REVIEW: Unremembered - Jessica Brody

GENRE: YA

PAGES: 302

PUBLISHER: Macmillan Kids

FORMAT: PB

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

REVIEW

I'm lucky enough to have received an advance copy of this book from a rep and was immediately intrigued by its premise. I don't read contemporary novels very often but was glad that I picked this up. It errs towards science fiction and is as fast-paced as a spy thriller.

It's premise is great: A girl, named Violet by the nurses in hospital, is found floating in the ocean after a suspicious plane crash. After being placed with a foster family she becomes determined to find out where she comes from, and to also find out more about the mysterious boy who continues to follow her every move.

The Unremembered is a fantastically built novel. The suspense gradually grows into a high octane thriller that will have you gripping your seat. I was shocked time and time again by the abilities Violet discovers in herself and it was really fun to discover everything she can do at the same time she does. There were several times I was completely unsure how Violet was going to get out of the situations she gets in, which reminded me of the twists of The Hunger Games. You're never sure who to trust, or if any of her memories are ever real. It's not really a dystopian novel as such but will appeal to fans of these.

Thematically it centres are the themes of both love and scientific advancement, one a modern miracle and the other a timeless concept. It asks how love exists within us: Is it something that is lodged deep down and can't be erased or damaged as part of our brain? Is it a lingering part of a persons soul that can always react to someone you love? Or are there just different parts of our brains that are harder to damage? I really enjoyed these questions and finding out about Violet's past in the flashbacks as she 'restores' her memories.

One thought that struck me through the whole novel is how it seemed to pull the themes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein into the modern age. Frankenstein asks us the price of scientific advancement and if it is worth sacrificing our humanity or morality. Unremembered asks these too, and also what faculties the modern world would demand of us if we were trying to recreate Dr. Frankenstein's Creature today. 

I highly recommend this book for adults, for teens, and even for younger readers ready to move up to teenage. I don't think there is anything in there that parents would have a problem with. Add this to your Goodreads and get pre-ordering, you won't be disappointed.

- Bex.

GUEST REVIEW: Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

GENRE: YA/Dystopian

PAGES: 336
PUBLISHER: Hodder
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

Unflinching, heartbreaking and totally addictive, this novel will push your emotions to the limit. Lena's been to the very edge. She's questioned love and the life-changing and agonising choices that come with it. She's made her decision. But can she survive the consequences?

REVIEW

Pandemonium is the second book in the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver, so if you haven’t read the first book, I advise that you do not read this review before you have read Delirium as there are SPOLIERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK. (My previous review is about Delirium go check it out). This book was very unexpecting and Lauren writes this book in a very interesting way.

At the end Delirium, Lena has runaway to Wilds whilst Alex is caught and possibly dead. At the beginning of Pandemonium she is in The Wilds alone, however soon after she meets a group of Invalids and they become a family. One girl she encounters with is Raven. Raven is the leader of her family in the Wilds and Raven orders Lena to complete a mission in the outside world. Lena was warned by Raven to look out for the ‘Watch the DFA. Observe. Blend.’ She is supposed to blend into the society that she left when she ran away to the Wilds. The DFA stands for Deliria – Free America and this is what Lena and the Invalids are against. Raven also tells Lena to keep on the DFA’s son; Julian Fineman. Lena doesn’t know why she must keep on eye on Julian however she goes along with Raven’s orders. The family is then attacked and Lena and Julian are both captured as prisoners. Her and Julian find a way to escape and she develops unexpected feelings for Julian but will this turn into a romance after Alex or is someone/something going to shake up her feelings?

Main Characters

Lena Halloway: Lena’s character development from Delirium to Pandemonium is exceptional. The way she handles with the grief and heartbreak of Alex to getting thrown back into the real world is amazing and Lauren really shows what a true woman can do and that women are strong human beings. Lena’s character also develops romantically with Julian, however you feel that she still has a connection with Alex therefore her relationship with Julian is bit more strict due to her feelings for Alex.

Julian Fineman: Julian is absolutely adorable however I find his character very confusing. One minute, he doesn’t want to know Lena, the next he is pouring his deep and dark secrets out to her and then is back to not wanting to know her. I did fall in love with Julian however I didn’t agree with some of the choices he makes during the book because I feel they are harsh to Lena and also I personally wouldn’t make those decisions.

Lauren writes the series from Lena’s perspective and this book jumps from the present time to the past and then back again, which means you have to concentrate on the book but I think that this gives the book a whole new depth because you get to feel Lena’s emotions from past and present. I love the direction that the book turns to with the insanely annoying (yet amazing) cliffhanger at the end, with big reveals and emotions flying everywhere.

This book is second in the trilogy and the third Requiem. There are also short stories. For me the order you should read this series, including the short stories is; Annabel, Delirium, Hana, Pandemonium, Raven, Requiem, Alex.

