Okay, the characters are static, the action scenes are crap, and it's completely unbelievable...Still, it was so good it took me less than a day to read it. Have I mentioned I'm a sucker for fantasy?
While reading it you feel like you're sitting in the cinema. Have you ever read a book like that before? It's like the author wrote it because they eventually wanted it to be a screen play. So you really don't get in depth with any of the character's feelings. You just get these nice flat people whose reactions are always the same.
Alice is unsure. Hatter Madigan is stoic. Bibwit Harte is scholarly. Dodge is out for revenge.
There you are character wise. But the ideas...The mirror system (The Continuum) which is tantamount to sky diving while on shrooms. The Cheshire cat is a part human assassin. Beddor is taking a young children's book and turned it into a violent, bloody, action filled book for everyone who isn't a young child. Bravo, Mr.Beddor. I applaud your ideas if not your characters.
With the exception of Hatter Madigan who is just freak to the awesome. I leave you with a quote from the book.
"No amount of Millinery training could have prepared Hatter for getting sucked through the Pool of Tears. Having somersaulted out of a puddle and landed on his feet with the agility of...well, of a cat, he let his instinct for self-protection take over. His backpack sprouted its usual array of weaponry. His steel bracelets popped open and spun in propeller-like action. He reached for his top hat but it was gone, which was bad news. Really bad news. The top hat was his signature weapon, the one he had worked the hardest to master. And he was probably going to need it, judging by the shocked and alarmed faces all around him. He had emerged from the exit portal in Paris,France, 1859, and found himself standing in the middle of a wide thoroughfare known as the Champs-Elyse`es."
"Who was this strangely attired man with knives and over-sized corkscrews jutting out of his backpack and rotary blades on his wrists?"
So, I recommend this to other suckers for fantasy and definitely to those who enjoy Alice in Wonderland.
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Yet another review done for my school paper.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Terrorists can attack open society, but governments can abolish it. (WWW2.Piratepartiet.se/the_pirate_party)
Little Brother follows Marcus, a 17 year old senior in San Francisco chaffing under constant surveillance of the school system. So, when the school isn't watching he becomes W1n5t0n, figuring out how to evade the newest security measures that have been put into effect. From putting rocks in his shoes to avoid gait recognition to nuking the tracking cards on his library books, he's got it covered.
He is with three of his friends in downtown San Francisco when the worst happens. A mushroom cloud rises over the ruins of Bay Bridge as people trample each other trying to get away from the destruction. Terrorists have bombed California. In the aftermath that follows Marcus and his friends find themselves prisoners. When he refuses to let his captors have access to his phone and computer passwords he is tortured and humiliated for answers that he doesn't even know. No, not by Al-Qaeda or political extremist. Marcus has been taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security. A week later he is released. " But from now on, you belong to us. We will be watching you. We'll be waiting for you to make a misstep. Do you understand that we can watch you closely, all the time?"
Outraged and afraid of what the government is becoming Marcus does the only thing he can. He starts a revolution. A secret one. Using his Xbox he makes a spy proof system that even the government can't crack. He also earns the following of other kids like him who don't want to be watched. So starts the underground revolution of Xnetters.
Little Brother a great read steeped in American Culture --odd considering Doctorow's Canadian--. It's the hippie movement and 1984 both applied to a more technological world. You'll be able to recognize allusions to Emma Goldman and other heroes of the 60's and 70's. Not to mention the "Don't trust anyone over 25" slogan floating around throughout the book. Don't let the Orwell influence dissuade anyone from reading it, though. It's fast paced and directed at a teen audience so you're not going to be bored half way through. Just take into account that this is a book of science-fiction and shouldn't be taken seriously...yet. It could easily double as a handbook for the paranoid, but even you less paranoia prone guys will probably enjoy it for the different gadgets Cory Doctorow introduces. So, unless you absolutely can't stand conspiracy theories this is a must read.
--> This was indeed a good book that I can recommend without shame that you read. I didn't like that how much of the technological stuff went WAY over my head, but that may be due to my lack of technological savvy-ness.
