The Demi-Monde: Winter, by Rod Rees

The Demi-Monde: Winter, by Rod Rees.  William Morrow, 2010.  517 pp.  978-0-06-207034-0.

... in which a young woman is enlisted to save the US President's daughter, who is trapped in a virtual world populated by Nazis, terrorists, and various villains from world history.

The Demi-Monde: Winter is the first book in a series involving a virtual reality (the Demi-Monde), set in 2018.  This virtual world was created to simulate urban warfare scenarios for US soldiers in training, and the programmers populated the world with "dupes", virtual duplicates of real-life people, famous and otherwise.  The computer world's technology is set to be comparable to the technology available in Victorian times.  The most prominent people populating the Demi-Monde are some the worst people to ever live, including Reinhard Heydrich (one of Hitler's right-hand men), Lavrentii Beria (Stalin's chief of police), Tomas de Torquemada (a prominent figure in the Catholic Church's Spanish Inquisition), and plenty of others.  The catch?  The people in the Demi-Monde don't know that they're not real; all they know is that living in the Demi-Monde is hell.  Unfortunately for the real-life humans who are spending time in this computer simulation, if you die in the computer, then you die in real life.  Somehow, the US President's daughter Norma has been lured into the Demi-Monde, and is being held captive by Heydrich and his lackeys.  The US Army recruits a young woman, Ella Thomas, to infiltrate the Demi-Monde and bring Norma out safely.  However, the rulers of the Demi-Monde have a bigger plan for Norma and all of the residents of the computer world.

The Rook, by Daniel O'Malley

The Rook, by Daniel O'Malley.  Little, Brown and Company, 2012.  978-0-316-19327-6.

... in which Myfanwy Thomas awakes with no memory of who she is, and must somehow return to her life as a high-ranking official in a secret government agency that protects the world from supernatural enemies.

Myfanwy Thomas (pronounced miff-uh-ney) wakes up one night and finds herself surrounded by dead bodies wearing latex gloves, with no memory of who she is.  In her pocket, she finds a letter from her pre-amnesiac self, explaining that her name is Myfanwy Thomas and that she is being hunted by people who want to destroy her.  Following the clues from her pre-amnesiac self, Myfanwy Thomas gradually learns that she is a Rook for the Checquy, a top-secret British government agency with hundreds of agents, directed towards protecting the world from various supernatural threats.  Myfanwy's title of Rook places her in the very highest echelon of the Checquy, essentially making her a general in charge of all domestic supernatural problems.  Myfanwy has to continue to follow the clues to discover who she is and who is trying to kill her, while also preventing her dangerous colleagues at the Checquy from discovering her total amnesia, and while preventing a full-scale invasion of horrifying monsters attempting to take over Great Britain.

After the Golden Age, by Carrie Vaughn

After the Golden Age, by Carrie Vaughn.  Tor Books, 2011.  342 pp.  978-0-7653-6460-9.

... in which Celia, the totally normal daughter of the two greatest superheroes on Earth, fights evil and finds her own way in the world.

Celia West is the daughter of Captain Olympus and Spark, the two greatest superheroes in the world.  Unfortunately for Celia, she was born completely normal, and her most exciting accomplishment is her silver medal from a high school swim meet.  Estranged from her parents, who were disappointed at her lack of superpowers, Celia now works as an accountant.  When her accounting firm is called in to work on the financials of the Destructor, her parents' biggest nemesis who is about to stand trial, Celia gets drawn back into the world of superheroes and supervillains.  As one of her biggest secrets is revealed to the world, Celia has to learn to contend with bad guys, her parents, and her own place in the world.

The Annotated Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien

The Annotated Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien and annotated by Douglas A. Anderson.  Houghton Mifflin Company, 1988.  335 pp.  0-395-47690-9.

... in which Bilbo and company's adventures are annotated with notes about Tolkien's inspirations and the various changes between different editions of The Hobbit.

The Annotated Hobbit is a unique copy of The Hobbit because in its margins, writer Douglas Anderson has added in a plethora of notes and images to supplement the main text.  Most of the notes are about Tolkien's various inspirations, both in terms of plot and linguistics.  There are also various footnotes noting the different changes between various editions over the years, and illustrations are included throughout the book showing different artists' interpretations of the events from different international editions.  I'm not going to bother to summarize the plot, because if you don't know the plot of The Hobbit by now, then you probably don't care.

Lucy, by Laurence Gonzales.  Vintage Books, 2011.  307 pp.  978-0-307-4890-5.

