Review: After Eden

Title: After Eden (After Eden #1)
Author: Helen Douglas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Released: 7th November 2013 (first published 4th July 2013)
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

When new boy Ryan Westland starts at her school, Eden knows there's something different about him, and it's not that he's American.  He seems like a normal teenager, except for the fact that he doesn't seem to be able to recognise basic things, like pizza. And he's never heard of Hitler.  Who hasn't heard of Hitler?  Little things like that create the one big mystery that is Ryan.  But these are things that can be explained away, however unlikely.  Eden and Ryan gradually spend more and more time together, soon becoming fast friends and then something more.  But at Ryan's house, Eden discovers an autobiography of her best friend...and it's from the future.  Piecing things together, she discovers who Ryan really is and why he is there.  The truth is more shocking than she could have realised, and she herself plays an integral part.

After Eden made for a quick, entertaining read.  It had a simple writing style which flowed easily, although I noticed that it mainly comprised of dialogue.  It was not a particularly deep read, and the time travel side of it was not difficult to understand.  I appreciated the astrological references to help boost the sci-fi theme, and it generally made for interesting reading.  One thing this book really was good at was pointing out how one small thing can affect everything else.  When I read the prologue, I didn't understand the significance of it; I didn't understand what it was supposed to tell me or do for me as a reader.  Later, however, when I had more information, I understood what that scene meant, and it really makes you think about how much impact one simple choice, or one simple moment, can have.  I wouldn't say this is a particularly plot-driven novel, however.  The pace was, for the most part, easy-going, only really building up towards the end.

The characters were decent enough, but forgettable.  I really did think the romance between Ryan and Eden sweet, and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.  Having said that, there was nothing to make them stand out.  With Eden's character, my feelings for her actually bordered on dislike at times.  I didn't care for the way she was behaving simply because she was around a good-looking guy, and she was in denial over a fact that was painfully obvious; I wish she'd just step up and acknowledge the truth.  This brings me to her relationship with her best friend, Connor - really, it was a trio of close friends: Eden, Connor and Megan.  The bonds between them here were inconsistent, made little sense and seemed to change for no apparent reason.  Aside from the fact that Eden and Connor had known each other since they were young children, I didn't understand why they were friends.  And then, finally, there was the cleaner - someone related to Ryan's time travel mission, whose job it is to make sure things are as they should be and there is no trouble in any shape or form. I worked out who it was before anyone else - although no-one seemed to actually try and work it out - and again here was a change in character - one I really didn't see as necessary.  It was like the author was trying to create an obvious villain and make us root for Eden, yet it just came across as messy.  I can't really be clearer than that without giving anything away.

Douglas has made a decent effort here with her novel, and it was easy enough to read it in one sitting.  The romance was sweet, the plot undemanding.  If what you're looking for is something quick or simple, then this is one to consider.  But there is no substance, nothing that will really make you connect with anyone, no real reason for you to remember this after reading it.  I would recommend this only as a filler book, something to pass the time; somehow it makes for quite a readable book, but it certainly isn't one of the better sci-fi novels out there.

Review: Playing Tyler

Title: Playing Tyler
Author: T. L. Costa
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Released: 2nd July 2013
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have absolutely no idea where or how to start this review, since T. L. Costa seems to have robbed me of my ability to think, so I'm just going to jump right in and say this book was wonderful.  It completely took me by surprise.  I looked at this and I thought videogames, which is fine, since I read Ready Player One and loved it, even though it was completely - completely - out of my comfort zone.  Playing Tyler is not so far out, but enough that I was hoping this would work for me.  And of course I had expectations. What I did not expect, however, was for this to be as deep and emotional and explorative as it was.

Tyler has ADHD and consequently has difficulty focusing on things.  His only real strength is playing videogames, but he knows that this isn't exactly going to get him very far in life.  As well as that worry he's got to look after his older brother Brandon, who once again is in rehab for taking heroin.  When his mother's at home he's looking after her, too, since the death of Tyler's dad hit her hard.  Things look up when Rick, his Civilian Air Patrol Mentor and the only person he can count on, provides him with a game to beta test.  It's a flight simulation, one that would actually be used in training pilots if it works out.  If he scores high enough, Tyler gets to go to flight school and possibly have a career doing the one thing in life he most wants to: flying.  Then he meets Ani, the game's designer, and it seems like maybe his life won't be a disaster after all.  But that's before he discovers that there's much more to the game than he first thought, and before his brother goes missing.  Now it's not a question of what he's going to do with his future.  It's a question of whether he's going to live that long at all.