Neil Gaiman wrote a review for it saying that he wished it could be in the hands of all thirteen year olds...I say no to that. It does casually mention sex and drugs throughout it. I wouldn't want my thirteen year old kid reading a book that portrayed sex and drugs as an acceptable recreational activity. Now fourteen...Heh. Just according to how mature your thirteen year old is I guess, but I was impressionable at thirteen. (Take into account that I'm only seventeen. I'm just saying that if my hypothetical kid was thirteen I wouldn't want them reading it. Thirteen year olds please do not be offended...but if you insist feel free to bite me. ;) )
When reading this you might want to keep in mind who it was written by. Cory Doctorow has some slightly extremist views on things. So, take the book with a grain of salt. Much like you would our pessimistic friend, Mr.Orwell.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Terrorists can attack open society, but governments can abolish it. (WWW2.Piratepartiet.se/the_pirate_party)
Little Brother follows Marcus, a 17 year old senior in San Francisco chaffing under constant surveillance of the school system. So, when the school isn't watching he becomes W1n5t0n, figuring out how to evade the newest security measures that have been put into effect. From putting rocks in his shoes to avoid gait recognition to nuking the tracking cards on his library books, he's got it covered.
He is with three of his friends in downtown San Francisco when the worst happens. A mushroom cloud rises over the ruins of Bay Bridge as people trample each other trying to get away from the destruction. Terrorists have bombed California. In the aftermath that follows Marcus and his friends find themselves prisoners. When he refuses to let his captors have access to his phone and computer passwords he is tortured and humiliated for answers that he doesn't even know. No, not by Al-Qaeda or political extremist. Marcus has been taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security. A week later he is released. " But from now on, you belong to us. We will be watching you. We'll be waiting for you to make a misstep. Do you understand that we can watch you closely, all the time?"
Outraged and afraid of what the government is becoming Marcus does the only thing he can. He starts a revolution. A secret one. Using his Xbox he makes a spy proof system that even the government can't crack. He also earns the following of other kids like him who don't want to be watched. So starts the underground revolution of Xnetters.
Little Brother a great read steeped in American Culture --odd considering Doctorow's Canadian--. It's the hippie movement and 1984 both applied to a more technological world. You'll be able to recognize allusions to Emma Goldman and other heroes of the 60's and 70's. Not to mention the "Don't trust anyone over 25" slogan floating around throughout the book. Don't let the Orwell influence dissuade anyone from reading it, though. It's fast paced and directed at a teen audience so you're not going to be bored half way through. Just take into account that this is a book of science-fiction and shouldn't be taken seriously...yet. It could easily double as a handbook for the paranoid, but even you less paranoia prone guys will probably enjoy it for the different gadgets Cory Doctorow introduces. So, unless you absolutely can't stand conspiracy theories this is a must read.
--> This was indeed a good book that I can recommend without shame that you read. I didn't like that how much of the technological stuff went WAY over my head, but that may be due to my lack of technological savvy-ness.
Neil Gaiman wrote a review for it saying that he wished it could be in the hands of all thirteen year olds...I say no to that. It does casually mention sex and drugs throughout it. I wouldn't want my thirteen year old kid reading a book that portrayed sex and drugs as an acceptable recreational activity. Now fourteen...Heh. Just according to how mature your thirteen year old is I guess, but I was impressionable at thirteen. (Take into account that I'm only seventeen. I'm just saying that if my hypothetical kid was thirteen I wouldn't want them reading it. Thirteen year olds please do not be offended...but if you insist feel free to bite me. ;) )
When reading this you might want to keep in mind who it was written by. Cory Doctorow has some slightly extremist views on things. So, take the book with a grain of salt. Much like you would our pessimistic friend, Mr.Orwell.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Say, "AHH!". Then repeat.
Oh, haha. I've had a research paper assigned for about four weeks now. It's due Thursday. Have I started it? No. Have I got the sources? No. *hysterical laughing here* Now, if you want to know what's going on in my head I'll show you. Here's a little exercise.
First, scream the words, " ARG FREAKING BLEEP FREAKING NO!"
Okay, good job. Now repeat.
Keep going.
Well, your still not there, but we'll settle for now. You've got an e for effort! xD
But, even with the paper looming over my head I manage to read my required dose of fiction.
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Aza has hair as black as a raven, cheeks whiter than snow, and lips the color of a dragons tongue. To round her appearance off nicely she also has pulpy cheeks and a waist the size of a tree-trunk. Gail Carson Levine manages to take an old fairy tale and make you fall in love with it all over again. Fairest is a great remake of Snow White complete with poison apple, but has so many new elements that you don't feel as if your having to read the same story for the thousandth time. Which oft happens in those remakes.
Slightly more angsty than Ella Enchanted, but stil lovely and appropriate for young children and fairy tale loving adults alike. It's a boon to all the girls --you guys might like it too-- out there who were ever ridiculed for their appearances.
