Ahoy there me mateys! Now I am not a big YA contemporary fan. When I read YA, I tend to read sci-fi or fantasy books. Occasionally I will read some historical fiction. But I have to admit that the title and the cover for this one is what drew me in. Even the blurb sounds beguiling and ambiguous and interesting. So how did it turn out? Ultimately underwhelming and annoying.

This is a major shame because the book was amazing up until the reveal. The three main characters were distinct and fascinating and well-written. I loved how each chapter was short, advanced the story, and switched points of view. The story is about three teens. Poppy is domineering and cruel. Midnight was obsessed with Poppy but with a new move comes a new determination to be rid of her once and for all. Wink is the new quirky next door neighbor who might be the key to helping Midnight get out from under Poppy’s thumb. I adored Wink. I even liked readin’ Poppy’s crazy thought patterns. Midnight was fun but the girls certainly stole the show.

This book was suspenseful and engaging. There was this otherworldly feel to the story that made me have to know what happened next. What was the truth? What were the lies? With the three perspectives I was kept guessing. Are there ghosts? Do the tarot cards work? How do the fantasy elements work? How does the mystery turn out?

Not well. All the delightful set-up, great secondary characters, and creepy plot with a rather infuriating conclusion. Basically I ended up hating all three characters and what happens to them. Argh! So very grumpy. I am still super impressed with the author’s style and voice for each of her characters. The writing was excellent. The solution not so much. I would be interested in reading another work by the author but have to admit that the negative ending has me wary.

Any of the crew read this one or one of her other books? I would love to have some crew feedback. Arrr!

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Ahoy there me mateys! I was first introduced to this author with his book afterparty. That book was a sci-fi dealing with illicit drug use (a topic I normally avoid) which I found to be fun, thought-provoking, and twisty. Then me last novel of 2017, spoonbenders, was a five star sci-fi read about psychics (and much more). So when I saw that the library had this title which deals with zombies, well I had to read it.

This book begins in the time after the first zombie apocalypse. Humans got lucky and for the most part the zombie uprising was quashed. However stragglers are out there and the government and populace is in fear of the next outbreak. Wanda Mayhall is living with her three daughters in Iowa when she discovers a dead (for real) teenager and a baby. The baby happens to clearly be one of the undead. Wanda makes a choice to keep the baby despite the consequences of discovery. This is the story of what happens to the baby, Stony.

Well Gregory does it again with an odd and compelling read. In this version of the zombie apocalypse, the dead can rise and bites can cause infection. However, ye only be a ravenous husk for about two days and then lucidity can come back. So there are rational zombies out there. This book treats ye to zombie politics, human and undead relationships, scientific study, religious rationale, and much more.

The novel is told in several parts and follows Stony throughout many decades and chapters of his life. While I loved Stony as a character and his several family groups, the highlight of the book was the ramifications of what happens to the zombies and the unpredictable ways zombism (sp?) progresses. I thought the author stretched those possibilities in some truly unique fun ways. Basically this cements the fact that I need to read more of the author’s work. So if ye like weird, quirky zombies then give this one a chance. Arrr!

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Ahoy there me mateys! For those of ye who are new to me log, a word: though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. Occasionally, I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were. So today I bring ye:

the immortalists (Chloe Benjamin)

The tagline “If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?” is what drew me to this novel. I thought it was going to be a fantasy or sci-fi title which is why I read it. Turns out it really is more of a historical fiction novel with a great premise and a not so great resolution.

This story tells the tale of four Jewish siblings who grow up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. In 1969 the siblings hear about a mystic who can tell ye the date of yer death. So the siblings set off to hear their fortunes. This be the tale of how they react to their news and what happens to them.

I thought the writing was good and the story was compelling in the sense that I had to know how it ended. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narration by Maggie Hoffman was very well done. But while I enjoyed many elements of the story, I thought that overall what happens to them was kinda crazy and over-the-top.

