Annette's Book Spot: danger

Showing posts with label danger. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Book Review: The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood book cover and review

Like The Handmaid's Tale, The Heart Goes Last is another creative and thought-provoking dystopian by Atwood.

Because of some non-descript economic collapse, Charmaine and Stan have lost everything and are now living in their car. When they get the opportunity to join The Positron Project. a town where everyone has a home, a job, and security. The tradeoff is that every other month they must serve as inmates in the Positron Prison. So while they are in prison, another couple is living in their home and working their civilian jobs. And you can never leave the town.

It all seems great -- until things fall apart. Charmaine has an affair with the man who lives in her house when she is in prison. But it's more than that. The affair is a setup, and secrets about Positron are revealed. Stan's life is in danger and Charmaine can't do anything to help him. Or can she?

I found The Heart Goes Last to be intriguing, but I got bored after a while. I thought it just dragged on a bit. I always wonder if this is because I stopped reading for a while, so it took me a long time to finish. Or maybe I stopped reading because I was bored with the book? Chicken, or egg?

Anyway, I was satisfied with the ending. The Heart Goes Last was mostly compelling and a bit disturbing. I still think it is worth a read if you enjoy these types of books.

Published by Bloomsbury, 2015
Copy obtained from my collection
382 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Book Review: Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand

Seabiscuit: An American Legend, by Laura Hillenbrand book cover and review

After reading Unbroken several years ago, I realized I had Seabiscuit, also by Hillenbrand, and decided I should read it. I'm glad I finally did.

I'm not even a horse racing fan, but I really enjoy the way Hillenbrand tells a story. She has a way of building the tension and excitement that is unique.

We are introduced to the original owners of Seabiscuit and then told how he ended up with the Howards, who eventually were successful. We are introduced to the trainer (Smith), and the jockey (Pollard). And then we follow them through the training, and race by race, through the ups and downs of Seabiscuit's inconceivable career.

We are also introduced to the atmosphere of early horse racing, where jockeys took their lives in their hands every time they went out. Not to mention the starvation in order to make weight. Pollard suffered several life-threatening injuries, which each time used up all of his savings and then some. During some of this time, Seabiscuit had a different jockey, Woolf, who was also famous. It was a brutal, dangerous life.

Seabiscuit's rise to fame took place during the Depression when the public needed some distraction. And boy was he a distraction. People would come from all over to watch him race and the race tracks were overflowing. If you weren't watching him, you were listening to the races on the radio.

Some sections were perhaps a bit too detailed for me, but most of the time, I couldn't put Seabiscuit down. Like I said, it's the way she tells the story. So if you are a fan of Hillenbrand, even if you aren't a horse fan, you should consider this book. Even without the horses, it's a fascinating look at a unique aspect of the Depression.

Published by Random House, 2001
Copy obtained from my library (not sure where I got it)
347 pages

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Book Review: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton book cover and review

The Belles, while a bit bloated, ended up captivating, and I found my heart pounding at the end.

In Orleans, the fantasy world of the Belles, the people are born grey and ugly. They must rely on The Belles (and a lot of money) to make them beautiful and refresh their beauty over and over. Camellia and her sisters have trained to be Belles their entire life. At the final competition, one will be chosen as The Favorite and become the Belle to the queen and her court.

Camellia is disappointed when she is not chosen as the favorite, but her best friend, Amber is. Soon, however, Camellia is summoned to the palace to be the favorite, and she has no idea what has happened to Amber. Thus begins her slow realization that the secrets of Orleans and the Belles are horrific, all the while realizing she is helpless to change anything. She finds herself in grave danger and the tension mounts as she tries to do what is right without risking life and limb.

The Belles, at almost 500 pages, is overly descriptive and drags a bit at the beginning. The whole beauty transformation that the Belles perform is very vague. We are told over and over about all the equipment, makeup, and potions in their toolbox, but almost none of this is ever used. The transformation seems to be purely magical.

