Book Review: Next (Michael Chrichton)

by Jesse B.

In a world where cloning and gene splicing are common practices, the possible extension of such tasks into the human realm becomes an issue. This is not the world of tomorrow – it is the world of today. In Next, Michael Chrichton takes a detour from the realm of science fiction to the realm of science fact. While the stories that take place in his novel are extreme cases, they are still theoretically possible with today's technology.

The corruption of the business realm is extending more and more into the realm of science. Studies that would once have gone unquestioned are now traced in order to determine whether their results were manipulated by corporations. This corruption takes a darker tone when experimentation with gene therapy and hybridization become a distinct moneymaking opportunity. The questions of ethics and safety go largely unconsidered as companies secretly bypass FDA protocol.

A gene is synthesized which has the distinct capability to remove addictions to various substances. Nicotine, heroin and even the spending of money are possible for treatment. The market for such a gene is a rich one indeed. Besides, is it not one's duty to serve the good of the public with such a life-saving drug, even if it means bending government policy? Testing on animal subjects has seen amazing results; moving on to humans is only logical.

This is only one of many cases Chrichton analyzes in his novel. In another drift from his usual style, Next is told as a group of short stories with chapters from each one interspersed throughout. The startling conclusion brings all of these stories together. This is one psychological thriller not a soul should miss.

Poem: Silence of Souless

by Jesse

I'm tired of hanging around this place
'Cause all I get
For all my troubles
Is nothing but the same

I'm searching inside
For something more
How did this life leave me so poor?

I'm bleeding before you
I'm bleeding without you
I'm bleeding and I cannot understand
How you could forsake me
Walk off and take me
Far from this land

Without a soul I wander now
So destitute, so broken down

Maybe this life has left me broken
Only because I lacked
the strength to keep myself together

I'm bleeding before you
I'm bleeding without you
I'm bleeding and I cannot understand
How you could forsake me
Walk off and take me
Far from this land

My shell is trapped within this dungeon
This hell
None of my plans are going well

I try to break the chain of darkness
that's holding me back from the land of sunlight
And warmth

I'm bleeding before you
I'm bleeding without you
I'm bleeding and I cannot understand
How you could forsake me
Walk off and take me
Far from this land

There's no end to my suffering
I've fallen apart from the land of day
No mercy

I'm spiraling down into the ground
Beneath my feet
I've fallen so far I've begun to drown

And I'm drowning in pain

I'm bleeding before you
I'm bleeding without you
I'm bleeding and I cannot understand
How you could forsake me
Walk off and take me
Far from this land

And I'm drowning in pain

I'm bleeding before you
I'm bleeding without you
I'm bleeding and I cannot understand
How you could forsake me
Walk off and take me
Far from this land

Watch me as I drown
my hands still reaching towards the surface
All is lost
And nothing's gained
Nothing but the silence of the deep

Book Review: The Twelve Kingdoms - Sea of Shadow (Fuyumi Ono)

by Jesse B.

Yoko Nakajima struggles with her social life in high school. Born with abnormally red hair in a Japanese society where all hair is a shade of black, her peers and tutors believe that she has dyed her hair against school policy and is associating with people she shouldn't be. To Yoko's great surprise, a young man named Keiki walks into her school one day looking for her, telling her that she is his master and that she must come with him for her own safety. Soon Yoko finds herself swept into a fantastical parallel universe. So begins the novel Sea of Shadow by Fuyumi Ono

Separated from Keiki, Yoko finds herself hunted by the government as one of the dreaded kaikyaku, beings from another world who are thought to bring bad luck. Hiding by day and traveling by night, Yoko is forced to fight her way through hordes of demons with only the sword given her by Keiki and a gem which possesses magical healing properties. Eventually though, Yoko's luck runs out and she is only saved from death by a half-beast in the form of a giant rat named Rakushun. Something of an outcast himself, Rakushun joins Yoko and the two set out for the Kingdom of En, where people such as themselves are accepted in society.

A fast-paced novel full of magic, swordplay and demons, Sea of Shadow is the soon-to-be released first volume in the seven volume cycle The Twelve Kingdoms. Originally published in Japan, this wildly popular fantasy series is being translated into English for the first time. Fuyumi Ono spins an enchanting tale that is difficult to put down once picked up. Any fantasy-lover would be truly missing out if he refused to read this book.

Amy Kathleen Ryan's Vibes: A Review by Alexis M.

Kristi is basically just an average sophomore… except for the fact that she can read minds. Dealing with this power results in her hearing everyone’s thoughts whether they’re positive or negative. Most aren’t exactly pleasant. Two years ago, her dad left and went to Africa to fight disease. Since then, Kristi and her mom have grown farther apart, her best friend Hildie has stopped talking to her, she’s hid a cat in her bedroom, and she’s gotten some very… unique… fashion tastes. When her dad decides to come back… maybe for good or just temporarily, she learns secrets that she had no clue about. It also doesn’t help that she’s been paired with Hildie’s gorgeous older brother (that she’s had a crush on for years) to do a character project, the new guy Mallory is constantly thinking romantic thoughts about her, and Jason… who’s been the closest thing to a friend since Mallory… is picturing her “ginormous gazungas” in ways that totally disturb her.

