SCRIVENER’S MOON

Summary: In a future land once known as Britain, nomad tribes are preparing to fight a terrifying enemy – the first-ever mobile city. Before London can launch itself, young engineer Fever Crumb must journey to the wastelands of the North. She seeks the ancient birthplace of the Scriven mutants.

Review Overview:

• My least favorite of the prequels, because I had a hard time getting into the plot
• The fact that I read the Mortal Engines books recently got me really confused with my WoME timelines — oops, my fault
• Philip Reeve’s writing is still amazing and though this one isn’t my most favorite, you still shouldn’t be missing out on his work

I hate to say this, but for me, SCRIVENER’S MOON is the weakest out of the three Hungry City Prequels. I think it is the plot itself that didn’t reach out to me, but as usual the writing was phenomenal.

Maybe it is simply bad timing on my part. I had recently read the entire Mortal Engines books which exist far ahead into the future of Fever Crumb’s world. Initially reading SCRIVENER’S MOON, I was unfortunately so confused as to what was going on. I had to sort out my World of Mortal Engines timeline mentally and pick apart what hasn’t happened yet in Fever’s world and what came to be London in the WoME. This of course was all my fault. I should have known that skipping ahead to the Mortal Engines books would mess me up with this series, but I couldn’t resist because Philip Reeve’s writing? It’s fantastic!

After reading so many of his books, I honestly don’t know why his writing still amazes and impresses me. It’s just so clever. I probably have said it a million times, but I’m going to say it again: I love how the English (or in the book’s case, ‘Anglish’) has evolved throughout the years. Just little terms that we wouldn’t think twice about now have become entirely different things in Fever’s future. For example, the old junk that were used as kind of like vintage décor: eye-pods or the derogatory term bloggers (hah!). I love Reeve’s use of language. It becomes like a little puzzle that I have to figure out while I read along. Sometimes, I don’t even think twice on some of the words because they seem so foreign… until it just clicks and a light bulb goes off in my brain.

I think what got to me about the plot is the striking contrast of SCRIVENER’S MOON to the previous book, A WEB OF AIR. The cover alone should have prepared me for the big difference. A WEB OF AIR is full of bright colors with a picture of a town by the ocean. On the other hand, SCRIVENER’S MOON looks dark and foreboding with the creepy Stalker on the front. Since I did read the Mortal Engines series, it also took the fun out of figuring out what would eventually happen. Getting there was still an experience and I’m glad to have read the book.

Fever Crumb is still one of my favorite leading ladies because she is just so unintentionally charming and funny. Not to mention, she is a complete nerd. Would you really be thinking about physics before you jump into a roaring river? Probably not, but Fever would! That scene just made me laugh out loud because it was such a Fever thing to do.

I’m a huge Arlo Thursday fan and while he isn’t left out in the book entirely, his presence was. Fever does mention him throughout the novel, but nothing is known about his fate. Philip Reeve has mentioned that he may be coming up with a novel as to what happens to Arlo Thursday, but I’ll have to wait a little bit longer to read more about Arlo.

Some things did start to click together, and if you have already read the Mortal Engines series, the end of the book turned out to be really cool because things start to piece together. I loved reading about the development of the theory of municipal Darwinism. It’s such a big term in the WoME and I loved reading about how it came to be.

SCRIVENER’S MOON may not be ranked that high rating-wise, but it doesn’t mean that you should look over it. Philip Reeve continues to be one of my favorite authors and I kind of have set a huge standard for his books. This one doesn’t quite make the mark, but it was still a very worthy read. I had to know more about Fever and the rise of new London. I’m glad to hear that the prequel series may not be completely over because at this point, I don’t think I can leave the World of Mortal Engines behind just yet.

As a side note: This book isn’t available yet in the United States; I ordered it via the Book Depository since I couldn’t wait for the US release. The second prequel book, A Web of Air, is due to be released this fall in the US by Scholastic Press.

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THE ETERNAL SEA

Summary: Romance and adventure are just around the corner . . .

After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She’s escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Oscar’s could be in grave danger.

