BEHEMOTH by Scott Westerfeld

August 9th, 2011 - Simon Pulse
Synopsis: The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker Powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what’s ahead.

Well........ the SEQUEL!!!! BEHEMOTH has actually been out longer than the above publishing date, because the date I found was for the reprint edition.

Anyway, on to the review!

BEHEMOTH is everything I could have wished for, and more! LEVIATHAN was awesome, and this was only better!

I really don't want to pull a fanboy with these books, but they're just so good!!!!!

What I loved about BEHEMOTH is it's setting: Constantinople. It was such a festive and interesting place to put a story. The way eastern culture was combined with steampunk was fantastic! It was so cool to read (and see thanks to the gorgeous illustrations) about these amazing mechanical walkers that regulated the ghettos and about more Clanker machinery, secret uprisings, and more Darwinist fabricated beasts.

Well, sorry this review was so short! I need to get back to my NaNo novel! Also, I just changed the layout of the blog and I'm excited with it, so I might procrastinate by looking at the new pretty design.

Also, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Eat turkey! Shop on Black Friday!

Peace, love, and unicorns,

-Aaron

p.s.~While writing this, I remembered this song from Mona Lisa Smile-which I recently watched. Anyway, this song is lots of fun, but it wasn't until I was almost done writing this and listening to this fifty times that I realized it was about Constantinople, which is where BEHEMOTH takes place. Weird.

Hunger Games Full Trailer

So, if you haven't seen it, watch it now. It's just phenomenal!!!!!!! It looks just like the book! I was talking with my best friend about it and we both agreed that it's not exactly how we imagined it, but as we talked about it more, we realized that it's JUST like the book because our visions were flawed. This, I think, is going to be one of the greatest book-to-film adaptions ever! Also, I was a little afraid with the girl they chose to play Katniss, and Josh Hutcherson's role as Peeta (I mean, Zathura, Journey to the Center of the Earth-really? Josh Hutcherson?!) but when I saw this my face was like "*_*". He's SO PEETA! AND SHE'S SO KATNISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The way he says, "Die" and the way she says "There are 24 of us Gale and only one comes out," it's just SO KATNISS! SO PEETA! Don't even get me started on Seneca Crane's BA beard, the cool opera-glasses-magnification thing that the woman at the ceremony uses, Cato's cutting off of the mannequin head, the three-fingered salute, the golden cityscape of the Capital, every single thing about Effie (but especially the way she says, "Primrose Everdeen," and the way she twirls her hand around the glass bowl of tribute names), and, well, everything single freaking other thing about this! Me and my besty, though we live states apart, are going to both go to the midnight showings dressed as Capital citizens.

Totally dying my hair a weird color and cutting it oddly. Dress shoes, black button-down shirtIf I can get a mockingjay pin by then, my outfit would be complete.

THE WARRIOR HEIR by Cinda Williams Chima

February 27th, 2007 - Hyperion

Synopsis: Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. Then one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great—until he loses control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during soccer team tryouts.

Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about himself: He is Weirlind; part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game—a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir.

As if his bizarre magical heritage isn’t enough, Jack finds out that he’s not just another member of Weirlind—he’s one of the last of the warriors—at a time when both houses are scouting for a player.

Hiya! Sorry I didn't blog last week, but I should have warned that I would probably miss chances to blog several times this month because of the dreaded NaNo! Well, actually wonderful/dreaded NaNo.

Anyway, I was thinking about what to review this week when I thought about THE WARRIOR HEIR. I've seen a million reviews for Mrs. Chima's Seven Realms Series, but a very small amount of reviews for her first series, The Heir Trilogy (though it's not going to be a trilogy for much longer! Once she finishes the last book for the Seven Realms Series, which she's writing now, she's writing two more books, so now's the time to get into them if you haven't already!). Well, I've read a little of THE DEMON KING, but haven't bought it because I really want hardcovers when book-buying, unless the book is sold exclusively in paperback, but when I finally have the money, I keep on overlooking it when I go book-buying. Sounds fantastic and I've asked for it for Christmas, but still, The Heir Trilogy is just.... *sigh*....

