Plague Land: Reborn by Alex Scarrow
Courtesy of netgalley.com
Publication date: September 4, 2018
Like Remade #1 (Plague Land), Plague Land: Reborn (#2) has some of the most descriptive writing in YA novels. And it's not description as filler; the descriptions become part of the characters, make them horrific and visceral, help them achieve creepy-crawliness. For those who didn't read #1 yet, it probably could read as a stand-alone and still be understood. HOWEVER, (spoiler alert) it has an unfinished, i.e., cliff-hanger ending.
#2 is more horror-bound than #1 was, and it crosses the line from sci-fi into horror. Scarrow does a good job of hiding who the bad guys and the good guys are, until he doesn't. It's a little easier in #2 than in #1 to figure out who - or what - has morphed into something ominous (spoiler alert) especially when a child or children are found without any adults two years after the first outbreak; Scarrow asked the readers to suspend disbelief that the uninfected characters would accept such a find, regardless of how compassionate they've been.
If you don't take the premise too seriously, you'll enjoy part #2. Go with the flow, be naive, suspend disbelief, and you'll be rewarded with a fun-filled horror ride. Think too hard, and you'll miss the joy of Scarrow's creepy tale.
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Book Review: Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton
Publication date December 4, 2018
Read courtesy of NetGalley.com
FAN-TAS-TIC!!!!
There was a tadd* of a thread throughout this book of consecutive stories. Amazingly well done and thoroughly enjoyable. I will definitely be getting this for my library!
Each story could be a stand alone, but they are also smoothly interwoven... and thought provoking. The first vaccine, first heart transplant, and first clone (remember Dolly the Sheep?) perpetuated the human ability to dream of a stronger, faster and more beautiful human. Dayton has helped us imagine some of the future possibilities, and some we'd like, while others we'd find quite disturbing. And that's the point.... to consider what our tinkering could mean to our future. Butterfly effect, ripple effect, call it what you want, but Dayton masterfully creates realistic what-ifs (realistic what-ifs: is that an oxymoron?)
I enjoyed every story in here. None of it felt redundant, repetitive, or reused. The uniqueness of each possible inevitably (another oxymoron) kept me turning those pages. Bravo, Ms. Dayton. I accept the challenge to work through these oxymorons in the hopes that it keeps humans from simply becoming morons.
*intentional spelling 👍👌
Publication date December 4, 2018
Read courtesy of NetGalley.com
FAN-TAS-TIC!!!!
There was a tadd* of a thread throughout this book of consecutive stories. Amazingly well done and thoroughly enjoyable. I will definitely be getting this for my library!
Each story could be a stand alone, but they are also smoothly interwoven... and thought provoking. The first vaccine, first heart transplant, and first clone (remember Dolly the Sheep?) perpetuated the human ability to dream of a stronger, faster and more beautiful human. Dayton has helped us imagine some of the future possibilities, and some we'd like, while others we'd find quite disturbing. And that's the point.... to consider what our tinkering could mean to our future. Butterfly effect, ripple effect, call it what you want, but Dayton masterfully creates realistic what-ifs (realistic what-ifs: is that an oxymoron?)
I enjoyed every story in here. None of it felt redundant, repetitive, or reused. The uniqueness of each possible inevitably (another oxymoron) kept me turning those pages. Bravo, Ms. Dayton. I accept the challenge to work through these oxymorons in the hopes that it keeps humans from simply becoming morons.
*intentional spelling 👍👌
Sunday, June 03, 2018
Book review: Nightingale
Nightingale by Amy Lucaviks
Publishing date: September 25, 2018
Courtesy of netgalley.com
I couldn't figure out whether this was a Sci Fi or Fantasy novel. Turns out it was a horror novel. This confusion followed me throughout the whole story. I even made a note to myself, "Is this One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" or"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"? Apparently, it was neither, or both, or ...? In spite of all the eye gouging, face destroying, and bone crunching, I found the most disgusting (disturbing?) part of the book when "Both girls ignored Robert as he stood to pour the dirty water from his bucket in the sink, then immediately began to wash the dishes that were piled in the sink." EWWWW!
