The Book Addict Reviews: Tempest by Julie Cross

Genre:  Young Adult, Science-Fiction, Time Travel
Order Online: Amazon.com  
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 2 stars   
Received this audiobook from my book blogging buddy, Jen Ryland from YA Romantics.  

In A Nutshell:  
Jackson Meyer has all the appearance of a "normal" guy.  He goes to school.  He has a girlfriend.  He is unsure how to handle his father.  He misses his sister desperately.  But he has recently learned that he has the ability to time travel.  However, time travel for Jackson is not like what you see in the movies.  His trips do not change the past--the people he meets do not even remember talking to him.  He cannot travel to the future.  But something has changed for Jackson--his normal life has been threatened by people he has never met...

Review:  
I was a little hesitant to jump into a time travel book after reading The Time Traveler's Wife.  Consequently this book sat on my shelf for a long time, but as part of my pledge to get the books I have at home read I decided to give it a try.  I am glad that I did.

In some ways, the characters seem a little stereotypical.  Jackson is the perfect rich kid who is also brilliant.  Holly is the perfect contrast as the good girl from the wrong side of the tracks who is beautiful enough and smart enough to attract Jackson.  Adam is the smart to the point of nerdy side-kick--he does not attract the girl but he is always there to save the day.  Initially, I was not impressed.  But as the story unfolded the characters gained depth that made them more interesting and took them away from these stereotypes.

Julie Cross' approach to time travel helped to draw out some of the complexities of these characters.  Jackson's time travel adventures only affect him--the people he interacts with and the changes he makes to events are only remembered by him.  But we can still learn a lot about him from the choices he makes even when he knows that it is fruitless.  We can also learn a lot about Holly and Adam from the interactions he has with them at different points in time.

Uncovering the complexities helped me to relate more to the characters--but I still felt the characters were a little too good to be true.  Adam seems to always have the answers and the skills needed in every situation.  Holly seems to have every attribute that Jackson wants and needs.  Jackson seems to be able to charm himself into or out of every situation.  Sometimes it feels a little too easy.

But I do not mean to give the impression that I thought Tempest was all bad.  Despite some of concerns about the characters, the story drew me in.  Jackson is a good narrator.  He has wit and a good eye for details.  His charm and charisma work as well on the reader as they do on the other characters.

The approach to time travel is unique.  Jackson's time travel adventures only affect him.  He is the only one that remembers the interactions he has with people during his time jumps.  The people he meets and talks to do not remember the encounter when he returns to the present.  The actions he takes do not change the results of the events in the present time.  But this approach also leaves me with my big question that I hope will be answered as the series continues: if time travel does not typically affect the present--what is the point? 

Recommendations:
I happened to pick this one up just before the release of the next book in the series--after the last couple of chapters I could not wait to read the next book to see where the story went from there:

The Book Addict Reviews: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Genre:  Non-Fiction, Science, Biography
Order Online: Amazon.com  
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars   
Bought this book after reading a library copy.  

In A Nutshell:  
HeLa cells have been used to create drugs, research DNA, and many other scientific discoveries since the 1950s.  However, very few people knew much about Henrietta Lacks, the woman behind these cells.  Henrietta Lacks is one of the unsung heroes of scientific research, until Rebecca Skloot took up the challenge to tell Henrietta's story.  But this book is not only her story--it is the story of her family, of the researchers who have worked with her cells, of the changes in medical ethics since HeLa was first sold. 

Review:  
I was not a science major, so I had never heard of HeLa or Henrietta Lacks.  I do not generally like science books because I feel like they will go over my head in technical jargon, so I am not sure what led me to read this book.  But I am so glad I did. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has become one of my favorite go-to books. I have listened to the audiobook during a couple of long driving trips. I have read the book itself a couple of times.  Each time I get something new out of the book.  

Rebecca Skloot uses a conversational style that makes even the very technical parts of the book accessible.  But this style made allowed her to blend the very technical aspects of the story almost seamlessly with the very human- or people-focused parts of the story.  And within the very human- or people-focused parts of the story, Rebecca Skloot has to tackle some very tough issues.  The Lacks family has been hurt in some very personal and profound ways by the death of Henrietta, some of the research done on her cells, and some of the people who have attempted to follow Henrietta's story.  At times, there were roadblocks to Rebecca's search for Henrietta's story--but then at times they were the whole reason the story comes to life and matters for the reader.

As much as the story of Henrietta Lacks affected me, I think the history of the changes and current concerns in the area of medical ethics really hit me more.  I feel like that is really what I took (and continue to take away each time I re-read this book).  That is the area that makes me look with a more critical eye at the interactions with my doctors and other medical professionals.  I do not mean to insinuate that I do not trust them--I wholeheartedly believe that most of them do what they do with honorable intentions the same way I believe most of the people who interacted with Henrietta and her family had honorable intentions.  But does that make what happened right?  I believe that is the issue that will still be under debate for years to come. 

Recommendations:
Since I do not typically read science books, I do not know of another one that I could really recommend.  But I recently started another non-fiction book based on psychology research:

The Book Addict Reviews: Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Order Online: Amazon.com  
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars   
Borrowed this book from a friend who recommended it.  

In A Nutshell:  
Nora Grey has a new biology partner--one she did not pick and one she does not understand.  Patch is quiet, complicated, and secretive.  But somehow he knows things about her that even her best friend does not know.  Nora is confused, but slowly her confusion shifts to intrigue and interest.  And slowly Nora learns that there are forces in her life that she never expected--forces she used to think were the stuff of myths and legends.  

Review:  
This book raced through the informal book club in my office--everyone who read it raved about it.  So when my turn came, my expectations were rather high--which kind of worried me especially when I learned that this book was Becca Fitzpatrick's debut novel.  What if it did not live up to my expectations?

However, I am happy to report that this book definitely lived up to my high expectations.  Becca Fitzpatrick put together a gripping story that had me turning the pages as quickly as I could.  I was so engrossed at one point that I missed my stop on the light rail and had to walk a little longer to get to my office.  But it was worth it because the story was so good!

Becca Fitzpatrick impressed me with the characters she created and the growth that we see over a relatively short period of time.  For instance, Nora Grey has a complicated and gripping history that contributes to her unique combination of vulnerability and strength.

Becca Fitzpatrick, also, created interesting relationships.  For instance, Nora and her best friend, Vee, are an interesting combination of birds of a feather and complimenting opposites.  Together, they make a pair that I want to be friends with.  I want to be in Vee's Neon going to Enzo's for coffee and pastries.

And in the end, Becca Fitzpatrick left me with a cliff hanger that made me want to run out and get book two as quickly as possible.   

Recommendations:
I immediately requested book two from the library (good thing I already read two of my three resolution books and have the third partially done before Crescendo was available--or I may have failed on my resolutions before I really got started!):

The Book Addict Reviews: Inside by Maria V. Snyder

Genre:  Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Order Online: Amazon.com  
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars   
Received this book as a gift from my blogging buddy, Jen Ryland from YA Romantics.

In A Nutshell:  
Trella is a scrub.  Trella lives on the Inside.  As a scrub on the Inside, she has very definite ideas about her life.  Some of them come from the education received in her care facility (i.e., uppers are living the life of luxury while she is scrubbing the pipes).  Some of them have come from her interaction with others (i.e., her preference for sleeping in the pipes rather than the crowded barracks).  But her unique strength and her unique talents have given her the unique opportunity to be the instrument of change--if she is willing to take the chance. 

Review:  
Admittedly, I love Maria V. Snyder!  I have not read a book by her that I did not love.  So I had high expectations when I started Inside and Maria V. Snyder did not disappoint me.

First, Maria V. Snyder created a complicated and interesting world where the rules and norms are designed to separate and divide the population.  The distrust is so prevalent that even when they come together against a common enemy, they divide again afterwards and give others the opportunity to destroy them again.  The way that Maria V. Snyder presents this deeply embedded distrust and the way it permeates every aspect of their lives is telling.  It is subtle.  It is not based on any one making a conscience decision.  It is based on these ideas being told in little ways in every aspect of their lives.  It is in what they teach their children, how they interact with each other, and how they interact with people they do not know well. 

Second, Maria V. Snyder created an interesting cast of characters.  In particular, Trella intrigued me.  I felt reasonably confident throughout the story that she was on the good side.  But she is flawed.  She makes mistakes.  She sometimes believes the wrong person.  She sometimes does not believe the right person.  And she sometimes does not take into account the effect her decisions and actions have on other people, particularly those people who chose to follow her when the odds were stacked against them.

Third, Maria V. Snyder created interesting dynamics in the relationships between her characters.  In my opinion, the relationship that most exemplifies this is the one between Trella and Doctor Lamont.  This relationship goes from one extreme to another as each of these characters learns more about how and why they ended up separated.  The lack of trust and understanding mirrors the lack of trust and understanding in the world as a whole.  As the situation of their world changes, this dynamic within their relationship changes.

Finally, Maria V. Snyder always seems to have one more trick up her sleeve.  In all of the books by Maria V. Snyder that I have read, I have found that every time I think I know what is going to happen or who is going to be on the "bad" side--I am wrong.  Things are always just a little different from what I expected--but still realistic and believable within the confines of her story.  This is not an easy combination to accomplish over and over again--but it is one of the biggest reasons I am always excited to hear about a new Maria V. Snyder book.  

Recommendations:
I cannot believe that I missed the release of the second book in the Healer series--I want to read it so bad!

However, buying a new book is not in my immediate plans particularly since I have a Maria V. Snyder book in my box that must be read soon.
 

The Book Addict's New Years Resolution

Last month I reached a milestone I had been working towards for five years--I finished my Masters degree!  So I apologize for my lack of participation in my blog, but I have made it a resolution to do better in 2013 (19 days to start working on this resolution isn't bad, right?).

I have also made a resolution to read at least one book in each of the following categories each month this year:

1. A book from my house.  I have a box of books that I bought because I wanted to read them but for various reasons the books got pushed aside for other books.  I went through the books after Christmas and realized I really did want to read them--so I made a promise to myself that I would get through at least one per month.
   Here are some examples of what I have waiting for me:
   
2. A book recommended by a friend.  I have so many friends who recommend books to me--in fact we have started an informal book club at work where we trade books back and forth.  Also, I get so many great book ideas from my book blogging friends.  So this category will be very easy for me to reach every month.
   Here are some examples of what I have waiting for me:
   
3. A non-fiction book.  I realized that without my classes and reading lists, I would not have anyone to force me to read a non-fiction book.  But by nature, I love learning (that was my biggest reason for working towards my masters).  So I decided to challenge myself to read one non-fiction book a month.  The advantage of doing it this way versus as part of a program is that I get to pick the book and the topic.
   Here are some examples of what I have waiting for me:
   

And once I finish a book in each category (and probably more--because really three books a month is not that much), I will be able to blog about them.  Thus helping reach my goal of blogging at least 4 times per week.  I love when resolutions work together so I feel like it is more probable I can be successful.  Let's see.