So, not like I'm saying anything new here, but I'm finished here. I'm still reading numerous books but the problem lies in their quality. I rarely, if ever, decide to pick up a book that seems like it will be bad. I can appreciate books for numerous different reasons and it's rare that a book I've decided on reading will be worse than average. And there is no enjoyment in constantly churning out reviews on 4/5 or 5/5 books. All that is is finding new and varying ways to say "yes, this was a good book." Conversely, there's no enjoyment on my part in reading books I know will be bad or finishing books that have become stale. Yes, I get to write about how it was bad and maybe stop some others from reading it, but the process leading up to that contains no enjoyment.
So it isn't as though this is some ultimately surprising confession, this blog has been a year dead, I just couldn't figure out why. Now I have. Will this blog return to reviewing books in the future? Maybe. It could also return as something else. Until than, thanks for the views, and hopefully I'll reincarnate into something else in the future.
Finished for now.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
In The Darkest
Minds, the first installment of The
Darkest Minds Trilogy, we are introduced to a world afflicted by the IAAN
disease, short for Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration. Only affecting children in the early stages
of puberty, this disease results in the death of nearly every child in America. Those that manage to survivor find themselves
with one of five strange psychokinetic powers: hyper-intelligence (labeled a
Green), telekinesis (Blue), electrokinesis (Yellow), pyrokinesis (Red), and
mind control (Orange). Under the guise
of rehabilitation, all children who managed to survive IAAN, now labeled as
“psi,” are rounded up and placed into camps, where they are kept under strict
control and prevented from using their abilities. It’s on Ruby’s tenth birthday that she
inadvertently uses her new found abilities as an Orange and is soon taken to
one such camp. She manages to remain
undetected by masquerading as a Green for six years but is forced to flee with
the help of an anti-governmental group, The Children’s League. It isn’t long until she realizes they aren’t
what they seem and is on the run again, managing to escape with a small group
of renegade kids off in search of a safe haven for all those labeled as psi. But is the sanctuary everything it seems, or
is it merely a staging area for greater forces?
There’s no denying that this is an exciting YA trilogy. In today’s market dystopian fiction and
superpowers are an immensely popular combination that, if written well, are
sure to find a thrilled audience. Sadly,
The Darkest Minds doesn’t really hold
much under the surface. There’s a story
being told and the coming-of-age lessons that are trying to be told are clear,
but the manner in which both are delivered leaves a lot to be desired.
Before delving into some of its problems, I want to say I don’t think that this is an awful book. It’s well-written and, if you don’t think too much, the story is consistent within its own reality. Plus, some of the mutations/powers are fairly interesting. I can also see the appeal to a reader audience who want either a) some story to encompass a romance and are just interested in the struggle of those involved with said romance or b) a coming-of-age story that, though fictitious, has qualities relatable to the real world. In that regard, this story is better than a number of series on the market, thus far at least.
At the same time, this story does seem rather formulaic. There is a clear-cut bad person/organization. There is an opposing person/organization that seems good but, surprise, is actually just as bad. There is another person/organization that is less powerful but is, ultimately, good. Or is it? [Insert ominously foreboding soundtrack here] Then there is the main character who finds a small group of friends, all of whom just want to survive, free of the games of those who wish to use them as pawns or do them harm. Ultimately, through a progression of events, the main character(s) grow and realize they can’t just run from the fight but must throw themselves into the fray for the greater good.
In any good story there will be complex characters who undergo some development – at least to some small degree in a story that’s part of a series. That being the case no character should be perfect, much less start out perfect. That’s definitely not the case here, with a main character, Ruby, who is most definitely not perfect in a multitude of ways. While there is some character growth, at the end of this trilogy’s first installment, Ruby has only grown into a likeable character. This means that for the majority of the story, Ruby was altogether unbearable. Given the scenario (which I’ll get into in a moment) Ruby acting the way she does is believable. However, believable doesn’t mean good. It’s one thing to write a character who is believable and another thing entirely to write a believable character that people are actually interested in reading about, following, and cheering on.
The scenario for this world is difficult to swallow. Simply put, bad guys are bad because bad guys have to be bad. There isn’t a lot of legitimate reasoning behind why the villains are acting like villains other than the story needs an antagonistic force for the reader to be aware of. The reasoning behind the main conflict, locking up all the children because they are powerful (which goes into the whole ‘fearing what you don’t understand’), only makes sense if you don’t actually think about it. When all your country’s children are infected with something, locking them all up in prison camps without looking for a way to cure them seems like a good way to effectively set an expiration date on your country. Plus, too much of the story is a road trip. It’s interspersed by some moments of actions and exposition, but it’s too drawn out and makes it difficult to stay with the story without hoping for something else to happen already.
