Book Review: The Hitchhiker's Triolgy

The Hitchhiker's Triolgy (Books 1-5)
Douglas Adams

Suppose a good friend calmly told you over a round of drinks that the world was about to end? And suppose your friend went on to confess that he wasn't from around here at all, but rather from a small planet near Betelgeuse? And what if the world really did come to an end, but instead of being blown away, you found yourself hitching a ride on a spaceship with your buddy as a traveling companion?

It happens to Arthur Dent.

An ordinary guy from a small town in England, Arthur is one lucky sonofagun: his alien friend, Ford Prefect, is in fact a roving researcher for the universally bestselling Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ... and expert at seeing the cosmos on 30 Altairian dollars a day. Ford lives by the Guide's seminal bit of advice: Don't Panic. Which comes in handy when their first ride--on the very same vessel that demolished Earth to make way for a hyperspacial freeway--ends disastrously (they are booted out of an airlock). with 30 seconds of air in their lungs and the odd of being picked up by another ship 2^276,709 to 1 against, the pair are scooped up by the only ship in the universe powered by the Infinite Improbability Drive.

But this (and the idea that Bogart movies and McDonald's hamburgers now exist only in his mind) is just the beginning of the weird things Arthur will have to get used to. For, on his travels, he'll encounter Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-President of the Galaxy; Trillian, a sexy spacecadet he once tried to pick up at a cocktail party, now Zaphod's girlfriend; Marvin, a chronically depressed robot; and Slartibartfast, the award-winning engineer who built the Earth and travels in a spaceship disguised as a bistro.

Arthur's crazed wanderings will take him from the restaurant at the end of the Universe (where the main dish of the day introduces itself and the floor show is doomsday), to the planet Krikkit (locked in Slo-Time to punish its inhabitants for trying to end the Universe), to Earth (huh? wait! wasn't it destroyed?!) to the very offices of The Hitchhiker's Guide itself as he and his friends quest for the answer to the Question of Life, the Universe and Everything ... and search for a really good cup of tea.

Ready or not, Arthur Dent is in for one hell of a ride!



Star Rating:


Review:
The most important thing to know about the Hitchhiker's Trilogy (other than to know where your towel is), is to read one book at a time. When I was in high school, I had the good fortune to be gifted what I call my "Hitchhiker's Bible," a large book with paper-thin pages that contains all the first five books in one convenient edition. It seemed like a dream come true... the first time I read it.

Now, after the third time, I have to admit that not all the books are masterpieces. In fact, I am not at all fond of the third book, Life, the Universe, and Everything. Being, as it is, stuck in the middle of the trilogy, it's a sort of unfortunate buffer between the two interesting halves and makes it a drudge to get through... kind of like the Council of Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring. I love this series, and the only reason it gets four stars is because I'm daft and I read it all together and the third book throws me off and I end up skimming to get to the good parts.

You have to take Adams with a grain of salt. Keep in mind, he wrote four versions of this story: the books, the radio show, the BBC miniseries, and the movie. None of these editions are identical, and all of them were written by the same man. It is, therefore, useless to squabble over technicalities and we should simply assume that in one universe or another, they are all correct. His humor is a bit flat and he has a bad habit of introducing Super Important Characters that disappear after 60 pages as though they had never existed. It is all part of his charm.

The Hitchhiker's Trilogy is one of those books that people love, or hate... but not in-between. For those who are on the fence about the book and are not sure they want to commit the time to reading it (indeed, my tome-version looks pretty intimidating, even to me), I must emphasize that the best adjective to describe it is "ridiculous" and I advise you (get ready for this - it's practically sacrilegious) pick up the recent film version. The script is strikingly similar to the first book, which is, as a whole, the best of the six... and it requires less of a commitment.

Book Review: School's Out - Forever

School's Out - Forever
James Patterson

Adventure, fighting, backstabbing and love abound" (VOYA) in this action-packed follow-up to the #1 New York Times blockbuster MAXIMUM RIDE: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT, now available in paperback. The heart-stopping quest of six winged kids--led by fourteen-year-old Max--to find their parents and investigate the mind-blowing mystery of their ultimate destiny continues when they're taken under the wing of an FBI agent and attempt, for the first time, to live "normal" lives. But going to school and making friends doesn't stop them from being relentlessly hunted by sinister spies, who lead Max to face her most frightening match yet: a new and better version of herself.



