Paper Girls, Vol. 1 (graphic novel) by Brian K. Vaughan - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors/Image Comics via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Paper Girls
Author: Brian K. Vaughan
Illustrators: Cliff Chiang, Matthew Wilson

Recent Release Date: April 5, 2016

Synopsis: In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smash-hit series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.

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Review: Brian K. Vaughan is such a big name in comic books. Y: The Last Man and Saga are two of my favorites (although I am behind on Saga). This comic definitely has Vaughan's wonderful touch. There is great characterization early on, but so much is left open to confuse the reader. Things are flying left and right with little explanation. It is easy to follow, but more complex than it first appears.

This first volume is crazy and fun. I have no idea where it's going, but I want to follow it wherever it goes. The time travel is interesting and I like that it makes sense so far. There's huge world building done so far, but so little is explained. I give this graphic novel a 5/5 and am super excited for the second volume.


--PAUL

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from GreenWillow Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: The Girl from Everywhere
Author: Heidi Heilig
Upcoming Release Date: February 16, 2016

My Pre Reading

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveller. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just to distant lands, but distant times - although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix's father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix's existence rather dangerously in question...

Nix has grown used to her father's obsession, but only because she's convinced it can't work. But then a map falls into her father's lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it's that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever. 

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Review: A pirate ship that travels through time. YES! This book is such a fun read. The concept itself is amazing. The characters are all so interesting. The settings are beautiful and exotic. Everything about it is simply fantastic.

Nix's father, Slate, can travel to different times using handcrafted maps. These maps have certain requirements and can be hard to find. He is originally from the modern day, but has had adventures throughout time. His crew is diverse and they each bring an interesting set of skills to the table. The ship is also unique, having to pass in all different time periods. It has modern luxuries like medicine, but the look of an old pirate's vessel. There are so many treasures hidden on board, many of which are magical. The maps take on the beliefs of their creators. This means all the myths of all the civilizations throughout time are true, to a certain degree. 

The time travel in this story is dealt with in a way that I like. The characters within the story aren't quite sure how it works. A lot is left ambiguous. I enjoyed how paradoxes were addressed. The mythology and magic fits right along with it.

The relationships between the characters in this book are all quite complex. Nix and her father have far from a typical parent-child bond. I loved Bee's backstory!

This book takes an interesting look at addiction and obsession. It shows how it effects everyone.

Maps are a huge part of this book. Unfortunately, the arc I read did not have the maps included. I can't wait to see the maps in the final version of the book!

There is a wonderful Author's Note at the end that explains the true history represented within the book. I loved this. I'm not a huge history buff so I sometimes am unsure about the accuracy of big events in historical fiction. This note showed how much research was put into this book.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND The Girl from Everywhere. I give it a 5/5. Go buy it! It's magical. It's unique. It's fun. It's smart.


--PAUL

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Paul's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from GreenWillow Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: The Girl from Everywhere
Author: Heidi Heilig
Upcoming Release Date: February 16, 2016

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveller. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just to distant lands, but distant times - although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix's father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix's existence rather dangerously in question...

Nix has grown used to her father's obsession, but only because she's convinced it can't work. But then a map falls into her father's lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it's that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever. 

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Why?: This cover is wonderful. Time travel and pirates seem to, oddly enough, be a trend this year in YA. I am all about it! I am very much into time travel stories, but they have to deal with paradoxes is ways that make sense. 

Expectations:   I'm expecting a fun adventure in time that takes place on a pirate ship!

Judging a book by its cover: This cover is beautiful. I love how simple it it. The waves. The boat. The eyes. 


--PAUL

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Passenger
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Recent Release Date: January 5, 2016

Synopsis: 
passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever

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Review: Passenger is beautifully written. I was captured by the writing at the start. I love the concept of this book. Time travel is coming to YA and I'm loving it! 

I liked trying to figure out the mechanics of the time travel as I read the book, but I had a few problems with the way paradoxes were dealt with. Some things were just never fully explained. I really need to find an excellent article about how exactly the passages work. Or find a book club or group of people who have all read this book. Maybe the time travel will be more fledged out in the sequel. 

I really liked the use of music in this book. The protagonist is a violin prodigy and music also has a role in identifying passages, or time travel portals. 

