Surreality read and liked Mandy's review of Darwin's Children:

"Darwin's Children is the sequel to Darwin's Radio. As I've found with most sequels, it wasn't quite as good as the original.
It was very, very good - it's just that Darwin's Radio was outstanding.
This story picks up about 10 years after t...more Darwin's Children is the sequel to Darwin's Radio. As I've found with most sequels, it wasn't quite as good as the original.
It was very, very good - it's just that Darwin's Radio was outstanding.
This story picks up about 10 years after the first. Stella Nova is a pre-teen, gently rebellious as a result of being isolated from other "new children". The book begins with her running away from home. Much of the story is dedicated to her and her counterparts.
Kaye and Christopher Dicken are back, of course, and their storylines deal with the effect these children will have on society and civilization - from health repercussions to how they will build their own societies.
Mitch is digging again, and I found his sections very interesting.
Many of the storylines in Darwin's Children are a little underdeveloped, in my opinion. Normally I'm all for a little mystery - I like it when an author will allow the reader to think, rather than spell every last thing out. This time, however, I felt like Bear rushed through a few things. I would have liked to see Mitch's dig, Stella's relationship with Will and the others at the commune and the Mrs. Rhine story played out a bit more.
Still, this was an excellent read overall. (less) "

Surreality added a quote:
"I am haunted by humans" — Markus Zusak

Surreality liked a trivia question:
In the book, The Book Thief, who is Liesel's younger brother? see if you know the answer »

Surreality read and liked Josie's review of Angel:

"I don't know what I was expecting to read, but this wasn't it. Don't get me wrong: I LIKED it, I was just surprised. I was expecting something more realistic, more -- grown-up, I suppose. Instead I got a narrator who says "oooooo-aa!" ev...more I don't know what I was expecting to read, but this wasn't it. Don't get me wrong: I LIKED it, I was just surprised. I was expecting something more realistic, more -- grown-up, I suppose. Instead I got a narrator who says "oooooo-aa!" every couple of pages, a psychic/telepathic child, and a completely mad cast of characters. I liked Jim and Bob, I thought it was obvious who Toby fancied right from the start, and Pappy must be riddled with STDs. Chris and Sister Cas hooking up with the Greek New Australians was so cute! ("Just call me cupid.") Mrs Delvecchio Schwartz was, uh, quite a lady. I was simultaneously horrified and amused by her.

I don't like it when heroines in historical fiction are feisty and progessive without any REASON to be. She wants to wear trousers and believes in equality? Okay, but give me a reason WHY. Harriet, the narrator of this book, was progressive, but it was believable. She starts out frustrated that her boyfriend won't even kiss her with his mouth open, and by the end of the book she's behaving in a way that would still be considered loose and shocking by today's standards. (The bad influence of her new flatmates and neighbours!) It's bold of an author to do that. I could have done without Harriet's, um, medical comparisons, but I liked her voice and her strength and her humour. Finally, I thought that there was the right balance of explanation and mystery at the end.

(It's pretty poor for a book to misspell a main character's name four times in the blurb, though.)(less) "