Title: The Windup Girl

Author: Paolo Bacigalupi

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia

Publisher: Night Shade Books
Publication Date: September 2009
Hardcover: 300 pages

What Happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits? And what happens when said bio-terrorism forces humanity to the cusp of post-human evolution? In The Windup Girl, award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi returns to the world of “The Calorie Man”( Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award-winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2006) and “Yellow Card Man” (Hugo Award nominee, 2007) in order to address these questions.

Stand alone or series: Can be read as a stand alone novel, although it is set in the world of two of Bacigalupi’s short stories – “The Calorie Man” (Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award-winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2006) and “Yellow Card Man” (Hugo Award nominee, 2007).

How did I get this book: Bought

Why did I read this book: Ever since I heard of The Windup Girl and saw it on numerous Best of 2009 lists, I have been dying to read this book.

Review:

First things first – I had seen this book praised to the high heavens after its late 2009 release, and have been looking forward to reading it ever since. Then, when I started to see it pop up on “Steampunk Essential Reading” lists, I was even more excited, and I set a firm date to read and review this highly anticipated release for Steampunk Week.

Well folks, I’m a little chagrined to report: The Windup Girl really is not Steampunk.

At least, it doesn’t fit in with my conceptualization of steampunk. That’s not to say that it isn’t a good book – because it is. But as a feature for this week, it falls a little short. But more on that later.

The Windup Girl is a futuristic dystopia, set in a shocking incarnation of Thailand. The world as we know it has changed drastically – genetically engineered crops have fallen to strengthened, bio-engineered pests; food is controlled by corporations; fossil fuels are all but exhausted; sea levels have risen and reclaimed incredible surface areas…Bacigalupi’s is a dying world. In this version of Thailand, tensions tear the nation from without and within – the government corrupt, the locals resentful of “yellow card” refugees and the encroaching farang (or foreigners), their factories, and their attempts to steal . And, embroiled in this volatile world are four important characters: Anderson Lake – a “Calorie Man” farang intent on discovering gene-ripping secrets for The Company. Hock Seng – a “Yellow Card” Chinese-Malay refugee, foreman of Anderson’s factory, and with a business agenda of his own. Jaidee – a vigilante-type local “hero,” set on sticking it to those in command and fighting corruption with his own glory-seeking style of mayhem. And finally, there’s Emiko – a “New Person,” a “herky-jerky” Japanese genetically engineered woman made to be a sexual companion and personal secretary, left behind by her keeper, left to a world of degradation and abuse each night at a Thai flophouse.

Nuanced and darkly grim, The Windup Girl is an original, memorable debut novel from the undeniably talented Paolo Bacigalupi. In many ways, this novel is an environmentally-conscious, precautionary tale and all the more terrifying because of its plausibility; we very well could engineer our own food and environmental demise intentionally (i.e. biological terrorism) or unintentionally (resistant, super strains of pests and diseases). The Windup Girl’s worldbuilding as well is solid. As a Southeast Asian from the Philippines and Indonesia, I can definitely see that Mr. Bacigalupi has done his homework, down to the fruit of the region (for example, rambutan, which translates from Indonesian as “hair fruit”) and the tensions between natives and their hatred for Chinese immigrants.

But it is thematically that The Windup Girl is at its finest. The overwhelming, unifying theme of the book is that of greed: corporate greed that caused the world’s death, human greed that dominates the Thai government, personal greed that motivates any number of characters in the book. The ugliness of humanity is prevalent throughout, painting a grimy, unflinching picture of the world.

So far as characters go, however, Mr. Bacigalupi left me feeling a little cold. While an equal amount of time is spent on each main character, they all felt a little bare-boned. Interestingly, the only character I felt any sort of connection with was the NON-”human” character Emiko, the titled Windup Girl. Her struggles, her alienation and sustained abuse is horrifying stuff, and her determination to live despite it all is a bright spot in a a decidedly grim novel. The reaction of humans towards “New People” is discrimination on an epic scale, and the kicker is, with the world so disintegrated, only the New People may survive as the next step in human evolution.

While I enjoyed The Windup Girl, I did find that it faltered in a few vital categories. As a novel of science fiction, the actual science element of The Windup Girl isn’t very strong – the concept of biologically engineered New People, made so that their motions are “herky-jerky” but also simultaneously lightning quick, and the genetic breeding of character traits like “obedience” rings as a little bit silly. Furthermore, the idea of using springs to store and generate energy is also not very believable – surely there were other power options available to this world (wind, solar, hydro, biodiesel, nuclear, etc)? Also, I found myself asking, is this story actually effective? The answer is both yes and no. There was a LOT of repetition in this book where there needn’t have been – there’s little advancement of any truly engaging plot. The actual point of the story, its atmospheric strengths and green-conscious warning for the future are made easily within the first 50 pages or so. Ultimately, I found it abundantly clear that Mr. Bacigalupi is a short fiction writer, as The Windup Girl felt like an unnecessarily protracted novella.

These failings in mind, however, I still ended up enjoying The Windup Girl, and look forward to seeing what else Paolo Bacigalupi has up his sleeve in the future.

BUT IS IT STEAMPUNK? Nope. The Windup Girl is not by any stretch of the imagination Steampunk. Using my own bizarre criteria of what constitutes Steampunk, The Windup Girl just doesn’t quite cut it. Other than a single scene involving dirigibles, there is absolutely no steam-technology in this book. None. Zilch. Nada. Though there is a significant amount of radical social and political critique in this book, there is basically nothing on the steam-technological or aesthetic end of the spectrum – and a couple of dirigibles does not a steampunk make. Sorry folks that have this on their Steampunk Essentials list – The WIndup GIrl doesn’t make it on mine. (Though it is a good example of a green-conscious dystopian novel!)

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the first chapter:

“No! I don’t want the mangosteen.” Anderson Lake leans forward, pointing. “I want that one, there. Kaw pollamai nee khap. The one with the red skin and the green hairs.”

The peasant woman smiles, showing teeth blackened from chewing betel nut, and points to a pyramid of fruits stacked beside her. “Un nee chai mai kha?”

“Right. Those. Khap.” Anderson nods and makes himself smile. “What are they called?”

“Ngaw.” She pronounces the word carefully for his foreign ear, and hands across a sample.

Anderson takes the fruit, frowning. “It’s new?”

“Kha.” She nods an affirmative.

Anderson turns the fruit in his hand, studying it. It’s more like a gaudy sea anemone or a furry puffer fish than a fruit. Coarse green tendrils protrude from all sides, tickling his palm. The skin has the rust-red tinge of blister rust, but when he sniffs he doesn’t get any stink of decay. It seems perfectly healthy, despite its appearance.

“Ngaw,” the peasant woman says again, and then, as if reading his mind. “New. No blister rust.”

Anderson nods absently. Around him, the market soi bustles with Bangkok’s morning shoppers. Mounds of durians fill the alley in reeking piles and water tubs splash with snakehead fish and red-fin plaa. Overhead, palm-oil polymer tarps sag under the blast furnace heat of the tropic sun, shading the market with hand-painted images of clipper ship trading companies and the face of the revered Child Queen. A man jostles past, holding vermilion-combed chickens high as they flap and squawk outrage on their way to slaughter, and women in brightly colored pha sin bargain and smile with the vendors, driving down the price of pirated U-Tex rice and new-variant tomatoes.

None of it touches Anderson.

“Ngaw,” the woman says again, seeking connection.

The fruit’s long hairs tickle his palm, challenging him to recognize its origin. Another Thai genehacking success, just like the tomatoes and eggplants and chiles that abound in the neighboring stalls. It’s as if the Grahamite Bible’s prophecies are coming to pass. As if Saint Francis himself stirs in his grave, restless, preparing to stride forth onto the land, bearing with him the bounty of history’s lost calories.

“And he shall come with trumpets, and Eden shall return. . .”

Anderson turns the strange hairy fruit in his hand. It carries no stink of cibiscosis. No scab of blister rust. No graffiti of genehack weevil engraves its skin. The world’s flowers and vegetables and trees and fruits make up the geography of Anderson Lake’s mind, and yet nowhere does he find a helpful signpost that leads him to identification.

Ngaw. A mystery.

You can read the full chapter, along with other sample chapters, online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: As I mentioned above, The Windup Girl is a full length novel set in the world of two of Paolo Bacigalupi’s prior, award winning short stories (the “Windup Stories”). Even cooler is, these stories are available for free download via the book’s page on Night Shade Books. You can check out the PDF version HERE.

Also, you may or may not have heard that Paolo Bacigalupi is making his first foray into the world of Young Adult novels this year! Check out his forthcoming title, Ship Breaker.

Set initially in a future shanty town in America’s Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being dissembled for parts by a rag tag group of workers, we meet Nailer, a teenage boy working the light crew, searching for copper wiring to make quota and live another day. The harsh realities of this life, from his abusive father, to his hand to mouth existence, echo the worst poverty in the present day third world. When an accident leads Nailer to discover an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, and the lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl, Nailer finds himself at a crossroads. Should he strip the ship and live a life of relative wealth, or rescue the girl, Nita, at great risk to himself and hope she’ll lead him to a better life. This is a novel that illuminates a world where oil has been replaced by necessity, and where the gap between the haves and have-nots is now an abyss. Yet amidst the shadows of degradation, hope lies ahead.

Verdict: A thoughtful, well-written and provocative examination of a dystopian future – the world run aground thanks to collective greed. Though it feels somewhat like a protracted short story and it certainly isn’t Steampunk, it’s an unquestionably strong debut, and I look forward to more from Mr. Bacigalupi in the near future.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Title: Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron

Author: Jasper Fforde

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Dystopia

Publisher: Viking (US) / Hodder & Stoughton General (UK)
Publication Date: December 2009 (US) / January 2010 (UK)
Hardcover: 400 pages (US)

Part social satire, part romance, part revolutionary thriller, Shades of Grey tells of a battle against overwhelming odds. In a society where the ability to see the higher end of the color spectrum denotes a better social standing, Eddie Russet belongs to the low-level House of Red and can see his own color—but no other. The sky, the grass, and everything in between are all just shades of grey, and must be colorized by artificial means.

Eddie’s world wasn’t always like this. There’s evidence of a never-discussed disaster and now, many years later, technology is poor, news sporadic, the notion of change abhorrent, and nighttime is terrifying: no one can see in the dark. Everyone abides by a bizarre regime of rules and regulations, a system of merits and demerits, where punishment can result in permanent expulsion.

Eddie, who works for the Color Control Agency, might well have lived out his rose-tinted life without a hitch. But that changes when he becomes smitten with Jane, a Grey Nightseer from the dark, unlit side of the village. She shows Eddie that all is not well with the world he thinks is just and good. Together, they engage in dangerous revolutionary talk.

Stunningly imaginative, very funny, tightly plotted, and with sly satirical digs at our own society, this novel is for those who loved Thursday Next but want to be transported somewhere equally wild, only darker; a world where the black and white of moral standpoints have been reduced to shades of grey.

Stand alone or series: Book 1 of a planned trilogy

How did I get this book: Review Copy from the publisher

Why did I read this book: You already know my weakness for all things apocalyptic and dystopian. Blend that addiction with the quirky, absurdist style of Jasper Fforde, an innovative use of color, and I am a happy, happy girl.

Review:

It began with my father not wanting to see the Last Rabbit and ended up with my being eaten by a carnivorous plant. It wasn’t really what I’d planned for myself – I’d hoped to marry into the Oxbloods and join their dynastic string empire. But that was four days ago, before I met Jane, retrieved the Caravaggio and explored High Saffron. So instead of enjoying aspirations of Chromatic advancement, I was wholly immersed within the digestive soup of a yateveo tree. It was all frightfully inconvenient.