Now, maybe Ruby gets more complex and bearable in the following story. Maybe the villains become more complex. Maybe the reasoning becomes more apparent. I have strong doubts about that last point, but the first two are possible. However, there has to be a reason to want to read more and look for that explanation. A good assessment of something should encompass the whole of its part but, while I am curious, there’s no incentive that’s provided to actually keep the reader going. It’s out of sheer curiosity about why this series has the popularity it does that I’ll read the second novel, and nothing more.
As I said before, this story has merits when not examined too deeply, and I can see the appeal it might have to specific audiences (ones I personally don’t fall into). While I might not recommend this story as heartily as other YA series, this isn’t a book that I’d outright dissuade someone from reading. Fair warning though, don’t expect too much.
Rating: 2/5
Before delving into some of its problems, I want to say I don’t think that this is an awful book. It’s well-written and, if you don’t think too much, the story is consistent within its own reality. Plus, some of the mutations/powers are fairly interesting. I can also see the appeal to a reader audience who want either a) some story to encompass a romance and are just interested in the struggle of those involved with said romance or b) a coming-of-age story that, though fictitious, has qualities relatable to the real world. In that regard, this story is better than a number of series on the market, thus far at least.
At the same time, this story does seem rather formulaic. There is a clear-cut bad person/organization. There is an opposing person/organization that seems good but, surprise, is actually just as bad. There is another person/organization that is less powerful but is, ultimately, good. Or is it? [Insert ominously foreboding soundtrack here] Then there is the main character who finds a small group of friends, all of whom just want to survive, free of the games of those who wish to use them as pawns or do them harm. Ultimately, through a progression of events, the main character(s) grow and realize they can’t just run from the fight but must throw themselves into the fray for the greater good.
In any good story there will be complex characters who undergo some development – at least to some small degree in a story that’s part of a series. That being the case no character should be perfect, much less start out perfect. That’s definitely not the case here, with a main character, Ruby, who is most definitely not perfect in a multitude of ways. While there is some character growth, at the end of this trilogy’s first installment, Ruby has only grown into a likeable character. This means that for the majority of the story, Ruby was altogether unbearable. Given the scenario (which I’ll get into in a moment) Ruby acting the way she does is believable. However, believable doesn’t mean good. It’s one thing to write a character who is believable and another thing entirely to write a believable character that people are actually interested in reading about, following, and cheering on.
The scenario for this world is difficult to swallow. Simply put, bad guys are bad because bad guys have to be bad. There isn’t a lot of legitimate reasoning behind why the villains are acting like villains other than the story needs an antagonistic force for the reader to be aware of. The reasoning behind the main conflict, locking up all the children because they are powerful (which goes into the whole ‘fearing what you don’t understand’), only makes sense if you don’t actually think about it. When all your country’s children are infected with something, locking them all up in prison camps without looking for a way to cure them seems like a good way to effectively set an expiration date on your country. Plus, too much of the story is a road trip. It’s interspersed by some moments of actions and exposition, but it’s too drawn out and makes it difficult to stay with the story without hoping for something else to happen already.
Now, maybe Ruby gets more complex and bearable in the following story. Maybe the villains become more complex. Maybe the reasoning becomes more apparent. I have strong doubts about that last point, but the first two are possible. However, there has to be a reason to want to read more and look for that explanation. A good assessment of something should encompass the whole of its part but, while I am curious, there’s no incentive that’s provided to actually keep the reader going. It’s out of sheer curiosity about why this series has the popularity it does that I’ll read the second novel, and nothing more.
As I said before, this story has merits when not examined too deeply, and I can see the appeal it might have to specific audiences (ones I personally don’t fall into). While I might not recommend this story as heartily as other YA series, this isn’t a book that I’d outright dissuade someone from reading. Fair warning though, don’t expect too much.
Rating: 2/5
Thursday, January 7, 2016
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
Truly an enigmatic
figure, the main character and narrator of I Am Pilgrim remains nameless for a good part of the story and it isn’t until much
later that his true identity is revealed.
It’s espionage on a very deep level, hiding the identity of the main
character even from the reader. In a
tale that bounds back and forth across the globe and time itself, follow this
nameless man, this pilgrim, as he relives his past and draws from an incredibly
deep pool of skills in order to save the world.
