Lock In

Author:  John Scalzi

Year: 2014

Publisher:  Audible Studioes

Narrator: Wil Wheaton

Goodreads Summary:

Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four percent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselves “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.

One per cent doesn't seem like a lot. But in the United States, that's 1.7 million people “locked in”...including the President's wife and daughter.

Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore the ability to control their own bodies to the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.

This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse...

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. Wil Wheaton is an excellent narrator. He reads with just the right amount of sarcasm and seriousness in his voice. And when you combine him with John Scalzi, magic happens. I always think that being stuck in a position to where your body was failing you but your brain was working perfectly would be such a nightmare. And in this case, Scalzi draws a world where that is the normal. I loved imaging what the world would be like with unaffected people interacting with people who were operating robots or another person's body. It's so fascinating. Then, Scalzi just weaved all this around a good old fashioned mystery. And there's nothing I love more than trying to figure out a mystery. Way to go, Scalzi.

One Kick

Author:  Chelsea Cain

Series:  Kick Lannigan, Book 1

Year: 2014

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Audio

Narrator:  Heather Lind

Goodreads Summary:

Kick Lannigan, 21, is a survivor. Abducted at age six in broad daylight, the police, the public, perhaps even her family assumed the worst had occurred. And then Kathleen Lannigan was found, alive, six years later. In the early months following her freedom, as Kick struggled with PTSD, her parents put her through a litany of therapies, but nothing helped until the detective who rescued her suggested Kick learn to fight. Before she was thirteen, Kick learned marksmanship, martial arts, boxing, archery, and knife throwing. She excelled at every one, vowing she would never be victimized again. But when two children in the Portland area go missing in the same month, Kick goes into a tailspin. Then an enigmatic man Bishop approaches her with a proposition: he is convinced Kick's experiences and expertise can be used to help rescue the abductees. Little does Kick know the case will lead directly into her terrifying past…

What feels like ages ago, I read the first two books in Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan series. And what I remembered about them was being freaked out by the serial killer. When I saw that she was starting a new series, I decided to give the audiobook a try knowing how much I had enjoyed the others. Chelsea Cain still has it. I was rooting for Kick and dying to understand her train of thought and little idiosyncrasies. And when it turns out that the current kidnappings are related to her kidnapping, I loved watching her figure everything out and chase down the kidnappers. And the story did get freaky and scary at times. I loved that. Oh and I'm dying to learn what Bishop's angle is.

Byrd

Author:  Kim Church

Year: 2014

Publisher:  Audible Studioes

Narrator:  Lauren Fortgang

Goodreads Description:

In this debut novel, 33-year-old Addie Lockwood bears and surrenders for adoption a son, her only child, without telling his father, little imagining how the secret will shape their lives. Told through letters and spare, precisely observed vignettes, Byrd is an unforgettable story about making and living with the most difficult, intimate, and far-reaching of choices.

I didn't know what to expect going in to this book and I have to admit it took me a little while to get in to the rhythm of the story and the writing. I didn't understand exactly what Church was doing and what was happening. But then it clicked and everything made sense. Not only did everything make sense but the story became heartbreaking and I kept hoping that everything was finally going to work out for Addie and she'd find peace. I liked the epistolary style of the book. It made everything seem more personal and private like I was looking in on someone's diary. Lauren Fortgang did a wonderful job with the narration and the audiobook is well worth listening to. 

 

Pure

Author:  Terra Elan McVoy

Year: 2010

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages:  331

Goodreads Summary:

Tabitha and her four best friends all wear purity rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made years ago. Now Tab is fifteen, and her ring has come to mean so much more. It is a symbol of who she is and what she believes; a reminder of her promises to herself, and her bond to her friends.

But when Tab meets a boy whose kisses make her knees go weak, everything suddenly seems a lot more complicated. Tabitha's best friend, Morgan, is far from supportive, and for the first time, Tabitha is forced to keep secrets from the one person with whom she always shared everything. When one of those secrets breaks to the surface, Tab finds herself at the center of an unthinkable betrayal that splits her friends apart. As Tabitha's entire world comes crashing down around her, she is forced to re-examine her friendships, her faith, and what exactly it means to be pure.

 

This was a fun little romance that looked at some difficult issues that teens today face: purity, being true to yourself, and learning to stand up for your own beliefs even if it's at the expense of your friendships. The book never really got too deep and stayed somewhat superficial. But at the same time, it did make me think. In addition, it was a good romance that also focused on Tabitha's personal friendships and growth.

What's Left of Me

Author:  Kat Zhang

Series:  The Hybrid Chronicles, Book 1

Year:  2012

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Pages: 343

Goodreads Summary:

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

What's Left of Me provides a very  unusual concept. That of two souls residing in one body. Stephanie Meyer approached it in The Host but in a different way. Here either Eva or Addie is supposed to override the other one and become the dominant soul. But it turns out that they're able to co-exist and Eva hides underneath Addie's soul. But by co-existing, they are setting themselves up for being sent off and treated. I enjoyed this story a lot. I had issues at times following the dual personalities and keeping straight who was in charge but, all in all, this is a fantastic and creative book.

Before I Go To Sleep

Author:  S.J. Watson

Year:  2011

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 359

Goodreads Summary:

'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me...'

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love — all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

I loved the way S.J. Watson played with my mind. What happened to Christine? Why can't she remember? Can her husband, Ben, be trusted? I loved trying to figure out what had happened as Christine remembered little clues and I gained more information. I look forward to reading more of S.J. Watson's work.

Green Rider

Author:  Kristen Britain

Series:  Green Rider, Book 1

Year:  2000

Publisher:  DAW Books

Pages:  471

Goodreads Summary:

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves as a galloping horse bursts from the woods, the rider slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan that he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king, and that he bears a "life and death" message for King Zachary. He begs Karigan to carry his message, warning her not to read it, and when she reluctantly agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission "for love of country." As he bestows upon her the golden winged-horse brooch which is the symbol of his office, he whispers on his dying breath, "Beware the shadow man..."

Karigan's promise changes her life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, she herself becomes a legendary Green Rider. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

Green Rider is a very well built and thought out book. I loved the world that Britian has created. I find Karigan to be a well-developed character who has a lot of courage but isn't afraid to admit her inexperience and shortcomings for the job that she has before her. Great start to what I hope continues to be a wonderful fantasy series.