The Trap: Origin or Demise

The Trap by Andrew Fukuda

Why did I read it?

Because The Hunt and The Prey were ssssoooooo good!!

What happened?

SPOILER ALERT

Just as Gene and Sissy predicted, the train was not taking them to a beautiful civilization where hepers had assembled and thrived. They were being taken to the Palace, where the Dusker Ruler makes a habit of devouring hepers on a whim. 

Barely escaping the horde of vampires that tracked them to the Mission pales in comparison to the horrible living (no, dying) conditions of the Ruler's palace. But, before Gene and Sissy's time comes, they are shocked to find two powerful entities seeking their help.

First, there is a secret group of hepers who are planning to deliver The Origin to the Metropolis. With research began by his father, The Origin is a combination of Gene and Sissy's blood (Genesis), and will change duskers to hepers.

Secondly, the Ruler himself is asking Gene and Sissy to remove a public relations nightmare in the form of a fellow hunter from Gene's past; Ashley June!!

Used as pawns in the cross-hairs of these two agendas, Gene and Sissy still strive to defend those they love, remain together, and maintain their humanity in a cold world of vampires.

What did I like or not like?

Trilogies are obviously hard to write. As a rule, first books are awesome, but then the trilogy typically goes off-track with a second book just waiting for the climax of the third, or a third book that takes us completely into left field.

But, Fukuda doesn't fall into either of those traps (pun intended). The second installment was a nice continuation with its own revelations and suspense, and then the third keeps the story advancing with a crazy reversal that I never saw coming.

Fukuda's trilogy has solid writing, solid storytelling, keeps you guessing while giving you a story that feels familiar, and is a really good dystopian series.

The Prey: Refuge or Prison

The Prey by Andrew Fukuda

Why did I read it?

Because I really, really liked The Hunt, and I was on a library trip to Boise so I had some time to fill.

What happened?

SPOILER ALERT

The heper hunt did not go as Gene had anticipated. Now he is on the run, surrounded by the uncivilized 'hepers' he was supposed to be hunting, with hunters thirsting for his blood on the shores of the rivers, and no idea how he is going to survive in The Vast.

But, things start to take a turn for the better when they find a secluded heper sanctuary in the mountains surrounding The Vast. Initially surprised by an entire village of others like them, Gene and Sissy, one of the hepers he helped escape, start to feel better about their chances of survival. Until they start to realize that things aren't as they should be. Rigid community rules, harsh punishments, a feeling of uneasiness, and a complete lack of anybody but young girls and controlling elders has Gene and Sissy worried.

Not comfortable with this 'haven' they have found, Gene and Sissy start to long for the land 'flowing with milk and honey' that they had both been told about by Gene's father. But, leaving the 'haven' might not be as easy as they think, and the supposed safety from the hunters may be merely an illusion...

What did I like or not like?

This book picks up just where The Hunt left off and does an amazing job continuing the story. We are offered some revelations of how the world got to this place, but still have many questions that need to be answered in The Trap, which is coming out soon. While I surmised what was going on, Fukuda keeps the story interesting with complex characters, interesting circumstances, and difficult challenges that keep you turning the pages.
 

The Hunt: Hiding Among Hunters

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda 

Why did I read it?

In the past, my boss has mentioned that she doesn't like violent books, but her current love of young adult dystopian novels, which he really wants me to read, would suggest otherwise hehe.

What happened?

Gene is your typical teenage kid; he'd rather not be in the spotlight, and he'd rather not stick out. But, for Gene, it is a matter of survival. See, he is not like everyone around him. Everyone else has sharp fangs, heightened senses, and an insatiable thirst for 'heper' blood. Even though Gene looks just like them, even wearing a set of fake fangs, he would be ripped to shreds within a minute if 'people' knew the truth.

So, when Gene is selected for The Heper Hunt, a rare opportunity to hunt down and feast on the flesh of the last remaining hepers on earth, he is less than ecstatic. How is he supposed to stay on the down-low if every eye at The Institution is thirsting and craving for fresh heper flesh? Especially since most 'people' weren't chosen for the honor of participating in the hunt, and have an even higher lust for a fresh heper...

