Bone Gap is a story about perception and reality, and how people rarely have the two things aligned when it comes to thosePeople look, they don't see.
Bone Gap is a story about perception and reality, and how people rarely have the two things aligned when it comes to those around them.
Roza is a beautiful woman who appears suddenly in the town of Bone Gap and is taken in by two brothers, Sean and Finn. Sean is the strong and steady older brother who has looked after his younger brother Finn since their mother left town to get remarried. Finn is a beautiful boy who keeps to himself and is thought of by the townspeople as easily distracted, earning him various nicknames such as Sidetrack. So when Roza disappears one day as suddenly as she appeared, no one really takes Finn seriously when he tells them she was kidnapped by a strange man whose face he can't really describe.
The story alternates between Finn and Roza, and what unfolds is an impressive piece of storytelling. For all that he doesn't care much for people, Finn does see Priscilla, or Petey as she prefers, and as he draws closer to her, he is able to deal with some of his unhappiness at not being able to do anything to help Roza. Roza meanwhile has a story of her own that begins long before her kidnapping, when her beautiful face became a burden that she could never take off.
This is a wonderful example of magical realism done right. This book very much deserves a place on the Andre Norton shortlist for 2016. I haven't finished reading all the shortlisted books yet, but two of the others on the list, Cuckoo Song and Archivist Wasp I read last year and put on my favourites-2015 shelf. I will definitely be putting Bone Gapon my favourites-2016 shelf....more
This is really just the second half of the story started in the first book, and reads very similarly. I liked the touches of humour and the 3.5 stars
This is really just the second half of the story started in the first book, and reads very similarly. I liked the touches of humour and the way the main character, Ruby, really acted and sounded like a teenager who finds herself in over her head.
However you felt about the first book, you will either like this one or not for mostly the same reasons....more
I picked this up to read because I needed something easy and this one has been on my TBR for awhile. I thought the voice of the protagonist w3.5 stars
I picked this up to read because I needed something easy and this one has been on my TBR for awhile. I thought the voice of the protagonist was pretty authentic - this could be a plus or a minus for you depending on how you feel about privileged middle-class teen girls. Even though Ruby was doing some rather silly things, like looting for make-up and impractical clothes as opposed to getting serious about survival, I thought that it was actually pretty realistic. I can see a fifteen year old girl acting this way quite easily.
Ruby isn't the most likeable of characters, but I enjoyed seeing her progression in the story and picked up the concluding book, The Storm almost immediately upon finishing this one.
Funny thing about this book - I read one with a very similar title and cover earlier this year, although that one was about a zombie/alien invasion rather than killer rain. Check out the similar covers!
I don't normally read shorts or novellas that are written as supplemental to a main book or series, but am I ever glad I read this one. E.K. Johnston'I don't normally read shorts or novellas that are written as supplemental to a main book or series, but am I ever glad I read this one. E.K. Johnston's prose is nothing short of magical and her telling of the aftermath of the events in A Thousand Nights is perfection.
If you are a fan of Johnston's writing, you will love this.
This story is available for free download on Amazon and Kobo, so likely wherever you normally get your ebooks you can get a copy.
A decently written alien invasion/zombie story that I enjoyed sufficiently to warrant the extra half star, even with the cliffhanger ending.3.5 stars
A decently written alien invasion/zombie story that I enjoyed sufficiently to warrant the extra half star, even with the cliffhanger ending. A little more depth in the story and characters would have earned it 4 stars, for example, This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers....more
This book has a raw and stripped-down quality that enhances the grim story of the Sidhe exacting their revenge on the humans who took Irelan4.5 stars
This book has a raw and stripped-down quality that enhances the grim story of the Sidhe exacting their revenge on the humans who took Ireland from them. Excellent storytelling and characters make it a real page turner....more
The Last One delivers a twist on the post-apocalyptic genre, combining it with a clever critique of modern reality television.
Twelve contestants are sThe Last One delivers a twist on the post-apocalyptic genre, combining it with a clever critique of modern reality television.
