Review: Oblivion - Anthony Horowitz

Whoa, I just realized the titles of all
the books are places. 

Oblivion

Anthony Horowitz

Series: The Power of Five (UK) #5 // The Gatekeepers (US) #5

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Word Rating: How do you do that?
On Goodreads

I have four problems with this novel. One, I keep having to bookmark pages, two, the end is rushed, three, there is some unnecessary repetition, and four, it ends.

Since the novel is told in around a million points of view over eleven main parts, I will forgive the repetition (the bits about Matt making the mistake at the end of Necropolis and taking an extra second or so to name a place for all of the Five to end up comes up again and again and just about every character reflects on it, but it makes sense for them to. Thankfully Lohan silences the topic because Lohan is awesome.) The rushed end I can't forgive, though. The novel is beautifully woven and I was hung on the ends of each page . . . and then the last bits were thrown in my face before I could fully feel them. Not that it's such a horrible thing, I can understand why: the culmination of five books in one defining moment while half the characters are resolving their developments . . . it makes sense. So I won't take much from my rating, because I understand why there are bits that are bothersome, it's that big of a work.

Now onto the other problems. There is so much that is so good I can't actually physically handle it. Oblivion is a masterpiece of fiction. There is a whole new world we are introduced to in the last book of the series and yet Horowitz plays off its attributes as if they were nothing. "I just put my characters into a post-apocalyptic world? Let's torture them!" he says to himself, stroking his cunning wit, sprawled on his throne of plot twists. Each of the sections play out as short stories, and it takes only a short while to see how they're so intertwined. Literally the plot unfolds in such a way that you can't help but stand up and say:

Continuously. At just about every point where Horowitz takes on his I'm about to blow your mind tone. Which is his second language. Specifically the manner in which he describes scenery and other facets of a setting and how amazingly varied the settings are. You would think a war torn, deprived world would be deficient in complex, interesting, or enrapturing settings (past the frightening ones).

Dubai took them by surprise. . . . All the grass had died but the earth that remained was neat and symmetrical. The city didn't seem to have grown. It could have been laid out deliberately piece by piece.

And it was completely deserted.

. . . There wasn't a flicker of movement anywhere. And the very motion of the car as they rolled forward seemed alien and unwanted. (223-224)

In addition, the viewpoints of the characters are amazing. With so many of them, overlaps and repeats can be a problem. But not here. They're all so interesting. From our first narrator, Holly:

It was the week before my sixteenth birthday when the boy fell out of the door and everything changed. Is that a good start? (Horowitz, 1)

To Horowitz's version of a young professor Umbridge:

Jonas Mortlake was not married and had no children of his own. The idea of being close to another human being slightly repulsed him and he particularly disliked women. (64ish. Stupid ebooks.)

Well, and then there's Scott:

The diction and tonal change is literally spot on. Especially for Pedro. Basically if anyone were to portray Pedro with even half a degree of accuracy, they'd deserve a BAFTA on the spot. I stand by this. The scene around these words made me reel horribly. It was almost painful to think about it.

The filth rose over his face, over his head. He could feel it pressing against his eyes. It was utterly and completely revolting. It was worse than death. (157)

And the end, which I bloody knew was coming, felt kind of like this:

A slightly inaccurate portrait
of my heart after the last
couple of chapters.

There is a beautiful short resolution that follows. I have very little to say of it. The messages the book leaves its reader with are many and extensive, spanning many human extreme. There's a lot to say about this novel but it really is an experience that you have to take yourself.

- Marlon

What would you sacrifice for the world, just one tiny chance for the world?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: Frozen - Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston.

Frozen

Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston

Series: Heart of Dread, #1

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Paranormal, Romance

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Word Rating: Cool (Get it? Because they live in world of ice? No? Ok.)
On Goodreads

Hello, everyone! I've been really absent lately due to the high volume of work I've been getting at school. Unfortunately, for the time being, I have to switch from reviewing every week to attempting every two weeks. Between all my school reading, finding time to read leisurely is really difficult – more difficult than I would have expected. For the past two weeks, in between all my homework, I've been reading Frozen, and I'm happy to have finally been able to finish it.

