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buildhergender's reviews
931 reviews
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
I really liked the books.
I have been a computer geek since I was eight, yet I felt out-geeked by the writer of the book.
I think that there was a great progression of the main character from a selfish loner to someone who wants to help the world and you can believe that they might want to.
Typically a writer will throw in the hero of a story doing something good at the end just because it's expected, but I honestly felt that the change in the character was organic.
The world described was terrible, but I still wish I had the technology that they have
5.0
I really liked the books.
I have been a computer geek since I was eight, yet I felt out-geeked by the writer of the book.
I think that there was a great progression of the main character from a selfish loner to someone who wants to help the world and you can believe that they might want to.
Typically a writer will throw in the hero of a story doing something good at the end just because it's expected, but I honestly felt that the change in the character was organic.
The world described was terrible, but I still wish I had the technology that they have
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
4.0
First off, this was both a short story and a novel. I originally read the short story.
But here I am reviewing the novel.
The author mentions that he wrote this for children, and I can see the restraint he used in the violence, the language and the lack of sex, but still I feel the theme is a little too dark for children.
In the future human kind has survived two attacks from an alien race. Both times just barely. In order to make sure that they survive the third the governments of the world have banded together in a coalition and have set to finding the perfect warrior general.
Rather than the traditional route of waiting till your eighteen and then drafting you the government puts a kind of mind reader on every child. If the child shows the right potential he is drafted and sent to a school to train them to be the next leader.
It was hard to read what they put the protagonist, Ender, through and not think of what we do to our own soldiers. Like or dislike the war, we are sending our young out there and they will come back changed.
The question I believe best posed in this book is how much can we expect for one to sacrifice for the many. Their life, their freedom, their childhood?
But here I am reviewing the novel.
The author mentions that he wrote this for children, and I can see the restraint he used in the violence, the language and the lack of sex, but still I feel the theme is a little too dark for children.
In the future human kind has survived two attacks from an alien race. Both times just barely. In order to make sure that they survive the third the governments of the world have banded together in a coalition and have set to finding the perfect warrior general.
Rather than the traditional route of waiting till your eighteen and then drafting you the government puts a kind of mind reader on every child. If the child shows the right potential he is drafted and sent to a school to train them to be the next leader.
It was hard to read what they put the protagonist, Ender, through and not think of what we do to our own soldiers. Like or dislike the war, we are sending our young out there and they will come back changed.
The question I believe best posed in this book is how much can we expect for one to sacrifice for the many. Their life, their freedom, their childhood?
After America by John Birmingham
4.0
Part two of John's Birmingham's Without Warning Series.
For people who listen to audio books, it is terrible to listen to one then the next right after it. It might be the same reader, but it has been years in his life and he never does the same voices that he did the first time. Oh well.
What to say about this book.
I liked it.
There were still some of the problems I had with the previous books, where the narrative skips around from point to point of view but the times do not mesh.
In one narrative the author makes a comment about a protagonist noticing the still snow bound trees in Texas, and within a few pages we have another character spending hours in New York City's waterways. It isn't till half-way through the book that we realize that the first narrative is taking 5 months in the past and there seems to be no good reason for the author to have hidden this from us.
Three of the view points are from characters that were main characters in the first Novel.
Juilanne Balwyn, an assassin of many names and the president, I won't mention his name here in case someone hasn't read the first novel.
We are also introduced to two people who were secondary characters but who now have bigger rolls in this book.
Miguel Pieraro who has his whole family killed in front of him and must escape Texas with his only remaining family member and a Polish Sergeant who is trying to stay alive and clean up New York.
I felt the Miguel storyline was the standout. His story had brought to mind passages of Lonesome Dove.
If you liked the first book then you will like this one. If you haven't read the first one, then stop and read it first.
For people who listen to audio books, it is terrible to listen to one then the next right after it. It might be the same reader, but it has been years in his life and he never does the same voices that he did the first time. Oh well.
What to say about this book.
I liked it.
There were still some of the problems I had with the previous books, where the narrative skips around from point to point of view but the times do not mesh.
In one narrative the author makes a comment about a protagonist noticing the still snow bound trees in Texas, and within a few pages we have another character spending hours in New York City's waterways. It isn't till half-way through the book that we realize that the first narrative is taking 5 months in the past and there seems to be no good reason for the author to have hidden this from us.
Three of the view points are from characters that were main characters in the first Novel.