So begins the narrative of Eddie Russett; twenty-years old, son of a well-reputed Swatchman (doctor of sorts), almost engaged to the well-connected Constance Oxblood, and secretly can perceive of a shockingly high percentage of Red. Eddie’s world is a Colortocracy, with a strict hierarchy (called the Chromatic Scale) based on the colors that individuals can perceive – Purples are the highest, followed by Greens, Yellows, Blues, Oranges, Reds, and, at the very bottom of the scale, the subservient Greys (incapable of perceiving any significant amount of any color). While each class can perceive of their own color in nature, every other color appears gray – unless it’s artificially painted and enhanced (a very expensive, and seen by some as a garish, ostentatious flaunting of wealth).

As such, Eddie, although part of the nouveaux couleur Russett family, has a carefully planned, bright future ahead of him. That is, until he and his father are sent out by the Collective from their cushy city life in Jade-Under-Lime on assignment to East Carmine, in the Outer Fringes of society – Eddie’s father is to fill in Swatchman position, while Eddie is assigned to conduct a census of all the chairs in the town (as Eddie explains, “Head Office is worried that the chair density might have dropped below the proscribed 1.8 per person.”). On the way to East Carmine, however, everything changes for the young Russett. He and his father discover a Grey masquerading as a Purple and a beautiful but prickly young Grey named Jane – whom Eddie instantly is smitten with (at their first meeting she threatens to break his. When they finally reach the Outer Fringes, Eddie discovers secret plots, cutthroat politics, and murder cover-ups – and again that strange, abrasive (but beautiful, retrousse-nosed) Jane. Eddie begins to question his entire society, and why he was sent out to East Carmine in the first place.

Shades of Grey is unquestionably one of the most deeply original books I have ever read. It’s bizarre, it’s absurd, it’s detail-laden, and, well, it’s…awesome. As quirky and smart as this book is, Mr. Fforde’s writing and his strange world never feels forced or contrived (a “trying-too-hard” pitfall I’ve unfortunately seen in other works of quirky, absurdist fiction). Rather, Shades of Grey puts me in the mind of the strange, delightful humor and world building of Terry Pratchett. Part of Mr. Fforde’s success is in those devilish details, as I adored all of the details in this novel. The ridiculous rules imposed on this Colortocratic society (“The Word of Munsell was the Rules, and the Rules were the Word of Munsell,”) range from an absolute prohibition on the production of spoons (causing a spoon shortage, making spoons one of the most valuable commodities), acronyms are outlawed, and handkerchiefs must be changed daily (and always folded). These rules are enumerated in pre-chapter epigraphs throughout the book, for example:

1.1.19.02.006: Team sports are mandatory in order to build character. Character is there to give purpose to team sports.

or

3.6.23.12.028: Ovaltine may not be drunk at any time other than before bed.

These sort of flourishes are everywhere, delighting and enhancing the reader’s picture of the world. Trains and the occasional Model-T are the primary modes of transportation (and are very limited). Familiar ancient relics are in this strange new world too – the Oz Monument (yes, for that Oz), the boardgame Risk, the strange A Christmas Story like throwback to Ovaltine.

In the midst of this rich, bizarre bouquet, the plotting falls second to the world building. Which is perfectly fine by me, as the story thread is there, and though it’s left behind at times for description, there’s enough mystery and plot to keep readers thoroughly engaged. In terms of characters, they too come short when compared to the details of the novel, but they are still undeniably compelling. The first person narrative voice of Eddie is delightful – he’s a bit of an unintentional fool, in his schoolboyish optimism, his crush on the antagonistic Jane, and his unquenchable curiosity. Jane is another stellar character too – her first lines to Eddie floor me (upon being elbow-grabbed by our intrepid hero, she responds, “Touch me again and I’ll break your fucking jaw.”). The other, assorted characters are varied and quirky, adding, if you’ll accept a lame pun, another layer of color to the story.

And then, there’s the reason I picked up this book in the first place – the dystopian and post-apocalyptic elements. And, I’m happy to report, just as with the details and world building aspects of the Shades of Grey, the dystopian angle is exquisite. One thing I absofreakinglutely love in a book is an author that doesn’t hand-hold his or her readers – unlike, say, the most recent episodes of LOST where subtext is as elusive as a hot shower. That is to say, Mr. Fforde lets these dystopian elements and the backstory of his world come out gradually, as Eddie reveals, piecemeal, little clues about the history of the Collective. What eventually becomes clear is that something has happened to Eddie’s world (referred to throughout merely as “The Something That Happened”), that changed everything – people became only able to see certain colors, chaos ensued until the great Munsell imposed order with a set of rigid, unchangeable rules. Outside of the Colortocracy’s borders there are the dreaded “Riffraff” – only alluded to as savage, uncivilized heathens. And then, there’s “The Rot” – a mysterious, fast-acting disease that infects citizens seemingly at random, and for which there is no cure. There’s a stagnation of ideas, a loss of technology (relics of which remain, silent and unused). These dystopian elements are little tidbits, revealed throughout the book (biochemical weapons, the presence of dangerous things in the Night, the intense fear and sensitivity the people in this world have to the dark)…and it’s very cool stuff.

In fact, the only place where Shades of Grey falls a little short is in extending some social commentary or analysis (as the blurb of the novel alludes to). The Color caste system is unflinching and based not necessarily on birth or wealth, but on the percentage of color seen (as taken in the one time only Ishihara exam) – an intriguing idea. But Mr. Fforde doesn’t really go into a true social critique of his color-caste world, which seems almost an automatic assumption. He could have taken this in a commentary on race, on apartheid, on classism, in a satyrical way. Reading, I found myself asking a number of questions that didn’t really get addressed – for example, are all these peoples’ skin tones the same? Even in shades of grey, a black person would look different than a white one. I even found myself questioning if these characters were even really PEOPLE at all! I felt like it could have been a lost Twilight Zone episode, in which Eddie, Jane and all those in this strange Collective are dolls or automatons. Regardless, even though Mr. Fforde never really “goes there” and doesn’t address any deeper rooted issues, this just means there’s room for exploration of these in the next two books. Plus, everything else is so wonderful in Shades of Grey, I could care less.

Overall, I loved this novel. LOVED it. I cannot wait for more, with the next two books!

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

A Morning in Vermillion

2.4.16.55.021: Males are to wear dress code #6 during inter-Collective travel. Hats are encouraged but not mandatory.

It began with my father not wanting to see the Last Rabbit and ended up with my being eaten by a carnivorous plant. It wasn’t really what I’d planned for myself— I’d hoped to marry into the Oxbloods and join their dynastic string empire. But that was four days ago, before I met Jane, retrieved the Caravaggio and explored High Saffron. So instead of enjoying aspirations of Chromatic advancement, I was wholly immersed within the digestive soup of a yateveo tree. It was all frightfully inconvenient.

But it wasn’t all bad, for the following reasons: First, I was lucky to have landed upside down. I would drown in under a minute, which was far, far preferable to being dissolved alive over the space of a few weeks. Second, and more important, I wasn’t going to die ignorant. I had discovered something that no amount of merits can buy you: the truth. Not the whole truth, but a pretty big part of it. And that was why this was all frightfully inconvenient. I wouldn’t get to do anything with it. And this truth was too big and too terrible to ignore. Still, at least I’d held it in my hands for a full hour and understood what it meant.

I didn’t set out to discover a truth. I was actually sent to the Outer Fringes to conduct a chair census and learn some humility. But the truth inevitably found me, as important truths often do, like a lost thought in need of a mind. I found Jane, too, or perhaps she found me. It doesn’t really matter. We found each other. And although she was Grey and I was Red, we shared a common thirst for justice that transcended Chromatic politics. I loved her, and what’s more, I was beginning to think that she loved me. After all, she did apologize before she pushed me into the leafless expanse below the spread of the yateveo, and she wouldn’t have done that if she’d felt nothing.

So that’s why we’re back here, four days earlier, in the town of Vermillion, the regional hub of Red Sector West. My father and I had arrived by train the day before and overnighted at the Green Dragon. We had attended Morning Chant and were now seated for breakfast, disheartened but not surprised that the early Greys had already taken the bacon, and it remained only in exquisite odor. We had a few hours before our train and had decided to squeeze in some sightseeing.

“We could always go and see the Last Rabbit,” I suggested. “I’m told it’s unmissable.”

But Dad was not to be easily swayed by the rabbit’s uniqueness. He said we’d never see the Badly Drawn Map, the Oz Memorial, the color garden and the rabbit before our train departed. He also pointed out that not only did Vermillion’s museum have the best collection of Vimto bottles anywhere in the Collective, but on Mondays and Thursdays they demonstrated a gramophone.

“A fourteen- second clip of ‘Something Got Me Started,’ ” he said, as if something vaguely Red- related would swing it.

But I wasn’t quite ready to concede my choice.

“The rabbit’s getting pretty old,” I persisted, having read the safety briefing in the “How Best to Enjoy Your Rabbit Experience” leaflet, “and petting is no longer mandatory.”

“It’s not the petting,” said Dad with a shudder, “it’s the ears. In any event,” he continued with an air of finality, “I can have a productive and fulfilling life having never seen a rabbit.”

This was true, and so could I. It was just that I’d promised my best friend, Fenton, and five others that I would log the lonely bun’s Taxa number on their behalf and thus allow them to note it as “proxy seen” in their animal- spotter books. I’d even charged them twenty- five cents each for the privilege— then blew the lot on licorice for Constance and a new pair of synthetic red shoelaces for me.

Dad and I bartered like this for a while, and he eventually agreed to visit all of the town’s attractions but in a circular manner, to save on shoe leather. The rabbit came last, after the color garden.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: As I’ve mentioned before, there are two more adventures planned for Eddie and company – Painting by Numbers and The Gordini Protocols.

Understandably this review might be a little confusing – and reading Shades of Grey takes some getting used to as there’s a lot of terminology and crazy stuff going on. Luckily, Jasper Fforde has an awesome primer on his book website to help keep things straight. The website also has a ton of awesome extras, such as an interview with Jasper Fforde, downloadable content, and a series of wicked cool movies – there’s the official book trailer:

…and then check out one of these National Color ” Peril Infogandas”:

I need to read more Jasper Fforde. STAT. Suggestions, anyone?

Also, on one final note – aren’t these covers grand? Both the US and UK ones truly rock.

Verdict: Skimpy on the thematic punch, but delectably juicy in all the details, world building and characters – I loved this book. Shades of Grey is seriously smart, chock full of bizarre humor with brains and heart. This is an amazing, truly original, highly imaginative work of fiction. And it is at this point my single favorite read of 2010.

(Ok, one last note – I know these books are marketed in the “literary fiction” section of bookstores, but this is a feast for the dystopian, for the Terry Pratchett-lover, for the Douglass Adams fan. Seriously. READ IT, folks!)

Rating: 9 – Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next: Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep

Title: Incarceron

Author: Catherine Fisher

Genre: Dystopia, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

Publisher: Dial (US) / Hodder Children’s Books (UK)
Publication Date: January 2010 / May 2007
Hardcover: 448 Pages (US)

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside—she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye, and escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know. Because Incarceron is alive.

Stand alone or series: Book 1 of the Incarceron Series

How did I get this book: Review Copy from the publisher

Why did I read this book: Incarceron has garnered a lot of buzz online – I’ve been seeing widgets for it all over the place. Not to mention, it’s a dystopian YA novel, about a living prison. How could I resist? I immediately began hounding folks for a review copy.

