Something is wrong with the children. It starts out with a few cases of them killing family members. The attacks can only be classed as anomalies for so long before the world begins to take notice as it blossoms into an epidemic. Anthropologist, Hesketh Lock, is busy working on cases of corporation employees sabotaging their companies for no reason that anyone can fathom; something that is fast becoming an epidemic in itself. What he’s not prepared for is his ex’s son’s increasingly erratic behaviour. Soon he’ll find himself racing to find the reason for the world’s teens’ sudden and unexpected change of behaviour before he loses the things closest to him.

The premise of The Uninvited was new and creepy. A society that is being attacked by the members that it should most wish to protect brings up all sorts of moral issues. Jensen doesn’t hold back in the telling of The Uninvited either. The ‘us and them’ paradigm that is inevitable in such dire situations crops up, with the adults of the world arming themselves against the children.

Hesketh was an interesting choice of main character. He suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome which gives him a proclivity to overload emotionally in stressful situations. By using mental and actual origami, he’s found a way to counter the situations he cannot handle. He tells readers from the start that his inability to lie means that he will be a reliable narrator. He also prides himself on being a rational being who has nothing akin to what humans would call a gut-instinct. Contrasting this to a world that is growing increasingly irrational makes for an inspiring read.

While the idea behind Hesketh should have worked well, however, it fell flat for me. He was not a likeable character. There was a casual cruelty in the way he treated some of the other characters; but their angry reactions to his behaviour generally made him feel as though they were narrow-minded to judge him. On top of this, he was not honest and I was left wondering whether he was meant to be an unreliable narrator or whether Jensen hadn’t put enough research into Asperger’s. Hesketh does outright lie in the novel when he needs to spare the feelings of someone he cares about. He also lied through omission repeatedly while being interrogated, which is not something that he should be able to do in a high-stress environment. He seemed to have all of the traits a person with Asperger’s might have with none of the personal set-backs.

The cultural diversity in The Uninvited was perhaps the most interesting aspect of the novel. I imagine that the level of research Jensen put in must have been vast; and it shows. Having Hesketh work for an international company that put him on the scene in places like China, Dubai and Sweden also hits home to readers how wide-spread the events of the book are far more than keeping one setting for the story.

Jensen does a great job of writing a world-wide disaster and the people caught within it in a realistic style. Her ability to draw a truthful picture of various cultures makes The Uninvited one of the most culturally astute books I’ve read recently. Coupled with the novel’s chilling atmosphere, this is definitely the book for the intellectual horror buff.

The Uninvited – Liz Jensen

Bloomsbury (August 1, 2012)

ISBN: 9781408821152

Lawson’s life has been spent collared and held captive in hell alongside his wolf brethren. At the age of eighteen he and his pack are all too aware that they will be turned into hell hounds, the savage, mindless slaves who serve under Lucifer. Determined to escape that fate at any cost, Lawson concocts a plan that will lead his family to freedom.

Meanwhile, Bliss has been tasked with the job of finding the hellhounds. An ex-vampire who is recovering from being possessed by Lucifer and from the discovery of her relationship to him, she is no longer sure of her place in the world. She does know, however, that she will not be happy unless she atones for the sins of her father.

Melissa de la Cruz’s The Pact starts out fast. The wolves are getting older and Lawson is desperate to get them out of hell before they can be turned into Hounds. The sense of urgency never really dissipates; dragging readers along for the roller-coaster ride as the wolves try to adjust to the outside world, Bliss tries to find the Hounds and they band together to discover what Lucifer’s Hound of Hounds, Romulus, is planning. Though the momentum of the novel makes it an incredibly easy read, there are times that the novel could have dwelt on situations longer.

While the idea behind The Pact is a good one, the execution lacks the polish expected from such a renowned author. Events, characters and emotions are described too impulsively. I often reread passages and still couldn’t understand them, as the action didn’t hold together. The Pact is strewn with scenes that were brilliant theoretically but needed more description to come to life.

Morally too, I felt that Wolf Pact was lacking. The introduction of wolves as keepers of history with the ability to travel through and change past events is one of the most unique mythologies I have read. Delving into the history with the wolf pack was also exhilarating with the abundance of possibilities. Making the main characters’ ultimate goal be to keep the Abduction of the Sabine women a part of history was disturbing though. Granted, the protagonists were saving the Sabine women from something worse; but a group of teenagers fighting to have women abducted as wives shows very little compassion for the emotions of others.

