Final Life

April - Books with RED covers.

At the 2015 Texas Teen Book Festival my mom met a local author, Rose Garcia. They talked, my mom thought her book idea sounded cool, she bought the book. She just passed it on to me to read. And while I was interested in the idea behind the Transhuman Chronicles, I feel that the book has left me with less than stellar feelings.

To start with, I don't feel as if Garcia sat down and worked through all the details of the story. There are points during which she contradicts herself, going back and correcting what the main character had been told. She passes these off as 'well, we kept this little bit from you' or 'it's just a theory but it could work even though I just said yesterday that it wouldn't' and maybe it works for her, but I was left feeling a little shafted.

There were also too many moments of recap. I know what all has been happening in the story so far, because like the main character I have been there for it all. Why she feels the need to recount events that happened yesterday (repeatedly through the book) I don't understand, and I certainly didn't need it as a reader.

This being said I did find the book interesting enough to sit down and read it in one day, so there's that. Like I said, it is an interesting idea, nine lives in which you can figure out your purpose and this one girl who is on her last life and the fate of the world rests on her surviving to the next day. Throw in the fact that her parents are sort of superhumans with special powers that totally skipped her in the worst hand dealt ever, a dramatic move to not only a new town and state but who different climate during the main character's senior year of high school, and a love triangle that just breaks your heart for one guy but you also can't help but hope for the other, and you have yourself an entertaining read at the very least. So who knows, maybe this will become your new favorite book or author if you give it a chance. I'm only telling you my problems with the story so you are forewarned about it's shortcomings. None of the issues I had with the writing kept me from finishing the book, and I think that's what counts. Plus, it never hurts to support a new author.

I do think I will pick up the other books in the series at some point in the future. I do want to know where things go from here for the main characters after all. I just don't see it happening right away. If you do read the book, let me know what you think! I would love to hear a second opinion!

The Carpet People

April - Books with RED covers.

This was actually the only book I had to fill this month's theme and now I am really glad it was. I love Terry Pratchett, his Discworld novels were this perfect fantasy counterpart to Douglas Adams, whom I had discovered at a young age. But while I love getting my hands on his books, I had only intended to hand this one to my kids for them to read when they were ready. After all, this book started out as a series of serials in a newspaper's Children's Circle column. Terry was then inspired to write a book based off the little civilization he had dreamed up in the world of a Carpet, and this is the product.

The Carpet People is exactly what it sounds like. It is a story that follows mainly a man named Snibril as his people leave their home for somewhere better once the destructive, and highly mysterious, Fray destroys everything. What follows is a tale of chaos, adventure, creatures, curiosity, battle, and heroics. Snibril is just one among a cast of highly entertaining people, among which are his brother Glurk, an ex-soldier Bane, a philosopher Pismire, and a King Brocando. The reader joins them as they cross the Carpet trying to find a safe place or the center of their troubles, depending on how you look at it.

This story was meant for young adults, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were great. The story complex. And the storytelling very entertaining! If you like Pratchett you have to give this one a try, especially if you have the chance to read it to your child. As the back blurb says, it is "An epic saga of miniature proportions."