Smart, Exciting, and Fresh
921251
Marc Alan Edelheit has quickly risen through the ranks of my favorite present day story tellers. Stiger and his supporting cast are a interesting and likable bunch. I devour these books and am left salivating. Can't wait for the next installation. Well done Mr Edelheit
1646360
There are soooo many smart, interesting, good ideas in Ernest Cline's debut novel, Ready Player One.  I mean like China Mieville (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-City-The-City-Random-House-Reader-s-Circle/dp/034549752X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The City & The City (Random House Reader's Circle)</a>), Richard K Morgan (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Thirteen/dp/0345480899/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Thirteen</a>) or Grant Morrison (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Filth/dp/1401200133/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Filth</a>) levels of smart, interesting, good ideas.  If my listing out of genre contemporaries and their work just bothered you in this review, you may want to stay away from this book - because it does that with 1980s and computer game pop culture.  A lot.

At times, Cline's writing becomes too much like the futuristic hipsters that are his protagonists.  There's only so much "movie, game or album 'X' is awesome and I have seen/played/heard it 482 times" that this reader can take.  As a cautionary tale about the dangers of relying too heavily on technology, Ready Player One is as rich in insights as Blade Runner and Rush's 2112 (both of which are referenced and name-checked prominently in the novel).  Fascinating ideas about where our current cultural direction could take us on topics such as gender, commerce, education and worker's rights abound in the novel, and often come so fast that you wish Cline would spend more time exploring them.

Ready Player One is a good adventure story - the stakes seem appropriately large and the villains realistically threatening.  And there's also a very sweet coming of age story here, with fairly well developed themes on the importance of human contact and love being more powerful than fear.  But with both, Cline too often tells instead of shows.  It's one thing to watch someone play an exciting game or fall in love, and another to have them tell you about it later.

As with the list at the outset of this review, the scattered nature of it is an indication of how reading the novel felt for me.  There's a lot of stuff that I really liked in it, but I was often worn down by the ADHD nature of its presentation.  Perhaps a more visual medium like comics or movies (the bio identifies Cline as a screenwriter) would be a better way to present the material - it's definitely worth getting out there, just maybe with a more streamlined delivery.
4216855
This book is filled with clever and ingenious connections to well known fairy tales, which is what I most enjoyed. It's told in a fast paced, compelling narrative that feels contemporary and fresh. I'd happily recommend it to a certain 15 year old I know who loves fantasy. If the narration switches Point of View from time to time I was willing to forgive the deviation from the current American rule for story telling. I gave it four stars because the ending clearly demonstrates is it part of a series.
2582612
Picked this up looking for a book to travel with - bad idea since I finished all 343 pages in two days BEFORE leaving on my trip.  I've read plenty of techno-thrillers over this years and somehow here we have fresh, exciting ideas fleshed out with exceptionally smart and readable prose.  A really impressive debut by Mr. Stebbins - I'll be picking up whatever he publishes next, this was a really great read.
4348146
The writing is smart, fast and super-charged with raw emotion! And that even feels like I'm understating. I listened to this book on audio CD and was hooked from the first paragraph - just hearing the story delivered by reader Robert Petkoff was an experience in itself. Protagonist Dr. Peter Brown is a supremely confident ex-mobster whose smooth handling of tense situations is a trait we all wish we had, but he's got a past that comes with a price. It's non-stop from the get-go as he labors to keep his patients and himself alive, AKA beat the reaper.

There's a movie version with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to it slated for a 2012 release. I'm very much looking forward to that as well as reading Josh Bazell next work.
3251234
4.25 stars

Robin Benway is the master of writing smart, thoughtful books that you don't even realize are smart or thoughtful because you're having so much fun reading them. Its been well established that I loved Also Known As, 50% because its a great book and 50% because the main characters name is Maggie and Im happy to say that I loved Going Rogue just as much, if not more, then I loved Also Known As.

Because I didn't think Also Known As needed a sequel I was slightly worried going into this, but I should have just trusted Robin. In this second book in the series The Collective has gone off script and Maggie, her parents, and Angelo must go rogue. Maggie must also break out from under her parents careful watch and start to take on missions of her own and unfortunately Roux and Jesse get dragged into all of the craziness that ensues.

In my review of Also Known As I wrote: Do I think a 16-year-old could really be a safecracker working with some of the top spies in the world? No. Do I think this book had a lot of absurd things happen? Absolutely. Did it matter? No. And I still feel the exact same way. Reading about a 17-year-old breaking into a criminal masterminds home just doesnt seem real to me, but the story is so fun and the characters are so great that it just doesnt matter.

Lets get to where I think Robin Benway really excels and thats at blending the serious with the fun. Everything about this book is fun. Even when Maggie is in tough situations shes still her smart, sarcastic self and that makes reading these books such a joy. But theres also a lot of seriousness and relatable situations hidden among all the good times. When this book starts Maggie and Jesse have been dating for a little over a year and while things seemed to mostly have been good, as Maggie gets drawn back into the spy world things get tough for them. Maggie must keep secrets from Jesse and Jesse, even though he doesnt know exactly whats going on, is worried for Maggies safety and wants to protect her (in the least misogynistic way possible). Essentially these problems are variations of problems lots of people face in relationships; sometimes you have to keep secrets from those you love and sometimes you have to let people take risks and live their lives even when you want to protect them.

