Showing posts with label BZRK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BZRK. Show all posts

October 20, 2017

Monster (Gone #7... kind of) by Michael Grant 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! Sorry, I haven't posted much recently. There's much less time to read at college!

As long-time readers will know, I loved Michael Grant books. The Gone and BZRK series are some of my favorite series of all time. They felt so real to me, and I loved the action and ideas behind them. When I heard that Michael Grant was writing a sequeling series to Gone (so Monster is technically book 7 but has different characters), I was skeptical. I've read some great sequel-series and some awful ones. I wondered what the story would even be since everything was resolved. I'm honestly still wondering that after reading it. 

I decided to give it a shot because I had faith in one of my favorite authors. Now, I'm not sure if that faith was justified.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows the main character, Shade, running with her insect persona shadow behind her. It's a kind of cheesy cover, but the image itself fits the book surprisingly well. A- cover

Official Description:
When the dome came down, they thought it was the end of the troubles. Truth is, it was just the beginning.
Shade Darby witnessed events that day, with devastating consequences, and vowed never to feel that powerless again. Now, four years later, she gets her hands on a part of the meteor that began it all – and that’s when she changes.
Trouble is, Shade’s not the only one mutating, and the authorities cannot allow these superpowers to go unchecked...

My Review:
This book was basically an alternate version of the Gone series but with adults and teens getting powers and where there isn't a dome (and, therefore, isn't like Lord of the Flies). More meteors like the one at Perdido Beach are falling across the earth and more people are getting powers. Also, instead of getting fun superpowers like telekinesis, they get weird superpowers like being half-insect. 

Honestly, my first impression of this book was wondering who would actually want the power. You can shapeshift into an ugly monster. Why do you want that? I read the book, and I have no clue. Yet, people knew what they were getting into and still snorted the alien, power-giving rock like it was cocaine. 

The actual book was exciting. It was fast-paced and obviously setting up what will be an epic series. It was fast-paced, and I ended up reading it mainly in an afternoon (in an airport without WiFi but who's counting). 

However, the characters and the writing were lacking the Michael Grant charm I've learned to expect. 

The characters were too flat. They all had a defining characteristic that they stuck to the whole time. There was Shade: the mysterious girl; Malik: devoted ex-boyfriend; Dekka: honorable but depressed. Everyone stuck to their roles for the entirety of the book. Any character development that occurred was obvious from the beginning. 

Michael Grant also decided that he was going to appeal to the current hot topic in YA books in order to sell more books. He tried to be inclusive and prove a point by being progressive. For example, the protagonist's best friend is a trans girl. I have no problem with making efforts to be more inclusive and have representation for all groups, but it can be well done, and it can be poorly done. It feels as though someone told Grant to be more inclusive to sell more books, and he took their advice without it really being a part of the story. It can feel natural and inspiring (the books we need for these groups) or artificial and just sleezy feeling (this book). In order for some of these themes to fit in, they have to be authentic. It's not just books. For example, in TV you can see this. The gay relationship in How to Get Away With Murder is much more woven in and authentic than the one in Gotham. It's just a matter of execution. Some sentences were forced into Monster to prove a point of inclusivity, and these sentences felt so out of place that I'd often have to reread them to make sure I didn't miss a change of subject. 

One big example was when Grant called one of the characters a "big white boy" many, many times (roughly 15 times in 30 pages). I understand that our current society has a problem with having a "default race" of being white. I agree that this isn't fair, that you should have to declare each characters race if you do one. Sure. I'm all for that. But, each time you mention him? It's excessive. They didn't mention Dekka being black more than like twice in the whole book, and she was a much bigger character. Each time "big white boy" was mentioned, I paused. While it isn't a good system, I am used to the "default race," so I would question each time if he was just "big" or is he "big for a white boy"? There's a different meaning, and it just caused me some confusion that ruined my immersion.

For fans of the Gone series, there are cameos from other characters. Dekka is a main character and Drake and Sam are mentioned a few times. I get the impression that the earlier characters will make more appearances as the series goes on, so there'll be plenty of chances to read of your favorite characters again!

