The Replacement

The Replacement is a Young Adult novel by Brenna Yovanoff about a misfit teen who only wants to be normal.

Mackie is a special sort of outcast: The kind that can't enter consecrated ground or tolerate being around iron. He lives in a town where mothers hang steel over cribs to protect their babies and where quartz buried in their backyard will cause the yard to stay green longer in the fall. The folks of Gentry know that Mackie is different but as long as he pretends to be normal, they are more than happy to pretend along with him.

Mackie can no longer pretend to be normal when a stranger from beneath the slag heap tells him that he's dying -- and that he knows someone who can help. Life becomes even more complicated when Mackie's schoolmate, Tate, experiences the death of her sister. However, Tate insists that it wasn't her sister that died, but a lookalike. Tate also starts to demand answers from Mackie, but all Mackie wants is to blend in.

Life takes an unexpected twist when Mackie starts to hang out with the Morrigan and feels at home among the dead that no one else wanted. In the process, he learns more about his heritage and refuses to choose between the humans that raised him and the Fae who can keep him alive. To make matters worse, Mackie discovers that not only is Tate's sister still alive, but that she is scheduled to be sacrificed for the prosperity of Gentry if Mackie doesn't step in.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the creepy cover; more specifically, why you would need to dangle sharp, metal objects over a baby carriage. I was also fascinated by the words chosen to describe this book: eerie, haunting, and beautiful. When I read the back, I was hooked. I love Fae stories and it isn't very often that changelings enter the story, let alone be the main character.

The author's interpretation of the replacements, the ritual sacrifices, and how they were related was fascinating. Even Gentry and its involvement with the Fae, along with its gradual decline into ruin, creates an interesting history for a town that once mined iron.

I think one of the main themes in this book is tolerance versus prejudice, and about how familial love and acceptance can shape who you become, regardless of the circumstances of your birth. The friendships in this book essentially state the same thing.

In terms of character development, I think only Mackie changed. He finally accepted himself as a whole rather than trying to hide his true nature from those closest to himself. By pretending to be wholly human, he was literally killing himself, and it wasn't until his sister took a chance on him that he felt better.

The only part of this book that I was confused by was the semi-naked make out scene. I didn't think it fit the story or the characters. Mackie read into it as her way of saying thanks, but there was nothing prior to that to indicate that Tate was into giving sexual favours for information, unless I completely missed something before that.

I would highly recommend this book. I found that Brenna asked questions that she answered later, which made for an informative read. While the ending seemed a little dull compared to the build up, it also fit the self-discovery theme of the story. I kept expecting the book to turn creepy, but it never did. Even the spookier characters were written so the reader would feel sympathetic to the character. The only word I can think of to describe this book is fascinating and it definitely lived up to my expectations.

Changes!

So, here's the thing: I want to streamline this blog so that it will be easier to follow story lines, especially since many of my posts are about books in a series. I'm just not sure how to do that. And I've also read a couple books now that are part a couple series already blogged about, so now I'm behind in my posts.

I want to keep updating, but I need to think about how I want this blog to read so it may take a while before I get back to it.

The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy

It's been a while since I've blogged about a book and I feel a little guilty.  One, it isn't like I have stopped reading - quite the opposite! - but more because I haven't felt like blogging.  Two, it's because I have another blog that keeps me more active (and interested).  Thirdly, since I'm no longer working, I've been idling away my time with fluff romance books that I'm a little embarrassed to admit to reading.  And sometimes the time and thought processes that go into a book review, I feel, just aren't worth my time if I'm reading something that isn't provoking any actual thoughts.

That being said, I just finished a book that not only made me laugh, a lot, but made me also want to pass on the advice I learned.  Recommended by my very good friend, The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine is hilarious.  It's a no-nonsense (and entirely nonmedical) approach to pregnancy; more like having a coffee date with your best friends and chatting about their experiences and what they learned while pregnant.  It is forthright and non-judgemental while still being informative.  And entirely non-PC!  She tells you that what you're feeling is normal, while giving you examples from her own pregnancies or that of her friends, and if it isn't, she suggests heading to your nearest OB to get it checked out.  Covering everything from infertility and miscarriages to delivery and life after pregnancy, Vicki's commentary is funny, frank, and sometimes gory, in her desire to cover all the bases. 

From a Canadian perspective on an American pregnancy book, the only differences would be the medical practices and tests.  Otherwise, giving birth is giving birth, with all the terror and confusion included, regardless of which country you call home.  One of the things I admired most was her ability to cover the little aspects of pregnancy as well as the embarrassing ones.  And the way she tells her stories makes you believe you're sitting right there hearing them!

I highly recommend this book - but only if you're already pregnant or have already had children.  Otherwise, the graphic nature of this book may compel you to decide against ever having children of your own.  And be warned if you are pregnant: my hormones caused me to laugh hysterically and then promptly bawl my eyes out.