And then there are the 'hepers' about to be hunted. While Gene would like to think he is somehow separate from them, having lived with civilized 'people,' things might not be at all what they seem.

What did I like or not like?

Have you ever noticed that many dystopian books read the same? Now, don't get me wrong! I absolutely love this genre. Young people trapped in an unfair world are forced to accomplish some goal for the betterment of society; no matter the cost!

This one has all those great, essential elements, but a human is surrounded by vampires ready to devour him at the slightest slip-up, and consequently, this is just a fantastic, chilling, suspenseful read.

P.S. Just like The Testing, I'm definitely going to finish this series. In fact, what is this book in my bag that I brought to the Idaho Library Association Annual Conference? Oh yeah, its The Prey, the second one in the series lol.

The Testing: What If the Tests are Deadly?

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau 

Why did I read it?

Because Miss Karen compared it to a combination of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent...nuf said. 

What happened?

Cia Vale has always wanted to attend The University. To be counted among the chosen few destined to rebuild the war-scarred world left after the Seven Stages War. She loves her family, and she has been successful helping her father and brothers revitalize the land surrounding her small colony. But, she has always hoped against hope that she would be chosen for The Testing upon graduation.

The Testing is the first step toward attending The University. Officials from Tosu City evaluate the merits of each school graduate, and invite the elite to participate in a series of tests. These tests determine who has true leadership potential and should therefore move onto The University. While no one has been chosen from her colony in many years, Cia is elated when she and three other graduates are chosen from her colony.

But, Cia's happiness quickly turns to concern when her father shares some of his worries. All Testing candidates do have their memories erased at the conclusion of the tests. But, Cia's father warns her that his fragmented memories and nightmares of The Testing contain unspeakable horror, death, and Testing candidates pitted against each other. With her expectations set on edge, Cia leaves all that she knows behind and heads toward whatever horror or honor The Testing contains...

What did I like or not like?

This book is really, really readable. You are immediately drawn into the characters and the world that Charbonneau has created. Just like Miss Karen promised, this book does contain similar elements to The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent. But, it is definitely its own story, complete with great characters, chilling action and consequences, and mystery.

Like most Young Adult novels published at this time, this one is the beginning of a series, and I'm definitely going to need to keep reading this story.

The Kill Order: When Life Burns Away

The Kill Order by James Dashner

Why did I read it?

The Maze Runner series will always be tied to my boss lol. The Kill Order (the prequel to The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure) bounced across Karen's desk as a new book, and she grabbed it up because The Maze Runner series sounded familiar. But once she finished it, she was very confused hehe. As it turns out, James Dashner wrote The Kill Order after the other three, and it seems to make a little more sense if you already know the other books.

What happened?

SPOILER ALERT

Before The Glade was formed, before The Scorch was crossed, before Thomas changed the world, things were as they are now. But then the sun flares came and everyone's life was turned upside down.

A year after the sun flares, Mark and Trina are doing alright. They are a part of a close-knit group of survivors, and they are learning more and more everyday about what it will take to survive in this harsh reality.

But, nothing has prepared them for the hovercrafts that unexpectedly attack their settlement, infecting most of the people they love with a terrible mind-altering disease.

There are two realities that Mark and Trina are becoming aware of: One, they have no idea who they can trust, and Two, they don't know if they can trust themselves with an ever-evolving disease sweeping across the globe.

What did I like or not like?

When I picked up the book, I was thinking it would be a prequel about Thomas and his friends before The Glade, but this one goes even further back. By the time I figured that out, I was already a little bit confused about the timeline, even though I was able to piece it together by the end (don't make assumptions apparently =D)

Dashner once again writes a fast-paced story that keeps you guessing, but it is also invigorating to see the start of things that you figured out in the other books.

While this one isn't about Thomas exactly, it is definitely worth reading, and it definitely supports and broadens the story behind the other books.

Insurgent: Can Pain Lead to Strength?

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Why did I read it?

Because Divergent was awesome, and I couldn't resist reading it anymore =D

What happened?

SPOILER ALERT

Triss didn't have a choice, but it doesn't mean she doesn't regret killing Will. Why couldn't she just have shot him in the hand? There wasn't anything she could do to stop them, but why did her parents have to sacrifice themselves for her? How can she move on without them?