After reading a less than positive review about Frozen, I was a bit skeptical to jump into it. I got an uncorrected proof of Frozen at an author signing at BookExpo America this year because the cover and the plot looked really interesting. Luckily, this book did not let me down.

Frozen starts out telling us about Nat and a voice inside her head telling her what to do. From there, she goes on a journey to escape from the frozen land in which she lives and find a hidden paradise called “the Blue” with help from a “runner” named Wes and his crew. Along the way, Nat and Wes’s relationship grows and Nat figures out more and more about who she is.

Although Nat and Wes weren’t my favorite characters of all time, I still enjoyed them and their stories. Nat’s struggle to remember who she was and what she should do about the voice in her head was really interesting because the voice almost had a personality of its own. Nat also intrigued me because she had a range of how she behaved. There are some books with wimpy heroines and some with strong heroines. I’d say Nat falls somewhere in between – she tries to be brave, but sometimes she gets scared and needs Wes to come help her out. Nat is also interesting because she struggles how she sees herself. She so wants to be good, but she’s convinced she’s a monster. Watching her grow and begin to accept herself throughout the story was really great.

Similar to Nat, Wes had a good balance of personality. Wes and his crew decide to escort Nat into forbidden territory for money. Jobs and food are scarce in their world of ice, so in order to get “heat credits”, a currency in their world, he takes on the job, even though it’s dangerous. At first, Wes seems really tough and brave – he’s a former soldier who often partakes in spectacles of danger and forbidden adventures. However, we slowly see the other sides to him. We find out some of Wes’s background regarding his family and a sister he is searching for. The way he cares for Nat as well as the rest of his crew also provides a contrast to his initially smug and tough personality.

The one main complaint I have about this book is that there was too much going on and it wasn’t explained thoroughly enough. I really enjoyed hearing about the world and the different aspects, but there seemed to be so many different things being thrown to the reader throughout the book that all those things seemed like random, unrelated tidbits. The world was just so elaborate, which is awesome, but it wasn’t detailed enough to be as good as it could have been.

Other than that small complaint, the story was great and the writing was good as well. I see a lot of potential in this series and I’m interested to see the direction in which the next installment takes. Overall, I’d definitely recommend Frozen to lovers of dystopian and fantasy. The story has great pacing and keeps the reader interested as Nat, Wes, and the crew journey towards the Blue.

- Kiersten

Would you be willing to risk your life in search of a rumored paradise?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: Paper Towns - John Green

Paper Towns

John Green

Series: N/A

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Word Rating: Glorious
On Goodreads

After seeing that Marlon reviewed An Abundance of Katherines, I figured I absolutely had to review my favorite John Green book of all time: Paper Towns. There are so many great things about this book, so let's not waste any more time before delving into why you should be reading this book right now.

One of the main reasons I love this book oh so much is the characters. Not because the characters are perfect and smart and good at everything, but because they're not. John Green did a very good job of creating flawed characters, and not only were they more relatable to than many "my-life-is-perfect-except-for-this-one-dilemma-I-have-that-will-be-resolved-by-the-end-of-this-book" characters that are common in YA literature. For example, there is Margo Roth Spiegelman. Oh, Margo, I have so much to say about you. Margo Roth Spiegelman is an enigma. Our protagonist, Quentin, does not quite understand her, with her strange quirks like being "a big believer in random capitalization [because] the rules of capitalization are so unfair to words in the middle" or summoning him in the middle of the night to go on some crazy adventure. Margo is very disenchanted with the world, and specifically the area, she lives in. She craves something more, something that will make her feel whole on the inside. And even though during the course of this novel, she tries to achieve her "something more," I think Margo will always be running. She thinks leaving her "paper town" will change things, but as a person, she'll never be able to stay grounded where she is. She needs the "getting away" part more than she needs a place to go. And I love that about her, as a character, because a lot of people feel trapped where they are in life and Margo exemplifies those feelings very well. Quentin is enamored with Margo and one of his biggest flaws is seeing her as something she isn't. He tries to romanticize her and never realizes how misguided his intentions are. These two characters are very different and I think the best incident illustrating this happens when they are both very little (about 9 years old) and happen upon a man who has killed himself in the park they went to go play at one day.

