I’ll admit that I didn’t have especially high expectations for you. Your premise sounded interesting enough, but your cover art is Dear Tunnel Vision,
I’ll admit that I didn’t have especially high expectations for you. Your premise sounded interesting enough, but your cover art is less than inspiring - and I wasn’t all that enthusiastic when I picked you up. So I prepared to either put you down for another time or just say that you were so-so.
You tell the story of eighteen-year-old Jacob Lukin - a young man who has everything ahead of him, despite the tragic death of his father two years ago. He’s doing well in his classes and has a good shot of getting into Stanford. But Jacob also has a secret: he can tunnel. When holding an object valuable in some way to a person, he can read their thoughts, feel their emotions, go where they are. It’s a gift that he’s always had and one that his father made him swear to never share with anyone, not even his mom. Jacob has kept his promise - until one night at party when he tunnels to several people to impress his secret crush, Rachel. Suddenly, a secret government agency called DARPA is pounding at his door, wanting to use his abilities to track down hostages, terrorists, and murderers. Jacob thinks he’s doing good work - but DARPA isn’t telling him everything. And slowly, but surely, they’re stealing his life away, until he’ll be nothing but a forgotten boy locked in a sterile room, to be used as they please.
Initially, I was a little bored, even though you immediately begin with Jacob being stalked and a short, yet exciting, car chase. I just wasn’t feeling it. But then things got deeper and grittier. DARPA shows up and start using Jacob. He cooperates while still trying to have some control of his life. DARPA doesn’t listen and slowly start taking over everything in his life until they are essentially controlling him. All the while, though, I kept wondering if DARPA really was just doing what was necessary. Maybe if Jacob just cooperated and they would give him his life back like they promised. But there was still a nigglie at the back of my mind saying that DARPA was the bad guy. But I couldn’t be sure. . . .
As the story progressed, the suspense built. If it wasn’t for the suspense, you might have gotten a little boring. A lot of time is spent with Jacob tunneling for DARPA, getting headaches from too much tunneling, fighting with DARPA and DARPA ignoring his requests, et cetera. Jacob spends a lot of time in one tight corner or another where he has no control over the situation. But you were bizarrely addicting. And the further I delved into your plot, the more twisted and crazy and exciting it got.
Amid all of this conspiracy and action, there was a lot of character building. I won’t say that Jacob was my most favorite male protagonist, but I totally sympathized with him. I absolutely loved his loyalty and devotion to his mom and little sister Myka. He does everything to keep them safe; his actions are always based on what is best for them. Jacob might have been a smart-ass, but he was completely selfless. I also loved his relationship with his Russian grandfather, and I loved how supportive Rachel - his secret crush - was; how she clued in that something was going on. I even really liked Erik, one of Jacob’s security guards, and Ana, Jacob’s other security guard. I maintain that Ana did in fact care, and I’m still really super duper sad that Erik went off the deep end. I really liked him!
My biggest complaint, Tunnel Vision, was your ending. It was just so abrupt and open, but not in the best way. You have a lot of action going on, to the point where I was getting almost as exhausted as our protagonists. Can they please just have a few weeks of rest and not having to run the entire time?! Please? But your pages were dwindling and there was still so much that needed to happen; needed to be explained. Suddenly the climax was there and then. . . .you were over.
Overall, though, Tunnel Vision, your pros far outweigh your cons. You had surprisingly deep characters, deep relationships, and a plot that caught my attention the more I read it. I really liked you.
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes, I like it. Very spy-ish, action-y, and attention-grabbing. It also doesn't make it look like a self-published novel. I coCover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes, I like it. Very spy-ish, action-y, and attention-grabbing. It also doesn't make it look like a self-published novel. I could easily see this on store shelves.
Characters: Cade and Brooke are two very resourceful, quick-thinking, and intelligent teen protagonists. I was happy to find that I never got frustrated with them for being too slow or making bad decisions that ultimately resulted in a situation that could have totally be avoided if they had just paid attention. Evan, their friend, is also a great secondary character, who tags along in Cade and Brooke's quest for answers with few questions - just like a good friend. I can't say that the villain was all that terrifying. While realistic enough, he lacked the ingenuity and malice that is so characteristic of spy novel villains. Yes, I am actually complaining about the lack of cliche. But I won't hold it against the book. :-)
The Romance: There isn't any! Well, not really. Cade has a crush on Brooke's friend, and Brooke has a crush of Evan, but it's just barely mentioned.
