science fiction

1.4 by Mike Lancaster

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Mike Lancaster’s 0.4 is one of my favourite books and the best science fiction story I’ve read.  I read it just before the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch so I was distracted by everything that was going on and didn’t get the chance to tell everyone how amazing it was.  It’s the story of Kyle Straker, a teenage boy living in a small village in England, who wakes up after being hypnotized to find his world a very different place.  It hooks you in from the first line and you don’t want to put it down until the last word.  1.4 is Mike Lancaster’s sequel to 0.4 and it’s just as addictive.

It’s a brave new world. In the far future, people no longer know what to believe…Did Kyle Straker ever exist? Or were his prophecies of human upgrades nothing more than a hoax? Peter Vincent is nearly 16, and has never thought about the things that Strakerites believe. His father – David Vincent, creator of the artificial bees that saved the world’s crops – made sure of that. When the Strakerites pronounce that another upgrade is imminent, Peter starts to uncover a conspiracy amongst the leaders of the establishment, a conspiracy that puts him into direct conflict with his father. But it’s not a good idea to pick a fight with someone who controls all the artificial bees in the world.

1.4 is an upgraded, even better story than 0.4.  The story takes place 1000 years after the events of 0.4 and Mike shows us his incredible vision of the future.  It’s a future where bees have died out and been replaced by robot bees, humans can connect to technology and each other through filaments that come out of their bodies, and they are constantly connected to technology through their Link.  The story is told through the LinkDiary entries of Peter Vincent, whose father invented the robot bees, which many people believe saved the world.  There is a small section of society who believe that the Kyle Straker tapes are real and that the events of 0.4 actually happened, but these people are treated like second class citizens and live in slums.  Amalfi (or Alpha) is a Strakerite who goes to Peter’s school, and when she asks for Peter’s help to find out what has happened to her father, their world is turned upside down.

The thing I like most about 1.4 is the way that Mike Lancaster has woven the two stories together.  If you’ve read 0.4 you know why society is so technologically advanced and who the ghosts in the photos are.  I also really like that Mike doesn’t let relationships between his characters get in the way of the story, like many female authors tend to do.  Having said this, his characters are still interesting and you empathize with the situation that they’re in.

1.4 is a smart science fiction story with lots twists and turns, freaky technology, and hidden truths.  If you haven’t discovered Mike Lancaster, you don’t know what you’re missing.

5 out of 5 stars

Unravelling Book Trailer

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Unravelling is the debut science fiction YA novel from Elizabeth Norris.  Ever since I heard about it back at the beginning of the year I’ve wanted to read it.  It’s out now in NZ thanks to HarperCollins New Zealand.  I’ll be posting my review soon.

 

The Kill Order Book Trailer

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The Kill Order is James Dashner’s prequel to one of my favourite series, The Maze Runner. It’s due out on August 14 (probably slightly later in NZ) and I’ve got my copy ordered.  The Maze Runner, the first book in the series, is in my top 10 favourite books and I think it’s even better than Hunger Games. 

James Dashner is also the series architect of the new multi-layered series from Scholastic, The Infinity Ring, which is due out worldwide on August 28.  If you’re a fan of the 39 Clues series you’ll love The Infinity Ring.

Win a signed copy of The Tribe: The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

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The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is the action-packed first book in The Tribe, a fantastic new series by Ambelin Kwaymullina.  It has just been released in Australia and New Zealand by Walker Books and they’ve created a very cool website to promote the book.  At www.thefirstwood.com.au you can watch the book trailer, read an extract of the book, find out about the author and the series, and get some free downloads.

Thanks to Walker Books Australia we have 5 signed copies of The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf to give away.  All you need to do to get in the draw is read the extract on www.thefirstwood.com.au and answer this question – What is the Question?  Enter the answer, along with your name and email address in the form below.  Competition closes Friday 13 July (Australia and New Zealand only).

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The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf Book Trailer

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The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is the first book in an exciting new series called The Tribe by Ambelin Kwaymullina, out now from Walker Books Australia.  An oppressive future regime, kids with the power to change the weather and alter memories, and a machine that can extract memories – what more could you ask for.

Slated by Teri Terry

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Imagine waking up and having no idea who you are or where you are.  You learn that your memory has been wiped because you’re done something bad.  You’ve been given a second chance at life but you have what is effectively a bomb attached to your wrist.  If you get too angry, sad, or depressed you’ll start having seizures and die.  If you step out of line you could disappear and never be seen again, so in order to survive you must be a perfect citizen and follow the rules.  This is what life is like for Kyla in Teri Terry’s new book, Slated.

