Sarah Chorn's Blog, page 66

Karen Memory – Elizabeth Bear

About the Book

“You ain’t gonna like what I have to tell you, but I’m gonna tell you anyway. See, my name is Karen Memery, like memory only spelt with an e, and I’m one of the girls what works in the Hôtel Mon Cherie on Amity Street. Hôtel has a little hat over the o like that. It’s French, so Beatrice tells me.”

Set in the late 19th century—when the city we now call Seattle Underground was the whole town (and still on the surface), when airships plied the trade routes, would-be gold miners were heading to the gold fields of Alaska, and steam-powered mechanicals stalked the waterfront, Karen is a young woman on her own, is making the best of her orphaned state by working in Madame Damnable’s high-quality bordello. Through Karen’s eyes we get to know the other girls in the house—a resourceful group—and the poor and the powerful of the town. Trouble erupts one night when a badly injured girl arrives at their door, beggin sanctuary, followed by the man who holds her indenture, and who has a machine that can take over anyone’s mind and control their actions.  And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the next night brings a body dumped in their rubbish heap—a streetwalker who has been brutally murdered.

Bear brings alive this Jack-the-Ripper yarn of the old west with a light touch in Karen’s own memorable voice, and a mesmerizing evocation of classic steam-powered science.

352 pages (hardcover)

Published on February 3, 2015

Published by Tor

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

—

All you have to say is “Elizabeth Bear” and I’m there. She’s one of my all time favorite authors. I don’t think it’s possible for her to write a book that is less than amazing. All of her books and stories are just different. They are truly unique in a way that only Bear can manage. Karen Memory is no different.

I’m not big on steampunk. In fact, I tend to try and avoid it, but I am big on alternative history, and I’m big on Elizabeth Bear books, so I decided to give this one a shot. I got the review copy a while ago and I tried to put off reading it until closer to publication date, but some books just look at me, and something needs to be done about that.

Karen Memory is gritty, and dirty, and completely real world with a strong female protagonist with an incredibly distinctive voice (unforgettable, even) and companions that you can’t help but love.

The setting is western, and so is much of the prose. That could drive some readers nuts, while other readers will love it. If you’re a fan of steampunk or western novels, you might want to give this one a shot. If the word “ain’t” bugs you, then you’ll probably want to avoid Karen Memory.

Karen Memory is a lot of fun, and despite the gritty setting and the messy (but realistic) language, it’s incredibly charming. Karen is a hard character not to fall instantly in love with. She was a brave and bold choice for Bear. She’s a “gutter” character. She works as a whore in a city that is impacted by trade, gold, gangs, and politics. It’s quite interesting how all of these threads converge in Karen’s life and form a compelling story that wouldn’t be nearly as compelling without her unique voice.

And despite the grit and realism, the dirty world and the dirty job, Karen is quite a dreamer, and she is full of curiosity and infectious passion. She cares deeply for those she loves, and has made a relatively comfortable life out of where she lives. Yes, parts of the novel are uncomfortable, but Karen has an ability to glance over those uncomfortable bits and keep the story moving without losing any of the realism that makes it so unforgettable.

The mystery is quite compelling, as much for the mystery part of it as for how the murders impact those people that history so often overlooks – people like Karen. It’s also very empowering to see a woman that many might scorn who is capable of such impressive feats of heroism. The plot moves pretty quickly, though the novel starts out feeling more like a memoir than anything else. It quickly becomes obvious how all the threads weave together, and by that time you’ll be far too addicted to do anything besides read.

I could really praise a lot of aspects of this book – flawless world building, a brave setting, bold characters, the passion, the zeal, the relentless plot, the fact that it is absolutely addicting. Really, this book absolutely blew me away. However, the thing I liked the most is something that I almost hate to admit.

I’m a sucker for the underdog. I like the books about the strong people that society tends to overlook. Bear tells the story of a whore, through her own perspective, in a way that makes Karen so much more than a whore. That’s just dressing, just a side fact on a woman who is so much more than her circumstances. Karen Memory is a lot of fun, and the mystery is very well done, but it’s Karen’s voice that sealed the deal for me. Sometimes it’s important to remember that we are all more than our circumstances.

 

5/5 stars

Unbound – Jim C. Hines

About the Book

For five hundred years, the Porters have concealed the existence of magic from the world. Now, old enemies have revealed the Porters’ secrets, and an even greater threat lurks in the shadows. The would-be queen Meridiana, banished for a thousand years, has returned in the body of a girl named Jeneta Aboderin. She seeks an artifact created by Pope Sylvester II, a bronze prison that would grant her the power to command an army of the dead.

Michigan librarian Isaac Vainio is powerless to stop her, having been stripped of his power and his place among the Porters by Johannes Gutenberg himself. But Isaac is determined to regain his magic and to rescue his former student Jeneta. With no magic of his own, Isaac’s must delve into the darker side of black-market magic, where he will confront beings better left undisturbed, including the sorcerer Juan Ponce de Leon.

With his loyal fire-spider Smudge, dryad warrior Lena Greenwood, and psychiatrist Nidhi Shah, Isaac races to unravel a mystery more than a thousand years old as competing magical powers battle to shape the future of the world. He will be hunted by enemies and former allies alike, and it will take all his knowledge and resourcefulness to survive as magical war threatens to spread across the globe.

Isaac’s choices will determine the fate of his friends, the Porters, the students of Bi Sheng, and the world. Only one thing is certain: even if he finds a way to restore his magic, he can’t save them all…

320 pages (hardcover)

Published on January 6, 2015

Published by DAW

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent for me to review by the author.

—-

Jim C. Hines is a rather new discovery of mine. I think I blew through the first two books in Magic Ex Libris in the last half of 2014. When this third book, Unbound, was released and I didn’t get a review copy, I was a sad panda. However, good ol’ Hines saved the day by sending me an Audible edition of it.

Unbound is rather different in tone than the previous books in the series, and that different tone is what made it work so incredibly well for me. Isaac has been through it, by this point, and he emotionally struggles with where he’s been, where he’s going, and where he is. It’s a realistic, heart wrenching personal struggle that so many of us can relate to, but is rarely realistically found in the books we read and love.

In fact, Isaac’s struggle and the way it impacts those around him really humanizes him and adds a deep layer of emotional depth to the book that I didn’t expect, and really welcomed. Furthermore, the complex relationship between Lena, Isaac, and Nedhi graduates from being awkward and strained, to feeling more like a family comfortable family unit as they all figure out how to work with each other.

Unbound is pure action from page one. Isaac’s personal struggles last throughout the book, but they are integrated so well with the action that the book never really slows down to make room for Isaac’s emotions – if that makes sense. In fact things seamlessly flow together, and the unrelenting action makes the book fly by.

Unbound is equal parts quirky humor, and serious emotional dissection. It’s a bit darker because of it, and a bit deeper, but the humor and the action keeps everything feeling lighter than you’d expect, and keeps the speed ramped up. Furthermore, Hines has established himself as a master world builder. In each book he seems to flesh out the magic system more and more, and the world becomes more real and vibrant.

The fact that Hines has had two books to build his world and establish his magic system doesn’t mean that he has to stop world building. In fact, at this point he is a bit more free with it, adding in new creatures here and there, giving them a dollop of background and history without making them feel like speed bumps. Basically what I’m saying is that Hines has mastered the art of subtly developing his world and magic system without the reader even really realizing it.

Furthermore, Unbound does a massive amount of work toward working world Hines has developed toward a fascinating change that will impact just about everyone, and Isaac is in the center of it all. Not only is he dealing with what has happened, but he’s one of the primary characters bringing this change down on the world, and his worries about how things are evolving is quite compelling. It also has me on the edge of my seat for more. I want to know what happens next, and I don’t want to wait to know it.

As I mentioned above, Unbound has a bit of everything in it. Relationships develop, emotions are deepened, tension is constant, and somehow Hines makes it all balance. It’s almost insane to think that a series that I’ve loved this much from the first book only keeps getting better, but it does. Hines is one hell of an author, and his skill keeps developing with each thing he writes. Unbound is the best yet.

I do recommend that readers start with book one, Libriomancer, and work their way to this one, but it won’t be a waste of time. In fact, this series is incredibly empowering to those of us who are bookishly inclined, giving magic to the words we love so much. That magic system keeps getting more and more elaborate as the series goes on, and the action and tension is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. However, it’s the personal development, and the relationships that really deserve the focus here. Hines was brave to fill his book with such raw, real emotional depth, and it paid off in orders of magnitude.

Magic Ex Libris is one hell of a series. If you haven’t started it yet, do yourself a favor and read it. Now.

5/5 stars

David DeVries narrated this book, and he did an absolutely fantastic job. He seemed to catch the quirky-yet-serious tone perfectly. My one complaint was that he struggled a bit with the female voices, but that’s okay. He was easy to listen to, and he made the action and the story feel real. It was hard for me to stop listening, which says something important.

GIVEAWAY | Three (3) copies of KUSHIEL’S DART

Kushiel’s Dart is a book I read years ago, and instantly fell in love with. The writing is absolutely stunning. The story is luscious and full of texture and surprises. The world building is both sensational and sensual. Throw in a strong female protagonist with an unforgettable voice, and you have something incredible on your hands.

In fact, quite honestly, this book set the bar for what I look for when I want to read a book with knock-it-out-of-the-park fantastic prose.

I was really excited to see that this series is getting rebooted with new covers and all that. I was even more excited when I was asked if I’d like to give away three (3) copies of this book. Of course I would!!

About the Book

The land of Terre d’Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good…and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission…and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel’s Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair…and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a novel of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Not since Dune has there been an epic on the scale of Kushiel’s Dart-a massive tale about the violent death of an old age, and the birth of a new.

If you’re interested in winning a copy of this book, here are the rules: 

1. Giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents.

2. You have until midnight Mountain Time on Feb 1 to enter.

3. Enter by leaving a comment under this post.

Three winners will be chosen at random. You will be contacted by email. You will have 24 hours to respond. If you don’t respond within 24 hours, I will pick another winner.

Good luck to all who enter!! 

Oh, the (good) drama….

Well, if you’ve been around good ol’ Bookworm Blues for long enough, you’ll realize that the health drama never really ends with me.

Around August 4 of this year, we will be welcoming another Bookworm Jr.

This pregnancy is a (huge, HUGE) surprise. It’s never a “small” thing for anyone. I get to start my regular round with three doctors:

1. The regular pregnancy doctor for all that fun stuff.

2. My cancer doctor at least once a month to keep my hormone levels monitored so I can produce a healthy baby. If my hormones dip too low, the baby has some seriously scary risks.

3. My joint doctor (once a month) who can hopefully keep me walking throughout the pregnancy (unlike last time where I was basically paralyzed from week 14 on).

This also includes a c-section (because regular labor could permanently paralyze me – yay joint disorder!)

I’m exhausted just looking at all that. It’s going to be a busy year…

We saw the ultrasound today, and The Tiny is happy and healthy with a strong heartbeat, which is all you can really ask for. Plus, apparently they can detect the gender of the baby from a blood test now, which is pretty freaking cool. We should know in a week.

Wish me luck. I’m excited/terrified….

Misunderstandings, Coping, and Invisible Illnesses

Warning: This is going to be a personal rant. Absolutely zero book related content.

The other day a complete stranger said to me, “Why do you need help with that? Are you lazy or something?”

That comment hurt a lot more than that woman will ever realize. The sad thing is, I get a variation of that sentiment far more frequently than you’d ever guess. It’s nothing new, and every time I hear it, it hurts.

I’ve had joint problems most of my life. I was born with a dislocated hip, and when I was a teenager I learned that I was severely hypermobile. That’s when my surgeries started. Due to my incredible joint flexibility, I had to be pulled out of all of my physical activity like gym, and competitive swimming (I was very, very good). My activity started to be limited. My doctor told me that under absolutely no point in time was I ever allowed to run. By seventeen all I was allowed to do was walk and ride a bike. There was just too much risk that any strenuous activity would cause me to blow a joint and I’d need more surgery. I started my lifelong relationship with physical therapy.

Time goes on.

My condition, which was annoying at first, degenerated with time. It started getting really, really bad and absolutely debilitating about ten years ago, and has progressed since then. I’d go to one doctor and then they’d say they had no idea what to do, and send me to another. I’d have one surgery to fix this shredded joint, and then another surgery to fix that shredded joint. Neither of the surgeries would work as expected, so I’d have to go do the whole thing over again. My spine did its thing, I lost the ability to walk for a while, and spent a few months learning how to walk again after three spine surgeries. I still have a cain for those bad days, and just-in-case. I learned that my bones were deteriorating, and my hypermobility had been moved from “hypermobility” to “chronic joint hypermobility.” Other than that, it’s pretty much been a life of physical therapy, more and more physical limitations (I am now forbidden to do pretty much anything but walk slowly on a safe, flat surface), and a lot more surgeries, but no other real answers. Just symptoms and limitations. Lots of them, and all the mental funk that goes with them.

My last shoulder surgery was supposed to be the surgery to fix all of my problems in that joint. It apparently worked for everyone, and it was the absolute endgame that would set me free (from that joint problem, at least). It was my eleventh joint surgery, but since it had been praised so highly and research showed that it indeed did have fantastic outcomes for patients, I didn’t mind. Cut me open and do it. Let me move on. Please. I just wanted to have one health riddle solved. Just one.

I let myself hope. That’s probably where the fault in all this lies.

The surgery didn’t work as expected. In fact, I went to my doctor a week ago (the only one left in this damn state who isn’t terrified by the riddle I present them) and he kind of threw his hands up in the air and said, “I haven’t ever seen anything like it.” Those are the last words I ever wanted to hear. Another surgery is already planned, though I am going to try my hardest to put it off a few more months. My doctor was absolutely baffled, and asked for permission to share my case with his colleagues. I signed a bunch of papers releasing my case (which is H-U-G-E by the way) to him and the doctors he chose. Then I drove home, and cried.

And cried.

And cried.

There were no answers, and it is absolutely terrifying to hear your joint specialist tell you that he was completely confused. I’m young. I have a whole life ahead of me. If my doctors are already giving up on me now, what does that say for my future? It’s terrifying, and I’m already terrified. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to walk. I don’t know if tomorrow I’ll wake up and my spine will do whatever the hell it does and this whole relationship I have going on with my legs will be over. Again. I don’t know if I’ll move the wrong way, and another joint will blow, and I’ll be in for five more surgeries because the first four won’t work. And knowing that the guy who specializes in all of this had no idea…. it pushed me over the edge.

And the pain. I am so incredibly tired of hurting all the time. It’s emotionally and mentally draining. My bones click. My joints dislocate or subluxate all the time. It hurts like holy hell. When my bones rub together, it hurts. It hurts a lot. I have these constant aches from all this stuff that sometimes reduce me to hopeless tears. Sometimes I can’t even work because I ache so profoundly. I never know if this day will be a good day (with only a moderate ache) or if I’ll wake up screaming. I don’t know if this will be the day when another joint just decides to let go and things dislocate, or if today all my bones will just rub together a lot and set me on edge. And working in close quarters with someone always makes me want to apologize. I just want to say, “I’m sorry my body is so loud, and things click and grind so audibly. I know it’s disgusting. Just hum a lot and try to ignore it. I can’t help how gross I sound every time I move.” I think about living the rest of my life with this kind of pain, and my heart squeezes with an emotion so powerful I can’t even put a name to it. Chronic pain is nothing to shrug at.

Admittedly, dealing with cancer stuff at the same time doesn’t help with the emotions, but this is something different. Cancer is silent. This is so loud (to me) and it is changing so much right before my eyes.

Today I talked for a long, long time with my doctor, who had been having extensive meetings with various other doctors of various specialties with joint related issues, and they all decided I need genetic testing done for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type III. My doctor was almost embarrassed that he hadn’t thought of it before, but he said he’s been so close to my case for so long that it took new eyes to see what was right in front of him. I hadn’t ever really even heard of it before. Well, I’d heard of it but I never attributed it to me or really looked into it. We talked at length about symptoms, and he got a lot of information from me. He gave me some stuff to research and passed my information, and the 18ish years of clinical joint issues I’ve had on to the geneticist who he has apparently conscripted to working my case and doing whatever it is that those people do. Apparently they are starting their research, and I’ll be getting a call soon from them for more information. My doctor said he thought it would be a “miracle” if I wasn’t diagnosed with this. My issues have been so varied and nebulous, and so long lasting it feels kind of surreal to maybe have a name for it after all this time.

It sucks, but at least I’ll have an answer to the riddle of my body.

The worse this thing gets, the harder it is for me to deal. I can’t move the way most people move. I have to be very careful with myself. The smallest activity that most people might not even notice can hurt me to the point where I need surgery to fix it, or it can put me in bed for days, or I’ll end up in the hospital. The constant pain is grating, but no one really sees those things. I hate having to explain why I can’t do things to people. I look like I should be completely capable, but I’m not, and I hate justifying myself. I hate the looks I get when I have to ask for help with something simple, and people don’t think I should need that help. I should be able to lift that light box, right?

Please don’t look at me weird when I can’t do what is considered “normal.”

It’s those looks. They wound.

And that’s just the surface stuff. I’m angry. I’m so incredibly angry, and I don’t even know who I’m mad at. I’m just mad right now. I hate not having the options. I’ve never been much of a hiker, but I enjoyed having the option before. At least if I wanted to learn how to climb a mountain, I could. If my family is doing something physical as a get-together, I have to beg out. I’m not being anti-social, but that’s how it comes across. I hate that. If I leave work early due to pain, people think I’m lazy. They don’t see all the pain that is going to force me to lay on a heating pad for hours and hours. I hate spending so much of my time worried about the next joint blowing for no apparent reason. I’d love to live through a calendar year without surgery. I haven’t had that luxury in… wow, I don’t even know how long.

I am complaining, and while I am facing these issues I realize how lucky I am. I have a house, a kid, a family. I laugh a lot, and read a lot. I have hobbies and passions and food in my belly. It could be worse. It always could be worse.

But the future is so uncertain, and that terrifies me. There is no cure for this. It’s degenerative. I’ve known that for years and years, and those years and years have proved all of those doctors and their fancy words right. Things just get worse as time goes by. I’m in my early thirties now. I try to picture what I’ll be like at fifty, and I want to scream with terror.

Any disabling condition is hard, but I’m having such a hard time dealing with how invisible this is. People can’t see what’s going on under my skin (that’s true for anyone, really), and so much of this I try to keep so quiet because people wouldn’t understand. Being labeled “lazy” is easier than having to explain why exactly I cannot lift that box that I should probably be able to lift. It might look like I’m pouring my heart out here, but you’re just really seeing a fraction of the surface. I look “normal” so I should be able to do “normal” things, right? And when I can’t, I get that look. It hasn’t really struck me before now how much of our language disparages everything outside of what we define as normal and how that’s such a large part of how we act toward others.

It’s easy to make assumptions about people.

Words have so much power.

This is, maybe, just a tiny window into one person’s experience. I debated on whether to post this or not, but I figured that maybe if I opened up a little bit, it might help break down some of the stigma that surrounds people with invisible illnesses, or illnesses in general, really. There is so much misunderstanding, and so many hurtful words that we don’t even realize hurt. It’s part of how we live and work. I’m not incapable. Yeah, I need help with some things, and I’m limited in a lot of ways, but I’m in incapable, and I’m certainly not lazy. It takes some ingenuity and a ton of effort to accomplish the things I accomplish each day. You just don’t see that, because it’s quiet. It’s under the surface, just like everything else.

It might look like I’m pouring my heart out, here, but not really. In reality, this is just the barest fraction of the surface, and this is probably some stuff that so many people can relate to. The point is, I’m not alone. Everyone has a story, and we never know what that person’s story is.

I’m not asking for pity. I don’t want any. I just wanted to tell a little bit of my story because maybe, just maybe, it’ll help someone else. Maybe you can relate to me. Maybe it’ll change how you see others. Maybe you’ll think this is stupid. Whatever. Sometimes I just have to let it out.

Writing is one of the ways I cope and try to understand powerful emotions, and you better believe I’m going to write the shit out of all of this in stories and various other projects. My life has been turbulent for the past few years, and I’ve had back to back health issues. I’m stronger because of it, and I think, in a lot of ways, my health problems have made me a better person. I’ve learned that I’m a lot stronger than I ever expected, and I love life a lot more than I thought I did. Not all things are bad, but things are hard, and that’s okay. Sometimes it’s the hard things that show us how bright the world really is. There are good people out there all around us, and kindness is always happening in small and large ways. There are always helpers, and there is always magic.

So yeah, I’m complaining, but in the midst of all of this, I want to point out that despite it all, the world is still a beautiful place and I love being part of it.

And now this is spiraling and going nowhere really, so I’ll leave it here and post it before I chicken out.

The Just City – Jo Walton

About the Book

“Here in the Just City you will become your best selves. You will learn and grow and strive to be excellent.”



Created as an experiment by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, the Just City is a planned community, populated by over ten thousand children and a few hundred adult teachers from all eras of history, along with some handy robots from the far human future—all set down together on a Mediterranean island in the distant past.

The student Simmea, born an Egyptian farmer’s daughter sometime between 500 and 1000 A.D, is a brilliant child, eager for knowledge,  ready to strive to be her best self. The teacher Maia was once Ethel, a young Victorian lady of much learning and few prospects, who prayed to Pallas Athene in an unguarded moment during a trip to Rome—and, in an instant, found herself in the Just City with grey-eyed Athene standing unmistakably before her.

Meanwhile, Apollo—stunned by the realization that there are things mortals understand better than he does—has arranged to live a human life, and has come to the City as one of the children. He knows his true identity, and conceals it from his peers. For this lifetime, he is prone to all the troubles of being human.

Then, a few years in, Sokrates arrives—the same Sokrates recorded by Plato himself—to ask all the troublesome questions you would expect. What happens next is a tale only the brilliant Jo Walton could tell.

368 pages (Hardcover)

Published on January 13, 2015

Published by Tor

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

—

I was lucky enough to get this novel very, very early. The people at Tor tend to surprise me early with anticipated books on occasion, and I can never thank them enough. This one arrived a few months ago. I tried to put off reading it until closer to publication date, but I was recovering from surgery, and this book was looking at me. I read it in about a day.

I couldn’t put it down.

You can stop reading my review right now. That pretty much says everything you need to know. The Just City is absolutely unputdownable.

The first thing you should know is that this book really isn’t your typical novel. While it follows the story of two protagonists, this book reads more like the exploration of a social experiment (which is exactly what it is) than anything else. For some readers, that might be the breaking point. It might feel a bit too meandering, a little too directionless for some individuals. For others, those qualities might be part of the unique flavor that makes it so easy to savor.

Jo Walton is no stranger to writing. The woman is positively prolific. She’s won a ton of awards, and has been nominated for even more, and there’s a very real reason for that. To put it simply, she can write. She pulls out all the stops in The Just City, using every bit of her talent to tell one of the most incredibly compelling stories I’ve come across in a while.

The Just City is, as I said above, a social experiment, and Walton never hides that fact. In fact, that’s the strength of the novel. The story follows a few characters closely, each from different points of history. These intimate perspectives add a lot to the novel, giving it a well-rounded dimension, and insights that one point of view would have been able to accomplish. An adult woman from Victorian England is going to understand and come to the Just City with a different perspective than a young farmer girl from ancient Egypt. The use of different historical periods all meshing together in this social experiment setting was absolutely genius.

The amount of research that Walton had to do to pull this sort of novel together boggles my mind. So many romanticized concepts are dealt with in a realistic way that strips a lot of the romance from it. That’s probably what I liked about the book the most. Plato is so highly respected, but Walton not only researches his theories, but she boldly questions them. The waters get muddied, and some of the ideas that we admire so much turn out to be far less appealing than we expected.

The ending is fantastic, things fracture and come to a head in a way that is absolutely true to the novel itself. However, the ending, while wrapping things up, nicely, opens up a whole new bucket of worms that I’m excited for Walton to explore. The world will probably open up, and the ending gives Walton room to explore more than just Plato, but other concepts and ideas that are just as groundbreaking and fundamental as those she addresses in The Just City.

The Just City is a lot of things. It’s completely different, with a tone and a pace that will either make or break readers. It’s a social experiment that challenges a lot of romanticized notions and comes up with some uncomfortable answers to questions posed. The characters are real and add a lot of dynamic to the book as a whole, but really, it’s Jo Walton’s stunning writing and the staggering amount of research she put into the novel that make it shine.

For the first book in a series, this was a groundbreaking work that only hints at more incredible things to come. Full of potential, and mindboggling in scope, The Just City is absolutely one of a kind. It’s uncomfortable, raw, challenging and fantastic. This is, hands down, my favorite Jo Walton book yet. An absolute must read.

 

5/5 stars

 

Atlanta Burns – Chuck Wendig

About the Book

You don’t mess with Atlanta Burns.

Everyone knows that. And that’s kinda how she likes it—until the day Atlanta is drawn into a battle against two groups of bullies and saves a pair of new, unexpected friends. But actions have consequences, and when another teen turns up dead—by an apparent suicide—Atlanta knows foul play is involved. And worse: she knows it’s her fault.

You go poking rattlesnakes, maybe you get bit.

Afraid of stirring up the snakes further by investigating, Atlanta turns her focus to the killing of a neighborhood dog. All paths lead to a rural dogfighting ring, and once more Atlanta finds herself face-to-face with bullies of the worst sort. Atlanta cannot abide letting bad men do awful things to those who don’t deserve it. So she sets out to unleash her own brand of teenage justice.

Will Atlanta triumph? Or is fighting back just asking for a face full of bad news?

381 pages (paperback)

Published on January 27, 2015

Published by Skyscape

Author’s webpage

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This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

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I’m quickly learning two things:

1. The only YA books I really, really enjoy are the YA books that make me wonder why they are considered YA.

2. I’m not sure if I can review Chuck Wendig’s books anymore.

Atlanta Burns is a duology, two books in one. Neither book is incredibly long, and the writing is so smooth and flowing that you’ll be able to fly through them both pretty quickly. The problem is, you won’t want to get through them quickly. In fact, you’ll want to take them pretty slow for various reasons.

First, this is one incredibly dark book. Dark, dark, dark. Atlanta Burns is one of those tortured characters that you can’t really help but be fascinated with, but also can’t help that uncomfortable feeling you get when you read about her. She’s in high school, but it’s pretty obvious that life has aged her past her years. The trauma she suffered is hinted at, but those hints work more to build her character and create a mystery than anything else.

And to be honest with you, dear reader, it’s incredibly refreshing to read a book about a woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone.

That trauma does get explained, though readers will probably figure it out before anything too explicit is said. However, it works wonders toward developing Atlanta’s character. She just about rivals Miriam Black with depth, darkness, and reality. Atlanta hooks you instantly, and she absorbs you. Reading this book is an experience.

Atlanta Burns tells two different stories, each equally dark, and each as emotionally charged. Atlanta is a sort of finds her way in the middle of trouble, and she’s infamous, and downtrodden enough to appeal to the underdog, those background characters that each society has – often those people who need help are the ones with the most compelling stories, and the ones that society would generally overlook.

In that respect, Atlanta, and this book in general, is an exercise in opposites. For such a dismal character, she has a moral streak that is quite surprising and compelling. The book is intense and dark, but it’s also filled with a twisted sort of hope. Atlanta is strong, but she’s also twisted. She’s light, but she’s dark. Her plight for the underdog, and her lack of fear in the face of all odds is nothing short of astounding. She’s absolutely aspirational in so many respects, and in most others she is one of the last people I’d ever want to actually meet.

This book is billed as young adult, but I appreciate Wendig for realizing that he doesn’t have to dumb down themes for younger audiences. There’s neo-Nazis, a ton of violence, prejudice, hate crimes, dog fighting, blood, swearing, and everything else you could name. Young adult doesn’t have to be all soft edges and romantic triangles. It can be a fight of light and dark, and the story of the underdog.

And that’s exactly what Atlanta Burns brings us.

Earlier I mentioned that I might not be able to review Chuck Wendig’s books anymore. Not because they are terrible, but because, at a certain point when I start liking an author’s books so consecutively, I start feeling awkward. Can the author do no wrong? Perhaps not in my eyes. Oh, I’m sure someday Chuck Wendig will write a book that I won’t like, but so far that hasn’t been the case, and isn’t that weird? I mean, how much talent can one man have? And now he has a writing shed? God help us all.

Atlanta Burns absolutely shocked me. It’s far more mature than I expected, and a whole lot darker. While it doesn’t quite hit Miram Black’s level of darkness, it’s pretty damn close. In fact, if you’re a fan of Miriam Black, and the way that Chuck Wendig explores humanity’s seedy underbelly, then this will be a great book for you. Wendig breaks down boundaries and challenges his readers, and that’s part of what is so addicting about his books. Atlanta Burns is a no holds barred train ride through Hell and Wendig is an incredibly talented engineer.

5/5 stars

Sorry for the radio silence…

Sorry for the radio silence. I’ve been dealing with some health issues (surprise, surprise…). I’ve been completely overwhelmed and dealing with it slowly.

I should be back to reviewing tomorrow-ish.

2015 Award Eligibility

I just became aware that this was a Thing about a day ago. That’s how delightfully oblivious/busy I typically am. I feel kind of weird doing it for a number of reasons, but in truth I realize that a year is a long time, and I’m pretty proud of some of the stuff I did in 2014. I was also told by a few people that they’d “really appreciate” if I made a list for them to look at. I’m throwing caution to the wind and doing this thing. Come what may.

I may or may not ever do it again.

God, I feel weird right now.

I’m no good at this.

Whatever. I’ll shut up and just get on with it.

I think the only thing I’m really eligible for is Fan Writer. In regards of this category, I’ve written a few things that I’m pleased with:

1. I Am Not Broken: The Language of Disability

2. A Discussion of Disability in Lock In

3. I write a ton of reviews. I’d point some out to you, but it’s pretty easy to just scroll through this website and look at a few yourself.

A note:



I’m very, very, very proud of my Special Needs in Strange Worlds column, but due to the fact that I mostly organize it and write very little of the content, I don’t know if it’s really eligible for anything. I do, however, recommend and sincerely hope that you’ll take a gander through 2014’s content and maybe nominate some of the contributors. There are some absolutely fantastic posts, incredibly touching, very real and bravely honest articles that are absolutely enlightening toward the plight of disabilities in the genre. For a brief rundown of the top posts of 2014, check out this link.

There you go. I’m going to schedule this to drop before I lose courage and then pretend it never happened.

Revival – Stephen King

About the Book

A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs — including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties — addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate — Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers thatrevival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It’s a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.

405 pages

Published on November 11, 2014

Published by Scribner

Author’s webpage

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I kind of hate to admit it, but I tend to always feel a bit underwhelmed by Stephen King. I just fundamentally don’t think that his writing style jives with me for some horrible reason. It makes no sense, really. The man is obviously a huge success; he does just about everything right. He’s an example for greatness. Even people who don’t read know who Stephen King is.

I think I’m crazy. That has to be it.

My monthly credit on Audible came calling, and I decided to give Revival a shot. I had very low expectations because, as I said above, King rarely does much of anything for me (aside from his Dark Tower series, which I love so much I can’t read past the forth book). However, the idea of religion mashed with a gothic tale all tied up nicely by Stephen King interested me. I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would, and a lot less than I wanted to.

It’s the Stephen King Curse. I swear it exists.

Much of Revival feels like a guy telling me his life story, which really is exactly what it is, as there are references throughout the book that Jamie (the protagonist and narrator) is writing a book detailing his life story. And much of that life story is interesting, but kind of left me shrugging and wondering why Jamie’s life was more interesting than anyone else’s. Other than some noteworthy stories of life as a musician and some drug use, Jamie appears to be your average American. He had a good childhood, some good teenaged years, a youthful love affair, some heartbreak, and then his questionable middling years as a drug addled musician who hit rock bottom.

Nothing really terribly unique there.

That’s part of what makes Jamie’s story work so well, though. He is your average American. He’s really nothing incredibly impressive in many ways, and he frequently talks about how his talent on the guitar is measurable, but he’s fairly average and often gets out played by others he meets. His childhood was absolutely picturesque, in one of those small New England towns that King is famous for, and his time with drugs felt pretty realistic, considering his profession and the era he was living in. Jamie is, all things considered, pretty unassuming.

Charlie Jacobs, however, is the character that will make you feel King’s influence right from the start. He’s a nice man, passionate, educated, well read, easy to be around and easy to trust. He is obsessive about electricity, and after a tragic accident, it’s pretty obvious that his once perfect life is over and his fun obsession turns into something a bit darker. King sets Jacobs up artfully. He’s a character that’s hard to pin down, though it’s obvious from the start that all the “weird” elements in the novel will probably come from him. He’s the perfect fodder for King. He has the unassuming background, paired with a tragic accident, that leaves a rather mysterious future for readers to wonder about. Furthermore, the tie between Jacobs and Jamie is a perfect tool, as well. Tied together in an almost eerie way, it isn’t until the last part of the book that it becomes obvious just why Jacobs always made room for Jamie, though hints are dropped along the way.

The book doesn’t really start feeling like anything other than a memoir until the last third, when the threads of Jacobs and Jamie start getting tangled, twisted, and turn a bit gothic. The slow boil of Jacob’s relentless passion and research, mixed with Jamie’s obvious curiosity and disdain create an incredibly tense, atmospheric, edge-of-your-seat feeling. The book, already easy to read, will start whirling by at this point. It’ll be hard to put down. After writing this review and mulling it over a little bit, I decided that part of what makes Revival work so well is the fact that it is a slow burn novel. It feels like not much is happening, all the while King is weaving so much into the background, and when it all comes together, it’s like fireworks.

The climax is pretty incredible. I can see where the ending will divide readers into two camps – those who loved it, and those who hated it. As for me, the climax was one of the best parts. While I never really felt scared, weirded out, or terrified while reading any part of this book, the gothic and dark elements of the intense ending will probably surprise readers quite a bit. One thing is for sure – it is absolutely memorable. While things do start feeling a bit predictable at a certain point, King manages to both live up to those predictions, while absolutely surpassing them at the same time.

Revival is a rather daring book, as it deals with all those topics that people aren’t supposed to talk about at the dinner table. Religion, faith, life, death, passion and obsession feature heavily in this one, and they are dealt with in such a way that, if you’re a religious person, this might have the potential to offend you. It’s fairly brutal in its examination at some points, while at others it’s heartbreakingly raw and emotional. It’s truly a tug of war between two extremes, and I found that both fascinating and rather gothic with how dark the dissection of many of these themes were. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it certainly won’t be for everyone, and readers should be aware of that before they dive in.

So, is it worth reading?

Yes. I enjoyed it. I just didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. I think my biggest problem with Stephen King’s books is that I pick them up wanting all of them to be as mind blowing as The Stand, and so far none of them compare, so I always feel a little let down. Revival, however, is different. It’s more psychological, and the gothic comes on slowly and subtly, engraining itself into the plot before you even realize it’s there. It’s raw and real, daring and bold, with a knock-your-socks-off ending that is sure to shock.

4/5 stars

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by David Morse. I’ll be honest with you, it took some time for me to warm up to his voice, but once I did it was easy to fall into his narration. Sometimes his voices sounded similar, which could be a little confusing, but otherwise it was smooth sailing. He isn’t my favorite narrator, and while I won’t actively seek out other novels read by him, I won’t not listen to books he’s read, either.