But move on she must. She and Tobias might have been able to stop the Erudite plot, but there is no telling what might be coming next. With Abnegation all but destroyed, the other three factions have to choice their side, and several of them have close ties to Erudite. Where can she and the other outcasts find safety?

Perhaps its with the factionless, those banished, exiled, or kicked out from their chosen faction. But despite what many said, the factionless aren't as helpless as they might have appeared. In fact, they might have been planning something. But what?

There are also the rumors that Triss has heard. Maybe the Erudite attack on Abnegation might have been about much more than a simple government takeover. It might have been about secrets that could rock their entire world.

What did I like or not like?

As far as Dystopian novels go, this series is one of my favorites. The society is brought to the point of destruction, and yet the characters are still led by values and convictions. The plot and action keep you interested throughout the novel, and the questions that the characters ask in their make-believe circumstances apply to all of our lives today. Ultimately, the book ponders the idea of who we are; what we choose to do, or what we have to do. 

The Death Cure: No More Lies!

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Why did I read it?

My boss is an avid reader; she can go through several books in a week. But, sometimes she enjoys a series so much that she desperately needs someone else to discuss it with, and that is what happened with this series. I had read The Maze Runner for TeenBookWorms, but then she pushed me through The Scorch Trials and the prequel, The Kill Order, in addition to this title. I'm really glad she did.

What happened?

SPOILER ALERT

WICKED (World In Catastrophe Killzone Experiment Department) has done terrible things to Thomas and his friends, and the more he remembers about his life before the Maze, the more he realizes that he was one of THEM! With solar flares and The Scorch threatening to destroy humanity, Thomas and others like him believed that the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few.

But Thomas isn't so sure anymore. After surviving The Maze and The Scorch, friends dying around him, and his best friend betraying him, Thomas has had enough. WICKED might be saying the time for lies is over. They might be saying they will give him back his memory. They might be saying they are so close to developing a cure.

But Thomas no longer believes that "WICKED is good." He has seen the evil that has been perpetrated in the name of science, and he is not going to be a pawn in their game any longer.

What did I like or not like?

One of the awesome things about this series is the fast-paced action coupled with the slow revelation of what is going on, and this third installment is no exception. We have so many more pieces of the puzzle by the beginning of this book, but their are still many questions to be answered.

Have you ever gotten to the end of a series and thought, "I read through all of those pages and THAT is how you are going to end it? You have got to be kidding me!" I don't think that will happen with this one.

Its possible that you won't like it, but similar to my thoughts on Mockingjay (the third book in The Hunger Games series), I don't think the author could have ended it any other way. The ending is definitely bittersweet, but I think it was realistic for the world Dashner set up, and it was still way more hopeful than Mockingjay was =D

Show The Hunger Games Movie!

Through the month of October, the Hayden Library was involved with our area-wide program called North Idaho Reads, and one of the programs we got to do was show The Hunger Games movie.

North Idaho Reads was a collaboration between Community Library Network, Coeur d' Alene Public Library, East Bonner County Library District and West Bonner Library District to promote one book (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury), and then offer programs to support people talking about it.

Fahrenheit 451 is a classic dystopian novel, so when our committee considered what kind of programs we could offer, we thought a Dystopian Movie Festival would be really cool. So, we made sure all the libraries had a projector and a DVD player or compatible computer, and showed some movies =D

The Hayden Library chose to show Fahrenheit 451, Children of Men, Serenity, and then finally The Hunger Games. While I don't have any pictures (I'll make sure I do that next time), we decorated the Bookmobile garage with rugs, tables, and Christmas lights, and made it feel like a movie theater.

In addition to watching the movie, we ordered some pizza afterwards and chatted about what we thought about the movie, how it compared to the book, and what other dystopian stories we had heard.

Obviously, The Hunger Games is under copyright protection, so to legally showed it, we purchased a license from Movie Licensing USA, which is also going to let us show The Amazing Spider-Man in December. I'm stoked already!

The Scorch Trials: Out of the Maze, Into the Fire

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Why did I read it?

Because I couldn't stop reading the series after The Maze Runner =D

What happened?