Fair warning. The book opens up with a particularly clever murder and, if you’re looking forward to seeing how it unfolds and if it’s solved, you may need to wait awhile. Starting with the murder, the story backtracks far into the protagonist’s personal history, showing how he came to be where we first find him: trying to solve a murder his book on impossible to solve/never solved cases may have helped to develop. It’s almost funny how far the story diverges from the opening scene, not in a bad or tactless way but, in explaining the narrator’s history, you’re soon left trying to quickly recall how you got from a dead woman in a forensically spotless apartment to wherever you find yourself at that moment. Ultimately, it’s this divergence and variety in information and storytelling that gives the story something fun and adds to its overall thrill.
An impressive aspect of this novel is that, for a good portion of the story, we have no clue what the narrator and main protagonist’s name is. And it doesn’t matter. This same scenario wouldn’t work in most other situations, as a large portion of the book is about his time working as a man who doesn’t exist in an agency that doesn’t exist, so the added level of mystery adds to the espionage nature of the book. At points throughout you’ll realize you don’t know much about his true identity or name and that will only serve to add to the mystery of it. The reader is side-by-side with the characters as the protagonist’s past is slowly revealed. Given that his time as a spy plays a key role in the plot, it’s enthralling to go along with the rest of the world in not knowing who he is, until all of his fake identities are seen through and connected and his real identity is revealed.
I have an appreciation for my appreciation of this book. Typically at the end of each chapter—sometimes multiple times within each—I was made to pause and think about the wider implications of what was being said, about my own life and views and how that might agree or disagree with others’. There are some moments of the book that are outright chilling, moments when I was struck with a sort of tunnel vision and what the book had just said was all that existed in my world. Whether this was the intended goal, whether I empathized with something in the espoused ideology, or whether I’m just really easy to impress, I can’t say. However, by the end of the book I couldn’t even think to pause and shot through the final couple hundred pages. On top of being well written, any book that can so adamantly make me think is one I can respect.
There’s always something exciting about espionage in fiction, as it has the luxury to focus on all the exciting moments and put aside the mundane. Whether it’s how agents travel around the world, how thin the line between life and death appears, how often the world seems to be in peril, or the fact that it’s a thankless job that offers little to no reward, there’s something to be found that can captivate just about any reader. Thanks to the saturation of secret government agency films in today’s media, I’d be surprised to find someone who hasn’t, if only for a moment, wondered about entering into such an organization. Something where you put yourself away in a cupboard for a later day, only thinking to protect something bigger than yourself. The main character’s involvement in this hidden world is almost surreal. A secret agency within a network of secret agencies. As for the pilgrim himself, I can’t for the life of me place what it is about his history that makes it so captivating. Could it be all the places he’s traveled or the reasons he traveled there? The hardships of his life before and after entering the agency? How obscure and marred in secrecy everything is? No matter how I look I just can’t find a clear reason.
The story knows how to keep you with it. Every story is bound to have a few moments of down time, which is often unavoidable in getting from one event to another organically. However, in the case of I Am Pilgrim, there is hardly a moment of pause, jumping from one exciting event to another without providing any time to breathe while, at the same time, allowing for a decline in action without losing any excitement in order for the reader to prepare themselves for the next drop.
Clearly, there is a lot of enjoyment to be found in I Am Pilgrim.
However, while it starts out as acceptable, thanks to a good bit of suspension of disbelief, at a certain point all of the coincidences become too much. Yes, our narrator and lead character is one of, if not THE, best covert operatives to have ever lived, with a wealth of knowledge, connections, and money. Even then, only so many coincidences can begin to pile up in a story—not all of which even center on him—before you have to say enough is enough. It might be the danger of having a story that’s so lengthy and tightly packed, but that’s a risk that should be understood when such a project is undergone. The worst part is all the coincidences aren’t even necessary to the story, only being useful to tie every last detail to one single storyline. Yes, most of them had a reason, something to make you feel something more or to connect parts of the story but, again, too much. The only thing I could think at the end was rather than coinciding plots why not concurring plots?
As a final note, I will admit that I was a bit disappointed by the manner in which the story was told. As exciting as it was, the fact that the narrator was recalling all of these events, rather than actively living them, did give away the ending to a degree.
All in all, for a man with Hayes’ experience and background, this is an incredible first novel, as is expected. I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Hayes’ filmography, anyone with even so much as a passing interest in espionage, and anyone who enjoys a thrill ride that carries you from page one straight through to the end.