Star Rating:


Review:
Yes, yes, I know. Everybody loves Max. I think that phrase is written across all three of the Patterson books I own. I'm still trying to love Max. I still don't.

The series is not bad. I liked the first book better than I liked School's Out - Forever. I think that they idea of these kids going to school is a little far-fetched and ridiculous, and as much as the travelling annoyed me before, their goals seemed more realistic to their situation. And I simply couldn't get past Anne, their caretaker. The lack-of-FBI-esque qualities that abounded in her character made me want to chuck the book across the room, and several times I found myself telling the page "Ha! And FBI agent would NEVER say that." Obviously later on the lack of traits becomes explained, but the lack of even trying bothered me enough that it distracted me.

I have issues with the characters in general, still. The older children are less frustrating - Fang and Max, namely. Total, the dog, bears a Toto (coincidence? I think not) like resemblance to me but he's annoying, and Angel is simply too bossy/innocent... she gets away with too much. That leaves "comic relief" to fall to Gasman and Izzy... and thus it makes them seem less vital to the story, other than being part of the flock. I do, however, give kudos to Patterson's method of handling the situation with Izzy's parents.

I still believe that for grades 8 through 12, the Maximum Ride series should be a huge hit. The characters are relatable, and there is less need for suspension of disbelief. Patterson's pacing is amazing, though. As much as I may find the series disappointing (and that, too, is a danger of a series with so much hype), I can move through the books very quickly, making them a good choice for a light read.

Read my review of: The Angel Experiment.

Book Review: Feed

Feed
M.T. Anderson

Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains.
For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.



Star Rating:


Review:
I simply cannot express how much I love this book. These are the reasons why:

1.) It's a dystopian novel. I have a weak spot for dystopian novels.
2.) The characters feel real to me. Not an adult trying to write a teenager. I never doubt Titus as a character, never second-guess his motives. Perfectly crafted.
3.) The language. This is a pitfall for many people, but for me, it just ropes me in closer to the story.
4.) The questions it asks about technology and our dependence on it. And on instant gratification.

I can see where this novel would be immediately flagged "Evil! STAY AWAY!" for some people, mostly for the reasons I have listed that I love it. In that, it must be understood that not all books appeal to all people. This book has, in my experience, always sparked controversy among its teen readers (see my incredibly biased entry, The Book Bias, for more on exactly how this book has been flagged by real teens), and is therefore a perfect choice for reading in high school. If nothing else, the students will want to discuss how much they hated it... which is the starting point for a wonderful discussion.

But I didn't hate this book. As I said, I loved it. I have read it multiple times, and my opinion of it hasn't changed. I love being able to walk away from a book and ask questions about it. I love being so wrapped up in a fictional universe that I'm watching the clock at work not just because I'm excited to get out of there, but because I want to immerse myself in the literary world again. Feed did that for me, and does that every time I read it.

Feed explores not only the dangers of a reliance on technology and instant gratification (those happen to be my favorite topics) but also criticizes the way we are destroying the ecosystem, taking education for granted, the sheep-like nature of the populace to follow the lead of celebrities, the declining rate of general health, overspending, substance use, negligent parenting, and on and on I could go. If there's a controversial topic you want to touch on, Feed probably has something to say about it. That, I would say, is probably Anderson's greatest fault in the book - he tried to say a little bit about a lot of things. It makes the book a little overwhelming, if you are reading it closely.

Then again, maybe that's the point.

Book Review: The Angel Experiment

The Angel Experiment
James Patterson

In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?



Star Rating:


Review:
This book (and series) has a lot of hype around it, and hype can either improve or destroy my perception of a book. I tried, really tried hard to love Maximum Ride, but I didn't. I just didn't. It wasn't the character - Max was well-formed and so was her flock. I think it was the plot. The plot was everywhere. And part of my frustration with the plot went along with the fact that, for one reason or another, when I read "The Angel Experiment," I related that to the character Angel and not the obvious fact that these kids look like angels. So negative five points to me. But I still didn't love it. However, some of the best series start off with a questionable first book, and you just have to be confident that everything will come together.

I really did like the concept, though. Genetic experiments gone wrong are my favorite type of science-fiction. I will be reading more, because there are a lot of unanswered questions, but I'm not compelled to pick up the next book immediately and read it. The questions just aren't that pressing to me. The book is, as most of my read, geared towards a younger audience and perhaps things like the questionable maybe-it-will-happen? romance will compel readers to fly (no pun intended!) to book two. Or it may be that I'm just tired of the "omg who is she totally into?" sub plot.