Plot: Cade and Brooke's parents work for the government - more specifically, the secret and special branches of the government. Cade's father develops new technology for spies, and Cade often helps him with it. One little invention they're both proud of is the J-Phone - especially the one specifically developed for the President of the United States. It has an app that allows the President to initiate a nuclear attack at just the press of a few buttons. But things go horribly wrong when the J-Phone goes missing, Cade and Brooke's parents vanish off the grid, and unmarked cars and people start chasing after them. Cade and Brooke need to find the J-Phone and rescue their parents before it's too late. From the beginning, the Reader knows who has stolen the J-Phone and pretty much everything that the villain is doing, so there aren't all that many twists going on. I was a little disappointed with this, because it made me lose interest in Cade and Brooke's quest for answers. While they are in the dark, we Readers aren't, and it gets a little slow reading about their plans to get evidence. We know who has their mom, we know who has the J-Phone, and we know pretty much what they're planning to do with it. That said, it isn't a bad plot. The J-Phone sounded kind of silly at first, when I read the synopsis, but it's actually a pretty neat little gadget, and the plot is rather believable. There's car chases and spying; evasion and clever techie stuff. Before Cade and Brooke really bunker down and start planning what to do next; when they're still totally on the run with no safe places, there were lots of moments when my adrenaline was up. I only wish there had been a bit more mystery behind what was going on.
Believability: The only plausible flaw that kept nagging at me was the fact that Cade and Brooke knew so much about what their parents did. Not only that, but Cade was actually involved in a lot of his dad's projects. It didn't ring as entirely believable to me.
Writing Style: Third person, past tense. There were actually very few typos and grammatical errors; I counted roughly five or seven very minor flaws. At times, the narration did get bogged down with too much technical details, though that is only to be expected in a spy novel. But the one thing I truly have to applaud the Author for is his ability to write car chasing scenes. These are not easy to convey on paper without it 1)dragging and 2)getting confusing. There was none of that.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The climax is blessedly short, and I mean that as a compliment. Normally, climaxes in action novels are dragged out for far too long, but the Author sticks with exciting, yet a reasonable length, creating even more suspense than if he had prolonged it. And he also keeps us in the dark about Cade's plans, so there's some mystery finally creeping in. Sword of Damocles isn't quite Alex Rider. But it is a lot of fun. We have intelligent protagonists, a plausible plot, fun gadgets (that are also plausible), and an Author who knows how to write action scenes without getting in too deep. Despite its minor flaws, I definitely think its pros outweigh them.
Recommended Audience: Girl-and-guy read, thirteen-and-up, great for fans of Alex Rider and Young James Bond....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yeah, there's a character impersonator in the background, but he's not terribly noticeable, so it doesn't bother me as much. ICover Blurb: Yes or No? Yeah, there's a character impersonator in the background, but he's not terribly noticeable, so it doesn't bother me as much. I liked the old Alex Rider covers better; they weren't as busy. But Russian Roulette definitely screams action and excitement, and it catches my interest.
Characters: Yassen Gregorovich has always been my absolute favorite character in this entire series. Not exactly a villain, he always treated his assassinations as just a job; there was nothing personal in it. I could always tell that he had a tragic past, because it was easy to see that he was someone who really was a regular, and even decent person; so obviously something horrible had to have happened to make him turn to killing for his profession. Normally backstories for villains (though I kind of consider Yassen more of an anti-hero) will ruin them. You can make a villain too sympathetic. However, with Yassen, it just made him that much more of a brilliant character; that much more tragic; that much more complex. I positively enjoyed seeing him as a kid, a youth, and finally a young man; I enjoyed seeing him grow as a character, seeing the changes that took place in his personality that made him the amazing assassin we Alex Rider fans know him as. You wouldn't think an assassin would be an easy character to emotionally connect to, but Yassen is. Because Yassen really is a good person, and circumstances and a betrayal he can never forgive change him. Talk about tragic! The other characters we meet in this story - Yassen's best friend Leo; the Moscow street boys who take Yassen in; Sharkovsky and his dreadful son Ivan; even John Rider, Alex's father - are all very interesting and complex. Sharkovsky was so creepy and Ivan was even worse. I loved actually meeting Alex Rider's father, and Leo . . . All I can say is: poor Leo! And poor Yassen!
The Romance: There isn't any!
