Review #5 - The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

General Comments:  A quick note about Young Adult fiction in general.  I am usually not a fan.  Even when I was a young adult I was not a fan.  Granted, things have come a long way since then, but I still try to avoid pretty much anything with a YA label.  So why did I read The Hunger Games?  I was intrigued.  Everyone I know personally who has read these books loved them. That includes my mother, three sisters, brother-in-law, and sister's boyfriend.  This is a selection of people who have really diverse tastes in literature.  I wouldn't have thought it would be possible to find a book that appealed to all of them.  Thus, when I learned they had all read The Hunger Games trilogy, and loved it, I had to see for myself.

I'm reviewing this trilogy together instead of the three books separately, because altogether they form a single narrative unit.  The main character is consistent throughout, and while each has a distinct plot, they don't really work as stand-alones.

Characterization:  This is probably the part I hate the most about YA.  I was never really a typical teenager so most of the time I find the main character of YA novels to be too distant to really connect with.  I don't generally understand why the problems are even a problem to begin with, and so many things that occupy the pages of YA books, from my perspective, seem silly.  That being said, I actually really liked Katniss.  Maybe it's because she has real problems.

The dystopian setting doesn't really lend itself to the moody and overly dramatic tone of a lot of other teen lit.  Yes, the character has a lot of characteristics of a teenage girl.  She spends a lot of time sorting out her feelings over boys, she can be whiny and dramatic, and she is extremely self-absorbed, but this is also counterbalanced by the fact that she kind of has a right to be.  The things she experiences are nothing short of horrific.  Her life is not easy, and she has a sense of real responsibility.  I guess I can forgive her more caustic personality traits because ultimately she's just a kid, and in the span of these three books she's given a lot to handle.

The other characters are also amazing.  Since the trilogy is written in first person I'm impressed at how much presence the other characters have.  Beyond just their impact on Katniss and interactions with her, the rest of the cast seems to exist beyond the scope of what the reader is given.  That takes skill to accomplish.

Plot:  Where do I even begin with this one?  There is a lot of material here.  The three books total over a thousand pages and Collins makes each one of those pages count.  The plot is intriguing.  The story is complex, but not overly so and I feel that the books took exactly the right amount of time to tell it.  The trilogy builds on itself.  The Hunger Games is pretty simple and straightforward, with the other two getting more complex.

One thing I thought was particularly strong about the plot is that it's filtered through the character so a lot of the time there's more going on than she's aware of, but at the same time there is enough detail that it's still easy to follow.  Something that really impressed me is that Collins isn't afraid to take chances and certainly doesn't shield her audience from what are some pretty horrific events.  There is violence, but it is never gratuitous, and at the same time, Collins doesn't shy away from it either.

Writing:  The writing is a particular strength of these books.  The prose isn't anything super special, it isn't especially poetic or complex, but it is wonderfully crafted.  One of the considerations has to be that this is teen lit.  The level of the writing needs to reflect the reading level of the audience, and I think it does this.  But somehow Collins manages to preserve a subtle intricacy in her writing.  This woman is a more than capable writer.  I'm going to give an example of what I think was the most impressive part of the trilogy in terms of writing and I'm going to try really hard not to give anything away.

If you don't know by now, people die in these books.  The premise is a tournament to the death, so hopefully that wasn't too revealing.  There are a couple of characters that die and have a significant impact on the story, but their deaths are almost a side note to the larger events of the story at that moment.  My reaction to those deaths was one of shock and disbelief since they were so overlooked and seemed like they should have been more than just a  footnote.  As a reader, I have a horizon of expectation that the attention given to an event in a story will reflect the significance of that event within the story.  This didn't happen.  Collins managed to play on my expectations as a reader to elicit a reaction that exactly mirrored the reaction of the main character - shock and disbelief.  That ability to evoke the desired reaction from the reader not through the shock value of the events, but through a subtle manipulation of the writing style is what earned these books five stars.

Setting:  The setting is also well done, but is actually one of the weaker elements of the stories.  I'm not sure how I feel about something set in a future dystopic North America.  Not because I dislike the idea, but because I'm not sure if it creates the correct tone for the books.  On the one hand it hits a lot closer to home, but on the other it's so different from the world we live in that it's almost unrecognizable and so I think it loses that impact.

The other real weakness of the setting is the frequent passages of pure information that are required to explain it.  It could be argued that this is a weakness in the writing, but the passages don't ever really break the rhythm of the narrative.  They fit with the rest of the writing so it isn't entirely a writing issue.

