The Dark is Something to Fear

Fear: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant

This was by far the best of the Gone novels up to now.  I would be lying if I said that I didn’t like this series, but I haven’t LOVED it like I thought I would.  It has been interesting and that is why I have continued to read and buy these books.  If I’m being completely honest (and why wouldn’t I be honest in my own blog) at some point after each book I have contemplated giving up, but I’ve wanted to know how it all ends, so I continue. 

What I liked about this book, compared to the first four books is that we know what’s going on outside of the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone- an anomaly that appeared that we now know dispersed everyone over the age of 14 out of the 20 mile bubble that has trapped the children of Perdido Beach, California).  I liked knowing that Connie Temple, Sam and Caine’s mom has been tirelessly working on getting her sons back and freeing the other children from the bubble as well. 

What I did not like was I feel like I have even more questions than before I knew what was going on outside of the FAYZ.  What happened to all of the kids that have made the jump on their 15^th birthday?  We heard about 2 of them, Mary being one of them, who when she made it out was so unrecognizable the hikers that found her called animal control.  There was mention of the twins, but Connie Temple never said if they were ok when they came out on the other end. 

I also did not like the baby becoming the Darkness or the gaiaphage.  The idea of a baby growing up really fast, even in the womb, and standing upright and walking on day 2 of life has been done before.  It was weird even then, when the audience had an explanation, with Breaking Dawn, Book 4 of the Twilight Saga, we found out that half human half vampire babies grow very fast and get to a certain age and stop growing.  Doesn’t make any sense, but the audience gets over it because we love the characters and want what’s best for them.  With Fear, even Diana is scared of her unborn child and therefore the idea of a fast accelerated pregnancy and birth is not good. 

Well this is book five, one more to go, the next book is called Light.  The first positive title so far, maybe, just maybe good things are coming to the kids of the FAYZ, for a while there I wasn’t so sure.  Light will be here in April 2013.

So, have you read this series?  Are you in love?  Keep Reading my Friends!

no adults, check! no food, check! deadly virus, double check!

Plague by Michael Grant

As the Gone story continues with Plague, there is so much going on.  Diana and Caine are still on the island with supplies, Perdido Beach is quickly running out of clean water supply, and now there is a deadly virus going around that makes the children that are left cough up their lungs literally and there seems to be no cure.  There are dangerous bugs that can infect a person, grow within them but cannot be destroyed.  These of course are from the Darkness who is using Brittney and Drake to do his bidding.  Like I said, there is so much going on and it is not looking good for the kids that have been left behind. 

This series is quite good.  I’m sad to say that I read through them so quickly and did not write my blogs directly after I finished the book and therefore I have forgotten a lot of details.  I have been reading this series with my friend Renae after I picked Gone as a book club choice.  As the books continue, the titles get darker and we are worried for our Gone Kids.  The next book which is the second to the last book is called Fear. 

Sorry for the short blog.  I finished this book in December of 2011 so that is why I am having a hard time remembering any details.  Keep Reading my Friends!

Where Popularity Rules the World, Being Extra is a Death Sentence

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

The final book in the Uglies stories.  Aya Fuse is an extra, extra meaning she is purely in the background.  Where you get everything in your life through merits and earning credits from cleaning your room and going to school for an ugly under the age of fifteen, to being popular and the more popular you are the more merits your receive.  As her face rank doesn’t seem to move, Aya is always looking for a way to move up in the ranks.  She primarily tries this by kicking stories, as she falls into the story of a lifetime, Aya has probably bitten off more than she can chew with not only sudden popularity, but also a deadly adventure that will take her, her brother Hiro, his best friend Ren, and her crush Frizz out into the wild and hopefully they can return to kick the story of a several lifetime.

Who is Aya and what have you done with Tally Youngblood?!?  That was my first question when I picked this book up.  I loved reading Uglies, Pretties, and Specials.  Tally was an excellent main character that I enjoyed reading her perspective and loved how the changes she went through grew her and changed her life.  Then I pick up the fourth book and boom, new character, new city, new circumstances, ahhhh!  Well I charged on and read through it.  I was happy when I got near the middle of the book.  Even though this book continued suit I found the action boring and I was tired of the book by the end.

