Category Archives: Sci-Fi

Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Book Review and Content, Magical Realism, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

The Rithmatist by Brandon SandersonThe Rithmatist (Rithmatist #1)
Brandon Sanderson
Tor Teen
Published on May 13th, 2013

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About The Rithmatist

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery—one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.

My Review

I devoured this book. It has been a long while since I’ve read a book that fast, and it felt good. I loved the entire plot, the amazing world-building, the fantastic characters….I could go on and on. This book is definitely worthy of its five star rating.

The plot was thrilling. As an artist, the idea of chalk drawings coming to life was very intriguing, and it was exciting to see how Sanderson spun out the mystery. He did an excellent job of weaving in unexpected twists and turns to keep the mystery going until the very end. My only complaint would be that the mystery was wrapped up very quickly in the end, leaving me wondering if that really was the solution, or if there was something more in store. And it ended with “To be continued,” and some unresolved loose ends. Not cool–how am I supposed to survive until the sequel comes out?

The world-building was phenomenal. It was completely unlike any other setting I’ve ever read. It was based on the premise of “what if America was actually an archipelago of islands?” It also had some other twists in history, but I’ll let you discover them for yourself. Part alternate history, part fantasy, it had a familiar feel to it while still being original. It even had touches of steampunk–er, springpunk? And the magic of the Rithmatists? It was awesome. I loved how it was based on logical principles and geometric properties. I can’t wait to read more about it in the next book. One note: the Monarchical Church in the book seems Christian in nature at first, and is classified with other Christian denominations. However, from the little tidbits that were in the book, it seems more of a religion glorifying science, along with some ritualistic aspects that could become dark very quickly. I would be wary letting younger children read this book on their own–if they do, at least discuss with them the religious views the characters hold to, and how that differs from Christianity to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

The characters were great. Quite well-developed and life-like. My personal favorite was Melody–I loved her spunky, melodramatic personality, and all the hilarious comments she added. When I first started the book, it was a little hard to figure out whose POV it was from, but it became clearer within the first few pages. By the way, I kept wanting to call Joel “Joe” instead. Not sure why–I just thought it fit him better.

Wrap-up: This was a really fun, exciting read. It’s a blend of magical realism, alternate reality, and steampunk. I highly recommend it. Just a warning though: the explanation behind the origin of Rithmatist powers was hinted at, and it points to a rather dark theory. Some of the religious aspects, a fight scene toward the end, and the actual villain were very creepy and disturbing. Not for the weak of stomach.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Most characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Made up curses, like “dusts,”and “dusting,” were common phrases.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions of dress showing quite a bit of leg, a girl being pretty, etc

Spiritual Content
The Monarchical Church in the book seems Christian in nature at first, and is classified with other Christian denominations. However, from the little tidbits that were in the book, it seems more of a religion glorifying science, along with some ritualistic aspects that could become dark very quickly.

Violent Content
Most of the attacks are off page, though the end fight scene is very creepy. The wild chalklings eat off the skin and eyes of victims. One “historical” account of a chalkling attack is pretty disturbing.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Book Review and Content, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)
Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published on October 16, 2016

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About Gemina
Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

My Review
One of the really fun things about this book (both books in the series, actually) is the unusual way the story is told. Instant message transcripts and transcripts of video footage make up the bulk of the story with some additional notes, like memos, journal illustrations, and emails sprinkled in.

Hanna’s a tough cookie, and a bit spoiled. She won me over because she quickly put aside her infatuation with fashion and her dreamy boyfriend to take on the task of bringing down hostile invaders.

Nik is basically your typical bad boy with the heart of gold. Maybe a little trope-y, but to be honest, I never mind that kind of a hero, so I was totally in—even though it did take me a while to get past his rough edges.

The story moves fast—lots happens and the stakes pretty much constantly jump higher and higher. Some of the twists caught me completely unprepared. I liked how things dove-tailed together to complete the arc.

Readers who enjoy quick dialogue and banter as well as somewhat gritty sci-fi will want this one on their lists. Gemina makes a great follow-up to the series debut, Illuminae, and I had no trouble following it even though I’d forgotten a lot of pertinent details to that first book.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white. Nik’s cousin has some physical disabilities as a result of her surviving a plague illness.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Another clever thing about this story is it censored most of the profanity, as if someone went back and blacked out the words from the record. A couple words did not get blacked out.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. Also several scenes contain some sexual innuendo. At one point, Hanna ends up in her bra and underwear for non-romantic reasons, and has to find another outfit. There are a couple of references to her being in bed with her boyfriend, but they focus on either falling asleep or waking together, etc, rather than sexual details.

