Mystery
Book Review: Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Cover Description: “Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever.
In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead.
But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.
But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose.
But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies.
And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.”
Book Review: Adrift by Rob Boffard
By Jacob P. Torres
Find my spoiler-free review of Adrift by Rob Boffard.
Cover Description: “Overview
Adrift by Rob Boffard
“An edge-of-the-seat epic of survival and adventure in deep space.” – Gareth L. Powell, BSFA Award-Winning author
Sigma Station. The ultimate luxury hotel, in the far reaches of space.
For one small group, a tour of the Horsehead Nebula is meant to be a short but stunning highlight in the trip of a lifetime.
But when a mysterious ship destroys Sigma Station and everyone on it, suddenly their tourist shuttle is stranded.
They have no weapons. No food. No water. No one back home knows they’re alive.
And the mysterious ship is hunting them.”
The Best Books for World Book Day!
23 April is World Book Day, so Bree and I thought we would take a moment to share some of our favorite books from different genres than we normally share! Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Atlanta Burns by Chuck Wendig
Atlanta Burns, Chuck Wendig’s newest bind-up, follows a young heroine of the same name. Atlanta is surly, oddly compelled to do good, and very much haunted. Mostly she’s just getting through high school and trying not to give into sleep, where her past comes alive. When she’s awake and out of the house, she finds herself battling neo-Nazis, bullies, and corrupt police officials. Atlanta is Veronica Mars without the resources, friends, or safety of home.
Atlanta is finally adjusting to life after her shooting her mother’s ex-boyfriend. She’s making new friends and regaining a sense of belonging, tentative though it may be. Her new friends, Chris and Shane, geeks to say the least, have attached themselves to her, despite her reluctance. Then Chris dies, supposedly of suicide. But Atlanta isn’t so sure. She was never too far from a vigilante and, now, her self-control is going to be tested.
Atlanta herself is a decently complex character. She’s suffering from trauma, probably some PTSD and depression. She’s isolated. She will express frustration with others, and simultaneously long to be around people. She’s impulsive and has a serious sense of right and wrong.
However, I found myself to be frustrated with her. I wanted to see her have a moment or two where she looks at her behavior, sees her problems, and wants to be different, even if she doesn’t have the will or ability to change. I wanted her to have a self-reflective moment.
I also was a bit skeptical of her situation. After her assault, her mother’s behavior, and the nature of her self-defense, I was very surprised that Atlanta (1) didn’t have a state-presence in her life like a social worker, and (2) that there wasn’t any mandatory counseling. It just seemed a bit too unrealistic that there would be nothing, not even an incompetent of ineffective attempt at assistance for her.
She also shoots a lot of guns at people without really seeming to ever get into any trouble, and there are a lot of violent sociopaths living in her town, going to her school.
The side characters were interesting enough. There wasn’t a ton of development with them, but, by and large, they weren’t consistently present in the story. They’re all a bit gullible or unreasonably afraid of Atlanta. Her run-in with the police was violent, yes. People are scared she’ll do it again, but there were some pretty extenuating circumstances that led to her shooting a man. It seemed a bit unrealistic that everyone thinks she’ll do the same to them, also a bit too convenient. She needs leverage to keep the story moving, but I don’t know that the threat of her shooting people was really the way to go about giving it to her.
The story itself often feels episodic from one chapter to the next. Though there is an overarching plot and recurring characters, it doesn’t always seem to be very focused. It can be fun and fast-paced, but there are definitely times where it seems like the “main” plot has been abandoned or like there isn’t a lot of cohesion.
Rating: ***
I received a copy of Atlanta Burns for free in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
Review: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
Title: Reconstructing Amelia
Author: Kimberly McCreight
Publication Date: June 20, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Overview: When Kate’s daughter is found dead after falling off of her school’s roof, everyone assumes the worst: suicide. That is, until Kate receives an anonymous text message telling her that Amelia did not jump. Kate is then launched into an investigation to find out what really happened. In doing so, she finds out dark secrets about her daughter’s world–secret clubs, tell-all blogs, and cruel text messages– that Kate is sure led to Amelia’s death.
For Fans Of: Gossip Girl, The Cyberbully
World-Building: Reconstructing Amelia is set in the present day with all its amenities. The part of the world that really takes some convincing is in Amelia’s social life and in the investigation of Amelia’s death.
I understand that Amelia is supposed to be going to a very rich private school. And while I can potentially see secret clubs existing, it’s hard for me to buy into some tell-all gossip rag about the students. I know students can be mean and malicious, and maybe it’s just my own high school experience, but I don’t really buy the idea that someone would go out of their way to chronicle all the gossip that is going on in a small school. That stuff travels fast enough on its own. Let alone that blog becoming popular.
This being said, the gRaCeFULLY blog isn’t really important to the plot at all. All of the blog entries could be taken out and the plot would still move fine, if not more smoothly.
The other part of the story I found difficult to believe was that, in this world, Kate is very active in her daughter’s investigation. This was a wholly unbelievable thing to me. That Kate was permitted to follow leads, view evidence, and come with the detective on her daughter’s case to participate in questioning was ridiculous. This would, in any case or investigation, be a totally biasing, unquestionably forbidden thing. It took me out of the story.
Character Development: Reconstructing Amelia is much less about the characters than the mystery. That being said, there are characters who aren’t built in a way that even hints at their actions in the past. I found that disappointing.
Plot: The plot was fine. It wasn’t a terribly insurmountable mystery what had happened.
Rating: 3
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Reconstructing-Amelia-Novel-Kimberly-McCreight/dp/006222543X
Book Depository Link: http://www.bookdepository.com/Reconstructing-Amelia-Kimberly-Mccreight/9780062225436
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