Reviews by Vikster

This was definitely not the book I'd expected going in, but it was still pretty good -- especially for a YA novel. It had a level of violence that is very unusual for the YA market, but I guess that makes it a bit more realistic. *shivers* This is one book that I'd wager you couldn't guess the ending of it until it actually happens -- there are tons of red herrings, but they don't feel cheap -- they feel weird, in an 'omg' sort of way.

Seeker is a mix of science fiction & mystery. It focuses on Alex, an antiquities dealer, & his assistant, Chase. Chase is a great character & I sometimes felt that she was getting the short end of the stick -- Alex may be the one with all the ideas but it's Chase who is doing all the work. Anyways. The mystery revolves around a cup that Alex wants to sell. That's it -- the inspiration for this whole story is a single cup. But it's a very old cup & there may be more valuable things where it came from. Alex sends Chase on a mission to discover the history of the cup, involving them both in the politics & reality of a space colony 9000 years in their past (and not that far from our present).

I think that McDevitt did a brilliant job in making this book relevant (sci-fi doesn't have to be that way, but it's always cooler when you can see reality in it somewhere). He took events from today (complete with their political implications), twisted them just a bit, & then had the civilised people of 9000+ years in the future commenting on them. And he does it all without being preachy -- for someone not paying attention to that vibe, it could even be easily looked over in favour of the space operatic essence of the novel.

This was a decent book, if only for introducing some concepts that inspired me to rethink some of my own beliefs regarding 'magic'. The author gave mostly fair treatment to the different things she described (hoodoo, Wicca, vampirism, etc), but sometimes her failure to extend her investigations beyond one small 'test group' was a bit disappointing. (Personally, I was a bit upset that her experience with Wiccans began & ended in Salem. I thought that was rather lazy on her part.) Her refusal to step out of her bubble & actually participate was often disappointing & a bit of a detriment to the book, I feel.

I think this is a very good book, especially for feminists who have their fair share of wanderlust. It tries to do two things, be a personal travelogue as well as retelling of the creation of the Adventure Divas franchise, & that worked well, until almost the very end where it fell a bit flat.

And because feminism can be a tricky thing to define, I thought I'd share a quote that seems to convey Holly's feminist 'philosophy'. It comes from a conversation she has with her mother: 'Your generation was promised a decent husband & maybe a job on the side. Mine,' I said with some nostalgia & a hint of disappointment, 'mine was promised jet packs.'

This was a book I'd been meaning to read for ages but just never got around to it. Yeah, I kicked myself sore. I loved this book -- it made my inner!Trekkie very very happy. I don't actively read his blog so it was quite interesting to read all of his stuff & his opinions about internet-related things. I have to admit though that the gossipy parts (relating to other Trek actors & cons) were my favourite parts. I'm just a fangirl @ heart & I'm proud to admit it. :P

This book was okay, but it didn't inspire me to continue with the series. I liked the character of Jess, but I hated the narration method she used (well, that Meg used). And while I liked Rob & Douglas, I hated Ruth & Mike.

This book is set in England, only a few years into the future. England is very different though - because of Vurt Feathers. They are drugs that induce virtual reality. The story follows Scribble, and by extension his group of friends called the Stash Riders. Scribble is searching for a way to get his love out from a Feather where she has been imprisoned. I absolutely loved this book - it's really quite weird & all, but it's brilliant. There is a strong theme of incest, which could squick some readers; it's comparative to the 'Flowers In The Attic' series in that respect. If that doesn't bother you & you are into sci-fi, this book might really appeal to you.

It's a brilliant novel, even more so because it's a debut. Jane Hudson returns to Heart Lake, a small private school, as a Latin teacher twenty years after her two roommates died in individual suicides. As pages from Jane's missing diary start to reappear, three of her favourite students begin to 'relive' the events of Jane's final year as a student. I figured out about half-way through who the 'villain' was but half the fun was reading in suspense to find out whether I was right or not. Any Latin or Classics student will probably find a lot to love about this book.

The subtitle of this book is The Curious Lives Of Human Cadavers. That could almost say enough right there. XD It's the exploration of the various uses for human cadavers, such as testing rifles or new surgical techniques - along with countless other more interesting uses. Cadavers are a morbid subject but Mary handles it with both dignity and a sense of humour. If you're a fan of shows like CSI - this is a must-read.

The memoir of a Munchausen by proxy childhood. It is extremely engaging, emotionally revolting, & utterly moving. Julie is a remarkable woman - not only because she is sharing her story but simply because she is alive.