Book Review: Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

Impostors

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Impostors 〰️

I loved the Uglies series. The world-building was fantastic, the characters were fun to read, and the story was super cool. So, when I heard there was a new trilogy set in the world of Uglies, I was all in.

Sadly, as good as this book was, it didn't live up to the original series, in my opinion. Aside from throwing a few random things (like the mention of the MC of Uglies, Tally Youngblood, some world-related phrases, like "brain-missing," and a few world-building things from the original series), there wasn't much that resembled Westerfeld's original world. Also, having this book written in first person threw me off a little because all the other books were in third person. (That last point is just a nitpick thing on my end. The prose was fine; I was just used to a different way of storytelling for this futuristic world).

While this book didn't feel completely related to an already well-established series, I did still enjoy it. Not a massive fan of how much military stuff is happening, though. I wasn't expecting that. But it was well written, and so it's all good.

As with Westerfeld's other books, the pacing is perfect. Everything happens right when it needs to, and nothing felt like too much of an info dump. Although even though I don't find there isn't too much to tell this is from an established series, I do think that if you haven't read the Uglies, some parts would be confusing. (If you have, then when the lingo of the world is used, you'd be just fine).

All in all, I'm happy to be reading this series again. It's cool to learn even more about the Uglies world. Westerfeld's writing never disappoints. And I knew it was coming. The cliffhanger ending. His previous works all ended in an "oh my God, I need to read the next book now" ending. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do just that and dive into book two!

Book Review: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jannette McCurdy

I'm Glad My Mom Died

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I'm Glad My Mom Died 〰️

Boy, if there was ever a catchy title that makes you want to read a book, it's this one.

What a story! It's almost a bit hard to think of this as a memoir rather than fiction because of the style it was written in. Which, speaking, of I loved it. McCurdy wrote this book in a way that it made her feel like a character rather than a person telling her story. She truly has a gift and a way with words. She tells her story with such fine prose that made me feel all the motions she was. The ups, the downs, I felt them all. And knowing this all really happened is saddening.

This is one of the reasons I'd never want to be famous. I mean, I'd love my work to be famous, but for myself? I don't want the limelight. As McCurdy notes, not only is it not easy, but it can be terrible for one's mental health.

I also hope this book serves as a message to parents. Please don't try to live your life through your kids. It's their life, not yours. Let them become their own person.

As a side note, I hope McCurdy continues to write. She's very good at it. But if she does, I hope she does so because it's what she wants and not what an agent wants. After reading this book, I think she may know herself better. Time will tell if she'll write more books. I just hope she's happy with whatever she plans on doing with her life.

I'm glad McCurdy is finally pursuing her own happiness. She deserves it. If you ever wanted to read an engaging memoir that doesn't read like a history book, this is for you. Her story wasn't easy to read, but I'm glad she shared it.

Book Review: Son by Lois Lowry

Son

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Son 〰️

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

Now, THIS is a true companion/sequel to The Giver. This book has features of all previous books in this series and comes full circle in a way I didn't know possible since the previous two books seemed so disconnected from the first.

I very much enjoyed this read. I loved that we got to revisit the community in which Jonas lived, but this time from a different lens. I loved seeing how the community operated from viewpoints other than Jonas's. And having Jonas be part of part one was also excellent. And having him come back, not as "Leader" but as Jonas in part three? Well, let's say it was nice seeing him again. (I didn't expect him to end up with Kira, but I guess it makes sense).

I'm glad the Trademaster was brought back, if only to learn a bit more about him. In the last book, we only saw him briefly before, and he gets a slightly more significant role in this one. I mean, he's the main antagonist, but only in the later half of the book. I do think he was defeated pretty easily, tough. It reminded me of during the IT movie how they defeated Peniwise by hurling lame insults at him. For a being that is described as pure evil, like Peniqise was, I get the sense that he's super old and, therefore, extra powerful. But Gabe says like three sentences, and this hurts him? I dunno. Feels rushed.

And speaking of rushed, I've said it before for the other books, and I'll say it again. Does Lowry not know how to end books? They all ended so abruptly. Granted, this one was better than the last two and had a slight improvement on the first, but still. They all have significant conflicts, and the second it's resolved, it's over. At the very least, I'd like to see a few paragraphs with the aftermath of everything. I mean, we followed Claire's journey (and I guess Jonas and Kira's, too) for so long, and we get like a sentence hinting everything is going to be okay. I enjoyed the book, but I'm personally not satisfied with the ending.

All in all, this was a nice end to the series. Although you could cut out the middle two books, read The Giver and then this one and still be satisfied, I think. The Giver is still the best one of them all, but this one is a close second.

Book Review: Messenger by Lois Lowry

Messenger

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Messenger 〰️

Finally, we have a true connection to the first novel, making this a true companion/sequel to The Giver in my eyes. Also, this book was a vast improvement over the second one. I loved the first, but the second fell a little flat for me. This third novel wasn't as good as the first, but I enjoyed it more than Gathering Blue.

