Review: The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Released: 10/8

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.  And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.  But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever."

Review:  Mind--blown! 

Let's just start there.  I'm not generally a sci-fi reader, but was a bit intrigued by the premise of cyberterrorism--what the heck is that, right?  I like the internet as much as the next technology driven, iphone/pad/mac-toting person, so a book that explores the possibility of people being tormented by "Killsims" and a virtual bully who can literally leave people dead at the end of what was supposed to be a casual cyber game, is a bit mind boggling, and a bit frightening.

In the story, we're introduced to Michael, who is this gamer with some pretty amazing skills to code and hack through firewalls and systems.  The thing is, as you read the story, he seems to really take you through his "gaming" in real time, like a person just walking through it in real time.  At the same time, he can hack away at the coding of these games in such a way that he can change the course of the game and what happens at any given moment--which is what makes Michael so valuable and important in the fight against the cyberterrorism.  

Michael and his friends Bryson and Sarah get roped in by the VNS to fight a supposed powerhouse in the world of cyberterrorism, named Kaine.  To do this, they had to set out on a major journey in the "VirtNet," which mainly took them through a series of journeys and virtual battles to "hack" through code to find their enemy.  The issue really becomes, who or what is Kaine, and what does he/she/it really want to begin with?

To say that I liked the book is true, but not really hitting home.  It's not a kick-back-and-enjoy sort of read, in that it's tense, contains an awful lot of violence,  and really makes you stick with it to figure it out.  There's that moment where you feel like you're comparing it to something you've either read or watched before, but then it does something totally unique that throws it in another direction.  The characters really never stop moving in the story, and they never allow us a chance to take too much time to understand how or why they do what they do.  Half of the time you feel like you literally have a moment to breathe before the character is moved on to the next sequence of events.  That only speeds up the action and adds to the crazy pacing of the novel, which is over much too soon!

On the whole, mind--blown.  I liked it a lot.  In fact, I walked it in to the Popular Literature class I teach and read the first nine pages to my students.  When I finished, they were angry with me for stopping!  Literally, those first nine pages were enough to suck them in.  I have to agree with them!  I definitely recommend this for teen readers, for sure, or anyone who likes strong sci fi/action novels.  It does have a good deal of violence in it, but no more than many dystopian novels that are out currently.  It is a really smart novel, and one that I will be eager to read future installments of down the road!

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on an Amazon Vine ARC of the novel.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future."

Review:  Based loosely on the Cinderella story, Cinder reminds me more of a young Anakin Skywalker for some reason, echoing a Star Wars-esqe landscape.  Set in the future, at a time when humans and machines live side by side, the idea of our main character being a mechanic doesn't seem so far fetched.  With her talents as a mechanic, she comes in contact with Prince Kai, and helps to repair machinery for the prince.  The two become friends, but he is a prince and Cinder a low-ranking mechanic.

As far as retellings go, I really worried about this one.  I didn't really want to have a step by step retelling, and Cinder really managed not to simply retell, but to re-envision.  I liked Cinder a lot and found her sweet, unassuming, and brave.  Her mechanical talents were interesting and added a certain, "I can do it on my own" sort of flavor to her personality.  Prince Kai recognizes this independence in her, which only seems to enhance her inner beauty.  Let me now forget to mention, however, that Prince Kai seems like a pretty swell guy himself.  He not only sounds handsome, but is generous and humble.  What's not to like in a person in power who seems to have missed it all going straight to his head.

The twists in this story are different enough to make it feel like a new tale.  I liked the interesting conflict that the illness that was running amok in the society created, along with the intergalactic characters who arrived to add to the tension in the story.  This really isn't what you're expecting and was pretty entertaining overall.  I really would recommend it to anyone, boy or girl, young or old.  Luckily, we can all go read the next installment, Scarlet, which is supposed to be a play on Little Red Riding Hood.  I have high hopes! 

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel.

Review: Ghostopolis by Doug Tennapel

It's been awhile since I read a fun graphic novel, and this past weekend during the read-a-thon was the perfect opportunity to check out Doug Tennapel's Ghostopolis.  I've seen this around on a few other blogs and really wanted to give it a try.

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's new found abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake."