Review Overview:

• Romance, fantasy, historical, and adventure all packed into one novel
• Starts off with a bang
• Delicious romance
• Fantastic sequel that will not disappoint fans of Everlasting

Note: I read an insanely early version of this novel.

This is the last book that I got to read for the lovely editor I worked with at Scholastic before the end of my internship. I also read Everlasting during this internship, which I absolutely adored so I jumped at the chance when my editor offered me to read it. At the time, THE ETERNAL SEA was known to me and Angie as #thebookwithoutaname because it was only known as Everlasting #2 while Angie and the editors tried to come up with a title.

I love Everlasting and THE ETERNAL SEA because it combines so many different genres that I enjoy. THE ETERNAL SEA definitely packs romance, fantasy, historical, and adventure all into one novel. Everything was escalated in the sequel! It had been a while since I read Everlasting, but THE ETERNAL SEA does a great job in catching up where the story left of. It can be read by itself, if one truly wishes, but I think you’ll miss out on the build-up to the foundation of Camille and Oscar’s relationship – an important thing to understand when reading the sequel. THE ETERNAL SEA started out with a bang and kept it going all the way through. The novel is fast-paced and I couldn’t put it down. The magic in this book, in my opinion, is elevated onto a whole new level. It is a lot more complex and we, as readers, learn more about the story behind the stones.

I think the best part of this book is the love triangle that emerges. I am 100% Team Oscar, but the drama between Oscar, Randall, and Camille was just too delicious. Camille definitely gets her share of attention in this book. The frustration jumps right of the page to the point where I want to rip my hair out and scream, “WHY?!” I love the chemistry between Oscar and Camille. It’s definitely one of the top reasons why I love the book.

To me, the book will always be known as Eventide. It was one of the title suggestions that Angie gave her editor, which I absolutely loved. THE ETERNAL SEA won out in the end – which is still a pretty good name. I give THE ETERNAL SEA a rating of four stars. I truly enjoyed the book, but I hated how the ending left me hanging with a bittersweet feeling. (Can’t say more… wouldn’t want spoilers!)

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Scrivener’s Moon by Philip Reeve

In a future land once known as Britain, nomad tribes are preparing to fight a terrifying enemy – the first-ever mobile city. Before London can launch itself, young engineer Fever Crumb must journey to the wastelands of the North. She seeks the ancient birthplace of the Scriven mutants. In the chaotic weeks before battle begins, Fever finds a mysterious black pyramid. The extraordinary secrets it contains will change her world forever. The seventh awe-inspiring adventure in the World of Mortal Engines series by a superb writer at the height of his powers.

Publication Date: April 4th 2011 by Scholastic UK

I wasn’t aware that the cover had been released until I saw it on Philip Reeve’s blog. This is one of my favorite sequels after reading it at internship and I am so so excited for this one to come out! For those new to the Hungry City Prequels/Fever Crumb series, this is the third book after A Web of Air, which unfortunately isn’t released in the US yet. But that’s what’s British relatives & also the Book Depository is for! I’m counting down the days for this one.

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GREEN WITCH

Summary: In this powerful, lovely sequel to GREEN ANGEL, Green must learn the stories of a number of “witches” and free her true soul mate from a prison as she grapples with life, love, and loss in a post-disaster world.

It still amazes me beyond belief how Alice Hoffman can craft such a perfect novel in little over a hundred pages. GREEN WITCH is haunting, beautiful, and enchanting. To be honest, I had my doubts when starting this book, similar to the doubts I had when I started to read GREEN ANGEL. I questioned the book’s ability to properly execute a plot and develop its characters. But after the first few pages, I was hooked and I knew that I was going to love it.

Hoffman’s writing is simply beautiful. Despite the ugly landscape that Green’s world has been transformed into, Hoffman is able to make it pretty through her use of vivid descriptions and imagery. The story was captivating and all the characters that Green meets along the way are interesting and full of life. The book gives you an appreciation for nature’s beauty and fills you up with hope and determination.

