Book Review: Serenity, by Craig A. Hart

Serenity, Shelby Alexander #1, by Craig A. Hart.

Shelby Alexander is dragged into a murder mystery after a local girl is found on his property. After accepting payment from the local gang leader, relative of the girl found on his property, he is dragged into a turf war.

I liked Shelby Alexander. He is older than the average male protagonist and I liked how his age is portrayed, especially through his relationship with a bartender who is the same age as his daughter. I also liked his good friend Mack, and I kinda wanted to know how his relationship with Gloria was resolved after he left Serenity.

I loved the humour of the characters and the random little tidbits involved in the books, especially the maple syrup tapping and fishing in ice. It was really interesting and I feel like I learnt something.

However, my major complaint about this book is that I feel like it's more of a sequel book rather than the first in the series. It's written almost as if you already know all the characters and I found it a bit difficult to remember all of the characters, especially the Ellis's.

Rating = 4* / 5*

Book Review: Ellie Quin: Girl Reborn, by Alex Scarrow

Ellie Quin: Girl Reborn, #5, by Alex Scarrow.

I have been loving this series and I can't wait for the next in the series to come out. I've read the first five in less than a week and I'm seriously addicted.

However, I do have some minor issues with the plot and a few mistakes, for example <spoiler> when the scorpion chops off Ellie's hand, he chops off her right hand. Later, its her left hand. Maybe that was just a mistake that got overlooked in the writing process. Being left handed, I feel for her more having her left hand chopped off. </spoiler>. My main issue with the plot however is <spoiler> that Mason made Ellie so that she wouldn't make friends easily and hence she would keep travelling, never content to stay in one place. But the major thing about Ellie revealed in this book is that she is capable of carrying and birthing a baby. But how is she supposed to do that when she's been programmed to effectively not make friends so that she stays on the run? </spoiler>. Basically, the main issue with this series is inconsistency. 

Overall, a good book with a few errors.

Re-Read 2017

This is very much a sequel to Ellie Quin in WonderLand, as Ellie and Jez are still marooned in WonderLand, only now they know that it's incredibly creepy. The murder mystery continues, though it feels more like a subplot as compared to Deacon's parallel plot. I don't find it all that entertaining, especially as it's difficult to actually relate that to the plot of the novels. 

Deacon is closing in on Mason and Ellie by hunting down the Rebornist Church and the Awoken. In many aspects, I am beginning to really like Deacon, but I have the feeling that the Administration are going to attempt to "keep him quiet" after the events of the series, much as he does to the "loose ties" he finds in his numerous cases. It's really Deacon's part that pushes the plot forward as the reader finally discovered what exactly Mason did to Ellie that makes her this target of this governmental hunt.

Mason also makes a return and parts of the novel are dedicated to his views and actions and what he's doing while Ellie is on WonderLand and Deacon is hunting for clues through New Haven. It's finally explained why he created Ellie Quin and his motivation behind the entire point of this series. I loved it, and I'm starting to really like Mason, especially now that I can establish what his motivations are.

I actually like the cliffhanger. It is part of the Alex Scarrow writing style to leave a cliffhanger, and Ellie Quin: Girl Reborn does not disappoint. You have two cliffhangers, one for Ellie and one for Deacon, and both are exciting and promise good things for Ellie Quin #6. 

However, the inconsistencies are beginning to become more obvious. There are numerous small spelling and grammar mistakes which are easy enough to ignore. The most obvious inconsistency is Ellie's hand but there are other minor inconsistencies such as the dome that Ellie's father was growing the meat plant in. In one book it's Betsy and in another it's not. Also, Ellie refers to her family occasionally, but only refers to her brother Ted and her father. It's like she's forgotten that she had a sister and a mother.

I rated this a 3.5* because I felt that the Ellie/Jez plot was really boring and not entirely relevant to the plot of the series (other than they're in one location so that Deacon and Mason's plots can be successful) while Deacon and Mason were quite interesting.

Book Review: Ellie Quin in WonderLand, by Alex Scarrow

Ellie Quin in WonderLand, #4, by Alex Scarrow.

This instalment follows Ellie and Jez as they escape the Administration and are subsequently abandoned on a theme park / pleasure resort world called WonderLand. Originally built for the rich of Celestion, it was abandoned mid-build due to the decline and later ecological disaster of Celestion.

This was very much split between two plots; Ellie and Jez living on WonderLand, and Deacon searching for clues on Ellie in New Haven.

Ellie and Jez's part feels very much like filler between book 3 and 5, with a vague murder mystery built into WonderLand. Why are there only two maintenance crew at WonderLand and why are they so odd? Grey and Shelby are indeed very strange, and you read it very much from Ellie's perspective who finds Shelby robotic and Grey creepy.

Deacon's part on the other hand, is much more interesting. I got the feeling that it was Deacon's parts pushing the plot forward, as he hunts for those helping Ellie Quin and rubs into the Rebornist Church and their violent subset the Awoken. Sean, Ellie's childhood friend is returned and it is explained who he is and what he's been doing since The Legend of Ellie Quin.

As such, this instalment felt very slow, much like The World According to Ellie Quin. I'm hoping that this doesn't become a pattern across the series. Also, the series is beginning to show the time period in which it is written. It relies heavily on famous scientists from this era when the novels are set multiple centuries in the future. With the various technological advances that have been made prior to this series, you'd think that there would be the scientists to accompany that, but there isn't. The ending is also very abrupt. It's neither a cliffhanger or has closure. It felt very strange.

Rating = 3* / 5*

Book Review: Beneath The Neon Sky, by Alex Scarrow

Beneath the Neon Sky, Ellie Quin #3, by Alex Scarrow.

Re-Read 2017

This series is getting better and better! It features Ellie, Jez and Aaron as they embark on a new shuttle business, ferrying people to see the fast disappearing snow caps. Though they only managed to make one successful trip before the Administration, in the form of Deacon, catch her trail, I really liked that subplot. It was really nice to explore the friendship between Ellie, Jez and Aaron, and even a romantic relationship is hinted at a couple times between Jez and Aaron.

We finally see more of Mason. I find Mason possibly the most interesting character in the books. The three main characters are all driven by primary desires; Ellie by the nomadic urges that Mason amped up within her psyche, Jez by the need to leave Harper's Reach, and Aaron by the need to make money and live a happy life. Mason's reasonings are not yet understood because of how little he features in the books. Parts of it are obvious as well as aspects from book one, The Legend of Ellie Quin, but I think it would be really interesting to delve into Mason's character more.

I also like the relationship between Deacon and Leonard. I find Deacon an interesting character. He is so intwined in the need for the continued existence of the Administration that he is willing to kill all the children that Mason was involved in creating. It would be just as interesting to delve into Deacon as it would be with Mason.

As for the plot and pacing, this was a much better novel than book 2, The World According to Ellie Quin. The plot was propelled and the pacing was consistent. It was an exciting novel.

I love the continued usage of the Wikipedia-style excepts, though they seemed to be somewhat lacking in this book compared to book 1 and 2.

There were a couple grammar mistakes and just general mistakes, such as the name of the dome that Ellie's father used to change the farm crop. The tubweeds make a triumphant return as a result. I do think that there is a growing usage of swearing, a lot of which feels mostly unneeded.

Rating = 4* / 5*

Book Review: The World According to Ellie Quin, by Alex Scarrow

The World According to Ellie Quin, #2, by Alex Scarrow.

Re-Read 2017

I don't like this second instalment in the Ellie Quin series as much as the first book. It's very much a character and plot development. While necessary, it feels a bit plodding.

It follows Ellie and Jez as they attempt to save money in order to make it off of New Haven. They have multiple different jobs including a burger bar, a pyramid scheme and a recycling plant. As a statement of the type of work available to young adults in the real world, it works, but as entertaining reading, not as much.

That being said, I did love the character development of Ellie and Jez. More so Jez, as she was only in a couple chapters at the end of book 1, she's explored in much more detail in this book. She's head strong, confident and the complete opposite of Ellie. It's very interesting to see the dichotomy between Aaron and Jez as Ellie's two friends.

Scarrow's world building is, as usual, pretty spectacular, especially for a short book. I did have trouble imagining the Boojam that Jez and Ellie visit, but I'm not sure if that was the description (which amounted to a person that looks like an elephant?) or my ability to imagine.

The more I read this series, the more I adore the Wikipedia style excerpts included occasionally. It gives you a sense of destination as they talk about 'the legend of Ellie Quin' and her effect on the human universe.

Rating = 3* / 5*

Book Review: The Legend of Ellie Quin, by Alex Scarrow

The Legend of Ellie Quin, #1, by Alex Scarrow.



Original Read 2016

Short, snappy and intriquing. I can't quite believe that Ellie is twenty as she doesn't act twenty years old, more like a teenager, but thats only a minor criticism. 
I can't wait to read book 2!!! :-)

Reread 2017

Having come to Ellie Quin from Time Riders, I was expecting something relatively similar. Well, it wasn't. Scarrow's writing remains brilliant and I find myself invested in Ellie's future. I wanted for her to get to New Haven and to succeed in New Haven.
I love the way that Scarrow world builds, creating so many different alien cultures, fashions, languages, worlds and I particularly liked the few short passages dedicated to the dome integrity at Ellie's home and at New Haven. I thought the link was pretty cool. 
It is pretty short, with some chapters lasting one page and some lasting five or six, and as a result some secondary characters are pretty one dimensional, especially Ellie's siblings Ted and Shona. My previous criticism stands, and Ellie doesn't act like a twenty year old, more like the teenager that she appears to be. Due to Jez's late introduction, she's not a well developed character yet, not to the same extent as Aaron Goodman (and what a brilliant name that is). 
I also really like the Wikipedia style entries that are used occasionally during the course of the book. It's interesting to see how Ellie is so important while she's at the beginning of her 'legend' and to see the comments that are written so many years after the posts and the divergent thoughts about whether Ellie was real or just a legend.
Also, how strange is it that somebody can never have seen snow?

Book Review: In The Dark, by Daniel Fox

In The Dark, by Daniel Fox

I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Steve is an ordinary man who wakes up in hospital after an accident. Suffering amnesia, he doesn't remember his wife, his son or his business.

This was such a wonderfully written novel, I couldn't stop listening. It was so interwoven that even at the end I was asking myself questions about the plot. It was easy to get caught up in Steve's confusion and to completely immerse yourself in the novel. Part of that must be attributed to the brilliant narrator, Timothy McKean, who really made Steve feel like a flesh and blood person. Every emotion was brilliantly portrayed and amazingly crafted.

I loved the psychological twist running through this book, and at times I did start to question whether Steve was really suffering from brain damage, especially after he started seeing his father. The explanation for this was so sweet and made me love this book even more.

The love triangle between Hayley and Lisa threw me a bit. I thought from the beginning that Steve was married to Hayley and Lisa had used the accident as a way of slipping herself into his life. Well kind of and not really at the same time. Lisa and Tyler I found rather interesting. Given the ending, I'm not entirely sure why the plot is as it is, but I'm willing to give it another listen to try and understand. Tyler also confused me throughout the novel because he never acted like a son to Steve, and given the ending, I do now understand, but it was a major question that I kept asking throughout the novel.

Overall, this book was amazing. Absolutely worth a listen.

Rating = 5* / 5*