What if death wasn’t the end for teenagers? If you died in your teen years, you got a second chance. You got to ‘live’ as an undead person. You were able to go home, to go to school, and spend time with your friends.

What if your friends and family didn’t want to let you back into their lives?
What if an undead guy wanted to join the school gridiron team?
What if an undead guy asked you to the homecoming dance?

These questions and quite a few more are put into the spotlight in Daniel Waters’ novel Generation Dead.

Oakville High has the highest populace of ‘differently biotic’ teens in the states, and not too many of the ‘traditionally biotic’ students are sympathetic to their situation. The first book in this series is set in and around Oakville High’s community. We get to spy on the hotbed of political correctness gone crazy as living and dead students alike try to get on with their ‘lives’ as best they can.
Mainly we’re following Adam, Phoebe and Tommy as they figure out what is going on with each other and what is wrong with society.
I have an incredibly biased opinion of men writing female characters and make no secret of it. Daniel blew my expectations out of the water, and wrote a gripping, well thought out, emotionally charged and entertaining book, spending a good part of the book in the heads of his female characters.

The book travels in so many different directions that you would think you’d be easily lost. However the character viewpoints are easily followed as we head hop through our cast. Each character’s voice is very individual; there is no mistaking who you’re with. There is definite character development and plot lines are tight.

I can only imagine how our own communities would be shaken up if something like this actually happened in real life. I hope I would have the intestinal fortitude to have an open mind and the patience to get to know the differently biotic kids in my area.

Daniel keeps a pretty cool blog or two online as well; including one that is mentioned in the book, written by one of the undead characters.

http://watersdan.blogspot.com/ and http://mysocalledundeath.blogspot.com/
I recommend them both.

There’s the Generation Dead series website, which also looks like a bit of fun.

Daniel Waters – Generation Dead

Published 4 July, 2009 by Hyperion Press
Series: Generation Dead Ser.
Paperback, 416 pages
ISBN: 9781423109228

Walking through the book section at your local store there are so many covers that are eye catching and intriguing, it’s difficult to pick a stand out easily. Blood Song is slightly different with splashes of gold and rich scarlet to make you take that second glance.

At the moment, you can safely take the risk of judging YA books by their covers; and trust me, if you bothered to take that second glance at Rhiannon Hart’s debut novel and picked it up, you will now be nodding along with me when I say, aren’t you glad you bought it?

Zeraphina has a craving for blood, and travelling North. When her sister, Lilith, loses her betrothed and is asked to consider visiting a prince from the northern city of Xallentaria (who may take her hand in marriage and her mind off her deceased love), she leaps at the opportunity to go. Upon arrival to the city, Zeraphina meets Rodden, and her entire perspective on life is irretrievably altered.

She hears voices, and knows that Rodden is keeping secrets from her. There is more to the North than just an innate sense of wanderlust. Nobody will tell her why it is so wrong to want to know more about Lharmell. But what really is the big deal?

I found this this book to have quite a few unexpected twists and turns, but not enough to give you whiplash. There isn’t too much foretelling and some of the surprises are certainly brow lifters. I loved the connection Zeraphina had with her animal companions; Griffin, an eagle, and Leap, a Verapinian drain-cat (page 64 had me giggling).

Lilith and her mother Renata are not ashamed to be social climbers, but when you take into account their own homeland is suffering from unknown forces, the gold digging attitude is a little more palatable.

About the only elephant in the room I objected to even slightly here is the fact that there are so many Vampiric markers and telltale signs, and yet the word Vampire is never uttered.  Perhaps with the Vampire fad hitting saturation point at least six months ago, this may not be a bad thing for everyone.

If you are looking for a book to take you away from it all, look no further than Blood Song. Definitely a must read for the school holidays.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsbYhfu–m0

http://rhiannon-hart.blogspot.com/

ISBN: 9781742750965

Format: Paperback

Imprint: Random House Australia

Published: 01/09/11

Ever thought what life would be like without an abundance of metals?

