Elissa’s Quest by Erica Verrillo

Elissa

13-year-old Elissa struggles to find her place in the close-nit community of High Crossing. With no connection to her parents and no friends, Elissa finds solace in nature and her ability to talk to animals. Her life changes forever when her father arrives in town and takes her away from her healer grandmother on an expedition to visit the Khan. She is troubled by her father’s cold demeanor, but she holds out hope that he will come to love her with time. These hopes are dashed as she learns that her father plans to trade her to the Khan in exchange for soldiers. Consumed with anger and grief, she agrees to live with the Khan, and her father gets his wish. In the Khan’s Citadel, she is horrified to learn that the Khan plans to marry her as soon as she comes of age. Elissa escapes his notice for a time, but in the end she must call upon her Gift of talking to animals to overcome the evil ruler.

Steeped in myth, this adventure/fantasy will appeal to readers who liked Patrick Carman’s The Dark Hills Divide. Elissa is a realistic, sympathetic protagonist. However, like in Carman’s series, some plot twists feel contrived, the triumph comes too easily and the mythology elements introduced in the beginning fail to come to any satisfying resolution in the end. Verrillo has managed to craft an appealing fantasy world peopled with mysterious characters, especially the Blue People. She also has created a host of strong female characters, from the plucky Elissa to the wizened healers. A good choice for reluctant or beginning readers, though established readers will find more depth in Laini Taylor’s Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer, another fantasy about a courageous heroine who can talk to animals and finds herself in the middle of a larger mythological tale.

DweebMeter: 2.5/5

Links

Erica Verrillo’s Website

 

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind

After the Heartland Wars divided the nation, the two sides (pro-life and pro-choice) came together to form a resolution. Abortion would be strictly banned, but parents could choose to “unwind” their children once they reached the age of reason, thirteen. Pro-lifers agreed to these measures, since the teens would not really die from the unwinding process. 99.44% of their body parts would be grafted into thousands of other people, and in this way they would continue to live on, only in a divided state.

16-year-old Connor has always been a troublemaker, but he never expected his parents to sign the orders to unwind him. Rather than be sent to a harvest camp and sold for parts, Connor runs away. Soon, fate leads him to meet state ward, Risa, a piano virtuoso who wasn’t quite good enough to warrant any more government funds, and 13-year-old Lev, a tithe, who has spent his entire life preparing for the day he might make the ultimate sacrifice to god.

Short chapters, a fast pace and an emotionally-charged theme make this a sure-fire hit for fans of Scott Westerfield’s Uglies or Shusterman’s Everlost. Though the story focuses on Connor, Risa and Lev, Shusterman includes chapters from a range of viewpoint characters, including a juvey cop, a boy who received part of an unwind’s brain and a former admiral who now works to save unwinds. Though the premise is hard to accept on first glance, this story of survival, teen rebellion and (in)humanity hooks readers fast and keeps them turning the pages till the bitter end. Along the way, Shusterman forces readers to consider profound issues such as the definition of life, the connection between our conscience and our body and the dangers of choosing the collective over the individual good.

DweebMeter: 3.75/5

Links

Neal Shusterman’s Website

Another Review of Unwind

 

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Little Brother

An intense tale of terrorism, torture and techie rebellion.

17-year-old w1n5t0n (aka Marcus) lives in a post-911 world dominated by high tech security and almost no privacy. His high school runs gait-recognition software, which records students and identifies them based on the way they walk. His school laptop monitors every keystroke. To get around this, w1n5t0n uses TOR, an onion router that makes it impossible to tell what sites he’s visiting, and a disguised copy of Firefox. Even library books are monitored through radio frequency identification tags (RFID tags).

The story starts as w1n5t0n and his friends Vanessa, Darryl and Jolu cut class to play Harajuku Fun Madness, an ARG, i.e. a game that combines real world searching and online puzzles. Using wifinders, they reach their target destination, only to get caught in the middle of a bomb attack on the Bay Bridge. Moments later, caught up in a frenzied crowd fleeing for safety, Darryl gets stabbed. The friends push their way out of the crowd, but are soon attacked and forced into the back of a truck.

Eventually, w1n5t0n finds out they have been taken into questioning by the Department of Homeland Security. The rest of the tale unravels like a super scary, high tech version of George Orwell’s 1984. The same thing that got Marcus into trouble in the first place (i.e. his ability to hack and circumvent the system) gives him a way to fight back against the DHS in the end. He creates a secret network using an Xbox Universal and an operating system called ParanoidXbox. Through this network, called Xnet, he rallies his fellow citizens to fight for their privacy under the banner ‘Trust No One Over 25.”

I read this for book club this month. The bookclubbers gave it mixed reviews. Some people thought all the techie stuff bogged down the story, while others found the characters flat. I agree that the characters all sounded the same in the beginning, but I think Doctorow fleshes them out by the end. As for the techie chatter, I have to admit it made me a little hot and bothered. Can you say “invisible to the network’s snoopware” one more time?

Seriously, I completely loved this book. It’s got suspense, action, big brother and an amazing hero/hacker who uses his skills to fight the Man. What more do you need in a novel?