Twelve contestants are selected to participate in a new survival based reality show, but in the midst of filming, a devastating plague decimates the population.
We follow the show and get to know the contestants in the early days of production. These chapters alternate with ones narrated in the first person by a contestant nicknamed Zoo, which take place after the plague has occurred. While it is obvious to the reader in these chapters that something has gone terribly wrong with the world, Zoo continues on as if what is happening around her is just another part of the survival game she signed up for, and she is determined not to let anything break her.
Comparisons with Station Eleven are probably apt, in that this is a literary character based book with a post-apocalyptic setting, although I thought this one didn’t have quite as much substance as Station Eleven. That being said, there is still a lot to like here. The writing for the most part is excellent and the characters are spot on. The final few chapters in particular are outstanding, and the book as a whole impressed me even more considering that this is Oliva's debut novel.
I'm not sure if someone who has never watched any reality television would really enjoy this book, because there is a certain element of cultural critique that naturally arises here that one might not otherwise appreciate. But for those who have, I think Oliva manages to take what we have all seen before and turn it into something new....more
This is a fast-paced, decently written SF thriller that I quite enjoyed. The first quarter or so of the book is pretty standard, but things 3.5 stars
This is a fast-paced, decently written SF thriller that I quite enjoyed. The first quarter or so of the book is pretty standard, but things become rapidly more interesting after that. There are some really interesting ideas in here, all well-executed, which make for an entertaining read....more
This book definitely improves in its second half, enough so that I'm interested in reading the next book and seeing where the story goes fro3.5 stars
This book definitely improves in its second half, enough so that I'm interested in reading the next book and seeing where the story goes from here....more
Aspen Quick can reach into people and remove things from them, literally separate out parts of their personality or even physical aspects like a mole Aspen Quick can reach into people and remove things from them, literally separate out parts of their personality or even physical aspects like a mole or freckles, and make it like those things were never there. He can also choose to absorb those things he steals from others into himself.
The whole of the Quick family wields this magic, this ability to "reach" into others, but it is particularly strong in Aspen. The Quick family is rooted in the town of Three Peaks in upstate New York, where for generations at least some of them have lived and, in secret, regularly performed a ritual where they take some of what they steal from others and use it to prevent the Cliff that rises over the town from falling.
Given the nature of his ability it's not particularly surprising that Aspen is not your standard disaffected teenage boy, but has a whole other layer of selfishness and apparent lack of empathy to his personality. He doesn't seem to think twice about reaching into people and taking things from them to adjust his own life for the better, with little thought for how that might affect the person who has now lost something.
Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies is a great coming of age story with a bit of a mystery to it as, during a summer vacation in Three Peaks, Aspen slowly comes to realize that his family is not what he thought, and that there are secrets being kept that could change his life. Ribar has done an excellent job with the characters in the story, Aspen in particular. Aspen starts out as a mostly unlikeable protagonist, and while he doesn't undergo a magical transformation of personality, he does gain some self-awareness and at least the potential to change.
I said in my review for Silver on the Road recently that magical realism books are touch and go for me, but maybe I need to rethink that because lately they seem to have been a go. If you like YA contemporary with strong elements of magical realism, this is definitely a book you should try....more
This is a really hard book to rate. I think it's extremely well written and a great story, but at the same time I'm having some difficulty separating This is a really hard book to rate. I think it's extremely well written and a great story, but at the same time I'm having some difficulty separating my own feelings and personal experiences. It certainly raises a lot of issues for discussion, but strictly as a work of fiction I think it is very well done....more
This is what you should do, she told herself. Grab things, exist at the center of your life, not the edge.
But it felt, oddly, as if someone else had This is what you should do, she told herself. Grab things, exist at the center of your life, not the edge.
But it felt, oddly, as if someone else had told her this and she was only repeating it.
Rose wakes up one morning and feels different. She doesn't know what exactly, but something has changed. For one thing, she knows she wants to be called Rose now, because that's the name that suits her. She talks more than she used to, and laughs more, and wants to try new things. What could be wrong with that?
