Book Review: Extras by Scott Westerfeld

SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT.
WARNING: The contents of this review may give away some of the major plotlines within the series. Do not continue reading if you want to be pleasantly surprised by the book.

Extras - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
It has been several years since Tally Youngblood brought down the social segregation system that divided uglies, pretties and specials.
Now, people live in a society that is no longer governed by strict regulations that force everybody to be ‘brain-missing’. Instead, people are embracing their individuality- taking on crazy surgery and trends in order to be the person that stands out the most amongst their peers.
Although Aya Fuse is only fifteen years old, she, too, wishes to raise her popularity rank and become famous. With a rank numbering just under 500,000, Aya is considered a nobody- or extra- by the rich and famous. She dreams of becoming a famous kicker (a type of amateur journalist), and in a city where the main currency is popularity (which can buy you anything you desire), Aya has great aspirations to find a story that will propel her to stardom. Although she has kicked many small stories, along with her faithful hovercam Moggle, Aya just hasn’t been able to get her big break.
That is, of course, until she meets the Sly Girls- a group of extras whose main aim is to pull crazy stunts but remain anonymous. Long considered an urban myth, the mystery surrounding the clique would be enough to boost her rank significantly. But then Aya and the girls uncover a secret that could change the course of history and put all of them in danger.
In her eagerness to kick the biggest story of the millennium, Aya could soon become more famous than she ever imagined possible. But will her story also put the world, as she knows it, at risk?

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel is all about fame, celebrity, and society’s perceptions of self-worth. Aya is only fifteen years old, but she aspires to be in the top one thousand people of her city- a difficult feat considering that at the start of the novel, she is ranked at the lowly number of 451, 369. Her city, which awards its citizens according to their popularity in society, creates a different type of hierarchy to the uglies/pretties/specials system, which separated the ‘elite’ from the ‘non elite’. But in reality, this system is not much better, as it incites people to go to extremes in order to boost their popularity. This is obvious through people’s behaviour, especially when they undergo surgery in order to look as ‘out there’ as humanly possible. The kickers also go to extreme lengths to find crazy stories, hoping that they will be able to make a name for themselves in their ever-competitive society. Through the introduction of characters like the Sly Girls, the author highlights the absurdity of fame, and shows that that you don’t need to have a high status in society to be worthy of attention from your peers.

Positives:
Because Aya never experienced the brain lesions, and has only learnt about them at school, it means that a new perspective is thrown on the events of the previous novels. Adding to that is the fact that she is Japanese, and therefore not even of the same culture as Tally Youngblood. This means that readers are able to see how Tally’s actions have spread across the world, and allows them to see how each country has reacted to these changes.

Negatives:
People who are expecting this novel to be similar in style to the previous three books may be slightly disappointed. Although Extras is considered part of the series, and features some of the characters from the other books, it also has its differences. Aya’s story is nothing like Tally’s- it is more about Aya’s quest to kick a fabulous story and join the social elite, rather than forge her own individuality, as Tally’s was.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who are eager to read the fourth book in the ‘trilogy’, and find out about how life changed after Tally’s exploits.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT.
WARNING: The contents of this review may give away some of the major plotlines within the series. Do not continue reading if you want to be pleasantly surprised by the book.

Specials - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
Tally Youngblood has become one of the creatures she most feared as an ugly and a pretty- she is now a special.
Biologically enhanced so that her senses are superior and her reflexes amazingly fast, Tally’s body is now streamlined with strong new muscles, and unbreakable ceramic bones, ensuring that her superiority over everybody else is complete. Along with her physical reconditioning, Tally’s latest operation has given her the opportunity to remain clear-headed while she attempts to hunt down the New Smokies and destroy their rebellious camp.
As a member of the Cutters- a group of young specials who have their own set of rules- Tally, along with Shay, is programmed to locate and eradicate the New Smokies, who are threatening to cure the pretties of their brain lesions with a vast supply of Maddy’s pills. As a special, Tally cannot allow that to happen, especially considering the dangerous problems that her boyfriend Zane experienced when he took the pills. But it appears that the Smokies have strong allies, who have given them access to things that they previously couldn’t get, and which enable them to reach an even broader section of society.
The only way that Tally can negotiate this new development is to use a group of pretties as ‘bait’ and uncover the Smokies’ hideout. But the plan doesn’t go as well as she hopes, and she soon finds herself questioning the mission that she is programmed to complete. Will the world be safe from destruction if all pretties are clear-headed? Can uglies and pretties really live in cohesion? And if the Cutters’ mission fails, what will happen to the world as she knows it?