I may as well say now, the writing style here is probably going to be very hit or miss, I think because it's specifically meant to show us Tyler's thoughts as a person with ADHD.  For some it works and for others I know it doesn't.  For me, it was brilliant.  It allowed me to truly appreciate Tyler's difficulty with keeping a single, focused train of thought, and with actually being able to verbalise those thoughts.  But even aside from that, he was an extremely tough and likeable character, and one I felt a lot of sympathy for.  His mother, at the very least, is the one who is meant to be looking out for him, yet instead it's the other way around; it takes her far too long to realise where she should be focusing her attention.  And as for Brandon, well, he was as much of a disappointment, if not more, and it was only towards the end that he decided to step up and do something for his brother - although I'm still not sure that it wasn't just a cop-out for him.  There is a lot of focus on character and relationships in this book, making it one that actually brought out a lot of emotion in me.  The only issue I had in this area was Tyler's reaction to Ani when he first met her: I got that she was someone he admired for her position in the gaming world, that she was someone who understood him and who he could communicate with relatively easily; I just think that it could have been taken a bit slower.  But otherwise theirs was a sweet relationship.

Of course there was the videogame aspect as well, and all the technical details that brought.  Costa brought alive an intriguing plotline, which would no doubt actually be something possible in real life, a scary thought when you discover the truth of the game.  I appreciated the layers there were to it, so that when I thought I understood what was happening, other elements were added, and it was these that also reinforced a character issue and vice versa, making it all the more relevant to Tyler and therefore the reader.  The full import of what the realities of the simulation meant was conveyed clearly, as was the danger that Tyler and Ani are in when they discover the truth.  The last section of the book really emphasised this; it was the ending that was the most action-packed and had me absolutely refusing to put it down until I reached that last sentence.  There was a lot of urgency and the pace quickened to fulfil that, and it really meant that this book ended on a superb note.

Playing Tyler was so much more than I expected.  With only minor flaws, this was an absorbing read that realised both the need for plot and character investment.  Going into this I truly had no idea that it would be so emotional and with such serious issues.  I can see how this isn't for everyone, but I feel T. L. Costa has added something worthwhile to the YA market, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more work from her.

Review: The Testing

Title: The Testing (The Testing #1)
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Released: 4th June 2013
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me a while to have any sort of firm grasp on what I thought of this book, because it really was a mix for me.  The reviews for this were mixed, so I didn't really know what to expect going in, and then the book itself seemed to reflect all of those different thoughts, leaving me uncertain as to what exactly I made of this.  But after thinking on it, it seems to me a solid read, even if flawed.

Cia wants nothing more than to be chosen as a Testing candidate so she can go to the University, get a better education and come out with a successful career that will help rebuild their destroyed planet.  And when she is selected as a candidate, she's ecstatic.  This is short-lived, however, when her dad speaks to her the night before she leaves, warning her that this isn't the great opportunity she thinks it is, and that she must trust no-one.  Cia thinks on her father's words constantly, newfound suspicion arising in her as she looks at those around her.  Gradually she realises that he is right, that nothing is what it seems and that everything and everyone is too sinister to be trusted.  But there must be some people she can trust - someone, surely?  If not anyone else, what about the person she's falling in love with?

It took me a little while to really get into this, as I felt disconnected from the writing.  While nothing was technically wrong with it, it just seemed to fall flat for me.  This did, however, improve throughout the course of the book; though by the end it was no means perfect, it was enough for me to feel more connected with the plot and with the characters.  The world-building itself allowed me to get a clear image of the world Cia was living in, and how it had come to be that way, although I feel this could have been more smoothly done, since there was some info-dump.  Yet I did like the idea of The Testing and the need to pass it before being allowed into the University.  One of the things that stand out most to me about it is that it comprises of both an academic and a practical element.  I can't really think of a dystopia I've read where they've had to sit down and do hours worth of exams, which is part of what Cia and her fellow candidates had to do, and is actually something that we can relate to.  This was then balanced with practical tasks of various natures, until finally the main part of The Testing, the real test that they all need to pass, the one that most challenges the question of their survival.  I have to admit, this did feel like The Hunger Games - but since I'm one of the extremely rare people who were disappointed with The Hunger Games, this wasn't a problem.  In fact - and here's where I really may lose a few (alright, a lot) friends - I'd go so far as to say this was better.  Yes, that's what I said.  Go on, then.  Off you go.  I'll just talk to myself now.

