Systematic Student [Search results for hardcore] 

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Kiersten White's debut novel, Paranormalcy is an absolutely delightful story. I loved it!

Our heroine, Evie, is one of the best female characters I've read in what seems like a long time. She hasn't had an easy time of things. She's been living at and working for IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency) since she was 8 (which btw, is underground. *shudder*). Now at 16, she has never been able to experience normal. Her best friend is a mermaid who can't speak without a computer to translate, her tutor is a werewolf, and her only experience with the world outside IPCA is when she's sent out on assignment to retrieve a paranormal, and 'tag' them — making them less of a hazard to the human population.

Evie is so valuable to IPCA because she is the only person they've ever come across who can see through a paranormal's glamour — the face that they present to the rest of the world, so she can always spot the paranormals. It's an ideal trait when your hunting them. But it's been hard for Evie. She's 16, and her version of normal is what she can watch on TV. I felt bad for Evie. It must have been incredibly hard growing up away from almost all human contact. But, I was incredibly impressed by her. She made the most of her life, and most of the time seemed genuinely happy. I love the parts of Evie that seem incongruous with her job and her situation. She carries a taser, hunts paranormals, and is really pretty hardcore for a 16 year old. But, her taser is pink, named Tasey, her knife has a pink hilt, her wardrobe contains tons of (yup) pink, she has high heeled zebra print boots (ummm, ya... I want) and she is in love with the high school equivalent of a soap opera, which is also her only tie to a 'normal high school experience.' Sure, she wished things could be different, but she also understood why she was there, and why it wasn't possible for her to have much outside contact.

Everything changes though, once Lend enters the scene. He's like nothing they've ever seen before, and even Evie has a hard time focusing on his real form past his glamour. He's a shape shifter, and is able to mimic any form and voice he sees. He breaks into IPCA, and no one knows why. They contain him, but he's not talking to anyone, until Evie starts hanging around. They form a bond and become really close friends. And of course, given the nature of paranormal YA lately, of course they start a romance, but they were friends, and liked each other as people before they decided they were in love with each other. There was none of that instant flash of recognition/chemistry/whatever that seems so prevelant in YA lit now, and I for one was beyond grateful. I don't actually believe it's possible to truly fall in love that fast. You can definitely become attracted to someone, but that is not love, it's hormones. But I digress...

I though Lend was also a great character. He's pretty down to earth, and is accepting of things he doesn't understand. And, he helps Evie understand herself better too. I liked their relationship, and I liked watching it grow at a normal pace.

I think that the characters, and their relationships with each other are really the best part about this book. The world White created was wonderful, but wouldn't have been terribly memorable or unique without her amazing characters to brighten the world. And when I say characters, I also include her descriptions of the other paranormals that we don't really get to meet. How creepy must it be for Evie to see past a vampire's glamour. We see someone pretty hot, she sees that superimposed over a rotting, decaying corpse. Ugh. The nymphs were wonderful, werewolves interesting, and fairies creepy. I'm actually really excited to see what role Reth is going to have in the future installments.

This book is part of a trilogy, so we don't get to learn everything about Evie's past, and there's definitely more places she can go in the future. But, I loved the way White handled it. Although there are still questions, Paranormalcy ended at a good place. It's not a horrible cliffhanger that's going to leave you angry for a year until the next book comes out. It's a comfortable place to end the story. Although, there is also enough information missing to ensure you're going to be wanting and waiting for the sequel. I'm definitely excited for the sequels to come out. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Evie and her friends, and eager to learn more about her past.

Chasing Alliecat by Rebecca Fjelland Davis is the story of Sadie, Allie and Joe, three teenagers who live to mountain bike. Sadie's parent's have a strange relationship, and after their divorce, Sadie's mom sends Sadie and her sister to stay with Sadie's aunt so that she can go to Egypt to do archeological research with her ex-husband. Joe comes to stay with his uncle, (the husband of Sadie's aunt) because he is having a hard time adjusting to life without his twin. He's a little... damaged, and his parents are hoping a change of scenery would do him good. Allie is a mystery. She lives in this tiny Minnesota town and she's hurting.

Sadie is still a beginner as far as mountain biking goes, and she has decided that this summer she is going to start competing in actual races. Joe has raced a few times before, and is above the beginner stage, but still has a lot to learn (like smoking is really bad for your lungs). And Allie? Allie's just about a professional. She competes in the expert class races, and she wins. Regularly. I'm about to make a comment that is going to prove I think about things too much, but I felt a little bit like their level of biking expertise directly correlates to how bad the inner demons come at them. I liked that. To me, it's a subtle way of being able to let the pain and the confusion onto the page. Maybe no one else saw it. Maybe there wasn't really anything about it for me to see. That's okay with me. Pain translates differently for different people.

The main complaint I have with this book, is that Allie was just a little bit too. Too mysterious, too tortured, too aloof, just too much. Because there was just so much to Allie, some aspects of her character fell a little flat for me, and left me thinking that it was included to be included, because it makes for a more dramatic story. I didn't feel like all of it needed to be in there, or if all of it felt essential to the author, some of the issues could have been fleshed out and addressed a little better. Many of them, the way they were handled felt a little like an afterthought. It's vague, I know, but I don't want to spoil anything.