There's a lot of running in this book, which serves its purpose, but grows tiresome. Stylistically, Patterson does keep it moving, and if there's going to be a lot of running (and flying!) around, then it really needs to be written with great flow, which Patterson definitely accomplishes.

This is great for a light, easy read. It's enjoyable, even if I didn't find it compelling. Max is a strong female lead who accepts help but doesn't grovel for it. She definitely stands on her own two feet, and it's always nice to see a protagonist like that!

aint' i pretty, it's my city...

Today is Day One of my first ever NaNoWriMo.  I'm crazy excited for it all.  I've been thinking about doing it since my sophomore year of high school, since the day my friend Nikki told me there was such a thing.  Every year I had an excuse.  Heck.  I have an excuse this year.  Rehearsals three nights a week, plus all my classes... I've got papers to write, fiction and poetry to write... just for school!  But I signed up anyway.  Why, you may ask?  Part of me is crazy, I think.  And part of me just wanted to try something new.

And so, here I am, Day One into NaNoWriMo.  My story is science-fiction where I specialise in fantasy.  I need to research science-y things just to pass as reasonable.  I got up at about 7:35am this morning, and started writing immediately.  I had hit over the requirement by 8:45am.  By the time I headed to town today for classes, I was at 6,079 words, which is where I am still.  I'm still 2,000 words ahead of all my buddies - I'm feeling okay about where I am today, and I will write more tomorrow.  It's going really well, all things considered.  I'm really happy with everything.  And I wrote out a plot during class today.  So now I know where I am going.

For now, I am calling it a day.  Between writing for NaNoWriMo and adding about two pages to my term paper, I'm written-out for the day.  I've my alarm set for 6:00am tomorrow morning, then I start again.

Now, I am going to enjoy Newsies and Smartfood popcorn and life and feeling accomplished.

Last Movie Quoted:  Newsies.
Last Song Heard:  "Carrying the Banner" from Newsies.
Last Google Search:  "set yourself on fire"
NaNoWriMo Word Count:  6,079.

flash fiction thursday: to reach the unreachable star

To Reach the Unreachable Star

He pressed his face against the window and imagined that through the thick Plexiglas, he could feel the cold of space.  His bright green eyes absorbed the light of a thousand stars and silently, he prayed to whatever god was listening- please, please for the love of everything good and right in the world, let me pass this test.  He wouldn't tell his peers this, but he was terrified.  Lieutenant Markus Albrieght had been studying for today's test for six months in paperwork, but in reality, all his life.

He wasn't entirely ashamed to admit that his interest in flying had come straight from Star Wars.  Sometimes he and a couple of the other hopefuls would go to a local club after training and swallow down a couple of Bud Lights and joke around about it.  "Gee, Scott, why did you join the Project?" "I was one of the fastest pilots in my squadron and my lead recommended me.  You?" "Well, you know that scene in Star Wars where Luke blows up the Death Star?  Yeah.  That'll be me someday." They always gave him a weird look and treated him like he was joking.  But he wasn't, and he didn't mind laughing along with them.  They all had little quirks, after all.

"Heya Albrieght, ya coming?"

Markus looked over his shoulder at one of the other hopefuls; they all called him Johnson, but nobody knew his first name.  That was the way it was around the Project.  It was all hush-hush, and they were not permitted to talk about any of the details, not even with their families.  Markus had a wife back home in Illinois that he hasn't seen in six months, since he had read in a magazine on base that NASA was looking for "men and women in the Air Force looking for advancement opportunities".  It was a vague enough advertisement, but it wasn't the words that interested him.  It was the image in the background.  It had the stereotyped moon and stars background, but there was also a ship in the background that looked a little too much like Luke's X-Wing.  With his wife's blessing, he had followed up with other on the base and next thing he know, he was here, with men like Scott and Johnson, dressed in a bland grey jumpsuit, only a pen-and-paper test away from sitting in the cockpit of NASA's newest program.

"Yea, I'm comin'.  Just gimme a minute."  Markus pressed his palms against the window and let the cold settle in his fingers.  He closed his eyes and breathed slowly, trying to calm his heart as it threatened to explode.

"Just don't take too long."

Markus listened to Johnson's heavy boots walk away and he exhaled.  In half an hour... in half an hour he would know if all these months of training were a waste of time... or a dream realised.