18 May 2009

Book Review Updates

Death's Daughter by Amber Benson is a science fiction tale about a girl who is, surprise surprise, the daughter of Death. Death has gone missing and Calliope Reaper-Jones is called to take over for daddy. She must leave the normal life she has found for herself.

There was not much about this book that I liked. An accurate comparison would be poorly written fan-fiction. It was full of clichés, slang, pop-culture references, and flat characters. Definitely not my kind of book. I give it a 3 out of 10 just because I was able to finish it quickly.

Survivor: A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk was very different and unexpectedly enjoyable. It was a book of lists, but the use of the lists helped to put you inside the head of the narrator, which is a very bizarre place. Tender Branson was born and raised in a religious cult community. Being a lesser son, he had to leave the community and work in the city once he came of age. When his entire family and community commit suicide, Branson is left as the last of the cult. He finds unlooked for fame and is hailed as a messiah. You are never quite sure if Tender is sane, brainwashed, or a con man.

The book is well written and keeps your attention, except for the ending. The ending was too unbelievable and seemed forced. It was almost as if it was the ending to a different story. Up until the end I would have given the book 8, but the ending dropped it to 6 out of 10.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann was as entertaining as I had hoped. It is about the early 1900's Amazon explorer, Percy Fawcet. He was convinced that there was a lost city in the Amazon that provided proof of an advanced society. Fawcet spent years in the Amazon. He knew the dangers, the people, and the hardships. He knew how to survive in the jungle. Fawcet stepped into the Amazon with his son and his son's best-friend. It was the most followed exploration of the Amazon, but then they disappeared. Fawcet's tale has inspired uncountable others to enter the Amazon jungle in search of riches, an advanced society, and even Fawcet himself.

Grann created an entertaining and informative book. He created an even mix of the facts, fiction, and fantasy of the legendary tale. He provided just enough information about English society at the time to ensure understanding of the thoughts and beliefs of the time, especially in regards to science and religion. I highly recommend this book and have found a new respect for the Amazon (but developed a new phobia of bugs). 9 out of 10.

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