The same can be said for Maggies relationship with her parents. I absolutely love the parent-kid dynamic that they have in both books, but in this book Maggie needs to strike out on her own and put some space between herself and her parents. Not only because shes entering her senior year of high school and getting ready to leave for college, but also because shes working with Angelo as part of their going rogue on things her parents cant know about. Even though the mission with Angelo is such a crazy thing it really struck me how Maggies need to assert her own independence and live her own life is just like what so many other teenagers go through.

After the perfect blend of fun and serious my favorite part of this book was obviously Angelo and Roux. So often I cant stand supporting characters and best friends, but Angelo and Roux are something special. I loved that we got to see more of Angelo in this book and more of Angelo at work. And Roux is just amazing, I don't think she was quite as wacky in this book, but she has some amazing moments. I mean, who else would have a Faberge egg hidden in their sock drawer?

Bottom Line: This book is so perfect for so many people. If you like fun, read this book. If you like contemporary YA novels, read this book. If you like spies, read this book. Robin Benways books are something truly special and if you haven't had the pleasure of reading one of her books yet I encourage you go fix that mistake ASAP.

I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
3349329
I'll be honest, The Archived is a straight-up good book. Exciting, unpredictable, original. Sure its got its issues and I didn't fail to notice them, but , inevitably, I would find myself so engrossed 10 pages later that I'd completely forgotten what it was I had taken issue with. The story and characters are so wonderful that I really just can't be bothered to care about the small technical difficulties.

  The characters are a refreshing break from some of the current trends. Mackenzie is an empowered and important person from the moment we meet her. She's smart and kind of a badass, but she's a real teenager too. She'd rather  track down a History than read classic literature, and she's conflicted and sometimes immature. She is the kind of character that can be hard to relate to - emotionally reluctant, comfortably solitary - but her grief opens the door for you to care for her powerfully. Wesley, our leading boy, is swoon worthy but (despite his spiked hair and guyliner) really a good guy. I'm all for the dangerous, forbidden rebel, but Wes is warm and brave and sweet and okay so maybe I'm a little partial to him, shut up.

The concept of the book is, in itself, fascinating, and the mystery and action throughout are engrossing (I startled my cat several times from gasping/exclaiming out loud). Where Victoria Schwab really knocks it out of the park, though, is with the honest, down-to-earth, human-ness of it all.  Underneath the rogue dead people and magically empowered keys is a powerful, gut wrenching portrait of grief. Not only is Mackenzie's heartbreak over her brother's death breathtakingly real, but the entire premise lays out a question that most of us (thankfully) would never have to answer. How far would we go to get back someone we loved? How many rules would we break? How many people would we betray? Would it be right, and would we care if it wasn't?

Also, the Librarians are pretty badass.
1960149
If you've never played a video-game, you might not get some of the references in the book.  So that's your warning, and the only one I'm going to give you about this book.  It opens with a bang, the action is well-paced, the characters are sufficiently interesting to make you care.  The storytelling, while a bit purple at times, is compelling, and the world-building is great-fantastically original, and yet grounded and understandable.  Overall, the novel is incredibly well-written.  I put ALL of my duties on hold for the moment and read it in one sitting.

Five Solid Stars.  SMART young adult fiction that was a joy to read.

Review provided from free e-book copy.
4243692
The description sounds kind of crazy, right? Well, it is!

What a treat! Wildly imaginative and inventive, with a smart, no-nonsense heroine with a wise-ass sense of humor. I grinned and chuckled through the whole thing. The story is super original and Elvie's voice is fresh and real. I was hooked from page one and blew through this in a day. This story takes a few teen cliches and dumps them on their ears. (And a few alien cliches, too!) The plot is tight and full of twists, and to top it all off is an "oh, snap!" ending I did not see coming, and that has me salivating for the sequel.

I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, so I'm keeping it short and sweet. I pretty much loved it and I'm recommending it to all of my YA-reading friends. Worried about the teen pregnancy thing? Don't let it throw you off. This is a humorous alien adventure story, but it also has a healthy dose of "See? This is what happens when you have unprotected premarital sex." And there are some more serious moments as Elvie contemplates her future and that of her child. Elvie and Cole make a great team of brains and brawn, but I am bumping down my rating a notch because I would have liked to see their backstory explored a bit more to make their feelings for one another more plausible. But can you really call it a complaint when your only issue is that you wanted more? If you're looking for something smart and sassy and totally new and different in YA, Mothership is it.
478490
This book is modern, it's original, and it's sleek. Set between real world Vancouver and the virtual world of Wolf's Run, the story builds from a soft and sweet place into something fast-paced as the tension heightens. The characters were fleshed out and multi-dimensional, and I found myself falling in love with them as much as with the story and the wonderful writing. Can't wait to see where this author goes next!
3738455
I'm a fan of books that are strong on character development, and that don't spend a lot of time describing things to death, and I loved this book. It's all about the characters and the plot. Rachel Hockett has created characters that do more than move around inside the story--they get under your skin, just like real people. The characters populating this story aren't Flat Stanleys; they're complex, and your views of them might evolve as you get further into the story.