Review:

Incarceron is a vast, encompassing prison. Instead of steel bars and cell blocks, however, Incarceron is a world in itself; it is a metal world where nothing is created nor wasted, where stars and sky are near forgotten fairy tales, where all live in a cutthroat world, fighting for food and survival. Even more than that, Incarceron is alive – it observes everything that goes on within its walls, it’s red seeing eye omnipresent to the mortals within. Incarceron is all they have ever known – although there is a myth about one man, a prophet named Sapphique, that was the only one able to escape to the mysterious outside.

Finn is a child of Incarceron, remembering only when he woke up in a dark, squalid cell two years ago, mad with fear and lost memories. Now seventeen, Finn has been forced by circumstance to join a crew of “Scum” – that is, ruthless thieves and bandits, that call themselves the Comitatus. One day, Finn makes a shocking discovery – a crystal key, whose design matches the tattoo on Finn’s wrist. The key, which Finn and those around him believe could be the way out of Incarceron, also turns out to be a communication device, and Finn finds himself able to speak to a mysterious girl, named Claudia.

On the outside of Incarceron, Claudia is the daughter of the Incarceron’s Warden, and set to marry the prince of the realm. Frustrated with her bleak future and the cutthroat political games in which she finds herself ensnared, Claudia is determined to prove that the monarchy is corrupt, and to find a way to instigate change in the static, innovation-fearing kingdom – and the way she plans to do this, is to discover Incarceron’s secrets. When she finds a crystal key in her father’s study, she finds a link to a world that is nothing like the ideal utopia that Incarceron was supposed to be – and she and Finn must work together to bring him out of Incarceron, and into the “real” world.

And with Incarceron itself watching, waiting, and toying with its inhabitants, Claudia and Finn’s task is no small feat.

Incarceron is an amazing feat of a novel from author Catherine Fisher. The book, actually initially published in the UK back in 2007, is part dystopian critique, part science fiction parable, part fantasy. This is not an easy blend to pull together, but Ms. Fisher does it with aplomb. Her world building in particular is PHENOMENAL. I loved the oddity of advanced technology in a royalty-imposed archaic time period – the monarchs and nobles emulate the late medieval western model of courts, down to the dress, castles and mannerisms. But this is not a medieval society! Claudia’s world has incredibly advanced technology, from “skin wands” to give humans the permanent appearance of youth to programable holograms, to artificial intelligence and reality-shifting tools. Despite this technology, however, those in power have resisted any change, abandoning their advanced tools in order to embrace the ways of old, in an attempt to control the population – which rings as very familiar. There’s also Incarceron itself, which is a whole new world on its own. Initially an experiment to create a perfect world for the unruly masses, of course went wrong. The concept of a utopia that is actually a dystopia isn’t really a new one, but this Ms. Fisher writes it so well, and with such awesome variation within Incarceron itself, of A.I. gone horribly awry, it hardly matters.

In terms of plotting, Incarceron is also surefooted, as it packs in revelation upon revelation, surprises, and twists at an expert pace. I could not put Incarceron down – Ms. Fisher is one hell of a storyteller.

Finally, what is a book without its characters? The cast of this novel is similarly well-rounded, though at first glance, they are very standard, fantasy archetypes. There’s the rebellious, intelligent (and beautiful) future queen; the orphaned boy thief with a heart of gold and a destiny to save the land; the calm, wise teacher; the jealous, handsome, morally-ambiguous best friend; the ragamuffin tag along girl; the zealous, prophecy-driven priest; the power-usurping, beautifully cruel queen; etc. These are very familiar character molds, no doubt about it – but as Incarceron progresses, the characters are shown in different ways. Not one thing is exactly how it seems, and that goes for characters as well. In particular, I loved the character of Claudia’s father – the cold, immutable, powerful Warden of Incarceron, Lord John Arlex. I loved the insights to his character throughout the book, especially in his strained relationship with Claudia’s tutor, Jared, and the Warden’s terrified – yet defiant – daughter, Claudia. (There’s one particular scene near the end of the book between these three characters that is made of mind-blowing awesomeness.)

So far as protagonists go, Claudia is as plucky as they come, but it is Finn that captures hearts with his vision, his trusting friendships, and his courage. The other character I truly enjoyed is the morally ambiguous Keiro – handsome and power-hungry, different characters have different interpretations of Keiro. Finn, as his oath-brother, is tied to Keiro by an unbreakable bond – should one of them die, it is the other’s responsibility to avenge them at any cost. And, as a loyal friend, Finn knows Keiro’s flaws, his hunger for power, his recklessness, but he also believes that underneath it all, Keiro would do anything for Finn. Other characters, however, are not so generous, as Keiro is seen as a rogue, out only to use Finn to get him out of Incarceron, no matter the cost. In any case, Keiro is a character that isn’t easy to peg, and I’m excited to see what happens with him in the next book.

With its breathtaking world-building, admirable characters, and exceptional plotting, Incarceron is a dystopian, sci-fi gem. I loved it, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series, Sapphique!

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

Finn had been flung on his face and chained to the stone slabs of the transitway.

His arms, spread wide, were weighted with links so heavy, he could barely drag his wrists off the ground. His ankles were tangled in a slithering mass of metal, bolted through a ring in the pavement. He couldn’t raise his chest to get enough air. He lay exhausted, the stone icy against his cheek.

But the Civicry were coming at last.

He felt them before he heard them; vibrations in the ground, starting tiny and growing until they shivered in his teeth and nerves. Then noises in the darkness, the rumble of migration trucks, the slow hollow clang of wheel rims. Dragging his head around, he shook dirty hair out of his eyes and saw how the parallel grooves in the floor arrowed straight under his body. He was chained directly across the tracks.

Sweat slicked his forehead. Gripping the frosted links with one glove he hauled his chest up and gasped in a breath. The air was acrid and smelled of oil.

It was no use yelling yet. They were too far off and wouldn’t hear him over the clamor of the wheels until they were well into the vast hall. He would have to time it exactly. Too late, and the trucks couldn’t be stopped, and he would be crushed. Desperately, he tried to avoid the other thought. That they might see him and hear him and not even care.

Lights.

Small, bobbing, handheld lights. Concentrating, he counted nine, eleven, twelve; then counted them again to have a number that was firm, that would stand against the nausea choking his throat.

Nuzzling his face against the torn sleeve for some comfort he thought of Keiro, his grin, the last mocking little slap as he’d checked the lock and stepped back into the dark. He whispered the name, a bitter whisper: “Keiro.”

Vast halls and invisible galleries swallowed it. Fog hung in the metallic air. The trucks clanged and groaned.

He could see people now, trudging. They emerged from the darkness so muffled against the cold, it was hard to tell if they were children or old, bent women. Probably children—the aged, if they kept any, would ride on the trams, with the goods. A black-and-white ragged flag draped the leading truck; he could see its design, a heraldic bird with a silver bolt in its beak.

“Stop!” he called. “Look! Down here!”

The grinding of machinery shuddered the floor. It whined in his bones. He clenched his hands as the sheer weight and impetus of the trucks came home to him, the smell of sweat from the massed ranks of men pushing them, the rattle and slither of piled goods. He waited, forcing his terror down, second by second testing his nerve against death, not breathing, not letting himself break, because he was Finn the Starseer, he could do this. Until from nowhere a sweating panic erupted and he heaved himself up and screamed, “Did you hear me! Stop! Stop!”

They came on.

The noise was unbearable. Now he howled and kicked and struggled, because the terrible momentum of the loaded trucks would slide relentlessly, loom over him, darken him, crush his bones and body in slow inevitable agony.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: As I mentioned above, Incarceron was originally published in the UK in 2007. Similarly, the sequel to Incarceron has already been published in the UK, though it makes its way to the US early next year. Here’s the skinny:

Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don’t even know who you are? Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique.

Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out the cool book trailer for Incarceron:

Verdict: A truly awesome blend of science fiction and fantasy in a future dystopian setting, Incarceron is a book not to be missed. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2010 thus far, and recommended to all.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison

Title: Veracity

Author: Laura Bynum

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Dystopian, Thriller

Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: January 2010
Hardcover: 376 pages

Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act of viral terrorism wiped out one-half of the country’s population. Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost. The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks. To utter a Red-Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.

But there are those who resist. Guided by the fabled “Book of Noah,” they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom. The newest member of this resistance is Harper — a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List. And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warriors’ ultimate weapon — or the instrument of their destruction.

In the tradition of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Laura Bynum has written an astonishing debut novel about a chilling, all-too-plausible future in which speech is a weapon and security comes at the highest price of all.

Stand Alone or Series: Stand alone novel

How Did I Get This Book: Review Copy from the publisher

Why Did I Read This Book: That synopsis floored me – a future dystopian techno-thriller. Clearly, I could not resist. Not to mention the fabulous reviews that started to pop up around the interwebs…

Review:

In 2012, the United States and much of the rest of the world was devastated by a deadly pandemic. Following those dark, fear-filled years, a new government emerged to preserve law and order. In 2045, The Confederation of the Willing rules the nation with an iron fist. In exchange for inoculations against the plague and the comfort of stability, people have given up their basic human freedoms. The pseudo-religious, totalitarian Confederation has a list of strict, unyielding rules. Every move a citizen makes is monitored since childhood; every word they utter recorded and evaluated. Every man, woman and child in the Confederation is implanted with a “slate” – a biomechanical implant that sends severe shocks should its host say a “red-listed” (that is, forbidden) word. There is no more music, or art, or creative expression, and even words are deleted from human consciousness. Words like “courage,” “poem,” “ego,” “freedom,” “democracy,” and “veracity” are taboo, punishable by state-sanctioned rape, torture, and death.

Harper Adams was a six-year-old girl when the pandemic struck, and since then has been elevated to the position of Alpha Monitor. As a powerful, gifted “sentient” – one who has the ability to read auras, emotions, and histories of people and objects – the state has forced her into its employ ever since she was eighteen. As a powerful monitor, Harper has seen and been a part of terrible things, catching and identifying “terrorists” for the Confederation, against her will. Harper has been willing to deal with the stress and guilt of her job in order to keep her daughter, named Veracity, safe and healthy, but when her best friend and fellow Monitor Candace is discovered as a member of the rebellion and is killed along with her own daughter, Hannah, Harper knows she can no longer head down the same path. Approached by members of the mysterious rebellion – a group of dedicated individuals whose ideology is centered around the mysterious and Confederation banned Book of Noah – Harper decides she can no longer stand idly by and let what happened to Hannah and Candace happen to her daughter. Harper is determined to break her slate and to become a member of the revolt, and to break the shackles of fear and power that the government has over its people.

Veracity, the debut novel from Laura Bynum, is an ambitious undertaking. Following in the footsteps of dystopian works such as George Orwell’s 1984, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, and written in the style of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaiden’s Tale, Veracity is a solid, sure-footed entry in one of my favorite subgenres of speculative fiction. Ms. Bynum has a beautiful, distinctly poetic style that makes Veracity a lush, eminently readable book, despite its non-linear narrative style. The book itself is split into nine parts, each introduced by a particular “red-listed” word. Though the story only truly encompasses a tiny, final stage of the rebellion and lacks breakneck action, it’s a skilled, beautiful and even-paced read.