Plot:Russian Roulette picks up after the events of Stormbreaker. Yassen Gregorovich has just been ordered to kill Alex Rider. This causes Yassen to take a moment and review his past life; to reflect on how he came to be where he was. Yassen is a careful assassin, but his one weakness is a journal he's kept, and it is as he reads this journal that Readers are introduced to Yassen's past life, when he wasn't Yassen Gregorovich the assassin, but Yasha Gregorovich - a Russian boy living in a poor village that doesn't exist anymore. When Yasha is forced to leave his village and everything he knew, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Without friend or family, he finds himself stranded in Moscow, and when he attracts the unwanted attentions of Vladimir Sharkovsky - Moscow's richest, most powerful, and most ruthless criminal - Yassen finds out that survival is all that matters to him now. This is a major emotional read. Even if Yassen wasn't a favorite character, there's no way he won't be after this. A boy of fourteen, he's just lost everything, has no friends, no help, and then suddenly things just go even more horribly wrong. I bawled my eyes out in the beginning, when he had to leave his village and his best friend Leo, and I bawled my eyes out when he was forced to work for Sharkovsky, where he was terrorized and beaten and humiliated every day of his life. He can't trust anyone and he has no hope of escape. It was so unbelievably sad and painful to read! I wanted to snatch Yassen out of the story and give him a good life and a good home! The plot itself didn't have much of a structure. The Reader knows that whatever happens, Yassen will end up an assassin, so the plot is more about what all happens to him to make him choose that way of life, rather than it being about one iconic moment. It's not a from Point A to Point B plot. But because it's sort of a prequel to the entire Alex Rider series, I was fine with a totally character-driven book rather than plot-driven.
Believability: No complaints, except one: Yassen's narration is supposed to be his journal, and his journal is written in Russian; yet he defines Russian words several times. Why would he do that in his own private journal when Russian is his native language?
Writing Style: First person, past tense. While the backstory is supposed to be Yassen reading his journal, it doesn't really read like a journal narration; there's no date headings at the beginning of each chapter. It feels more like he's talking to someone, and I really liked it. I also liked that while Yassen is relating very tragic happenings, it never once sounds like he's pitying himself. He's just telling what happened as it was, and nothing more. The narration is not very moment-by-moment, but encompasses a lot of events in a short span of time. Normally, I don't like it when this sort of narration is kept up throughout a book because it keeps me from getting to know any of the side characters. But Yassen breaks into a moment-by-moment narration at the most iconic moments, so it works. As usual, the Author's style is very action-packed, filled with technical details, and doesn't really have any poetry to it. But it works for the book, and what he lacks in poetic rhythm, he makes up for in a very emotionally-charged narration.
Content: None.
Conclusion: While everything that happens to Yassen leads to his becoming an assassin, it really isn't until the very end that we see what major event truly made him turn. And it is perhaps the most depressing moment in the whole book. It's also the most satisfying; the entire time, I really wanted Yassen to be able to get his revenge against Sharkovsky. We're not disappointed. I was thrilled with Russian Roulette. My favorite character finally got his own book! And it was amazing! It made me love his character more than ever, and it explained a lot about him and about John Rider. I wasn't expecting it to be so emotional, but it was, and it really couldn't have been any other way.
Recommended Audience: Guy-read (and girls who like Alex Rider!), sixteen-and-up, great for fans of action and spy novels - and especially fans of Yassen Gregorovich....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? With the scope zeroing in on a fleeing figure, this screams teen spy novel, and while I have yet to find a series as good as ACover Blurb: Yes or No? With the scope zeroing in on a fleeing figure, this screams teen spy novel, and while I have yet to find a series as good as Alex Rider, I still enjoy teen spy novels. The cover of Boy Nobody is exciting and very indicative of the genre, so yes, I like it.
Characters: Boy Nobody - or Benjamin, as he's known for his current mission - is no Alex Rider, that's true enough. Alex Rider was a really nice and decent kid who wanted to do what was right, and was entirely forced into his circumstances. "Benjamin" isn't too different in the fact that he, too, was forced into his circumstances, and while he makes a living being an assassin, doing what's right is a continuous battle for him in this book. But I wouldn't exactly call him a decent young man. He sleeps with girls, even when it isn't part of his cover, and he bordered on being too flawed to be a good protagonist. That said, there was something about "Benjamin" that I did kind of like. He was so very matter-of-fact about his job as an assassin, he was good at what he did - very good, - and while his emotions start to get in the way of things in Boy Nobody, he generally isn't emotional. He also has a rather fun sense of humor and can hold his own in a fight; in fact, he literally kicks butt. So while not a favorite like Alex Rider, I didn't really dislike him, either, and I enjoyed his character growth. All of the characters, though, I really didn't care about at all. Sam was too much work emotionally, Erika was a slut, and Howard was actually too much of a nerd. He amused me at times and I intensely disliked the big jerks who beat him up, but I didn't really attach to Howard in general.
The Romance: While "Benjamin" begins to grow close to Sam in a way that could potentially hinder his assignment, I wouldn't say that the romance was especially annoying or even especially prominent. It's there and it does play a key role, but it never felt like it was in my face.
