Nov 24 2012

Book Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Series: Uglies #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait for the operation that turns everyone from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to party. But new friend Shay would rather hoverboard to “the Smoke” and be free. Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn’t very pretty. The “Special Circumstances” authority Dr Cable offers Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

 The Review:

Although the market has been flooded with futuristic post-america settings, I’m of the opinion that this trend first began with the “Uglies” trilogy. It’s fantastic and one of the most entertaining series in the entire genre. Scott Westerfeld really knows how to tell a good story.

This is one of those books that sticks with you. I’ll talk a bit about how much I liked the writing style, but the overall concept was my favorite element of this series: To remove the favoritisms that arise from appearances, society decided to make everyone gorgeous. At sixteen, all people undergo major surgery and begin their privileged, materialistic lives. As a young girl about to undergo this procedure, Tally Youngblood decides there might be more to life than pretty faces and endless parties. As the series progresses, it digs deeper into this society, revealing that not everything is as perfect as it seems.

The author has an engaging writing style that keeps you riveted throughout the story. Adding to that, he is incredibly creative, and often used a subtle touch with certain setting and language elements that just made the story that much more dynamic and interesting. I liked it so much, I bought the sequel before I was even halfway through it.

Definitely in my top 10 favorite teen books of all-time, Uglies is well worth picking up, especially if you’re a fan of the teen genre. What’s more, every last customer and coworker I’ve talk to about this series share my thoughts – this is a trilogy that’s worth reading!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

  • “Partials” by Dan Wells
  • “Delirium” by Lauren Oliver
  • “Matched” by Allie Condie
  • “Skinned” by Robin Wasserman
  • “Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins
Nov 22 2012

Coming Soon: The Daylight War

200787001Title: The Daylight War

Series: Demon Cycle #3

Author: Peter Brett

Release Date: February 12, 2013 Now Available!

This is the highly anticipated continuation of the demon cycle that’s been building enough hype to have me eager to finally pick up the series. Have any of you picked up this series yet? Is is worth reading?

by Niki Hawkes

Nov 20 2012

Your Pick for Nik! – December’s Selection!

Thank you for your votes!

By the biggest margin yet, this month’s winner is… “Warbreaker” by Brandon Sanderson!

A thorough review for this title will be posted on December 30th, so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to participate. I am super excited to read this one and look forward to hearing what all of you thought about it as well! :)

For more information on this feature click here.

“If you think reading is boring, you’re doing it wrong.”

Nov 19 2012
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Book Review: Jhereg by Steven Brust

Title: Jhereg

Author: Steven Brust

Series: Vlad Taltos #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: The first to be published, this is actually the fourth novel in the timeline of the VLAD TALTOS series. The books recount the adventures of the wisecracking hired killer Vlad, a human on a planet mainly inhabited by the long-lived, extremely tall sorcerers known as the Dragaerans. One of the most powerful bosses in the Jhereg–Dragaera’s premier criminal organization–hires Vlad, one of their guild members, to assassinate Mellar, who stole millions from the Jhereg leadership and fled. Unfortunately, this thief turns out to be protected in a way that makes it difficult for Vlad to do his job without gaining the permanent enmity of a friend. The reader also learns more about Vlad’s past in this, and in other, lives.

The Review:

Jhereg was nothing like I thought it would be… it was better! I was expecting a typical “boy gets a dragons and goes out on an epic adventure” book (I guess I need to stop judging by the cover alone). What I ended up with was a cheeky, magical, modern-day assassin mystery that blew my socks off.

Highly interesting characters and plot-lines, it was an extremely fast-paced novel that keeps you page-turning to the very end. And when I say fast-paced, I’m not joking around. The author has an incredible “no words wasted” writing style that makes for an exciting read. Trouble is, if you blink or get distracted for even a moment (as I am wont to do) you’ll likely miss something important and plot-advancing – so stay focused!

Initially, I thought a draw-back to this series was the lack of attention on setting. I couldn’t tell if the book was taking place in a complete fantasy world or just in a twist of our modern-day (and actually, I’m still not sure). I initially thought the author was lazy, but now I’m starting to suspect he’s a bit brilliant. His overall mastery over other elements of the craft is what clued me in. You see, the story is written in a strong first-person narrative – done well enough that I always felt totally immersed into the character. I now think the reason the reader doesn’t get to see the settings clearer is that the main character doesn’t pay much attention to such commonplace (for him) details. If this is truly the case, the Brust did an excellent job sticking to his chosen perspective, and I applaud him on it.

Overall, it was a unique read that I wish I’d picked up years ago. The author has a good fusion of fantasy and mystery that really maintained my attention. Though not the first book chronologically, it is the first book according to the publisher, and that’s good enough for me (especially since the author admitted he has no clue in what order his books should be read).

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

  • “Dragon Weather” by Lawrence Watt-Evans
  • “The Thief’s Gamble” by Juliet E. Mckenna
  • “Mistborn” by Brandon Sanderson
  • “Black Sun Rising” by C.S. Friedman
  • “Sword-Dancer” by Jennifer Roberson
Nov 18 2012

Your Pick for Nik! – December’s Pick!

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite book in the feature: Your Pick for Nik!

“Warbreaker” by Brandon Sanderson is currently in the lead, but there’s still plenty of time to make your vote count!

You have until 10:00 pm (MST) on November 20th to make your selection. I will be revealing the winning book shortly after!

If you’re new to my page, here’s how it works:

Your Pick for Nik! a book club where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Each month, I will nominate 5 to 10 titles from my TBR list and YOU will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!

Just click on the link below to view my 10 nominees for December. Simply vote for your favorite, and let the best book win! On Tuesday the 20th, I’ll announce the winner. Come the end of the month, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

December Nominations! 

Nov 17 2012

Coming Soon: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Title: The Indigo Spell

Series: Bloodlines #3

Author: Richelle Mead

Release Date: February 12, 2013

One of my all-time favorite authors has a new book in a few months, and I can hardly wait! As mentioned in the review for book #1, “Bloodlines“, I love everything Mead has written, and I’m sure this book will be no exception! Although appropriate as a stand-alone series, if you are new to this author, I recommend beginning with the “Vampire Academy” novels.