Half Brother: By Kenneth Oppel

HALF BROTHER

SUMMARY

For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan -- an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he's not the only one his father's going to scrutinize.

It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more

than just an experiment. His father disagrees. To him, Zan is only a specimen, no more, no less. And this is going to have consequences. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true -- between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate.

Half Brother isn't just a story about a boy and a chimp. It's about the way families are made, the way humanity is judged, the way easy choices become hard ones, and how you can't always do right by the people and animals you love.

REVIEW

I’ve heard Kenneth Oppel’s name before in association with his award winning Arborn. He’s written numerous other books as well, including his bestselling Silverwing series as well as his follow up sequels to Airborn, Starclimber and Skybreaker. But Half Brother is the first book that I personally have read of his.

And I have to say he is one talented writer.

Half Brother tells the story of Ben and his parents experiment, Zan. Zan is a chimpanzee, who was brought to Ben’s house when Ben’s parents decided to conduct the experiment to try to train Zan to speak via ASL (American Sign Language). They raised Zan as a human and as part of their family. But as the experiment starts to receive criticism for a lack of results, (a situation that Oppel makes abundantly clear is at the fault of the experimenters recording rules and mechanisms) the family is forced to make some difficult decisions. But after two years living as Ben’s family, how can you just toss away your own half brother.

I was expecting Half Brother to focus on an issue such as animal cruelty to a fault, but in fact Half Brother was an incredible mix of different issues and story aspects. The setting takes place in early 1970’s Victoria, Canada, and it is here that Oppel does an amazing job of introducing us to the characters. Readers will love and relate to Ben and his struggles with his friends, family, and morals, and they will feel anger, frustration, and angst whenever he deals with his control freak of a father.

But what is most impressed me about the book was the level of writing Oppel demonstrates. I found myself emotionally charged by the book. I was ecstatic when Zan started signing, and I felt my chest tighten in fear and sadness when Ben and Zan had to say goodbye.

All in all I couldn’t put the book down. I finished it in a day and felt content and happy. Oppel does an amazing job crafting the story and creating the characters readers will learn to love, making this an unforgettable tale. Because of all these aspects and more, I personally plan to read Oppel’s past works and would have no qualm recommending this book to anyone looking for a fun engaging read.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Published: September 1, 2010

Price: $17.99

Payback Time: Carl Deuker

PAYBACK TIME

SUMMARY

Through the eyes of a distinctly non-athletic protagonist—a fat high school journalist named Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel. When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past—or at least not one he is willing to discuss. Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel's incredible talent off the field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field. Is he an undercover cop, wonders Mitch? Or an ineligible player? In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this player is and what he's done. In the end, the truth surprises everyone.

REVIEW

From the moment I picked up Payback Time I couldn’t put it down.

Payback Time is a fantastic book that allows its readers to relate to the protagonist in a number of different ways. Including his demeanor and struggles with weight and recognizing what he wants to do in his life. And it is through these struggles that we are able to see the protagonist, Mitch, grow.

Payback Time is an interesting mixture of a young adult, sports, and mystery novel. It is this unique combination that allows Deuker to completely capture the audience’s attention. Whenever the story starts to slow down readers will be swept up into an action packed description of a fourth and out play that Mitch is reporting on, bringing a fresh sense to the book and reviving this adrenaline charged book.

But the real excitement of the story is centered around Mitch, the protagonist, snooping around Angel, the mysterious football player who seems to old and is sensational, yet downplays how good he on the field. Angel’s past slowly unfurls in front of Mitch, but when the mystery is solved, and the worst happens, it’s up to Mitch to see what kind of person he really is and try to help fix the problem that he created.

While most authors would flounder about with this kind crisis, and try to have the character make decisions that don’t make any sense or have them have unrealistic conclusions. Deuker’s characters are true and accurate. And it is through his sensational character development that he is able to show the change that Mitch makes, allowing his conclusion to really end with a bang.