DweebMeter: 4/5

Links

Cory Doctorow’s Website

 

The Curse of the Romanovs by Staton Rabin

Curse of the Romanovs

Alexei Romanov, heir to the Russian throne in 1916, suffers from painful bouts of hemophilia, which can only be healed by a family friend, Father Grigory Rasputin. Rasputin teaches Alexei how to escape from his pain on the river of ancestral blood and visit other times and places. However, outside the royal family, Rasputin has earned a violent reputation. Alexei refuses to believe the accusations against him, until he learns the true price his mother has had to pay the Father for his good health. Alexei goes to his cousin for help in this matter, and in the attempted assassination that follows, he learns that Rasputin is no ordinary man. Even after he is shot, beaten and thrown into the river, he is still able to reach up and pull Alexei down with him. Alexei escapes death by traveling on the river of blood to the year 2010 where he meets his cousin, Varda Rosenberg, a budding scientist working on a cure for hemophilia. In the strange series of events that follows, the two new friends time travel back to Russia to try and stop the Bolsheviks from slaughtering Alexei’s family.

In this fictionalized retelling of the Russian revolution, Rabin combines science fiction, horror, historical fiction and contemporary teen fiction into a satisfying, if somewhat disconcerting read. The plot twists (like Rasputin showing up again at every turn) are improbable, bordering on impossible. The premise works, but leaves too much unexplained. Like what is so special about Rasputin anyway? I kept expecting him to grow fangs and start sucking people’s blood, but no such luck. Alexei’s ending will give reader’s some much needed emotional satisfaction, while the epilogue will likely confound and annoy. The historical note at the end adds a new perspective on the story and serves as evidence of Rabin’s tenacious research. Overall, certainly a unique read, and I have to respect an author with the guts to try something different.

DweebMeter: 3.5/5

Links

Staton Rabin’s MySpace

 

Epoch by Timothy Carter

Epoch

!!!SPOILERS!!!

The product of super religious parents, Vincent grew up believing in demons. However, it’s not until he sees an elf at the school science fair that he begins to really understand the fantastical world around him. With the help of his occult savvy friend, Chanteuse, he uncovers a terrifying fact about the history of the world. Once every epoch, the demons emerge to wipe out the dominant race and prepare the planet for the future species. The bad news? This epoch will end in two days, and a multinational corporation is out to ensure that no humans escape the demons’ wrath.

Adventure, high jinks and humor ensue. The chapter titles count down to the inevitable apocalypse. Plenty of action and creepy crawlies keep reluctant readers turning the pages. Carter’s obvious jabs at religious zealots hooked me from the get go, as did his unique premise. The plot feels jumpy in spots, but a worthy read for those who like their apocalyptic literature quirky and action-packed.

DweebMeter: 3/5

Links

Tim Carter’s Blog

 

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

Dragon Slippers

When Creel’s aunt decides to sacrifice her to a local dragon in the hopes of gaining a fortune, Creel is annoyed, but not as scared as you might expect. That’s because Creel, like most people, believes that dragons are only legend. However, she quickly learns that dragons are very real indeed. The local dragon, Theoradus, drags her into his cave. Through clever bargaining, she escapes unharmed and with a strange pair of blue slippers from the dragon’s hoard. She sets off on her own to the King’s Seat to find work sewing fancy embroidery. On the way, a band of men follow her, and she is rescued by yet another dragon, this time the kingly Shardas. Shardas and Creel become fast friends. When Creel finally sets off for the King’s Seat to make her fortune, she regrets leaving behind Shardas and his beautiful horde of stained glass windows. Creel soon finds work in a dress shop in the King’s Seat. Through clumsiness, luck and her strange blue slippers, she becomes embroiled in a royal land dispute. She learns that her slippers have awful powers, and that, in the wrong hands, they could spell doom for Shardas and the entire kingdom.

In a style reminiscent of Robin McKinley, George has crafted a fast-paced tale of high adventure and embroidery led by a strong heroine and an intriguing cast of secondary characters. I’ve found it hard to get through McKinley’s books in the past, but that was not the case with this story. George supplies more fully-developed characters, and she draws readers into the center of the action. A great read that stays away from formulaic fantasy and lends a fresh feel.

DweebMeter: 3.5/5

Links

http://www.dragonslippers.net/

 

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga 4)

Breaking Dawn

In Twilight, I was swept into this mysterious, yet very modern vampire tale by Bella’s honest voice and Meyer’s well-crafted entry into the world of fantasy. New Moon dragged, and brought to the surface the aspects of the series I don’t like, i.e. the lack of action, Bella’s agonizing inability to see what the reader knows from the beginning and the unequal dynamic between Bella and the two monsters in her life, Edward and Jacob. I stayed on through Eclipse, hoping that Bella might finally come into her own power. Alas, it was not to be. Then came, Breaking Dawn…

!!!SPOILERS!!!

!!!SPOILERS!!!

