Angels and Demons, Dan Brown

Robert Langdon is a professor from Harvard, and after a highly successful book about symbols, he has received a lot of calls from people wanting him to look at ‘signs’ they’d received from God. But this call, at five thirty am, is different. The voice is quiet, and asks Robert to go to Geneva. Robert is incredulous at first, but a faxed picture changes his mind. A corpse, with the head twisted so that it faces the floor. And on its chest, the symbol of a group long thought to have been extinct. The Illuminati.

                The Illuminati were, or are, a group of thinkers and scholars which had decided to defy the church, and to speak out what they thought. With leaders such as Galileo, they projected their thoughts but were pacifist, trying to cooperate with the church rather than defy it. But the Illuminati got very violent, and were supposedly exterminated by the church. Supposedly. So when a highly volatile substance called antimatter is stolen from a lab; the same lab in which the corpse was found, the Illuminati are the obvious suspects.

There are two key characters; the rest are more secondary, and though they play important roles, not many of them are often mentioned.

Robert Langdon is a professor of symbology, and looks like ‘Harrison Ford in a tweed coat’. He swims fifty laps a day, and plays water polo well.

Vittoria Vetra is the daughter of the corpse, or the assassinated scientist. With him, she was working on recreating the Big Bang, where she discovered antimatter. It is an extremely explosive substance, and the amount stolen is exceptionally large; one quarter of a gram. This amount could blow up half a city, and due to the battery life of the anti matter container, and this gives Robert and Vittoria a 24 hour window to retrieve the container.

 

This story is aimed at all round audiences; I think eleven years up is fine, due to the simplistic style of writing. However, there are some rather gory parts which should be taken into account before reading the book.

                I think the book was a very good read, and that the twists in this story are exceptional; you can never be sure who the baddy really is. I give it a 9/10 rating, for the plot, and for the ambigrams.

Well done, Dan Brown!

Maximum Ride: Max, James Patterson

 

I found out that there was a new Maximum Ride book on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I bought it. That’s how good these series are. This one is no disappointment. I’m really enjoying the environmental view on these books. I think it’s a great way to get the message across to children.

                Max is 98% human, and 2% bird, because some evil scientists from a corporation called Itexicon (Itex for short) messed around with her genes when she was an embryo. So she’s stronger than the average grown man, she has a really efficient heart, and she’s filled with air sack so it’s easier for her to fly (she only weighs 95 pounds). And she has wings. As does the rest of her flock:

Max is fourteen, leader of the flock. She likes a good fight, and found out in ‘Maximum Ride: the Final Warning’ that her mum was Dr Martinez, a very nice avian scientist who has a human daughter (Ella). Because none of the flock know who their parents are.

Fang is second in command. He’s quiet, mysterious, and always wears dark clothes. He’s also fourteen years old.

Iggy is fourteen years old, but he’s blind, and assumes nowhere near as much responsibility as Max or Fang. He’s best friends with Gazzy, and he loves to build explosives (ie. Bombs).

Gazzy (or the Gasman – hint hint) is eight, also has an uncanny love for explosives and is Angel’s brother. They are the only blood siblings in the flock.

Angel is six. She can read minds, send telepathic messages to animals, fly (because of her wings), but other than that, she’s a normal six year old girl. Oh Yeah, and she can breathe underwater.

Nudge is eleven, and she can attract metals. She’s probably the most ‘normal’ member of the flock; she loves talking. She will talk about anything on her mind, and she’s easily the nicest one in the flock; she’s always the one to comfort a distressed flock member.

And Total. He’s a Scottie. A dog. But don’t call him that – he’ll get really mad at you. Because he can talk, and he’s just spurted wings.

                In this book, Mr Chu is the head of an evil corporation (sort of on the Itex level, but for different reasons), and he wants Max to severe her ties with CSM (or Coalition to Stop Madness – an environmental group). Being herself, she refuses, and it goes downhill from there. Mr Chu does some things to really annoy Max, and she’s going to stop him.

                Of course, the flock never does anything small scale, and now, they have the help of the US Navy. No more will be revealed. Bang on 9/10 for this book.

