Graphic Novel Review: Username: Evie by Joe Sugg

Author: Joe Sugg / Matt Whyman

Illustrator:  Amrit Birdi

Publisher: Running Press

Publication Date: September 22, 2015

192 pages, paperback

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

I feel like I should’ve known better, but I think that Joe Sugg is super funny (check out his YouTube channel ThatcherJoe) so I wanted to check it out and I wanted to like it so much. Plus the art on the cover looked pretty cool, but it was A LIE. I was more disappointed than I should have been – again, I should have known better.

Why this is bad:

- The story is ridiculously fast-paced. There is zero time to actually get to know and therefore care about any of the characters. It rushed through everything that happened and led to a very confusing and muddled plotline.
- The characters are flat in more ways than one.
          - The artwork has no movement whatsoever and all of the characters are 2D because of it.
          - But their personalities are also super flat and boring. There’s no explanation for why Mallory – Evie’s cousin – hates her so much; the science isn’t explained – although the idea of a virtual world that is influenced by a person’s thoughts/actions is pretty cool; I just didn’t care about anyone.
- The art. Geez. It’s just bad. Sometimes the characters aren’t proportional; sometimes Evie and Mallory look like the same person which is confusing. The art is flat and emotionless and bland, despite the vibrant colors.
- The writing. I’ll say that the idea is pretty cool, but the writing is not. The characters – mostly Evie – feel the need to constantly explain what they are doing or why something won’t work or that they are currently running. Okay, not the last one, but that’s what it felt like. Instead of showing the reader what was happening through the art or through dialogue, we are flat out told in long explanatory thought boxes. It was exhausting and unnecessary and annoying.

The bottom line: I was NOT a fan of this graphic novel. From flat art and characters to unnecessary explanations, Username: Evie is just not a good book.

-- Stefani

Want to see if you feel the same way? Find Username: Evie in the CMRLS Catalog and place a hold on it!

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Book Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Author: Susan Dennard

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

416 pages, hardcover

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

Curse the hype monster, man. I went into this one with some – unfairly – HIGH expectations because it seems like everyone and their mother loved Truthwitch. And in the end, I did like it and I enjoyed several things about it. But I also had some issues.

What I loved:

- The magic – The idea of different “witcheries” was SO cool. People can have different powers – air, water, essentially a lie detector (this is what Safi is – a Truthwitch), or the ability to see people’s “Threads” (their emotions) – which were all really fascinating. I think I was most intrigued by Iseult’s “Threadwitchery”. I also liked the idea of Threadfamilies. You become connected to someone by saving them, etc.

- Aeduan – The “villain”. I don’t know if you’re really meant to love him as much as I did, but I just loved I always go for the misunderstood villain. All of my favorite scenes had Aeduan in them. He just kicked up the pace a bit. And my heartbeat. Looking forward to learning more about him in the next one.

- The dialogue – snarky, witty, intelligent, and just fun. Especially the dialogue between Safi/Iseult and Safi/Merick – so. much. sarcasm.

What I didn’t like:

- Four POVs – A little farther down I talk about Safi and Iseult, which really explains this issue, but I’ll just say that there were times when I struggled to figure out whose POV it was.

- “The Big Reveal” – I guessed this WAY early on in the book. The narrative surrounding the reveal was way too easy to figure out and not at all subtle. At least for me.

- Some of the middle section – I feel like the middle section dragged a bit. It’s possibly because I already figured out the reveal and I was just bored while everyone in the story got there. But the last 1/4 of the book really made up for it.

What I was iffy on:

- Safi & Iseult: Okay, I really LOVED both of them. I liked Safi’s sarcasm and Iseult’s spunk. I loved their friendship and their passion. But sometimes, they seemed like the same character. Their voices aren’t as distinct in the beginning as I’d like, especially when there were scenes of them together. Made for difficult reading.

- The world: This book starts off rather confusing because you are thrust right into the middle of the world and the middle of some action and you (at least I) felt like you’re scrabbling to gain purchase in the world. The first 1/4 of the book or so is like this. But, on the other hand, the world is absolutely fascinating, and I felt like I was standing in the middle of it gazing around with my mouth open because the world was so vast and just cool. So…confusing AND intriguing.

The bottom line: In the end I still really liked Truthwitch, and I definitely want to read the next one, especially because the world should be more settled by then. There won’t need to be so much time spent on establishing the world. I would still recommend this one to fantasy lovers, but would caution people – it takes a little while to get into the book and understand the world.

