Books Archives - Page 68 of 71

Yzabel / July 24, 2012

Review: Unraveling

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

Review:

An overall enjoyable novel, that I finished quite fast, considering its length, because I really wanted to see the events unfold. Thus I can say I liked it, and probably liked it enough to pick another book by this author someday.

The writing was quite flowing, and Janelle as a main character was interesting to follow: not the average, powerless heroine who gets carried around by whatever happens, but someone who tries to act, to take matters into her own hands, and is both aware of and frustrated at when things force her to react rather than act directly. What’s more, although she’s been going through several harsh experiences, her death being only the latest, she does her best to keep strong and not give up. This is the kind of protagonist I like. The plot and setting reminded me of some of my favourite shows, such as The X-Files and Fringe, with elements I tend to gravitate towards—FBI agents facing difficult cases, suspicions of bio-terrorism, characters not knowing anymore who’s their foe and who they can still trust… Those are the things that got me hooked.

However, the reason why I’m only giving three stars to “Unraveling” is that, as I was reading along, I couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that something was wrong. At first, I couldn’t place my finger on it, and this left me confused for a good part of the story. Then at last (and upon some more reflecting, now that I’m done with the book), it dawned on me: to me, it felt like the author was trying too much. Trying too much to elicit responses from the reader; to cram as many elements as possible within 400-something pages; to make Janelle too strong, too, in a way. For instance, early enough we learn that a couple of years ago, while at a party, Janelle woke up at the back of a car with her pants half-torn, and had never been able to piece that part together; we are of course left with the impression that she was raped, and this is evidently the effect sought after… but considering all the other hard events Janelle has to face in the story, I wondered: “Isn’t this just a bit too much? Isn’t there already enough going on? Do I really need that to be convinced that, alright, she’s a girl who had to become strong?” I don’t think so.

Besides, although I can’t exactly explain why, the turning point (the big revelation about Ben & Co, and what the countdown is about) didn’t have me squealing, but rather felt as slightly off. I’m not sure if the cause was the pseudo-scientific explanations, or the way it was all brought out. The second half of the book was full to the brim, when a lighter string of events would already have done the job well enough. In the end, I wasn’t sure anymore about who or what to root for, whose death I should regret or not, or if I cared or not about some of the characters, nor if I had properly understood everything. (I’m also still unsure of what to do with the relationship between Kate and Janelle. For the whole story, I thought something would happen, some discussion, some revelation… and then, nothing. I was a little disappointed, and wondered if those scenes involving Kate were really important.)

“Unraveling” had me spend a good time, and was mostly interesting. I just wish it hadn’t been so full, and that some plot points had been better exploited (or discarded as a whole, since they didn’t bring that much to the story).

Yzabel / July 22, 2012

Review: Cinder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

My rating: [rating=4]

Retellings of tales usually attract my attention, even though I haven’t read that many of them. Add to this the idea of a *cyborg* Cinderella, and of course I had to give it a shot.

The first thing to say is I had a hard time putting it down. On the one hand, because it is a retelling and makes uses of fairy tales codes, the story follows patterns that make it predictable (it is easy, for instance, to tell who Cinder really is, and I think the author clealry did that on purpose). On the other hand, “Cinder” falls, for me, into this category of books whose events you can predict, yet at the same time are nevertheless thrilled to see happen. Moreover, the tale itself wasn’t all there was to it, since it was intertwined with other plots (the plague, the threat of a war); in fact, I’m not sure that the Cinderella part was that essential to the story as a whole… but all in all, I still enjoyed the cross-references, and the overall plot also removed the problem of “already knowing where it’s going”.

The main character is a skilled cyborg mechanic, with still enough of her human body to long for a place in a society that rejects the likes of her, and not human enough anymore for that same society to fully accept her as more than a mere ward. Not considering the fact that “skilled cyborg mechanic” already sold me from the start, Cinder is also an interesting person to follow. She has spunk, a will of her own, she’s intelligent and resourceful, she fights to lead her own life, and she doesn’t hesitate to act, rather than just runaway—she’s very far from the passive Cinderella from the tale. At times, she was maybe a little too focused on herself, but it didn’t detract from her that much.

