Friday, June 12, 2020

Jade City by Fonda Lee


On the island nation of Kekon, jade is the most important, valuable substance that everyone wants. And not for an unimportant reason either- jade from Kekon enhances the abilities of people and gives them magical powers. However, this jade is not available to anyone. One must have the genetics and training that let them withstand jade cravings. When tension between two clans of jade warriors rises, the Kauls of the No Peak clan must unite and do all they can so they do not lose some of their own. The new No Peak leaders are young and inexperienced and the odds are against them, but they must do their best to protect their blood and jade.

I really enjoyed this novel. I've read and loved novels written by Fonda Lee before, and I was not let down by this book. It had a great backstory of the island of Kekon, and the characters were realistic and developed throughout the novel really nicely. The action and description of jade magic was very interesting and exciting to read about. Readers of the author's other books and people who enjoy action-adventure novels with complicated characters would love Jade city. I would definitely recommend this novel to others, as it is a great, suspenseful read.

Reviewed by NK, Grade 10
Montrose Library

Monday, June 8, 2020

Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff


After the events of Illuminae, the files incriminating Bei-tech's mass murder of civilians now change to the point of view from workers on the jump station Heimdall. The ship Alexandar, filled with civilians all knowing what Bei-tech has done, must be eradicated. Nik is a drug dealer living on Heimdall. When he is blackmailed into accepting a package that lets a Bei-tech kill squad infiltrate the Heimdall, he must team up with Hanna, the spoiled daughter of the ship's commander, to successfully defeat Bei-tech and get the truth out.

I really enjoyed this novel. The unusual way it was written in- like a file or report- was very interesting to read, but the story still flowed really well. Its stories of futuristic warfare, space travel, and love were all very well-written and tied in well with each other. There were also some very, very good twists in this suspense-filled novel. I think that people who like reading books with plenty of action and suspense would love this book. Don't be turned off by the way the book is written- I thought it was refreshingly different. I definitely recommend this book, but only read it after reading Illuminae.

Reviewed by NK, Grade 10
Montrose Library