- Ambi
(http://anahal.wordpress.com)

GUEST REVIEW: Shift - Jeff Povey

PAGES: 368
PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 3 Stars

SUMMARY

Get ready for one apocalyptic detention. These misfits are going to save the world! Meet Rev, Billie, the Ape, Johnson, GG, Carrie, the Moth and Lucas, a motley crew of bickering teens who find themselves totally alone in the world after a strange power surge hits their classroom during detention. With no answers as to why or how the rest of the world has disappeared, the mismatched group is soon facing a bigger nightmare than they could ever imagine… Standing between them and the only way home are lethal duplicate versions of themselves, super powered teenagers who will kill anyone who gets in their way. Our unlikely heroes must somehow work together to save themselves… or they'll never see home again. SHIFT is the first in a fast-paced, page turner of a series, filled with action, adventure and humour. Perfect for fans of Michael Grant, Charlie Higson and Antony Horowitz and for anyone who loves Misfits or Shaun of the Dead.

REVIEW

This book is definitely not one that I would normally pick up, and even after reading it, I still am not that fond of it- but it was exciting to read nonetheless. 

Shift tell the story of 8 'misfits', Rev, Billie, the Ape, the moth, Johnny, GG, Lucas and Carrie (the names and nicknames were quite interesting), who are all in after school detention, unaware that in just a matter of a few minutes they will have to rely on each other to survive. They are pretty much strangers at the beginning of the book, but a few of them grow quite close as the story goes on. The book starts off with the teenagers being introduced, and then it is quite clear from the start that the Ape will be quite a character. When a sudden burst of light appears, the teenagers find themselves alone, they scoured ever inch and crook of the town they live in, but there is no one there, except for the ones who were in that room (excluding the teacher, who managed to leave just before 'it' all happened). 

The plot of the book is quite exciting and original, and the characters very extravagant. For me, I found that some of the characters were very over the top at times and hard to associate with. The book didn't offer great character development either so when a few of them were in unfortunate events, I didn't really feel or care for them. 

The romance in the book is not the main focus, but it does dominate a lot of the actions that the characters take. I did feel that the 'love' and 'liking' aspects were a little unrealistic at times due to the character's age, but I guess when you find that you are the only normal people left in the world, you’d cling onto the first person you see. 

I'd have to say though, my main criticism would be that the book took place over 48 hours- it definitely felt a lot longer than that, and I don't think all the events that happened could take place over so little time. 

Even though this was not an amazing, eye opening book- it kept me reading and wanting to know what will happen. Whether I will be reading the sequel or not, that's a mystery. The ending did grab me though, so I am a little curious as to what will happen next. 

- Maryam.

REVIEW: Department 19 - Will Hill

GENRE: Adventure, Fantasy

PAGES: 496

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins Children's

FORMAT: Galley

BUY IT: Waterstones

RATING: 3 Stars

SUMMARY

In a secret supernatural battle that's been raging for over a century, the stakes have just been raised - and they're not wooden anymore. DEPARTMENT 6 IS THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT 12 is MI5, DEPARTMENT 19 IS THE REASON YOU'RE ALIVE. 

When Jamie Carpenter's mother is kidnapped by strange creatures, he finds himself dragged into Department 19, the government's most secret agency. Fortunately for Jamie, Department 19 can provide the tools he needs to find his mother, and to kill the vampires who want him dead. But unfortunately for everyone, something much older is stirring, something even Department 19 can't stand up against...

REVIEW

Department 19 is the coming of age story of Jamie Carpenter, descendant of John Carpenter - valet to the legendary Abraham Van Helsing. When Jamie's dad is shot by men in black, his mother is kidnapped by Alexandru, one of the 3 oldest vampires in the world. While trying to get her back Jamie is introduced to Blacklight, Department 19 of the British government, that deals with the supernatural dangers in the world. Unfortunately someone keeps giving away Jamie's whereabouts...

I really wanted to like this book. It has absolutely everything that I love: Dracula, Vampire, Frankenstein and a good bit of gore. But it really fell flat. I wrote my dissertation partly on Dracula and Frankenstein so I think there are grounds for arguing that I am just grumpy because of how much Department 19 takes liberties with the original stories. I think that if you were excited to read the classics after this you might have a bit of a shock. However, had those classics be written today perhaps this is what they would be like. I liked the idea of something major coming out of Dracula's world, even with the little addition of Vlad Tepes' background, but I have read reworkings that work so much better than this.

Boys and girls who love grizzly gore will love this and it's actually pretty disturbingly violent in places (like shoving a grenade in a mans mouth) so its definitely not for the younger readers. I felt that the characters weren't particularly fleshed out, I didn't associate or really care about any of them. I don't recall seeing one female Operator and would loved to have one of the descendants being a kick-ass girl. When Jamie is given his quick training at Blacklight it felt a little like 'Tron' and would transport well to the big screen. In fact a lot of the imagery is very bright and good, both the descriptions and the settings - I loved the village in Scotland in particular. However the rest of the description was overloaded with military terms and I became bored very quickly with it. There was very little emotion apart from "I miss my mom" and "your dad was my best friend". 

I found myself skim reading towards the end. I didn't care if Jamie ever found his mother. It's aimed more at YA boys who love constant action. I have to admit I was intrigued by the internal leak situation and finding out the truth about Jamie's dad but it didn't play out in a way that really kept my concentration.

I really wish I had more to say about this that was positive because its an absolutely brilliant concept. There are a lot of people that will find this fun and interesting and actually for people who have hated the classics you might find something more accessible here.

- Bex.