Between the exciting football games, the unfolding mystery of Angel, and Deuker’s engrossing characters this is a great book. I personally couldn’t put it down, and I would recommend it to fans of young adult sports books, mysteries, and anyone just looking for a good book.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Published: September 6, 2010

Price: $16.99

Ghost of a Chance: By Simon R. Green

GHOST OF A CHANCE

SUMMARY

The Carnacki Institute exists to "Do Something" about Ghosts-and agents JC Chance, Melody Chambers, and Happy Jack Palmer will either lay them to rest, send them packing, or kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses with extreme prejudice.

REVIEW

I’ve been a fan of Simon R. Green for years. I’ve read almost everything he’s written, and with differing levels of enjoyment for each of them, I’ve liked them all.

That is until now.

Green’s latest book, Ghost of a Chance, is utterly horrible. I really wanted to like it and even gave it more of a chance than I would other books, but it was just bad. It seemed poorly written (which shocked me as this author is a fun and talented writer), contained weak and un-engaging characters, and had a plot that couldn’t support a tea leaf.

But more than anything else, it was just boring. The story starts out with the main characters in a situation that looks like it will require, battle, bloodshed, and brandishing of cool and unique weapons. But Green doesn’t do any of this, he fixes the situation without having the characters do anything. In fact one of the main characters, JC, just tricks the evil ghost into submission.

Really the whole thing comes across as a bad joke. Like a bad spin off of the Ghostbusters. But what’s more, Green spent too much time trying to break up the segments for the main characters. He was able to do this successfully with his Deathstalker series, but this time the characters just weren’t relatable or engaging, or at the very least interesting.

While I’m a huge fan of Simon R. Green, I really think he could have done a better job with this. He has proven himself to write antihero characters well, he has written intricate plots before, and he has some of the most original ideas I’ve read in his Nightside series. But he just didn’t perform in this book. I hope his other books will still have the panache they’ve had in the past, but as for this series, I can confidently say, thus far it’s a sensational disappointment.

RATING

4 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Ace

Published: August 31, 2010

Price: $7.99

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Interview

SCOTT PILGRIM vs. THE WOLRD INTERVIEW

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the major motion picture based on the cult-favorite graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (also known for Live Free or Die Hard), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Chuck, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) and Anna Kendrick(Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Up in the Air) sit down with the Whatchamacallit Reviews to joke about being superheros (or villians), playing music, and Comicon. If you haven’t seen Scott Pilgrim yet, consider going as soon as you can.

Whatchamacallit Reviews: What first attracted each of you to the project?

Brandon Routh: Well nobody was able to read the script until they were cast, essentially, so it was the possibility of working with Edgar Wright that attracted me to the project. Once we were cast, we were able to read the source material and that was just kind of icing on the cake because it was such a cool concept.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead: Yeah, I was attracted to it because Edgar Wright was directing and he gave me books to read and eventually, the script came along. The script was amazing, the rest of the cast was amazing, there was nothing that could deter me from the project.

Anna Kendrick: I was a big fan of Edgar’s work and I was just like “Yes please!”

WR: How much of the fighting scenes were done by you?

MW: We had to do a lot of it. Michael and I trained every day for two months like eight hours a day, all the exes would sort of rotate coming to town and train for a bit. We did boot camp training, kung fu training, fight choreography…the stunt team really wanted us to do as much as possible. They tailored the choreography to be stuff that we could achieve, but the stunt guys were always there to step in at a moments notice and take over and they definitely did some amazing stunts in the movie. The majority of it is us though.

WR: Any fight mishaps?

MW: I had one; it was as much my fault as it was Ellen’s. In my fight with Ellen, at the end of the movie, I took one of Knives’ knives to the eye and got slashed in the eye, had a black eye for the day. She was so into it and coming at me, and as I was turning I kind of took it to the eye. At that point, for some reason, we weren’t using Styrofoam knives, we were using metal and wood, crafted into a point, but from that point on, we used Styrofoam knives.

BR: I was reaching for fliers at the “Clash of Demonhead” concert and I was looking for one in mint condition and as I picked one up, I hit my head. Had to sit down for a while, everybody laughed. I didn’t pass out, but I probably hit it hard enough that I could have given myself a concussion.