Prince Kai, too, is a fairly nice modern retelling of his original counterpart: more than just a handsome prince, he actively thinks about the future of his country, weighs the choices he has to make, and is ready to personal sacrifice if this can ensure the well-being of his people. The relationship that builds between him and Cinder throughout the story is also believable, not instant love, not instant recognition, but feelings and interests that develop through their encounters.

Finally, I was fascinated by the world developed by the author. The tense relations between the Earth and Luna, the devastating plague, a setting not so often used in YA literature (Asia, (New) Beijing), the suspected plans laid out by the Lunars… There was more to “Cinder” than what I suspected at first, and that world seems to stand its own (I hope the next installments will confirm this, since they’ll take place in other settings on Earth and Luna). If one thing, though, I would really have appreciated getting more of a ‘feeling’ for the atmosphere of New Beijing. I couldn’t really picture it, apart from the use of a few honorifics, characters’ names, or the market place. It was too bad, because this setting was part of what thrilled me when I picked the book, and I regretted not seeing, not feeling more of it.

Yzabel / July 20, 2012

Review: The Pledge

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

My rating: [rating=1]

Having been studying linguistics for years, and being interested in whatever is related to the concept of language in general, I was naturally drawn towards this book. A dystopian society divided in classes (castes, rather) through the means of languages, or rather of lackthereof, for the lowest ones? Of course I was bound to perk my ears, manner of speaking. I wanted to see what the author would do with such an idea.

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed.

I did find a few redeemable things in “The Pledge”. Events that flowed one into each other, for instance. A fast-paced plot in the second part. And a definitely evil and cunning opponent, who would resort to any means to keep on ruling, because it’s what she’s always done, and what both people and other rulers expect from a country’s leader—in order to hold society together. I like evil characters with a definite agenda. It was clear from the beginning that Sabara would be a bitch, and she didn’t disappoint me.

Then came the problems, which turned to be too many for me to enjoy the book.

The role of language, first: why, why, why wasn’t it exploited as much as it could have been? There would have been so many interesting issues to develop here, so many possibilities, beyond the evident aspect of “being able to understand what the others can’t”. Granted, it was presented here as a means to divide people and keep them in their respective castes; however, this was only, in my opinion, a very basic use of the potential destructive functions of language (getting rid of abstract concepts so that people wouldn’t be able to express and rally around them anymore, for instance), and it’s a shame the author didn’t go further with those.

The plot was highly predictable. From the very first chapter, the one with the Queen, I sensed where this would be leading to, and what kind of final confrontation I could expect. Since I don’t consider myself a particularly keen reader (I can never find the culprit in mystery novels), it must mean it was really easy to foresee. Worst was the world depicted in the novel. However great and plausible the idea of language as control, the world itself didn’t seem very logical to me, continuously poising between dystopia and fantasy, as if the author herself couldn’t choose what she wanted to write about. Although it does have a dystopian atmosphere, its roots were very unclear; the names of long-gone cities suggest that Ludania was built on the ruins of the USA, yet what led to its current state jarred too much with such origins. How come a matrilinear monarchy came to replace the former governments, not only in this country, but everywhere in the world? How come people remembered the failure of a ‘democratic revolution’, but not democracy would have been in place even before the monarchy? (And really, historically-speaking, the USA are one of the last countries I’d expect to see veering towards such a type of government. It doesn’t add up.) The powers, too: every Queen is supposed to have some kind of power or powers—Sabara’s hint more at magic, even, than at ‘mere’ psychic powers. How did those appear? Creating a skewed society isn’t enough, in my opinion, to make a good dystopia; here it would have been more useful for the author to simply create her own fantasy world.

As for the characters, I never felt any connection with them. Charlie was only special because of her power, not because of her personality. I felt like all she did throughout the story was to let herself be carried by events, never taking any real decision, nor having any real goal (save for ‘protect my sister’) that would contribute to move the plot forward. I could see no reason why Max, the ‘mysterious boy’, would be attracted to her with such intensity, and the whole romance moved way too fast. At least Angelina had that mysterious side of never opening her mouth to speak, so it was a cause for mild wonder. But Charlie? I was never interested in her, from beginning to end. The other characters weren’t that interesting either, too predictable in their roles and behaviours; I didn’t even understand what Sydney’s role was supposed to be, because whether she was here or not, it didn’t change anything—was she here to show only what pure and kind a soul Charlie is?