Overall, the book was fine. On the surface level, it did everything the description promises. I just wasn't hooked by the characters and found the superpowers to just be gross and unappealing. (Everyone wants to manipulate gravity, but does anyone want a lobster-claw hand?) I don't think that I'm going to read the next one, but I did finish this one. It was a solid 3-star book, definitely not up to the 5-star rating I expect from Michael Grant, but it was still decent. 

Phrase:
Just swallow the rock down with some peanut butter

*Note: Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review*

June 30, 2014

BZRK: Apocalypse (BZRK #3) by Michael Grant (Awesome)

I received BZRK: Apocalypse a few days ago as an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy).  Once I found out, I practically burst from excitement!  I've been a fan of this series from the first day that the first BZRK book came out (link is to my review of the first in the series).  Also, Michael Grant is one of my top-ten favorite authors of all time.  I read the Gone series first, followed by BZRK, and then Magnificent 12 series.  While all of Michael Grant's books so far have been spectacular, they greatly vary from each other.  However, I imagine that if you read Gone and liked it, you will like BZRK as well.  I loved both.  And the conclusion to the BZRK trilogy was, in a word, breathtaking.

The cover:

This series tends to have symbolic-seeming covers.  This one seems even more cryptic than the others.  It might show a mind shattering as madness overcomes it, or, maybe even, blood splattering around a crumbling world?  I honestly have no idea.  But the cracks on the word BZRK make sense, as much of this book is about the organization of BZRK cracking.  Overall, I like the cover, but it doesn't necessarily show anything.

Description:
Death or Madness.  Those are the only two options for the members of BZRK, and neither will be easy to avoid.  Sadie is suddenly thrust into leading the New York branch of BZRK into an impossible battle against the Armstrong twins.  Vincent is still struggling to recover from the lose of his biots.  Bug Man is on the run.  Lear seems to be setting them up for an impossible task.  And a mysterious person appears to be turning normal, innocent people into crazy, murderous lunatics.  But, how can the BZRK members possibly survive when even their own thoughts and memories are compromised, not to mention those of the people around them? Death or Madness.  Those were always the options, but in BZRK: Apocalypse, they might become reality.

Review:
It was a great, great book.  From about page 170 onwards, I just sat reading in a sort of trance where I did not exist.  Nothing around me did.  I forgot I was reading.  Nothing grabbed my attention away as the scenes played out in front of me.  I can always tell I am reading a truly spectacular book when all that exists, while reading, is the book and the characters and situations inside it.

I was shocked by how far Michael Grant went.  Not a single character was safe. Anything could've happened.  In a way, the insecurity of the character's positions made the entire book far more intense and riveting.  Some books seem to have no danger, since you know the author won't kill off the characters.  Do NOT be lulled into that false sense of security by Michael Grant!  No one was safe.  Death or Madness, they could all fall.

One of my only complaint in this beautifully executed book was that one of the story lines followed a helicopter pilot, and the little plot line really didn't seem necessary.  Sure, later in the book, she played a role, but I didn't feel like we needed quite as much from her point of view.  That leads me to my second small issue with BZRK: Apocalypse.  Practically none of the book was told from Noah/ Keats's point of view.  It was as if he went from being a main character to being just a supporting character next to Sadie.  It made sense for the plot line, but since he was my favorite character, I wish he had had a larger role than the one he had.

The plot line kept twisting as it became a race between several villains to bring about the apocalypse on their own terms.  I was completely thrown quite a few times.  I actually gasped aloud at one point. You will not be disappointed by the bulk of the conclusion to the BZRK series.

All in all, a great book.  I loved the story.  The very end (an epilogue, which I am not a big fan of to begin with) did not quite satisfy me.  However, it was not in the sort of way that I did not know everything I wanted to know.  The story was complete, but I didn't quite like the way it was tied up.  It just didn't seem to fit quite right to me.  However, most endings in books, that are not open-ended, leave me feeling the same.  Slightly disappointed in what becomes of the characters.  That might be why I hate epilogues.  There is always a feeling that that is not how the characters life should've ended up after all the excitement is over.

I would highly recommend BZRK: Apocalypse! You need to read the first two books first, but it's worth it!  It comes out October 14th in the USA (it might already be out in the UK, but I don't really know).  I suggest going ahead and reading it as soon as it comes out!

Phrase:
Death or Madness.

March 25, 2013

The Key (Magnificent 12 book 3) by Michael Grant (Wonderful)

First off, I want to express how awesome Michael Grant is.  For one, he has three series going on at the same time, and the sequel is still out within a year.  Also, he manages to go from the kind of book Gone is to this book which is so completely different, but still amazing.  It was a super refreshing thing to read; I don't know if you know what I mean by that, but it's the perfect word to describe this book.

I've had The Key in my room since Christmas, but I had been putting it off because, frankly, I had forgotten how good it is.  It is the third book in a series, so if I were you, I'd look up the first two books The Call and The Trap before you read this.  I doubt it would make much sense otherwise.  But, before you leave, remember that this series is a bit kiddish, mostly because of its kind of humor, but I actually laughed out loud multiple times while reading this, so keep in mind, this isn't one of the intense books that I sometimes read.  Anyway... Hope you decide to look it up.  Here's the cover for this book.

The cover shows Mack with one of the girls (I'm thinking Jarrah) at the base of the Eiffel Tower while tornadoes cover the tower and a creepy face made out of clouds peers down on them.  The cover sums up the ending pretty nicely, not my favorite cover, but its alright.

Note: I am not spoiling anything.  It might seem like I am, but I promise you I won't.

Summary: In the Magnificent 12's search for the key they come across many, shall we say, small issues.  A fear of beards, rats, the Loch Ness monster, a text message of doom, and even a catapult ride to certain death.  Everything is falling to pieces in the Magnifica's hands and the best they can hope for is reunite eleven of the twelve before the Pale Queen takes over for good.

Review: Absolutely hilarious, but with an exciting plot that will almost certainly capture anyone who can read.  I really loved it, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.  Basically, just go read it along with all the other books in the series.

I'm going to do a new thing where I have a phrase for each book I review just to entertain those who have already read it.  I will never spoil anything, but I'll try to start doing it on all reviews from here on out.

Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, feel free to comment.

Phrase: "Go Fighting Pupfish!"

April 28, 2012

BZRK by Michael Grant (Awesome)

Sorry I didn't post last week.  I had too much stuff to write about to choose.  So, this week I'll post twice.  Once on this book, BZRK, and another on author visits.  That would include Margaret Peterson Haddix, whom I met two weeks ago and, if I have enough time, Rick Riordan from October.  Oh, plus I need to review Speeding Bullet, The Always War, Prized, and the rest of the Jimmy Fincher Series.  I'm really behind!  Well, here we go into this review. The cover:

This is one of those covers that aren't very exciting/ don't make much sense until you've read the book.  It's perfect for the book.  There is a biot/ nanobot on an eye with another one on the "z" in BZRK (pronounced berserk). 

The author, Michael Grant, also wrote the the Gone series which is why I read this book to begin with.  I was a bit skeptical from the official summary (that's why I always write my own) but I was really glad I read it.
 
 
There are two sides of a battle that is going on in the nano level. Tiny biot/ nanobots are fighting. One side: The Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation (AFGC). The other: BZRK. AFGC is lead by conjoined twins Charles and Benjamin and under their command: Bug Man. There goal is to make all of the human race as one. There would be no anger or jealousy. BZRK is headed by the mysterious Lear that no one has actually met, and they're fighting for free choice (or, as Nijinsky said, 'the right to be unhappy'). Through all of this, BZRK's new recruits Noah and Sadie have to get up to speed and learn to fight before the AFGC moves to their target, the President of the United States. There is only one problem with controlling biots in the nano level: if they die, you go crazy.
 
 
This was an amazing book. Plot, characters, everything. However, I feel like I have to write a disclaimer. This book is written for a crowd older than what I usually read. That means that there was some language. They suggested things (I hope I got that point across and I don't have to explain more). Some of the tech stuff might be confusing if you're younger, but it probably won't be a problem. Lastly, most of the characters had two names. It wasn't that confusing, but I thought that I would mention that the second to last page has both their real and code names in case you get confused.
 
 
This is definitely a book that I would suggest. It will probably make you wash your face more, too, so that's a plus. Unless this is one of those books with an open ending, (I really doubt that since under Ophelia at the back, he said her real name wasn't revealed yet.) there will be a sequel. I'll definitely read that as soon as it comes out. It doesn't seem fair that I have to wait for the next book in THREE of his series. Gone, BZRK, and The Magnificent 12.

I'll try to post again really soon.  See you then.