Review:  Despite what looks to be a light-hearted ghost story, with historical figures and skeletal remains of animals, this graphic novel had a few twists that gave it heart.  The story centered on the little boy named Garth, who also faced a sad future not counting his accidental trip to the spirit world.  In the spirit world, Garth got a chance to meet up with his grandfather, a man his mother never wanted to talk about.  Together, the two try to figure a way to get young Garth back to his mother.  

To this mix we add in a quirky, crime-fighter sort of guy, Frank Gallows, who asks his former sweetheart to help him go to the spirit world to save Garth.  There's only one problem, they used to be engaged and might just have unresolved issues!  

This fast-paced, action-filled graphic novel is light and fun to read, but has several funny messages tucked away in its pages.  We get to see problems resolved and relationships mended.  There are some funny historical figures inserted into the story that feel out of place but add a funny twist to the main action in the story.  After all, it's all about getting a young boy back out of the spirit world, so wouldn't he get a chance to meet a few historical figures along the way?  Altogether, this was a fun, comical ride through the spirit world and back again.

Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Here's the downfall of reading about nine books all at the same time--it takes forever to actually finish any one book!  For whatever reason, I have been in the mood to rotate my reading.  It's all good though, since they are all pretty great choices.

The latest book I finished was The Host by Stephenie Meyer.  I've had this since it first came out but was dissuaded from finishing it when I got bored in the first hundred pages.  That was a very bad sign for me.  I pushed it aside for something else and ended up not getting back to it until now. 

Synopsis:  This sci-fi read takes a departure from the vampire Twilight series Meyer is so famously known for to consider a future world where humans have been invaded by an alien creature.  This creature, who is planted/entwined into the base of their skull, takes on the body of their hosts, and in the case of the main character, that host is still very present and screaming in the background.  The host, Melanie Stryder,  has no choice but to share very emotional memories of a brother and first love she left behind in the Arizona desert.  This alien soul called Wanderer (or Wanda) feels compelled to go in search of Melanie's past and falls headlong into the human world and face to face with Jared, Melanie's love.  The struggle between what the body Wanda has been placed in feels for Jared, and Melanie's own frustration at having someone share these memories, leads these characters down a strange road.  Eventually, Wanda learns what it is to be human, and the very real physical and emotional power of love on said hosts.

Review:  I will never claim myself to be good with science fiction.  Although this novel is said to be an easy sell to those of us who are hesitant with the genre, I will admit to still struggling a bit.  In some respects, it could be that the deep sense of morality that the alien "Wanderer" or "Wanda" had just seemed strange to me at first.  Yes she was an alien, but her thoughts and ideas seemed so human-like as to make it difficult to see her as such a leech.  On the flip side, we knew immediately that Melanie was a feisty soul, since she continued to fight for her presence in her own body.  I loved Melanie and wanted her to have her life back, so the complication of having a moral and kind alien taking up space in her body really complicated the entire situation.

The first hundred pages or so really are a bit slow.  I have to warn reluctant readers that for me, at least, it was difficult to get through all of the set up for the society and hosting by human bodies that goes on in this future time.  The relationships in the book are well established though, with characters that are complicated and easy to care about.  Meyer does a nice job of complicating our expected beliefs that Wanda is the bad guy in the story and should be eliminated.  Yes, she has taken over Melanie's body, but could it be that Wanda is as much a victim in this story as her human host?

The different ideas about the value of life and relationships were interesting, and although I struggle with my own suspension of belief, I thought it was a good story.  It's not always my cup of tea to read survivalist tales or about alien life forms.  Who knew I was such a hard sell?  While not the top of my list of favorite reads, it was an interesting new one.  Oh, and I can also say that after putting it down the first time, that I've read it!

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based off of a personal copy of the novel.

What books have you started, only to put them down and not return to them until later down the road?

Review: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

In the midst of the chaos that has been my life of late, I had the chance to finish listening to The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer on audiobook. While a strange concept and read, I did find myself thinking about the ideas presented in this multi award winning young adult novel.

