Science fiction where grit and grace collide
Behind the Veil by Samantha Rae Ortiz Madeleine’s Score: Loved it—telling everyone about it!(5/5 cool points) But she had a hard time deciding if her allegiance to the Council had been her choice, or if it was something required of her. She didn’t like that she didn’t know the answer.
Continue reading…Behind the Veil: Lyrical Prose Flowing Through a Flooded World
The Giver by Lois Lowry Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again(3/5 cool points) “They were satisfied with their lives which had none of the vibrance his own was taking on. And he was angry at himself, that he could not change that for them.” When Jonas turned twelve, he
Continue reading…The Giver: A Classic Sci-Fi Mystery Worth a Read
Uprooted by Naomi Novik Madeleine’s Score: Made myself finish it (2/5 cool points) “You intolerable lunatic,” he snarled at me, and then he caught my face between his hands and kissed me. It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a fantasy book, and part of the reason is that I’ve been passively
Continue reading…Uprooted: Beware the Woods, Beware the Bitter Wizard More
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey Madeleine’s Score: Enjoyed it—would read it again (4/5 cool points) “Everything that lives hates us, it sometimes seems. Or at least they come after us like they hate us. Things we want to eat fight back, hard as they can, and oftentimes win. Things
Continue reading…The Book of Koli: Bye Technology, Hello Carnivorous Trees!
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson Madeleine’s score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) What if there were people with superpowers? And what if they were all villains? In the near future, Epics have taken over the world. In the U.S.—now called the Fractured States—Epics do as they please,
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) “The burn patrols have to be really careful, because there are lots of hungries still out there. If they get your scent, they’ll follow you for a hundred miles, and
Continue reading…The Girl with All the Gifts: Believable Zombie Apocalypse
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher Madeleine’s Score: Enjoyed it—would read it again (4/5 cool points) “…if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the
Continue reading…A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World: Loyalty Epitomized
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) It’s the end of the world as we know it, all thanks to a new strand of swine flu that takes people out in a number of hours. Now, fifteen years later,
Continue reading…Station Eleven: Fragmented Storytelling in a Questionable World
Bird Box by Josh Malerman Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) Malorie is pregnant and finds herself suddenly alone in a world where people are dying just by looking at mysterious creatures who have taken up residence on Earth. We see her in the present
Continue reading…Bird Box: Great Premise, Missed Opportunities
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan Madeleine’s Score: It was okay—wouldn’t read it again (3/5 cool points) First, I must admit that I didn’t look into this book before reading it. I was simply drawn in by the GORGEOUS cover and the fact that it was about dragons.
Continue reading…A Natural History of Dragons: Lovely Language, Needs More Dragons