Plot: As far as society in concerned, "Benjamin" doesn't exist. He's a kid who can take on any role, any name, any occupation wherever and whenever he wants. The day his parents died and he came to work for the Program, he ceased to exist. And it's the perfect situation to get close to important people's kids, so he can eliminate them and never have the murder traced. That's Boy Nobody's job: integrate himself into a school, get close to his target's kid, eliminate his target (who are usually traitors to the US in some fashion), and leave. It's a lonely life, but Boy Nobody is used to it. Until he gets a new assignment. His target? New York City's mayor. He's to befriend the mayor outspoken daughter, who is also emotionally traumatized from her mother's death, and kill the mayor. The difference, though, between this assignment and others is he only has 5 days to complete it. Disguised as a rich kid named Benjamin, Boy Nobody doesn't expect it to be too hard of a job. But what he doesn't count on is the mayor's friendly manner and Sam's relateable loss to stir up memories and emotions that he had long since buried. Suddenly, this isn't just about eliminating a potential traitor to the United States; it's about ripping another hole in an already-damaged family. My biggest question throughout this entire book was: why, out of all the missions, is this the one that sets "Benjamin" off? He's been at this assassination job for two years. This can't be the first time he's met a nice father or a family that suffers from great loss. Why is it this mission that rattles him so thoroughly? Other than that, I found the plot to be enjoyable. Both character-driven and plot-driven, this is a very fast read and a surprisingly emotional one. While I didn't connect with any of the characters, and therefore didn't really care about anyone, there are still a lot of emotions running through it. But there also isn't a lack of action and suspense; hand-to-hand fights, chases, guns, and the like. All very exciting. But it also isn't the story's main focus. Here is a spy novel that takes the time to develop its characters (something that Alex Rider didn't always do).
Believability: Nothing of which to complain.
Writing Style: First person, present tense. I didn't particularly care for the style. There were a lot of really short and choppy sentences, which is very common in action novels.
Content: 8 s-words, 1 g--damn, 1 f-word.
Conclusion: The other thing that bothered me was how long it took "Benjamin" to solve who "the Presence" was. The Presence is what "Benjamin" called an unidentified person that shadowed him during the mission. "Benjamin" never got a clear look at him, but always knew when he was there. But as soon as the Author began to drop hints about who the Presence could be, I knew who it was. But it took "Benjamin" well over half of the book to figure it out. He's a good assassin, but not a very good detective, I guess. Boy Nobody was very interesting, with a somewhat unique concept. It was entertaining and quick. Definitely a great weekend read.
Recommended Audience: Guy-read (and girl-read, of course, for those girls who like spy novels), seventeen-and-up, great for fans of spy and action novels....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Like with the other cover art, it does catch my attention for some reason or other, but isn't horribly exciting or interestingCover Blurb: Yes or No? Like with the other cover art, it does catch my attention for some reason or other, but isn't horribly exciting or interesting. Out of the three, it might be my favorite.
Characters: Maybe it's because both Day and June have finally grown as characters, but I actually didn't find either of them as aggravating in Champion as I did in the last two book. A lot of Day's cockiness is gone, as he struggles with his illness, and his description of his "outfits" and long blonde Rapunzel-like hair are less. Still not a favorite character, but I found him tolerable and maybe even a tiny bit likable. Though he did still have a tendency of flying off the handle about things (though his anger was rather understandable; I just care so little about him that I didn't sympathize). June, too, is back to being strong and rather sensible. She still experiences a lot of guilt moments, which always got irritating, but compared to Prodigy, her guilt trips were few and far between in this installment. Still don't really care for Anden, mostly because of the love triangle, and none of the minor characters held much interest for me. Tess, thank goodness, isn't behaving badly anymore. The villain, Jameson, just didn't scare me at all. It's not that she wasn't capable; she just talked too much. I don't know; she just fell flat for me.
The Romance: Less irritating than in past volumes, though still kind of bleh. June doesn't do as much flip-flopping between Day and Anden as she did in Prodigy, and Tess has finally let go of her crush on Day (and Day, thank goodness, has stopped noticing her). But the tension between June and Day got old, as it always does. Especially since I didn't really get why they parted ways in the first place. Okay, Day is dying and he doesn't want June to tie herself to a dying man - I got that. And June was feeling guilty to being responsible for Day's family's deaths. All good reasons, I suppose, and to be honest - and fair to the Author - the tension between them actually didn't feel forced. As far as romantic tension goes, the Author did a fairly good job. I just personally hate this sort of thing - especially in a book about rebellions and war. There should be enough tension and action that alone; why add the romance?