Synopsis: Centering on the life of a clone by the name of Matt, who is the property of a man so powerful that he owns more "eejits" (workers with computer chips embedded in their brains) as illegal field workers, than anyone can ever imagine. El Patron. Not only is El Patron rich and powerful, but over 140 years old thanks to illicit sciences and technologies that include his own clones...such as Matt. Mistreated because he is a clone, Matt faces multiple challenges that create tension and adventure in the story, and that lead to his eventual escape from the estate, only to face even more challenges across the wide desert of Northern Mexico and SouthEastern U.S. Will Matt, a lowly clone, be granted a happy life, one where he is recognized as a real person?

Review: I really must start my own response to the novel by stating how fascinating I find the idea of human cloning. Not because I necessarily think cloning is a smart idea at this point, but because it really asks us to question how "human rights" might be applied to these genetically engineered humans. Should we rightfully be afraid of clones? Should humans get into the business of creating a clone? For what valid reason would one need to create a clone? Shouldn't any being, enervated with life, be granted decency...and who decides what that means? You see the questions and dilemnas that I faced while reading the novel.

Honestly, I appreciated the questions posed by Farmer's work. The story, however, felt as though it took various strange turns, such as after Matt leaves the estate. Other than to deepen the story and make it more complex, I wasn't 100% sure why we needed the additional knowledge of the outside world, or did I overlook something? The voice of the audiobook was a huge negative for me, as he instantly reminded me of the man from "Reading Rainbow." I'm not against that show for one second, but found the reader's over the top readings of the novel, combined with that voice, to be absolutely grating! This was one case where I felt that I might have gained much more from the novel by reading it myself, rather than by listening to it.

On the whole, The House of the Scorpion is not only a novel full of great discussion points, but also a straight forward, interesting story. I was left with a lot to consider about the use of science, and did question them. However, I also would have to be honest in my opinions that this audiobook was a bit too over the top and a little too difficult to follow at times. If you're interested in this topic, I would suggest picking up the actual book, rather than listening to it.

For more information, see: The House of the Scorpion.

Book Giveaway Results for Mistborn

Congratulations to:

jemscout425

Thanks to all those who left comments about the genre they struggle reading, and for taking the time to stop by for my "Memorial Day Giveaway." jemscout425, your email is on its way. (Number generated by random.org)

For more information about the book: The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1)

Memorial Day Giveaway!

Last weekend I attended the Provo Children's Book Festival. Because I had announced the festival to my students, I ran into a good number of them while there. One of my AP Literature students, who is an avid reader, pointed out to me that her FAVORITE author was there and would I take her picture with him. I did remember her talking about these books that were so special to her, and that I "had" to read them, but hadn't put two and two together that it was Brandon Sanderson. You see, I don't know what my problem is, but I really struggle with mystery and science fiction. That doesn't mean I simply don't read them or haven't ever enjoyed these genres, but admittedly lose interest because I think I lack some sort of imagination necessary to build the plotline in my head! Standing in line with my student, she told me all the reasons she loves his brand of science fiction writing, how he's different from all the others she's read, and how he captures a scene or storyline and carries it through. Her passion for his books really caught my attention, so I went downstairs and bought two copies and had him sign them. Brandon was very kind in mentioning how one of his own teachers first encouraged him to start writing, and asked me to email him my thoughts after I finish reading Mistborn: The Final Empire. I haven't yet started it, but it is definitely in my TBR pile now! Thanks to my student and Brandon, I'm going to give science fiction another hearty shot!

As part of my renewed excitement to try Sanderson's first novel, I have an extra, signed paperback copy to give away. If you would like the chance to win this much talked about novel (really, my student couldn't say enough), then please do the following:

1. Post a comment, telling me if you have struggled with a genre. Maybe it's one that you don't necessarily dislike, but simply don't read very often. Earn three points for posting your tastes in reading! (Please include your email address.)
2. Twitter the giveaway, or post about the giveaway on your blog (sidebars are fine). Let me know that you've added it to your blog. (My twitter account is: @mjmbecky)

***The giveaway will close on Sunday, May 31st...yes, it's quick, and I will post the winner on Monday, June 1st so I can get it off in the mail before I leave for the summer!

As a side note, if you want to follow me, I'll be tickled, but won't ask you to do that as part of the contest. :) Honestly, I want you to follow only if you want to. I love adding to my circle of friends who like to read, so please...follow and join in if you'd like!

For more information on the novel: The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1) or Brandon's website at: http://www.brandonsanderson.com/