December Backlog Mini-Reviews

Twinmaker by Sean Williams
Out of Ten: 5/10
Review: I had a really hard time suspending disbelief with this book. Even I know that matter CANNOT be created, and that seemed to be exactly what happened in this book. It just didn't work, or otherwise wasn't explained at all, so I could not make myself believe it. That aside, the story was fairly simple, pretty standard as YA dystopia goes, and I couldn't connect to or empathise with any of the characters. The mystery of Q's identity was something that was quite easy to predict, so I wondered why Clair couldn't see it.

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Out of Ten: 7.5/10

Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I was somewhat disappointed be The Naturals early in 2014, and I wasn't sure if I was going to pick up the sequel, but I saw it at the library, and figured I might as well give it another try. While it wasn't perfect, I found I enjoyed this one a lot more. Part of it was, I think, that I knew what to expect going in (despite the serial killers and darker themes, these books contain a lot of levity). The writing had more flow now that the characters had been introduced, and the characters grated on me less than they did in the first one, for the most part. The story itself was engaging, though I did have a hard time suspending disbelief at some plot points. I'll probably be picking up the next one.

The Islands at the End of the World by Austin Aslan

Out of Ten: 6/10

Review: This was the last debut that I read in 2014, and while I didn't dislike it, I didn't feel much else about it either. There were aspects that I enjoyed, however I found that I really couldn't connect to Leilani, and I didn't enjoy some of the narrative decisions. Basically, as the plot went on, I found that it interested me less and less (the story itself disinterested me), but it was still alright. I'm not sure if I'll be finishing this duology or not.