Review: Feed by M.T. Anderson

Title: Feed

Author:  M.T. Anderson

Release Date: September 23^rd, 2002

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 308

Source: Bought for my YA Lit Class

Summary (goodreads.com): Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains.

For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.

My Review: 

(NOTE: this review is way longer than any other review I've written because it was also an assignment for my YA lit class)
Titus’ world scares the ever-living stuffing out of me. M.T. Anderson has created a world that seems incredibly plausible to me. Everything that happens to Titus and Violet could happen to us in the future. The best part of Feed was the language and his use of it to help characterize the main characters. He channeled teenagers better than any YA author I have ever read. Titus describes conversation a lot like I do when he’s chatting with his chat on the feed (examples: and then she was all… and then he was like…).  This was so similar to how I describe conversations that I actually got freaked out and I liked that I was able to draw such a strong connection. On the other hand some of the language Anderson had the characters use confused me. Their slang, for example, was futuristic and confusing. I feel like a futuristic slang dictionary would have been helpful. After a while I understood some terms but a lot of the time I was left guessing and I think that if I knew what the heck some of the words meant I would have gotten a better grasp of the characters. Despite all of the excellent characterization using language it was still really had to connect to the characters at first because I am so far removed from their setting. This might also be because I have never been one for science fiction like this. Normally I wouldn't have picked this book up and if I had a choice I wouldn't have made it more than twenty pages in because it was so hard to connect with.
               One of the creepiest parts of Feed was the ads. The novel is interspersed with sections of sample ads that are transmitted through the feed. I think that was a really interesting way of conveying how disruptive they are. They always caught me off guard and I always had the urge to skip over them because they got in the way of the plot. They were doing exactly what they were supposed to do. They got me to think about if I had a feed and had to have these commercials fed directly into my brain all the time. I'd go crazy or I would learn to ignore them, just like I ignore my facebook ads! I really liked Violet’s idea to beat the system when it came to the ads. The ads of the novel are extremely personalized to each individual person, much like the ads of facebook. After I read Feed I checked my facebook to see if the ads they had would be things I was interested in. Six out of six were spot on. There were ads for New Zealand’s Middle Earth tour, Harper Voyager books, book scout, Amazon’s Kindle, This is Teen, and a Jack Skellington cake. This drove the idea of Feed home for me.
            Anderson did a fantastic job portraying a society that has taken technology to far. The internet has literally become their brains, so much so that without the feed people couldn’t function in society and if the feed itself malfunctions I suggest you start saying goodbye because you will not survive! I really hope this book makes others think about how much we rely on technology and how it is making our society worse rather than better.

~Read More,

Talk Less,

Laura!

Review: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Title: The Wishing Spell

Author: Chris Colfer

Release Date: July 17^th, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

Age Group: Middle Grade

Pages: 438

Source: Bought

Series: Land of Stories (#1)

Summary (goodreads.com): Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.

"The Land of Stories" tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

My Review:

I was pleasantly surprised by this although I don't know why. I should have had more faith. This really was quite a spectacular and original take on fairy tales. I could tell that Colfer respected the tales and wanted to convey that in his story. All the characters were fleshed out and I loved them all even the "evil" characters that I grew up despising. Colfer showed that even the dark characters have a motive based in light. The twins (main characters) were entertaining, enlightening and even a little bit daring. This is the kind of story I love. I love when the characters meet the characters in their own favorite books just like I would love to. It connects me as a reader to the character in ways that are unique to this experience. Colfer painted the Land of Stories vibrantly with his words and gave his characters a magnificent depth. I look forward to reading more books by him. 

~Talk Less,

Read More,

Laura!

Review: The Raven Boys by Meggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: September 18^th, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 409

Source: ARC via Publisher

Series: The Raven Cycle (#1)

Summary (goodreads.com): “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

My Review: 

The summary doesn't to this book justice. Yes the stuff mentioned does happen, but it's kinda just a shadow in the background of the real story. I feel like after reading this that the summary should go for the next book not this one because as a first book it’s just leading up to it. This book is about Blue and how she saw Gansey on Corpse Road but I feel it’s more about Gansey's search for Glendower. He has brought all these people together for that one purpose and everything in the plot revolves around that search. The search for Glendower and everything that dealt with the ley lines was what really drew me into this novel. I was intrigued by this book from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down! I really can’t say much more about the plot without spoiling everything, but know that the mystery of it kept me on my toes. The plot was original and in-depth and the characters were superb! I can’t wait for the next book in the cycle. I highly recommend you read this thrilling novel!

~Read More,

Talk Less,

Laura!