What I really feel The Testing would benefit from is more characterisation.  Cia was a decent enough character, very resourceful, actually, which I really appreciated...but there could have been more.  More development and more about her that would have enabled me to really root for her and connect with her.  The same with Tomas.  For this reason the romance between them didn't work for me. Their characters weren't present enough, weren't vivid or real enough; I didn't understand what they saw in each other, why they were in this relationship.  I didn't feel any spark or chemistry.  This need for more did not apply to all the characters - there was one who particularly surprised me because his true nature was not actually what I thought it was; and I definitely got a sense of ruthlessness and danger from the staff, especially with certain tasks.  Michal, too, became something of a favourite.  There were some characters and events linked to them that did have me feeling emotion.  I just wish this could have extended to the protagonist and her love interest.

The Testing, all in all, is by no means a bad book. It has flaws which, for me, cannot allow a complete enjoyment of the book, yet I did want to keep reading.  I did want to see what happened and what the outcome would be.  And I do certainly want to read the sequel.  To anyone still reading this review (and I'd be very surprised), if you're still not sure about this, I would encourage you to check out what other people have said, since, as I mentioned before, this is one there seems to be a lot of debate over.

Review: The Caged Graves

Title: The Caged Graves
Author: Dianne Salerni
Publisher: Clarion Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Released: 14th May 2013
Rating: 2 of 5 stars

It is 1867, and Verity Boone is excited to return to her hometown of Catawissa, Pennsylvania.  Finally, after years of separation, she will be with her father again and, not only that, she will also meet her fiancé, the man she has thus far only known through letters.  Yet her welcome is not as warm as she expected.  Her father is as good as a stranger, and Nate, her fiancé, comes across as very different to how he did in his letters - more aloof and with apparently nothing in common with Verity.  But even worse is the discovery that her mother and aunt's graves are within cages, and not even in the cemetery itself - they're buried just outside.  Determined to find out why, Verity gets no answers, only rumours of witchcraft and buried treasure...and suddenly a situation in which her own life is at risk.

After such a promising premise, the plot for this unfortunately fell flat for me.  Where I was hoping for mystery and intrigue, I instead got a storyline that was overly simplistic, so much so that I wondered how Verity could possibly be so blind to facts that were right in front of her.  This was not a problem at first, Salerni's writing keeping me slightly curious and, if not completely eager to read on, still far from impatient.  This soon wore off, however, and I reached the point where I was reading simply for the sake of finishing the book.  The villains, such as they were, were not believable in the least.  Truly, they were quite ridiculous, and I didn't understand how I was supposed to view them as a real threat.  Partly because of this, what was meant to be the climax came across as messy.  Its structure - or lack thereof - had me reading incredulously and with no particular attachment to anybody.

The characters were as much of a letdown.  Verity was likeable enough, and I felt some sympathy towards her purely because of her situation, yet she was unremarkable.  Nate was somewhat frustrating, although the romance between them did allow for some lighter, sweeter moments which made for a pleasant change and an easier read than it might otherwise have been.  This was not significant enough to be a wholly redeeming factor, though, and to make matters worse, Nate was not the only love interest.  Yes, another one.  I confess, I sighed inwardly as soon as the love triangle made itself apparent.  These things are becoming even more tiresome to me than I thought.  The secondary characters, too, were as unexceptional as the protagonist.

I honestly did expect more of this, especially as the element of the caged graves is based on real ones that are still in Catawissa today.  Witchcraft and buried treasure seemed like a basis for excitement and some action, but sadly this was not so.  While this was not completely terrible - indeed, there are parts more well-written than others - this was ultimately a disappointment.

Waiting on Wednesday (#25)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.  I can't believe how long it's been since I've done one of these, but here we go!

Title: Allegiant (Divergent #3)
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: 22nd October 2013

One choice will define you.
What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.



Do I even need to say anything?  Are words really necessary here?  Just...cover!  Veronica Roth!  Conclusion to one of the best series ever! *flails* 

What about you?  Excited?  Sad that it's the end?  Nervous about how it's going to end?  I know I'm all three.  Are you all looking forward to the movie?  I'll probably watch it at some point, but I'm always really worried about what they're going to do to the book to get it on screen.  For me, the movies are never as good as the books.

And finally, what are you all waiting on this week?  Let me know and link me up!

Book Blast & Giveaway: Never Too Far

Title: Never Too Far

Author: Thomas Christopher
Publisher: Kalmaha Press
Released: 10th May 2012

A harrowing story of love and survival.

In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market.

Mary surprised Joe by knocking his arms away. She was stronger than she looked. Then she swept her legs off the bed and sprang to her feet. She took two steps and turned to face him as if to prove there was nothing wrong with her. But there was definitely something wrong. She wavered a moment. Her already white face turned ghostly. Her eyelids trembled. She seemed to realize she was becoming faint, and what that meant.