Plot: With Anden as the new Elector Primo, the Republic is slowly but surely turning around and becoming benevolent towards its people. June is set up to be one of Anden's political advisers, while Day enjoys the rank of people's champion and high military standing. But whatever Day and June pretend, they are not happy. Day is dying of a brain illness/disease, and June finds herself forced to ask Day to give up the one thing he would never do: his brother. It seems that a plague has broken out in the Colonies - a plague that is suspiciously like the one the old Republic engineered under the rule of the old Elector Primo, Anden's father. And the Colonies have declared that unless the Republic produces a cure, they will invade. With the advanced technology of Africa backing them, the Colonies could win - and the Republic may be doomed. But Day's little brother may have the cure within him, having survived the plague before. To get it, Day must hand his brother over once more to the scientists who were responsible for his illness in the first place. And even finding the cure may not be enough. The Colonies is determined to take over the Republic, and the Republic's uneasy alliance with the Antarctica city is their only hope for survival. So there's a lot of political turmoil going on in Champion, and I have to admit that I did enjoy that. It was nice to see more world building, especially when Prodigy offered such a disappointing and minor glimpse into the Colonies. I didn't really get the purpose behind the Antarctican system of government - how it worked and all that - but it was kind of interesting, if not wholly plausible. But Champion isn't a fast-paced book; not at first. A good portion of the book is spent on Day and June's continued romantic tension, June's reluctance to ask so many impossible favors from Day, and Day fighting his brain illness. Honestly, in a book about wars and political intrigue and rebellions, one shouldn't have a main character dying of a disease; it's just setting things up for a massively disappointing and pointless death. I wasn't surprised by the slow pacing, of course; it's become a regular habit of this trilogy. At least all of the parkour and ridiculous stunts have been taken out this time, which is partially why I found it to be a much more tolerable book.
Believability: Again, the Antarctican system of government isn't very plausible. Kind of a neat concept that actually would have made for a good basis for an entirely different story, but still not plausible. And of course, the "evil corporations" that rule the Colonies. The government of the Colonies was in debt, so four major corporations bought the government's debt and took over . . . . Where did these corporations get an army in which to maintain their hold on the government? Corporations don't have private armies.
Writing Style: First person, present tense. I still cannot stand the slang, and I got really tired of the font color be changed between narrations. If you need different font color to distinguish which character is narrating, then you need to examine the narration itself. Not that Day and June's narrations were hard to tell apart, because they weren't - I will give the Author props on that. And it may not have been the Author's choice to make Day's narration red, and then June's black. It still bugged me, though.
Content: 2 s-words. We're given more details on June's brother's, um, romantic relationship with Thomas. And Day and June sleep together (pg. 213-215), though it isn't horribly explicit.
Conclusion: This is where the action picks up, and it threatens to get too drawn out, but surprisingly isn't. And then there's a twist on the romance that yes, made me roll my eyes because it was very silly and soap-opera. But I have to admit that I did, in some ways, see how it could be a very emotional ending for Readers who actually liked the characters. As silly as it was, the Author did a relatively good job pulling it off. I've never been a big fan of this trilogy. I couldn't stand Day and found the pacing slow, and many very implausible concepts. Champion is still a far cry from being a likable book, but I was able to actually tolerate it and understand how some people liked it. I was . . . pleasantly surprised.
Recommended Audience: Girl-and-guy read, seventeen-and-up, fans of the Divergent Trilogy....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes. While not especially exciting, I do like its simplicity and the gray-blue color scheme. I don’t care for the one-word titCover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes. While not especially exciting, I do like its simplicity and the gray-blue color scheme. I don’t care for the one-word title, though; I never have been excessively fond of one-word titles.
Characters: My opinion of June and Day has not changed much from Legend. June is an okay protagonist; she doesn’t have The Attitude, and makes a somewhat believable military woman. Somewhat. I must say that for a girl trained in the ways of combat, one would think that she would realize how bloody idiotic it is of her to keep her hair in a long, high ponytail - that’s an ideal handle for an enemy to grab a-hold of! As for Day . . . Oh my gosh (and that is not an oh my gosh of girlish delight). I got so tired of reading about his “incredible hotness” and his long, bright, silky tresses. It completely destroyed his “tough guy” imagine. Completely. His unending “charm” and flirtatious smirks were down to a minimum in this installment, due to bad attitude and a rather incapacitating injury, so I am glad for that, but his annoying aspects were somehow not lessened by it. I also had the hardest time believing that for a guy who had virtually grown up on the streets, Day didn’t know anything about hand-to-hand combat. Nothing! Yeah, sorry, not buying it. Tess was all right, except jealousy didn’t suit her, and then there’s Anden . . . Anden is the new Elector Primo, and the Author tries to convince us that he’s a pretty nice guy - a decent one, in fact. I will go into this a lot more later, but let me just leave it like this for now: it didn’t work.
