Sister

Nov 302011
 

I’d heard a lot about this book from various sources, usually with complete enthusiasm but never much about the plot.  Having just finished it, I totally get why.  You can’t say much about it beyond the main character’s sister has gone missing and it’s about her journey to find her.  Any more than that and it would completely ruin it for someone who wants to read it (and you really do!).

Sister is an amazing book that gripped me and I just couldn’t put it down.  I started it Sunday morning and finished it in the afternoon and I was left with that lovely ‘Wow’ feeling and then had to think about it for a while.  I didn’t see the ending coming at all and once I had finished I could see the tiny and very subtle hints leaning towards it but for the life of me, I totally missed putting them together.  Rosamund Lupton is a master at getting you to look the wrong way.  For that very reason I think the ending has that much more of an impact, when the dawning realisation mixed with horror hits you.

As a debut novel, it’s nothing short of amazing; the plot was intricate but easy to understand and the writing so clean and smooth, I didn’t realise how much of it I had read until my husband commented.

It’s hard to put a label on Sister.  It’s part crime, part thriller but with a little edge of future-science to wrap it up into a book that I now want everyone to read so I can talk about it!  I might find I was the only one who missed the clues but that’s not unusual because I get so caught up in the story.

Lupton’s characterisations were extremely well done.  I loved Beatrice and the changes she undergoes throughout her journey, how much her life alters through her solid refusal to believe what she’s been told, and her determination to find out the truth.  She was both believable and real, and the love she has for her sister got to me in a deep and profound way.

The supporting cast were as solid as Beatrice; her mother who has already been through enough tragedy with the loss of a son at an early age, her safe dependable and boring fiance who just wants her to accept things as they are so they can go back to the States.  The police she encounters repeatedly in her search were well written and their actions were understandable, even as you felt her frustration with them.   The best character other than Beatrice was Mr Wright, the CPS Lawyer who takes her through the events of her search.  They make up the most of the book along with narration or a letter to her sister.  He was utterly believeable and I loved him.

I can only briefly mention the ending in that it left me shocked and speechless but with the feeling that I had just read something incredible.

Sister is a fascinating and enjoyable book that will pull you in and refuse to let you go until you know the truth.

Rating: ★★★★★ 

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Breaking Dawn

Nov 282011
 

I was a bit on the shelf (as was the book for a while!) about this novel.  I’d heard both extremely good and bad things and it was very dependant on who was talking to me about it.  It’s a terrible cliche, but I wondered if Breaking Dawn was a Marmite type of book – maybe you either loved it or you hated it.

I finally decided to read it with the film coming out and while I won’t watch it until it’s released on DVD, I still wanted to know how the series ended.  I’d read the previous books some time before but hadn’t really found myself in the right mood to read this one until now.

Having finished it, I’m surprised to say… its not terrible.  That’s not to say it’s a great book either, just my expectations were low and it surprised me.  If anything, it was the book I enjoyed the most in the series; less angst, more signs of Bella taking control of her ‘life’, Edward being less of an idiot and Jacob becoming less selfish.

I felt the writing in this book was a lot better than the previous novels, whether that was down to a different editor or Meyer getting better at her craft I can’t say but it was a much smoother read.  It could have done with being shorter in my opinion but there weren’t many scenes that I felt could or should have been cut completely so that was a big plus for me.

The plot was decent and I liked how some story threads from previous books had prepared the reader for a big one here.  That it got straight down to the story without preamble was another positive for me, I didn’t have to force myself to keep reading until it caught my interest.  I did have to suspend disbelief on a few major events but in the context of the book, they fit and I could accept them.  The pace was well judged by Stephenie Meyer and unlike previous books wasn’t stop/start and that was some of what kept me reading.

The characterisations seemed much stronger and less annoying, and perhaps that is because the cast have matured from big decisions and events previously, but I just liked them a lot more.  There was humour to balance any angst and I found new respect for Bella in the decisions she made in this story, likewise the antagonism between Edward and Jake lost its childish and hard edge and became almost a familiar teasing thing.  The Cullen family as a whole I’d always liked, and their role in Breaking Dawn didn’t change that opinion, if anything, it cemented it.  Alice was a star and her part in it all was really well thought out and planned.  The end results of her actions were a bit ‘TA-DA!’ but I liked it all the same.

The big finale didn’t ruin the series for me but I did feel after all the build up and preparation that had gone on, it fizzled out a bit like a damp squib.  Since the book wasn’t just about that moment, the rest of the story carried it through and when I finished I was surprised to find not only had I enjoyed it but I was happy with the outcome (yes I am a hopeless romantic!).

Not an amazing book but a decent fantastical read and while I now understand why some people either love it or hate it, I find myself in the middle – I just liked it.

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

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The Dragon Lady

Nov 222011
 

Anne McCaffrey, Apr 1 1926 – Nov 21 2011

I knew this day would come but I still hoped it wouldn’t be for a long time yet, for her, her family and friends, and us her fans.