Rating: 4/5
Fair warning. The book opens up with a particularly clever murder and, if you’re looking forward to seeing how it unfolds and if it’s solved, you may need to wait awhile. Starting with the murder, the story backtracks far into the protagonist’s personal history, showing how he came to be where we first find him: trying to solve a murder his book on impossible to solve/never solved cases may have helped to develop. It’s almost funny how far the story diverges from the opening scene, not in a bad or tactless way but, in explaining the narrator’s history, you’re soon left trying to quickly recall how you got from a dead woman in a forensically spotless apartment to wherever you find yourself at that moment. Ultimately, it’s this divergence and variety in information and storytelling that gives the story something fun and adds to its overall thrill.
An impressive aspect of this novel is that, for a good portion of the story, we have no clue what the narrator and main protagonist’s name is. And it doesn’t matter. This same scenario wouldn’t work in most other situations, as a large portion of the book is about his time working as a man who doesn’t exist in an agency that doesn’t exist, so the added level of mystery adds to the espionage nature of the book. At points throughout you’ll realize you don’t know much about his true identity or name and that will only serve to add to the mystery of it. The reader is side-by-side with the characters as the protagonist’s past is slowly revealed. Given that his time as a spy plays a key role in the plot, it’s enthralling to go along with the rest of the world in not knowing who he is, until all of his fake identities are seen through and connected and his real identity is revealed.
I have an appreciation for my appreciation of this book. Typically at the end of each chapter—sometimes multiple times within each—I was made to pause and think about the wider implications of what was being said, about my own life and views and how that might agree or disagree with others’. There are some moments of the book that are outright chilling, moments when I was struck with a sort of tunnel vision and what the book had just said was all that existed in my world. Whether this was the intended goal, whether I empathized with something in the espoused ideology, or whether I’m just really easy to impress, I can’t say. However, by the end of the book I couldn’t even think to pause and shot through the final couple hundred pages. On top of being well written, any book that can so adamantly make me think is one I can respect.
There’s always something exciting about espionage in fiction, as it has the luxury to focus on all the exciting moments and put aside the mundane. Whether it’s how agents travel around the world, how thin the line between life and death appears, how often the world seems to be in peril, or the fact that it’s a thankless job that offers little to no reward, there’s something to be found that can captivate just about any reader. Thanks to the saturation of secret government agency films in today’s media, I’d be surprised to find someone who hasn’t, if only for a moment, wondered about entering into such an organization. Something where you put yourself away in a cupboard for a later day, only thinking to protect something bigger than yourself. The main character’s involvement in this hidden world is almost surreal. A secret agency within a network of secret agencies. As for the pilgrim himself, I can’t for the life of me place what it is about his history that makes it so captivating. Could it be all the places he’s traveled or the reasons he traveled there? The hardships of his life before and after entering the agency? How obscure and marred in secrecy everything is? No matter how I look I just can’t find a clear reason.
The story knows how to keep you with it. Every story is bound to have a few moments of down time, which is often unavoidable in getting from one event to another organically. However, in the case of I Am Pilgrim, there is hardly a moment of pause, jumping from one exciting event to another without providing any time to breathe while, at the same time, allowing for a decline in action without losing any excitement in order for the reader to prepare themselves for the next drop.
Clearly, there is a lot of enjoyment to be found in I Am Pilgrim.
However, while it starts out as acceptable, thanks to a good bit of suspension of disbelief, at a certain point all of the coincidences become too much. Yes, our narrator and lead character is one of, if not THE, best covert operatives to have ever lived, with a wealth of knowledge, connections, and money. Even then, only so many coincidences can begin to pile up in a story—not all of which even center on him—before you have to say enough is enough. It might be the danger of having a story that’s so lengthy and tightly packed, but that’s a risk that should be understood when such a project is undergone. The worst part is all the coincidences aren’t even necessary to the story, only being useful to tie every last detail to one single storyline. Yes, most of them had a reason, something to make you feel something more or to connect parts of the story but, again, too much. The only thing I could think at the end was rather than coinciding plots why not concurring plots?
As a final note, I will admit that I was a bit disappointed by the manner in which the story was told. As exciting as it was, the fact that the narrator was recalling all of these events, rather than actively living them, did give away the ending to a degree.
All in all, for a man with Hayes’ experience and background, this is an incredible first novel, as is expected. I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Hayes’ filmography, anyone with even so much as a passing interest in espionage, and anyone who enjoys a thrill ride that carries you from page one straight through to the end.
Rating: 4/5
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