The Fugitive Factor by Gordon Korman

(Cover picture courtesy of Better World Books.)

Aiden and Meg Falconer are out to find the evidence that will free their parents from a life sentence in prison.  But in order to do that, they have to live undercover.  Ever since they broke out of a juvenile detention facility, they’ve been chased  by the FBI..and by a strange killer they’ve nicknamed Hairless Joe.  Now their story has hit the airwaves, and suddenly everyone is looking for them.  They think they can hide with an old family friend…but when Meg is thrown in jail, the danger and adventure only increase.

Unexpected betrayal, action, danger and the struggle to prove their parents’ innocence in a country that hates them…Meg and Aiden Falconer have it pretty tough.  However, situations like this make for great fiction and as this is targeted at younger tweens and kids, they’ll love it.  It’s not really cliché if you’ve never encountered it before and most kids haven’t encountered Gordon Korman’s not-so-unique premise by the time they read his On The Run series.

Whereas Chasing the Falconers (the first book) focused mainly on Meg and Aiden running from the authorities after escaping the farm, The Fugitive Factor focuses on their search for Uncle Frank.  Uncle Frank is the only one who may be able to prove their parents’ innocence, but the problem is that he’s missing.  No one’s seen him in years and they don’t have any leads other than the name of one of his numerous girlfriends.

Both Meg and Aiden develop as characters and even if they didn’t, readers would still be able to relate to them.  As for the scenarios they escape, it’s obvious Gordon Korman has done his research.  In theory, many of these escapes could work, so if you’re ever on the run, you should probably read this books.  (I’m kidding…sort of.)

I give this book 4/5 stars.

Amazon    Barnes and Noble

Khan: Empire of Silver by Conn Iggulden

(Cover picture courtesy of Barnes and Noble.)

The thunder of 100,000 hooves.

It is the middle of the thirteenth century.  One of the most extraordinary military empires in history is riding high.  But its architect, the Great Khan, Genghis, is dead…

The lightning flash of arrows without number.

Fearful that he cannot match his father’s great deeds, the new Khan turns his gaze to Russia, and beyond…

A great new power is on the march.  Who will stand against it?

What will happen when the storm from the east meets the stone walls and steel plate of the west?  Can the legend and legacy of Genghis Khan live on?

In some ways, I miss the character of Genghis Khan.  His presence was keenly felt, even when Conn Iggulden switched to the points of view of secondary characters and he was so wonderfully ruthless.  He was a horrible human being, but in fiction, he was most definitely a memorable character.  Now that he’s dead and his sons and grandsons take turns backstabbing each other, it’s just not the same.  However, there was one thing I really loved about Empire of Silver: Sorhatani.

Sorhatani, the wife of Tolui, was only briefly mentioned in Bones of the Hills but now she takes centre-stage in the second half of Empire of Silver.  I won’t reveal the reason for this, but let’s say that it has something to do with what her husband does out of loyalty for his older brother.  It’s tragic, but Sorhatani rises to the challenge of being a strong female leader in an empire lead exclusively by men.  She really is an amazing character, as is the somewhat tragic Tsubodai, who killed his young friend Jochi on Genghis’ order in Bones of the Hills.

As for the plot, it’s Conn Iggulden: you know it’s going to be fast-paced.  As for accuracy, at least he resisted the urge to change too much around.  He manages to show the points of views of many different characters, but it doesn’t really feel like head-hopping because he knows when it becomes too much for the reader.  Instead, he uses the changing points of view to move the story forward, which is how they should be used.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

Amazon    Barnes and Noble

Sliding on the Snow Stone by Andy Szpuk

(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)

It is astonishing that anyone lived this story. It is even more astonishing that anyone survived it. Stefan grows up in the grip of a raging famine. Stalin’s Five Year Plan brings genocide to Ukraine – millions of people starve to death. To free themselves from the daily terrors of Soviet rule, Stefan and his friends fight imaginary battles in nearby woods to defend their land. The games they play are their only escape. ‘Sliding on the Snow Stone’ is the true story of Stefan’s extraordinary journey across a landscape of hunger, fear and devastating loss. With Europe on the brink of World War Two, Stefan and his family pray they’ll survive in their uncertain world. They long to be free.

[Full disclosure: Andy Szpuk sent me an ebook copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.]

I’m not a person that cries easily anymore, but this book had me in tears verging on hysterical sobs.  The only reason I didn’t break down completely at some parts was because there was someone in the room.  Had I been reading this while staying up alone in the evening, I would have been a complete mess.