Ms. Bynum allows her novel to unfold through the perspective of first person narrator Harper Adams, both in “real time” (2045, as Harper makes her break with the Confederation and joins the resistance) and in a series of interspersed flashbacks from Harper’s childhood and the dramatic events leading up to her decision to rebel against the government. The narrative style, reminiscent of Margaret Atwood as mentioned above, is stunningly effective and surprisingly not confusing at all. Rather, the back and forth narration gives readers a closer bond and an understanding of narrator Harper, allowing us to see why she’s made the decisions she has. There’s a sense of intimacy and empathy with Harper as she struggles to save her daughter. In fact, the most touching, believable, human thing about Harper was her emotional devotion to her child; the fact that all of this, the danger she faces each day is for her little girl – a girl whose very name the government took away. Ms. Bynum’s other characters are similarly fleshed out and sympathetic – in particular, I found myself loving Ezra, the hardened prostitute devoted to the resistance (and to giving Harper a hard time), and a particular Blue Coat (the goon-like police officers of the state, given free reign to rape, torture, maim and murder), whom I will not name or spoil.

I truly enjoyed Veracity, especially for the vision of a dystopian totalitarian state that Ms. Bynum was able to create. The idea of “slates,” of a government that embodies censorship to the point of eliminating very words from the human consciousness, is a very powerful, terrifying thing. Perhaps one of the most terrifying things of all about Veracity is that this dystopian future Ms. Bynum has created does not seem so implausible. In times of fear and crisis, human liberties are traded for stability, and this cognizant, post-9/11 novel takes that premise to a truly frightening extreme. Also, I should mention that there is a strong super-natural/paranormal element to the novel as well in the telekinetic and psychic sort of powers that Harper has as a “sentient.” Her ability to read auras and “see colors” identifies her as a very important person to both the Confederation and to the resistance, and she plays a pivotal part in the final showdown because of her unique abilities. While this could very easily have been a breaking point for the novel – the juxtaposition of these very tangible, very real fears side by side these more fantastical elements – Ms. Bynum integrates the supernatural with the mundane seamlessly, and makes it an integral part of Harper’s character, and to the story at large.

There was a lot to love with Veracity, and I finished the book feeling fulfilled and rewarded. Yes, there were also a few drawbacks, most notably a tendency toward some stuffy high-handedness towards the end of the novel (rousing speeches about the greatness of democracy and the american nation that was, etc). There’s also a little bit of the deus ex machina to the ultimate battle (everything seemed to unfold so easily, in comparison to how difficult everything else was earlier in the book), and I wish that more time had been devoted to that dramatic conclusion. But these quibbles are minor overall. I found Veracity to be every bit as good as advertised, and eagerly look forward to reading more from Laura Bynum in the future.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

AUGUST 4, 2045, EARLY AFTERNOON.

The deeper I get into the prairie, the more I realize that what I’ve been told about the wastelands is false. The trees here are green. The crops, tall and heavy with corn. There are no black clouds threatening to drip acid onto my car, no checkpoints full of frothing police ready to execute every onerous code they see fit. I haven’t seen a Blue Coat since Wernthal. God willing, it will stay that way.

An old farmer is hitchwalking down a line of corn. I see him in my rearview mirror as a blotch of spoiled yellow. This is how our world considers the inhabitants of this land. Spoiled and decrepit, not useful. But neither are they considered clever enough to pose a threat. So they enjoy the otherwise restricted bounty of nature. A wide-open sky. Grass. Neon-free, unfettered space. I envy them this, but only so much. We live in different prisons, but in prisons nonetheless. Theirs is made up of memories of the beforetime. Mine, of concrete walls and security checkpoints, of no birdsong and no breeze.

Fewer line boards are posted alongside the roads out here. Just one every few dozen miles instead of the standard one per block. Posters of non-sexually attractive housewives blink as I drive by. Stay Happy, at mile marker 1. Stay Healthy, at mile 32. Remember the Pandemic. Mile marker 78.

Used to be something different. Honor Those Who’ve Fallen, to communicate the whole of it. But the word honor got too many people thinking. The concept sparked a small fire in those of us not quite doused out, and we began to discuss the dishonorable things required of all citizens living here, things that didn’t get printed on line boards. And so in small, quiet ceremony, in the ripping down of a hundred thousand posters, honor had the honor of being our first Red Listed word. We woke the next morning to Safety First and We Don’t Want to Go Back to the Way Things Were, Do We?

The countryside is more beautiful than I remember, even like this. Bales of trash instead of baled-up hay. Abandoned farmhouses dotting the land like weeping sores. I can’t stand to see their burnt or age-worn structures, or their insides seeping out onto the unmowed lawns. I was born in the country, as were my best memories. I won’t desecrate them by noticing these shells of civilization zipping past my car windows. In fact, I’ll go faster. It’s unlikely Blue Coats will pick me up on the way to my break site anyway. They won’t be out patrolling in the heat, in the wastelands where nothing happens. They’ll come later when the Fatherboard sees I’ve gone rogue. It will be the most excitement they’ve had in months.

Maybe they won’t be carrying guns. Not all Blue Coats get them. Most guns are reserved for the brigade lined up outside the National House like dominoes. Tin soldiers in tidy rows, they flash weaponry used to guard President and his cabinet of Ministers. Keep people from considering assassination, keep those who try anyway from achieving their goal. Guns also go to police assigned to specific jobs. Hunting down runners and the quick dispatch of terrorists.

Aside from this ignoble guard, the largely gun-free system has flourished. Fists, elbows, knees, mouths, teeth, the fleshy weapons carried by men, the ones used to inflict more intimate punishments — these broadcast an absolute and terrifying power the business end of a pistol doesn’t match. When a Blue Coat exacts a punishment, scars are left and people see them.

I try not to think about the Blue Coats and what may happen to me if I’m caught. At least I will have finally stood up.

You can read the full chapter, and the first SEVEN chapters online via Simon & Schuster’s “Browse Inside” feature, available online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: I don’t know what it is about the timing of our book reviews lately, but a lot of Veracity had me thinking of the recently released Book of Eli (starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman). Both follow a post-apocalyptic dystopian America, both have a prominent, ideological book that is the center of so much conflict.

I haven’t seen Book of Eli, and I’ll probably wait for it on rental (as with Legion from last week’s review of Archangel’s Kiss), but it’s a funny coincidence…

On another tangent, since we’ve been focusing on covers lately, I have to say that the cover for Veracity seems very…blah to me. In an attempt to crossover and appeal to non-genre/literary fiction fans, perhaps? It’s very nondescript and boring and I’m not sure what sort of feeling or detail it was supposed to capture (perhaps it’s an interpretation of Harper’s color-seeing abilities?), which is unfortunate considering it’s such a strong book! Any thoughts?

Verdict: A solid debut effort from an incredibly talented new author, Veracity is a book that is not to be missed by the dystopian aficionado. Blending elements of the supernatural with all-too-familiar, very real fears, this is a cautionary tale to take to heart. Absolutely recommended.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: Impact by Douglas Preston

Title: Raiders’ Ransom (UK titles Reavers’ Ransom/Flood Child)

Author: Emily Diamand

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Post-apocalypse, Dystopia, Young Adult

Publisher: The Chicken House (Scholastic) (US & UK)
Publication Date: July 2009 (UK) / December 2009 (US)
Hardcover: 352 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 1 of a planned series

How did I read this book: ARC from Publisher

Why did I read this book: We were sent an ARC for this title from the publisher, and one glance at the synopsis – a flooded, post-apocalyptic London overrun with pirates and danger – and I was sold. Game, set, match.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
It’s the 22nd century and, because of climate change, much of England is underwater. Poor Lilly is out fishing with her trusty sea-cat when greedy raiders pillage the town–and kidnap the prime minister’s daughter. Her village blamed, Lilly decides to find the girl. Off she sails, in secret. And with a ransom: a mysterious talking jewel. “If I save his daughter,” Lilly reasons, “the prime minister’s sure to reward me.” Little does Lilly know that it will take more than grit to outwit the tricky, treacherous piratical tribes!

Review:

The year is 2216, and a thirteen-year old orphan named Lilly leaves the home she shares with her Grandmother on a morning like any other, searching the coastline in her small boat with her seacat (named Cat) for fish. When Lily returns home, however, her life is turned upside down – fearsome Raiders have invaded her village, abducting the Prime Minster’s daughter, burning the village ships, and killing Lilly’s Grandmother. The Prime Minister, furious at his seven-year old daughter’s kidnapping and the cowering villagers who did nothing to prevent the abduction, turns his wrath on the townspeople, forcing all the men and boys into jails with the intent to execute them all as an example. With Lilly’s best friend, Andy and his father among those captured and waiting to be put to death, Lilly decides to take matters into her own hands. Stealing a letter and a rather large, very precious jewel from the Prime Minister’s sister, Lilly cuts off her hair and masquerades as a boy and makes way for Lunden to find the raiders and pay them ransom for Alexandra’s return home. Along the way, Lilly grudgingly befriends a young Raider boy named Zeph – who happens to be the son of the Raider leader responsible for the kidnapping. As their two paths intertwine, Lilly and Zeph come to a crossroads and must decide with whom they will align themselves – especially when it turns out that the large jewel Lilly has taken for ransom is anything but a gem, and instead is something infinitely more precious. The ransom item is in fact a powerful, self-aware war-game computer; a relic from the time before “the Collapse” and the floods that have isolated and destroyed much of lower England. And even more troublesome is how desperately Greater Scotland – the dominating, more advanced nation to the north of the water-logged ten counties of England – wants the computer, and will go to any lengths to recover it.

Ms. Diamand’s novel came to publication after Reavers’ Ransom (the novel’s original title in the UK) won the first ever London Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, and I have to applaud the judges’ taste. Raiders’ Ransom is a complete surprise of a novel – behind its bubbly, almost cartoonish exterior, it is a swashbuckling adventure and a cautionary post-ecologocial apocalypse thriller, narrated smartly by two different and genuinely likable protagonists. I say this is a “surprise” of a novel because I honestly wasn’t expecting to like it nearly so much as I did – but once I got started with this book, I couldn’t put it down. From its engaging, action-filled plot and its compelling, wholly believable characters, Raiders’ Ransom is an incredible start to a very promising series, reminiscent of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass or J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. (Yeah, I just dropped those two comparisons. That’s right.)

In terms of pure story and plotting, Raiders’ Ransom is awesome in its depth and its simplicity. The novel is deceptively slim, and deceptively quick to read. The writing is such that middle grade readers should have no problems picking up this book – but don’t mistake this for a dearth of sharp, carefully executed, hefty ideas. The simplicity of the book actually works to its favor – there’s no excessive, boring rundown of HOW exactly things became the way they are, no data-dumps concerning humanity’s demise into a sort of 18th century level of existence. That’s not to say that the Collapse isn’t exampined at all – but Ms. Diamand takes a much more clever route in examining humanity’s demise, dropping tantalizing hints and delightful little easter eggs (one of the Raider tribes is from “Chell Sea”, a Metallica t-shirt makes an appearance, and even Harry Potter rears his head in the novel). This also means that there’s little to staunch the flood of action in the book – which is another point in Raiders’ Ransom’s favor. The pacing is impeccable; there’s nary a dull moment in the book. Furthermore, the simplicity of the writing only strengthens the impressions that the narrating characters make on readers – adding an even stronger sense of genuineness to these two young teen protagonists.