GREEN WITCH is a light and quick read. Fans of GREEN ANGEL will not be disappointed, and for those new to the series, I strongly recommend that you pick up the first book!

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AFTER EVER AFTER

Summary: Jeffrey isn’t a little boy with cancer anymore. He’s a teen who’s in remission, but life still feels fragile. The after-effects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping.
His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and “find himself.” Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he’s cute.

I was really hesitant about reading this “sequel” because I thought that Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie was a beautiful book, and sometimes beautiful books should just be left alone. However, since AFTER EVER AFTER is told from Jeffrey’s perspective many years later, I thought I would give it a shot anyways. Jordan Sonnenblick is a brilliant writer (and his editor, a.k.a. my Scholastic mentor is just as brilliant) so I was pretty sure that he could make this work!

What I love most about Sonnnenblick is that he adds humor when tackling difficult and serious subjects such as cancer. Cancer isn’t something you can usually joke about, but Sonnenblick is able to do this through Jeffrey without having the reader feel all awkward about it. Furthermore, Sonnenblick really puts the reader into Jeffrey’s perspective through his strong narrative voice. I was able to experience everything from Jeffrey’s point of view and I truly sympathized with him when he talked about his childhood and his difficulties growing up as a Kid Who Survived Cancer.

For those looking for more of Jeffrey’s older brother, Steven, this book is not for you. Steven’s story is quite over and it’s Jeffrey’s turn to tell his part of the tale. While I did love Steven’s character, it was great to read Jeffrey’s side of things. Steven does make brief appearances in the story but it is very limited.

Get the tissues ready because this book is a definite tear-jerker just like Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. While I did see the end coming, it did not stop me from tearing up a bit. The only reason that truly stopped me from full out sobbing was the fact that I was reading the book in a very public place. I had to choke back the tears and suck it up.

Overall, AFTER EVER AFTER was a touching, inspiring, and funny book. It will make you laugh, and it will definitely make you cry. Sonnenblick is definitely one of my favorite middle grade authors.

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A DARKLING PLAIN

I finally finished the Mortal Engines Quartet! School has been getting in the way, but I found the time to read this week instead of wasting time on the Internet. Woohoo!

The once-great traction city of London is now just a radioactive wreck, a ruin haunted by electrical discharges and the dashed hopes of the people who once called it home—people like Tom Natsworthy. Twenty years after he fled, intending never to return, he discovers that something stirs in the remains of the old city.

Tom and his daughter, Wren, aren’t the only people interested in London. The desperate armies of the Traction Cities and the Green Storm are also closing in, certain that whatever is taking shape within the city holds the key to victory in their never-ending war.

But it may be too late. Even as Tom and Wren hurry to uncover the mystery of London, Hester Shaw—estranged from her husband and her daughter—tracks the resurrected Stalker Fang, who has found another way to end the war and all life on the planet once and for all.

Traction cities, airships, battles, Stalkers, and a sprinkle of romance. The Mortal Engines Quartet comes to an end in A DARKLING PLAIN and readers of the series will not be disappointed. Everything we know and love about the series are found all in the massive 500+ page novel. A DARKLING PLAIN is not really something one could read in one sitting because of its length. But once it’s been finished, you’ll be craving for more!

There were so many story lines to keep track of in A DARKLING PLAIN. I have to admit that it was overwhelming at times, but for the most part, the different stories pushed me to keep reading forward. One moment I would be enthralled with Fishcake’s story line and the chapter would leave off at a cliffhanger. It keeps me waiting for the next chapter with Fishcake, but then I find myself completely immersed into the next chapter that I almost forget about my anticipation for the next Fishcake story.

I loved how the different story lines intersected, diverged, and intersected once more throughout the whole story. It was fascinating to see how all the characters are connected in some way or another despite the differences in their origin, class, job, or political views.

One thing I love most about Reeve’s books are the strong, courageous female characters that he creates like Wren.I found Wren irritating in the previous book so I was very happy with how she progressed as a character. I definitely feel that she matured throughout the book and I came to love her.