This book, while it had very cliché characters, was full of twists and turns in an extraordinary story line. If I were given a super power, I normally would have wanted to be psychic. After reading this though, I saw all the downfalls of this ability and would hate to have to deal with it. An extremely big part of this novel is, things aren’t always as they appear... or sound. There were some things that had terrible conclusions to it, but they were probably more realistic. Overall, Vibes was a pretty good read.

Antonia Michaelis's Tiger Moon a review by Liesl P.

The first thing that I have to say about this book is the fact that it draws you in and makes you feel like you are living in that time period. This is a story within a story. It can get confusing if you are not a type of reader who concentrates fully on the story.

This book is about a girl who is taken by an evil man to be his bride. While waiting for her wedding night she begins to spin a story about a man coming to rescue her. This book is filled with adventure, courage, and a little bit of romance. If you like other stories based in India, such as Shiva’s Fire, you will love the book. I know I did.

Stephenie Meyer's The Host a review by Emily I.

The Host starts with, in my opinion, a very confusing and surreal account of when the main character is being transmitted into her host. In the next few pages you start to get the gist of what is happening. The "parasite" named Wanderer is a soul that goes to various planets and by an incision is placed in different creatures. She is put into a human body, and something strange happens that is very uncommon. She can hear and see memories of her host, whose name she discovers is Melanie. Sometimes the Host can even control her actions and words. Most of the memories that Wanderer can see are the ones about Jared, Melanie's boyfriend whom she loved dearly, and Jaime, the Melanie's brother. As the story progresses Wanderer meets her Seeker who suggests that Wanderer goes to Melanie's homeland in the desert. Wanderer does and as she travels she sees more of Melanie's memories and frequently talks to Melanie. The Seeker is always behind them on their journey and Melanie convinces Wanderer to go another way to a place she knows. The two travel through the desert where they eventually loose consciousness and a human named Jeb finds them.

A group of humans live in the caves with him where they hide from the "aliens" that are the parasitic humans. In an odd twist of fate Jared and Jaime are living the the caves. Jared is the person appointed to make the decision of where they should kill Wanderer. Wanderer becomes very accustomed to living with the humans and they welcome her with time. Love also springs between Wanderer and Ian, even though Wanderer doesn't believe it. While living in the caves Wanderer teaches everyone about the 8 other planets she has lived on. She also is almost killed, learns how to cope when people close to you die, and love. I really enjoyed this book. It was different from other things that I have read before and was original. I was already a big fan of Meyer before this book from the popular series Twilight and this book showed me she can write other things, too. It was sometimes slow-paced but a very easy book to read. I got very involved with all of Wanderer's fears and her trials. By the end of the book I found myself on her side, and you have to read The Host to find out why.

Book Review: The Ruby Key (Holly Lisle)

I’ll admit, as soon as I saw that Holly Lisle’s The Ruby Key was recommended for ages 9-14, I wanted to put it right back. I anticipated some predictable variation on the secretly-magical-children-save-the-world plot. Anyone who has ever read a fantasy book should be very familiar with it. I did not anticipate this darkly delightful take on the faerie/human dynamic. The story twisted with every page, weaving a masterful tale that has left me begging for the next installment. I particularly like the use of the sun and the moon as symbols for humans and nightlings.

The idea that neither element is purely good or evil is not often used in children’s books. A truly stunning cast of characters raises a good read to perfection. A girl who would do anything to save her mother, a young boy literally followed by the ghost of his past, a faerie who is just as human as you and I, and another who is as far from us as is possible. All these characters have been used again and again, but Lisle breathes new life into their molds. I cannot remember the last time any book gripped me so tightly that I could barely pull myself free to sleep. I would urge any person of any age to purchase The Ruby Key posthaste. I say purchase because there is no doubt in my mind that you will read it again and again. Here is proof that a traditional faery tale is just as captivating as the modern ones.

Ann Dee Ellis's Everything is fine a Review by Alexis M.

Mazzy is stuck at home all summer taking care of her highly depressed mother. Her father, who works for ESPN, is off at a business trip that was only supposed to last about a week… as of now, he’s basically abandoned them. Mazzy has no one to turn to except her neighbors and her mother’s old art studio.

This book was really different. The way it’s written, made things jump around a lot and majority of it didn’t make sense. It wasn’t till the end of the book that everything started to click together and explain why things were the way they were. Everything Is Fine did have very serious topics like depression, diabetes, and death but it also put humor into Mazzy and the way she thought as she was going through this. The book overall was okay.

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