Ms. Diamand’s pose sparkles, as she has a gift for storytelling and first person narration – not only does she convincingly create a voice for a thirteen-year old fisher girl in a low-technology post-apocalyptic setting, she also manages to do it for an adolescent Raider boy as well. As each chapter alternates between Lilly’s and Zeph’s narratives, this easily could have been a confusing, jarring read – but Ms. Diamand creates such a distinct voice for each character, it’s easy to discern who is narrating at any given time. Heck, even the dialects of both characters are distinct (and as both of them speak in a sort of derivative slang, this is a pretty big accomplishment). The dual narrators also add a broader understanding of this futuristic vision of a drowned Britain, as told from the clear eyes of two very different children of two very different backgrounds. Lilly, an orphan and fishergirl, reviles the idea of marriage (at thirteen, she should already be paired off and married), and instead of letting her best friend face execution or merely accepting her grim fate following her grandmother’s death, she undertakes the dangerous task of rescuing Alexandra. She’s headstrong and brash, but a truly compelling heroine – especially for young female readers.

Then, there’s Zeph, the Raider boy who so desperately wants to impress his powerful father. The Raiders from Lilly’s perspective re boogeymen – pirates that will eat their captives, and burn and pillage anything in their path. But Zeph offers a different insight to the cutthroat world of Raider Clans and lends a humanity to a group that Ms. Diamand could simply have boiled down to “Bad Guys.” Zeph’s struggles, his sibling rivalry with his older (but illegitimate and therefore lower ranked) brother, his attempts to get his father and his clan to take him seriously and see him as a man are very compelling character storylines. There is so much potential for growth and explication here with Ms. Diamand’s characters; Raiders’ Ransom gives me the feeling that she’s only begun to scratch the surface of this compelling new world and her young characters. In this sense, the novel feels very similar to the world of Ms. Rowling’s Harry Potter – with both first books, there’s this sense of wonder and the possibility for so much to develop as the characters grow older and their adventures continue. And this, dear readers, is a rare, beautiful gift.

Notable Quotes/Parts: Lilly’s dramatic decision:

When I get home, I hurtle about getting clothes, oilskins, a knife, extra rope, my rope splicing kit and what food I can find. Which turns out to be a bag of oats and some hard sea biscuits. Well I’ll just have to catch the rest.

“I’m going on Mrs Denton’s mission,” I say to the empty dark house. Hoping Granny’s there somehow, hoping she can hear me. “So I’ll have to take the money from the jar.”

I put my hand under Granny’s bed and pull out a small jangling jar. Granny’s savings jar, where she was hoarding every extra penny for the winter storms, when it’s too rough to go fishing. The coins rattle out of the jar and I put them into Granny’s purse, which hangs from a loop of leather. I put it round my neck, next to Granny’s locket. It ent heavy, there ent many coins in it, but it should last me. After all, things can’t cost much in London, can they?

I pat my shirt, where the bulge of the purse shows through. I reckon the purse should be safe from muggers, cos all that really shows of it is a bit of leather at my neck. But what about the jewel? All it’d take is one peek and any thief would be after me. After a bit of thinking, I take out my fishing belt. It’s got plenty of pockets for stashing spare line and hooks and all the other stuff you don’t want to go searching for when you’re out.

I wrap the jewel in a dirty cloth, then I squeeze it into the largest pocket of my belt, where it just about fits. It looks bumpy, but I reckon it’ll be safe. After all, who’d ever think there’s a big jewel inside a fisher belt?

I’ve got my bag on my back, and I’m heading for the door, when I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the dark window; round brown face, dark brown eyes, bundled up in stained oilskins, long hair tied back in a ponytail. Girl’s hair. But Mrs Denton said she was looking for a captain or a young lad to do her mission. I take the letter out of my bag, and carefully prise it open, trying not to tear the envelope too badly. I read down through her scrabbly writing, and all her fancy phrases. Halfway down are the words that matter.

“I commend this man to you. Please give him any aid you can.”

This man! I ent a man! How will I explain that to Mrs Denton’s London trader? What if he guesses I took the letter and the jewel? He’d never help me then.

And that’s why I take out Granny’s kitchen scissors, use the window as a mirror, and start to cut my hair. When I’ve finished, I look into the window and there’s a boy looking back at me. I lift my hand to my short hair, and he does the same. I open my mouth at what I’ve done, and he opens his right back. I’m a boy now. A boy who Mrs Denton could have asked to go on a mission.

You can read more about Raiders’ Ransom online at Emily Diamand’s official website HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Check out the awesome Japanese covers for the book:

Awesome, no? Also, check out the upcoming sequel, Flood and Fire out in May 2010.

Flooded England, 2216 …

Lilly Melkun has outwitted the bloodthirsty reavers, who prowl the waters that cover most of England – and has escaped to Cambridge. But Lilly is far from safe, because still in her keeping is PSAI, the last hand-held computer in existence – a now malfunctioning treasure from the past.

Inside the jewel-like computer, is a sinister- looking chip with an unknown purpose. Worse follows, when the professors of Cambridge plug it into an ancient mainframe computer, setting in motion a fiery chain of events leading back to London.

A false anti-terrorist alert has been activated. Strange, out-of-control robots from a long-ago technological time threaten to use ‘maximum force’ to control everything in their way. Once again, it’s up to Lilly, Zeph and friends to save the world from burning.

Verdict: If you couldn’t tell – I loved the book. It will be a fun adventure for younger readers, but also has some surprising heft and depth that will satisfy older ones too (there are no easy bad or good guys – all of the adults in the book are of questionable motives and allegiances, in a very C.S. Lewis kind of way). Absolutely recommended, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: Witch and Wizard by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet

Giveaway Details:

Hey, it’s another giveaway! We have ONE copy of Raiders’ Ransom to give away to a lucky reader. The contest is open to residents of the US only, and will run until Saturday December 19 at 11:59 pm (PST). To enter, leave a comment here letting us know what your favorite environmental (post) apocalyptic book or movie is. GOOD LUCK!

Title: Girl in the Arena

Author: Lise Hines

Genre: Dystopia, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: October 2009
Hardcover: 336 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel

How did I get this book: Bought

Why did I read this book: A dystopian, slightly futuristic gladiator-to-the-death novel with a female protagonist? The question should be, why did it take me so long to read this book. This has “Thea-crack” written all over it.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him… For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

Review:

I’ve been in a bit of a reading rut lately. It’s not so much that I have been reading horrendously bad books recently; rather, it’s that I have been lukewarm and strangely apathetic towards the books I have been reading of late. I needed something different to save me from the sea of indifference, and I was betting on Girl in the Arena to do the trick (especially after rave reviews like this one from Angie started popping up online). And wouldn’t you know it? Girl in the Arena was EVERYTHING I wanted, and more.

I loved this book.

Not only does Ms. Haines employ a bold, effective writing style refreshingly different from anything else on the YA market, but the story itself is phenomenal, with one of the finest heroines I have had the pleasure of reading all year. It’s also a scathing look at our society of violence, greed and instant gratification, and an effective cautionary parable for present day America.

For all of her life, Lyn has lived as a neo-Gladiator’s daughter, following the Gladiator Sports Association’s (GSA’s) stringent bylaws as best she can. Her mother, Allison, prides herself on her occupation as a Glad wife – that is, a perpetual bride to neo-Gladiators. Allison brags that Lyn is the daughter of seven Gladiators, the maximum number of times a Glad wife can marry according to the bylaws. But Lyn is dissatisfied with her mother and the life that she is forced to live as a Glad daughter – instead of eagerly planning her future as a Glad wife, she yearns for a way out of the game, much to her mother’s chagrin. Though Lyn hasn’t gotten along with her prior fathers too well, her seventh, an incredibly popular neo-Gladiator named Tommy, is someone she actually loves – which makes her all the more scared of Tommy’s upcoming fight against the much younger and very promising fighter named Uber. To make matters worse, Lyn’s autistic and oddly prophetic younger brother, Thad, makes a chilling prediction that Tommy will die, and nervous, Lyn gives Tommy her dowry bracelet for good luck.

When the fight arrives, Tommy is slain quickly in the arena by the monstrously powerful Uber while Lyn, Thad and Allison are forced to watch on. For Allison, this means the end of married life – per the GSA bylaws, she’s forbidden from marrying any other Glad, and if she wants to keep the insurance money from Tommy’s death and their family home & assets, she cannot marry anyone outside of the Glad world either. For Thad, it means he has lost the only father that truly cared for him, though he’s confused about what has happened. For Lyn, though, things are infinitely worse – because in the arena, right after killing her father, Uber picks a trophy from his corpse. Lyn’s dowry bracelet. Per the GSA guidelines, only a girl’s father and her husband can touch her dowry bracelet – and Uber’s innocent mistake means that now he and Lyn are betrothed. Threatened by Caesar’s Inc. (the corporate entity behind the GSA) with her family’s destitution and ruin, Lyn is forced with the reality of marrying her father’s murderer…unless she can find another way to placate Caesar’s and save her family.

I have to admit that I was expecting quite a different book when I started Girl in the Arena. From the title, the jacket blurb and the cover, I was a bit wary that the book would be about some unbelievable badass female neo-Gladiator – but that’s not what Girl in the Arena is about at all. Lyn doesn’t even step into the Arena as a fighter until the very end of the book, as a measure of last resort, which was an incredible relief to me. There’s a tendency to create these Super!Badass!Warrior! heroines sometimes, which is cool and all – but sometimes it’s a lot more engaging to have a heroine that isn’t naturally gifted with the ability to blow all the competition away. In Lyn’s case, were she some unparalleled kick-ass chick whom after only a few scant months of training could take down men twice her size (who have been groomed as gladiators for their entire lives), well, let’s just say that would be quite a fish to swallow. Instead, Lyn’s story is much more emotion-driven, much more focused on her inability to do anything to fight a corrupt and bloodthirsty system from which there seems to be no escape. Though there is a good share of violence in the arena scenes, Girl in the Arena is not so much about fighting or action, as, say The Hunger Games is. Rather, this novel is more introspective, a dystopian anti-corporation thriller, if you will (more along the lines of a younger Blade Runner).

The most impressive thing, to me, about Girl in the Arena was how very plausible everything seemed. Ms. Haines looks not at some distant future society trying to recover after some apocalyptic/socio-economic collapse – rather, she takes the present day United States and makes a few significant embellishments. The GSA itself feels very familiar – a sort of cross between the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the UFC) and the World Wrestling Entertainment/Federation (WWE). The prologue, Lyn’s opening report on the history of the GSA, explains in a shockingly realistic way that corporate-sanctioned to-the-death fighting could occur – and it really makes one think. I, for one, love watching fights. Boxing, UFC, you name it, I’m a fan. And Girl in the Arena makes me question this inherent bloodthirst. Not to say that Ms. Haines uses her novel to pass judgement on fighters – it’s actually quite the opposite. As Lyn, her family and her friends are all entrenched in the Glad lifestyle, she doesn’t view the neo-Gladiators as wasting their lives or as some barbaric, blooddrenched ritual. There’s honor to be found in the Arena, and I was really, really pleased to see that Ms. Haines managed to convey this appreciation and balance (saving what easily could have been a preachy, one-dimensional feeling novel).

So far as technicalities of plotting and character go, what can I say? Ms. Haines has a gift for writing. The story is paced excellently without a single hitch. The writing itself is wonderfully different, as Ms. Haines uses a unique abbreviation style (no quotation marks for dialogue, instead employing dashes) and perfunctory sentences for Lyn’s narrative. Though a bit strange at first, I loved the brisk feel this style gave Lyn’s voice. As a heroine, Lyn is exquisite. She’s smart, but not snobby or overbearing; she has a load to carry with her manic depressive mother and autistic younger brother, but she manages to keep it together for her family’s sake; she’s pretty, but not fussy about it (in fact, for most of the novel, she has a shaved, stitched head). She’s incapable of bullshit, and she’s one tough cookie – though she’s not some badass automaton. I loved her. I loved her emotional struggles, I loved how fair she was when it came to evaluating her choices and making decisions. I loved Lyn.