What I gained from reading this book:
As a special, Tally Youngblood finally feels as though she’s found her place in life. As an ugly she felt inferior, while being a pretty was fine until she rediscovered the truth about the brain lesions (that turn all pretties into bubbleheads). As a special, Tally not only belongs to a clique known as the Cutters- who share a special bond through aspects of their creation- but she is also faster, stronger and physically more superior than the rest of the people living in her city.
The one drawback, however, can be found in the actions that gave her clique their nickname- members cut their arms, and some even brand themselves with hot firebrands, in order to feel ‘icy’. This self-harming behaviour gives them adrenaline rushes that keep their minds clear, but is also representative of the destructive path that the Cutters are taking by acting as ‘soldiers’ of the city- they can only get their release by hurting themselves.
Similarly to the Cutters in the novel, there are some people nowadays who cut themselves as a way of coping with their daily lives. Many of these people do not stop until they get the support that they need- support that can be found in close friends and family. In the novel, Tally does not feel compelled to stop until Zane makes her promise that she will end her self-harming ways.
In this way, the author is sending a message by encouraging people to speak up and help friends and family who are dealing with destructive behaviour.

Positives:
This novel introduces even more technology that enables the uglies, pretties and specials to function in society. Sneaksuits, which camouflage their wearer and therefore render them almost invisible to the naked eye, are just one of the author’s many creations that further enhance the futuristic feel of the series.

Negatives:
Unlike the first two books, where it is easy to relate to Tally and her adventures, Specials seems more detached. Perhaps this is representative of Tally’s new persona- as a cool, calm and collected special- but it also makes it more difficult for readers to share in what Tally feels, and justify her actions as a ruthless machine intent on stamping out the rebels of the New Smoke.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who want to find out what happens to Tally and all the other characters from the previous novels.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
It has been months since Tally Youngblood returned to New Pretty Town, and underwent the operation that changed her from an ugly into a pretty.
Since then, she has been reunited with her old friends Peris and Shay, and been introduced to an exclusive clique named the Crims, whose main prerequisite for joining is having completed daring feats as uglies. With Tally’s tricky experiences far outweighing those of her fellow pretties, she has more than earned the right to join the gang, under the leadership of the handsome Zane.
But while she is happy to be incredibly attractive, have fabulous clothes, and a large group of friends, Tally can’t help but feel that something is missing.
When Tally runs into an ugly from her past, she rediscovers the truth about the operation and New Pretty Town, which the operation has partially erased from her memory. As her memories return, she is determined to have her old, clear-headed life back.
But first she has to combat her guilt after remembering her betrayal of the Smokies, find the New Smokies hideout, and convince the Crims that leaving the city is the best thing that they will ever do in their entire lives.
However, doing that while keeping the elite Special Circumstances team from learning of her plans is easier said than done…

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, Tally encounters people from various ‘cultures’, and she has to learn to adapt to their ways of life- rather than the comforts she is used to- in order to survive.
Having lived as a Smokey with David and the rest of the runaway community, Tally has had some experience in living in the wild and surviving from the land.
But when she comes across a group of people who seem to have escaped from the sights of Special Circumstances, she discovers that her life with the Smokies was far more urban than she imagined. The villagers of the place she discovers are primitive in their beliefs and theories, live in a blood feud with other outsiders, and see the pretties as Gods who must be obeyed otherwise harm will befall them. This is in stark contrast to the Smokies, who, while in awe of the beauty of the pretties, certainly don’t deify them, and have never engaged in murder for the sake of avenging people killed in the past.
While this kind of situation is not prevalent in today’s society, similar circumstances have played out in the past, in the form of one ‘superior’ race of people exerting their authority over another’s. This has also occurred in third-world countries where people from more well-off countries have challenged people’s primitive beliefs, and attempted to treat them as test-subjects for various anthropological studies.

Positives:
The action scenes in this novel are more intense, as Tally fights to remember what she once learnt, and tries to regain what she has lost in her new life as a pretty. As a pretty, Tally gets involved in even more dangerous stunts than when she was an ugly, and readers who enjoyed the action last time will be even more impressed this time around.