Spiritual Content
A couple of “Oh my God!” – “No, it’s just me,” kinds of comments.

Violent Content
Strong violence in several scenes. A man executes a hostage by shooting him in the head. Creepy descriptions tell of a parasite capable of attacking others which renders its victims sort of braindead and helpless. A couple gory descriptions of animal deaths.

Drug Content
Nik’s family deals a powerful drug referred to as dust. He’s involved in the manufacturing of the drug and in selling it. Hanna purchases it for friends and parties, but maintains that her own use is minimal or under control. She seems to have extreme familiarity with the effects of the drug and uses it for other purposes as the story progresses.

Review: What Goes Up by Katie Kennedy

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What Goes Up
Katie Kennedy
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published July 18, 2017

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About What Goes Up
Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA’s mysterious Multi-World Agency. After rounds of crazy-competitive testing they are appointed to Team 3, along with an alternate, just in case Eddie screws up (as everyone expects he will). What they don’t expect is that aliens will arrive from another dimension, and look just like us. And no one could even imagine that Team 3 would be the only hope of saving our world from their Earth-destroying plans. The teens steal the spacecraft (it would be great if they knew how to fly it) and head to Earth2, where the aliens’ world and people are just like ours. With a few notable exceptions.

There, the teens will find more than their alternate selves: they’ll face existential questions and high-stakes adventure, with comedy that’s out of this world.

My Review
I definitely enjoyed the constant jokes and comedy between the characters. It created this deep sense of camaraderie in the group and kept the story from getting too bogged down by all of the scientific details. I liked the juxtaposition of the serious crisis and the comedic moments.

The point-of-view alternates between Eddie and Rosa, who at first don’t have great impressions of each other. It’s not long before they come to respect, admire and come to need each other. I liked the chemistry between Rosa, Eddie, and Trevor. They made a great team and balanced each other well.

What Goes Up was a quick read for me. Every time I sat down to read just a few pages, I’d fly through chapter after chapter, always wondering what the teams would face next. There’s enough science to keep sci-fi fans flipping pages and enough great dialogue to keep fans of more character-driven stories well-satisfied. Totally a fun summer read.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Rosa is Asian and Trevor is black. At one point Trevor wonders whether his alternate self is gay.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used with moderate frequency.

Romance/Sexual Content
At one point Rosa needs help getting to town for supplies to manage her period. She’s embarrassed, but doesn’t give any real details about her situation. Brief kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A group of boys try to throw Rosa down the stairs. Eddie is nearly injured when a bomb goes off. A couple of skirmishes between Eddie’s team and alternate Earth guys bent on destroying Earth. Nothing graphically violent.

Drug Content
Eddie gets very drunk after a conflict with a family member and the leadership of the program he’s in.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Review: Day Moon by Brett Armstrong

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, New Adult 18up, Sci-Fi, , , ,

Day Moon
Brett Armstrong
Clean Reads
Published March 26, 2017

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About Day Moon
In A.D. 2039, a prodigious seventeen year old, Elliott, is assigned to work on a global soft-ware initiative his deceased grandfather helped found. Project Alexandria is intended to provide the entire world secure and equal access to all accumulated human knowledge. All forms of print are destroyed in good faith, to ensure everyone has equal footing, and Elliott knows he must soon part with his final treasure: a book of Shakespeare’s complete works gifted him by his grandfather.

Before it is destroyed, Elliott notices something is amiss with the book, or rather Project Alexandria. The two do not match, including an extra sonnet titled “Day Moon”. When Elliott investigates, he uncovers far more than he bargained for. There are sinister forces backing Project Alexandria who have no intention of using it for its public purpose.

Elliott soon finds himself on the run from federal authorities and facing betrayals and deceit from those closest to him. Following clues left by his grandfather, with agents close at hand, Elliott desperately hopes to find a way to stop Project Alexandria. All of history past and yet to be depend on it.

My Review
Ever since I read The Giver in probably fourth or fifth grade, dystopian stories have held a special place in my heart. I loved this premise about knowledge being stored and then used to manipulate others. It reminded me a bit of the Matched series by Ally Condie or The Great Library series by Rachel Caine.

I had kind of a love/hate relationship with the voice of Day Moon. On the one hand, Elliot works as a software engineer, and the way he talks and thinks reminds me a great deal of the way my husband, also a software engineer, communicates. So it felt really authentic. On the other hand, it also tended to be very passive and use a lot of words to say things. I think that kind of writing weighed the story down and kept me at a distance from scenes that should have been super intense.