Review: The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

Title: The Last Princess

Author: Galaxy Craze

Release Date: May 1^st, 2012

Publisher: Poppy

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 295

Source: Finished Copy from Publisher

Series: Last Princess #1

Summary (goodreads.com): A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless. When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year old Princess Eliza manages to escape. Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope-and love-once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she does not become... The Last Princess.

My Review: I was really impressed with The Last Princess. This is a dystopian novel and I normally don’t read them, but the idea of the English Monarchy surviving far into the future intrigued me. Sometimes I forgot that this takes place in the future because Craze did such an excellent job at describing royal life that I feel like this could have happened ages ago or even today. The subject of a monarchy being overthrown is kind of timeless in that regard. My heart bled for Eliza. I can't imagine how I would have handled myself in her situation. Craze created a world where I couldn't help but be on the royal’s side. None of what happened was their fault and anyone who blames them is crazy. Governments don't control the weather. Craze is fantastic at painting a picture of destruction and pain, which makes the reader feel as if they are taking part in Eliza’s fast-paced, exciting adventure with her. I look forward to reading more from Craze.

~Read More,

Talk Less,

Laura!

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore

Author: Kelly Creagh

Release Date: August 31^st, 2010

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 543

Source: Bought

Series: Nevermore #1

Other Titles in the Series: Enshadowed (#2)

Summary (goodreads.com): Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

My Review:

I finished reading Nevermore a few weeks ago and I am still thinking about it. I’m going to be honest and say that the first thing that drew me into this book was the cover. The models on the cover are PERFECT. They *are* Isobel and Varen. The second thing that drew me into Nevermore was the fact that it was quite clearly Edgar Allan Poe related. Most of my favorite poems and short stories are written by Poe and I could tell while reading this book that Kelly Creagh loved Poe even more than I do. Nevermore was full of amazingly fleshed out characters and plotlines as well as ingenious references to Poe and his dark tales. Nevermore had everything I wish for in a book: romance, laughs, chills, and Poe references!

I loved the character of Isobel because she stood up to her so called friends and when she realized that she could do better she did. Isobel is a strong female character who can be a role model to a lot of people today. I loved Varen for so many reasons. I loved that he had a depth to him. He wasn’t just some goth kid. He was that way because it truly expressed his inner thoughts and feelings. He is such an intense character and his own characters in his stories reflect upon his deepest, most inner thoughts. Everything about Varen pleased me. I couldn’t stop thinking about his dream world and what he must have had to go through to create such a world. I thought about him so much that I found myself actually doodling him a few days after I finished reading (and for the record I don’t really draw at all so my drawing Varen was a big deal). One of my favorite characters in the book was named Pinfeathers. I won’t give too much away about his character but let’s just say that he fascinated me. I could read a whole novel based on how Pinfeathers came to be and be perfectly content. Nevermore is also quite a long novel as well, clocking in at over 500 pages, but I felt that it could have been even longer which is why I am extremely glad that the second book of the trilogy comes out next week. There was no point in the novel where I felt that anything could have been cut to make it shorter. I think that every detail was incredibly important to the way the characters and plot developed. Nevermore is a spectacular, twisted tale inspired by one of the greatest authors of all time and it has become one of my favorite novels. I urge you to read this book.

~Read More,

Talk Less,

Laura!

Review: Underworld by Meg Cabot

Title: Underworld

Author: Meg Cabot

Release Date: May 8^th, 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 318

Source: ARC from Publisher

Series: Abandon Trilogy (#2)

Other Titles in the Series: Abandon (#1)

Summary (goodreads.com): Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance... on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there... and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape.

My Review:

This is the sequel to Meg Cabot’s brilliant reimagining of the classic Persephone/Hades tale. Readers learned a lot about Pierce, the main character in Abandon but very little about her love interest John. In Underworld we learn a lot more about him and I found his history to be fascinating. We learn about how he came into his position as ruler of the Underworld, we see more of his world and we even meet his closest friends. The characterization of the new characters as well as some of the old ones helped me understand exactly what Cabot was trying to accomplish with this novel. She put her own unique twist on a classic tale that leaves readers gasping for more.

~Read More,

Talk Less,

Laura!

Review: The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy

Title: The Order of Odd-Fish

Author: James Kennedy

Release Date: August 8^th, 2008

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 416

Source: Borrowed from Library, then purchased at TBF 2012

Summary (goodreads.com): JO LAROUCHE has lived her 13 years in the California desert with her Aunt Lily, ever since she was dropped on Lily’s doorstep with this note: This is Jo. Please take care of her. But beware. This is a dangerous baby. At Lily’s annual Christmas costume party, a variety of strange events take place that lead Jo and Lily out of California forever—and into the mysterious, strange, fantastical world of Eldritch City. There, Jo learns the scandalous truth about who she is, and she and Lily join the Order of Odd-Fish, a collection of knights who research useless information. Glamorous cockroach butlers, pointless quests, obsolete weapons, and bizarre festivals fill their days, but two villains are controlling their fate. Jo is inching closer and closer to the day when her destiny is fulfilled, and no one in Eldritch City will ever be the same.