Change Places with Me is a brilliant piece of pure YA identity fiction wrapped in a near future SF package. It's the kind of book that really is best enjoyed if you go into it not knowing too much about it in advance. However, if you go in expecting a well written, multi-layered and nuanced character study, then you won't be disappointed....more
Excellently written, character driven dystopian SF. Although the story is dark, it still has an undercurrent of hope to it. I would love to read more Excellently written, character driven dystopian SF. Although the story is dark, it still has an undercurrent of hope to it. I would love to read more by this author....more
4.5 stars rounded up. After thinking about it for a couple of days I rounded up my star rating on this one. This book is just so imaginative it really4.5 stars rounded up. After thinking about it for a couple of days I rounded up my star rating on this one. This book is just so imaginative it really deserves it.
Railhead is set in a fantastic future where sentient trains transport people across vast distances to other planets by means of K-Gates, a technology pioneered and protected by Guardians, powerful AIs who long ago appointed themselves caretakers of humanity. Zen Starling is a petty thief who is minding his own business when opportunity comes knocking with an offer it appears he can't refuse. What follows is an exciting heist story that quickly becomes something more, because of course the object of the heist is the key to a closely held and dangerous secret.
Not enough can be said about the amazing world building in this book. It is incredibly detailed and imaginative, immediately bringing the story to life. Zen Starling is a flawed main character who struggles to do the "right thing" in the face of an increasingly difficult situation. Used to being in a relatively simple world of black and white and small time stakes, he finds himself suddenly in uncertain waters and having to make decisions with implications that extend far beyond just himself.
The non-human characters in the story are equally well developed. The Motorik, or android, Nova starts out by recruiting Zen to work for her maker Raven, but it is obvious that she likes Zen too. She seems to have control over her own programming, but it's clear that Zen still harbours some bias and confusion about her motives simply because she is a machine and can be programmed.
The whole issue of how much a non-human entity can feel and how it might express self identity is dealt with very well throughout the book. This is an ongoing issue not just for the humanoid Motoriks, but also for the sentient trains themselves, and other characters such as the insect colonies who have formed into single-minded Hive Monks
The finish to the story brings everything nicely to a close, but leaves the door open to more books being set in this world. I would be more than happy to read any that are....more
Honestly this book is pretty much at the same level as the previous one, but my enjoyment of it was just slightly less, hence the one half s3.5 stars
Honestly this book is pretty much at the same level as the previous one, but my enjoyment of it was just slightly less, hence the one half star rating lower.
I was a bit put out by (view spoiler)[Ashur being killed off, seeing that he was apparently the only non-heterosexual character thus far. (hide spoiler)] Perhaps Nic will explore his sexuality further in later books, but I'm not seeing much evidence of diversity in the characters generally, so I'm not holding out too much hope for that.
As for the main storyline, well, as before there were lots of twists and turns and generally it is pretty entertaining if lacking in subtlety. ...more
You probably have a favourite bakery or coffee shop that makes really lovely handmade baked goods and nice lattes or possibly serves whole leaf organiYou probably have a favourite bakery or coffee shop that makes really lovely handmade baked goods and nice lattes or possibly serves whole leaf organic teas (hey, I live on the West Coast so...?). Anyway, this book is not that. This book is a double-double and a box of Timbits from Tim Hortons. If you aren't from Canada, you may need to look that up, but I'm sure wherever you live, you have the equivalent drive-through coffee and donut experience available. Don't tell me you never go there. I don't believe it. You may not want it all the time, but sometimes it's exactly the thing.
So, yes, completely unsubtle writing and characters, but I enjoyed it and really, that's all that matters....more
An adequate but not outstanding story that I probably won't remember anything about by tomorrow.An adequate but not outstanding story that I probably won't remember anything about by tomorrow....more
This is a wonderfully written book that does a great job of portraying mental illness without romanticizing it. The love story between Vivi and Jonah This is a wonderfully written book that does a great job of portraying mental illness without romanticizing it. The love story between Vivi and Jonah is both uplifting and painful, and shows how other people can be the catalyst for us to find the strength we need to help ourselves....more
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