Why does every YA book have to be pushing 500 pages? *steps on soapbox* I just find it disappointing that I will have a very hard time getting a large portion of my students to even take this book off the shelf because of its size, even though it is a compelling novel that lovers of fantasy worlds and the underdog fighting for justice would really enjoy. And there is no reason it needs to be this long. Even the first Harry Potter book was only 300 pages long. (The last book was significantly longer, but we were hooked by then!) *steps off soapbox*

However... I really enjoyed The Belles. Once I got to the final third of the book, the tension is building, the danger seems insurmountable and the pulse quickens. There is a nice, complete ending, although still enough questions to be answered that the next book will be anticipated. Teens who enjoy fantasy involving royalty where the weak and powerless are trying to break the oppression of the powerful will enjoy The Belles.

Published by Freeform, February 6, 2018
ARC obtained from School Library Connection Magazine
497 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, October 9, 2017

Book Review: Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski @HKaczynski

Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski book cover and review

Dare Mighty Things kept me on the edge of my seat towards the end, but it ended too soon! I'm ready for the sequel...

In the future, it's possible to design your offspring to be smart, among other things. Cassie is one of these kids. Her parents are scientists, and she's managed to get an internship at NASA. She's always dreamed of going into space. Well, she gets selected for a secret mission and must compete with other teens to win. But what's the mission? No one will say.

Cassie is determined and relentless. She will give up family and friends (well, she doesn't have any of those) to reach her goals. The other teens she meets while going through this training do become her friends though, even if they are her competition.

Cassie is the most fleshed out character. We get to know the side characters as Cassie does, from arm's length. As readers, since Cassie is our main character, you can predict she will eventually win out. But the journey to success is fraught with challenges and danger and is also enlightening.

I recently read Nyxia, and the comparisons are inevitable. Dare Mighty Things has been compared to The 5th Wave and The Selection. Nyxia has been compared to Ender's Game. I think Dare Mighty Things is more like Ender's Game than either of the two other books. Both Nyxia and Dare Mighty Thing were exciting and held my interest. I'll be happy to recommend them both.

Dare Mighty Things ends with a huge twist and a (hated) cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to Cassie's further adventures. I think my space travel fans will enjoy this one.

Published by HarperTeen, October 10, 2017
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
384 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Book Review: Alive, by Scott Sigler

Alive, by Scott Sigler book cover and review

Alive keeps you guessing about what is really going on, but it also keeps your adrenaline pumping with its action and suspense.

Em wakes up in what seems to be a coffin and uses every ounce of strength to break out. She's in a room with many other coffins. She tries to wake up the kids in the coffins, but some of them are dead. She does manage to wake up a few others. They all believe that today is their birthday. None of them can remember their names or anything about their pasts. "Em" gives herself that name because on the end of her coffin it says "M. Savage."

They are all in clothes that are too little for them, and believe they are 12 years old. But by their anatomy, they are much older.

They begin to explore to find adults and food and water. They find a lot of dead skeletons. Em becomes the leader. They do end up encountering some others like themselves. They also get into some dangerous situations, and Sigler isn't afraid to kill off some of them.

Then.....ha! I'm not going to tell you. That's all you're going to get about the plot. The tension mounts. It's frightening and sometimes a little gorey. It isn't easy emotionally for these kids trying to catch up with their bodies. Em's hold on her leadership is at times precarious. I felt myself reading faster and faster trying to "help" these kids as they figure out where they are and why they are there.

Alive has a nice resolution to this part of the story, but it's a series, and I am very interested to see what happens next. Teens who enjoy a fast-paced adventure/survival story will enjoy Alive.

Published by Del Rey, July 14, 2015
eARC obtained from NetGalley
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, March 30, 2015

Book Review: The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury @AHintofMystery

Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury cover, review

While The Sin Eater's Daughter has some familiar tropes, I found enough unique elements and thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling.

Twylla is the chosen one. She was removed from her home and everything she knows and brought to the castle to be the Daunen Embodied. Basically, she eats poison once a month and it doesn't kill her. But anyone who touches her is killed because of the poison in her body. So she serves as executioner for the kingdom by touching anyone the queen sees as a traitor. The queen and Twylla's betrothed, the prince, are immune to Twylla's poison.