-- Stefani

Want to see what you think of Truthwitch? Find it on the CMRLS catalog and place a hold on it!

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Book Review: The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith

Author:  Andrew Smith

Genre: young adult, sci-fi, contemporary

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: March 10, 2015

336 pages, hardcover

Check out the full synopsis on Goodreads.

The Alex Crow was my first Andrew Smith book, and I was pretty blown away. This book is nuts, you guys. It’s remarkably strange and different and weird, and I loved it. I’m not even really sure how to review it because of how weird it was, but I’ll try.

Andrew Smith expertly weaves together three seemingly separate story lines about a melting man who was told by Joseph Stalin to build a bomb and travel hundreds of miles to set it off, an exploratory ship from the 1880s (called The Alex Crow) on its way to the North Pole, and a Middle Eastern boy named Ariel (AH-riel, get it straight) who is the lone survivor of his village being murdered by a terrorist group and is now living in the US. It’s surprisingly hard to go into much detail about the plot of this book without giving anything away, but I was completely enthralled and shocked with how it all came together.

I loved the focus on friendship in this book. Ariel, his adoptive brother Max (aka he of the innumerable euphemisms for masturbation), and Cobie, the only other sane kid at the camp where the three of them are sent, bond over the uncontrollable situation they’ve been thrown into. They go through a lot of crazy stuff, and it brings them closer.

This is a layered, complicated story that actually goes a lot deeper than what meets the eye. It brings up a lot of hard issues like morality, race, gender, friendship, and kindness. It’s not always the easiest book to read nor is it like anything else you’ve ever read (or at least anything I’ve ever read). This book is messy and complicated and just so so good.

I honestly cannot wait to read another of Andrew Smith’s books. The Alex Crowwas disturbing, weird, awkward, hilarious, and absolutely wonderful.

-- Stefani

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Does The Alex Crow sound like something you'd dig? Find it here in the CMRLS catalog, and check it out!

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Our Teens Review Books: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

Author: S.J. Kincaid

Publisher: Katherine Tegen

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S. J. Kincaid's fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy perfect for fans of Ender's Game.

The planet's natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn't seem like a hero. He's a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.

As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom's life completely changes. Suddenly, he's someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there's a price to pay. . . . 

REVIEW:

Insignia is a very technical, sci-fy and action packed oriented book, and I love it! The set up is an understanding, common way to reach towards the readers, and the main character is relatable to us, and our nerdy habits. Tom Raines is an expert gamer that uses his skills to pay rent- and by rent I mean finding any hotels with cheap prices and trying to maintain a decent living with his drunkard, gambling father. Tom has acne, short height, scrawny, and his life is just terrible; however, all that could change completely with a simple "yes". 

I enjoyed the premise of the book, however, there's no mistake that the plotline is repetitive, but the characters do make up for the plot itself. Each character has their own unique quality that shines through each page, and the interaction is sentimental, which makes you focus more on them instead of the story. Now for the story: it's military centric, and describes a lot of technology, numbers, coding, and other techno science stuff. Oh, and with advance vocabulary. The characters go through youth training, so there's not going to be any deliberate fighting, but military fighting isn't the same as our 21st century fighting. World War III is in effect, however, war is battled through the galaxy. Each planet is being dominated for possession, and considering human nature, the world is fighting to control which part of the planet and solar system. Androids are battling it out without human bloodshed, such a genius idea, no? Tempting, but there's a lot behind the scenes that propaganda won't tell you. Masses of riches are being produced, and waves of money-hungry investors are ready to get their hands on it.

Besides the military and political agenda, Insignia has cool features of advanced gaming systems, holograms, and incredible microchips that could transform society into something bigger, better, and very dangerous. I would indulge further on the technology, but it'll lead to spoilers, so, I'd say it's going to get very technical in the book.

There's barely any swearing, but I'll just place a warning for curious young readers. Action is abundant, but it's artificial action, so there's nothing to sincerely worry about (or is it?). If you can handle advanced words, technology being described every other page, and action, then I would recommend this book.

Personally for me, I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10.

-- Amber

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Want to check out Insignia? Find it here on the CMRLS catalog and place a hold on it!