SPOILER ALERT

While Thomas and others from The Glade thought they were finally safe...nothing could be further from the truth. It turns out that the very people who "saved" them were the very people who had put them in the maze in the beginning, and their next challenge starts now!

In the maze, the Gladers had a sense of control. They had figured out their surroundings and their was a certain amount of safety behind the walls of The Glade. But now, there is nothing protecting the Gladers from the terrifying reality of planet Earth. Apparently, huge solar flares have ravaged the surface of the planet, and if Thomas and his friends want to survive, they have to reach a haven that rests on the other side of the worst desert on the planet.

But, getting across The Scorch is going to be everything but easy. If the lightning storms don't kill them, it will be the Cranks (people who have been affected by a terrible disease called The Flare). Or will it be each other?

What did I like or not like?

Dashner does a great job of keeping this story fast-paced, exciting, and mysterious. Around each turn and new character there is danger, and slowly, ever slowly, we start getting glimpses of what might be going on here.

Thomas helps us with this as he slowly starts to remember things that happened before the Glade. But, the more he remembers, the more he wonders if he ever wants to remember at all...

While many second books suffer from a lack of story line as the author waits for the third installment, this book has plenty of action, character development, and plot. Once I got done with it, I had a hard time not reading the third and final book, The Death Cure. 

The Maze Runner: Mystery Within, Death Without

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Why did I read it?

This was the title for our TeenBookWorms group in July, but it took me a while to get a blog post up about it.

What happened?

After waking in an elevator, Thomas finds himself in The Glade, with no memory of what brought him to that point.

The Glade is a society, made up of entirely teenage boys, that depend on their own strength, wit, and ordered existence to survive in the center of an ever-changing maze, inhabited by the mysterious and deadly Grievers.

Their only chance of escape is to explore the maze, hoping that an exit presents itself. But,
their society is turned on its head when a girl arrives only days after Thomas, and claims that everything is going to change.

As if that wasn't strange enough, she is the only person that Thomas can seem to remember...from whatever happened before...

What did I like or not like?

While the book takes a little while to get going, it is totally worth it once it does. The plot is something that you aren't expecting, and the mystery surrounding what is going on keeps you guessing the whole time.

Like many Dystopian books, the characters inhabit a dangerous world, full of high-stake choices and situations,  where one false move could get you dead. This excitement is coupled with the mystery, right up until the book ends, leaving you begging for the second one, The Scorch Trials. That is what happened with me anyway hehe.

Fahrenheit 451: Burn Their Ideas Away

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton

Why did I read it?

North Idaho Reads is a series of events coming up this Fall. We'll be having a film festival, banned music, and a futurist all centering around one book: Fahrenheit 451. Originally written in 1953, Fahrenheit 451 was recently adapted into a graphic novel, and I thought I'd check out what this version had to offer.

What happened?

Guy Montag is a fireman, which means he starts fires for a living. Might seem a little bit backwards, but with perfectly fireproof houses, accidental fires don't happen; only intentional ones do. Why would they start fires? To eliminate books.

From our time, society continued to move faster and faster until reading a novel just wasn't desirable anymore. Watching a virtual world on your living room wall was much more interesting and made you much happier. Books became a burden. They confused people and made them sad. So, people decided by themselves that they didn't want books anymore, and firemen changed their jobs from stopping fires to starting them.

Starting fires is all Guy has ever known, but when a peculiar girl talks to him about taking life slow, and an old woman would rather burn than let go of her books, Guy starts to think that their might be something to those countless novels he put to the flame.

What did I like or not like?

Obviously, Dystopian novels are huge right now, and Fahrenheit 451 was one of the very first ones. It tells a thought-provoking tale of what might happen if we just lived for pleasure, and let go of reading and thinking for ourselves. The style of the graphic novel is rough, with a limited but vibrant color palette, and it was very interesting to read and take in.

Once again, I'm not sure if Dystopian novels are meant to be enjoyed per se, as they often portray dark and dangerous futures, but it was very interesting and worth reading.

Mockingjay: When An Author Stays True to Her World...

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Why did I read it?

Because I literally had to start the third book once Catching Fire ended lol

What happened?