The General, Robert Muchamore

It’s going to be hard to write about this book without spoiling anything; there are a lot of major changes that happen, if you are a CHERUB fan. The beginning of the book is promising, what with the urban warfare training compound. But after, the book gets slightly off as James goes gambling. Even though it’s the sort of thing James would do, it’s completely off theme, and I don’t quite understand what Muchamore was trying to prove with this book.

                In previous books, Muchamore tackled difficult subjects, and he would describe the kids involved: Class A talked about how Junior was influenced by drugs, and The Fall had some very interesting points about human trafficking. But The General was just some training exercise. Unless I’m really missing out on something, I doubt Muchamore had an issue in mind when he wrote this book.

                However, the book is still very gripping, and the action (whilst it lasts) is very good. Also, I had to wait a long time for this book, and I think it was worth the wait. And again, it has a great balance of facts and fiction. So I give this book 7/10 , but I’m being particularly critical today; I’ve always given the books a high rating (exclude Dark Sun), and here is a more objective view on the series.

 

The Blood Red Horse, The DeGranvilles Trilogy, K.M Grant

 

What first attracted me to the book was its title. My love to animals inclines towards horses, and I was curious to see how an author would write about an animal gracious and fast, yet speechless.

                ‘The Blood Red Horse’ is not so much about horses as the bonds formed between people and animals during rough times; in this case, King Richard’s crusade.

                The story revolves around William DeGranville, a teen, who becomes a knight just before the crusade sets sail. Of course, he does have a blood red horse. He’s called Hossana, and he’s William’s war horse. William is going to fight with his brother and with his father; but which of the three will come back?

Already, there had been quite some action: Hossana has nearly been ridden to death, William’s brother, Gavin, has come back from the Holy Land the crusade is trying to capture slightly crazed, and William has been dumped in a horse trough. Just a small insight on what happens in the story: not just fighting.

                Life at home is also included: Ellie (Gavin’s wife to be) is having troubles; namely a man named Constable de Scabious, who is determined to marry Ellie now that he thinks all the DeGranvilles died in the crusade.

                I could go on but there are many more characters and all their stories intertwine, so it doesn’t really feel like ay character was invented for the sake of being there. It feels more like the story relies on all the characters to hold together.

                Another strong point in the book is its historic accuracy: though the author says he only based the story on the crusade, it is very accurate, in exception of a few points.

I give this book a 9/10 star rating, for its depth, and for the plot itself: gripping, intense, and kept in suspension until the last moment.

The City of the Beasts, Isabel Allende

Alex Cold. A spoilt, picky kid, who lives in California, goes to school, gets tantrums and has things he loves. In all respect, Alex Cold is nearly a split imitation of every one of us. So when he learns his mum has cancer and that he’ll have to stay with a much despised grandmother, his reaction is to be expected: he gets mad, and wreaks everything in his room.

The City of Beasts:

Alex is in New York with his grandmother, Kate. Kate is a writer for a popular magazine, International Geographic. She has an assignment in the Amazon, to look for a mythical beast who has recently been rampaging in the tropical forest, and since she has to look after Alex, he’s dragged their too. There, he meets Nadia, a Brazilian/Canadian girl who has never seen technology, and the other members of the International Geographic team. They head into the jungle, surrounded by invisible Indians.

Alex and Nadia develop a strong friendship, and together, they are lured by the trail of mysteriousness the Indians leave behind. So when they are kidnapped by the Indians, it seems to be more of a blessing than a curse.

This book took me a while to get into: I would begin to read it, but the beginning would put me off and make me put the book down. Don’t let this happen to you; just as it is difficult to really get into a book you’re reading, a writer needs a bit of time before they get into the book as well.

Just one thing: the plot in this book is not very important. It is more the story of Alex and Nadia as they find themselves.

And so, it scores a strong 9 ½ out of 10 star rating

The Witness, James Jauncey

After seeing the Blackriggs massacre; an atrocious act of cruelty, 15 year old John is on the run from the government, with information which could save Scotland from the one acre act. All he has to do is get that information to the rebels. Only one problem. He is accompanied by Ninian, a Fragile-X kid who has no way of expressing his emotions. No way of telling John how close much he knows the rebel leader.

                John is a natural hero in any sort of book: traumatized by the death of his younger brother, he keeps to himself and is generally the loner type. So he has devoted himself to hunting and music: or, more specifically, hunting and violin. He plays the ‘fiddle’ to his brother all the time. Until his house is stormed. By the government. Looking for him.

