Review: Sharps

Sharps by K.J. Parker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Finally finished! After loving KJ Parker's Engineer Trilogy, I was delighted to find Sharps at the Library. I know about nothing about fencing, but figured it's KJ Parker, so I gave it a shot.

This book took me awhile to get into. I was worried with all of the character introductions that I didn't know who was where, why they mattered, and I surely didn't think I'd be able to keep track of them all. I almost gave up, but I always try my best to finish books that I've started, so I pushed the worries out of my mind and kept reading.

Basically, in Sharps, a fencing team is sent from one country to a country that they had recently been at war with. The idea was that the show of good faith would bring about peace, but it would seem that other people had different ideas about what their function was.

The book had plenty of laughs. The fencing, I assume was all accurate. Even though I don't know anything about fencing, I was always looking forward to the fencing scenes. I liked the characters and thought they were mostly well balanced in terms of screen time. I must say I don't quite get the point of reading from some of the officials (there were only a few scenes with them and it was a lot of stuff we already knew, I felt).

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but at times it felt like work to read. Which sounds bad, but it's probably because I read too much YA.



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Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I loved this book. It took a second to get into it, but when I got there, it was a page turner.

If you like sci-fi or dystopian novels, you'll love this.

It was action packed all the way through, the concept it great. Hopefully in the next book we hear more about the Spacks...



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Review: Elemental

Elemental by Antony John

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Elemental takes place in a world after the plague has befallen. Now, people are scattered and wary of each other, fearful of catching this plague. We read about a small colony of people who can control various elements (wind, water, earth). During a storm they are attacked by pirates. The parents are kidnapped and the children (teens) plan to save them.

(Some spoilerish stuff follows)

I really like the idea of people having elements, and taken with the information provided at the end of the book, believe that it can be a really good series.

I also liked the dynamic between the characters (Specifically Thomas's relationship with Rose and Alice, and his relationship with his younger brother). Of course I didn't like the Guardians but we didn't have to see much of them... XD

Some things that came to light at the end, I had already figured out in more of a 'this should have been explained better' way than a 'oh I bet I know it's like this' sort of way (not that I think that makes any sense to anyone). There were just some things which could have been clearer. Some things didn't seem like they should have been surprises. If someone can create fire from their fingertips, I would expect someone else to be able to keep wind at bay.

I also had a hard time believing that these Guardians who had these special powers would think that it would be better to hide a strong power than to help the wielder control it. I just think there were too many secrets. Seemed a little much with not a good enough reason for keeping them.


With secrets out in the open now, I'm excited for the next book.



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Review: The Last Book in the Universe

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The Last Book in the Universe takes place after the 'big shake.' There are now two classes of people, the 'normals' who live in squalor in the Urbs and the 'proovs' who have been genetically improved, and who live in Eden. The main character Spaz learns that his sister is sick and embarks on a journey to save her life.

Though it was a quick read, it took me a while to get into it. So if you start the book and aren't sure about it, I say keep going, it's worth it in the end.

I liked all the characters, especially Little Face! It's a very hopeful book with a cute message.



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Genesis

Genesis by Bernard Beckett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First let me say, I picked this book up by chance, didn't read the synopsis, but began reading the book.

I very much enjoyed the book, but do have one complaint (and though I'll spend most of my time in this review on the complaint, it does not effect my overall rating). My complaint is that it was a sort of bait and switch. The first two chapters which detail Adam's early life have no bearing on the rest of the book. I saw the book going in a completely different way, which I'm sure is what they author wanted.

Spoilers:

I get why there was no more mention of Eve or the impact of the trial beyond aggravation among the people. These things meant nothing to the tellers of the story. The plight of the humans and their viruses. I, however was drawn in and compelled by this post-apocalyptic world and feel like he could have written the book on that. I really feel like it was two separate books and that the first two 'hours' were unnecessary means to the end of was Adam meeting Art. Well, it served as a 'red herring' but this is why I don't read mystery novels.

Having said that, I loved this book. Granted, I decided this before he met Art, I decided I would find other books by this author because it was just a gem. Even after he met Art and I realized I wasn't going to learn anything else about that which the first two hours alluded to, I still enjoyed the book.

It was engaging and well written, and now I finally understand why there's red hair on the cover! I find that short reads like this sometimes prove to be the most rewarding. Their is something special about being concise.

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Review: Breed

Breed by Chase Novak

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Breed is about a couple who desperate wants to conceive, and finally gets pregnant with the help of a doctor from some obscure European country. The process however changes their bodies and makes their kids different.

I don't watch horror films (I always have to close my eyes) and I don't typically read horror novels, but I picked this one up and thought the premise sounded interesting enough before I saw that it was supposed to be horror. I decided to read it anyway.

I thought it was a page turner and I was completely into the story all the way through. Well written good story, fun read. Not scary.

I'll never know how people decide when to classify something as 'horror.' Just because people die doesn't make it scary. Just because you say a character was scared won't make me scared... I didn't find it frightening or disturbing...I feel like the grotesque things were written more matter of factually than in a way that should make me fear for the character's safety. Nor did I ever feel any sort of time pressure to get my heart racing. *shrug*



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Review: Inferno

Inferno by Dante Alighieri

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This translation replaced names- so many names! Added modern phrases.

I appreciate that I may not have been able to real the original(or earlier translation) so easily (well, I'm not sure, but this is the only translation I've read) but I could not accept the replacement of the names. South Park's Cartman? Please. I prefer purer translations. The the addition of modern phrases and names stuck out like a sore thumb. I would be reading easily, then get so thrown off that I had to stop.

Now, I've read this, and I don't know how much of it was from the original, and how much the translator replaced. Now I feel like I have to re-read it, with a different translation.

It wasn't written in 2013, so don't translate it like it was. Please.

What was intact, the messages and the stories, all that makes this a classic, earns my four stars. Since I'm rating this particular translation, however, I'm giving it two. If I find out later that earlier translations are written in a way that I can easily read, then I'll come back and only give it one star.





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