It's nice to see a grown-up Jonas (now the Leader) and a mention of Gabe. It's good to know they survived. I'm also glad to see Matty (previously named Matt in book two) has learned to speak correctly, as he was a bit hard to read. Being the new MC of the third book in this series, it would have been extremely annoying and difficult to read his previous speech patterns.

Speaking of POVs, Lowry switched POV to the Leader near the end, and it felt off. It worked with the story, and I see why she did it, but this was the first time in three books (and right at the end of the book, too) that she did this. It kind of throws the style of the books out the window for a bit.

Also, does Lowry not know how to end her books? Or maybe I don't understand her style very well. This is the third book where the plot thickens, only to end with an ambiguous ending abruptly. (Did Matty die? I think he died, and that sucks). I hope the final book answers this series's previously unanswered questions.

While not my favourite of the series (it's the second), this was still an enjoyable book. Probably because it was the first to be a companion/continuation, I'm curious to see how this ends.

My 2023 Year in Books (GoodReads)

Book Review: Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

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Gathering Blue 〰️

Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.

I was not expecting this to be a companion to The Giver. Barely anything was similar to the first book. I know it's a companion, and it's another village, but a little callback to book one would have been nice. (Although it's implied right at the end Jonas is alive and with the MCs dad). But this could be a brand new world and I wouldn't have known it. I'm not sure how this is part of the series.

That being said, there was some great world building once again in this book. You can for sure tell it's a distopian future with a distinct culture. I don't think this world was as interesting as the one in The Giver but it was still cool to read about it.

While this story was interesting, I don't think it was as interesting as the previous novel. I think I was expecting more since the first one was so great. I was also a little shocked to see no mention or tie ins (that I know of) to The Giver, be it it's characters, or greywashed world. I don't mind a companion book to have compleatly new characters. In fact, I expect it. It's just this is part of a series and so I thought there would be more of a tie in raher than feeling like a completly fresh book. Perhaps they will all blend together more in the next two books.

I still enjoyed it, however. As mentioned, it wasn't as interesting but it was still a compelling enough read. I will admit that I didn't care for how most of the characters talked, however. It was a bit hard to read. I mean, it helped built the world and such, but like I said, a bit hard to read. But that is a mino nitpick.

All in all it was still a decent book to read.

Book Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver

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The Giver 〰️

I saw my co worker reading this book and when I asked her what it was about I was immediately intrigued. So I went a got a box set of the whole quartet.

Right from the start I was pulled into the story. I love the world building in this far of dystopian future. It never stops but never feels like an info dump. We learn what we need to know right when we need to know it, as we should. Lowry is a master at this. There are some questions that have yet to be answered, such as how society ended up the way it is, but I assume they may be addressed in later books. At least I hope. This one was super short and I finished it in like afternoon.

I'm unsure about the ending though. Was it it supposed to be so ambiguous? Did Jonas and Gabe survive? Did they find another village or die? It was a little unclear for me. Maybe some readers saw more in this ending than I did, but I felt like I was missing something. And for such a great story, the ending felt rushed and unfinished. A chapter more or an epilogue would have sufficed. Maybe in the next book we'll learn more about Jonas and the Giver's fate, as well as the fate of the community they lived in.

All in all, I love books with unique worlds that are easy to understand and dive into. I would never want to live in these types of societies but I love reading about them. Lowry drew me into a great world with her brilliant mind and I'm excited to dive into the rest of the series.

If you like dystopian books and great world building, this book (and hopefully series) is for you.

Book Review: No One Is Alone by Rachel Vincent

No One Is Alone

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No One Is Alone 〰️

There is a reason anything Vincent writes is an automatic insta-buy for me, no matter what the story is about or the genre.

This story, about found family, has so many emotional and impactful moments. It deals with a lot of heavy issues right from the start, straight until the end. In a way, this book taught me about grieve and love. While I haven't lost anyone in my life at this moment, I know the day will come and I'm never going to be prepared. (But really, are any of us?) Reading this book feels like a bit of self-care for future me when the unfortunate day my love ones will pass.

I'm always impressed with Vincent's way with words; how she manages to make each character in her novels unique and fun to read. Even if there are depressing moments, Vincent's characters are believable in their actions and fit the age of the character.

I loved reading Michaela's story. She's been through so much but she still learns to grow as a character. I can't imagine losing my mom and then having to live with my estranged dad, only to find out I'm the product of a love affair. But all in all, she still handled it well. And I love how she not only teaches her new family how to love and bond with each other, but they teach her things as well. This is my first found family trope story that I've read (in recent memory anyway) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In fact, I just enjoyed reading every storyline in this novel. Everything was grounded and real. I loved how all the characters learned to bond and love each other and grew stronger because of it. I loved just watching how Michaela processes the death of her mom, to dealing with a new family/friends/school, to just going on about her life and trying new things.

If you are a fan of Vincent's work and found family stories, this book doesn't disappoint. As with any Rachel Vincent book, I highly recommend.