Back to basics in the extreme – horse or mules or man power. This is the reality Steven Gould explores in his mash up of political intrigue, martial arts action, spaghetti western and science fiction story, 7th Sigma.

A chance meeting between a boy (Kimble ‘Kim’) and a woman (Ruth), looking to start an aikido dojo, leads to an unexpected friendship and a meeting of two great minds. Whilst avoiding the metal eating ‘bugs’ and acquiring supplies for Ruth; Kim is recognized by a Ranger and, as part of an arrangement, in return for not handing Kim over to the authorities as a runaway child, Kimble is given covert operation status and has to find information on many of the local crooks.Training follows on from some rather successful missions and we spend most of the book tailing Kimble as he shadows his targets.

I found the concepts of an alternate reality post-apocalyptic, mid-western, society rather intriguing. There’s a feel of the old westerns with horses, guns, and wide open spaces. But it’s flipped on its lid due to a scientific screw up where there are solar powered ‘bugs’ whose sole purpose is to consume anything metal to create clones of themselves. Step on a ‘bug’ and they swarm to consume their fallen member, chewing through anything in their way.

Kimble is an unassuming young lad with an eye for detail and a good gut instinct. His relationship with Ruth stretches far beyond that of a Sensei and her student – and more into that of kindred spirits. His sense of justice leads him into trouble more than once, but it is nice to see a kid that knows right from wrong.

There were a few moments in the book where Steven jumps ahead only to have to rehash a scene we weren’t witness to, and a couple of times I just wanted to skip ahead – but all in all this is an enjoyable book.

I would love to hear feedback from someone who actually knows and practices Aikido to see if the mood of the story stays true to the teachings of the art. As someone who knows nothing about Aikido, it feels calm, and somewhat calculating, but smooth at the same time.

The other highlight for me is Mrs. P(but you’ll just have to read the book to find out who this hot headed character is).

Wait for a quiet weekend to putter through this book. It deserves your full attention and rewards you greatly with an uplifting ending.

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (July 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312877153
• ISBN-13: 978-0312877156

I was thrilled to find this book on the shelves at my local Kmart, as the first book in the Chronicles of Nick had me twisted in its magic so firmly, that finishing the book felt like I was missing out on something.  The wait for this chapter of the chronicles turned out to be well worth it.

Nick Gautier (Go-Shay) is recovering from the traumas at the end of book 1, Infinity. The principal and coach are replaced before the crime scene tape is even removed, and things start looking up for his Mum, who gratefully takes a job at Sanctuary, a bar owned by were-bears.

Nick knows he’s not your run-of-the-mill teenage boy, and begins lessons with the supernatural beings sent to help him on his journey—wherever that may take him. Everything seems to bleed back into a form of normalcy until one of the new staff members blackmails Nick into criminal activity, in return for not pointing the finger at him over a spate of thefts at the school.

It is up to Nick to untangle the web to save the lives of his classmates, and to take one step closer to his destiny. He just has to step in the right direction. Will his decisions be the right ones?

I’m pleased to see Sherrilyn has kept true to her form and is blending the pictures of these chronicles to enhance those she created with the Dark Hunter and the Were-Hunter series. I am impressed at the meticulous care she takes to not sully the storylines that already exist by throwing something in from left field.

In the dedication Sherrilyn thanks her sons “who wanted a book to share with their friends.” I think she has managed to do just that. The book, I feel, would suit both sexes. There is action and angst for the boys and a hint of drama and romance for those of the fairer sex who prefer it. Humour takes some of the rough edges off, and as Nick has a very mischievous nature, his mouth is a constant source of both trouble and wit. His interaction with the other characters in this enthralling reality certainly rings true.

The only drawback to this series is the books are read so quickly. I’m left now wanting badly to be able to move onto the next book; but alas, I will have to wait patiently with bated breath.

The next instalment in the Chronicles of Nick is Infamous and it should be out early in 2012.

4/5
X Belinda X

Invincible (Chronicles of Nick Book 2)—Sherrilyn Kenyon

Published 29 March, 2011, by Atom

Paperback, 320 Pages

ISBN: 1907410236

EAN: 9781907410239