The main character's parallel story to the one she's writing is summed up in the author's own text, "...just letting it flow out of her like vomit on a page." It might have been Lukavics' intention to write like the 1950's B movies; if so, she succeeded. Aliens, zombies, and monsters...Oh My! They're all in here. I'd recommend this to teens who like to read about alien abductions.
Friday, June 01, 2018
Infographics: The Professional Role of School Librarians
Thanks to Dr. Kira Berggren, I've added yet another infographic - more of a poster this time - to my repertoire of advocacy resources.
Book review: Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens
Unbroken
by Marieke Nijkamp
Pub Date: 18 Sep 2018
Thanks to netgalley.com for access to this book
This is a hot topic for our YA readers - diversity... finding oneself in society. "Unbroken" will surely fill this need. In addition to disabilities, subjects of race, sexuality, and nationality all play a part in these stories. I only gave it 3 instead of 5 stars, however, because there were some stories I found myself plodding through instead of absorbing. Suffice it to say that there is some really great storytelling in here, and some that are 'meh.' I do think the book should be given a chance because the disabilities are diverse - although sometimes difficult to decipher. I suppose that's purposeful in some ways, since we don't always blatantly know what's going on in others' lives.
The first two stories grabbed me right away, and I found myself looking forward to the whole book: "The Long Road" (good characters and believable ending) and "Britt and the Bike God" (multi-leveled story with a non-human character element -- I can't explain further without a spoiler). I also really enjoyed "The Day the Dragon Came," "Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing about Love," and "Ballad of Weary Daughters." However, the fantasy-based stories didn't work for me; they're just not my genre of interest: "The Leap and the Fall," "Found Objects," and "Mother Nature's Youngest Daughter." Yet in spite of elements of fantasy - I'll call it wishful thinking instead - making it into my top 3 is "One, Two, Three" because of the deep thoughtfulness into which the author brought the characters. "Per Aspera Ad Astra" realistically portrayed school anxiety. I enjoyed the main character in "Captain, My Captain," but the story was one of my mehs, and I'm on the fence about "Plus One."
With 13 stories, one's bound to be a miss instead of a hit; I found this to be true for "A Play in Many Parts." For me, it was a DNR (a 'did not read'). I couldn't wrap my head around the format enough to understand the story, plot, or message. This is one story that maybe someone can help me to understand.
by Marieke Nijkamp
Pub Date: 18 Sep 2018
Thanks to netgalley.com for access to this book
This is a hot topic for our YA readers - diversity... finding oneself in society. "Unbroken" will surely fill this need. In addition to disabilities, subjects of race, sexuality, and nationality all play a part in these stories. I only gave it 3 instead of 5 stars, however, because there were some stories I found myself plodding through instead of absorbing. Suffice it to say that there is some really great storytelling in here, and some that are 'meh.' I do think the book should be given a chance because the disabilities are diverse - although sometimes difficult to decipher. I suppose that's purposeful in some ways, since we don't always blatantly know what's going on in others' lives.
The first two stories grabbed me right away, and I found myself looking forward to the whole book: "The Long Road" (good characters and believable ending) and "Britt and the Bike God" (multi-leveled story with a non-human character element -- I can't explain further without a spoiler). I also really enjoyed "The Day the Dragon Came," "Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing about Love," and "Ballad of Weary Daughters." However, the fantasy-based stories didn't work for me; they're just not my genre of interest: "The Leap and the Fall," "Found Objects," and "Mother Nature's Youngest Daughter." Yet in spite of elements of fantasy - I'll call it wishful thinking instead - making it into my top 3 is "One, Two, Three" because of the deep thoughtfulness into which the author brought the characters. "Per Aspera Ad Astra" realistically portrayed school anxiety. I enjoyed the main character in "Captain, My Captain," but the story was one of my mehs, and I'm on the fence about "Plus One."
With 13 stories, one's bound to be a miss instead of a hit; I found this to be true for "A Play in Many Parts." For me, it was a DNR (a 'did not read'). I couldn't wrap my head around the format enough to understand the story, plot, or message. This is one story that maybe someone can help me to understand.
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