There's a lot of romance over a short amount of time. And also a thought of inner thoughts. I wasn't a big fan of these aspects of the book. The overall feel of the book reminded me of Divergent. 

I really enjoyed this book, but there were parts that just didn't sit well with me. The romance and the inner thoughts that seemed to repeat themselves often weren't my favorite parts. I also wasn't too keen on all the dynamics of the time traveling. I give this book a 4/5. I recommend it and will definitely be looking for the sequel! 

Now, let's try to figure out this time travel. SPOILERS may follow. All the passages have a set location and a set year, but not a date. I'm guessing that at the end of the year (whether it's lunar or calendar) the year resets and begins again. Passengers can only occupy a time period once. There are only a select group of people who can travel through the passages. Others guard these passages. I'm guessing they just have a very busy year in which the portal is active if it always takes passengers to the same year, although they receive communications in some way. But somehow, time can be changed. And there are effects of that in that people are from lost timelines. I'm confusing myself, again. I just could not get the time travel mechanic down. I think I need to find a twitter chat about this book!


--PAUL

No True Echo by Gareth P. Jones - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from ABRAMS KIds and Amulet Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: No True Echo
Author: Gareth P. Jones
Recent Release Date: October 13, 2015

Synopsis: Nothing ever happens in idyllic Wellcome Valley, much to Eddie Dane’s dismay. Then, one day, Scarlett White steps onto the school bus. She’s a stranger but somehow familiar. Equal parts smitten and intrigued, Eddie tries to get to know her but finds she has more questions about him. Curious questions about his dead mother.

One day he follows Scarlett to a remote house, where he witnesses a brutal murder, and suddenly he’s back on the school bus the day he first met Scarlett! Caught in a repeating time loop, Eddie learns the truth about his mother’s death, the nature of his connection to Scarlett, and how his past has shaped a dangerous future…one that he can prevent if he lets go of a person he loves.

Smart, gripping, and romantic, this is a time-travel novel that’s really about the importance of human connection and the possibility of choosing the person you become.

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Review: I love time travel stories, especially ones that convince me that time travel could actually exist. This book takes a really interesting twist on time travel: Echo Technology. But is it really time travel? 

With this novel, you have to suspend your disbelief and accept the terms of the world and just go with it. The plot lead to wonderful confusion and brain bending concepts. But, it was easy enough to follow along. 

There are great and interesting relationships in this novel from family to friends. Past, Present, and future. 

This story is European and it took me a while to figure it out. The location isn't really that necessary, but there were odd little bits that I was confused about or that I picked up on. 

I really enjoyed this book. It's a thinker and it's well written. I give it a 5/5 and highly recommend it!


--PAUL

Rocket Girl Volume 1: Times Squared (graphic novel) - Paul's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors and Image Comics on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Rocket Girl Volume 1: Times Squared
Author:  Brandon Montclare
Illustrator:  Amy Reeder
Year Published: 2014


Synopsis: A teenage cop from a high-tech future is sent back in time to 1986 New York City. 

Dayoung Johansson is investigating the Quintum Mechanics megacorporation for crimes against time. 

As she pieces together the clues, she discovers the “future” she calls home — an alternate reality version of 2014 — shouldn’t exist at all!

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Review: Time travel stories always interest me, but I'm always critical of them. What method of time travel theory will they use? Will their actions in the past effect the future or will their actions have already happened and they just didn't realize they were the butterfly? In this first volume of Rocket Girl, it is unclear how the time travel will pan out. The reader's pre-existing thoughts on time travel add to the mystery of the story. 

Dayoung comes from a futuristic 2013 that is quite different from our own present. She finds herself in 1986 with all things 80's. I enjoyed the pop culture references, but may not have got them all considering I only experienced a little over a year in the 80's myself and I wasn't exactly observant then. 

There are many different time periods the story takes the reader: the 2013 past, the 2013 present, and the 1986 present. The teenage police unit is a cool concept. 

The artwork is done nicely with futuristic technology contrasting the 80's colors. There are some pages that feature art of both time periods side-by-side. 

This volume alone isn't a completed story. It's just the start of Rocket Girl's adventures in the 80's. I am interested how the time travel concepts will be dealt with. What is the technology that created the futuristic 2013 and where (or when) did it come from? I give this first volume a 3/5. 


--PAUL