The Romance: There’s actually two love triangles going on here: June, Day, and Tess. And then Day, June, and Anden. Neither work. As I said earlier, jealousy doesn’t suit Tess. She’s generally a sweet girl, and then she turns all nasty, and I didn’t like it. There’s also the fact that Day has always considered Tess as a little sister, and then he’s suddenly like, “Hey, Tess, you’ve got a woman’s body!” And now he’s unsure about his feelings for her. That just struck me as weird. Guys who have an older-brother-little-sister relationship with a girl generally don’t come to think of them as a potential love interest. As for the second love triangle: the relationship between June and Day has always annoyed me. Why can’t there ever be any good-comrade relationships between male and female characters in literature anymore?! June and Day don’t really get too much of an opportunity to get horribly mushy and physical in Prodigy, but I did get tired of June drooling over his hair and his muscles. Throwing Anden in was an element that didn’t work in the end. It mainly seems like it’s there to cause tension between Day and June, and there’s already enough of that the way it is.
Plot: The rebels want June and Day to assassinate the new Elector Primo - that is, Anden. Exciting, right? While the Author doesn’t waste a whole lot of time in initiating the assassination plot, the book somehow feels a little slow. Maybe because the Reader is able to predict how things, in general, will turn out. And maybe it’s because the Author spends so much time on June’s compromised emotions, and Day worrying about her possible loyalty to the Republic. To a certain extent, these feelings need to be dwelt on, for both realistic reasons and for character development. But it’s hashed over so much that June begins to come across as an indecisive character, and Day a irrational worrier. I’ll admit, the plot takes a sudden turn that I wasn’t quite expecting, and it worked pretty well. And then the self-guilt and blame sets in. Day makes some rather valid points to June, and rather than being logical and saying, “Yeah, Day, you’re probably right. I messed up big time,” she starts throwing the accusations back at him. And then she gets a martyr complex and is all, It’s my fault! I wish the Reader had gotten more time to see the Colonies. The Author offers about a two-chapter glimpse, and then we’re back to the Republic! I hope we return in later books, because it felt like the Author just threw the few scenes in the Colonies in to illustrate that it wasn’t much better than the Republic, and that’s it.
Believability: Here’s where I had issues. In general, the type of totalitarian regime the Author is trying to portray is really good. The citizens of the Republic seem to revere their Elector Primo almost like a god, which is exactly how it is in real totalitarian regimes. The brief interlude in the Colonies contrasts the severe styles and black and white colors of the Republic very well. However, while the Author tries to convey this, I actually failed to see it in the behavior of the characters themselves. Sure, when June is in the presence of Anden, she battles with herself over how she’s been taught from birth that the Elector is supreme; that he can do no wrong. And yet, I never got the sense that she was actually that convinced at any time in her life that the Elector Primo was so wonderful. Or that the citizens of the country are all that convinced, either. Then there’s Anden himself, and here’s why he didn’t work for me: it becomes evident very quickly in the story that Anden is actually not a bad person; that he genuinely wants to help his people. Problem: history has repeatedly proved that the sons of tyrants are often far worse. But this is fiction, right? I mean, the Author can decide that this is one instance where that isn’t the case. Yeah, she can, but it rendered her world so much less believable for me than if she had done differently. Other than this major flaw, there were some “smaller” things that actually didn’t stand out in Legend, but hit me in this one. June’s family was put to death for treasonous acts - her father, her mother, her brother. If June and her brother’s parents were enemies of the state, there is no way June and her brother would have continued to live as elite members of society; I don’t care how special June’s abilities are. The children of treasonous parents are sent to concentration camps, or shot.
Writing Style: Choppy, as usual, first-person present-tense narration, movie-ish. In a word, I don’t like it. And what was up with the font’s color changing between June and Day’s narrations? It got on my nerves. I’m not giving this book a low rating due to that, though; that was the least of my dislikes for writing style. The Author probably had no control over format. No, I had more issue with the Author’s insistence on writing moment-by-moment scenes of Day and his gang doing parquer up and over trains. Parquer is fun to watch; not so much to read. And while it may seem a trifling thing, I hated - absolutely hated - the slang. I’ll admit, the slang in The Maze Runner was irritating, but the stuff in Prodigy irritated me so much more. Why couldn’t the Author just call “comps” computers, since that is so obviously what they were? Between the exclamations of “goddy,” “trot,” “cousin,” (an endearment term that died out with the Elizabethan era, and should stay that way), and everyone ending their sentences in “yeah” (I thought “eh” was bad!), I developed such a twitch that I finally had a emotional breakdown and started shouting at the book, causing my sister no small amount of concern for my mental health. And really, JumboTrons? That bothered me in Legend, too.