There are very few writers I can say had a really strong influence on me, right from when I was a troubled teenager some twenty four years ago.  After yet another bad day I took refuge in my school’s library and picked up a book called Dragonflight.  I never looked back and losing myself in the amazing worlds and characters Anne created got me through some pretty bad times, again and again.

I became a huge fan, wanting books the day they were released, re-reading them so often I would wear copies out, and I still love them to this day.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Anne at a book signing she did here in Nottingham in 1998, and she couldn’t have been nicer.  She was obviously in some discomfort because of travelling and arthritis but she took the time to sign everything anyone brought with them, to talk and make everyone feel as though she was interested in them, as if she was the one privileged to meet us. She was charming and gracious and meeting her absolutely made my year.

I will miss her.  The dragons are keening one of their own.

Thank you Anne, for so many years of joy and may you rest in peace.

Slave to Sensation

Nov 172011
 

Thanks to my lovely husband, I was excited to be able to pick up Slave to Sensation, the first book in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series.  After reading and loving Angel’s Blood and being told that this series was even better, I had been really wanting to get it.

Now having just finished it, I am astounded at Singh’s ability to write characters that affect me on such an emotional level.  She creates a world that is modern but moulded according to her rules, where the supernatural elements are the norm.  It’s believable and fascinating the way she weaves the two together, especially as complex as the Psy-Changeling world is.

The main characters were wonderfully portrayed and felt very real; I loved the interplay between Sascha Duncan and Lucas Hunter straight from the start even though they come from such different backgrounds.

I have to touch on the Psy network.  It’s intricately created, and very impressive that I understood the basis of it easily through the story without the author having to take time out to explain it.  I felt sad that they had drastically changed themselves so much through the removal of emotion, even with their minds being connected.  Sascha had an immediate impact on me because she did feel, even though she hid it and thought it was wrong.

The Changelings again were really well created, their history and their love of nature struck a deep chord in me and while it did take me a little while to warm up to Lucas, I ended up loving him completely.

Slave to Sensation is a wonderfully emotional story about not fitting into the world you were born into, or following the path you were expected to. It’s a tale of being allowed to dream. The mixture of intrigue, corruption, love and passion delivered with a fast paced plot, made this book an amazing and enjoyable read.

It was so good, I want to read it again immediately. I can’t think of any higher accolade than that!

Rating: ★★★★★ 

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Germline

Nov 142011
 

I started reading Germline about 12.30 this afternoon, intending to read for a little and have a nap.  Now it’s just gone 5pm and I may be a little bleary eyed after no sleep but I just finished the book and then had to take a little time to reflect on it before I wrote the review.

Germline is not an easy read, it has all too realistic scenes of death, insanity and desperation in war, the main character is about the most self-indulgent mess of an anti-hero you could find and even though it’s set in the future, the war is ultimately about who has the most strength to claim what dwindling mineral resources are left, something I can envision all too clearly in our reality.

Having said all that, the book was absolutely amazing.  The clarity of writing and scene descriptions were brilliant and I was able to clearly envision what was going on, even if I didn’t want to.  I had to keep turning the pages to find out what happened next, no matter the outcome and there were more than a few times when I had to take a brief break, just to absorb or pull back from what I’d just read.

I thought the technology T. C. McCarthy created was superb, fit the setting well and it impressed me how easy it was to understand without being led into lengthy jargon on how and why.  From the weaponry, to the armour, even the genetic soldiers all provided everything I needed for a well rounded science fiction novel.

As the book was written in first person perspective, I think it provided a unique look at what was going on in Oscar Wendell’s head.  Starting as a drug-addicted and failing journalist, he had one last chance of redeeming himself with his employers by securing the chance to write an article from the frontlines of the subterrene war in Kazakhstan.  Seeing the war happen from his civilian perspective gave greater impact to what it was really like, the conditions they endure and the edge of sanity they have to dance to get through another night.  The choices he made throughout were both insane yet believable.

I really wanted to hate him.  At first it felt like there was nothing redeeming about him whatsoever, but McCarthy wrote him so cleverly that as he woke up to the reality around him and grew up without wanting to, he sneaked into my mind and a little into my heart.

There was quite a large cast of supporting characters, and a few of the individuals that Oscar meets had quite a major impact on me.  The sheer amount of emotion that the author managed to convey along with these characters, some of them only for a short time was astounding and a testament to a brilliant and empathic writing style.  I have to mention the Brit and the Kid.  I loved both their characters and the fact you never learned their names.

The ending was actually a real surprise for me, I honestly didn’t expect it and I can only give huge props to T. C. McCarthy for making me believe there could be only one outcome for Oscar.

My only negative is that the title of the book and the consequent definition on the back cover aren’t actually used in the book that I recall, and perhaps it wasn’t needed as you now knew what it meant. Due to the definition though, I was expecting something a little different but I was in no way disappointed with what I got.

The pace of the book was fast and unrelenting, leading to me not being able to put it down unless I had to.  The plot was both original and interesting and actually very hard to describe so all I can say is read Germline.  Then get back to me ;)

A gripping close up of a futuristic war in all it’s gritty, brutal, dark and horrific glory.

Rating: ★★★★½ 

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