Specials by Scott Westerfield

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Adrenaline rush on paper! I am so glad that Scott Westerfield made reading Pretties worth the effort. : ) There is definitely an environmentalist agenda in this one so be aware if you have not yet succumbed to the mass marketing of "being green". I am so relieved that this was something more substantial.

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Eh. Color me nonplussed. This was disappointing after the excitement of the first one. The writing was consistent throughout the book but because the setting was among the light-minded "pretties", it was consistently annoying. I read this book beacuse I loved the first one so much and I am hoping/expecting the next one ("Specials") to be better, but on it's own I'd say skip this one. Except you can't. Oh well. : )

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is an apocalyptic tale of a society where the rich/ruling class control the masses through a campaign of televised intimidation. Katniss Everdeen rebels against the system when she volunteers to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games, a mandatory fight to the death with 23 other teenagers from across the country. This story was very exciting, and not entirely predictable. I read the whole thing in one sitting- about 5 hours and enjoyed all but the last minute of it. The flavor of the book suggested something along the lines of Uglies. If you liked that one, you'll like this one. The writing of The Hunger Games was average but very engaging. I was disappointed that the story came to a screeching halt and left me hanging for the next book to have anything resolved. I hate that. Scott Westerfield handled that so much better in Uglies. In this book I felt like almost nothing was resolved. Still, it was a really fun read so I say it's something more substantial.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

In an "Invasion of the Body-Snatchers"-style story, Meyer takes you on an adventure of survival, danger, and desperation as you follow Wanderer and Melanie- two minds sharing one body. The story is well-told, sometimes slow, yet always compelling. I found myself holding my breath many times throughout the book, waiting to see if they would be captured. Meyer does an excellent job of making the reader feel the emotions of the characters. The issues of ethics, trust, loyalty, and what is right are explored. I liked this book overall in spite of the feeling I got that it was a patchwork of dozens of other science fiction plots I have read or watched over the last 20 years. What the story lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in feeling and suspense. Like the Twilight books, The Host is fluffy brain-candy entertainment, but very enjoyable. With uplifting themes and a cast of characters who all fight for what they believe is right, this book is undeniably Something More Substantial.