... in which Lucy, a the product of a science experiment with breeding humans and bonobos together, teaches the world what it means to be human.

Lucy opens in the Congo, where primatologist Jenny Lowe is studying bonobos (a cousin of the chimpanzee, and one of humanity's closest relatives).  When Jenny is forced to flee from the Congo as the civil war reaches her study site in the jungle, she finds that another primate researcher has been murdered.  Her colleague leaves behind a 14-year-old daughter, Lucy, and Jenny feels obligated to take Lucy with her as she flees the country.  Jenny takes Lucy to Chicago with her, and when it becomes clear that Lucy has no living family, Jenny adopts her as her own daughter.  When reading through Lucy's father's notes, it becomes clear that Lucy is the product of a strange experiment: she is half human, half bonobo.  Because Lucy appears to be completely human, and is more intelligent and articulate than most humans, Jenny tries to enroll her in school.  As Lucy begins to settle in to her new life, her secret inevitably gets out, and Lucy becomes an overnight celebrity.  Lucy's new public presence sparks a debate about what it means to be human, and could threaten her life and the lives of everyone she loves.

Never Let Me Go

Most of the books I read could be compared to junk food. Light, sweet affairs which dissolve quickly and let me rant excitedly about, whether I love them or hate them. Though I don't see myself trending towards the classics anytime soon, it really felt good to read a real piece of literature, which is what Never Let Me Go is. And I feel like unlike the sugary books I more often read, I will be digesting this one for the rest of my life.

I believe Emma was curious about whether this book would have been better if the overall concept and storyline hadn't already been spoiled for her before she started reading it. I did not know the book's concept before I started reading, and I believe it did in fact make my experience more powerful.

The deftness with which Kazuo Ishiguro weaves his narrative defies description. Suffice it to say, he manages to tell you what he is doing to you, the reader, directly without you even realizing it until it is too late. You are already trapped in the narrative related by this book's main character, Kathy and you are doomed to experience the book as if it were your own past.

The book explores regret, tragedy and interpersonal relationships. Growing apart and of life and of death. Its varied characters ooze humanity and every single one of them is engaging.

The book is not entirely without flaw, and I would feel remiss to not mention where I saw them. The climax of the book involves a final set of revelations which seem to fall short of explanaing a few of the later plot developments, but upon further reflection this sort of ties back to the theme the book strives for, of good things coming to an end and of tragic unfairness brought on by unthinking apathy and selfishness. A stronger reason here very well could have undermined the power of this book, but I felt unstatisfied. That very well could have been the point.

Second, there is another instance of anti-intellectuallism on display, although this one is so incredibly slight that you could be forgiven for missing it. I just have a problem with the default assumption that somehow the people who dedicate their lives to medicine must be total inhuman monsters, and that somehow science inherently requires and benefits from dehumanization. Again, this bias is incredibly slight, practically an offhand comment or two just a few times in the whole book.

Final and most egregious is that there is no resistance to the events depicted. I could not believe that these characters would act so passively in reaction to what they experience. I can't help but think this must be a product of the difference between my culture as an American and the culture of the writer as British and Japanese. It might be my biased perspective, but it almost seems like characters are resigned to inaction because they don't want to be in defiance of any rules... that they don't want to rock the boat or inconvenience anyone else. Again, it could be merely a product of my different cultural perspective, but the placidity was the only thing these characters had which wasn't completely, spellbindingly human to me.

This is a singularly good book. It would not be hyperbole to say this book changed my perspective on life itself and I truly thank Emma for leading me to it. 5/5

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green.  Dutton Books, 2012.  318 pp.  978-0-525-47881-2.

... in which two teenagers meet at a cancer support group and deal with love, pain and loss.

The Fault in Our Stars is narrated from the point of view of Hazel, a 16-year-old girl who is slowly dying from metastatic thyroid cancer.  She spends her time attending classes at a local community college and going to a largely useless support group for teenagers with cancer.  While reluctantly attending a support group meeting one day, Hazel meets 17-year-old Augustus, a handsome and charming boy who lost a leg to osteosarcoma, which has gone into remission.  Hazel and Augustus bond over their shared experiences with cancer, and their shared love of a particular novel.  As their relationship progresses, Hazel has to consider the fact that her diagnosis is terminal, despite the fact that her death is coming slowly, and she must decide how this will ultimately affect the way she forms relationships, especially her relationship with Augustus.

