In The Community debt is dehumanizing. Evie was “turned in” for servitude as soon as she turned twelve by a mother who views her children as nothing mIn The Community debt is dehumanizing. Evie was “turned in” for servitude as soon as she turned twelve by a mother who views her children as nothing more than ways to make money that they will be the ones to pay back. After severe training and one gentle assignment as caregiver and companion to a man who treated her more like a daughter than a servant until his death, Evie is assigned to the luxurious home of the powerful Elias Huntley. Mrs. Huntley is less than pleased and does everything she can to get rid of Evie, from renaming her “Dog,” to using her control bracelets to deliver painful shock. But it is Mrs Huntley who is sent packing, as Huntley’s obsession with Evie grows and his true power within The Community is slowly revealed.
The Community is an interesting thought experiment, focusing on one of the biggest pitfalls of the capitalist system and imagining an entire town run on exploiting that flaw. Kristin Holm builds a clever trap for Evie, introducing her siblings as hostages to the punitive rules manipulated by Huntley, and working chapter by chapter to raise the stakes and push Evie toward action. I wish that Holm had taken more time to consider other aspects of oppression and that she had found a way to build out the setting, which often feels overly spare and simplified. Evie is a sweet character, passive in the way that many of us are in the face of systemic evil, and it is rewarding to see her pushed beyond her own high tolerance of suffering....more
A fantastic conclusion to an incredible series. While there were almost too many revelations in this volume, all of them are well-founded by what we'vA fantastic conclusion to an incredible series. While there were almost too many revelations in this volume, all of them are well-founded by what we've learned to this point, and the way that the authors have brought the story full circle is marvelous, deeply satisfying without feeling pat. One of the characters accuses himself--and others--of failing to think big enough, but the same can never be said of James S.A. Corey. ...more
Many of these stories are about animals. Monkeys, foxes, dogs, cats and yes, bees. Some of them are science fiction, some of them are fantasy, some ofMany of these stories are about animals. Monkeys, foxes, dogs, cats and yes, bees. Some of them are science fiction, some of them are fantasy, some of them are magic realism. All of them are about the far reaches of human emotion that are never far from us. Searching, grieving, drowning, drifting--all that is here and more. A fabulous introduction to an amazing author. ...more
Being very familiar with Persuasion makes this harder to judge on its own terms, but I think that as a science fiction novel for young adults it succeBeing very familiar with Persuasion makes this harder to judge on its own terms, but I think that as a science fiction novel for young adults it succeeds on its own. Creating obstacles to the protagonists' union forced the author to be inventive and the widening of scope to include more than the gentry is a good choice.
That said, this is a far less subtle story than the original, with the ethical dilemmas being much more global and less personal. The parallels are fun and this could be a great gateway to Austen for a young reader, but no challenger. ...more
Given all the hype I've seen about this, I was surprised that it wasn't better and more original. The plot is pretty standard: underdog fights incrediGiven all the hype I've seen about this, I was surprised that it wasn't better and more original. The plot is pretty standard: underdog fights incredible odds and learns valuable lessons along the way. Much of the talk about the book focuses on the many (many) geek cultural references--mainly from the 80s, but reaching from the 50s to Firefly--strewn through the text. They are fun, but I would have appreciated them more if they were explained a little less; they're not allusions, they're citations. The world-building is laborious and yet slight, with long explanations of how brilliant it all is. There was one point where I was actually intrigued by the plot, only to have the tension thrown away on a quick escape. The characters are straight out of an 80's movie, as is the resolution. In the end, this is about as much fun as listening to someone tell you about this great D&D campaign they once played. ...more
An interesting character-study set in a convincing world of oppression, examining on a manageable scale questions of identity--both individual and as An interesting character-study set in a convincing world of oppression, examining on a manageable scale questions of identity--both individual and as a species--and how our errors create us. The main character is hardly a likeable one, but he is, as he frequently remarks, one tough sonofabitch, and as his story and circumstances unfold, he can even be sympathetic. The adventure is inventive and the questions raised leave the reader with food for thought. ...more
A very fresh and exciting voice with a fantastic mix of sf and magic realism. The characters are fleshed out, the relationships ring true and the pithA very fresh and exciting voice with a fantastic mix of sf and magic realism. The characters are fleshed out, the relationships ring true and the pithy metaphors litter the page. I picked this up as a free Kindle book and am excited to read more of Beukes work. ...more
**spoiler alert** I'm fascinated that this is a book for young adults. The violence was one thing, but repeated descent into madness and despair--well**spoiler alert** I'm fascinated that this is a book for young adults. The violence was one thing, but repeated descent into madness and despair--well, I suppose it's as good a metaphor for being a teenager as any. The allegorical examination of reality television and the pressure our culture ladles upon celebrities was thought-provoking. While the endless love-triangle had lost much of its urgency by the end, I did feel a bit cheated by the two paragraph "yeah, I ended up with that one, it made sense".
