Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Book Review - Gone by Michael Grant

Gone by Michael Grant is geared for older kids to teens, but the writing is sophisticated enough to appeal to adults.

Gone is about a scenario that's like a kid's dream come true - one morning, everyone over the age of 13 disappears. A dome encompassing a 20 mile radius around Perdido Beach, CA cuts off all the remaining children from the rest of the world. Disturbing changes occur such as animal mutations and special powers developing in many of the children.

A divide occurs among the children - the students from Coates Academy (an upperclass school for rich delinquents) seize control under the leadership of older student Caine (who has the power to move things by mental telepathy) and a gang of other kids with significant powers.

The kids from the public school gather around natural but reluctant leader Sam, who has his own powers but keeps it hidden. Things come to a head when Caine appoints pretty much violent and psychotic kids to act as policemen, and who immediately start abusing their power. An added pressure is that both Caine and Sam are about to have their birthdays in one week, and likely to disappear to the great beyond like all the others before them.

In the end, a line is drawn between two factions - the children loyal to Sam versus those tied to Caine, and an epic battle ensues. But on the backdrop of this drama is a very real supernatural entity of darkness which is responsible for making all those older than 13 disappear. Pretty heavy stuff if you ask me.

The book is pretty violent so I was surprised that it was being marketed to older kids. I thought the themes of death, abuse, violence and young love that's addressed in the book would actually be better suited to older teens actually.

Check out Gone by Michael Grant on Amazon!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Book Review - Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

After taking a stab at an amnesia story on 'Remember Me?: A Novel', Sophie Kinsella tries her hand at another cliche of a story - this time - how about a ghost? And not just any ghost, but a glorious 20s flapper ghost by the name of Sadie. And this is 'Twenties Girl: A Novel'!

Unlike in Sophie Kinsella's other novels, here we have two young women taking center-stage. 27-year-old Lara Lington has many problems - her partner at her head-hunter agency is MIA, the business is not doing well, she's still hung up over her ex Josh (and the entire family is aware of this fact), and to add insult to injury, she is suddenly the only person in the world who can see the ghost of her great-Aunt Sadie Lancaster.

Sadie, who appears to Lara as a twenty-something flapper-girl free spirit, refuses to pass on to the great beyond without her special crystal necklace. In the meantime, while Lara chases clues on why her coffee-house magnate Uncle Bill has spirited the necklace away and chase after the necklace itself, Sadie passes the time helping Lara with her love problems and even business problems. Ensue a lot of mayhem and ridiculous and absurd situations with Sadie yelling in a lot of young men's ears, Lara walking around London in 20's flapper wear, and a ghost match-making project with the American Ed...

When you pick up a Sophie Kinsella novel, that usually means that you park your sense of reality somewhere around the next block over, and this book is no exception. If you are prepared to do that- you'll probably have a lot of fun with this one. As in other Kinsella novels, a lot of really awkward and comical events occur, so be prepared to laugh like a maniac all by your lonesome.

Check out Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella on Amazon!