Andy Szpuk wrote his father, Stefan’s, memoirs and I imagine that it was a hard story both to tell and hear.  In my own experiences interviewing community members who came over from Europe before and after WWII, such discussions bring up a whole host of repressed emotions and long-forgotten memories; it’s difficult hearing about it from a virtual stranger, so I can’t imagine hearing the story from your own father.  The horror of the Holodomor (death by hunger) in the Ukraine is so great that I honestly can’t believe that history has largely ignored it.  It’s not nearly as well known as the horrors of the Holocaust, but it (and Stalin’s other atrocities) deserve at least equal recognition.  What Stefan and his family went through is more than most of us can imagine and Andy Szpuk has brought those horrible years to life in terrifyingly realistic fashion.

I haven’t read many memoirs (considering how many books I’ve read overall), but Sliding on the Snow Stone is definitely one of my favourites, right up there with the possibly fake The Long Walk and My Hitch in Hell.  Sliding on the Snow Stone is definitely aimed at adults, but is also an enjoyable read for teens interested in World War II.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble

The Naming by Alison Croggon

Well, it’s Wednesday today so you know what that means: guest posting.  Today I’m over at We Heart Reading, reviewing The Naming by Alison Croggon.  If you like epic fantasy, you’ll love how Alison Croggon mixes old tropes with her own new ones to create the world of Edil-Amarandh.

Deadville by Ron Koertge

Image Courtesy Of Goodreads

Synopsis: Ryan Glazier simply exists; he maintains a solid C-Average and smokes with his best friend Andy. Ryan was not always like this. He used to be an athletic teenager who enjoyed playing soccer. Things took a downward spiral when his younger sister Molly passed away two years ago. Now Charlotte Silano; a senior at school, not to mention one of the hottest girls lies in a coma after falling off her horse. Ryan is drawn to Charlotte for some reason and visits her in the hospital almost every day. Why does Ryan visit Charlotte and talk to her? Will it help her to regain consciousness? What’s in it for Ryan? Is he going to start coming out of his emotional detachment? 

Cover Gushing Worthiness: I admit that it was the cover that drew me towards the book. There isn’t a lot going on in it. However the image of the hat and earphones makes sense as the story progresses. The cover reminded me of the Things Not Seen cover by Andrew Clements. That is another book that I would recommend as well!

Review: I haven’t read a lot of books that deal with life threatening illness and after reading A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness I wanted to read more. Cue discovery of Deadville. Now as I read Deadville I didn’t compare it to A Monster Calls, but I was reminded of it.

I like the premise of this story because it focuses on a sibling’s perspective. How family members deal with grief is a very personal experience and there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to go about it. I enjoyed how Koertge explored the experience of grief among Ryan and his parents. He really looked at how life changes when a loved one experiences a life threatening illness and how the surviving members deal with a loss of a loved one.  The setting of the school did remind me a lot of Conor’s experience in A Monster Calls  because both characters experience isolation.

The subplots such as Ryan’s developing relationship with his classmate Betty and the young boy Thad at the hospital were clever additions because it gave the reader an opportunity to see Ryan’s character come out of his emotional detachment.

Although the premise of the book was good, I had some problems with the characters. My main issue was with Ryan. Unlike Conor from A Monster Calls I didn’t connect with Ryan emotionally. He just existed and I found it hard to believe him because I had no connection with him. Ryan’s sister Molly was also somewhat of a shell. Her character had much more potential and I wish she was more developed. And the resulting problem for me was that I didn’t quite believe the relationship between Ryan and Molly. I wish there were flashbacks of the two of them where we’d get a chance to hear Molly’s voice, not Ryan’s reflection of her.

Another relationship I had a problem was with Betty and Ryan’s. Personally I thought it came out of nowhere and I didn’t believe it either. I promise this review isn’t completely negative!!

The friendship between Ryan and Andy which was one of the more important ones also ended quite abruptly. I felt like there was no closure between the two of them and Andy sort of faded away as the story progressed. But it also may have shown Ryan’s character development.

The most important relationship in the book is between Ryan and Charlotte. It is a one-sided friendship, but it is one that offers Ryan redemption and ultimately that is what he is looking for.

If I had so many problems with the characters, you’re probably asking why I even bothered to finish this boo. It’s definitely a valid question and the only answer that I have is that the book just gripped  me. Sometimes you do come across books that have a hold on you even though you have problems with it. I just wanted to find out what happens in the end.

Overall despite my issues with the characters, Deadville was an enjoyable read. The premise of the book was and the writing was good, good to the point where I finished it in a night. If you’re looking for a young adult/teenage book that deals with Cancer and it’s life changing affects this is a book you may want to consider reading.

My Rating: 3/5

Would I recommend it? Yes.

Amazon    Barnes and Noble