Shrike continues to be my favorite character out of the whole series. I loved how he has changed as a character from Mortal Engines to A DARKLING PLAIN. His story line was the one I looked out for the most.

I think one of the strongest points of the book is the ending. I don’t want to give anything away, but I have to say that I absolutely loved it. Endings are very important to me, and I don’t think that the series could have ended any better!

This book is strongly recommended for those who have read Reeve’s other books, of course including the first three in the Mortal Engines Quartet. Readers will not be disappointed with the series finale. If you have not read the series, and this review has captured your interest, I strongly recommend reading from the beginning.

Note: The Mortal Engines Quartet is currently not available in the United States. While it was previously published in the US, it is currently out of print and in the middle of the process of being repackaged by Scholastic US. I have found some copies of Mortal Engines through libraries, second-hand bookstores like Strand, and the GoodReads book swap. However, if you plan on buying a copy, I strongly recommend buying from the Book Depository.

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I have recently decided to make it my mission to read at least a book a week and keep up with my reviews. I know I have a ton of work on my plate, but I know I am capable of managing my time wisely to make time to read. After classes today I sat down and finished this book over lunch. I’m so glad I did!

Book Summary: Anchorage has become a static settlement on the shores of the Dead Continent, and its inhabitants have been living peacefully for sixteen years. But now trouble is approaching – in a limpet sub, and fast. The Lost Boys are back, and they’ll do anything to get what they want. Tom and Hester’s daughter Wren is their eager dupe, bored and desperate for adventure. When the theft of the mysterious Tin Book of Anchorage goes wrong, Wren is snatched away in the limpet, who knows where. Tom and Hester set off to rescue her, but this is the end of their quiet life on Anchorage. The journey will stir up old needs, old secrets – and send them back into perilous waters…

It is always interesting to read when we meet a new character in World of Mortal Engines. At first, I have to admit I was not a huge fan of Wren in INFERNAL DEVICES by Philip Reeve, but the more I read, the more she matured as a character and the more I came to like her. It’s still a bit hard to believe that so much time has passed between books two and three of this series. Many of the characters I had come to love in the previous books are all grown up in INFERNAL DEVICES by Philip Reeve!

Speaking of characters, Hester really bothered me in this book. I can see that she is going through some character development, but the further the book progressed the less I liked her. On the other hand, I was very happy to hear that Shrike is back in the series. He remains to be my favorite character in the book, and I was so glad that he is back in action!

In terms of the plot and storyline, INFERNAL DEVICES by Philip Reeve does not disappoint. I would have loved to read this book in one go, but time constraints prevented me from otherwise. At some points I would forget why I loved Philip Reeve and WoME so much, but I only had to read an action sequence to remember. INFERNAL DEVICES by Philip Reeveis action-packed – full of explosions, warfare, and fights. There are so many plot twists that kept me on my toes until the very end. It is such an exciting read!

I felt like there was a slight shift in the target audience for the book. While for the most part, I think it is still considered young adult, there is a lot of focus on Tom and Hester, who are nearing – if not already in – their forties. I personally had no problems with this because I do want to know how these characters are faring, but it definitely was a huge leap in terms of character age between PREDATOR’S GOLD and INFERNAL DEVICES.

Overall, the ending did nothing to satiate my hunger for the World of Mortal Engines. More than anything, I would love to devour A DARKLING PLAIN by Philip Reeve right this instant, but I promised that I would get through another book before I tackle the massive tome. I can’t wait to find out what happens to Tom, Wren, Shrike, and – sigh – Hester.

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RUNAWAY

Another review I found posted on GoodReads before I started posting my reviews on this blog. Meg Cabot remains to be one of my favorite contemporary authors so I was very excited to have picked up this book!

Book Summary: Emerson Watts is on the run: from school, from work, from her family, from her friends, from herself.

With everyone she loves furious with her for something she can’t explain, and nothing but the live Stark Angel fashion show on New Year’s Eve to look forward to, Em’s reached the end of her rope… what’s the point of even going on?