Throughout the entire first half of the book I did not realize that the characters were speaking Japanese to each other, until outsiders came into the picture and said, “In English please.” Then I understood and from then on the author had to inform the audience in what language the characters were speaking.  Looking back I do remember Aya bragging to her brother that she spoke better English than he, but I just thought I didn’t understand the comment.    

There is no way I would have been able to not read this book after I loved the first three so much, and so therefore I am glad I read it, but in other ways, I wish there was a disclaimer that came with Extras that stated: “Warning: not as good as the first three!”  Oh well, on to the next book, Keep reading my friends!

Tally has Always been a Special Circumstance

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Special Circumstances is a rumor of a sect of humans that are placed to keep Pretties bubbleheads and absolve any problems with Uglies that don’t stay in line.  They are chosen, trained, and enhanced to be the strongest, humans alive.  Most pretties don’t ever see a Special during the course of their mediocre life, Tally  Youngblood has known about them since she was fifteen when she became a Special Circumstance and has many run ins with Dr. Cable.  With their bizarre looks, Tally has always been frightened of Specials, now she has become one.  As a Special she is engineered to find the New Smoke and destroy it and everyone who lives there.  During her journey as a Special all she really wants to do is have Zane join her new clique the Cutters so they can be together.  There’s only one problem, there is a part of her that remembers all of the times in the wild, times with David and Zane, she remembers and it triggers emotions that should have been removed from her with her Special surgery. 

Specials continues right where Pretties ends.  The audience has followed Tally through being an ugly longer than she bargained for, turned pretty, and now she is special.  Part of Special Circumstances, she acts just the way they want her to act.  She is a hunting, killing machine.  Special Circumstances just doesn’t think through her being herself.  She is trouble, it doesn’t matter if she is the ring leader or not, trouble will find Tally. 

I enjoyed how her inner-voice changed again.  While she was Pretty, she was Pretty headed and now that she’s Special, she has changed her tone again.  I also like how she changes throughout the story back to herself somewhat gradually.  Tally is a very interesting character.  I can’t wait to enjoy Extra’s, the last book of the series, thus far.

My mind has still not changed when it comes to the love triangle.  I love Zane and no matter what comes, I know that he was best for her.  I hope that things work out for her, and I truly wish that she could get her teeth fixed, I can’t imagine David looking at her every day with those gross sharp teeth.  You know what I’m saying, it’s gross to think about someone with razor sharp teeth filed into points.  I can get over the flashing tattoos that move with her heart beat, the scars that she cut on herself, but the sharp teeth and finger nails have got to go. 

Have you read this series?  What do you think?  My favorite book was Pretties, which one did you like best?  Keep reading my friends!

being Pretty is not all that it's cracked up to be

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Tally Youngblood has now received the surgery.  Growing up as a Littlie all she ever wanted was to become Pretty, to go to the Pretty parties and live her life according to plan.  She did some tricks as an Ugly, but she never wanted to go to The Smoke to rescue her friend Shay, she never wanted to fall for David, an Ugly that didn’t grow up in the city, but whom grew up in The Smoke.  But for some reason, being Pretty minded was not all that she had bargained for and as she receives a letter from herself explaining exactly what the Pretty surgery had done to her, she has to face a choice that will change her life forever.  As this story unfolds, the Specials seem to be one step ahead of The Smokies and Tally as a Pretty.  She has to continue her journey and take chances that she never wanted.  She also falls for Zane, something she never thought would happen especially while she was in the Smoke with David. 

I enjoyed this book very much.  The first book in the series was action packed from the beginning to the end, where Pretties started fairly slowly.  It took me the entire first section to get used to the change in Tally Youngblood’s inner voice.  The audience knows from the end of Uglies that she changes to a Pretty to be the guinea pig of the cure.  

The ending took a turn that I should have expected but didn’t.  She has a confrontation with David in front of Zane and it brought up some very interesting feelings within me.  I couldn’t believe how wrapped up I was in this girl’s love life.  She had to make a decision and I was horrified and relieved in how she reacted to the situation that was before her.

I’m about to start Specials.  I wonder how Shay is going to be a player in this next book of the series.  I wonder if they will change Tally to a creepy Special and how this storyline will play out with the Zane and David love triangle.  There’s only one way to find out… Keep Reading my Friends!