Anyway, other than that, I really enjoyed this book. I thought Sadie and Joe were both awesome characters, and I liked watching them adjust to each other, and get to know each other better. The characters, especially Sadie and Joe are the real core of this story, and they made is believable for me. My favorite parts of the book focused on the biking and the racing. It makes me want to hop on a bike and start trekking all over rural Idaho. It's probably a good thing my bike needs to be tuned up after the long winter here... If I tried to ride even half-way as hardcore as these kids, it would probably kill me.;)

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed this book. It's a worthwhile story with solid characters who aren't afraid of their pain or their strengths. They do what they gotta do to survive and they keep their head above ground. It's a story worth reading full of characters worth knowing.

*Disclaimer: Received a copy through The Teen Book Scene, from the author, for an honest review.

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner is the fourth book in The Queen's Thief series. If you missed them before, here are my reviews for the previous books, The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia. I believe I mention that the books just keep getting better and better as the series progresses, because Eugenides is just totally hardcore like that, and I love watching his mind work.

Although Eugenides is in this book, he is no longer our main character. This is, instead, the story of Sophos, the heir to the throne of Sounis. He goes missing sometime during either Queen or King, and this is the story of what happened after his disappearance.

I enjoyed this one, really, I did. It's just that, I don't like Sophos the same way I like Eugenides. He's a great person, and interesting to read about, he just doesn't have the same appeal that Gen does. Part of that is because I expect a certain something out of these books, largely because of how Gen's mind works, and that was missing from this book. And, because the book is told by Sophos, we see a different side of Gen. Not that he's changed any, but the attitude of the viewer is different, which means I didn't much care for the Gen we see in this book, and that made me very sad.

Although I missed Gen, I did really like watching Sophos grow and develop as a person, and as a ruler. When we first meet him in Thief, and at the beginning of this story he is almost completely lacking in confidence, and he's a little bit awkward. But after being kidnapped, and sold into slavery, he finds himself and begins to grow and change into a strong character, who will eventually make a very strong king of Sounis.

The political intrigue was even more layered in this book than in the previous books, because you are dealing with the intrigue in Gen's palace, Sounis in general, and among the Souni Barons who kidnapped Sophos in the first place, not to mention those pesky foreigners that keep popping up. I thought it was handled very well. The resolution gave me shivers, which can only mean good things for a book like this.

Although I do prefer Gen as the main or focal character, there is no denying that this is still an excellent addition to the series. Turner is a great writer, able to craft a brilliant story and really draw the reader in. I recommend giving the series a chance if you haven't already. I know there's a 5th novel planned for the series, and, as much as I love Sophos, I really hope Turner takes us back to Gen.

I've never participated in the WoW meme before, and I know this isn't Wednesday, but I feel like I totally need to let you all know how badly I want this book...

I recently read Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta and I loved it. A few months before that, I read Jellicoe Road which I loved hardcore. It is one of the best books I've read, ever. I've developed a bit of an author crush on Ms. Marchetta... I haven't reviewed either of them yet, but it's coming.:)

Anyway, I was browsing the blogosphere, and I can't remember where it was that I saw this, but a few days ago I saw this book being mentioned: The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta. It comes out in 2011, and it revisits the world of Saving Francesca. I loved those other books, and I was definitely a little... overcome by my excitement for this one, and I may or may not have made a series of Oh My Gosh freakout noises... ~shrugs what can I say... I was beyond excited to hear about this.

But, it doesn't come out until March of 2011, and I'm depressed. I want it bad! Sigh... Maybe my good luck fairy will come to visit me soon. A girl can dream, right?!

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner is the fourth book in The Queen's Thief series. If you missed them before, here are my reviews for the previous books, The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia. I believe I mention that the books just keep getting better and better as the series progresses, because Eugenides is just totally hardcore like that, and I love watching his mind work.

Although Eugenides is in this book, he is no longer our main character. This is, instead, the story of Sophos, the heir to the throne of Sounis. He goes missing sometime during either Queen or King, and this is the story of what happened after his disappearance.

I enjoyed this one, really, I did. It's just that, I don't like Sophos the same way I like Eugenides. He's a great person, and interesting to read about, he just doesn't have the same appeal that Gen does. Part of that is because I expect a certain something out of these books, largely because of how Gen's mind works, and that was missing from this book. And, because the book is told by Sophos, we see a different side of Gen. Not that he's changed any, but the attitude of the viewer is different, which means I didn't much care for the Gen we see in this book, and that made me very sad.

Although I missed Gen, I did really like watching Sophos grow and develop as a person, and as a ruler. When we first meet him in Thief, and at the beginning of this story he is almost completely lacking in confidence, and he's a little bit awkward. But after being kidnapped, and sold into slavery, he finds himself and begins to grow and change into a strong character, who will eventually make a very strong king of Sounis.

The political intrigue was even more layered in this book than in the previous books, because you are dealing with the intrigue in Gen's palace, Sounis in general, and among the Souni Barons who kidnapped Sophos in the first place, not to mention those pesky foreigners that keep popping up. I thought it was handled very well. The resolution gave me shivers, which can only mean good things for a book like this.

Although I do prefer Gen as the main or focal character, there is no denying that this is still an excellent addition to the series. Turner is a great writer, able to craft a brilliant story and really draw the reader in. I recommend giving the series a chance if you haven't already. I know there's a 5th novel planned for the series, and, as much as I love Sophos, I really hope Turner takes us back to Gen.