Content: The Author decides to “reveal” that June’s brother was gay. How this furthers the plot is beyond me. And there was nothing cute and endearing about Pascao flirting with Day.
Conclusion: The flight from the Colonies was so ridiculously movie-ish that I visibly shuddered. It reminded me a Mission: Impossible movie, which is not a compliment. And then the ridiculously emotional conclusion between Day and June was way too dramatic, and clearly put there for the fangirls. It promises for a rollercoaster of emotional misunderstandings and miscommunications in the last installment. I am really not looking forward to the third book. Prodigy was what I expected: annoying characters, unfortunate believability issues, movie writing, and emotional blowups. So in that respect, I wasn’t disappointed.
Recommended Audience: I would say this is a guy-read, but the emotions are so high that I’d peg this for more of a girl-read. Sixteen-and-up, good for fans of Legend....more
I was not impressed with this particular dystopian story. I don't know why dystopian Authors think that they have to write their stories in present-teI was not impressed with this particular dystopian story. I don't know why dystopian Authors think that they have to write their stories in present-tense, and while I was able to tolerate it in The Hunger Games, I couldn't stand it in Legend. It was too movie-ish, and was employed as an excuse for short, incomplete sentences. Also, the Author's descriptions were way over-the-top detailed. As the story went on, I realized that the Author was using the majority of her random and unimportant descriptions to illustrate the fact that June notices details, but the manner in which she did it felt hurried, random, and they were always placed in sudden parentheses right in the middle of a sentence. Now, I am all for the parenthssis method. I myself employ the parenthesis to have a character add an afterthought right in the middle of a description or whatnot. But, in using the parenthesis, an Author must be careful with it, and the Author must not allow the sentence in the parenthesis to be so long that the Reader forgets the character's original point. I cannot say that the Author was successful in Legend. And if the Author wished to illustrate June's ability to notice details, she ought to have found a better way of doing it.
As far as characters go, June was okay. Her constant sassing of her superiors was, to say the least, absurd. I am sorry, but in the military - especially a totalitarian state military - no soldier, not even a top student, could get by with sassing his/her superiors. It just doesn't happen; not without consequences. However, once June's brother dies, June's attitude levels out as she concentrates on tracking down his killer, and the Author manages to not make her into a macho-chick. The street-fighting match between June and Kaeda was semi-believable because of June's military training and the fact that Kaeda was another girl, and not some muscleman that June simply would not, realistically, be able to beat.
Day, on the other hand, just reminded me of hair grease, gold rings, and a really annoying smile. Perhaps it was his name. Perhaps it was the fact that he, the hero, actually took time to tell the Reader what he was wearing, and even described his outfit - yes, outfit - as being pretty snazzy. Okay, he didn't use the word snazzy, but he came mighty close to it. I am sorry, but if you want the Reader to retain any amount of respect for the hero, and to imagine him as some tough guy who has an unrealistic knack for resisting the effects of concussions and retain only a few cracked ribs after hitting cement from a three-story jump, you do not have him take a minute or two to describe his clothes! It takes all of the toughness out of him. I admired him for caring for his family so much, but that's about it. And when romance blossoms between him and June (sorry if I'm spoiling anything, but if you didn't predict that, then clearly you haven't read enough books), he just gets all the more annoying.
And how believable was this particular totalitarian regime? Well, it was a bit more believable than the Capitol in "The Hunger Games." Police busted down doors on a regular basis, arrested people, and even shot them. And the interrogation scenes, while not graphic, are brutal and properly vicious for a totalitarian government. Such occurrences were mentioned by the characters in "The Hunger Games," but the Reader never "saw" it actually happen until the second half of "Catching Fire." But yet again, there was a painfully obvious lack of secret police, which comes with all totalitarian governments. To keep a tight grip on people, you need to be constantly monitoring them.
The story, as a whole, was interesting enough, but predictable. If you start suspecting that there is something funny about the random plague outbreaks - well, I'm sorry to inform you that yes, it's that obvious of a "twist." The end offered a few occurrences that were surprising, and of course it concludes with the promise of a sequel. I have hopes that maybe the sequel will be better; this is a series that is not a total loss. Even so, I found enough faults with this one to not put it on my top ten list....more
When I initially heard of this book, I was dying to read it. Then I read Chapter One and I became worried that it would not be as good as I was anticiWhen I initially heard of this book, I was dying to read it. Then I read Chapter One and I became worried that it would not be as good as I was anticipating. Finally, I got around to actually reading the whole thing. And in the end, I was not disappointed. Both Janie and Benjamin are an excellent young hero and heroine, and the Author wastes no time in jumping into the adventure. Almost as soon as Janie arrives in London, things get exciting, and they don't slow down until the end. Along the way, there are a few surprising twists, and all of them good ones, and the end is satisfyingly bittersweet. The Author also did a good job in getting Janie's parents out of the way for the duration of the adventure, so they would not impede her progress. Parents always get in the way of a good adventure.
The Author's attempt to write accents was a little annoying at times, especially for Jin Lo, and I wish Sergei had been in it more, but overall this was an entertaining read with lots of good characters, spy espionage and disguises, and just enough strangeness to make it an original idea. It comes recommended....more
I've looked for a good spy series and I was simply delighted when I finally picked up the Alex Rider series. Seven books later and I was dearly wishinI've looked for a good spy series and I was simply delighted when I finally picked up the Alex Rider series. Seven books later and I was dearly wishing that poor Alex would get a break from everything. I was glad when Anthony Horowitz ended the series with Snakehead.
But then this one came out and I was a little worried. Series, even good ones, can carry on only for so long! From the very beginning, Crocodile Tears was not my favorite, but I wasn't disappointed, either. The very first page contained the action and sinisterness that is so trademark of Alex Rider, and it didn't stop. I wouldn't say that I was ever held in suspense (because the books are pretty predictable), but I was certainly interested.
Alex himself is a good character. I don't say that often about teenage boy characters - they are almost always as annoying as real-life adolescent males. But I liked Alex from the start and still do. I felt terrible that Alex was once more wrenched from his life. And while I was never in alarm for his life, I felt sorry every time he was injured.
This wasn't Anthony Horowitz's masterpiece. Those dealing with Scorpia are my favorites. But after a rest, this was a good comeback. His writing style was still very much the same - movie-ish. Normally I don't like that, but for a series like Alex Rider, it works. He still went into great mechanical detail, showing off the research he did, knowing full well that his Readers don't know what he's talking about, but hey! It sounds cool and we Readers get the general jest of it, right?
There was one scene, though, that sent chills up my spine: Chapter 9 - Invisible Man. When MI6 deals with the journalist. It did creep me out and it was my favorite chapter. I re-read it when I finished the book. It is like a nightmare. What would it be like if it happened to you?? Creepy!!
Two thumbs up for Crocodile Tears. Normally the 8th book in a series doesn't turn out well, but Anthony Horowitz was successful in his comeback. However, I do hope he gives poor Alex a rest sometime soon in the future. ...more
An absolutely brilliant conclusion for the series, from beginning to end. I actually had doubts about whether or not Alex would live; the first time tAn absolutely brilliant conclusion for the series, from beginning to end. I actually had doubts about whether or not Alex would live; the first time that that has ever happened in reading any of the Alex Rider books. Scorpia has, by far, always been Anthony Horowitz's best villains, and what better way to wrap everything up than to have Alex face them once more? Though Scorpia, as a whole, is hardly Alex's worst enemy in this volume. Yet another comes back from a past mission to haunt him, and it's good. Horowitz's choice to allow the Reader to actually see what Scorpia is planning was a new and excellent move on his part as the Author. We have always gotten a small window into what the master villain is planning, but this time we get about half of the book to find it out, making things, believe it or not, a lot more suspenseful. We get to see just enough to understand a little beyond the general gist of what is happening, but we still wonder: What's truly happening?
Scorpia Rising really suffers from no shortcomings that others didn't as well. It is written in a very movie-ish style, which I accept because for a spy series like this, I suppose it would be difficult to write it otherwise. But the chase scene toward the end felt like it dragged. The Author focused on every little detail so much that I found myself tapping my fingers impatiently against the pages. However, it ends satisfactorily, as if to make up for the drag. The villains are pretty cliche, as in all the others. They graciously explain the whole extent of the plan to Alex before killing him, and even before they do that they explain how they are going to kill him. If villains did this more often in real life, fewer people would probably die. But I have to admit that I would miss the clicheness a bit; it's a spy series, after all, and what is a spy series without gadgets, crazy villains who politely explain everything just in case we missing something, and of course the unusual forms of death? No, it just wouldn't be the same.
But for all of those typical shortcomings, Scorpia Rising offers a lot of surprises. I found myself more than once thinking, Wow, I really didn't see that coming. If it weren't for these twists, Scorpia Rising would have been a disappointing grand finale. But it isn't. The end is, in a way, like no other Alex Rider book. It surprised me a little, made me sad, but happy and satisfied at the same time. And also unlike the others, it actually felt like a conclusion. Alex Rider is finally at rest.