Review of "Incarnate"

"I wasn't reborn."

     In Jodi Meadows' Incarnate, meeting someone you haven't met is next to impossible. There are exactly one million souls in Range--one million humans who've died countless times, returning a handful of years later with a different face and, sometimes, a different gender. But when Ciana, a noted citizen of Range's capital, Heart, dies without coming back, everything becomes uncertain. Enter Ana, the first newsoul to appear in five thousand years. Ana's mother has scorned her as soulless, a "nosoul", treating her harshly from the moment she was born. Now eighteen, this "nosoul" is off to Heart on a quest to discover why she was born. With the help of the startlingly compassionate Sam, she begins digging into the history of Range. Meanwhile, fear is spreading across the city. If Ciana didn't come back, there is no telling whether anyone else will--and the problems in Heart are about to turn deadly.

     Ana is an amazing protagonist. From the beginning, she comes off as self-depreciative and vulnerable, but she's also full of potential. With spunk, a big heart, an ear for music, and a desire to prove she's more than just a nosoul, she quickly sets herself up for a dramatic character arc that does not disappoint. Sam is intriguing as well, constructed with wonderful attributes, ghosts, and internal conflicts of his own. These two have the "spark" many fictional couples lack, lending their romance a flavor of sweet realism.

     Incarnate is set in a beautiful world. Range is speckled with towering forests, lush hillsides, glittering lakes, mountains, and lonely cabins where reclusive souls spend their days in the company of nature. Then there's Heart, a bustling city carved from living stone that pulses out a heartbeat like a great organ. Beyond Heart's walls are dragons and sylpth, deadly creatures of fiery shadow that scald everyone they touch. Inside is the Temple of Janan, a looming structure of impenetrable mystery that appears to glow of its own accord. All this and more greets Ana when she sets foot outside her mother's cottage, sweeping her up in a powerful journey of self-discovery embellished with lovely settings that cloak sinister subplots.

     The trouble Incarnate runs into is genre. It can't seem to decide whether it is a self-discovery novel with fantasy elements, science fiction, or a full-blown romance. While a romantic subplot would fit nicely into the overarching story, Ana and Sam's relationship is much too powerful to lurk in the sidelines. Then again, Ana's desire to learn why she exists is strong as well, leading her from discovery to shocking discovery that will change her life forever. This category crisis isn't helped by Heart's arsenal of flying drones and laser guns, which are used to fight off the dragons. There's a good deal of action, a pinch of gore, and much romantic tension to be had. Some of this tension is interrupted by well-timed plot twists, but there are scenes that, while not explicit, go a bit beyond kissing.

     I would recommend this book to teens and young adults looking for an adventuresome romance set in a world where death is only temporary. The worldbuilding is fantastic, the characters rounded and well-structured. If not for Incarnate's indecisiveness over what genre to stick with, Jodi Meadows' novel little tale would be a perfect choice for all fantasy-romance lovers. As it is, it's a good fit for those desiring a taste of science fiction, as well. It deserves four shining stars.

Review of "Thirteen Reasons Why"

"I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life."

     Thirteen Reasons Why, a young adult novel by debut author Jay Asher, is all about suicide. When his classmate and long-time crush, Hannah Baker, takes her own life, Clay Jensen is heartbroken. He's trapped in a world turned upside-down, memories of their single kiss haunting his every step. As time passes, he can't help but wonder whether there were warning signs he ignored, hints at the darkness stirring within her. So when a box of audiotapes filled with Hannah's voice appears on his doorstep, it's impossible for him to stop listening. Throughout the night, Clay listens to tape after tape, following a map to the sites of all of the tragedies leading up to her fatal decision. Each tape is aimed at a single person, unraveling their facade before his very eyes. Somewhere in those tapes is his name--which means that, without realizing it, he contributed to her death. And he's terrified to find out how.