The beginning of the novel up to what happened to the first brother, Simon was the best part. I loved the story of the siblings childhood and how they end up visiting the mystic. Simon ends up going to San Francisco with his sister Klara. Simon is gay and readin’ about the 1980s gay community was interesting though I wasn’t prepared for the number of sex scenes in this section. Simon was by far me favourite sibling. Klara’s tale of wanting to be a female magician is where the book started to fail me. It wasn’t that the subject material or character were uninteresting. It was here where the author’s choices weren’t to me liking.

The Klara section was so drawn out. How Klara dies was also just so odd. The author also chooses to make the details of this death vague. I thought it was a lame way to make the prophecy come true. There was a cool setup for a stalker subplot that was a red herring. The next section dealt with Daniel and I kinda hated it. His section felt rushed and how he died and all the events around it were just ridiculous. The last section dealt with the sister Varya. She was a compelling character with OCD and was a science researcher. But her subplot (no details cause spoilers) was also silly. The ending of her section irked me.

Other problems were that the mystic used the trope of being a Roma and that I hated the mother’s character and how everyone bent to her will. I feel like I didn’t like the book even though I enjoyed the experience of listening to it. I think it is a great character study with a not so great plot. But this was a New York Times bestseller and a NPR book of the year so what do I know? Arrrr!

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Ahoy there me mateys! This be the third book in me Ports for Plunder – 19 Books in 2019 list. I knew I wanted to read this alternative history sci-fi novel after reading about it in matey Lashaan @ bookidote’s awesome review. As he nicely puts it, “It might not be the most accessible story that you could pick up, but it is without a doubt enthralling and authentic.”

And aye, that be exactly what this was. The story takes place in an alternate 1938 where the dead are still very much a part of the affairs of the living. Summerland is a metropolis for the deceased. Be a good citizen and earn a Ticket to become a member of this city when ye die. Yer prior interests can still remain. Continue to run yer company. Talk to yer living loved ones. There are endless choices.

This book focuses on two characters. The first is a living agent named Rachel who works for the SIS. The second is Peter who is a resident of Summerland and has secret agendas. Rachel is wrapped up in conspiracy when she discovers there is a mole in the agency feeding secrets to the Russians. But instead of being rewarded for this intelligence, she is rebuffed for her womanly emotional delusions. But Rachel can’t let this information go and decides to find out the truth even if it ruins her career.

It is true that this book is hard to get into. Ye get tossed into the deep end with very little exposition. The concepts of Summerland and how they work did take a while to make any sense. I will admit that at least twice I contemplating giving up but I wasn’t sure if it was me mood or the writing that was the problem. Turns out that I needed to just let the thoughts and ideas percolate while reading. Because suddenly the story clicked and I was engrossed and had to know what happened next.

The spy story aspect of this novel was fun but the highlight really did become Summerland and the world-building that stems from it. From mundane tasks like document retrieval to more complex tasks like allowing ghosts the use of a medium’s body, the consequences were just so fascinating. And of course there is the threat of war looming and how Summerland affected politics were weird and cool. Plus I actually loved the ending!

This story won’t be for everyone because of the writing style. Some of the concepts like four dimensions and mathematical theorems might be hard to grasp as well but I am so glad that I read and finished it. Arrr!

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This was the last book in the Fire and Thorns trilogy – the first two being The Girl of Fire and Thorns and The Crown of Embers (Girl of Fire and Thorns). This was a great ending to a wonderful series. A lot of this novel takes place in the realm of the enemy, and it was excellent to see Storm’s homeland. Elisa finally grows into who she is supposed to be with some major surprises along the way. Romance blooms, politics are played, and a fight is had to reclaim a kingdom. This novel also gives us chapters from Hector’s point of view which just rocked. We even get a new gal character from the mountains who is spunky and helpful and fun. Now I am not usually a romantical sort of Captain when it comes to reading if it gets in the way of the plot, but I have to admit the romance was the highlight of this novel for me. I loved seeing the characters grow in their love for each other and the process that entailed. In fact I enjoyed how all the novels dealt with love and loss. I was highly satisfied with the conclusion of the story and the trilogy as a whole. I highly recommend all the books.

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Ahoy there me mateys! This novel is a murder mystery about the first murder on the moon in 2072. It was a Library Journal Spring/Summer Best Debut Novel and also an Amazon Best Book of the Year Selection. So why didn’t I love it?