I should actually tell you that I had all of these books read by 2010. I had and loved these books in 2010. I still love them, but I don't have them anymore. For no apparent reason, my mom came into my room one day, looked at my bookshelf, said that magic was demonic (which she'd said many times before that. No Harry Potter *hiss*, we's don't likes the Potters. *hiss*-well, I do, she doesn't). So she made me throw away several books-and guess what three of those books were? Yep, The Heir Trilogy.

Rabbit-trail: Although BEAUTIFUL CREATURES wasn't really for me, I liked the characters-Link's mom specifically. If you've read it, then you know how Link's mom is. If you haven't, just click on the highlighted link above and scroll down to the bottom of the review where I put a quote from the book describing Link's mom.

Well, if you know Link's mom, you know what my mom was like from me being 5 year old, to my being 12.

ANYWAY, THE WARRIOR HEIR follows Jackson Downey (which is weird because a doctor friend from my church is named Jackson Downey.... Does he have magic battle powers?) as he learns about the world of the Weir, those with opal-like stones behind their hearts which are the source of their magic.

This series is literally in my top ten favorite series EVER. LITERALLY. So, instead of letting myself gush about the awesome prose, the amazing plot, the so-so-so-so-so-so cool Guilds and go on for ever, I'll just tell you five of my favorite things from this book:

1. The Weir's society. You can use the Weir to mirror so many things about government and politics. First of all, their are two political parties, the White Rose, and the Red Rose (aren't those just friggin' COOL NAMES!?!??!?!), which are always run by Wizards, because most are pompous jerks who think because they're the most powerful that they are better than all the others and so they boss the lower Guilds around and use them as play things and servants, very much like white supremacy and slavery. Also, because of Mrs. Chima's writing style, you can just get drowned in her descriptions of grin-and-bear-it galas where the different party members-always covered in roses the same color as their party's-smile coyly and act nice when they're actually planning each other's demise.

2. The characters. Jack is so awesome. He's just awesome. He doesn't know everything that you know, since it's third person, but somehow you're not annoyed by it. Because somehow, he needs this info, but he doesn't at the same time. Also, I find that in a lot of paranormals, I'm annoyed sometimes when they can't use their powers in certain situations, or they can't tell anyone. But he never gets into situations like that.

3. The conflict. Every single situation Jack was in, there was some sort of conflict. Like I seriously can't think of any scene at all when there wasn't conflict. Even in Chapter One, when he's getting ready for his day, he's late and he's got to get his gear ready for soccer tryouts later that day.

4. Aunt Linda. Seriously, this woman is like the most awesome aunt in the history of like forever. She can kick butt, know's how to protect herself, has some BA magic, and just sounds really, really cool.

5. EVERYTHINGOHMYGOSHTHISBOOKISSOGOODREADITNOW!

-Aaron

NaNo-Fever

October is gone! Halloween has passed! November has began! But more importantly, NaNoWriMo has began!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPS.

I wrote some on Tuesday and Wednesday, but yesterday and today, I've been less than awesome with my writing.... So, that means that tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday, I'm going to have to write a lot. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

The NaNo-Fever is kicking in. And by that, I don't mean that lots of people are doing it (though there are tons of people doing it). What I mean is that I'm starting to show symptoms of a fever caused by NaNo: Slick mouse from sweaty hands, typing the wrong letters, circles under the eyes. And I haven't even written that much!

NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo, how I hate/love you!

I'm very excited about having more motivation and reasons and adrenaline too to write more. So, in the end, I know I'm going to be incredibly glad that I participated, but it doesn't mean I can't freak out!

Alright, see ya on Wednesday,

-Aaron

UGLIES by Scott Westerfield

February 8th, 2005 - Simon Pulse

Synopsis: Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer 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.

Well, it's taken me long enough to review this.

This is probably going to turn out to be a short review. I'm excited about writing today because NaNoWriMo has started and so I'm trying to pump out my daily 1.67k words!

Anyway, I liked this book. Simple as that.

The plot was pretty interesting, with just enough characters so I didn't feel overwhelmed, but to where I felt like there still needed to be a lot of stuff explored. The prose is super fantabulistically fantastic! Or, should I say "pretty"? (+1 point goes to Aaron for a lame joke)

The writing is colorful and twisty and turny, and the way that everything blooms as you get deeper and deeper into the novel is awesome! The society was alright, not insanely inventive in my thoughts, but when thinking about what I liked best about it all, I keep going back to the writing itself. Scott Westerfeld really knows how to balance flowy descriptions with getting straight to the point.

But I wish he could have done the same with the plot. I kept wanting something "more" to happen-something excited and new. Also, he didn't make me feel sympathetic to the characters. I don't know why, but Tally, the protagonist, made me feel unsympathetic through the way she thought. She was just kind of annoying. 

So, all of this is to say that the book was not awesometabulous as LEVIATHAN, but at the same time is a great thing to look at when wondering how to balance poetic writing with straightforwardness in prose. I've now used "tabulous" at the end of two words in this post-my day is fulfilled.

See ya on Friday!

-Aaron

Sisters Red Soundtrack + NaNoWriMo!!!!!

Alrighty then! I honestly don't know why I've waited this long, but I've finally posted the rest of the Sisters Red Soundtrack onto Youtube. The last three songs are "Plato", "Scarlet's Theme", and "Rosie's Theme".

Here's "Plato":

Just visit my channel to see the rest. Also, again, sorry for the long spaces of emptiness afterwards. When I upload it, it's supposed to end when the song does, but it turns out like this. So, weird.

ANYWAY, NaNoWriMo is ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!!!

I'm spazzing! In case you don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The actual thing didn't start until a couple of years ago. NaNoWriMo.org has been going strong for some time, and thousands (maybe millions, I don't know) sign up to write an entire. Novel. In. A. Month. 50,000 words is the exact point, I think. No editing. No revising. A lot don't even read what they've written until they finish.

It's the most insane, hardship of creative inspiration ever.... And I've never done it.

I actually just found out about it last year when several of the bloggers I'm subscribed to started talking about it. It was weird. I thought "What the booty does NaNoWriMo mean?" So I looked it up. I realized what it was, thought it was cool, but couldn't do it yet because it was already into November.

BUT THIS YEAR. I AM.

Lately I've been having trouble with my current novel, and so I've decided to take a break from it and write an entire other novel for November. I actually write best when I write a lot, then have a break, then write a lot, then have a break. I don't understand it. I guess it's like a so-so girlfriend/boyfriend relationship: "I think we just need some time alone."

What's also really cool is that people in your area actually have write-ins, where y'all can meet up at a Panera or Starbucks or whatever and discuss each other's books and write. They also track your progress, and with their word counter tool you can make goals for every day, and they have pep talks from great authors that they e-mail you to boost your spirits as you trudge through the Dreaded Middle.

Well, so long and thanks for all the fish! I'm off to work on my outline!

-Aaron

LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfield

October 6th, 2009 - Simon Pulse

Synopsis: It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarian and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British air fleet.

Aleksander Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure.... One that will change both their lives forever.

I was looking for something to review, and so was looking through my posts to see which ones I had read and reviewed and which ones I hadn't. I was really surprised to find that I'd never reviewed this, when I swear I did.

Anyway, I'm reviewing it now, and that's all that really matters.... ONTO TO THE REVIEW!

When this first came out, I was perusing through B&N, and saw this in a cardboard display with the words "Some war machines are run. Some are fed..." Or something along the lines of that. Either way, I was enthralled by the thought. So I ran to the display grabbed a book and read the back cover.

It sounded really boring.

So I didn't read it. Several months later, my best friend had read it, and he kept me pushing me to as well. Eventually I did, just because he said it was amazing. My reaction:

THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The twist on how World War I started is so cool and the way Mr. Westerfeld takes Darwinism and makes it a giant scientific belief full of cool twisted creatures is so cool! Omg! Omg! Omg! I'm so gushing! This book is just really fantastic!

The characters are really interesting (although at times I wished the story were being told from Deryn's point of view more, though I know the parts where Alek picked up the story needed to be there in order to understand things better), the situations are fantastic (especially the battle scenes because there are either friggin amazing steam contraptions, or insanely cool hydrogen breathing Darwinist creatures), a fun story, and amazing illustrations to top it off.

I really should just stop talking because I'm gushing so much. This book is fantastic! Read this series, and you won't feel disappointed! The third and final book of the trilogy, GOLIATH, just recently came out, so now you can get all three and read without stopping.

I only wish the first edition synop hinted more at the cool creatures and cool machines in it, because it didn't do the book justice at all. It was like "This guy's a prince in hiding. This other person has a secret. There's a ship called the Leviathan. Read."

GO DARWINISTS!

Peace,

-Aaron