What else can I say about Girl in the Arena? This is a book to be bought, to be read, to be remembered. I loved it wholeheartedly, and I recommend it to everyone. Ms. Haines has left her mark, and I cannot wait to read more from this promising author.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From the fight between Tommy and Uber:

Uber enters the arena first to thundering applause. I’ve read in Sword and Shield that he rubs a quart of Glow on his skin before a match. With the black lights that rim the stadium, as soon as he starts to overheat it will look as if that peacock green sweat is pouring out of him like in those sports drink commercials.

My brother, Thad, tugs at me until I get a Freeway bar from my sack and peel back the wrapper for him. They make my mind too speedy and I think it would be easy to go into road rage even if you weren’t driving, but with Thad, they soothe him. His whole sense of time and space has always been jumbled up. Sometimes I think he’s living at the speed of light, only I can’t see it.

Uber checks his helmet repeatedly and then crosses himself.

When Tommy, our stepfather, steps into the arena, all of us stand and flood the air with sound. Everyone loves Tommy.

I see he’s chosen the short sword today. But he still looks off to me. There’s almost no swagger as he walks into the center of the arena and raises his arms.

—Tommy looks good, I say to Allison.

—Do you think so? our mother shouts back above the cheering.

—He’s all over this, I say.

—I’ve heard Uber wasn’t born in to the Helmet Wearers, she informs me.

Allison likes to make a point of these things. Born Ins are first- generation Glads, their relatives and descendents. Tommy’s a Born In. It’s a point of pride. I don’t know if Uber’s a gladiator born and bred but the blog Desperate Glad says: He lights up the game. And the Chicago Tribune says: He’s money in the treasury.

Time feels sped up as the cheers build. Tommy and Uber start to circle. I don’t know why, but I thought they would take longer to size each other up, that time would stretch out on this one. Competitions often feel slow to me, especially at the beginning.

Tommy slams his shield against Uber’s. They deliver several blows in succession, each one striking the other’s shield or sword, each sound enlarged by the sound system and the roar of the arena. I want to look away, but today I can’t.

Tommy knocks Uber’s shield so hard it flies out of his hand. As Uber moves to pick it up, Tommy makes several small slices up Uber’s left arm. That’s Tommy’s signature as he’s warming up, to make the small cuts. The crowd loves this. They chant, —Tommy, Tommy.

But then in one move, Uber suddenly grabs his shield, turns, and strikes Tommy with his long sword. When I open my eyes I see he’s practically taken off Tommy’s left kneecap.There’s blood everywhere, spurting and soaking into the sand. Before Tommy can right himself, Uber slices him across his stomach. Thank God that one’s a shallow cut.

—Why isn’t he fighting back? Allison asks.

—He’s waiting for the right moment, I say, though I’m wondering the same thing.

Thad’s trying to say something now, his mouth full of thick, sped-up chocolate. Everything about him looks urgent as I glance over. I don’t know if he understands what’s going on with Tommy, if he understands fully, or if this is about something else, because thoughts are often urgent with Thad. I kiss his forehead. I’m trying not to cry, and I tell him to chew slowly, and to wait, just wait. I tell him everything is going to be okay.

A low rolling chant starts as Uber seems to be giving Tommy time to concede, to pull himself together—I’m not sure what. I’d say this is not the kind of calm you want. If I were a forecaster, I’d say we’re in earthquake weather, just before it hits.

When Thad can’t take another moment of stillness, he stands in his chair and starts to leap toward Allison, jumping up and down. As I try to restrain Thad, I look at his big eyes, his soft square face, and I imagine how much would die with Tommy. Maybe everything, everything as we know it. Then Thad gets quiet again and slumps back into his seat. I want to take his hand and run away with him but this is one of the first bylaws I was taught; number 96:

Never leave the stadium when your father is dying.

So I’m here when Uber raises his sword suddenly and slices off Tommy’s right hand cleanly at the wrist joint.

I’m out of my seat, standing in the bleachers as his hand drops to the sandy floor like a chicken wing into flour. Tommy’s bludgeon flies and the bracelet I lent him for good luck launches from his arm and rolls to a stop at Uber’s black athletic shoes.

Sixty thousand fans rise to their feet shouting:

—UBER! UBER!

For a moment Tommy stands there in his blood- drenched Nikes as if he’s thinking over his next move. Of course the point, the whole point, of Glad existence is to die well. And I know Tommy G. is going to die well when it’s his time. But I’m looking at Allison now, looking for something in Allison’s face to say he’ll pull through this one. That the ambulance will scoop him up and get him to the hospital in time. I stare into Allison’s mirrored sunglasses, where I see Tommy suddenly arch back. His chain- mail guard swings out from his hips and lashes his groin. His legs buckle, and his body drops in both halves of her.

Tommy dies right there in Allison’s lenses.

tommy.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: YA Dystopian Fiction – one of my all time favorite subgenres, as I’m sure any regular reader of ours here on The Book Smugglers knows! If you liked Girl in the Arena, and you want something else to satiate your hunger for dystopian futures, you might want to check out some of these posts for more.

And, while you’re at it, why don’t you check out this…bizarre…but fun book trailer:

Verdict: Girl in the Arena is one for the keeper shelf; one that has earned all the raves it has received; one that deserves its praises to be shouted from the mountaintops. A fabulous book, and on the shortlist for one of my favorite reads of 2009.

Rating: 9 – Damn Near Perfection

Reading Next: The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Dystopian/Apocalyptic, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

Publisher: Delacorte Books
Publication Date: October 2009
Hardcover: 384 pages

Stand alone or series: First book in a planned series.

How did I get this book: Review Copy from a fellow blogger (thanks Amy!)

Why did I read this book: I have been crushing on this book for a while now – ever since I saw the cover and read the synopsis, I’ve been dying to get my hands on it. A while back I was tweeting about how much I was drooling over this title, and the lovely Amy of My Friend Amy was an absolute doll and offered me her copy! Naturally, I accepted. And, here we are.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Review:

A dark room ascends. A young boy awakens with no idea where he is. With no idea who he is. All that he can grasp in the lonely darkness is a name – “My name is Thomas.” When the ascent stops, Thomas is hauled out of the dark room and into a strange new world where he’s greeted by teenage boys of different ages and sizes. Thomas is the latest addition to the Glade – a large open green square, surrounded by an immense labyrinth. By day, the Glade is a place of hard work as boys dedicate themselves to their specific, important jobs: farming, cleaning, tending, killing. No job, however, is more important than that of the Runners – the smartest, quickest boys who go out into the Maze every day to document its paths and attempt to find an exit. The Runners must be quick because every day come nightfall, the immense doors connecting the Glade to the Maze shut, and unspeakable monsters called Grievers roam the labyrinth. As the new boy (the “shank greenie”), Thomas grows increasingly frustrated when no one answers his questions about the Glade, the surrounding maze, and the Grievers that roam its exterior in the dark – but soon Thomas learns that the rest of the boys are just like him. None of them can remember anything prior to the box, nor do they recall why they are in the Glade or who put them there. All they know is their dedicated safe routine, and their precipitous existence – work your job, keep your head down, and hope that the runners will one day find the exit to the elaborate, ever-changing maze.

Until the day after Thomas’s arrival, that is. Everything changes. There should not be another delivery from The Box for another month – but the following morning, someone else arrives in the Glade. A beautiful teenage girl, bears a disturbing message. Everything is about to change. Somehow, both the new girl and Thomas are connected to the mystery of the Glade and its Maze, and they must do everything they can to find a way out, and to lead the other Gladers to safety.

The Maze Runner is every bit as delectable as advertised – it’s everything I love in a novel. Isolated characters in an impossible setting, fighting for their lives – check. Futuristic sci-fi/post-apocalyptic/dystopian setting – check. Mass amounts of tension and violence – check. The only thing that could have made The Maze Runner even more of a “Thea book” would be to set it in outer space, with zombies and time travel in the mix somehow (then again, that may have been a tad much). My point is, I loved the setting and the premise for this novel. There are quite a few young adult survival of the fittest types of stories pervading the marketplace now, which may have some readers skeptical of another new similar title. Rest assured, dear readers – reminiscent of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and the Gone books by Michael Grant, The Maze Runner is a shining new entry in this particular subgenre, completely worth your time.

The most striking thing about The Maze Runner is the strength of its world-building and the adrenaline-fueled plot. This is akin to a novelization of Lost (one of my favorite television shows ever) – no one knows what’s going on, and mystery and danger abound at every turn. Somehow, all these teenage boys have been transplanted to an isolated world surrounded by an ever-changing maze with only one objective – find a way out. The idea of the Glade and its surrounding, shifting maze, filled with heinous monsters is incredibly compelling and raises a number of questions – why are the boys there and who put them there? Is there anything outside the Glade? Is it some sick experiment or type of imprisonment for crimes they have committed in the past? These questions and countless others are raised – and even more importantly, are addressed – in this provocative novel. Also impressive is the writing style of The Maze Runner. Similar to Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking books, The Maze Runner employs a particular new slang – the Gladers have evolved their own way of dealing with problems and speaking, using words like “shank,” “greenie,” “griever,” among others. It’s a little strange initially, just as it is strange to protagonist Thomas’s ears, but makes sense in the context of the story.

I don’t want to say anything much about actual plot points as these are things best discovered upon reading without spoilers, but suffice to say that the writing and plotting are irresistibly tight and crisp, and Mr. Dahsner knows how to write a thrilling mystery. Just when we receive an answer and one part of the puzzle is uncovered, that leads to an even larger question. And he manages to keep you interested in the story, dying to find out what’s next, with only a minor level of annoyed “WTF is going on!?”-ness (And trust me, as a long-time Lost devotee, I can honestly say in terms of pace of revelations, The Maze Runner is not even close to the level of impotent frustration that it could have reached).

These strengths in terms of pacing and plot reveals are also in part due to the strength of the main character, Thomas. Thomas is a clever young man and he asks all the right questions (whether or not he receives answers to them, well, that’s a different story). Because Thomas is completely new to the Glade and the way of life of the boys there, his own burning questions and frustrations are ones that we share as readers, which makes for a very effective device. As far as protagonists go, Thomas is a fine one with a natural curiosity and ability to voice his opinions, even when they may not be the popular or safe choice. He’s tenacious and brave, but not so flawless to render him one-note. Considering that Thomas and the other characters in the Glade cannot remember anything about their pasts, they are all distinctive, well-rounded characters and very believable. In particular, I loved Minho, Newt, Chuck, and Gally – each has their own charms and distinct personalities.

The only character I wish we got to see more of and understand more was the lone female member of the cast, Teresa. We get tantalizing glimpses into her past and her abilities as linked with Thomas, but as she’s in a coma and ostracized for most of this first book, we don’t get to truly know her. However, this is something I think that will be remedied in the next two books.

In many ways The Maze Runner is a reflection of the Maze that surrounds the Glade itself – little pieces of the puzzle gradually are shuffled and revealed throughout the book, keeping readers on their toes. We keep guessing what could be next, and what each individual piece means until finally the whole picture comes into dramatic crystal sharp clarity. And when you talk about a cliffhanger ending that leaves you salivating for more, I don’t think you can get any more compelling or infuriating than the end of The Maze Runner (I’d put it on the level of The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness). I need the next shankin’ book. NOW.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air.

Metal ground against metal; a lurching shudder shook the floor beneath him. He fell down at the sudden movement and shuffled backward on his hands and feet, drops of sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air. His back struck a hard metal wall; he slid along it until he hit the corner of the room. Sinking to the floor, he pulled his legs up tight against his body, hoping his eyes would soon adjust to the darkness.