Negatives:
Pretty language can become quite annoying at times, even if it is representative of the vacant-mindedness of the pretties. Readers will probably get sick of reading words like bubbly and bogus, and will get annoyed at seeing –missing and –making tacked on to normal words, turning them into phrases that the pretties would use.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People eager to see the cliffhanger from the first Uglies book resolved.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
The world is a bleak place unless you’re attractive, and for Tally Youngblood, nothing is further from the truth as she awaits her sixteenth birthday, and the compulsory operation that will change her from an ugly into a pretty.
With the operation, Tally will finally be accepted into society and be able to spend time with her old friends, all of whom have been changed, and moved from the dorms of Uglyville to the mansions of New Pretty Town.
A few months before the operation, Tally meets another ugly named Shay, who shares the same birthday, teaches her how to ride a hoverboard, and keeps her company during the lonely months. The two are almost inseparable, teaching each other tricks and going on expeditions out of Uglyville and into the great unknown.
But Shay is hesitant about becoming a pretty, and when she runs away, Tally is confronted by a group of authorities known only as Special Circumstances, who give her an ultimatum: find Shay and turn her in, or never turn pretty.
Now Tally has a difficult choice to make, especially when she discovers that Shay is not the only runaway and to turn her in will destroy an entire community that has survived away from the corruption of the big cities. But if she doesn’t betray her friend, how will she ever be pretty?

What I gained from reading this book:
Beautiful people often seem to get through life a lot easier than people whose looks are less aesthetically pleasing. But this novel takes the concept of ‘winning beauty’ to a new extreme, where anybody who looks normal and hasn’t been operated on by their sixteenth birthday is termed ‘ugly’.
What’s more, there is a type of brainwashing going on that ensures that the divide between pretties and uglies continues to grow. Uglies are made to feel unimportant and are taught that they will only fit into society properly after they are made pretty.
The ironic thing is, according to the pretties, the operation was created so that there would be less discrimination between people who looked different. Yet, the pretties are obviously considered the elite in the world that Westerfeld has created.
This novel ridicules the ideas of social aesthetics, and helps people to realise that being different from others is actually better than looking the same as every other person in the world. Through Uglies, Westerfeld is trying to teach his readers to embrace their individuality.

Positives:
The idea for the storyline is brilliant and really makes you question the world in which Tally and her friends live in. It is also interesting to watch the relationships between Tally, Shay and young leader David shift and change as each learns new things about themselves and the values they hold.

Negatives:
Westerfeld has created a futuristic world very similar to our own, except that technology is a lot more advanced than what we’re familiar with. So why, with all the creativity flowing through this novel, has he decided to call the home of the uglies Uglyville? And the home of the pretties New Pretty Town? Of course he could have named the townships this to reflect on the lack of imagination the Pretties have, but the names still seem kind of dull in comparison to what they could have been called.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: Anyone who wonders what the world would be like if everyone was beautiful.



Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Books Available For Purchase

Hi everyone!!

As every booklover knows, there are always new books coming out and sometimes there just isn't enough room in your bookcase to keep them all.

Unfortunately, I have reached the point where I am going to have to clear my bookshelves and make room for the piles of books that are already covering the floor next to my bed!!

I have a wide variety of novels (covering many genres) that I am hoping to sell in the following weeks. All books are in excellent condition and most have been read only once (if they've been read at all!!)

If you would like a list of the books available to buy, and the prices, please leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

Cheers,

Cat

Book Review: Thicker Than Water by Maggie Shayne

Thicker Than Water - Maggie Shayne

Synopsis:
As a seventeen-year-old runaway, Jewel Jordan, along with her friend Lizzie, found sanctuary with a group known as the Young Believers, led by Mordecai Young. Although the experience started out favourable, it slowly became a nightmare for the girls- one which they hoped to escape from as soon as they were able.
But then a fiery attack by government forces extinguished the cult, along with the lives of many of the compounds’ residents. For the survivors, the frightening ordeal appeared to be finally over, and, with the thousands of dollars of cash they managed to escape with, they were free to start over afresh.

Sixteen years later, Jewel has reinvented herself as Julie Jones and has become a successful news anchor, living in Syracuse with her teenage daughter Dawn.
But her peaceful life is shattered when a man named Harry begins blackmailing her, threatening to tell the world about her secret past. With no choice but to give in to his cash demands, Julie is soon worried that Harry isn’t the only person who knows the secrets that could destroy her.
This fear is heightened when Harry is found dead in his hotel room, and the murder weapon- a kitchen knife belonging to Julie- is found planted at her home. Someone is trying to frame her for Harry’s murder, and the worst thing is, she has no idea who it could be, or why they are doing it.
With the help of her journalism nemesis, and unlikely alley, Sean MacKenzie, Julie is determined to find the real murderer, especially when circumstances see her daughter put into danger.
Sean, an investigative journalist who is renowned for covering the worst that humanity has to offer, is just as determined to help, although he initially finds himself torn between wanting to protect Julie and wanting to expose her.
With Dawn’s life on the line and a vengeful killer on the loose, Julie will have to relive some of the horrors of her life in the Young Believers compound, if she is to uncover the truth and save her beloved daughter from an uncertain fate.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel begins in the Young Believers compound- controlled by ‘Reverend’ Mordecai Young- and brings into focus the issues of cults and alternative sects, and the dangerous factors often associated with them. While I am unsure as to just how many cults exist in the world today, I would not be surprised if many of them are run in a similar fashion to the one that is depicted by the author in this novel. [Note: I know this is a massive generalisation, but I am yet to hear of a cult or sect that is completely innocent of wrongdoing]. Seen as a ‘safe haven’ for young runaways, compounds such as this are known for drugging their residents and brainwashing them into believing that the outside world is the enemy. They are often told that the only place of respite is with the cult and its leader, and are often driven to become obsessive about protecting their haven.
Even though the Young Believers of the novel are fictional, readers are more likely to be aware of the dangers of such places after reading this story and experiencing what Julie, Dawn and the others go through because of it.