The tension in The Pact is almost tangible; keeping readers speculating until the end. By turns Lawson clashes emotionally with members from his pack, Bliss and Ahramin, the ornery wolf who was once family. Bliss, being the daughter of Lucifer, treads a fine line with the truth; aware that if the wolves know that her father is the one who has kept them in slavery they are likely to kill her. The tension heightens the danger that all the characters face. In order to bring Romulus down, they need to rely on one another, but there are secrets there that may tear them apart if they come to light.

Overall The Pact is a quick, fun read. It ties in with de la Cruz’s Blue Bloods series; developing the mythology behind her werewolves and giving readers a chance to see more of their story. While it may not hit all of the right notes, the chemistry between characters makes for an enjoyable journey.

Wolf Pact – Melissa De La Cruz

Atom (November 13, 2012)

ISBN: 978190741018

Joelene’s Top Five of 2012

1. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake – The beautiful cover is what drew me to this exquisitely haunting story of ghosts, friendships and love. The writing kept me hooked.

2. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan – While Sarah Rees Brennan is an author that I will visit again and again and again, she has surpassed all expectations with this magnificent beginning of the Lynburn trilogy. The ending leaves me desperate for more and, yes, a little angry that I have to wait for a year.

3. Unidentified by Rae Mariz – An unexpected pleasure. This Young Adult read has more emotional and moral integrity than almost everything I’ve read in 2012, while still keeping with the issues affecting teens.

4. Museum of Thieves trilogy by Lian Tanner – The entire trilogy is worth reading a dozen times over. The charm of this series adds to its appeal as an adventure novel that is as exciting as it is thought-provoking.

5. White Cat by Holly Black – Holly Black; need I say more? I doubt that anything she writes will ever let me down and thus far, these beliefs have been well-founded. I’m loving the Curse-Workers series.

Joelene’s Five Most Anticipated of 2013

1. Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake – With how amazing the first in the series was; I’m anticipating great things from the sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood.

2. Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan –  Unspoken left me craving more. Come August I will devour Untold. Until then I will endure the cruelty of an author who teases her readers with excerpts as though it’s some sort of a game.

3. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray – Beauty pageants crash land on a desert island. It’s Lord of the Flies meets America’s Next Top Model. How can this not be made of win? I shall procure chocolate and watch them cry.

4. The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina – This novel looks amazing. I held off buying it for a while as I was worried that it would have an unhappy ending. Since then my sister has read and loved it; so it’s on the list for summer reads.

5. Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach – I’m not morbid; I’ve heard amazing things about this book. And really, curiosity is a human condition.

Sixteen year old Ember has never fitted in. As a daughter to a Scottish lord she is expected to fulfil her duties to her family through an advantageous marriage; but prefers being outside than in and would rather wield a sword than a needle. She has only one chance to escape the life her father is trying to make for her. As an infant she was pledged to the ancient and mysterious order of Conatus in exchange for the life of her mother. Old enough to leave her home now, Alistair her childhood friend, who has since joined the order, arrives with the intimidatingly attractive Barrow to collect her.

Once at Conatus, Ember may take the path of the warrior as she has always wanted. She never expected that Barrow, one of the strongest warriors in the guard, would choose her to train under him. Nor did she anticipate the way he would make her feel. Trouble is brewing though; and the world holds more evil than Ember could possibly have imagined. She and her fellow guards will need all of their resources to survive the coming war.

The premise behind Rift by Andrea Cremer is an interesting one. Set in 1404, it follows the story of a girl who doesn’t want to resign herself to the only duties known to noble women in that age. Ember is by nature active and curious; not happy to be confined to a building or carriage, but wanting to experience as much of the world around her as she can.

Conatus too, with enough dimension to be considered a character in its own right, is a compelling concept. A faction divided into three groups, scholars, warriors and craftspeople, working towards the common goal of eradicating supernatural monsters. There is enough mystery to the order to keep it intriguing throughout the novel; but politics add to the tensions already present. In order for Conatus to do the work that it needs to, it operates under the protection of the church. With that protection comes great threat, should the true nature of Conatus ever emerge. In many ways the political story of Conatus overshadows Ember’s tale. It was so much sturdier and more ancient that her and, as a newcomer with no idea of the power struggles within and without her new home, she was often an incidental player to the overall plot-arc.