Just a delicious, satisfying, smart read.
657171
Evil Genius, by Catherine Jinks, is a fresh and clever young adult novel written about a misunderstood child prodigy.

Cadel Piggott is a genius, especially with computers. When he gets into some trouble with the law at the age of seven, he foster parents take him to a psychologist who helps him discover his full potential. And eventually tells Cadel that his real father is none other than the villainous Dr. Phineas Darkkon.

Cadel's psychologist encourages his family to send Cadel to the Axis Institute. But the college is more than it seems. Also known as the Axis Institute for World Domination, it's actually a higher learning center for students who want to study from one of the three schools of Deception, Destruction, and Organic Distortion (also known as Applied Arts, Environmental Science, and Biomedical Science). There is even a fun website that you can visit to find out more about the institute and it's students and faculty. When Cadel's classmates begin dropping out (and dying) one-by-one, he begins second guessing his decisions. And the more secrets and evil that he uncovers, the less he likes who he has become.

Evil Genius is full of incredibly unique and creative characters. When I first began reading this, Cadel seemed to be the antithesis of Harry Potter. But Cadel actually has more depth to his character. And this is no story for smaller children. There are many deaths, though none are graphic. This is marketed to 12 years and up, and I agree. But a warning that the book is lengthy, with plenty of technical jargon, that I tended to skim over.

With more twists and turns than the Los Angeles freeway system, Evil Genius is a wonderfully surprising treat for all fans of great literary supervillains and those striving for world domination.
3193805
I grew up down the street from Heather. We both always had our noses in books. When I heard that she had written a book, I knew I had to buy it. I wasn't disappointed. The story is fresh and exciting. The characters are layered and interesting. Well written and engaging, Dare Mighty Things has a permanent place on my shelf of books to re-read. I cant wait for more adventures in this world Heather has masterfully created.
1430636
When I was first told about the Zero Sight series, I thought to myself what on earth the author could do to distinguish himself in the "Secret School for Magicians" genre. It's been pretty well developed across all audiences, from Rowling to Lev Grossman, but since I'm a big fan of Grossman in particular, and since I'd heard such unflaggingly positive things I figured I'd give it a shot.

I can safely say that B. Justin Shier's take is fresh, engaging, and fun. Not because he invents new tropes (he doesn't, he has the mysterious headmaster, the competitive "houses", the magically concealed school up east, etc., and he plays off of them quite well), but because of his talent for interior monologue. Dieter Resnick is a great character that the reader really comes to know well because we get inside his head. We understand his relationship with Rei, and his actions are believable based off his personality and back story. This is the first such novel I've read in this genre with a truly good first person narrative. There are some soft spots in the plot, sure, the motivations of the antagonists are a bit murky and the ending is a touch rushed, but the strength of Shier's characterizations far outshines all of them.

For me, Dieter is simply a fun guy to ride along with. He's funny and charming and honest. Rei's unique dry humor is quick and sharp and her dialogue is awesome, and she also has some great action scenes. The bottom line is these characters are fascinating and fresh, and I want to see what they're going to do next.
1315819
This vivid and richly intelligent novel opens up a whole world: so alive are the characters, the setting, and the gorgeous (but not heavy-handed or laborious) descriptions, the reading experience is as immersive as that of a great film.  But while the scenes are cinematic and the plot compelling, the writing is also beautiful: the prose is fresh and soulful, both at once; the author's intellect shines and edifies, while never failing to entertain.  I can't wait for this author's next novel.
3777458
I devoured this book in two sittings, then went to two bookstores looking for in-stock copies of literally ANYTHING ELSE DJ Older has written. The narrative is well paced. The setting is its own character, and it's a lush, deep, beautifully vivid creature. The magic system is unique and exciting to watch. (I want an MMO set in this world. Someone get on that.) And this next part is worth its own paragraph.

Diverse! Characters! This world feels wonderfully real in part because it's grounded so well in actual reality. This Brooklyn sings with characters of numerous backgrounds, gender, sexuality, demeanor... the people here come from all walks of life, and they bring outstanding variety to the world and its stories.

Want a taste of this 'verse before you dive in? Check out Older's short story "Ginga" on Tor.com. http://www.tor.com/2015/05/20/ginga-daniel-jose-older/ I liked Kia based solely on this. I love her now that I've seen her in HRB.
264695
This book is smart and engaging. The pacing is fantastic! Jimmy is arrogant, but he is never off-putting or cruel. He seems very real. Lena is fearless and smart. There is such a great balance of humor and angst here. The story sparkles with wit and emotion!