SPOILER ALERTS

Unbelievably, much to the chagrin of the capitol, both Katniss and Peeta once again survived their time in the Hunger Games. But, this time Katniss didn't escape by threatening to eat some poisoned berries. She escaped by destroying the force field encasing the arena, and was rescued by District 13 hovercrafts!

Unbeknownst to Katniss, and the rest of Panem, District 13 was not destroyed at the conclusion of the rebellion seventy-five years ealier. Instead, they moved completely underground, and have been waiting for their opportunity to once again challenge the Capitol. Katniss was just the figurehead they needed for all-out war on their persecuters.

There are only a couple of problems. Katniss isn't sure she wants to be a pawn in District 13 hands,  Peeta was captured by the Capitol, and with each step she takes, she is more unsure who she can really trust, and whether or not she, or anyone she cares about, will get out of this alive.

What did I like or not like?

Let me say here that this is NOT a happy trilogy. There is a semi-happy ending, but there is a lot of death, dying, suffering, questions, betrayals, and sacrifice that lead up to it.

But let me also say here that this trilogy blew me away with how awesome it was! I got done reading and all I could think was how amazing the storyline ultimately was. Each choice, each small circumstance affected everything else, and the characters were absolutely realistic and true to the last page.

Many people I have talked to about the trilogy say the third book was violent just for the sake of being violent, and that Suzanne Collins didn't have to make many of the choices that she did. More people could have survived!

But, this is my take on it: Suzanne was just being true to the world that she created. From the very first chapter of The Hunger Games, Suzanne created a dangerous, violent, unfair and chaotic world, and when the stakes went up, these things took their affect as well; with disatrous consequences.

I've also had friends who disagree with the books themselves. They don't agree with the thought of young adults killing each other being seen as entertainment.

Here is my take on that: While The Hunger Games are entertainment, and are hugely popular, they don't view death and killing as entertainment, and they also don't condone it. The characters in Suzanne's world have to deal with these realities, but with every chance they get, they strive to remove these atrocities from their world.

So, those are my quick thoughts on an awesome trilogy. If you have other ideas, hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, or leave a comment below. Or, you could track me down at the Hayden Library, and I'll be more than willing to spend a very long time chatting about this series with you :)

Catching Fire: Need I Say More?

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Why did I read it?

With the huge success of The Hunger Games movie that just hit theatres ($253,006,396 in 11 days according to Box Office Mojo) everyone is talking about The Hunger Games right now. I originally read The Hunger Games in 2010, but because of a crazy schedule and other books, I wasn't able to finish the series. So, when I heard the movie was coming out, I reread the book, and this time, I couldn't stop until I had finished Mockingjay.

What happened?


SPOILER ALERTS
(Not a ton, but its hard to do a synopsis of a second book without giving some stuff away)

Both Katniss and Peeta survived the 74th Hunger Games! This is a situation unheard of in Panem history and there will be consequences. The Hunger Games were designed to give the illusion of hope while demanding respect and fear and exacting control. With the stunt that Katniss pulled, this control has been called into question and the scent of rebellion is in the air.
Preparing for the Victory Tour, a quick trip around the districts designed by the Capitol, Katniss is approached by President Snow himself. Snow makes it clear that he isn't forgetting her defiance, and that he isn't afraid to destroy everything she holds dear if she steps out of line. Okay, don't mess things up on the tour, got it!

But, the choices that Katniss made have taken on a life of their own, and she soon realizes that nothing she did or didn't do on the tour could change where Panem is heading. In an effort to stamp out this fire that is quickly catching across Panem, President Snow issues a special edict for the 75th Hunger Games, and no one could have seen it coming.

What did I like or not like?


Holy moly and pandemonium, I love these books! The Hunger Games was amazing, but the way Suzanne was able to build the scope of the story while remaining so true to the original world is spectacular.

So many trilogies suffer in their second book because the author doesn't want to give away too much of the story. They almost drag along until the third book. But, this is something that Suzanne doesn't have a problem with. There is so much story to tell that this story will glue you to your seat and not let you up.

Suzanne also does a great job giving us new revelations in each character, but never changing who the characters are. It is no wonder why these books are so popular, and if you haven't read them, I would highly suggest them.

Next Book Blurt I'm going to be chatting about Mockingjay, and a little bit more about the ideas behind the trilogy. Stay tuned!

