Havoc
Chris Wooding
Malice series bk 2
http://www.chriswooding.com/

Genre: steam/cyberpunk/modern day
Audience: Ages 10+ (although probably more geared at teen)
Rating: 4/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this second half of the "Malice" duology*. Wooding has stepped away from the somewhat Japanese/anime feel of his earlier books and into a league of his own. Well, maybe not quite a league of his own - it's one he shares with China Mieville. A world of dark technology, strange devices, creepy, mysterious villains and a pervading feeling of ultimate doom. Tension and intrigued are maintained throughout this novel, where text is interspersed with graphic novel scenes.

"Malice" starts with a comic book. But not one you can buy off a shelf. No, the "Malice" comic book is often talked about but rarely found. Copies of it are difficult to find, and can lead to more trouble than they are worth. Within the pages of these books is a dark character, known as Tall Jake. There is a ritual to contact him - to call for this mysterious man to come and take you away. And if you follow it - be it in jest or be it with real intent, Jake will listen. And he will come for you. Sometimes he might make you wait a week or a year, but after performing the ritual, you will know that you are living on borrowed time. For the adventures featured in the comic book are not stories. They are the truth, and if you are really (un)lucky, you might earn yourself a starring role...

If you like dark, creepy dystopic worlds where kids rule the roost, then this is the book for you. But be warned - it is not advisable to read it after dark. Unless you want to have really wicked dreams. Or no sleep at all.

And here were my views on:

Malice
A nicely creepy, dark cyber-fantasy for young adults. Although it got off to a somewhat shakey start, it quickly picked up the past and dragged me into the dingy, almost steampunk world of Malice. Intermingling with comic book pages is a clever idea, however, some parts proved a little difficult to read (I work better with words than pictures). As it did not really build to much in the way of a climax, it left me feeling faintly unfulfiled, but eager for the next instalment, "Havoc". Intriguing and original ideas.

* It's in two parts cos it was too long for one book. Wooding says so himself. That explains the rather abrupt ending I made note of above.

OOOOOH , there's gonna be a MOVIE! I hope they don't make a trainwreck of it. I bet it will be in 3d...

Top five reads of 2010

Every Year I compile a list of the five books I read that year that left an impression. This can be because they were really good, really original, or so god-awful terrible that I could not help but love them. Luckily this year, there were none of the latter!

So, here's my list - please note that not all (or perhaps even any) of these books were actually RELEASED in 2010).

*

The Passage
Justin Cronin

Creepy, dark, engrossing. This novel darkened my thoughts and haunted my dreams. Well written, with good characterisation, it could be described as "The Strain" meets "The Stand" and is a original and interesting post-apocalyptic thriller with a different take on vampires. I wouldn't even really consider them vampires, personally. With more than a few surprises in store, this book took me on a journey I did not quite expect. It will be interesting to see where it continues to lead me.

*

Florence and Giles
John Harding

Exceptionally clever, written in the Narrator's own, poetic tongue of her semi-invented language. This is one of the stories when the intentions of the Narrator - in this case, 12 year old Florence, might not be quite as clear as her take on things makes... out. Lots of clever little plot touches, and delightful seasonings that allow your mind to wander beyond what our "heroine" sees and believes, and what reality actually holds. In this manner, it reminds me rather of Matt Haig. Very clever, quite chilling, and with a delightful sting in the tail, Harding does not beat you over the head with the plot twists, but allows you to come to your own conclusions. Excellent writing and highly recommended.

*

Gone (Gone #1)
Michael Grant

"Under the Dome" for teenagers - this is the story of a small American town who one day suffer from a strange problem - all of the people over 15 disappear - POOF, just like that. So, what happens to the survivors? How can a bunch of kids survive on their own? Suddenly they're forced to grow up fast. It's good guys vs the bad guys, with some grey bits in between, mutant animals, super powers and all in all, an engrossing and intriguing read. Huighly enjoyable, even if the writing style started off a wee bit shaky.

*

Mockingjay (Hunger Games #)
Suzanne Collins

Wow. What a book and what a conclusion. Engrossing, frightening and beautiful all at once, this is most certainly not for the young and sensitive. One of the best Young Adult series I have read in a long while draws to its bittersweet close and leaves me still feeling hungry for me. Absolutely marvellous and highly recommended.

*

Going Bovine
Libba Bray

Refreshingly original and bordering on the surreal, this book is a road trip with a difference. It's completely insane! When he is diagnosed with the human equivalent of Mad Cow Disease, Cameron has little to hope for except a quick and painless death. ...Until a punk angel shows up and offers him a solution. There is one person who has the cure - the mysterious Doctor X. The only problem is, nobody knows where he is, and his parellel-dimension jumping habits have allowed dark energy to flow into our world, Soon they will destroy it. Only Cameron can save it - with the help of a death-obsessed dwarf and a lawn gnome who claims to be a Viking god. Cameron's quest leads him a series of intriguing - and increasingly demented, challenges - including a church of happiness, a reality tv show, New Orleans, and many other things besides. This book is sheer brilliance - once you get past the somewhat immature language (first person, present tense narrative - so the language is most definitely in character).

*

These reviews are very short and succinct on account of being cross-posted from my WeRead account. I am now abandoning my WeRead account and will be posting all reviews here. This is NOT because WeRead have shifted servers to India but because they have lost all the reviews I have written there (over 500 books!) and my emails to them have bounced. I managed to salvage most of my 2010 reviews (by ploughing through my Facebook Profile page for several hours and the powers of cut-n-paste), but shall not trouble you by cross-posting them all here, except when I review a follow-up.