     Asher has a beautiful writing style. Clay and Hannah have distinct voices soaked through with emotion and realism, marking them as unique individuals with their own lives and histories. Hannah's voice follows Clay everywhere, from the cassette player in his garage, to his friend's house, to the playground where she had her first kiss. Every once in a while Clay will pause the tape, a transition signaled by the appearance of the "pause" button on the paper. This also occurs with the "play" button. Rather than interfering with the narrative's natural flow, adding these symbols evens out the pacing and smooths the otherwise ungainly transitions.

     There is, however, a downside to Asher's method of telling Hannah's tale. While Hannah Baker is a tragic figure--and, debatably, the true protagonist--we don't get to know her very well as she lays out her story. She tells Clay how she started on the road to depression, who contributed to it, and why she finally decided to put an end to it all. He, in turn, reacts with various levels of horror, anger, and despair. But we never watch her argue with her parents, read a book, or interact with her boss when she works in the school office.The pacing is maintained with breaks in Hannah's narration rather than lighthearted moments unaffected by the looming finale.

     Thirteen Reasons Why deals with some heavy subjects, and it follows that there are more than a few potential triggers between its covers, not all of them relating to depression and Hannah's fate. Through listening to the tapes, Clay learns about horrible events in his community, from guys taking advantage of girls to an accident leading to a neighbor's death. There's a moderate amount of profanity, plus a strong emphasis on the consequences of rudeness and inaction that runs through the entire work.

     I would recommend this book to older teens looking for a well-written novel about understanding a girl who gave up on life. Jay Asher crafts the setting and plot quite nicely, filling in little details that make the scenes stand out. The underlying themes are also very well-done. However, his debut is littered with scenarios the trigger-sensitive may wish to avoid, and the loss of Hannah Baker is somewhat diminished by the distinct absence of her pre-depression personality. Add this up and you've got a good book that, though lacking in the uplifting-messages department, is difficult to put down. Therefore, I grant Thirteen Reasons Why three stars out of five.

Review of "The School for Good and Evil"

“What happens when Good becomes Evil?”

     Today’s title, Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil, takes a look at the true nature of Good and Evil. When twelve-year-olds Sophie and Agatha are kidnapped from the little town of Gavaldon, they know exactly where they are headed: Sophie for the School of Good, where she’ll become a fairy tale princess, and Agatha for the School for Evil, where she’ll learn potions and spells that will turn her into a fairy tale villain. When Sophie ends up in Evil’s moat and Agatha is thrust into a pink pinafore, they are determined to set things right. But there is more to this school than meets the eye, and if the girls aren’t careful they could be expelled—or worse. Now Sophie must decide how far she is willing to go to obtain her Happily Ever After, while Agatha determines just how much she’s willing to give up to help her.

     The School for Good and Evil is a beautifully written book. With grand landscapes, a sweeping plot, and original, complex characters, Chainani’s little tale is stuffed to the brim with greatness. Sophie is fascinating to read about, with her pretty pink dresses, desire to be Good, and determination to do whatever it takes to become a princess. Agatha stands as a sharp contrast, not because she hates princes or lives with a potion-loving mother but because she stands tall despite her circumstances. Their friendship may have a rocky road ahead of it, but they are dead-set on maintaining it. The love these children possess for their best friend is not only admirable—it ties the story together. When that love is put to the test, the conflict that ensues practically guarantees the pages will keep turning, no matter the hour.

     Chainani inspects both sides of his mythical school with incredible depth. Over the years, the School for Good and Evil has gradually degraded. Although the princes- and princesses-to-be have become more vain and selfish, they always manage to win school-wide competitions. Evil students, resentful of Good’s continual triumph, put little effort into dominating that side of the school. Meanwhile, the teachers struggle to maintain balance between the two sides. Nothing is as it should be, so when Sophie and Agatha are assigned to the wrong schools, everyone begins questioning the School Master’s judgement. If they are to switch schools—or, as Agatha desires, go home—they must prove beyond doubt that they do not belong. But as the situation grows worse, the girls begin to wonder if the School Master was right after all.

     There is plenty of action to be had at the School for Good and Evil. In the School for Evil, wicked classmates plot the demise of a fellow student even as they turn rat leavings into candy. In the School for Good, a morose little girl has to figure out a way to return home without getting killed by gargoyles. And in the class where both sides mix, everyone must work together to learn how to survive the predator-infested forests of their future fairy tales. While there’s no cursing or explicit content, Sophie’s quest for Goodness involves some heart-pounding scrapes with death, ridiculous self-help lessons, and rhinestone-studded uniforms designed to attract princes. Throw in a dash of irony, a handful of exciting plot twists, and a sprinkle of dramatic character arcs, and you’ve got a narrative that is quite impossible to put down.

     I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old, who wonders if heroes and villains always deserve their respective roles. Sophie and Agatha are wonderful characters with plenty of heart, spunk, and willpower. The worldbuilding is fantastic, as is their mission to escape the confines of their predetermined roles. With its action, conspiracies, and unpredictable plot, Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil is irresistibly spellbinding. It deserves five stars and a place on every reader’s bookshelf.

Review of "What's Left of Me"

"No one used my name anymore."

     Kat Zhang's What's Left of Me considers a thought-provoking question: what happens if two girls lived in the same head? Being a hybrid is dangerous, as Addie and Eva well know. If someone hasn't settled by the age of five--if their recessive soul hasn't disappeared forever--doctors, counselors, and specialists are called in. For years, Addie has lived a normal life, keeping Eva's continued existence a secret while her twin soul watches through her eyes, haunted by a life she can no longer touch. So when Hally and Lissa, a hybrid girl from their new school, tell Eva they can teach her to regain control of her body, Eva is ecstatic. Determined to give her sister a second chance at life, Addie does all she can to help. But when the world says hybrids can't live among them, they mean it. If Addie and Eva are to survive, they must befriend the very people they once scorned and embrace a part of themselves long left untouched.

 

     Eva's tale is fascinating. Trapped inside her own head for four years, she's had time to learn the difference between children's souls and contemplate everything she's lost. When she finally gets the opportunity to live her own life, she changes dramatically, finding a voice for herself and making her own decisions. Not all her choices are good, but they all shape her personality and fate into things worth reading about. Addie's character arc is fascinating as well, as she struggles alongside her sister even as she adjusts to the sudden shift in her reality. Though they share a body, the girls are completely different individuals, adding another great dynamic to the plot and premise.

     What's Left of Me has a very distinctive style of prose. Eva refers to parts of her body as "ours", and takes Addie into account for nearly everything. Although the world around her is not described with a great deal of color, this alternate America is quickly shaped into a realistic environment. The villains are intriguing because they are a mix of "misguided" and "evil", cementing their realism and rounding them out. Plenty of supporting characters are flat or static, but not enough to impede the plot. Despite everything they go through and all the horrors they face--from threats against their brother to unpleasant institution heads--Eva and Addie manage to cling to their morals from page to page. They also refrain from cursing and, for the most part, resorting to violence, a fact that is portrayed quite well. There is a slight romantic touch, but it is very light.

     I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a story about two girls sharing a mind, a body, and an intimidating enemy. Addie and Eva's quest for a full life is exciting, a three-hundred-odd-paged adventure soaked through with emotion, power, and hope. Between the world and the love these sisters obviously have for each other, Kat Zhang has captured a brilliant premise that fits neatly with the plot. She may not describe the settings much, but what she does describe is worth it. What's Left of Me is a great book heading a strong, well-written trilogy and deserves four stars.

Review of "The Young World"

"For the most part, people had done their dying inside."

     In Chris Weitz's The Young World, only teenagers survived the apocalypse. When the Sickness swept across the planet, adults and children alike fell, leaving their siblings and children to fend for themselves. The Sickness isn't gone, though. When someone turns eighteen, or gets close to it, they come down with a terrible cough and soon find themselves dead. Jefferson's brother, Washington, leads a small tribe living in New York City's Washington Square. But Wash is almost eighteen, and when he passes Jefferson knows he'll be expected to take control. So when his friend Brainbox decides to visit a distant library branch to hunt down a lead on what caused the Sickness, Jefferson jumps to accompany him. Accompanied by Donna, the girl he loves, and two other oddball teens, he and Brainbox embark on a journey that may end up saving the human race. Assuming, of course, they survive the first couple of blocks.

     Donna and Jefferson are complete opposites. She's habitual and cautious; he's thoughtful but daring. Though Jefferson's love for Donna appears at first to be a subplot, it quickly grows until it has taken over more than its fair share of the plot. Yet there is something likable about Jefferson. He thinks and acts so deliberately, considering his words and his circumstances before he speaks. Though he does make some incredible mistakes, he is relatable enough that it isn't extremely difficult to forgive him. Donna is a different matter. She pretends she is only tagging along to keep her friends safe, and has no interest in saving the world. In reality, she has much deeper motivations, but by the time they are revealed--or not revealed, as the case may be--she is already so angsty, annoying, and generally unlikable that readers' care-o-meters may have run frightfully low.

     Plot-wise, this tale has little to go on. These Washington Square tribesmen set out on a hunt for a scientific article and end up running from shooters attacking them for the fun of it, battling bloodthirsty zoo escapees, and fleeing from cannibals. There isn't a lot of rhyme or reason to the foes they face, but their journey is definitely well-paced and nowhere near short on action. Everything happens for a reason; there are no superfluous scenes. Still, it would have been nice if the characters had started out with a plan, even if they ended up abandoning it.

     Though there are a great many gunfights and a few fistfights, there isn't a whole lot of gore in The Young World. Aside from a bit of blood and a few broken bones, most characters escape trouble with little more than a few scrapes and bruises. However, the profanity is cringe-worthy, and the protagonists have several run-ins with a large group of adolescents that take advantage of whatever girls they find, even going so far as to purchase more from other tribes. Readers should also note that Weitz's story is open-minded, incorporating a variety of faiths, lifestyles, ethnicities, and sexualities, dealing with them openly rather than skirting around the topics.

     I would recommend this book to teenagers interested in a world where survival is uncertain, hope is scarce, and the future of humanity depends on the uncertain shoulders of five determined teenagers. There's action, romance, and strong world-building galore. What there isn't is a likable love interest and a structured plot--the Washington Square tribesmen wander in the general direction of their destination, unsure what, exactly, they will do when they arrive. Coupled with the language and the antagonists' inexplicit but obvious female-objectification, this knocks Chris Weitz's novel down a points. However, The Young World is built on an interesting premise and hosts a cast of overall fun characters, earning it three stars out of five.

Review of "The Secret of the Old Clock"

"But I guess a fight to break the will would be hopeless."

     The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene's tale of incredible sleuthing, turns a regular girl into a master detective. When eighteen-year-old Nancy Drew sees a young child lose her balance on the side of a bridge, her only thoughts are ones of pure terror. She rushes to the child's side and, with the help of the girl's two concerned aunts, cares for her until she wakens. It is then that the elderly aunts explain their predicament: money is running out, their seamstress days nearly over as they struggle to raise little Judy without any income. Their only hope was the will of the late Cousin Josiah, but to their great surprise it appears to have excluded them entirely! Convinced the most recent copy includes the Turner aunts, Nancy sets out on a quest to recover it and return prosperity to their little family. If she can find the will, she'll be a hero; but she may find that sleuthing is easier said than done when the object of her search is in the hands of criminals.

     Nancy Drew is a tough, powerful character with plenty of heart, no matter what edition of The Old Clock is read; though the adventure was originally published in 1930 and revised in 1959, the fundamental story remains the same. The difference between the two versions of Nancy lies in her levels of risk-taking and her underlying motivation, but in the end it doesn't much matter. Nancy is strong-willed and lovable, even if she is more charitable than is always relatable. With the help of her gossiping friend Helen Corning, she embarks on a noble quest to help the less fortunate. Helen and her fellow supporting characters remain fairly static throughout the novel, as does their young sleuth friend. This is rather disappointing, though the story is short enough that the lack of character arcs is understandable.

