Katya's World, reviewed

Tonight I review my new favorite YA book:

 

Fifteen year old Katya Kuriakova is a resident of Russalka, a water covered planet colonized several centuries into the future exclusively by people from central Russia. Since it’s covered by oceans ,the inhabitants live entirely in underwater settlements and move about by submarine. Russalka is one of several planets colonized by Earth. The Terrans (people from Earth) and the Russalkans had a falling out that led to a short, brutal shooting war that ended abruptly when the Terrans suddenly and mysteriously disengaged and left.

Katya is a fledgling navigator on her uncle Lukyan’s transport sub when they are commandeered to transport a suspected pirate, Haviland Kane, to prison. But there is much more to Kane than meets the eye, and they will all have to form an uneasy alliance to survive the dangers of the deep. Because in the uncharted depths of Russalka, here be monsters. Possibly man-made….possibly not…

I loved this book. Nevermind it’s a whole planet populated by Russian submariners, the action is non-stop, the world-building well-done, and characters decently fleshed out. Kayta has no love interest, in fact she’s the only non-adult in the book. The science is very accessible and reasonably well grounded.

If you’re a human being who can read and like action-packed stories, you’ll probably enjoy this book. I know I did.

Mike, Out.

The Violins of August, reviewed

Howdy all

Well, in honor of Valentine's Day, here's a book with a teen heroine and a love triangle set largely in the City of Love:

In The Violins of Autumn, Adele and Denise are two young women visiting Paris and the surrounding countryside, taking in the sights, visiting French cafes, and falling in love. Doesn’t sound like my usual fare, does it? Well, all is not what it seems. The year is 1944, and Adele and Denise are members of the British Special Operations Executive, a paramilitary force that served behind enemy lines in World War II. They are tasked with aiding French resistance fighters hindering the German forces prior to the coming Allied invasion at Normandy, and when Adele isn’t torn between a French resistance fighter and a downed American fighter pilot, she’s tearing the Nazis a new one via espionage and sabotage.

Violins of Autumn isn’t particularly memorable, but it’s an enjoyable way to kill a few hours (it’s a very quick read). Author Amy McAuley seems to have done her homework, and the book celebrates some unsung heroes, the few women who fought behind the frontlines against the Axis for the Western powers (there were 55 female SOE agents, 13 of whom were KIA or died in captivity).

-Mike, out.

FAKE ID, reviewed

Howdy all

So, a little over a week ago I was browsing my Facebook newsfeed when a sponsored post appeared, advertising a local YA author's book launch at a nearby Barnes and Noble. The book, FAKE ID by Lamar Giles, was advertised as part YA mystery thirller, part family drama, and I admit the premise alone intrigued me. Plus, as I thought to myself, no one ever came to the book signings I ever did, so I should go to either comiserate or see what he's doing right.

As it turns out, Giles is doing a lot of things right, most important among them writing a taunt, action-packed YA thriller that should have plenty of appeal to guys and gals alike. FAKE ID grabs your attention from the begining and doesn't let go until the very end, keeping you guessing until the last twist that you never see coming.

The basics: Nick Pearson and his mom and dad have just moved to Stepton, Virginia. Except Nick Pearson isn't his real name. Nick and his family are in Witness Protection, after Nick's dad turned state's evidence on his boss, gangster Kreso Maric. With Maric on the run, Nick and his family have been moving around the country under federal protection for the last 4 years, and his dad just can't seem to stay out of trouble.

But trouble has a way of following Nick, starting with a run-in with the school bully on his first day at school. Rescue comes from an unlikely source in the form of Eli Cruz, the school's resident journalist. But in a month's time Eli will be dead, and he won't be the last to die. It falls to Nick to unravel the mystery, and all he has to go on is the codename of Eli's last investigation....Whispertown.

I think one of the hardest part of writing YA fiction as an adult is making everything feel authentic and organic. Giles makes it look easy. I can't quite describe his writing style, but I like it. The book flows very well, and in addition to being an entertaining story, it's very well written. I highly reccomend it.

FAKE ID is out now for Kindle, in hardcover, and as an audiobook.

-Mike, out.