                Halfway through the story, he meets Lila, a girl willing to help the 2 boys. But with the government risking a heavy price if the information John knows gets out, every decision John takes could play a crucial part to the threesome’s survival. Trusting a friend could mean trusting an enemy. And lying to a stranger could mean losing a vital ally.

                I really enjoyed this book, and if it wasn’t for difficult timing, reading it in a sitting would have been no problem. From the beginning of the book, questions are being formed, and your curiosity starts to grow. The book also keeps the action going, with little drag or boringness to the story.

                This came as a shock to me, but this is based on a true story. A true story well worth reading. 8/10.

Boy kills Man, Matt Wyham

In the streets of Columbia, the poverty is so high that rich gang leaders can hire kids to do their ‘dirty work’. And they do just so, getting kids to kill and paying them next to nothing.

            Alberto and ‘Shorty’ have known each other since they can remember, and the two kids have all day to kill in the streets of Medellín. But when Alberto comes home with a wad of cash and a new jacket, Shorty is suspicious, and obviously asks questions. Questions Alberto won’t answer. And then, Shorty gets a glimpse at Alberto’s gun.

            A great book, about love and hate, with an ending just as shocking as the subject itself. Matt Wyham obviously put a lot of thought into this book, as the Shorty’s feeling are described in such a way that you feel he thinks he’s right, but you also have doubts about the way he considers his surroundings. 8/10

Man vs Beast, Robert Muchamore

If humans and animals are equal, wouldn’t be okay to murder one human if such and action would save many animals? That is what the AFM, Animal Freedom Militia is asking, and without an answer, proceeds into harming the many workers at one of the biggest testing factories in the world. Even Mac, an animal rights fighter and the chairman of Cherub, thinks that the AFM has stepped over the line. So three agents are sent in to take action.

            Another branch of Animal rights fighters is Zebra84, a group which has decided to bark but not bite; a group which would harness no violence and would instead stage protests in front of animal labs and such. Cherubs are used to eating meat and wearing leather, so being banned from that and not allowed to eat foods such as egg and milk is a real shock.

            Another great book, and a real gripper. More feeling is inserted, as Lauren states how useless she feels as the other agents make incredible progress, and she shows heart towards people who were injured by the AFM. 8/10.

The Recruit, Robert Muchamore

James Adams is used to a life of luxury: every Christmas, he would write down everything he wanted and his mum would steal it for him. Yes, steal. She was a thief. But one day, James gets into a fight with a girl, and she ends up with three stitches down her cheek. Her big brother comes to beat James up, and James can’t find a good explanation to tell his mum why he’s coming home with a black eye. He won’t have to explain to her…

Cherub is a spy division which recruits orphans with no family bonds, trains them to the limit, and puts them in missions adults would have no chance of solving. Because they’re kids. And no one suspects them. Basic training is supposed to be the hundred worst days of your life: you train till you’re close to tears, and then train some more. And if James survives that, there’s an even bigger surprise waiting…

A great start to a great series. 8/10.

The Sleepwalker, Robert Muchamore

 

When an Anglo-Irish Airliner crashes in the sea, all 345 passengers are killed. Police investigating can only draw a big blank, so when a boy calls the boy with supposed information, only to draw back at the last moment, it’s added to the piles of useless information drawn from the crash hotline. But Cherub thinks differently. They are ready to send in two agents, but for one drawback; psychiatrist reports state that the boy has a history of problems and only wants to draw attention to himself. But it’s the only lead and Cherub send in Lauren and Jake. Anyone who has read previous Cherubs will know that that’s a bad couple. That’s because the two kids hate each other bad. Because all Cherub agents are kids. Spy Kid, buffed up.

            This book was worth the wait, and great, but the story holds no real change to the Cherub community, as some other books have. Muchamore has, however, shown that not everyone gets in Cherub, a thought some readers may have thought when reading previous books. The book has some funny twists to it; a math whiz working in ‘chicken delight fast food’ with his ex… (hint hint!) And the mission is a deep one, unlike the rather disappointing ‘Dark Sun’.

            Another up, for cherub fans, is that Mac comes back, and, don’t miss the official website: www.cherubcampus.com ! Another Cherub book, another standard raiser! 8 ½ out of 10.