month and school started a few weeks ago. I've been slammed with homework, but now that reading is part of my homework, I'll be able to finish more books and update more often. But I'll continue to post about books I've read in the past. And soon I'll be back to my computer at home and not this annoying tablet.

Yes. Earlier today I just sat down and finished the end in half an hour. Just wanted to get it out of the way. My cousin gave me some other suggestions for book reviews and I promised her that I would review them as soon as I could. Yeah. I got this one when I was at the library with a friend of mine. That's when I saw this one and checked it out.

Here's the cover-

It's prom day at Mount Pleasant high school. Everyone is in their best dress for the dancing. But for Audrey, this isn't what she wanted. The glory, the boyfriend, the dress and most of all, the popularity. It's just abnormal. Because before meeting Nicole, she was just Audrey the invisible. Audrey the impossible. However, this is the life she never had and had always wanted. But there's something strange going on. She can become invisible. Not really full out disappearing, but somehow she was able to convince people that she wasn't there and that they weren't seeing anything.
Jack doesn't really care what's going on. He's content cleaning up after the dance. All he wants is peace and quiet. Sitting on the roof of his car, drowning out the world, all is well with him. He couldn't care less about popularity. As long as he doesn't flunk school, that's all that matters.
A surprise attack by some wild boys makes the police come and take everyone away. It is determined that those who went wild were infected by a virus called the Erebus virus. The Erebus virus gives its victims incredible superpowers, but kills them slowly, making them eventually go insane and try to pass the virus on to others.
All the teenagers in the area are sent to military centers where they are tested for the Erebus virus. Somehow, Audrey comes out clean. She thinks someone has swapped out her results.
Jack comes out with the virus and is thrown into a cell, not knowing what will happen next. Will he be dissected, or straightaway executed.

Jack finds comfort in a fellow victim of the virus named Laura. She is able to destroy things instantly with her hands. Despite how strong she is, Laura seems to have a very kind heart and warms up to Jack. The pair become fast friends, finding comfort in talking to each other through the bars of their cells.
Audrey meets a boy named Alex whom she thinks she knew. He tells her that he was in her elementary school for fourth grade and then moved away soon after. In a room full of strange people, Audrey is happy that she was able to find one familiar face. But there's something screwy going on with him and she just can't figure out what.

The Erebus victims, also know as Lambdas are used as special military weapons used to catch terrorists. There have been multiple incidences that seem impossible to be made by humans. The military is forced to suspect that the Lambdas are behind it. The guess is that somehow the terrorists got mixed in with all the teenagers that were rounded up. And once they get the reason to, the world will be destroyed and all hell will rain upon them.

My thoughts-

It shaped my love for science fiction. Ender's Game started it and Blackout deepened it. It's a very thought provoking novel and I like how it's very unrealistic, but not too overboard. Sometimes when I read science fiction, the author makes the concept too overpowering and it doesn't even seem like the concept could be real at all. This book uses people that we can relate to and twists them beyond what our minds can do.
The idea is brilliant. It's very imaginative and I was forced to wonder, What would be done if something like this were to happen? It really seems like it could never happen, but you never know. It helps us brainstorm all the radical ways that terrorists will try to bring our world on its knees. Sometimes even genetically modifying themselves to have superpowers will be an option. This book faces the issue of whether our world is really safe. Or that safety is just an illusion created by people with the power to shut us up and keep us from wondering.

There is a prequel to this called Going Dark where the origin of the Erebus virus is explained. It is sadly not in my library and I'll have to either buy it or read it online. (At the rate I want to buy books, my room will turn into a library.) Also, another book by the same author is called Variant. It seems to be more popular than this one, so check it out. (I currently have it on request. Hopefully it comes soon.)

Everybody Sees The Ants

This book made me realize that there is no problem in being different. However, it was really interesting, making me want to read it even more. But all the more hilarious. In a more mature way. Recommended for high school boys especially but girls will enjoy it all the same. I know I did.

I found this around the time I read Kiki Strike. I was just browsing in the Young Adult's section and came across it. I liked the story and decided to read it. It's a very realistic story.
Here's the cover-

Lucky has an interesting yet very hard life. His father is a professional chef who is often away. His mother is a swimmer who takes her passion very seriously. And he is just Lucky. Lucky the Loner. Lucky the Loser. Lucky the Lucky I guess. Not that it matters in any way. To him at least. But that's all he lets on. And there's more going on in his life than anyone can ever imagine.

Every night, he journeys to the jungles of Laos in Vietnam where his grandfather went missing. And in his dreams, he sees his grandfather, all wide smiles and powerful rifles. And he starts to see ants. A single file line of ants that seems to go in any direction. And they tease him all the time. They tell him he's weak. They tell him that he's useless. But they're only hallucinations. 

But his school life is just plain strange. He now sees the counselor every once in a while because of a class survey he wrote for a project. He wrote on his ballots "How would you want to kill yourself?". Which actually isn't half that bad of a question. But maybe it's bad for a school project. So now his parents and his counselor think that he is being bullied and his need for attention is showing through the project.
True, he is being bullied, but still it's enough for him to cope with. He's got only one real friend. Laura. A girl from his class who plays cards with him at the pool when his mom is swimming. And then there are the idiots that tease him. They are a rather notorious gang in the school, but focus their attention primarily on Lucky. The strange thing is that no one notices him at all except them.

Suddenly, for one week during the summer vacation, Lucky's mother drags him to his yoga obsessed aunt's house. Literally she's yoga obsessed. Because she keeps yelling at him to put his clothes and bags in specific places so that it "doesn't disrupt the flow of chi throughout the house." Yeah, that lady has either been watching way too many martial arts movies or is taking yoga way too seriously.
One night, he gets dragged outside in the middle of the night by a band of rebellious girls in all black who teach him the ways of being different from the crowd. He likes being with all of them, but the one he enjoys the company of most is Virginia or Ginny. She's actually a model for shampoo commercials but has been trying to convince her cheap parents not to sell her off to some random company so they can make loads of money.
While spending time with Ginny, he starts to find comfort in a real friend. In a friend who has also gone through similar and still very different experiences. Even though he doesn't know it, this could possibly be the best week of Lucky's life.

My thoughts-

Really funny. It was just one of those laugh out loud novels. Literally you could "LOL" at everything each of the characters say.
One thing I learned from Lucky- Don't complain about your life because you can always escape from it in your imagination.
I also have that horrible habit of complaining about everything. A quote that relates to this book and my problem- "All I wanna do is trade this life for something new, holding on to what I haven't got." We all hate our lives for some reason or another. And we always want to change them for some reason. That's part of what makes us human. Don't worry. You are not alone.
Now back to the book. It was an interesting and entertaining story. I spent two whole nights reading it. Which clearly proves that I love it. I'd recommend it for lovers of slightly older young adult fiction and comedy.

((Just one really awesome standalone novel. No sequel that I know of.))