Post-apocalyptic coming of age

An Inheritance of Ashes

By Leah Bobet

Age Range: 12 and up

Grade Level: 7 and up

Hardcover: 400 pages

Publisher: Clarion Books (October 6, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 054428111X

ISBN-13: 978-0544281110

Approximate Lexile: 750

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

The strange war down south—with its rumors of gods and monsters—is over. And while sixteen-year-old Hallie and her sister wait to see who will return from the distant battlefield, they struggle to maintain their family farm. 

 

When Hallie hires a veteran to help them, the war comes home in ways no one could have imagined, and soon Hallie is taking dangerous risks—and keeping desperate secrets. But even as she slowly learns more about the war and the men who fought it, ugly truths about Hallie’s own family are emerging. And while monsters and armies are converging on the small farm, the greatest threat to her home may be Hallie herself.

 

My Thoughts:

This is a beautiful book. Although it is set in a post-apocalyptic future, you could meet any of these people today. They are real, and their struggles are real. This is a story of people who have been broken, both by their pasts and their presents, and how they cope and move past that. There are grudges, and silences, and misunderstandings, and those things drive Hallie, the protagonist and point-of-view narrator, to do some things that end up causing more damage—even though she only wants to make things better.

 

Some reviewers have complained about the relationship between Marthe and Hallie, but I get it. They are both walking on eggshells, nursing their hurt feelings, and letting things stew until the lid blows off.

 

Likewise, I love the growing relationship between Hallie and Tyler. They have known each other forever, and Hallie is taken by surprise when she discovers that Tyler has more than friendship in mind. They are both broken—she by her father’s abuse, him by service in the war—and they grow into their love, rather than experience the insta-love that bothers me so much.

 

The supporting cast are realistic, and Bobet’s town is populated by people of a variety of colors, morals, and orientations.

 

The mysterious Heron’s secret wasn’t overly difficult to figure out, but his agony over both his past and his future are believable.

Some reviewers have complained that this book is not what they thought it should be. It’s not about the war, and rising up and fighting the mysterious forces threatening the town. This story isn’t about a quick-moving plot. The plot doesn’t race you along pell-mell; it’s true that it’s actually rather slow. This story is about the people, and all kinds of forgiveness, and moving past adversity to discover peace.

 

The writing is lovely, full of imagery. My favorite line as Hallie wakes up one morning with the need to tell her sister, Marthe, the truth hanging over her: “When dawn crawled hand over hand through my cracked window…”

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

There’s a same-sex couple. Magic and the killing of a “god”. Verbally abusive parent. Some violence and details of the recent battles.

 

Who would like this book:

Anyone who enjoys character-driven stories and doesn’t need a quick-moving plot. Those who enjoy coming of age. Although the protagonist is female, I believe this book could be equally interesting to both male and female. I believe the lower end of the recommended age range might not like the book much, lacking the maturity to understand the deeper themes.

 

Thank you, NetGalley, for a lovely read!

Steampunk fun

Lumiere

By Jacqueline E. Garlick

Series: The Illumination Paradox (Book 1)

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Skyscape (September 15, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1503944557

ISBN-13: 978-1503944558

Approximate Lexile: 830

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can’t stay in the dark forever.

Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth has only one hope left: finding her late father’s most prized invention, the Illuminator. It’s been missing since the day of the mysterious flash—a day that saw the sun wiped out forever over England.

But living in darkness is nothing new to Eyelet. She’s hidden her secret affliction all of her life—a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. And after her mother is accused and executed for a crime that she didn’t commit, the now-orphaned Eyelet has no choice but to track down the machine that was created with the sole purpose of being her cure.

Alone and on the run, she finally discovers the Illuminator—only to see a young man hauling it off. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, she ventures into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.

 

My Thoughts:

In many ways, Eyelet bugs the heck out of me. She’s that typical YA “heroine” who doesn’t have much sense half the time. She is headstrong and doesn’t listen to reason. Yes, she has good reason to hide her infirmity, but you’d think she would be able to trust someone who is equally afraid of the authorities. Her desire to find her father’s machine and cure herself leads her to keep running into danger, rather than away from it.