With another jolt, the room jerked upward like an old lift in a mine shaft.

Harsh sounds of chains and pulleys, like the workings of an ancient steel factory, echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls with a hollow, tinny whine. The lightless elevator swayed back and forth as it ascended, turning the boy’s stomach sour with nausea; a smell like burnt oil invaded his senses, making him feel worse. He wanted to cry, but no tears came; he could only sit there, alone, waiting.

My name is Thomas, he thought.

That… that was the only thing he could remember about his life.

He didn’t understand how this could be possible. His mind functioned without flaw, trying to calculate his surroundings and predicament. Knowledge flooded his thoughts, facts and images, memories and details of the world and how it works. He pictured snow on trees, running down a leaf-strewn road, eating a hamburger, the moon casting a pale glow on a grassy meadow, swimming in a lake, a busy city square with hundreds of people bustling about their business.

And yet he didn’t know where he came from, or how he’d gotten inside the dark lift, or who his parents were. He didn’t even know his last name. Images of people flashed across his mind, but there was no recognition, their faces replaced with haunted smears of color. He couldn’t think of one person he knew, or recall a single conversation.

You can read the full excerpt and the first nine chapters online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: If you liked The Maze Runner and want more of the same dystopian style goodness, where children are put in drastic situations, you might want to try some of the novels below. These include – The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Battle Royale by Koshun Takami, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Long Walk by Stephen King, Gone and Hunger by Michael Grant, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, and The Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines.

Also, for more information on The Maze Runner (including audio excerpts, a game, author interview, and discussion forum), check out the book’s awesome website HERE.

Verdict: If you couldn’t tell, I loved The Maze Runner. Anyone looking for a thrilling, white-knuckle read should look no further. This title from James Dashner totally rocks. Absolutely recommended…and is it October yet?

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Pastworld

Author: Ian Beck

Genre: YA (Fantasy/Dystopian)

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books/ Bloomsbury PLC
Publishing Date: Sep 29 (US) / Oct 5 (UK)
Hardcover: 368 pages

Stand alone or series: At the moment, stand alone but the author does not dismiss a possible sequel.

Why did I read the Book: I saw the cover and read about the premise a long time ago and I knew I wanted to read it.

How did I get this Book: I received an unsolicited ARC of the book from Bloomsbury PLC (and nearly had a heart attack when I opened the package too – please refer to the section above).

Summary: Pastworld. A city within a city. A city for excursions and outings. Pastworld is a theme park with a difference, where travellers can travel back in time for a brush with an authentic Victorian past. But what if the Jack the Ripper figure stopped play-acting and really started killing people? For Caleb, a tourist from the present day, his visit goes terribly wrong when his father is kidnapped and he finds himself accused of murder. Then Caleb meets Eva Rose, a Pastworld inhabitant who has no idea the modern world exists. Both Caleb and Eva have roles to play in the murderer’s diabolical plans – roles that reveal disturbing truths about their origins.

Review:

In a not so distant future , after a financial collapse that brought England to its knees, the City of London has been restored to its Victorian past and turned into an immense theme park ran by the Buckland Corporation. The idea is to make the experience authentic and as real as possible and so the inhabitants of Pastworld live as de facto Victorians following fashion, rules and law, never leaving the place. The visitors, or Gawkers, pay a hefty fee to get immersed in the Victorian world arriving by dirigible, the only official way in and out. In order to visit Pastworld, the visitor agrees to dress up and to act as a Victorian and that includes abiding to the rules and should a gawker commit a crime within Pastworld, he or she will be tried and even executed if applicable.

Amongst Pastworld’s inhabitants is Eve, a closeted young girl who lives with her guardian, blind man Jack and who has no idea that there is a world out there. Tired of being kept in the dark, Eve runs away and joins the Circus where she not only discovers the truth about Pastworld but also some unexpected talents. Caleb’s story runs parallel to Eve’s: he is a visitor to Pastworld along with his father Lucius Brown, one of its creators whose visit is in response to a one word message sent to him by Jack after Eve’s disappearance:

Prometheus

But things take a turn to worse when Lucius is kidnapped , Jack is murdered by the Fantom’s ragged men, and Caleb is accused of the crime. Whilst on the run he is helped by street urchin Bible J. who in turn has connections with one of the Fantom’s enemies and with Eve herself. A manhunt starts for not only Caleb and his father but also for Eve, who may be a Very Important Person.

Pastworld is a mystery novel in which Chief Inspector Charles Catchpole of Scotland Yard (Pastworld Division) relates the circumstances behind the nefarious re-appearance of the infamous Fantom, the kidnapping of an important figure connected with the creation of the park itself and the search of a missing girl until the different threads combine to create the whole picture. The ultimate revelation of Eve, Caled and the Fantom’s connection was eerie and it revealed a terrible reflexion from a society fraught with the cult of celebrity. That, coupled with the very idea of turning London into a theme park plus the manner in which the novel is constructed, in itself a clever shout-out to a Victorian novelist, Wilkie Collins (who wrote mystery novels in which the story was an intercalation of several narratives from the different characters) make Pastworld a very good book just short of being a Great One for two main reasons.

One is the reason why so many books do not work for ME as reader: the lack of a character to truly connect with. Both Eve and Caleb are ….weird. I truly can’t find a better word to explain it. Caleb’s reaction to his father’s kidnapping was very strange. They never truly felt real to me although to be fair, in Eve’s case, there is a pretty good reason for her oddness. My favourite character was by far Bible J., possibly because he reminded me a lot of Dicken’s Artful Dodger – perhaps another shout-out from the author to another Victorian luminary?

The second reason stems from a certain frustration I felt because even though the book raises fantastic questions about our future and society, I felt that the author never really explored the most interesting aspect of the novel: the idea of Pastworld itself. It was hinted in some passages that the outside world was a dystopian society living under a “sameness” and those who visit Pastworld are thrill seekers tired of the clean, crimeless world outside. The very fact that crimes were committed in Pastworld so that the Gawkers could experience first-hand murder and mayhem was absolutely terrifying and disturbing. These insights permeated the narrative and added to the story without ever taking centre stage. I understand this is not the story the author chose to tell but it’s one that I nonetheless would have liked to read. Perhaps in another book, Mr Beck? And, yes, in case you were wondering I am fully aware of the irony of wishing for something that could have been whilst reading a book such as this.

In the end, Pastworld is a commendable effort despite some of my misgivings. The descriptions of Pastworld are haunting and evocative, the story is engaging and the premise, oh yes, it is fantastic and creative and the reason why I wanted to read it in the first place and that did not disappoint.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: Excerpt taken from the Little Planet Guide to Pastworld (TM) London

“People visit Pastworld for a variety of reasons. For most it is a trip into the past to experience a way of life and an atmosphere of free and rumbustious living that had, until Pastworld’s completion, all but vanished. The great city of London was chosen, after the apocalyptic financial meltdown at the start of the new century, to be “reverted”. The city was retro-fitted and restored to the condition of the great Victorian heyday. The opening ceremony took place at the re-dedication of the once vandalised and destroyed Euston Arch, and an emotional day it was for those who cared for the architecture of the old city. (…)

There are those who would enjoy watching capital punishment carried out in front of them. There are those who would pay to watch the Ripper disembowel a victim or two, or who wish to witness any number of brutal and psychotic events. Look for instance at the popularity of the bootled murder tours…”

Additional Thoughts: The trailer for the book was released just today and it plays like a little movie! I am hummm …not sure about it though. I like parts of it but I am not crazy about others – much like the book itself. What do you think?

Verdict: A very good premise and an atmospheric mystery novel. Although the premise could have been better explored and I wasn’t crazy about the characters, it is still a very good book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating: 7 – very good.

Reading Next: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Never Let Me Go

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Literary Fiction

Publisher: Faber and Faber (UK) / Vintage (US)
Publication Date: March 2005 (UK) / March 2006 (US)
Paperback: 304 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone novel.

How did I get this book: Bought.

Why did I read this book: I’ve read Mr. Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day and loved it, but since have not returned to his literary pasture. I picked up Never Let Me Go on a whim in the bookstore, craving a meaty, substantive, speculative fiction read, and I hoped that this book would deliver. Plus, I’m shallow in that I saw the cover and the catchy title, and was instantly intrigued.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day comes a devastating new novel of innocence, knowledge, and loss. As children Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were.

Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special–and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.

Review:

Kathy H. is a thirty-year old carer and a graduate from a secluded, elite academy called Hailsham. In an alternate 1990s England, Kathy prepares herself for the next stage of her life as a donor and reminisces about her past as a student and her childhood friends Ruth and Tommy. Written in a deceptively direct and uncomplicated narrative, Mr. Ishiguro writes a haunting, elegiac tale about the meaning and mystery of life. The subject matter of the novel and plot is straightforward, as bluntly simply as Kathy’s narration: three young friends grow up in an idyllic school in the English countryside, where they are encouraged to create works of art while they learn about the world and their place in it. The book is split into three different parts, each representing a stage in Kathy’s life. Part one begins with her time as a student at Hailsham, where she befriends Ruth and Tommy, and part two follows these three friends as they graduate and move to The Cottages to live with other alumni from similar academies across the country. In part three, Kathy has become a carer, and she, Ruth and Tommy cross paths once more. All this reminiscing leads up to an ultimate, haunting fourth act (Kathy’s transition from a carer to a donor), but it is one that we do not read on the page. As Kathy’s memories and the truth about her childhood coalesce into a larger, sharper picture, Never Let Me Go becomes a heartbreaking fictional memoir that asks resounding questions about the nature of humanity, and the depths of the human soul.

The only other book I have read by Mr. Ishiguro is his Booker Prize winning novel The Remains of the Day, in which a butler named Stevens blindly and proudly absorbs himself in his profession, to the extent that he alienates the woman he loves, his father, and is blind even to the tendencies of his Nazi sympathizing employer. In Mr. Ishiguro’s sixth novel, Never Let Me Go, he explores similar territory with his characters that are so consumed by the subtext and minutia of their cliques and daily lives that they never notice the larger picture – but the readers do. And what an ominous picture it is.

Never Let Me Go is a book about characters, but it also treads into the realm of dystopian speculative/science fiction. I won’t spoil exactly HOW this novel falls under the SFF umbrella (even though it becomes suspect from even a few chapters in); suffice to say that it does, and Never Let Me Go does it in the tradition of Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy – but sans any literary pretentiousness. And, like the best works of the dystopian cannon, the strength of the novel lies not just in some catchy premise or flashy plot techniques, but rather in the strength of its characters. This isn’t M. Night Shyamalan, where the impact of the story relies on one huge twist; rather, the beauty of Mr. Ishiguro’s work is in quiet revelation and thought-provoking subtext.