I liked the book, but wasn't nearly as emotionally attatched to the characters as I was in The Two Princesses or Ella Enchanted. You just don't get enough time with anyone to care too much.
An extremely disturbing aspect--> One of the characters( one of the romantic characters I'm afraid to say.) is mentioned to have abnormally big ears. My band director has big ears. Therefore, whenever it talks about the book character I keep seeing Mr.Denton. Disturbing? You betcha.
First, scream the words, " ARG FREAKING BLEEP FREAKING NO!"
Okay, good job. Now repeat.
Keep going.
Well, your still not there, but we'll settle for now. You've got an e for effort! xD
But, even with the paper looming over my head I manage to read my required dose of fiction.
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
Aza has hair as black as a raven, cheeks whiter than snow, and lips the color of a dragons tongue. To round her appearance off nicely she also has pulpy cheeks and a waist the size of a tree-trunk. Gail Carson Levine manages to take an old fairy tale and make you fall in love with it all over again. Fairest is a great remake of Snow White complete with poison apple, but has so many new elements that you don't feel as if your having to read the same story for the thousandth time. Which oft happens in those remakes.
Slightly more angsty than Ella Enchanted, but stil lovely and appropriate for young children and fairy tale loving adults alike. It's a boon to all the girls --you guys might like it too-- out there who were ever ridiculed for their appearances.
I liked the book, but wasn't nearly as emotionally attatched to the characters as I was in The Two Princesses or Ella Enchanted. You just don't get enough time with anyone to care too much.
An extremely disturbing aspect--> One of the characters( one of the romantic characters I'm afraid to say.) is mentioned to have abnormally big ears. My band director has big ears. Therefore, whenever it talks about the book character I keep seeing Mr.Denton. Disturbing? You betcha.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
A List and Some Books
Alright! *rubs hand together* There are many about to happen.
1. I go back to school Monday.
2. I have band tryouts on the 15th.
3. This is the second semester and as such I need to endeavor not to screw it up as badly as I did the first.
4. I'm going to tell you about some of the books that I read over break.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A book set in Nazi Germany and narrated by a sentimental misunderstood Death. Death has been carting ( or carrying if you want to be picky) souls to heaven since the beginning of time and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. He can't just let souls wander around wreaking havoc so he finds an outlet in distractions. His main distraction is the color of the sky. I found it slightly confusing at first, his mentioning random colors, but I finally realized what he was talking about. Most of you will probably pick up on it quicker than I did. Especially if you've read this first...Right. He is reluctantly drawn into the story of Liesel Meminger, The Book Thief.
The story centers around a young girl who is trying to survive in a world of hunger,suspicion, and the terrors of the Nazi Party. Thankfully, it doesn't get hung up on those things. :) The book does make nice political points just by being and showing what it was like, but it doesn't use the girl as an instrument of education by putting her through untold horrors and making her act twice her age.$ My horrible bit of reviewing aside...this was a book worth reading.
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
I've put off buying this book for about six months now. I pick it up,look at it, decide it's too cliche, and then put it down. I finally caved and bought the thing so I could get it over with. It's set in the quickly industrializing Victorian age$$. Gemma Doyle is sent to a finishing school in England after the brutal murder of her mother. The murder that she saw in a vision.
The fear of cliche-ness isn't as bad as I had feared, but you do have a group of girls sneaking out to do magic, a finishing school, and other things typical of almost cliched novels. I enjoyed it and plan on reading all three books in the trilogy, but if you can't stand overused plots then I would advise you to keep on browsing...I hate to condemn a book, but there it is. One of the main problems I have with it is how flat the Realms are. --Realms being the secret place they can access through the use of magic.-- You don't meet any interesting characters there that actually have feelings or visit any places that are going to stick out in your mind. Of course, this is a number one out three. The final verdict will be saved until the entire Trilogy has been read...
$This is with vague reference to a certain Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlett Letter. I'm not a big Hawthorne fan and the fact that Pearl was used as a symbol of truth irks me to no end. She was a good thing to use for it to be sure, but she just as easily could have been used to add a little entertainment to it as well. Mayhap then I wouldn't have bored out of my mind reading it...
$$The Victorian Age. Just a random thought to share--Has anyone ever noticed the amount of weird and kinky things that went on with these people? All that sexual repression was probably starting to get to them...Lay back and think of England!