Specials

The third book in his trilogy, Scott Westerfield continues Tally's story in Specials.

As predicted, Tally has been turned into a Special; however, as one of Shay's Cutters, she's a special Special.  As the name suggests, the Cutters use self-mutilation as a way to stay "icy".  Tally is unsatisfied as a Cutter since Zane is not a part of their group.  Finding him crippled, Tally and Shay decide that if he escapes from New Pretty Town that Dr. Cable will have to make him Special.  And to help him, they break into the Armory to find a cutting tool that will remove the tracking collar he has around his neck.  Unfortunately, when they were discovered by the guard, Shay released nanos that ended up eating through the building, destroying it in the process.

After releasing Zane, Tally follows the Crims at a distance, staying undercover and helping them when they are nearly discovered.  At the pickup point, Tally stows onboard and is taken to another City which has a more liberal point of view than the one Tally grew up in.  For example, there are no standards for cosmetic surgery, so Tally is able to hide out in the open with her Special face.  While there, she finds Fausto, a kidnapped Cutter that Shay had set out to find.  However, he attempts to make Tally un-Special; in the escape, Tally winds up in a hospital where she is deemed a deadly weapon and is scheduled to be de-Specialized. 

When Shay shows up to free Shay from the operation, she explains how Dr. Cable has declared war on the City, since she doesn't believe that the Crims or Smokies could have destroyed the Armory.  The aftermath of Dr. Cable's revenge has left Zane brain-dead and Tally spends the next 3 days flying back to the Special Headquarters to turn herself in.  Meeting David in the Ruins has strengthened her resolve to make things right, and he also gives her an antidote in case she changes her mind about being Special.  Reaching HQ, Tally is tricked and trapped; but manages to slip Dr. Cable the antidote in the process.  Due to her changed perspective, Dr. Cable ends up ruining her own position in the war and all of the Specials are de-Specialized.  Just before Tally's operation, Dr. Cable saves her from the procedure and Tally runs off to the Ruins to meet up with David again.

In the end, all of Tally's friends become allies of the new movement; however, Tally is determined to keep them from becoming like the Rusties and has declared herself (and David) to be the enemy of their cause.

I liked the book and I think Tally matured in this story.  And I liked how it ended, with Tally setting herself up as the antagonist.  I know there's another story, Extras, which I'm assuming ties up the story, although the author could have let it end there. 

The next story that I'm reading is Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut as part of the Banned Book Club. 

Pretties

Yay!  Book two of the Uglies trilogy, Pretties, by Scott Westerfield continues the story of Tally Youngblood after she turned pretty.  After her operation, Tally turned into a fluffy pretty whose biggest worries were what to wear to the next party - with a hangover.  With the help of Shay and Peris, Tally is voted into the hippest clique in New Pretty Town, the Crims, and her life is complete!  On the same night, Croy comes to Tally and leaves a "bubbly riddle" for Tally and her friend, Zane.

Discovering a note written from herself, Tally splits the pills with Zane that will cure her of the lesions implanted in her brain.  Their trick results in Tally and Zane having to wear metal cuffs that could potentially eavesdrop on their conversations; however, this doesn't deter them from finding new ways to stay bubbly.  Zane and Tally have decided to run away and they use all the members of their clique to create a diversion so they can head out to New Smoke.  On the way, Peris chickens out and Tally jumps from an incredible height to a river to avoid being recaptured by the Specials.  After her crash landing, Tally finds herself on a reservation with pre-Rusty tribes, built for the sole purpose of studying human nature such as revenge.  So, what does Tally do?  Steal a hovercar, of course!   When Tally finally makes it to the ruins, she discovers that she is all alone, except for David - someone that she had forgotten about.

Special Circumstances placed a tracker on Zane and followed the signal to New Smoke.  They also brought their newest Special, Shay.  And I think that in the next book Tally will be one of them.

I still really liked this book, but Tally has a huge complex where she believes that everything is her fault.  I'm hoping that she learns to forgive herself in the next book.  I was a little annoyed when Tally was reunited with David and wasn't sure what to do; however, I feel like it was taken care of appropriately at the end of the book and I was incredibly thankful that it ended in this story.  Having just read The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, which was 3 books of one girl having to decide between 2 boys, I was so glad when Tally made a quick decision.

This book wasn't as scientifically driven as the last, but it was anthropologically interesting with the study of human nature on the reserve.  I find it fascinating to read about the Rusties: a society 300 years ago that pretty much describes our current culture and state of mind.  It makes you wonder if the oil plague, or something similar, will happen and how will that shape the future? 

It was a little annoying when the characters spoke fluent pretty, but it made the difference between being pretty-minded and bubbly more obvious.  I am really excited for the next book though, since I am convinced that Tally will be turned into one of the Specials.  I'm also curious as to whether or not Shay is as crazy as she lets on.  And off I go to read the next story, Specials!