Divergent: Could Thinking for Yourself Get You Killed?

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Why did I read it?

Dystopian novels are huge right now, so we decided to read this book for TeenBookWorms. We meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 4-5pm, to discuss a book together.

What happened?

After a devestating war ravaged the planet, survivors created factions that focused on a particular virtue to combat the evil that caused the war. Those who said the war was caused by deception formed Candor (the honest), those who blamed selfishness formed Abnegation (the selfless), those who blamed cowardness formed Dauntless (the brave), those who blamed anger formed Amity (the peaceful), and those who blamed ignorance formed Erudite (the intelligent).

Many years after the establishment of this seemingly perfect society, Beatrice Prior will choose which faction she will join just like every other sixteen-year-old in Chicago. For most, a simulation will definitively tell them which faction will be the best fit for them. But, for Beatrice, her choices in the simulation are inconclusive, and that can mean only one thing; that she is divergent.

While no one will tell her exactly what that means, she is told repeatedly that it is dangerous and could get her killed. Fantastic! As if surviving initiation in her chosen faction isn't going to cause enough problems for her.


What did I like or not like?


Veronica is only 22 years old and this is her debut novel, but it is amazing! She does a great job imagining a world where society members are split by personality, and how focusing on one virtue can mess us up instead of help us.

The initiation process that Beatrice has to endure provides a great mix of excitement, adventure, discoveries and a little bit of romance. But, beneath it all, there is something more sinister that Beatrice can't put her finger on, and it is this undercurrent that eventually rears its ulgy head and threatens to topple the system her entire society is built on.

P.S. There is some violence (this is a Dystopian novel) and some brief sexually-themed discussions.

Coliseums and Costumers

Imagine the gladiators of ancient Rome, fighting to the death in the Coliseum. Now imagine the Olympics: sponsors, competition from every area of the world. Now imagine a runway model show: make-up, costumers. Now imagine Dancing with the Stars: competitors, judges, audiences. Now imagine a mixture of all of these events where fights to the death are televised for all to see. Such is the world of Panem, the home of Katniss Everdeen.

Set many years in the future, Panem is located in what used to be called North America. The capitol keeps an iron grip on its population which is divided into 12 districts. Having crushed a rebellion many years in the past, the capitol is loath to crush another one. Striving to keep the districts in check, the capitol instituted the Hunger Games to show just how weak and powerless the districts were. Every year, two “tributes” from every district, one boy and one girl, are “reaped” to participate in the Hunger Games. These twenty-four young souls will fight to the death while the rest of Panem watches.

Katniss is a strong, self-sufficient teen who grows up in District 12. After her father died when she was ten, she has been the sole provider and defender of her mother and younger sister. At the reaping this year, she is shocked and dismayed when her younger sister is chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. Without thinking, driven by her love for her sister, Katnisss volunteers to go in her place. So starts Katniss’s adventures in the Hunger Games, which are everything but normal. Katniss started with something almost unheard of, volunteering to take the place of someone else, and she keeps knocking the socks off of the viewing audiences, and the Gamemakers.

The Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy of books by Suzanna Collins. The second book is Catching Fire, and the third book is called MockingJay. Throughout the book, Katniss struggles to find a way to show the capitol that she isn’t just a piece in their game; that she is a human being that they will have to deal with. She starts this trend in training, and continues it throughout the competition. This book is very exciting to read and keeps you interested in how Katniss will survive throughout the games. Twenty-four other competitors are out to kill her, not to mention the elements, wild animals, and anything else the Gamemakers want to throw at her.

As the subject matter implies, this book is pretty violent. It doesn’t get into too gory details, but the types of deaths of some twenty-two people are talked about and explained. Despite this factor, I devoured the book. What would a society look like that had to send their children to battle to their deaths? What would the process of training, competition, and elimination look like? Collins does an excellent job looking at the consequences and culture that would come from this kind of system. Collins also does an excellent job looking at our own fascination with competition, and applying that to the world of Panem. This book is expertly written, and it is no wonder that it is so popular. The only issue I have with it is the high violence content, but this story wouldn't be complete without this violence content. If you have a problem with violence this book most likely isn't for you. But, if you don't mind fantasy violence, then this is a very interesting story.