"I took two small steps backwards. I remember thinking that if I made any sudden movements, he might wake up and attack me. Maybe he was a zombie. I knew zombies weren't real, but he sure looked like a potential zombie.
As I took those two steps back, Margo took two equally small and quiet steps forward. 'His eyes are open,' she said.
'Wegottagohome,' I said.
'I thought you closed your eyes when you died,' she said.
'Margowegottagohomeandtell.'
She took another step. She was close enough now to reach out and touch his foot."

I think this scene shows just how different the two are. Quentin wants to leave and forget it happened. Margo is intrigued and wants to know why it happened and who he was and all these details about this man she doesn't know.
Other than these two lovely human beings, I also really loved reading about Quentin's friends, Ben and Radar. They both added so much to this novel. They served to often bring Quentin down to earth, they were very supportive friends but harsh when they needed to be, and they were two hilarious individuals. I loved them so much. One of my favorite parts was when Radar said "The last time I was this scared, I actually had to face a Dark Lord in order to make the world safe for wizards." This made them seem more realistic as characters, because my friends and I make references to things like books and movies all the time, so it really helped set the dynamic between the friends.

Now that I'm done with my tangent about the characters, I just want to mention John Green's writing style, which I love with all my heart. I think the way he phrases things is so eloquent and flows so well that I often have to stop reading just to take in the words themselves. However, he does this in such a way that it doesn't sound odd coming from the mouth (mind?) of a teenage boy, because he mixes in Quentin's voice so well it just seems natural. He has some wonderful gems in his writing, like my personal favorites:

"Maybe all the strings inside of him broke."

and

"The town was paper, but the memories were not."

Ugh, I just love those lines so much, and everything they represent. They might have more effect on someone who has read the book than someone who hasn't, but you're all smart readers, and it's very easy to understand what is meant just by reading the quotes themselves.

Besides the pretty words and fluid writing, John Green also has some hilarious character quotes. The one that comes to mind first is "IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT MY PARENTS OWN THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION OF BLACK SANTAS," spoken by the one and only Radar. If you want context for than one, you're gonna have to read it yourself.

So basically, this book is wonderful, and you should read it, and it will definitely be worth your time, and it's a pretty short read, and you will not be disappointed.

- Noor

Have you ever wanted to run away from where you live?

Let us know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday: Dangerous Dream - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm waiting on Dangerous Dream by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Dangerous Dream
Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Series:  Dangerous Creatures, #0.5
Release Date: December, 17th 2013
Publisher:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Waited on by: Kiersten
On Goodreads

The #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures series continues in this brand-new digital-exclusive story.

Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.

Where's a Linkubus when you need him?


As a fan of the Beautiful Creatures series, I almost died when I found out about this spin off series. I actually ran around the hall of my dorm screaming and fangirling about a new series centered around two of my favorite characters: Link and Ridley. Hearing about this new series is probably one of the greatest things that's happened lately. I really cannot wait to see what Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have in store for us with Link and Ridley's stories!

- Kiersten

What are YOU waiting on?

Let us know in the comments!

Review: The Fall of Five - Pittacus Lore

The Fall of Five

Pittacus Lore

Series: Lorien Legacies, #4

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

Word Rating: Connective
On Goodreads

WOO!
Can you hear the excited fangirl squeaks coming from the depths of my inner self?
I've been waiting to read this for a while, and though school got in the way, I've finally got my hands on a copy. Let's do this.