To be honest, I am not really sure. I did think that the realities of life on the moon were the best part. I loved that it felt gritty with moondust and that, despite decent technology, everything was worn and in danger of failing due to monetary constraints and politics. I loved that the geography and operations on the moon felt so real. I enjoyed the main character, Dechert’s, perspective. He was smart, diligent, and caring. I also enjoyed the Safety Engineer and the Tech Engineer who were the other parts of the main trio. I loved the moon culture. But I think the main problem of this book was the plot itself.

I just overwhelmingly found the events of the book to be rather boring. I almost gave up a couple of times. But the crew kept telling me that this was a good one so I kept going. I did find that the action picked up nicely in the second half. But overall I found the politics and explanations for the murder to be rather sub-par. I mean it has the trope where the murderer stands still and pontificates on how he did it. Sad. I also thought how the crew was saved from the baddies to be so silly. That said I did like Dechert’s negotiations at the very end and was glad the main crew was saved.

So good characters and world building. Not so good plot points. While this novel turned out to be just an okay read, I have no regrets about reading it. Maybe the audio book would have been different?

Side note: Still adore the title of this one and why it is called that. Arrrr!

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Ahoy me mateys! I absolutely loved this sci-fi tale about a bumbling James Bond type-character code name: Kangaroo. Kangaroo’s name is not because he is from Australia or because he can jump high or because he is a “genetically-engineered human-marsupial.” As he puts it, “come on, that last one is pretty ridiculous.” No it is because he has a Pocket.

The Pocket is a portal that opens up into an empty parallel universe. It is pretty nifty for spy work. Storing things in the Pocket and smuggling are some of the things he is good at. He is not so good with small talk, clever jokes, or staying out of trouble. James Bond he isn’t. In fact the latest mission didn’t go according to plan so Kangaroo finds himself on a forced cruise ship vacation. He isn’t pleased.

I however was immensely pleased by this silly, endearing tale of how Kangaroo’s vacation turns into a crisis. I absolutely loved Kangaroo’s mix of ineptitude when dealing with normal people and then how he can suddenly use his spy skills with aplomb. He is constantly trying to prove his worth to the agency and prove that he doesn’t need watching. He tells bad jokes but is so plucky that I couldn’t help but root for him.

The story did take some unexpectedly fun turns. I loved the majority of the secondary characters. The story is action packed and fun. I read it in one sitting and I loved it! I can’t wait to read book two! Arrr!

Side note: with an awesome title like that how can ye not want to read this one?

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Ahoy there me mateys! Who doesn’t like robots? I have no idea where I first heard about this one but I am so glad that I finally took the time to read it. This is not yer typical robot story but it is completely worthwhile and fabulous.

This story follows Ben who is living at home with no job, ambition, or hobby. He is just floating along and passively watching his marriage unravel at the seams. He is woken one morning by his wife, Amy, who informs him that there is a robot sitting under a tree in the garden and that he should go look at it. He reluctantly goes to check out the robot. He was told to get rid of the unsightly, battered little robot but doesn’t.

The robot, Tang, is just wonderful. He has been compared in spirit to Paddington Bear and I do kinda get why. The story is set in an unspecified future that is just like ours except there are androids doing tasks like cooking, cleaning, etc. Robots are so old-fashioned. But Ben finds himself becoming interested in Tang. He soon discovers that parts of Tang seem to be failing. Ben is determined to find out how to save Tang. What follows is a remarkably lovely journey.

Ben and Tang’s evolving relationship is the highlight of this book. Ben sort of gal-lumps along in an endearing fashion. But he grows as the story progresses both in how he sees himself and how he views Tang. Watching Tang grow, change, and have opinions is charming and sometimes embarrassing for poor Ben. And even though this is a story about traveling from point to point, yer never bored because of the little robot and the man trying to save him.

This story was heart-warming and delightful and occasionally very funny. I am still smiling about it as I type this review. Little Tang stole me salty, grumpy heart. He can keep it. I highly suggest ye read this one even if robots aren’t usually yer thing. I don’t think ye will regret it.