Homeward Bound by Harry Turtledove

The final book in the series that starts with Worldwar: In the Balance. 

Homeward Bound is the less than stunning conclusion to Harry Turtledove's series about an alien invasion of Earth.  It's set in the near-future where America has maintained its independence (mostly) and sent a space ship to the alien invaders' home world.

This review will not contain major spoilers.

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

In which a young girl must survive and perform a difficult task to save her brothers' lives.

 

 I feel like this is a perfectly good book that just didn't appeal to me very much for a number of reasons.  So this review will probably be inordinately harsh, and will contain spoilers because it wasn't good enough for me to recommend!  If you think you'd like this book, I recommend you read some other fantasy book instead.  

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

Divergent, by Veronica Roth.  HarperCollins, 2011.  487 pp.  978-0-06-202402-2.

... in which Beatrice, living in a dystopian future Chicago, must choose a faction, survive the dangerous and competitive training for initiates, and stop a plot that could destroy her whole society.

Divergent follows the adventures of a 16-year-old girl named Beatrice Prior.  Beatrice lives in a futuristic dystopian Chicago, where all of the population is divided into five factions, distinguished from each other by their central characteristics:  Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful), Erudite (the intelligent), and Dauntless (the brave).  At the age of 16, each citizen takes an aptitude test and then chooses which faction they would like to join.  Many stay with the faction they were raised in, though some decide to switch.  On the day of her aptitude exam, Beatrice is given inconclusive results, which means she is Divergent... a very dangerous thing.  Despite being raised in Abnegation, Beatrice chooses to switch factions to Dauntless, and changes her name to Tris.  There, she must survive a very dangerous and very competitive month of training, while learning why being Divergent is a dangerous trait.  Along the way, Tris meets a boy (of course) and discovers a dangerous plot that could destroy her whole society.

Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder

Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder.  Mira, 2011.  400 pp.  978-0778313076

... in which Avry, a young healer, runs from bounty hunters, gets herself captured, falls in love, and faces an impossible choice.

 

This review is of a digital copy provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley.

 

Touch of Power follows the adventures of Avry, a 20-year-old woman with special healing abilities.  Unfortunately for her, healers in her world have been hunted down and executed, since everyone else blames them for the plague that killed the majority of the population a few years earlier.  One night, as Avry sits in a cell awaiting execution, a man named Kerrick breaks her out.  The catch?  Avry must travel with Kerrick to heal a prince, who is possibly the world's only chance for lasting peace.  However, healers can't heal the plague like they can with ordinary diseases and injuries; the healer who takes the plague from another will sicken and die, and the man that Kerrick wants Avry to heal was partially responsible for the slaughter of all the healers Avry knew.  As Avry travels with Kerrick, she must decide if she wants to save the prince, while also avoiding capture from bounty hunters.

Treasure Island!!!, by Sara Levine

Treasure Island!!!, by Sara Levine.  Europa Editions, 2012.  172 pp.  978-1-60945-061-8.

... in which a young woman takes Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island as her own personal life guide and adopts its Core Values (boldness, resolution, independence, and horn-blowing) as her own guiding principles.

Treasure Island!!! follows the adventures of a 25-year-old woman (who has no name, as far as I can tell).  After graduating with a degree in English, our unnamed anti-heroine works a series of jobs like ice cream scooper, gift wrapper, and clerk at The Pet Library (where you actually go to borrow pets).  One day she picks up a copy of Treasure Island and finds herself transformed by the book.  She decides to adopt the book as the guide for how her life should go, and tries to model her life after Jim Hawkins' adventures on the high seas with Long John Silver.  Starting with the ill-advised decision to buy herself a parrot, the main character proceeds to wreak havoc on her life, and the lives of the people around her.

The Romantics by Galt Niederhoffer

In which a group of close college friends meet up for a wedding, to the detriment of all of their relationships.

Laura had a very close group of friends in college at Yale.  It was the sort of group where most of the men had slept with most of the women at different points in time and their closeness was due as much to rivalry as true friendship.  The Romantics takes place as Laura and the rest of the group prepare for the wedding of two of its members, Lila and Tom.  Problem is, Laura is still in love with Tom.

This review will contain spoilers.

Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne

An American man trying to survive a zombie crisis writes a daily journal chronicling his challenges and moods.

An American military pilot is aware of rumors and speculation regarding a strange disease.  He takes steps to be prepared for a pandemic, and is well positioned to survive the zombie apocalypse.  This book tells the story of his preparation for and adventures during the beginning of a zombie plague. 