Almost spot on perfect. So close. It seems like the new ghostwriter has settled in and that gives me hope. (Slight background, the original ideas stemmed from James Frey, who is of questionable morals, but like Ender's Game, judge the work). Though The Rise of Nine was stunningly written and constructed, at times it felt as if the new author was trying just a bit too hard to emulate the thought's and personalities of already-established characters. This quality was considerably diminished in The Fall of Five. I only caught a few times where I felt as if there was a disconnect:

Tell me everything, Sam. I feel like I've missed so much. (Lore, 19)

Spoiler: Sam meets his dad! Anyway, in the scene around the above quote, the author could have done so much, even with simple physical gestures (but maybe I was spoiled by the first two books, which made good use of that technique). By itself, it seems tacky and almost cliché, and that's enough to knock a bit of hydrogen out of my five stars.

However, that disconnect is slight and soon is totally forgotten as the book begins to unfold. It begins forward and dramatic in a dank Mogadorian prison, with Sam as our deprived and delirious narrator. His mindset is absolutely "grungy" and he introduces us to the story as only he can: fantasizing about Six rescuing him from his deadly prison, killing off a horde of Mogs in the process.

This novel is fast-paced, and almost never lets go. There are a few huge spoilers that I want so badly to share because they are gripping. However, I cannot, because plot construction is what makes these novels so bloody good. You've got your typical heroes and antiheroes and romances and jokers and completely evil villains, but the manner in which it is presented and how slowly but surely the whole history and plot is revealed, and the secrets therein that always seem to change everything, are what keep me reading. I will say that, unlike some novels these days, it is somewhat difficult to trust any predictions towards the end of the plot, or even the middle. I'll admit, I did not expect the twists on the characters that unravel and unwind in the end, but these, two lines taken from around the end, basically resound what I mean:

It all happens so fast. (207)

And then:

How did I get here? (208) 

This novel is built around a sinuous plot (spanning Nine's amazing Penthouse to the humid Everglades), with intermittent stresses on the elements of romance (who doesn't ship Marina and Eight?). Though only stressed as a secondary element, romance (and to a greater extent, trust, appreciation, compassion, and love) is a primary drive for many of our characters, especially for John. First of all, it keeps Sarah relevant and meaningful instead of just a goal or a dream to pursue, and secondly, it challenges him: despite the world on the brink of war, he is stuck between his Earthly girlfriend and his duties to another planet.

Development also brings depth to the story, because most of the characters are fairly dynamic whilst still keeping strong core aspects. For example, Nine is still a jerk, however, this

"Seriously, bro, sorry about leaving you in the cave. That was sort of my fault." 

. . . "So they put you through it, huh?" he solemnly asks. (96)

Would have been a hilarious spectacle in The Rise of Nine. Nine does not get apologetic, and does not feel connections with people other than when he plants his fist in their faces. He's one of my favorite characters because he has so much depth even though he seems like he has no depth at all. Unfortunately for him, though, his stubbornness and provocative nature do not bode well for our cast. I won't tell you why, it's a tear you must shed alone.

Another huge element is the humor. It varies from light to just plain sassy (usually brought to you from the glorious mouth of Nine . . . ) and is almost always circumstantial.

"If you're wondering what the horrible smell is, it's the vegetarian food Marina's cooking for dinner," says Nine. 

This acts as an effortless transition from the end of an empowering, yet tiring, mission, to the start of an expository scene. In that same manner, much of the book seems effortless, fluidly transforming itself from action to moral discussion to exposition, all through a plot that upholds suspense and mystery almost like it has no other function. It is for this reason and plenty more nuances that I won't waste your time with because that would make this review pages long, that The Fall of Five is a top-notch novel in my opinion.

- Marlon

Would you take the fear and anxiety and torture of being a hero if it meant you held the security of a universe on your shoulders?

Let us know in the comments!