The Supernaturalist: Review

The Supernaturalist
By: Eoin Colfer
Young-Adult Fiction

In the futuristic city of Satellite, Cosmo Hill is born with no family. He enters the Clarissa Fray Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, and dreams of breaking out. He gets his chance later, and finds himself part of a band of ghost hunters.

I really enjoyed this book. This is a pretty short book that would be easy to give to a reluctant reader. It's fast-paced and has a great ending.

I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Among the Hidden: Review

Among the Hidden

By: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Young Adult Fiction

Luke is illegal. Not because he's ever done anything wrong, but because his very existence is against the law. He's the third child of his parents when they are only allowed two. In this futuristic society (or alternate reality, you decide), the government is totalitarian. They control the population with population police, the land, what can and can't be farmed, and the type of food that can be produced. The woods around Luke's house are sold to the government, and new houses go up. One day, while looking out the vent in the attic, Luke thinks he sees the face of another child. Is it possible there are more third children?

With the government banning and controlling everything from trans fats to farm subsidies, this book has some very strikingly similar parallels to our time. The book was thought provoking. Sometimes the plot was a little choppy and the character development left a little to be desired. I think my biggest complaint is that this book is clearly a sequel. There is a lot that still needed to be explained, and it wasn't done sufficiently in the first book. But, it's a short read, only 153 pages, and overall very good. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Epic: Review

Epic
By: Conor Kostick
Young-Adult Fiction

Erik lives in a world where violence is outlawed. The MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) "Epic" is used to settle all conflicts, and eventually becomes the form of government in the world. The better you do in the game, the more supplies you get, and some even get a chance to attend the university. Better players live in better areas and have better jobs and homes. Erik and his friends discover a loophole in the game that makes them rich. Soon, they begin to unravel the entire system that has been built, and the Committee is none too pleased.

I really enjoyed this book. However, I have to give a caveat that I love the MMORPG "World of Warcraft." I thought this was a fascinating take on post-apocolyptic fiction. I could imagine many of the places and races that were being portrayed in the story. But, this book is not for every one. I would not recommend this book to someone that doesn't like or hasn't played a MMORPG. Many of the passages and descriptions will be too confusing. But, it was well-written, and a captivating read. I really struggled with how many stars to give it, since it's not a book I would recommend to most people. In the end, I settled on 5 out of 5.