WR: Did your dance training help with the fight choreography?

MW: It did a lot, it was counted out like “5,6,7,8” and a lot of it, we knew they would be musically focused, that the beats would match up but at the same time, I had to focus on not making them look like dance moves.

WR: Did your past work in other super hero movies help in this film?

BR: Well, I kind of felt like the old man on campus, talking to people about being in a harness, because I knew what that was like. So with the stunt crew, I kind of knew what was going on and didn’t feel as awkward about that whole situation. I knew all the tricks it just saved some time. I was used to the pain it induces, so it wasn’t as bad.

MW: For me, it helped having already done something that was as stylized, where performances were over the top. It didn’t seem that much of a stretch because I had done something similar in tone.

WR: If you were a superhero, what would be your super power and your super hero name?

BR: My name would be “Justice Man” and I would use my power to seek truth.

AK: My name would be “Pixie Fuller” because that’s my porn name, and my power would be invisibility and I would not use it for good.

MW: I could be like Rosie the Riveter.

BR: Retro Girl! You could point at things and it would take it back in a time warp. I play this game all the time.

WR: What was the most memorable experience of comic con?

MW: The most memorable was definitely the screening. The screening was amazing. The fans loved it and it was really special to experience that with that.

WR: What do you want viewers to take away from the movie?

MW: For me, it’s just such a true story of people in their twenties in relationships. You’re getting out of your teenage years, but you’re still not quite mature enough to handle a break up properly and you put someone else before yourself. It’s kind of good to put a mirror on all of us that way and say “Yeah, we have all treated someone really thoughtlessly, especially in a breakup.” It’s really horrible, but we need to realize we’ve all done it. We need to realize that we have evolved and matured beyond that. So many people in this film are going through similar arcs.

BR: There is a line in the movie where Gideon says “Don’t let the past ruin your future” and that’s what it is really about to me. It’s echoed in many ways in the movie, past relationships, past period, you have to get over your past to truly move forward in love or in anything else. It’s pretty powerful. There are some who think this movie is just about comic books and flashy stuff, but there are so many undertones that give it heart.

WR: What is your favorite scene in the movie?

AK: I like the scene in the alley with Mae [Whitman] the first time she [Roxy] attacks him.

MW: I love the little things in the movie you pick up that you don’t notice the first time around.

BR: Right now I’m liking that scene where Scott is stalking Ramona at the party because I love that Frank Black song.

The Black Prism: By Brent Weeks

THE BLACK PRISM

SUMMARY

Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. But Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live: Five years to achieve five impossible goals.

But when Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.

REVIEW

With a startlingly original spin on abilities and powers Brent Weeks’ The Black Prism is clearly a must read for fantasy fans.

The Black Prism is an excellent book that will have readers captivated within the first few pages. The story revolves around the Guile family and the war, deceit, intrigue that accompany this powerful family. Without revealing any secrets within the book, the Guiles are the current ruling family of the land. They are known for their deceit and trickery almost as much as they are known for their involvement in causing a civil war that killed millions and split the country in two over which brother should take over as president, or Prism. This is the background for the book and as the story continues the details become clearer and the deceit more intricate.

The Black Prism is unlike any book I’ve read in a long time. It is primarily a family political novel with magic and adventure thrown in for good measure. And yet it is so much more than that. Because of Weeks’ fantastic writing style each battle is elaborate and gruesome, the details flawless, and the magic sensational. And it’s with these amazing details and elaborate action that coupled with the intricate family politics of the book that make The Black Prism amazing.

All in all the best way I can describe this book is by saying that I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up late reading it, and started reading it immediately when I woke up. Basically for the period of time that I was reading The Black Prism I was comatose to the rest of the world. But it was worth it. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year and one of the first ones that I’ve been anticipating and excited for that hasn’t let me down. Truly a great book and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

RATING

10 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Orbit

Published: August 25, 2010

Price: $25.99

Black Swan Rising: By Lee Carroll

BLACK SWAN RISING

SUMMARY

When New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a vintage silver box for a generous sum of money. Oddly, the symbol of a swan on the box exactly matches the ring given to her by her deceased mother. Garet can’t believe her luck and this eerie coincidence until she opens the box and otherworldly things start happening. . . .