My Review:

Just the summary alone pulled me into The Order of Odd-Fish. The cockroach butlers are my favorite. They are so- I don't even know. Their speeches and dramatics lead by Sefino are just so funny and perfect that if this book sucked they would save it. But it doesn't suck! In fact it's brilliant. It's the most original thing I have ever read. It's so outlandish and backwards that somehow everything makes complete sense and you're left wondering why the whole world isn't run by the Order of Odd Fish. All the characters, plotlines and dialogue are fantastic! The Order of Odd-Fish is a thoroughly thought out and written so well that readers of all ages will appreciate its genius! I could gush about this book for pages and pages but I think you should just take my word for it and read it!

(I had the great fortune to meet James Kennedy at TBF 2012 and I even made a "Proud Knight of Odd-Fish" t-shirt for the occasion. He is one of the nicest people on the planet and I think slightly insane, but all the best people are in my opinion.)

~Read More,

Talk Less,

Laura!

Happy Paperback Release Day to THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab!

GUYS, it’s finally May 15^th!

Today’s the day that The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab comes out in paperback. This is extremely exciting because in the back of the paperback, you'll find the first chapter of Victoria's new book, THE ARCHIVED, which doesn't come out until January!

But that isn’t the only exciting thing that comes out today! To celebrate the release of The Near Witch paperback "The Ash-Born Boy" is finally up over at Disney*Hyperion’s website!

You’re probably thinking “yeah, so what? I don’t even know what that is.” Well I’m here to tell you that “The Ash-Born Boy” is a free story Victoria wrote as a thank-you to her fans, and she wrote it to answer ONE question: "Who was Cole before he came to Near?"

Cole's story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion's website, and if it ever comes down, Victoria will carve out a space for it on her own site. It will always be available somewhere on the internet, and it will always be free.

(Now don’t worry if you haven’t read The Near Witch yet. “The Ash-Born Boy” isn’t at all spoillery so you can read it before or after you read The Near Witch. All that matters is that you read this amazing (FREE) story!)

Why are you still on my blog? Click HERE to go read “The Ash-Born Boy,” and don’t forget to buy/order/pick up your own paperback copy of THE NEAR WITCH!

To read my review of THE NEAR WITCH click here.

To read my review of “The Ash-Born Boy” click here.

~Read more,

Talk less,

Laura!

Quick Update

Hey guys,

You may have noticed that I sign off all of my reviews the same way, "Read More, Talk Less, ~Rory!"

I have been doing this for years because when I started this blog I didn't use my real name. I was a sophomore in HS then and it freaked me out to use my own name. I'm not freaked out anymore so I'm just going to stick to my real name because it's a lot less confusing for me and my readers.

I have no idea how I'm going to sign off anymore. I may just use the old stand by of "~Laura!"

I just wanted to let you all know about the change. Wouldn't want you all to be like, "Laura? Who the heck is that? I thought this was Rory's blog!" It is Rory's blog still, but Rory's decided to go by her real name from now on!

~Laura!

(haha see what I did there?)

Review: The Ash-Born Boy by Victoria Schwab

Title: The Ash-Born Boy

Author: Victoria Schwab

Release Date: May 15^th, 2012

Publisher: Disney*Hyperion

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 61

Source: Un-Required Reading.com

Companion to: The Near Witch

Summary (goodreads.com):

Before he came to Near...

Before he met Lexi...

Before they faced the witch...

Who was the boy named Cole?

Follow us to Dale, a city on a hill, where in a matter of days fire will devour everything. Meet the Lord and Lady, and their son, the boy destined to inherit all...until everything turns to ash.

It's time to learn the truth behind the stranger's story.

My Review:

For the love of cupcakes and narwhals this story is amazing! I adored The Near Witch when I read it last year and I was one of the people who wondered about Cole’s past and what brought him to Near. This story answers those questions and more. The brilliantly haunting prose that Victoria Schwab used to lure readers into The Near Witch is once again present here which makes the city of Dale come alive to readers just like the town of Near did. This insight into Cole’s past is sure to make fans of Victoria Schwab’s debut novel insanely happy.

~Read more,

Talk less,

Laura!