Kyla’s memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance – as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

Slated is a tense, psychological thriller, that keeps you guessing and leaves you hungry for more.  In the future society of Slated, teenagers that are considered a danger to society are rehabilitated by having their memories wiped.  They have no idea of who they are or what they did to be Slated, and they’re adopted by a new family.  Every Slated has a Levo on their wrist which monitors their levels; if they get angry or scared, their levels drop and when they are happy their levels rise.  If levels get too low Slateds can black out and even die, so it is important to keep their levels mid-way or higher.  Kyla is different though, because she has horrible nightmares that have links to past events and anger has a strange affect on her levels.

If I had a Levo my levels would be pretty low because Teri’s story and some of the characters made me quite tense.   Like Kyla, you’re never really sure who to trust or who might be listening to her conversations. Teri keeps you guessing about why Kyla is different, why Kyla’s parents act so strange and what happens to the teenagers that disappear.  Teri answers some of these questions in Slated but leaves you hanging so you desperately want to read the next book, Fractured (coming in 2013).

4 out of 5 stars

Starters by Lissa Price

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Imagine a world that is populated only by the very young and the very old.  Everyone in between has been killed by biological warfare because they weren’t vaccinated.  Children and teenagers who don’t have living relatives survive day by day, living in abandoned buildings and scrounging for food.  There is one company who offers a way out of poverty for teenagers who are willing to rent out their bodies to the elderly, who just want to feel young again.  This is the situation that Callie finds herself in when we first meet her in Lissa Price’s amazing debut novel, Starters.

16-year-old Callie lost her parents when the ‘genocide spore’ wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first – the very young and very old. She and her little brother must go on the run, living as squatters, fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes in the form of the Body Bank run by a mysterious figure, known only as The Old Man. The Body Bank allows teenagers to rent out their bodies to ‘Enders’ – the elderly members of society – who want to be young again. But Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party in her body. She intends to commit murder.

I absolutely loved this book!  Starters really stands out among all the other young adult science fiction/dystopian books being published at the moment.  It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and Lissa Price was constantly surprising me.  There were so many twists and turns that I gave up on trying to figure out what would happen next.  Callie is an intelligent, kick-butt female character that is always putting the safety and health of her brother over her own life.  The reason she first goes to the body bank is to get the money she needs to make a good life for her brother, and she is constantly thinking about him and doing everything she can to make sure he’s safe.  I liked that the story is told in first person from Callie’s point of view as it helps you understand her motives and you really feel the punch to the gut when she uncovers the truth.  I loved the character of the Old Man because there is so much mystery surrounding him.  He always seems to be just out of reach and you don’t really know who he is or what part he plays.  I can’t wait to find out more about him in the next book.

Lissa Price is an extremely talented author and definitely one to keep an eye on.  The sequel to Starters, called Enders, is due out in December 2012 so I’m glad I don’t have to wait long to read the next part of the story.

5 out of 5

Freaky Futures Giveaway

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I love YA science fiction!  You’ll probably be able to tell that by reading my reviews.  Some of my favourite stories are set far in the future, on other planets or deep in space. One of my favourite science fiction series is The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner (which I think is even better than Hunger Games).

Thanks to Scholastic New Zealand I have 2 YA science fiction book packs to give away, including a copy of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials by James Dashner and Six Days by Philip Webb.

All you have to do to get in the draw is enter your details in the form below.  Competition closes Wednesday 30 May (New Zealand only).

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Starters book trailer and giveaway

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16-year-old Callie lost her parents when the ‘genocide spore’ wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first – the very young and very old. She and her little brother must go on the run, living as squatters, fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes in the form of the Body Bank run by a mysterious figure, known only as The Old Man. The Body Bank allows teenagers to rent out their bodies to ‘Enders’ – the elderly members of society – who want to be young again. But Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party in her body. She intends to commit murder…

Starters by Lissa Price sounds amazing and it’s out now in NZ.  Check out Lissa’s website for more about Starters and her writing – lissaprice.com.  I have 2 copies to give away so enter your details below to get in the draw.  Competition closes Wednesday 23 May (International).

Thanks to everyone who entered.  The winners are Blake and Sandra.