That evening, the precious silver box is stolen. When Garet begins to investigate, she learns that she has been pulled into a prophecy that is hundreds of years old, and opening the box has unleashed an evil force onto the streets of Manhattan and the world at large. Gradually, Garet pieces together her true identity—one that her deceased mother desperately tried to protect her from. Generations of women in Garet’s family, including her beloved mother, suffered and died at the hands of this prevailing evil. Does Garet possess the power to reclaim the box and defeat this devastating force?

On her journey, she will meet the fey folk who walk unnoticed among humans and a sexy vampire who also happens to be a hedge fund manager that she can’t stop thinking about. But the fairies reveal a desire to overpower mere humans and the seductive vampire has the power to steal the life from her body. Whom can Garet trust to guide her? Using her newfound powers and sharp wit, Garet will muster everything she’s got to shut down the evil taking over her friends, family, New York City, and the world.

REVIEW

With flawless details and sensational writing Black Swan Rising will captivate readers from the first page.

Black Swan Rising is the first in an intricate and engaging urban fantasy trilogy about the struggles and adventures of the last in a long line of women sworn to protect the world from evil. The story starts out with the protagonist Garet stumbling into a strange antique store, where she meets the odd and enigmatic shopkeeper John Dee, who commissions her to open a vintage silver box that surprisingly matches the emblem on her ring. From there the story takes off, as Garet unleashes devastating forces into the world again by opening the box.

Between its engaging and charismatic characters, the mysterious elements that slowly unfold about Garet’s family past, and the nonstop action that encompasses Black Swan Rising, there aren’t any slow or boring pieces to the sensational story.

Black Swan Rising will appeal mainly to those readers looking for something new in the urban fantasy genre, those tired of dystopian fantasy, angels, and vampires (although there is a sexy vampire in this book it is not even remotely close to the same vein as Twilight). And it will stick with those readers, leaving them on their toes waiting for the next in the series to come out, giving it the makings of a interesting fun book.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Tor Books

Published: August 3, 2010

Price: $14.99

The Atlantis Complex: By Eoin Colfer

THE ATLANTIS COMPLEX

SUMMARY

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies - not humans - and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind – and the grips of a giant squid – in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?

REVIEW

I’ve been a fan of Eoin Colfer and The Artemis Fowl series for years now. I’ve read pretty much everything Colfer’s written and pretty much loved all of it. That said I honestly feel The Atlantis Complex was one of Colfer’s weakest books in the Fowl series.

The story revolves around Artemis losing his mind. The once great mastermind has finally come up against the one thing he can’t plan against, the degeneration of his brain. The Atlantis Complex is painted as something similar to an advanced case of OCD, paranoia, and multiple personality disorder all rolled up into one horrific disease.

As the story unfolds we being to see the old Artemis return, but only briefly in-between the immersion of Artemis’s other persona, Orion. Orion is an annoying, stereotypical knight in shinning armor wanting type of guy. We are meant to dislike him, but personally I feel Colfer did to well of a job in this. Orion is painful to read and I found myself wanting to skim over hos dialog just to get back to the “good stuff”.

I understand why Colfer made the decision he did about having Artemis’s mind deteriorate, as he had beaten everything else, but I just wish it were better. Personally I felt like it was a longer version of a novella that could have been cut a few hundred pages and no one would be the wiser.

That said, I’m still a huge fan of the series. Colfer leaves off in one of the first true cliffhangers in the series, and I personally can’t wait to read the next in the series. The characters were still engaging, the story still fast paced, and the overall book still well written, I’ve just come to expect a higher caliber of book from Mr. Colfer over the years. And while this book would be a masterpiece for other authors, I feel I’ve become spoiled with the constant level of sensationalism that surrounds his books.

RATING

7 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Published: August 3, 2010

Price: $17.99