I enjoyed the use of Shakespeare and the search for clues from Elliot’s grandfather, but sometimes the plot seemed to jump around and leave important threads hanging. For instance, near the beginning, Elliot’s superiors close in around him, demanding he produce the book his grandfather left him, the book which he lent to his friend Lara. Elliot never seems to consider whether this places Lara in danger, even as the guys looking for the book become more and more sinister. For a long stretch, it seems he forgets about the book altogether while he gets wrapped up in the search for his grandfather’s clues. I kept reading scenes thinking, okay, yeah, but where’s the book?! Who has the book?! Are the bad guys about to get it? Where is it?

I also struggled with the timeline of the story. It’s supposed to be set in 2039, which is only about 22 years from now. Elliot recalls stories from his grandfather about driverless cars and combustion engines when it seems like these would be things familiar to his parents’ generation as well. I didn’t understand why everything seemed tied to his grandfather when so little time had passed. Maybe Elliot never knew his father? I don’t recall any explanation on that in the story.

One of the cool elements in Day Moon was the way Elliot and Lara connected over a shared passion for artwork. I liked that they were students in an accelerated program, which gave some reason for them to act a little less like teens and more like college kids. On the other hand, though, I didn’t feel like they had any real teen issues at all. Neither of them lived with parents or seemed to feel close ties with immediate family members. I didn’t get the sense that they were breaking into adulthood, but more like they were experienced participants, so I don’t think I would really classify the story as young adult. It’s more like clean new adult fiction.

While this wasn’t my favorite book, readers looking for a dystopian story featuring a character with strong software talents will find it easy to identify with Elliot’s gentle, sometimes awkward character. Shakespeare fans may enjoy the way quotes and elements from Shakespeare’s works are woven into a sort of scavenger hunt. The light romance between Elliot and Lara may appeal to readers looking for a bit of summer love, too.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Not a lot of ethnic or cultural details in the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A man and woman frantically kiss on top of a hotel bed, but separate before going to sleep. Elliot feels conscious of his attraction to Lara, but also committed to Christian virtues in relationships.

Spiritual Content
Elliot prays for help in times of need. At one point, he pauses to examine his behavior and worries he isn’t being very Christ-like.

Violent Content
A man knocks someone unconscious with a shovel. At one point, Elliot and his allies leave a man tied up in the trunk of a car while they figure out what to do next.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Review: The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber

Book Review and Content, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow
Mary Weber
Thomas Nelson
Published on June 6th, 2017

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About The Evaporation of Sofi Snow
Ever since the Delonese ice-planet arrived eleven years ago, Sofi’s dreams have been vivid. Alien. In a system where Earth’s corporations rule in place of governments and the humanoid race orbiting the moon are allies, her only constant has been her younger brother, Shilo. As an online gamer, Sofi battles behind the scenes of Earth’s Fantasy Fighting arena where Shilo is forced to compete in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb takes out a quarter of the arena, Sofi’s the only one who believes Shilo survived. She has dreams of him. And she’s convinced he’s been taken to the ice-planet.

Except no one but ambassadors are allowed there.

For Miguel, Earth’s charming young playboy, the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets and seduction. Until the Fantasy Fight’s bomb goes off. Now the tables have turned and he’s a target for blackmail. The game is simple: Help the blackmailers, or lose more than anyone can fathom, or Earth can afford.

Gabrielle’s Review
I was very curious about this book when I saw the title. Though I don’t normally read a lot of sci-fi, I was intrigued by the summary and decided to give this one a try. While I did find it interesting, it didn’t grip me as much as I would have hoped. Also, the book itself ends in a major cliffhanger, so the story feels very much unfinished.

I enjoyed how the author chose to write the future world—with old fashions being recycled, celebs out to cause mischief and gossip, and people constantly searching for the next greatest thing, whether that be the latest wonder drug or a new Hunger Games-style arena fight. It felt very real, and—what was scary—not too far from our own modern world.

In this book, (minor spoiler) the author decided to take on the issue of human trafficking. This is not an easy subject, and makes the book quite a bit heavier than it might have been otherwise. What the author was trying to get across (other than how horrific human trafficking is) wasn’t entirely clear. (end minor spoiler) I’m hoping that I’ll see more of the plot and some of the themes in this book resolved in the next book.

Overall, I’d rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. While The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is unique in its plot, and bold in approaching some heavy topics, it lacks any sense of resolution or completeness, leaving the reader wondering if the characters have any hope at all in their very broken world. This book will appeal most to fans of The Hunger Games and other similar dystopian/sci-fi books.

Recommended for Ages 14 and up

Cultural Elements
Miguel is Hispanic. Sofi has Cherokee heritage.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Barely any—a few “What the—” and “WTF” thrown in.

