Lies by Michael Grant (review by Kai A. '17)

Lies by Michael Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

With Sam no longer in charge, and the Council debating but not acting, Zil and his Human Crew are allowed to grow more extreme in their efforts against the freaks, and Caine moves in as he becomes more desperate to survive. Worst of all, Drake has survived, and so has the Darkness; it lingers in some minds, spreading rumors. Grant overcomes the challenge of matching the dynamics of a FAYZ-like society and the mentality of children to the characters’ thoughts, hopes, and dreams, and he excels at creating a storyline that comes together in a beautiful, intense climax. However, he often fails to explain each event and motive sufficiently, instead he relying on cheesy, artificially emotional explanations and overly stereotyped characters that I’d expect from an amateur author. Also, I feel that he tries to create an atmosphere of foreboding, but the foreshadowing and the predictability of the characters all too often give away the best twists in the plot. Therefore, I recommend Lies only to those searching for quick-paced, dystopian action but not necessarily good writing or deep characters and compelling ideas. - Kai A. ‘17

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Allegiant by Veronica Roth (review by Eddie S. '17)

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Allegiant, the third and final installment of Veronica Roth’s critically acclaimed Divergent series, takes off immediately where the second book left off, providing readers with an effortless transition. Readers and characters alike are forced to cope and adapt to some new circumstances, however. Previously, as the factions are rendered merely a scheme, a newer, larger setting is introduced. In addition to the plot shift, alongside Tris’s love interest Tobias Eaton shares narration. Roth cleverly makes this change in order to provide further insight into their relationship and the individual development of the two protagonists. Truthfully, the genuine beauty of this book lies in the bold, visceral outcome of the story. Filled with raw, intense emotion, virtually no one is left unscathed, and the ending is bound to elicit acute feelings and startle readers. Roth alters several concepts in terms of narrative, develops the prevalent relationships and themes, and wraps up the story with a stirring ending, ultimately providing readers with a riveting finish to the trilogy that does not disappoint. – Eddie S. ‘17

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Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (review by Andrew R. '17)

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As Commander of the City Watch, Sam Vimes is one of the happiest, wealthiest, and most powerful men in Ankh-Morpork. And he owes all his success to his mentor, John Keel, who taught him all he knows nearly thirty years earlier. Today, as Vimes chases a dangerous murderer through the streets, both men are sucked through a time portal and land in the Ankh-Morpork of thirty years ago. It’s bad enough that Vimes is stuck in one of the darkest periods of the city’s history—but the situation is made much, much worse when the criminal kills John Keel before his time. While writing a time-travel novel, many well intentioned writers fail to come up with a convincing theory for how to send their characters to another era; Pratchett avoids this trap entirely by intentionally putting forward the least convincing, but most entertaining, argument I’ve ever read. Science-fiction purists may have a hard time swallowing his theory (which includes monks with brooms, quantum physics, and the Baked-Bean Tin of Universal Oneness), but any other fan of the Discworld will enjoy this City Watch novel as much as the rest of Pratchett's series.

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