There are minor spoilers in this review.  My suggestion is to read the spoilers, then go read World War Z instead of this book.

Opening Atlantis, by Harry Turtledove

Opening Atlantis, by Harry Turtledove.  ROC, 2007.  440 pp.  978-0-451-46174-2.

... in which we hear of the exploits of the Radcliffe family as they discover, settle, and lead a new community on the island of Atlantis.

Harry Turtledove is most famous for his alternate history novels.  In this book, the first of a trilogy, Turtledove explores the idea of an extra continent (or large island) in the Atlantic Ocean.  Although this island is named Atlantis by its discoverers, it's not actually the lost Atlantis of legend.  As you can see from the cover art above, Atlantis is basically the eastern United States, broken off from North America and now situated in the middle of the Atlantic.  Opening Atlantis follows the Radcliffe family through several generations after the founding of Atlantis.  The book is divided into three parts.  The first part is set in the mid-1400s during the War of the Roses, and follows Edward Radcliffe and his sons Richard and Henry as they discover Atlantis and bring the first wave of European settlers to this new world.  The second part is set about two centuries later, and follows the confrontation between Red Rodney Radcliffe (pirate) and his cousin William Radcliff (who changed his last name so as not to be associated with his pirate cousin).  The third part of the novel follows Victor Radcliff a few generations later, as he witnesses mounting tensions between English, French, and Spanish settlers, as well as tensions between the Europeans and their slaves.

Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro.  Vintage Books, 2005.  288 pp.  978-0-307-74099-1.

... in which Kathy H tells the story of her childhood and young adulthood as she and her two friends form relationships and confront the frightening reality of their own fates.

Never Let Me Go (previously reviewed by Emma) tells the story of three young people (Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth) as they grow up together at an exclusive boarding school called Hailsham.  The story is told through Kathy's eyes, and hopscotches through time, covering events in their childhood and adolescence at Hailsham, and events in their late teens and twenties.  Kathy forms the center of the group, befriending Tommy when he was a friendless outcast and also befriending Ruth, one of the most popular girls in the school.  From the beginning, it is clear that something is a little bit different in Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth's lives.  As the three of them grow up and leave Hailsham, they are forced to confront the meaning of their own destinies and examine the relationships and bonds they've formed with their friends.

Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber

This book collects several short stories about the pulp fantasy duo Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, detailing their histories and how they came to be partners in adventure.

Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are sort of credited as the grandfathers of the modern day fantasy protagonist as the self-interested antihero, but in this case I think they're the type of grandfathers that make everyone uncomfortable and tell racist jokes.

This review should contain no significant spoilers.

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell

In which a teenage girl fights zombies and flees from a man trying to kill her.

Temple has known nothing but a world infested with zombies and largely devoid of living humans.  She has survived so far, generally staying in underpopulated areas and figuring out how to survive alone.  In The Reapers are the Angels she tries out civilization briefly, and is forced to flee just ahead of a dangerous man determined to kill her.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

In which a girl recounts stories from her youth and comes to terms with her destiny.

There is no way my review will do this fantastic book justice.  It really is a special, fantastic book and you should read it right now!  It's the sort of story that you'll think about for a long time and keep getting more from, I think.

This review will not contain significant spoilers.

The Alloy of Law, by Brandon Sanderson

The Alloy of Law, by Brandon Sanderson.  Tor, 2011.  332 pp.  978-0-7653-3042-0.

... in which Waxillium Ladrian, Allomancer, uses his Allomantic abilities and his skills as a lawman to bring down a ring of dangerous and powerful criminals.

The Alloy of Law is a sequel to Sanderson's amazingly awesome Mistborn trilogy, though this book is a stand-alone story and can be read without any familiarity with the original Mistborn books.  Set about three hundred years after the events in the original Mistborn trilogy, this story follows Waxillium Ladrian, a former lawman and current lord of the House Ladrian.  Wax spent twenty years as a lawman in the Roughs, working in tiny, backwoods towns to apprehend criminals, much like a sheriff in an old-fashioned western.  However, when his uncle dies in a tragic accident, Wax is summoned back to the capital city of Elendel to assume his duties as the head of his House.  Struggling to adjust to life among the highborn aristocracy after spending two decades in the Roughs, Wax sets aside his lawman tendencies.  However, when a series of mysterious and high-profile robberies and kidnappings continue to go unsolved, Wax begins to investigate and finds that the case is far more dangerous than he anticipated.