Whatever the issue, the setting is imaginative and vibrant.  The imagery is vivid and demonstrates that clear thought has been put in to developing this world.  Panem comes with a complete history that has depth and complexity.  The different places the story takes place in are clear and distinct and the setting reflects the story, almost becoming another character.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Review #4 - Corambis, Sarah Monette

General Comments: Synopsis can be found here.  I actually enjoyed this one less than the other three.  I found the ending disappointing, the character development rushed, and the writing not up to the usual standard.  The end is anticlimactic and while that in itself is not an insurmountable fault, combined with the sudden self-revelations of the characters and the transparent plot devices the whole thing just feels false. It's the first time in any of these books I felt the characters or plot seemed contrived. It was all just a little off. That being said, it may seem like I really disliked this book. I didn't. It wasn't as good as the others, but it wasn't bad either. It just wasn't as good as I know it could have been.

Characterization:  Again, Corambis features a third character: Kay.  I was really impressed with the style Monette chose for his voice. He speaks in a really archaic way, which includes changes in syntax and the exclusion of unnecessary pronouns.  The characters experience some profound growth, Felix especially, and while I'm sure that this will make some people happy, I actually found this to be one of the weaker aspects of the book.  After building such strong and realistic characters with interesting development, the sudden revelations they experience right at the end seem to come out of nowhere.

Plot:  The plot felt a little flat.  I found the ending to be rushed and a little superficial.  I hate spoilers so I'll try to make this as vague as possible. There has been a common thread throughout the entire quadrilogy. For someone paying attention, the fact that the series is called the "Doctrine of Labyrinths" is a big clue. Since this is a common theme one would expect that this is building up to something, and it does, it's just that the something it builds up to isn't all that exciting.

Writing:  To be honest, the writing just isn't as good as it has been up until now.  For the first time the different styles used to delineate characters slips and some of the characters end up speaking in the wrong way.  The styles are all very distinct, so when the character does not stay true to his particular style it is very apparent. I found this more than a little distracting.

Setting: The setting is definitely worth a mention; there were a number of things I especially liked.  This book moves more towards a system of magic realism as Corambis (the location within the story) utilizes magically and mundanely powered machines, including trains and indoor plumbing.  While there are aspects of modernization present it still doesn't lose the fantasy feel, and the more modern society of Corambis doesn't seem overpowered, it is nicely balanced with the greater setting at large.  


One of the things that really came out in this book that was perhaps present, but never really emphasized in the previous three is the actual workings of the magic system.  I think Monette has found a really nice balance between "hard" and "soft" magic as characterized by Brandon Sanderson.  In theory, the magic system present in Doctrine of Labyrinths is unlimited, placing it in the realm of soft magic, but it is restricted within the story.  Magic is limited by how people frame their understanding of it.  As Felix puts it in the book, it's all about the metaphor that one utilizes in order to frame their understanding of it and subsequently use magic.  Magic that is limited and follows specific rules in accordance with whichever school one adheres to is hard magic.  I thought this was especially unique and a very interesting blend of two usually opposed magical systems.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Review #3 - The Mirador, Sarah Monette

General Comments:  I don't really have any specific criticisms of this book.  Once again it's a solid read, but still missing that 'wow' factor.  At the end of The Virtu everything had been resolved, so I was very interested to see where The Mirador would take the story.  If you're looking for a synopsis one can be found here.

Characterization: One of the first things to note is the introduction of a new voice.  Felix and Mildmay are still there, but in addition to them we have the perspective of Mehitabel, a character introduced in The Virtu.  At first I was not taken with the introduction of a new character, but she grew on me.

I would also like to make a note about Felix.  I've read some other reviews and they all seem particularly harsh regarding him.  Granted, Felix is not an especially likeable character.  He has many, many flaws, but I think that's what I appreciate the most.  Felix is a broken character who shows substantial realistic growth over the course of the books, his growth includes some backslides into his more negative aspects.  I respect a writer who can give such an abrasive character so much depth.  It's difficult not to appreciate him, even if I don't really like him.

Plot:  The plot is decent, if a bit predictable.  The thing I like the most about the plot was that the events were predictable, but the characters weren't.  Not everything works out perfectly and this is often due to one or another of the characters missing something or just behaving badly.  I really like that there was an element of human error to the story, as all too often everyone involved is just a little too good at what they do.

Writing:  The writing is good, but that is to be expected.  I'm still impressed that with the addition of yet another character each of the voices still retain their own unique style.

Setting:  This one is set almost exclusively in the Mirador (not surprising considering the title).  The setting is interesting and adequately serves the purposes of the story.

Overall Rating: 4/5