While the world that comes to life within the pages of Rift is a brilliant concept; the main character doesn’t quite stand up to it. Cremer evidently wanted to write a strong, medieval young woman, but giving her warrior traits didn’t achieve the goal. Ember is incredibly gifted when it comes to fighting and horse-riding. Mentally, however, she accepts situations at face-value, never questioning the goals of those at Conatus though she is not sure that her church (or God) would ordain them. She is also cut off from the other women in the novel. Despite two incredibly strong women leading the Guard at Conatus and one woman being within its ranks, Ember never makes friends with any of them. The only time that the other female guard spends time alone with Ember is to do the ‘girly’ things that Barrow can’t; like teaching her to bind her breasts or helping her dress. It leaves me with the impression that Ember places value on the men rather than the women around her.

Rift is very much a love story at its core. The relationships between Ember and Barrow is every bit as tentative and lovely as it should be considering that neither character wants to find love. Rather than a sudden and inexplicably strong passion, Cremer lets her characters grow and bloom until the reader can see why the attraction is there. Initially Barrow is reserved to the point of being stuffy, but as the novel progresses we get glimpses of his humorous and more carefree side and begin to understand what Ember sees in him.

Ultimately Rift is the book to curl up with when in the mood for something light and romantic. The characters are a pleasure to get to know and the old-world atmosphere within these pages is luxuriously friendly. Cremer has left the ending wide-open and there are a myriad of options to be explored in the next instalment. But for now I’m going to have to wait and see which path she takes.

Rift – Andrea Cremer

Atom Books (August 7, 2012)

ISBN: 9781907411731

In a future where education is a game held in defunct shopping malls across America and students are the brands, Kid is a minor player. The daughter of a single mother who struggles to meet bill payments, she doesn’t set the trends or follow them. Until the day she witnesses a prank played in the cafeteria of the Game by a group called the Unidentified that could be a media stunt or a band of disenchanted kids rebelling against a system based on mindless consumerism.

Her curiosity drives her to uncover the secret at the heart of the rebel group, the Unidentified; risking her friendships and education in the process.

It was a delightful surprise to find the characters in The Unidentified to be realistic and believable across the board. The students in the Game are young; ready to question the world and their role in it but not quite sure how to change the problems that they find. The narrator, Kid, stood out from her peers with her mixture of confused naivety and her willingness to find answers and do what’s right. The friends Kid makes as she searches for answers, and some of the friends she already has, are amazing. They all have their own personalities and, while they may be as confused as Kid, they stand by one another and work at not selling themselves out.

There are so many snippets of wonderful in The Unidentified that even if I wanted to ruin the book for everyone, I wouldn’t be able to list them all. The thing that really stood out to me, though, was the relationship between Kid and her mother. It’s an incredibly side-line topic; but every sentence that Kid’s mother is in shines. She is there, doing her best for her daughter and checking up on her as much as she is able. Better still, Kid doesn’t blame her for this; she’s proud of her. In an era where YA novels with abusive, neglectful or dead parents are the norm, Kid and her mother are a breath of fresh air.

The world-building of The Unidentified is possibly the only issue with an otherwise superb novel. I hesitate to mention it, because it did not affect my reading enjoyment in the least, but the world hasn’t been explained as fully as it could have. Children are put into the Game to test commercial products and innovate their own. Outside of the Game they have no rights, are able to be monitored by their parents at all times and cannot enter certain shops. With children being the market research for the brands; how do the brands make the money? Adults don’t have the same tastes as teens and the teens can only buy from select outlets.

The world of The Unidentified is not something that bothers me because the novel, although entertaining, is an exploration of ideas and philosophy. In a world where people are the brands, everyone is watched constantly and nothing is a secret, how does someone find themselves? This is the question at the heart of The Unidentified. In our world, where everyone sells the image of what they are on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the dystopian world of The Unidentified is incredibly relevant.

Teens and adults alike will love this new dystopian read. While set in an unfamiliar future; its characters, corporations and society all ring true. It is the substance and strength of the characters that prevents the story being mired down in gloom; giving it a sweet twist that is hopeful and realistic all at once.

Unidentified – Rae Mariz

Harper Collins (January 31, 2011)

ISBN: 9780061802089