Positives:
The verbal sparring between Julie Jones and Sean MacKenzie, and their obvious sexual tension, provides light relief from the more serious aspects of the novel. Speaking of which, the originality of the cult storyline, and the subsequent drama surrounding Julie after sixteen years, sets the novel apart from others of the same genre.

Negatives:
Without trying to give too much of the storyline away, I have to question the way that some of the characters managed to survive the raid on the compound, sixteen years earlier. I know that the story can’t happen without them, but it does make the storyline seem less credible.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Thriller

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading Maggie Shayne’s novels.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT.
WARNING: The contents of this review may give away some of the major plotlines within the series. Do not continue reading if you want to be pleasantly surprised by the book.

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) - Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
St Vladmir’s Academy is still in shock after the horrifying Strigoi attack that claimed so many lives and destroyed any illusions of safety that the Moroi and Dhampirs once held.
But for Rose Hathaway, the attack has changed her outlook on life forever.
The man that she loves, guardian Dimitri Belikov, has been unwillingly turned into a Strigoi, and Rose knows that the only way that she can deal with his ‘death’ is to hunt him down and destroy him, just as they promised one another they would do in the event that something like this happened. But in leaving America and travelling to Russia to find Dimitri, Rose must leave behind her best friend Lissa Dragomir, whose life is quickly becoming unstable. Along with her new friend Avery, and against the wishes of her boyfriend Christian, Lissa starts to participate in reckless and unusual behaviour as a way of coping with her sudden abandonment, especially as the side effects of using her magical power, spirit, grow.
As Lissa’s wayward activities start to get out of control, Rose travels through unfamiliar country and meets many new people- some who are willing to help, some who have no choice but to help, and some who hold an ulterior motive for helping Rose achieve her goals.
But when Rose finally finds Dimitri, will she be able to carry out her plans and find closure? And what if Dimtri doesn’t want to be ‘saved’?

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel deals primarily with grief and highlights people’s ways of coping with the sudden loss of a loved one (even if that loved one isn’t necessarily ‘dead’, as in Rose and Dimitri’s case).
Rose knows that Dimitri is an evil Strigoi, and that his previously good demeanour is now destroyed, but she can’t help but remember him as he once was. After seeing him as a Strigoi, she manages to convince herself that there is still good inside him, and that he still loves her in the same way that he did as a Dhampir. These assumptions soften her resolve to kill him, as she originally set out to do.
Dimitri uses Rose’s grief to manipulate her into not fighting back, and attempts to convince her that her life will be changed for the better if she joins him as a Strigoi.
Furthermore, her lingering memories, and her realisation that killing the man she loves will be harder on her heart than she previously thought, make Rose’s task of destroying Dimitri even more difficult. Despite their promises to one another that they would rather be dead than a Strigoi, Rose discovers that the reality is difficult to cope with, and finds herself straying from her suicidal vendetta in the hope of recovering the love she has lost.
People cope with their grief in different ways, and the characters in Blood Promise are no different. While Rose’s mother deals with the deaths in the strong dry-eyed manner that is expected of her, her daughter is unable to shake away the memories that remain. She feels that she must destroy Dimitri so he can finally rest in peace, and so that she can find a sense of closure. While most people wouldn’t have to deal with this scenario, it just goes to show that coping with grief and finding closure can come in many different forms.

Positives:
The inner turmoil that Rose faces among the Dhampirs is perfectly juxtaposed with the outer turmoil that Lissa portrays to the other Moroi, as both struggle with their issues. Although this doesn’t sound especially positive, it shows how the girls act when they are apart from each other and have to deal with their difficulties alone, which further enhances the plot.

Negatives:
We are introduced to many new characters in this novel; but unfortunately, do not get to fully explore their personalities and capabilities. Hopefully they will reappear further on in the series, otherwise I’ll be quite disappointed. Their presence adds a new dimension to the storylines.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who read the previous book, who are looking forward to finding out how Rose will cope with facing her worst nightmare.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below: