From now on, I’m going to be doing “Double-Trouble Monday” posts, which are basically going to be two short reviews and what I’m currently reading. I don’t always fully review what I’m reading, so I’ll probably be putting these up from time to time. Watch out! :)
Skinned by Robin WassermanPrice: $9.99 (paperback) from Amazon
Summary:
Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular -- until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. [more]
Review: I almost loved this one. In fact, Skinned really reminded me of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield (author of the recently released Leviathan, for anyone who’s been hiding under a rock), but that’s probably because of the cover and technologically-advanced, futuristic setting; the “skinned” scenario was definitely different. In a time when technology can cut a dying human’s brain into minuscule slivers and transfer all data into a machine, Skinned unfolds as a girl who was supposed to die in a car crash, Lia, is given the body of a never-aging, agile, beautiful... machine. Obviously, chaos ensues as she tries to assimilate back into her old life, since her adjustment works out about as well as a fish does on dry ground. Lia’s conflicts felt very real to me and, told in first person, the writing concise and the voice strong. What prevented me from actually loving this book was that sometimes I just wished Lia would get over herself; it’s hard, but deal with it, sorry. Overall, I had a difficult time putting this one down, and I am definitely anticipating the sequel, Crashed!
Rating:
Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-ucciPrice: $11.56 (hardcover) from Amazon
Summary:
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In a New Jersey suburb, two women die of brain aneurysms within twenty-four hours--events that cause the government to suspect that a terrorist cell has unleashed a deadly biochemical agent. With each glass of water they drink, the people of Trinity Falls are poisoning themselves. [more]
Review: Before I start, I should probably say that I might be biased here. I have recently embarked on a journey of self-discovery, and found, unhappily, that I seem to be a complete girly-girl that needs to have romance in everything. So maybe terrorist books aren’t my thing. However, on that note, the terrorist plot in Streams of Babel was intriguing and a creepy prospect that I sincerely hope no terrorist will carry out anywhere near me or the United States. The whole terrorist story was very well developed and complex. Before you read, be aware that this book isn't really a mystery, more like you already know who the culprits are from page one and, from there, it’s the chase of the villains and dealing with the victims of the bacteria. A major complaint I had against the book was that there were so many different voices telling the story. Just when I was about to get into one person’s story and wanted to know what would happen next to him/her, the narrator would skip to another character and so on. Annoying, yes; Innovative, maybe. But basically, I just had a hard time connecting to the characters that way. And, just because I have to include this, a quote that made me smile:
“Go get a birth certificate before I kick a second crack in your ass.”
Rating:
Currently Reading:
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
on page 80 out of 278
-- I love the cover! The author has a beautiful way of seeing and describing things, but her style is a bit hard for me to read. I’m hoping I’ll get more used to it as the story progresses.
And, I just got Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick today, and I've read about half of it so far. I'll force myself to put it aside for Wintergirls, but I'm super excited to read it. Hope you guys are reading some equally exciting books this week!