But when she discovers the truth about Nikki’s secret, she knows there’s only one person she can turn to.

Will Christopher be able to put aside his personal feelings and help her expose her employer to the world? Is it even fair to get Christopher involved—since if he agrees, there’s every chance that Stark Enterprises will try to have them both killed—this time, permanently?

Maybe it would be better for Em to just keep on running.

I am really glad that RUNAWAY by Meg Cabot was the final book in the series. I would have been really annoyed if it was going to be stretched out in another book. I really hated the vanity of some of the characters even though Em Watts kept saying how she never used to be vain. All the talk about clothing and looks and Em’s hot new bod was getting irritating after a while. I get it. You’re hot now.

In terms of characters, I love love love Christopher and Lulu. I love how Christopher is always there to save the day even if he isn’t sure on how their relationship stands. I like how he isn’t just fawning over Em and he has some sense of moral ground. Lulu is such an unforgettable character! She says the funniest things and I don’t think anyone gives her enough credit! She really does give out the best advice to Em.

Overall, I enjoyed RUNAWAY by Meg Cabot. It was a quick read and I’m glad that the series has been tied up.

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I finished this book a couple of days ago and I’ve been trying to decide whether or not I should write a review. It’s been a while since I have written one, so I decided to just sit down and write since I currently have a bit of extra time.

For those of you who aren’t aware, I am a huge Philip Reeve fan ever since I read FEVER CRUMB during my internship at Scholastic Press. I finally got my hands on a copy of the Mortal Engines Quartet through my grandmother in the U.K. because it is very difficult to find them in the U.S. at the moment….

Tom and Hester are in danger.

Pursued by the grim aviators of the Green Storm, they stumble onto the ice city of Anchorage just in time. But Anchorage is not a safe refuge: devastated by plague and haunted by thieves or ghosts, the city is barely lurching along. And savage Huntsmen are closing in. Surrounded by danger, Tom and Hester struggle as jealousy threatens to destroy them and the city.

In a desperate bid for survival, the young ruler of Anchorage sets a course for the Dead Continent: America.

I absolutely loved reading about Tom and Hester in MORTAL ENGINES so it was such a treat to follow the characters in their next adventure. I loved the setting of Anchorage. Philip Reeve’s descriptions are so vivid – I can easily picture everything. Furthermore, I loved reading more about the World of Mortal Engines. There is just so many things to learn about how our world has evolved since the Sixty-Minute War. The world Reeve has created is riveting. The entire series definitely make me ask myself: what if this were to really happen?

Honestly, I felt like I couldn’t give this book as much attention as I wanted to. I love the World of Mortal Engines so there is no denying that I enjoyed reading it, but I felt like I would have enjoyed it more if I was able to sit down and just read it straight through. Unfortunately, with my current workload and schedule that just was not possible, and I had to resort to reading a couple of chapters every other day.

Still, I love the series and I will continue on with the rest. PREDATOR’S GOLD was exactly what I was expecting. I am already in the middle of Infernal Devices and I am also enjoying it tremendously. Philip Reeve is a fantastic writer who will keep you hooked ’til the very end! Readers who love science fiction and/or steampunk will truly enjoy this read.

Rating:

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This internship has provided me with so many unique opportunities that I would not have learned elsewhere. My mentor has taught me so much about what she does and exposed me to so many stages of publishing a book. I feel so lucky to not have only worked with unsolicited manuscripts for review but also books in production that have already (or will) come out. My internship has pushed me to read more than ever and to pursue a degree towards a career in publishing. I have been exposed to so many different new books, and found so many great new authors that I absolutely love, whose works I will continue to read. Working for Scholastic will be my dream job, and hopefully I will get there someday.

So, without further ado: goodbye Harry Potter statue in the lobby; goodbye Mockingjay countdowns; goodbye free book bins; goodbye Greenhouse over-looking the Manhattan skyline; goodbye authors who send in a manuscript each week to the point that I recognize their names and remember the last manuscript that they just sent; goodbye lovely editor who put up with me for a year. I will really miss this internship.

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