I did finish “The Pledge”, and managed not to give up along the way; only I found mysef skimming rather than reading (which is why I read it so fast, come to think of it), and this is a dead-ringer that such a book didn’t amount to much to me.

Yzabel / July 19, 2012

Review: Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: [rating=3]

This is another book I’m not sure how to rate. I’ve given it three stars, as an average mark, but it’d be probably closer to 2.5, if I wanted to be really judgmental (which I’m not going to be, because I still went on reading it quickly, a usual sign that all in all, the story hooked me).

I really, really liked its setting, the backdrop of war depicted in it, with all its ambiguities and varying moral mileage. Maybe those are themes a harsh for a YA novel, but they still gave me the full feeling of a dystopian world here. The Capitol’s depiction as “the side on which the bad guys are on” was clearly tempered by the fact that the rebels’ thought processes aren’t so pure either. Overruling a tyrannical government? Sure, but such a feat won’t come without sacrifices, nor without having to think like your enemies to anticipate their actions… and the fine line between ‘thinking like’ and ‘acting like’ is a fragile one, rather easy to cross. Some characters did cross it—some who appeared above that at first, too. Others remained true to themselves, yet never got out of it unscarred either. The overall atmosphere was quite a desperate one, with its gruesome lot of realistic and no-nonsense situations, diverging opinions, tension-inducing plans, and intensity. Perhaps a little too much sometimes.

There’s also a couple of characters (not always the main ones) whose evolution I liked seeing. Peeta seemed to grow a backbone at last, be more fierce, and show himself as someone who could be dangerous on his own, not only a human shield for Katniss. It came with a price, of course, yet it was interesting to see him go through what befell him—in spite of his (believable) pleas for death, in the end, he was the true survivor. Same goes in my opinion for Johanna (ah, snarky, unpleasant Johanna—I don’t even know how I came to like her, but I do) and Finnick, for coming in the open about what was really going on between the scenes. Finnkic, who got me quite scared at some point, alright, since his path was mirroring Katniss’s so much.

And that’s the part where the author lost me: Katniss’s evolution. She used to be so strong, so active, such a decision-maker. In “Mockingjay”, she’s a mere hull of herself, wallowing in self-pitying, shutting down to the rest of the world, uncaring about what’s going to happen. Alright, she went through many hardships, and those would be painful to anyone, especially a 17-to-18-year-old girl, but… but did we really need to read about this for 300 pages? So she was more of a pawn, a symbol than anything else—but couldn’t she take it into her hands again, and shape the tide actively? Instead, it took quite some time before she accepted to become the Mockinjay, and once she embraced that state, it didn’t last for long: I felt that it was really all for show, that she didn’t really care inside, and if she didn’t, well, why should I? I can’t even blame it on president Snow attempting to break her through Peeta; it looked like she was actively breaking herself, too. The other problem with her, too, was that she remained confined to the background or the sides of the war (the “getting knocked down and waking up in the hospital” moments quickly started to grate on my nerves). I wanted to see her IN the main action! Not telling me about it after seeing it on the news or hearing it from other characters or whatever. This changed in the second half with the Capitol mission, yet even then, she got to see the final battle from the background (and was once again knocked out, thus being shut out of this battle… and I the reader was deprived of another important scene).

And Gale. What the hell, Gale? Did Collins so wanted to put you out of the picture that she had to make you so annoying in this book? Why not killing you off, then? It would’ve been more useful. Poor Gale. I liked him in the previous novels, liked what a stronghold he could be for Katniss to go back to. However, I was under the impression that they shunned each other too much here, that they weren’t even trying… and that the final choice in the love triangle was made from the start. There’s no point in building a triangle then, right?

Finally, I didn’t know how to stand regarding the bleak feeling pervading the book. On the one hand, it greatly contributed to carrying across the author’s message about the futility of wars, and how humans do repeat the errors of the past. On the other hand, was it really necessary to enforce it through the rushed death of certain characters? People die, well, fine, I get it. But killing off Finnick and Primrose in such ways was just meaningless for the first, and way too fast for the other (not to mention that it would have had more impact on us readers too if we had got to know and see her more before that…).

To conclude: excellent setting and narrative conclusion to this trilogy, but poor execution (no pun intended) regarding a few of the characters, including, unfortunately, some of the really major ones.