Romance/Sexual Content
Miguel is described as being a player, and it is mentioned that he has slept with many different women. (Part of the back story is that he almost took Sofi’s innocence, but refrained.) Miguel and Sofi strongly desire each other, and remember “the feel of each other’s skin, and lips,” etc. The story features the issue of human trafficking, and hints at sex trafficking as well. Sofi undresses in front of Heller, and later in front of Miguel. It is clear this affects them both, though that was not her intention. Heller is obsessively infatuated with Sofi, and goes to great lengths to “protect” her.

Spiritual Content
The Delonese chant their strange philosophy in a ritual, but it doesn’t seem directed towards a deity. Instead, it seems to glorify their race and technological advances.

Violent Content
The book starts off at the FanFight games, which is a blend between virtual reality and reality. Some of the arena elements attack/harm the players, and some of the injuries are fairly graphic. A violent explosion later takes the lives of many of the players and participants, but no details are given. There are also some minor injuries and a few deaths towards the middle of the book, but these are non-graphic. Towards the end however, a flashback Sofi has of the Delonese prepping her and some other kids for a medical procedure is very graphic and somewhat disturbing.

Drug Content
Some mention of wonder drugs (mostly in a medical context). Miguel serves alcohol at his party to “loosen tongues.”

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Breaking by Danielle Rollins

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Breaking
Danielle Rollins
Bloomsbury
Published June 6, 2017

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About Breaking

Charlotte has always felt ordinary compared to her two best friends at the prestigious Weston Preparatory Institute. Not enigmatic and daring like Ariel or beautiful and brilliant like Devon, Charlotte has never quite met the standards of the school—or those of her demanding mother. But with Ariel and Devon by her side, none of that mattered. They became the family she never had.

Until the unthinkable happens—Ariel dies by suicide. And less than a month later, so does Devon.

Everyone accepts the suicides as tragic coincidences, but Charlotte refuses to believe that. And when she finds mysterious clues left behind by Ariel, Charlotte is thrust down a path that leads to a dangerous secret about Weston Prep. There’s a reason Weston students are so exceptional, and the people responsible are willing to kill to protect the truth…

My Review

The opening chapters of Breaking confused me a little bit because it starts with a far-off memory and zooms into the present. At first I thought Ariel and Devon were Charlotte’s imaginary friends (which is totally my mistake. I don’t know why I thought that.) and I kept getting confused by references about them until I figured it out.

Then I found the plot and the visceral writing style drew me straight into the story. I liked Charlotte from the beginning, and found it easy to root for her. The plot has this tense, desperate sense to it. I’m not usually a big reader of suspense, but I really got into this.

The most difficult thing about the book, for me, was the amount of violence in the story. It definitely relates to the plot. There are definitely things that happen which Charlotte herself condemns. In one part, though, revenge seems to trump everything else. I wasn’t crazy about that.

The ending leaves room for an additional story, but it could be that it’s simply meant to have an open ending. There is another book in the series which came out last year called Burning and seems to be about an event referenced in Breaking but features entirely different characters.

If you like dark superhero origin type stories, Breaking might be perfect for you. Read on to see possible content triggers and other information.

Content

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Devon is black. Zoe is Asian and French.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Ariel speculates about a teacher’s genitalia in a brief comment. The girls bought sexy underwear earlier, planning to save it for when they decide to have sex with their boyfriends. Charlotte describes a lot of desire and arousal in her feelings for Jack. Several scenes feature her fantasizing about being with him (in mostly general not specific terms). Her feelings do factor into the plot, though. At one point a shift in her relationship with Jack makes Charlotte suspect that something big is wrong.

The story features some intense kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Charlotte tells us that Ariel’s mom is a devout Christian.

Violent Content
Here’s where the big guns come out.

Overdose death. Drowning death. We see Charlotte wrestle with discovering both these situations. Fire kills animals in a shelter. Fire kills inmates in a detention center—we learn about both of those secondhand. Casual references to bullying. Eventually we learn that one of Charlotte’s friends broke another girl’s arm as part of a bullying incident.

As the story progresses, the references to violence become darker. At one point, a girl threatens the life of a tiny kitten. Charlotte causes a car accident which injures a man. Later, Charlotte finds the dead body of a security guard moments after his throat has been cut. She finds another suicide victim. She witnesses a woman being burned alive from the inside—that description in particular was pretty graphic.

Drug Content
Charlotte remembers her friend Devon encouraging her to try one of the pills in her mom’s purse. She remembers drinking alcohol with her friends in several scenes. Charlotte drinks alcohol alone in her room and at a party. At one point she drinks a bottle of unknown liquid, something she suspects might be GHB, planted by her friend Ariel.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.