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Our Teens Review Books: You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

Author: Sean Beaudoin

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

You Killed Wesley Payne is a truly original and darkly hilarious update of classic pulp-noir, in which hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him.

Sean Beaudoin (Going Nowhere Faster, Fade to Blue) evokes the distinctive voices of legendary crime/noir authors Dashiell Hammett and Jim Thompson with a little bit of Mean Girls and Heathers thrown in for good measure. It'll tease you, please you, and never ever leave you. Actually, that's not true. It's only a book. One that's going to suck you in, spit you out, and make you shake hands with the devil. Probably.
What I thought: 
You Killed Wesley Payne is an interesting, funny and somewhat parodish book about pulp mysteries, and honestly I found it pretty interesting. I'm planning on rereading YKWP again to understand a few misconceptions, but overall this is an entertaining book! 

I'm not too quick to read mystery (pulp, excessive) books, but maybe it's the cover that gotten me interested. 

The premise of the story is ideal: 17 year old Dalton Rev is an amateur wannabe-detective who solves crimes/mysteries on his detective website. Dalton decided to solve Wesley Payne's murder requested by Wesley's sister, Macy Payne. Police claims Wesley committed suicide, but is it so? Only one way to find out... at Salt River High. 

I really enjoyed the setup at the beginning, creating this direct, mysterish themed setting through sharp monologue and funny dialogue. I just going to be blunt with ya, Dalton Rev is certainly funny with his snarky comments, seriously. I believe that's what made this book stand out from the rest... 

Throughout the story we began to understand Dalton and his main purpose for being a detective, his personal 'whys' and explore Dalton's homelife when not in 'detective' mode. I like Dalton's reasoning based on Lex Cole(man?), main character of a detective series within this book and I gotta say... it's amusing. I'm sure I would base half of my logic/reasoning on my favorite character! Other characters besides Dalton are his family, 'friends' and cliques that runs predominantly in this mystery book. Salt River High is the main focus resolving Wesley's murder, but not only that, the crude adults and students serve a plot, too. The main cliques that are 'suspects' are Balls and Pinker Caskets (Football seniors verses Gothic emos). These two clique runs the school, but with two big kings urging to cut each others throats to be the only one remaining on top, it's up to Dalton and his quick thinking to resolve this brewing battle AND use the cliques to resolve Wesley's mystery. 

I liked the interaction, it's sharp and cut clean, 'to the point' I will say. The bonding is brief, but it gives up a taste of emotions from each character. Personally, I like Kurt Tarot, Newspaper, and Chuff... I don't know how to explain it, but I wanted to know more about those characters, unfortunately, we don't have much characterization for them :( but of course, this is about Dalton and not those three. 

I don't have any personal issues with this novel, to be honest. My gripe about this novel is too many nicknames and that makes it difficult for me to keep up. Using odd phrases that I have no clue what it means...- guess that's why we have a specific dictionary for them, eh? 

I sincerely enjoyed this book, and I recommend giving it a read! At least, for a 14+ audience. There are a few scenes that are a bit, 'touchy', so keep that in mind. Don't mind too much about the swear words, it's actually hilarious how it's alternated into something wacky. Anyway, it's a humorous book to read for the sake of entertainment. 

-- AMBER

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Want to check out You Killed Wesley Payne? Find it here on the CMRLS catalog and place a hold on it!

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Our Teens Review Books: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Author: Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill

 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

What I thought:

First and foremost, this book was pretty awesome.  I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did.  My favorite part about this book is that it kept me on my toes as to what was going to happen next.  Throughout the book there were so many unexpected turns that blew my mind and only made the book more addicting.

I have many things that I enjoyed throughout this book starting off with my favorite character.  My favorite character would have to be Harley.  I loved how compassionate and artistic he was.  Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was its special type of curse words.  (Yes, I know that sounds weird and kind of morbid of me to say.)  The words such as “frexing” and “shite” were used quite often throughout the book and I enjoyed them because you really got a feel for the characters’ attitude and the culture they were raised upon on their ship, Godspeed.  I also loved the dynamic relationship that each character had with one another. 

I enjoyed how the author put tiny details throughout the book that were cleverly tied in together at the end.  I am not going to give anything away but once you read it you will understand! I highly recommend it!

Final verdict: I give Across the Universe an 8 out of 10.

-- Olivia 

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Want to check out Across the Universe? Find it here on the CMRLS catalog and place a hold on it!

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