Tagged: fantasy
Posting for 20four12
I swear guys, I really am guest posting today!
Anyway, today I guest posted over at 20four12, reviewing a book that had I bothered to look at the author’s name, I never would have picked up. However, I’m glad I was lazy because I found a very good book from an author that has improved vastly since his first book. So if I’ve piqued your curiosity, feel free to go read my review of Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull. I promise there are no gigantic cow milking scenes in this one.
My Favourite Books of 2012
Yes, 2012 is nearly over, which means it’s time to round up my favourite books for the year. I could have called this the best books of 2012, but that would be unfair because what I like is not necessarily what other people like. Therefore, I will be counting down my favourite books, completely ignoring reading level. A good book is a good book in my eyes, whether it was written for tweens, teenagers or adults. However, for convenience I will be classifying them by genre. So what were my favourite books this year? Read on!
Historical Fiction: The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough.
I’ve read a lot of historical fiction this year, but The Song of Troy was my absolute favourite. It had all the grandeur of the original myth, but the characters were brought to life in a way I had never seen before. They had realistic motivations and we got to see the points of view of pretty much all of the main players, which was a real treat. There was no magic, no gods, only a plausible historical scenario in Colleen McCullough’s masterpiece, which makes it even more impressive. I can’t praise it enough. Continue reading
Your Teen Book Buying Guide for the Holidays
Are you looking to buy a book for a teen in your life but have no idea what teens these days are reading? I may not be completely up to date with the latest books, but below are some great books for all kinds of teens, complete with age suggestions. Best of all, if you click the links to read the reviews, you’ll discover a convenient link to Amazon and Barnes and Noble if you think you’ve found a good gift. Please note that my age recommendations are very subjective: all teens are different, so make your judgment based on the individual.
For the history buff:
The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough (Age 15+)
The tale of Troy is ancient, but it’s also timeless. In Colleen McCullough’s The Song of Troy, she brings all of the legendary figures to life as humans, not as the legends they are now. They’re flawed, but you can also detect the grand themes running through the novel.
Run Like Jäger by Karen Bass (Ages 12-16)
This is for a younger audience, mainly because it doesn’t have as much explicit content as my other recommendations. It follows the story of Kurt, an exchange student in Germany, as he tries to figure out what his grandfather did in WWII and why he won’t talk about it. It’s a deep examination of the nature of right and wrong, but it also lets the reader come to their own conclusion about Kurt’s grandfather and his actions.
Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn (Age 14+)
This book is definitely great for someone who likes history, but loves romance more. It’s not entirely historically accurate, but you get the gist of the time periods the two lovers are in and their incredible journey through the centuries. It does have brief sexual content, so it’s not recommended for sensitive teens. Continue reading
Antares and the Zodiac by J and L Wells
(Cover picture courtesy of this site that will not load.)
Four friends, Daz, Eve, Oli and Ebony, meet at a fairground, but what appears to be an ordinary bonfire night couldn’t be further from the truth.
One fairground ride throws them into a very different dimension, where they set off on an incredible adventure that is completely out of this world.
Follow them as they embark on an amazing journey through the star signs of the zodiac.
(Summary courtesy of J & L Wells’ website.)
[Full disclsoure: J & L Wells sent me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
Antares and the Zodiac had such a great premise, but it lacked two things: maturity and a good editor. I’ll deal with the former first.
Much like with The Outsiders, you can tell the authors are really, really young. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being young and there are a few brilliant young authors, but J&L Wells’ youth really shows in their writing. They lack the experience that comes with age to pull off emotional scenes and they lack the writing experience to pull off what could be very compelling descriptions of the novel’s setting. I’m not saying that there aren’t good parts to the novel (because there are), it’s just that they are overshadowed by the teenage writing style, especially when phrases like this crop up in scenes that are supposed to be suspenseful:
“However, he was forced to eat his words for a second time as things were about to go from bad to worse … MUCH WORSE!” (Pg 132)
Now the latter: this book needed a good editor. How can I say that with absolute certainty? Well, as I read I made notes to myself and here are the numbers that I came up with:
- Capital letters were USED LIKE THIS to emphasize points 92 times.
- Multiple punctuation (as in !!! or !!) was used 16 times.
- ‘duck’, ‘ducky’ or ‘duckies’ was used 225 times.
Note that this all occurs in 255 pages. The use of various forms of ‘duck’ occurs mainly when one character, Daz, is speaking. Character quirks like favourite phrases are important parts of characterization, but when they are used too frequently it just becomes silly. Capital letters should rarely, if ever, be used in novels for emphasizing words—that’s what italics are for. Multiple exclamation points look rather silly, especially if the author(s) are fond of using single exclamation points for normal dialogue. Basically, they lose their punch and aren’t nearly as effective as when an author uses exclamation points only a few times throughout the novel.
Daz and Eve are decent enough characters, but Daz kept getting on my nerves. The constant use of ‘duck’ (in all situations, to all people) is grating and coupled with the fact that he constantly goes off seeking trouble in the Zodiac signs…well it didn’t help my overall impression of the novel.
J and L Wells are young writers with so much promise and I hope that with practice and time they reach their full potential.
I give this book 2.5/5 stars.
20four12: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
This week it’s my turn to post over at 20four12 so I reviewed Fablehaven by Brett Mull, a book that I borrowed from a good friend of mine. It is one of her favourite books, but to see my thoughts on it, head on over to 20four12! And while you’re over there you should check out the rest of Caleb’s site for your daily recommended dosage of science fiction.