Overall, I think this was a good concept, stretched beyond what the author's imagination could bear. Constantly upping the stakes took it away from any sense of reality, but she did manage to keep her characters true to themselves, even if she did it by breaking them again and again and again.
Can we have a strong, female protagonist who's not torn between two lovers for the next YA media phenomenon? Pretty please?...more
Downloaded for free, this is a fun story about multiple worlds, speculating as Sterling does best about the ripple effects of our political and socialDownloaded for free, this is a fun story about multiple worlds, speculating as Sterling does best about the ripple effects of our political and social choices. ...more
I wanted to like this even more than I did. The premise--that something is causing random memory losses among the team investigating a series of murdeI wanted to like this even more than I did. The premise--that something is causing random memory losses among the team investigating a series of murders in New York--was right up my alley and the speculations of the forensic psychologist on the team concerning the role of bacteria in consciousness were very interesting. There was too much running around and too many different people pulled into the plot to provide single pieces of information, and the author never could decide if he was most interested in the murder mystery or the psychological mystery and ended up giving somewhat short shrift to both. It's rare that I feel a book would be better at twice its length, but this is one of those cases. ...more
Written in 1990, much of Kress' extrapolation here is based on events from that time, which dates it somewhat. The idea of integrating past lives was Written in 1990, much of Kress' extrapolation here is based on events from that time, which dates it somewhat. The idea of integrating past lives was fascinating, but never quite fully explored and the big climax sort of fizzled, without much effect beyond the characters involved. In the end, this feels more like a character study than a fully realized concept. ...more
While I hate to be sexist, this felt like very much like a "boy" book to me. And in fact it was purchased by my husband for his own reading, but I'm nWhile I hate to be sexist, this felt like very much like a "boy" book to me. And in fact it was purchased by my husband for his own reading, but I'm not one to let in-house reading matter pass me by. It's a pretty straightforward post-collapse dystopic saga, narrated by a character who loves and writes adventure books. While it's a fine yarn, none of the characters ever seemed particularly real to me and the naivete of the narrator gave the whole thing an annoyingly gee-whiz tone that lowered the stakes of any particular episode. ...more
As good as everyone has been saying. Katniss' stiff pride and lack of perception is irritating, but convincing, and the plotting is tight. The Games tAs good as everyone has been saying. Katniss' stiff pride and lack of perception is irritating, but convincing, and the plotting is tight. The Games themselves were the least interesting part of the book, but plausible, and the tricks and traps and Katniss' solutions to them were clever. It's easy to just keep turning the pages to find out what happens next and I've already downloaded the next book. ...more
A really nice job for a first novel. The twisty plotting is occasionally too much and there was a slow patch about two-thirds of the way through, but A really nice job for a first novel. The twisty plotting is occasionally too much and there was a slow patch about two-thirds of the way through, but Morgan avoids explaining too much and has a deft touch with exposition. The idea of downloadable consciousness has been dealt with by others, but rarely as thoroughly. If you like SF and noir detective stories, this is one for you....more
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