     Keene's writing is what makes this title a children's story. Though Nancy is eighteen, she and her friends are clean-mouthed, fair, and as pacifistic as they can get while hunting down unpleasant villains. The narrator's vocabulary is simple without being patronizing, a feat many children's authors find difficult to accomplish. The action is intense not because it is gory or violent, but because it takes place just when the stakes are at their highest.

     I would recommend this book to kids and tweens interested in a powerful young detective with a big heart and a desire to make the world a better place. Though the Turners' tragedy is brought to light quite abruptly and Nancy's character transforms very little over the course of the narrative, the plot surrounding her is interesting and exciting. Readers willing to overlook the prose's strong leanings toward young folk will find themselves wrapped up in a great mystery headed by an ordinary girl with a talent for charming her way into her audience's hearts. For adventure, suspense, and an intriguing plot, Carolyn Keene's The Secret of the Old Clock deserves three stars.

Review of "In the After"

"I've learned to live in a soundless world."

     In the After, Demitria Lunetta's thrilling YA tale of apocalyptic survival, takes place in a world where the smallest sound is a death sentence. Amy Harris was watching television when They came--vicious, human-shaped aliens who hunted mankind almost to extinction. Three years later, she and Baby, a child she rescued in the early days of the After, are some of the only people still alive. She and Baby are silent, communicating through a modified version of American Sign Language to avoid drawing attention from Them. Together, the two scavenge for food and hunker down within the safety of Amy's childhood home, surrounded by an electric fence provided by her late mother's paranoia. One fateful day, Amy and Baby stumble upon a colony of survivors who have managed to build a life for themselves. But these people aren't everything they seem, and if Amy isn't careful, she could end up dead. Or, worse, she could lose Baby forever.

     Amy Harris is a brilliant character. She's strong, fast, and deadly silent, surviving confrontations with competitive neighbors and terrifying encounters with Them. Yet, somehow, Lunetta manages to prevent her from becoming too good at what she does; she makes mistakes, and pays for them, as do those around her. In the After, everything is a life-or-death risk, something that is portrayed extraordinarily realistically. Baby is also fascinating, with her quirks and almost haunting quietness. When a girl who uses her mouth to talk barges into the story, the ripple effects are grounded in logic. And when the people of New Hope arrive on the scene, Amy and Baby's reactions send the narrative into a new, equally powerful plot with its fair share of chilling moments.

     Though Amy narrates her story, how she tells it is constantly in flux. Sometimes she'll retreat into a memory of Before They came, or interweave the present with the very recent past. While this can seem a little strange at times, it makes sense in the end and is never confusing. Otherwise, the prose is perfectly paced, easily balancing action and rest without losing hold on the tension for even a sentence. There aren't very many plot twists, but the ones that do make an appearance are truly game-changing shocks.

     This is not a children's book. Although she doesn't go into great detail on Their feeding habits, Amy often takes note of three-year-old bloodstains and moments when the creatures feed. A few minor characters die at the claws of Them, which is understood to be gory but mostly left to the imagination. Characters swear very rarely, kiss, and violently prevent others from taking advantage of them. That aside, however, the romance is clean, minor, and manages not to interfere with the characters' mental functions, as it does in other tales.

     I would recommend this book to teens and adults looking for a chilling apocalyptic world where the danger is very real. Amy is a great character who is easy to relate to and sympathize with, even when she has to make hard decisions that could easily render her unlikable if it weren't for her motivation. Baby serves as a wonderful anchor and companion, contributing a surprising amount to the already-solid plot. For thrills, an amazing cast, and a frighteningly real apocalypse, Demitria Lunetta's In the After deserves five stars.