Juilanne Balwyn, an assassin of many names and the president, I won't mention his name here in case someone hasn't read the first novel.
We are also introduced to two people who were secondary characters but who now have bigger rolls in this book.
Miguel Pieraro who has his whole family killed in front of him and must escape Texas with his only remaining family member and a Polish Sergeant who is trying to stay alive and clean up New York.
I felt the Miguel storyline was the standout. His story had brought to mind passages of Lonesome Dove.
If you liked the first book then you will like this one. If you haven't read the first one, then stop and read it first.
Dead or Alive by Grant Blackwood, Tom Clancy
4.0
It has been a while since I read a good Clancy book. This is book two in the Jack Ryan Jr series. Yes the son of the Jack Ryan. The first book while interesting was really not of a high caliber compared to Clancy's other books, unless you talk about one of the umpteen million op center books. The ending of that last book seemed to be to short and lacking.
This book takes off right where the last one ended and does a lot better job of telling a story.
A little more action oriented then Clancy's regular, a bit more like Rainbow Six. But the agents work with less planing then you would expect of Clancy's protagonists and they pay a higher cost for it.
The book does a great job of setting up the future of the series.
This book takes off right where the last one ended and does a lot better job of telling a story.
A little more action oriented then Clancy's regular, a bit more like Rainbow Six. But the agents work with less planing then you would expect of Clancy's protagonists and they pay a higher cost for it.
The book does a great job of setting up the future of the series.
Dead of Night: A Zombie Novel by Jonathan Maberry
5.0
Another Maberry novel.
This novel is distinctive in that there is an explanation for the zombies. We also get to peek inside one of the zombie's heads, and it is not a pleasant ride.
Small town, overrun by zombies. Two cops and a reporter fighting for their and others survival, over-reaction of the government, this book has pretty much every stereotypical movie zombie cliche. Yet the book goes beyond this and far excels what the source material provides.
I am not sure I like the ending.
This novel is distinctive in that there is an explanation for the zombies. We also get to peek inside one of the zombie's heads, and it is not a pleasant ride.
Small town, overrun by zombies. Two cops and a reporter fighting for their and others survival, over-reaction of the government, this book has pretty much every stereotypical movie zombie cliche. Yet the book goes beyond this and far excels what the source material provides.
I am not sure I like the ending.
Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry
5.0
Book two of the Imahara series.
Again a young adult novel. But the limitations that this imposes does not keep this book from being a very satisfying read.
Again a young adult novel. But the limitations that this imposes does not keep this book from being a very satisfying read.
The Third Gate by Lincoln Child
4.0
Lincoln and Douglas have a long history of writing books together. Relatively recently they have started to write on their own.
So far Lincoln has done well on his individual efforts.
At times the plot was a bit formulaic, introduction to new ultra high tech explorer habitat. Oh it runs on methane gas you say? The pipes are threaded all through out the facility you say. Can anyone guess what will happen?
Still a great imaginative Egyptian yarn with some unusual mysticism, for Child at least, thrown in for good measure, all handled pretty well.
So far Lincoln has done well on his individual efforts.
At times the plot was a bit formulaic, introduction to new ultra high tech explorer habitat. Oh it runs on methane gas you say? The pipes are threaded all through out the facility you say. Can anyone guess what will happen?
Still a great imaginative Egyptian yarn with some unusual mysticism, for Child at least, thrown in for good measure, all handled pretty well.
Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver
4.0
I got the final twist in this one before it happened, but just barely.
It was great to see a new take on James Bond and I loved seeing Jeffery Deaver's touch on it.
Still a bit disappointing with the crooks ultimate goal. And there was a expected moment.
Hey we have a huge Methane Gas Line running through a huge complex, it is seeded throughout the ground. Anyone want to guess what happens to it?
It was great to see a new take on James Bond and I loved seeing Jeffery Deaver's touch on it.
Still a bit disappointing with the crooks ultimate goal. And there was a expected moment.
Hey we have a huge Methane Gas Line running through a huge complex, it is seeded throughout the ground. Anyone want to guess what happens to it?
Hater by David Moody
4.0
Decent book.
In the vein of zombie fiction, but not quite.
A bit of a plot twist 2/3rds of the way through, it is a bit predictable, but what he does with it is not.
In the vein of zombie fiction, but not quite.
A bit of a plot twist 2/3rds of the way through, it is a bit predictable, but what he does with it is not.