The attraction between Ulrick and Eyelet reads like the typical “we hate each other, so of course we’re inexplicably attracted to each other” romance scenario.

That out of the way, however, I like the universe. Imagine a blighted world where the sun is out there somewhere, but cloud cover keeps it constantly from view. Oh wait, I don’t have to imagine. I lived in Portland for 12 years. Seriously though, some people have questioned how the world can continue to function—food can’t grow without sunlight. Let’s just suspend our disbelief and say the UV rays are making their way through.

This story has the undead for all the zombie lovers. What I love, though, is the steampunk inventions. This is steampunk the way I like it, with a winged, semi-sentient motorcycle and much more. Supporting characters are interesting and varied in their motivations. And yay, no teen-age dystopian YA love triangle! The underlying plot regarding the fathers of both Ulrick and Eyelet is interesting, and I will definitely search out the remainder of the series.

Bonus: The idea that science can’t explain everything, and that sometimes, you just have to believe that magic exists!

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

            Teenagers feeling attraction for each other, acting on it somewhat. Perilous situations. Violence. Sneakiness. Some cursing.

 

Who might like this book:

            Lovers of fantasy and/or steampunk. Those who like YA, dystopia, gadgets, zombies. It skews a little girly in my mind, but not overwhelmingly so.

 

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in return for this unbiased review.

Natasha Romanov's backstory revealed...a bit

Black Widow: Forever Red

By Margaret Stohl

Age Range: 12 - 18 years

Grade Level: 7 - 12

Series: A Marvel YA Novel

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Marvel Press (October 13, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 148472643X

ISBN-13: 978-1484726433

Approximate Lexile: 780

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Enter the world of the Avengers' iconic master spy.

Natasha Romanoff is one of the world's most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow's infamous academy for operatives.

Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments-until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn't really the big sister type.

Until now.

When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned-and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava's dreams. . . .

Black Widow: Forever Red features all the heart-pounding adventure readers expect from Marvel, written by #1 New York Times best-selling author Margaret Stohl. Uncover a new side of the Marvel Universe that will thrill loyal fans and newcomers alike, as Stohl reveals the untold story of Black Widow for the very first time.

 

My Thoughts:

This was a little bit slow for me at first. The best parts were at the end of the chapters, as Natasha goes through a debrief/hearing regarding her actions—which also foreshadows the narration to come. Her voice rings true with the wry, Russian attitude that we’re accustomed to from the Marvel Comics Universe movies.

Intially, much of the action focuses on Ava and Alex. It looks like it’s going to be just another teenage adventure. Orphaned teen tries to get back at the world and those whom she feels abandoned her, etc. I do love that Alex and Ava are fencers—my two grown kids were both recreational fencers, and the fencing is properly done.

It’s once Natasha Romanov enters the scene that I started to enjoy the book. When she brings in Tony Stark, even better—their banter, again, rings true to what we’ve come to expect from the big screen.

This story is definitely aimed at the YA audience, with the teenagers being the primary point-of-view characters. It does give Natasha some backstory, without leaving her tied down by it. (Surprise—not. I totally saw it coming that a particular character would not survive the book.) Honestly, I found that part of the story to be a bit contrived and too convenient.The mysterious Red Room is further explained, beyond what was revealed in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Does it live up to the above billing of “the untold story of Natasha Romanov”? Only a little bit. The book, at its heart, isn’t really about Black Widow. She is merely a player in the story of Ava Orlova. Overall, it’s an enjoyable adventure that introduces a new character to the MCU, while filling us in some more on an old (and favorite) one.

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

            Perilous situations, violence (it’s a MCU story, after all), teenagers being sneaky. Mild cursing.

 

Who might like this book:

            Fans of the MCU, of course. That’s why I requested it! Teens mostly, though adults will find it perfectly tolerable.

 

I received a free e-book from NetGalley in return for this impartial review.