As such, Never Let Me Go is a character driven novel. Built entirely on the first person narrated memories of Kathy, this is a book that is breathtaking in its subtlety. Each of the three friends are gorgeously drawn in Kathy’s memories and Mr. Ishiguro’s direct prose. Ruth, the forceful, outgoing ringleader of the girls at Hailsham becomes Kathy’s best friend, and their relationship is stretched and tested as they grow up. Tommy is an outsider at the academy with his fiery temper and unpredictable tantrums, but he too becomes Kathy’s good friend and confidante, as she reaches out to him. Kathy herself is revealed to be the quiet member of the group, not as strangely angry as Tommy nor a leader like Ruth, but keenly observant. Kathy’s entire narrative is constantly preoccupied with the small subtleties of her friendship with the domineering Ruth, her social standing at Hailsham, and her initial worry for Tommy. At first, it seems that this novel is much ado about nothing, taking place entirely in Kathy’s mind with her myriad perceptions of the nuanced power politics of female cliques. But as Kathy’s narrative progresses and the characters gain more color and the backdrop of Kathy’s world comes into focus, significant, impossible to ignore questions about the nature of the human soul are raised. Are Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy’s interactions “normal”? Why wouldn’t anyone in their situation simply try to run away – or is it simply human nature to accept what limitations and rules you are taught from birth? There are many interpretations possible with this novel, which is part of its beauty. Add to this the sparse, forthright and unconsciously gorgeous writing of Kazuo Ishiguro, and it’s easy to see why this novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Never Let Me Go is easily one of the finest novels I’ve read this year, of any genre. Even better, in my opinion, than The Remains of the Day. This is what reading is all about.

Notable Quotes/Parts: From Chapter 1:

My name is Kathy H. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’ve been a carer now for over eleven years. That sounds long enough, I know, but actually they want me to go on for another eight months, until the end of this year. That’ll make it almost exactly twelve years. Now I know my being a carer so long isn’t necessarily because they think I’m fantastic at what I do. There are some really good carers who’ve been told to stop after just two or three years. And I can think of one carer at least who went on for all of fourteen years despite being a complete waste of space. So I’m not trying to boast. But then I do know for a fact they’ve been pleased with my work, and by and large, I have too. My donors have always tended to do much better than expected. Their recovery times have been impressive, and hardly any of them have been classified as “agitated,” even before fourth donation. Okay, maybe I am boasting now. But it means a lot to me, being able to do my work well, especially that bit about my donors staying “calm.” I’ve developed a kind of instinct around donors. I know when to hang around and comfort them, when to leave them to themselves; when to listen to everything they have to say, and when just to shrug and tell them to snap out of it.

Anyway, I’m not making any big claims for myself. I know carers, working now, who are just as good and don’t get half the credit. If you’re one of them, I can understand how you might get resentful—about my bedsit, my car, above all, the way I get to pick and choose who I look after. And I’m a Hailsham student—which is enough by itself sometimes to get people’s backs up. Kathy H., they say, she gets to pick and choose, and she always chooses her own kind: people from Hailsham, or one of the other privileged estates. No wonder she has a great record. I’ve heard it said enough, so I’m sure you’ve heard it plenty more, and maybe there’s something in it. But I’m not the first to be allowed to pick and choose, and I doubt if I’ll be the last. And anyway, I’ve done my share of looking after donors brought up in every kind of place. By the time I finish, remember, I’ll have done twelve years of this, and it’s only for the last six they’ve let me choose.

You can read the full excerpt online HERE.

Additional Thoughts: Never Let Me Go is currently being adapted to film. And, since it’s a bigger UK movie, it’s predictably starring Keira Knightly as Ruth *gags* In the protagonist role of Kathy is Carey Mulligan, from Public Enemies, and Tommy is portrayed by Andrew Garfield, from Lions From Lambs. Alex Garland, whose resume includes The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and the upcoming movie adaptation of Halo, pens the screenplay. And, at the helm as director is Mark Romaneck, whose work mostly comprises music videos and the sole movie One Hour Photo…

The movie has already begun filming, with a release date of 2010. I’m more than a little iffy about the whole thing. Alex Garland’s screenplays – while good, action-packed fun – lack the subtlety and emotional gravitas that makes Never Let Me Go such a beautiful book, and while One Hour Photo was a decent film, it doesn’t quite convince me of Mark Romaneck’s directorial skills.

I strongly urge everyone to read the book, PLEASE, before seeing the movie.

Verdict: I loved Never Let Me Go. It’s a book that resonates long after you finish it, and makes you remember why you fell in love with reading in the first place. Absolutely recommended.

Rating: 10 – Perfection

Reading Next: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Title: The Ask and the Answer

Author: Patrick Ness

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Young Adult

Publisher: Walker Books (UK) / Candlewick Press (US)
Publication Date: May 2009 (UK) / September 2009 (US)
Hardcover: 528 pages (US)

Stand alone or series: Book 2 in the Chaos Walking trilogy.

How did I get this book: Bought.

Why did I read this book: I read The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking book 1) earlier this year…and I loved it. From the unique writing style, to the ingenious premise, to the genuine characters, and the white-knuckle action, I loved it. And, given that book 1 ended with a killer coronary of a cliffhanger, I was ALL OVER The Ask and the Answer when it finally made its way here to the US for release!

Summary: (from Patrick Ness.com)
Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor’s new order.

And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode…

**As The Ask and the Answer is book 2 in an ongoing trilogy, please note that this review contains spoilers for book 1, The Knife of Never Letting Go. If you have not read book 1 and do not wish to be spoiled, please back away from this review! (However, this is a spoiler-free review of The Ask and the Answer itself)**

Review:

At the end of The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd and Viola have made it to Haven in hopes of sanctuary from their pursuers, the ever-growing Prentisstown army…only to meet with grim news. Haven has been surrendered to Mayor – that’s President, now – Prentiss, and Viola is near death from her gunshot wound. When Todd awakens at the opening of The Ask and the Answer, however, he is alone with the enemy, with Viola nowhere in sight. Todd struggles awake with a single thought in his mind – to find her, to save her, to keep the both of them alive and out of the Mayor’s (the President’s) reach. But Todd finds himself trapped, ensnared in the Mayor’s web of manipulations, lies and truths. Forces larger than the two young teens pull them apart and test the strength of their relationship, as two warring camps emerge with the Mayor and men of New Prentisstown on one side, and the insurgent, mysterious “Answer” on the other.

This is a tough review to write (especially without spoilers), as The Ask and the Answer covers a LOT of ground, with each plot development and twist building on the last to a dramatic climax. The plotting, in itself, is effing brilliant. While The Knife of Never Letting Go was more of a quest/chase novel with Todd and Viola racing on an alien landscape to outrun the men of Prentisstown and warn other outposts, The Ask and the Answer is more contained and cerebral – but don’t let that fool you because it is every bit as thrilling as its predecessor. Driven by politics and tackling some big questions about absolute power, imprisonment, and even insurgent terrorism, this second book is a very timely and intelligent novel but never feels heavy-handed or condescending. Rather, Mr. Ness integrates these current issues into a savvy, inquisitive narrative. There are twists and turns and twists upon those twists and turns, and so much delicious heartstring-pulling drama in this second novel too, making it impossible to put down. I finished the whole thing (over five-hundred pages, mind you) in a single day’s frenzied reading flurry. It’s that good.

While the plotting had me on tenterhooks the entire time, the Chaos Walking books are really all about the strength of their characters. And in The Ask and the Answer, the characters we know and love (and some that we hate with every fiber of our beings) are back with a vengeance, just as compelling as we remember them from The Knife of Never Letting Go, but growing and changing too. Both Todd and Viola are growing up – maybe not in actual years, as it has only been weeks since their dramatic adventure across the New World together, but in terms of their emotional maturity. These are two characters who have been through hell, and are believably forever changed by their ordeals, and this is reflected in how each character becomes something more and different from the young teens we meet in the first novel. As with Knife, Todd is the main protagonist and his narrative drives this novel. He has become a man, not just by Prentisstown standards, but in a wisdom and weariness that belies his young 14-New World years age. How dearly do I love Todd? He is passionate and strong in this novel, but he’s ultimately human and goes through a lot in this second book – from his feelings of worry and fear for Viola, his mistrust of Mayor Prentiss, and his own position in New Prentisstown society. When we first met Todd in Knife, he was preoccupied with becoming a Man and finally being treated as an equal and as someone important; but in this novel, Todd is forced to grow up very quickly, and sees what being a man is truly about.

Viola too has changed from the untrusting girl from the first book, and gets her own voice in this second novel as The Ask and the Answer alternates between Todd’s and Viola’s points of view. This alternating narrative is incredibly effective, lending Viola more color as a character as readers are able to connect with her own thoughts beyond the lens of Todd’s narrative. We learn about her fears for Todd and herself, and her own independent questions and doubts. Seeing Viola in this new light, she’s every bit as sympathetic and genuine a character, and perhaps even stronger and steelier than Todd. Viola, plainly, rocks.

And then there are the OTHER characters – both old and new. The Mayor, now President, is an initial enigma, drawn painfully realistically by Mr. Ness as a layered character. I am loathe to spoil anyone, so I will simply say that no one is what they seem. These characters are genuine creatures, with feelings and their own endearments and shortcomings – from the alien Spackle (who play a much larger role in this novel), to the Davy Prentiss, to the mysterious Answer. (Although I will say, I’m not too keen on the appearance of a new character named Lee. That is all. )

Finally, the writing in The Ask and the Answer is fantastic and one of the things that sets this dystopian/science fiction series apart from the rabble. Todd’s narrative is as emotional and honest as ever, punctuated with his innocence (despite everything he has seen and been through), his sympathetic feelings, his intriguing perceptions & descriptions of Noise, and the occasional childlike spellings of certain words (i.e. “celebrayshun” for “celebration”). Contrasted with Viola’s more refined narrative, no less emotional or introspective, the overall effect is surprisingly stunning. Just like the plotting and the characters, I loved the writing.

This is one damn fine book, even better than its predecessor, and I cannot wait for the third and final book of the Chaos Walking series, Monsters of Men.

Oh yeah, and an FYI – as you might have guessed, The Ask and the Answer? It ends on another killer cliffhanger. Let the countdown for book 3 begin!

Notable Quotes/Parts: I was near tears at a pivotal, showdown scene near the end. I refuse to elaborate more – just know that there is some serious EMOTION comin’ atcha when you read this book. Guh.

Additional Thoughts: Author Patrick Ness has written a new story set in the Chaos Walking universe. Following Viola after her ship crashed, “The New World” is a short story you can read in full online. Huzzah!

‘There it is,’ my mother says, and what she means is that the dot we’ve been nearing for weeks, the one that’s been growing into a larger dot with two smaller dots circling it, has now become even larger than that, growing from a dot to a disc, shining back the light from its sun, until you can see the blue of its oceans, the green of its forests, the white of its polar caps, a circle of colour against the black beyond.

Our new home, the one we’ve been travelling towards since way before I was even born.

We’re the first ones to see it for real, not through telescopes, not through computer mapping, not even in my own drawings in the art classes I take on the Beta with Bradley Tench, but through just the couple centimetres of glass in the cockpit viewscreen.

We’re the first ones to see it with our own eyes.

You can read the whole thing online HERE.

Also, as I’ve mentioned above, the title of the third and final book in the Chaos Walking series has been announced by Patrick Ness: Monsters of Men. If you’ve read these books, you’ll be familiar with these strange but very significant and subtle titles. Mr. Ness reveals a little of the story behind the new title on his blog:

On page 430 of The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd has a flash of memory: “War makes monsters of men, I hear Ben saying.”

On page 102 of The Ask and the Answer, Viola remembers it, too: “War makes monsters of men, I say, quoting Ben…”

And in the final volume, they’ve come to it at last. They’re going to find out for themselves how true that is, whether they want to or not.

Intrigued? I know I am. Monsters of Men comes out in May 2010 in the UK, but not until September 2010 in the US.

Also, fellow blogger and fan of the Chaos Walking series Rhiannon Hart has just recently had a great interview with Patrick Ness – make sure to check it out for little tidbits about the upcoming book!

Verdict: I loved The Ask and the Answer from beginning to end, and am on pins and needles waiting for Monsters of Men. Absolutely recommended. This series is amazing.

Rating: 9 – Effing Near Perfection

Reading Next: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro