Fans of action-packed dystopias will enjoy Tavin's attempts not to lose himself in the ferocity of his power, and they will...
An 18-year-old boy doesn't want the phenomenal cosmic power that's turning him into an out-of-control killing machine in this trilogy's middle volume.
Since his capture at the conclusion of Wordless (2014), Tavin has been a prisoner—albeit one kept in luxury—of the Godspeakers. Forced to bear the awesome responsibility of the Word of Death, Tavin wants only to avoid hurting people with the murderous impulses boiling under his skin. His sadistic and manipulative keepers, however, intent on molding him into a killer, force him to gruesomely, though not gratuitously, torture and murder an endless parade of fuzzy animals. Tavin must escape the Godspeakers and their sinister plot to conquer the world, but he and the other adolescent Words are under constant surveillance. Even if he escapes and finds Khaya, the beautiful Word of Life whose escape precipitated Tavin into this life of terrible luxury, can the Word of Death ever be loved by his polar opposite? With the help of the other Words (all thinly characterized if quite likable), Tavin must escape or become the world's most dangerous weapon. Worldbuilding shows its seams: a technologically advanced society relies on the whims of children; generations of cross-national breeding seems always to produce Words who exhibit exactly the most superficial stereotypes of one parent's ethnicity.
Fans of action-packed dystopias will enjoy Tavin's attempts not to lose himself in the ferocity of his power, and they will stay tuned for Volume 3 and its likely romantic angst . (Science fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7387-4222-9
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Flux
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An overlong but reasonably effective dystopian thriller.
A teen gamer plays for his life.
Miguel Anderson is dying. And so is Earth. In this dystopian future the planet is coming undone, and society distracts itself with virtual-reality games. Winning these games earns players rewards, and Miguel is saving up for a new heart to replace his own malfunctioning one. His favorite game is “Chimera.” When its maker announces a new game and seeks out beta testers, Miguel is chosen to work with a team to conquer the game’s 12 levels. Trevayne milks the VR scenes for all they’re worth, crafting elaborate action sequences and a dread-filled mood. Some of it works, but the trouble with setting most of a book in a computer is the constant reminder that none of the threats are real; the attempt to posit the idea that death in a game leads to real-life death doesn’t really get traction. The second half of the novel pivots into a conspiracy thriller when Miguel becomes aware he and his teammates are being manipulated by the godlike game makers, which ratchets up the tension nicely. The novel is overlong, losing its way in the middle, which is essentially just about a person playing a video game, but the final chapters and explosive finale even things out. Race is not mentioned, but naming conventions that mix ethnicities suggest a fairly blended society.
An overlong but reasonably effective dystopian thriller. (Science fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-240876-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An effective and largely entertaining romp.
Trouble returns to Zoe’s world.
The absurdly smart teen detective Digby left town months ago, and Zoe has moved on from the adventure they had and the confusing kiss they shared. She’s been preparing for the SATs, getting in with the popular crowd, and dating an athletic quarterback who is the exact opposite of Digby in every way. But of course, Digby comes back to town like a tornado, sweeping Zoe up in another mystery and leaving everything else in her life up in the air. The author bounces her characters off one another in spectacular ways, crafting drama, suspense, love, and exasperation with ease. The first installment in this series owed a great debt to Veronica Mars and Sherlock, but here the characters come in to their own, darting in and out of mischief and mayhem at dizzying speeds and trading verbal jabs along the way. The only real downside to all the fun is the mystery, which isn’t very involving. When the characters are so rich and the dialogue is so much fun, anything that doesn’t spin out of those elements feels a bit bothersome. The mystery adds up however, and the action scenes are crisp and clean. The author signals a third book, and readers will surely want to join Digby and Zoe for another round. Though ethnicity goes largely unmentioned, Zoe’s cover illustration points to Asian heritage.
An effective and largely entertaining romp. (Mystery. 14-17)Pub Date: Nov. 22, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-525-42841-1
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Kathy Dawson/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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