Yzabel / July 18, 2012

Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

My rating: [rating=4]

Before I started reading the Hunger Games trilogy, a lot of people warned me about the second and third books not being on par with the first one. However, now that I’m done with “Catching Fire”, I feel it’s not really the case for me. This novel was different, and didn’t deal with exactly what one might have expected at first, but in the end, I found it just as enjoyable as the first one.

I appreciated the issues it tackled: the soured homecoming; how nothing could ever be the same again in spite of victory; how victory itself proved to be a form of defeat, as if whatever the Hunger Games’ issues, nothing good could ever be got out of them—something we readers were already aware of, and that was imprinted even more severely on the characters here. For me, this second volume was full of a constant underlying tension slowly spiralling up towards a final intense momentum.

I don’t think the 75th Hunger Games came too late in the book (although I would have appreciated to see a little more of Katniss’s and Peeta’s reaction about the Quarter Quell announcement), because I’m not sure I would’ve enjoyed a story that would have been ‘only’ about such games again. The first half was much useful in distillating the right atmosphere of fear, doubts and ill omens about what would happen; while the revelations at the end, about what was really going on and who was involved, provided a note of hope… yet one that could easily be turned into despair again. I felt that “Catching Fire” was continuously poising on a very narrow line here, just like a rope-walker would do: between hope and its loss; between spreading fire and how it could just as well end up in cold, useless embers; between courage and fear; threats and responding to them; potential friends and potential enemies, and the uncertainty about who was what. I think this greatly contributed, in my eyes, to the intensity of this second part of the trilogy.

But—there is a but—I wasn’t too thrilled about the love triangle aspect here. Perhaps because the two boys appear to be a little too similar? I was annoyed at Katniss’s inability to choose, to realize who she really loves, but really, choosing in such circumstances is just so hard. It would probably have been more interesting if Gale and Peeta had been more contrasted characters.

Yzabel / July 16, 2012

Review: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: [rating=4]

I’ve had the Kindle version of “The Hunger Games” sitting on my reader for a few weeks, and now that I finally got to read it, I’m wondering: why didn’t I do that sooner? The only reason I didn’t read this book in two days instead of one is probably that I’m staying at friends’ for part of my holidays; had I been left to my own devices, it probably wouldn’t have lasted that long. One thing I can’t deny it is that it’s definitely a page-turner.

The world in which the novel is set seems consistent. We don’t get to know everything about it, but life in Ditrict 12 was described with enough accuracy for me to feel what it must be like; same with the actual setting of the Hunger Games themselves, and the events that unfolded during them, each tribute having to survive not only the others, but also the natural environment—well, ‘natural’ inasmuch as it was crafted by the government, that is. As usual in dystopian novels, I want to know more about what led to such a government, and what happened to the rest of the world, and we’re not given information about that; however, I was still under the impression that this information was lying somewhere behind the scenes, and that the author had actually thought about it. I’m eager to see if books 2 and 3 will confirm this. (I don’t want a whole history book; just the feeling that the world is well-built, even if 90% of that building work is never actually used in the course of the story.)

I didn’t find the characters extremeely developed, but they were enough to make me believe in their presence, and enough to play the part I wanted to see them play. Mostly they showed themselves as sharp and resourceful, and even some that seemed like goners from the start proved that they were able to put on a fight of their own, in their own ways. Although I’m not sure yet about where the whole romance aspect is going to head, I liked how slanted it was: not insta-love, and with the underlying suspicion that it was all an act. (I bet it isn’t, not really, but Katniss seemed to be confused enough about it for me to wonder if she fell in love for real, yet believed she was only acting her part? Or did she act all along? Could such intensity be faked? The fact that she doesn’t get Peeta’s feelings until the end also adds to this twisted side of the romance. Besides, let’s not forget that in such situations of survival, sometimes instincts make people act differently than they would have in normal circumstances, and I think that this could be important here, too.)

The story itelf isn’t the most original per se; the concept of man-hunting isn’t new in writing, and it’s been seen more than once already. That said, even though it’s nothing new, and I suspected where it was going from an early time on, I still liked it, just as I liked the slight twist at the end of the Games. There are times when expecting something and seeing it happen just fills me with thrill; it was the case here. The characters also remain immersed into the action, without spending much useless time on wallowing in guilt, nor giving in to remorse at just the wrong moment. This isn’t always easy to pull. However, one thing I thought was missing, was some real confrontation between Katniss and someone she actually cared about. It seemed to me that conveniently enough, the painful choice of having to face one of her ‘allies’ was always removed from her. For instance, sooner or later she would have had to kill Rue, but she never had to make that choice. The same goes with the wasps or the berries: the direct act of killing was tempered by the ‘natural’ buffer put between killer and victims. Even the poisoning act was, somehow, a way of avoiding a direct kill. I know this is a YA novel, but it would have been even more powerful if once, just once, such a choice had had to be made, and things hadn’t been made ‘easier’ for Katniss in that regard.

Yzabel / July 13, 2012

Review: It’s Not All Black And White

It’s Not All Black and White: Multiracial Youth Speak Out by St. Stephen’s Community House

My rating: [rating=4]

(Book got through NetGalley.)

“It’s Not All Black And White” is a collection of interviews, short essays and poems from a number of people of mixed origins, and dealing with their feelings and personal experiences regarding the question of ‘race’ for them. The book features such texts from youths, but also a few from older people, allowing its readers to get a wider view of what being of such origins is, and used to be a few decades ago. Its layout is very differenciated from one page to the other, which is nice on the eye for starters, yet also goes well with its themes of difference and of not always being accepted for who we are—many different pages, however gathered all in the same book, as if to show that in the end, we can all be together in harmony. (Maybe this is just personal interpretation on my part; still, I think that whether intentional or not, this layout is quite appropriate.)

I wanted to read this collection at first because I thought it would contain interesting material to read with my pupils in class, material that would also concern some of them. I wasn’t disappointed. Such a book can definitely be used for educational purposes, and that its contents offer a positive outlook on what being multiracial means, as well as answers or at least reflections for those young people who would be struggling with their identity and where to place themselves. It sends them the message that “you are not alone”, and this to me seems to be one of its most important aspects. It is also an eye-opener in many regards, for those of us who are not confronted to such issues, yet would like to understand what they entail. I so agree with some of the participants, that sometimes even well-meaning, innocent-sounding sentences can still be hurtful, in that they contribute to setting people apart.

Yzabel / July 11, 2012

Review: The Moon Dwellers

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes

My rating: [rating=4]

(Book read and reviewed for {Read It & Reap 78} in the Shut Up And Read group.)

I wish my rating pluging allowed me to give .5 stars, because I’d clearly put this one at 4.5/5 stars. Well, I’d put a 5/5 if not for one thing, that I’ll expand on later on.

Having read David Estes’s first novel, “Angel Evolution”, barely a few days ago, I was amazed to discover to which extent this author’s writing has developed in this new, beginning trilogy. This is clearly a work for which said author took into account various critiques, and used them to improve his writing and storytelling. The result is, frankly, very good.

“The Moon Dwellers” follows two characters on two opposite ends on the social scale: Adele, a young woman who’s been sentenced to jail for life, but decides to escape with her friends Tawni and Cole and find her scattered family again; and Tristan, elder son of the allmighty President, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but intent on estranging himself from this life that doesn’t feel like his own. The story is told in the first person, from the alternating points of view pf Adele and Tristan; while such an exercise in writing can be quite hazardous, here it works well, allowing us to learn more and more about those characters and what their lives are like.

I especially enjoyed said characters’ personalities. Adele and her friends have had to become strong during their stay in jail, and they don’t let anyone dictate them how to behave—they don’t hesitate to fight, and they do it well and with spunk, too, both physically and through sarcasm. As for Tristan and Roc, the one isn’t such the pampered prince as a lot of people believe him to be, and the other, albeit not the best when it comes to handling a weapon, is terrific in the way he managed to keep his sense of humour throughout dark times. Their friendship, too, is made of solid mettle, and feels genuine and very much present.

The one thing I wasn’t too keen on was the ‘insta-connection’ between Adele and Tristan; it has nothing to do with “The Moond Dwellers” per se, it’s simply I as a reader who’s never felt convinced by such strong attractions upon first sight. Also, I thought that at times, events unfolded a little too neatly (the various bomb attacks, especially), reinforcing that aspect of ‘destiny bringing everyone and everything together’. I suppose you either like it or not.

This said, I am nonetheless eager to read the next volume!

(As a side note, I find the cover’s composition absolutely fascinating. The more I look at it, the more it grows on me.)

Yzabel / July 9, 2012

101: A Word From Trigg

A couple of weeks ago, I read 101 by Margaret Chatwin, and at some point in my review, mentioned that one person I would have wanted to read more about was Trigg’s father (mostly, why he was that way, or what he expected from his kids).

Guess what? Trigg himself decided to make a few things clearer, and invited himself over Margaret’ Chatwin’s blog page on Goodreads:

Yes, my adventure started long before that night in the living room when Ren sealed our fate by pulling the trigger. I actually think it started the day I was born, but who wants to be dragged that far back? Not me. Bad enough I had to live it once.

So – my dad. You probably figured we’d start with him, huh? Everything always starts with him. Not sure how that’s even possible, but it seems to be true.

His name is Kent Hale and I don’t know what he was like as a kid or teen. Never had one of those father/son get-to-know-you talks. You know the kind where, for a second, you can close your eyes and pretend your parent is really your friend? Where the two of you can find yourselves in each other? Where something they did as a kid is so similar to what you did just five minutes ago that you feel a connecting bond? Yeah – just never happened with him. When he wasn’t screaming, he was silent. That weird, vacant kind of silent. A stupor that, I’m sure was induced by the liquor.
His parents were no help in getting to know him. His dad died before my sixth birthday in some work related accident. Or so they say. Rumor has it the guy had an enemy on every corner.

Shocking how my dad turned out to be the stalwart individual that he is…

I’m not going to copy the whole story here, since it’s not mine. The rest of the post is available here.

Yzabel / July 8, 2012

Review: Day Soldiers

Day Soldiers by Brandon Hale

My rating: [rating=5]

(Book reviewed for ARR #19 in the We ♥ YA Books! group.)

When I asked if I could read & review “Day Soldiers”, I did so because the pitched elicited some interest in me. The prospect of a war between humans and the creatures of darkness looked like something that would provide me with mild fun and a pleasant quick read. To be honest, I didn’t expect a lot from this novel—just that: being a fun and easy read.

And then I got hooked.

The prologue itself, in the form of a declaration of war, immediately grabbed me. The first chapters then pulled me into the action, as Lily and Leo, 18-year-old, decide to take on the vampires who’ve been threatening their small town, because the adults aren’t acting fast enough. As they come back victorious, little do they know that their single action is going to trigger a chain-reaction culminating into events they wouldn’t have suspected. And the both of them are going to pay a heavy price. We then get to see the two friends through their joining and training within the Day Soldiers, a corps specifically aimed at fighting vampires and werewolves. After what happened to them, is there any other path they could follow? Not really.

I thoroughly liked Lily and Leo. Lily’s got a strong personality, and a definite ability to fall back on her feet. Even though she gets discouraged at times, she doesn’t let this stop her, and she doesn’t give in to throwing pity-parties for herself, not for more than a couple of minutes, which is always pleasant to see, in my opinion, in a character. She also has special skills, but I was glad to see that the author didn’t make them *that* special in the end. She doesn’t get to save the day all by herself, and she’s far from being the only one with such abilities; this makes that plot point more believable. As for Leo, at first, I feared for his role in the story, wondering if he’d just be some uninteresting sidekick—because the kid *is* skilled, for sure, and he can pack a handful just as well as Lily can. I also feared what was in store for him. Until that moment, I hoped he’d get to find a way out. When I realized there wasn’t any, I must admit I shed a tear for him. Be awed. This very seldom happens.

The other characters were also enjoyable. Abbie does come off as unpleasant at first, but it’s clear that she is a good person, too, and that she doesn’t hesitate to act. The B-Team (no, really, this *is* a play on words on the A-Team, isn’t it? I can’t shake that feeling off!) is made of awesome, and I liked their take on events, how they always did their best to do what felt right to them. Their boldness and inventiveness roped me in (the way they tackle the rescue operation in Sneaker City was just so great!), and I could easily feel their sense of camaraderie, the strong bonds they managed to form among them, the instinct they had to stick to each other now matter the circumstances.

And what about the story itself? I quickly was drawn into its pace: not too slow, packed with action, but not too fast either. Events fold into each other in a logical way; we get to see that every action has its consequences, and that the characters have to deal with those, make their decisions, and then live up to those decisions in the end. I don’t know if there will be a sequel to this novel: the ending could very well stand for itself the way it is, or open up towards a second book. What’s sure is that if there is one, I will definitely pick it.