Yes, I did the whole midnight release party thing. Actually, I hosted the Twilight Jeopardy at the midnight release party at Barnes & Noble, red contacts and all. It took me a week to read it, and here’s how I felt in a nutshell. The first 700 pages were great! More things happen in the first half of this book than happened in the first three books combined. Finally, probably out of necessity, Bella stops hedging, planning and worrying about what’s going to happen, and she actually makes stuff happen! On that point, my friend Rena, an avid fan (compared to my lukewarm fandom), was troubled by the suddenness of this book. She also found the events in the book (aka Renesmee) a little hard to buy into. I liked the whole vampire baby twist. Not only was it very Rosemary’s Baby, but it took some guts on Meyer’s part to take the plot in such a dangerous, unexpected direction. I also loved the section from Jacob’s perspective, partly because I am one of the generally shunned Team Jacob crew, partly because Jacob is a person of action (and thus much more interesting to read than Bella).

The problem. This was definitely my favorite book in the series, but… Just when Meyer got me all geared up to finally experience the awesome clash between good and evil, Bella and the Volturi, what do I get? More hedging, some inner turmoil and a battle that dissolves before it even gets started. The ending is too pat, the resolution to the conflict too easy. A disappointing ending to a series that packed so much potential.

That being said, I will be at the midnight release party for Midnight Sun (Twilight from Edward’s perspective), and any other books she writes in the saga (maybe a companion novel focusing on Jacob after Breaking Dawn, dare I hope . What can I say? Reading brings out the masochist in me.

DweebMeter: 3/5

Links

StephenieMeyer.com

 

Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance

Daemon Hall

A girl sits alone in her studio apartment reading a horror novel. She is a cynical girl, bored by predictable creature features. And yet, as she turns the pages, an invisible hand tugs at her gut. “What’s this?” she thinks, unsure what to make of it. She reads on, covering half the book in an hour (or was it two?). She’s losing track of time. She stands up to go pee, and something unexpected happens. She turns back and checks the front door to make sure it’s locked. When she comes out of the bathroom, she feels oddly light. Uncertain almost. Without stopping to think about what she’s doing, she goes into the bedroom and checks the closet. Then she returns to the bathroom, where she’s just been, and pushes aside the black shower curtain. Empty, of course. She sits back down to read. She falls asleep, book in hand, only a few pages to go. The next morning, the tiny hand tugging at her gut is gone. But she knows what it was now. “The heebie jeebies,” she thinks, smiling. It’s been a long time since she has felt anything as exciting as the heebie jeebies. She opens to the last few pages and continues to read.

In a nutshell, this is how I felt about Daemon Hall. Part collection of horror stories, part The Westing Game, Nance has crafted a surprisingly good read. In the book, five teens win a chance to spend a night at a haunted mansion with famous horror writer Ian Tremblin. Much of the text is made up of horror stories told by the contestants and the author. As expected, this story within a story (within a story?) takes a turn when the five contestants begin to disappear. Like the larger storyline, the short stories revisit classic horror plots, but with surprising effectiveness. Although the author’s attempts to create fully rounded characters are only moderately successful, I thoroughly enjoyed this heebie-jeebie inducing tale.

DweebMeter: 4/5

Links

Interview with Andrew Nance by author Cynthia Leitich Smith

 

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Tantalize

A friend recommended this book to me based on my love of all things vamp and werewolf. However, due to my love-hate relationship with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga (another vamp/werewolf tale), I had minimal expectations going in. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised.

Quincie, 17, is not an ordinary high school student. For starters, she spends more time working in her family’s restaurant than she does going to school. Oh, and she’s also in love with a werewolf (aka Kieren, her best friend for life). The story heats up when Vaggio, the cook at the family restaurant, is murdered, and Quincie suspects Kieren (or some supernatural creature) is the culprit. For his part, Kieren asserts that a vampire (in wolf form) mauled the chef. Things get even more interesting when Quin starts to believe that her family’s new vampire-themed restaurant might be attracting actual vampires.

A quirky read for those who just can’t get enough of vampires and werewolves. True, the plot is at times jerky and predictable, but there’s something fresh here that will keep even the most cynical readers turning the pages. And who can deny endorsements from the likes of Annette Curtis Klause and Libba Bray?

DweebMeter: 3/5

Links

Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Website

 

The Blue Ghost by Marion Dane Bauer

Blue Ghost

On her first night staying at her grandmother’s estate, Liz wakes up in the middle of the night and hears someone calling her name. A blue light comes through a wall and forms the shape of a woman. The next day, Liz doesn’t know how to explain what she saw, but she’s pretty sure it was a ghost. She sees the ghost again while napping, and Liz believes the ghost wants her to follow it through a solid wall. Later, she hears children’s voices behind the wall. She leans against it and, amazingly, walks right through. On the other side, Liz encounters her great great great grandmother, Elizabeth. Elizabeth believes Liz is her guardian angel, and so Liz must find a way to save Elizabeth’s baby brother from a deadly illness.

A unique story by a Newbery Honor author. This story brings real chills, well crafted character moments and a satisfying conclusion. A great choice for young readers.

DweebMeter: 4/5

Links

www.mariondanebauer.com