“I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t have to go.”

Joe got ready to catch her in case she fell, but somehow she held herself steady.

“It’s okay,” Joe said. “Just sit down. I will go find some food.”

Joe inched toward her. He was afraid to grab her again because she might try to wrench free once more and really fall. When she coughed, her little shoulders jerked and her round stomach jumped. Her head was drooped low and her hair hung down so he couldn’t see her face at all.

“Come on, lay down,” Joe said.

She didn’t move. Joe stepped toward her, but before he could put his arms around her, she tilted forward and rested the crown of her head against his chest. He slid his arms along the sides of her hard belly and around her waist. Then he shifted her toward the bed again. She moved like a bundle of empty sacks in his arms. He set her gently on the bed before he bent down to lift her feet onto the sheets.

After he sat in the chair, Mary asked him, “What if you don’t come back?”

“That’s not going to happen,” Joe said.

“How do you know?”

“I just know. You have to trust me.”

Purchase your copy today!

__________________________________________________________________

Thomas Christopher grew up in Iowa, where he graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. After living in Seattle and Montana, he received his MFA at Western Michigan University. He has published short stories in The Louisville Review, The MacGuffin, Redivider, Small Spiral Notebook, Cooweescoowee, and other places. He was also awarded an Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant and was a finalist for the Matthew Clark Prize in Fiction. Currently, he lives in Wisconsin with his wife Jessica and their son Holton.

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Review: The 5th Wave

I read this one a couple of months ago, so apologies if my review isn't up to par.

Title: The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1)
Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: Penguin
Released: 7th May 2013
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

When it comes to TV, I'm very selective with my aliens.  Star Wars?  Not for me.  Doctor Who?  I'm glued to my seat.  But when it comes to books, one mention of aliens and I'd better have that book ASAP.  That, coupled with the never-ending stellar reviews, made me eager to get my grabby hands on this as soon as possible.  And when I did, I was only able to put it down with great difficulty so that I could converse with my awesome buddy reader, Rebekah from Reflections of a Bookworm (her review here).  I say converse, but there might have been some fangirling too.

Humanity is no longer the same.  The world is no longer the same.  Four waves have come and gone, in which billions of people have been killed.  And still no-one knows who's alien and who's not, because the aliens have taken the appearance of humans.  They could be your old neighbour.  Your old teacher.  One rule becomes clear: trust no-one.  There's safety in solitude.  This is the rule that Cassie lives by, even as she travels across the country in search of her brother Sammy, who she promised she would find when they got separated.  It's a rule she doesn't intend to let go of.  Until she meets Evan Walker.

The 5th Wave is told to us in multiple POVs; the first time it happened I was a little confused because I wasn't expecting it and there was nothing to tell me that it had changed, but after that I found it easy to keep up with whose perspective was happening when.  These I thought worked really well, and the flashbacks, too.  The only thing I would say about the flashbacks, and I'm not even sure if this is actually a complaint, was that they could be quite long; I remember one in particular where I was reading through the flashback and then it switched back to the present day, leaving me slightly startled because I'd completely forgotten that what I'd been reading had been in the past.  But overall the writing style was stunning.  Without a doubt the perspectives I enjoyed the most were those of Cassie and Sammy.  Cassie was an incredibly tough protagonist, and I loved the humour she brought in.  Admittedly her behaviour when she met Evan was somewhat questionable, but really that was a small thing amongst a number of strong points.  As for Sammy, he was just adorable, and I loved that he and his big sister had such a close relationship.  That's not to say I didn't enjoy the other perspectives; each one was really enjoyable to read, including Evan's.

As for the plot and the world, well...it was amazing.  The concept of the waves was really intriguing, and actually presented in a realistic manner.  Such amazingly detailed world-building made this book dark and gritty, and I also appreciated Yancey's exploration of the impact the invasion had on humanity, the questions and the fear that it brought.  Hope is extinguished in this world, because hope can get you killed; so can trust.  And how long can you live without trusting anyone?  What does it mean for the human race that they were never alone, and that they're now fighting for survival on their own planet?  Will any of them make it out alive?  How important are people really, in the grand scheme of things?  How big?  It is abundantly clear that the author has thought everything through and knows exactly where he wants his story, and his characters, to go.  Certainly he ended this first instalment not on a cliffhanger, but with enough to leave us crying out for more.

The 5th Wave, then, is simply mind-blowing.  As with all books that are surrounded by hype, I found myself slightly wary on starting it, but this truly is deserving of all the praise out there.  I was immediately engrossed by the world presented to me, and I enjoyed each point of view as it came.  This is definitely one I'll be coming back to.