The queen is vicious, evil, cunning, and ruthless. And that's at the beginning of The Sin Eater's Daughter. She gets worse as the story goes on. The prince has been gone for two years, so Twylla doesn't really know anything about him. He returns, and begins to spend time with Twylla.

Twylla's guards change often. No one wants to guard her because the slightest misstep could kill them. Twylla's one long-time guard gets injured, and she has only her new guard, Lief, to protect her. They become close. And then even closer.

There's a lot more I could say, but I really don't want to. I don't want to tell you the story, I want you to read it. The twists and turns will keep your interest. I liked Twylla, even though she was a bit stupid at times, and wanted her to prevail. The Queen's dastardly plans are slowly revealed and are quite unbelievable, so the reader can't help but want her to be stopped. The ending of The Sin Eater's Daughter brings you to the very edge of panic.

I was riveted and entertained. I will happily recommend The Sin Eater's Daughter to my teens. This reads like a stand alone, although there is more to explore in this world if the author chooses to.

Published by Scholastic, February 24, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
320 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Book Review: Unspoken, by Sarah Rees Brennan

Book Cover Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

I had read great things about the Lynburn Legacay series, and Unspoken didn't disappoint. The unique take on magic is very intriguing.

The whole town of Sorry-in-the-Vale is on edge because the Lynburns have returned to Aurimere House. Kami, our main character, is on the story, since she is the editor of the new school newspaper. This town has a lot of secrets, and Kami is having difficulty getting anyone to talk.

Except the voice in her head. Kami has always heard a very specific voice, a boy who is named Jared, in her head. She can feel his feelings and thoughts, so she never feels alone.

There are two teen boys, cousins, that are part of the Lynburn family. Ash, who immediately takes interest in Kami, and wouldn't you know it, the other's name is Jared. Imagine Kami's and Jared's surprise when they discover that they can now see the person whose voice they have heard all their lives. Why has this happened? What caused these two people to be able to hear each other? It's all part of the mystery.

Their relationship is very awkward, but they must work together. Someone is sacrificing animals in the woods and trying to kill Kami, There are some cliched moments, and some careless choices at times, which add to the drama (and the predictability), but for the most part I bought into the whole scenario.

The secrets of the Lynburns and the whole town of Sorry-in-the-Vale are revealed slowly. The ending is startling, dangerous, and exciting. Kami is easy to care about and must make some very difficult decisions.

And the best part of all is that the problems in Sorry-in-the-Vale have only just begun. Untold and Unmade have already been published and I'm looking forward to joining these characters for more adventures!

Published by Random House BFYR, 2012
Copy obtained from the library
373 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, October 13, 2014

Book Review: Skink No Surrender, by Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen just has a unique style that I find very appealing. Skink No Surrender is no exception and contains another mystery to solve.

There is always an environmental issue that is addressed in Hiaasen's books, but this time it isn't the central theme and several issues are touched on. The story is told by Richard, whose cousin and best friend, Malley, has run off with a guy she met online, and now Richard can tell from her communications that she is in trouble.

Richard has become acquainted with a very unusual character who is known as Skink. Richard found him buried in the sand in a fake turtle nest on the beach. Skink has been trying to catch people stealing the turtle eggs, which is illegal. Skink is old, dirty, and turns out he used to be the governor. He supposedly died a few years ago.

When Skink finds out about Richard's cousin, he decides to find her. He and Richard go on an adventure through the Florida swamps, meeting alligators, lots of road kill, extinct birds, stinky fishermen, and eventually Malley and her captor.

It's always lighthearted, even when guns are being pointed. There is danger and suspense, but you never doubt that justice will prevail no matter how unlikely it seems. You have to be prepared for some eye rolling, but it's all in good fun.

Apparently Skink has been in six novels, but this is the first I've been introduced to him. Skink No Surrender is short and action packed, making it an excellent choice for reluctant readers. There is violence, but it's not detailed, and because of the flippant attitudes, I think Skink No Surrender could be enjoyed by younger teens.

Skink No Surrender has been longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award.

Published by Knopf BFYR, September 23, 2014
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
288 pages (qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 4.5/5