In an instant everyone over the age of 14 disappears. Poof. Gone.
And there is a border… a wall… or maybe a dome that surrounds the town of Perdido Beach, CA. A barrier that no one can break through.
And (as if all of that wasn’t enough) the animals are morphing, evolving. And so are the kids. Developing supernatural powers.
In the vein of The Lord of the Flies the kids don’t all agree on how to survive, who should be in charge, and what they should do to keep order. The bully from the private school, Caine (aptly named, by the way), soon takes over and rules without mercy due to his developing powers. Sam also develops powers, but is reluctant to step up and lead — even though he is morally and ethically the “good” guy in the story. It really gets eerie when the local coyotes start organizing, talking, and then stalking the kids.
As a mom this book scared me to death. To think that 13 year olds would be in charge of everyone and everything was powerfully disturbing. And the author stays pretty authentic to how this might play out. Cars crash when the driver disappears, gas stoves ignite fires in homes, children cry for their parents. It takes the kids a long time to get organized, the candy is eaten first, and they forget to check on the babies…. with tragic results.
Because of the gruesome and also the very scary encounters in this book, I would recommend this for older teens or maybe younger teens who can handle Stephen King-esque storytelling. However, there is a bit of a disconnect because older teens may not be as interested in a book about 13 year olds, but I think the book will still hold their attention as the book is very gripping and hard to put down, if for no other reason than the original and terrifying paradigm of the story. I have heard some say that it slows down too much in parts. But as the first book in a trilogy, I am a bit forgiving as the author sets up the round characters and allows the story to pace itself. If you or your kids liked Hunger Games, you’ll probably like this one, too.
Maximum Ride, or Max, is the leader of her “flock.” A group of 6 genetically altered children who have avian DNA and can fly…with wings. They have escaped the school (the euphemism for the research lab they grew up in) and are out in the world on their own, trying to find their parents, stay alive, and avoid the Erasers (another set of genetically altered kids that resemble wolves) who are tracking them down.
I had no intention of liking these books. None. But because I like to keep up and read alongside what my kids are reading, I went ahead and dove into this one. And, frankly, it hooked me. So much so that I finished the whole series in a little less than two weeks.
I really had to get used to James Patterson’s way of writing. He rights in quick sentences, no fluff, not a lot of detail. And because this book is told in 1st person from the perspective of a 14 year old girl, he writes in the vernacular and jargon of a sassy teen. And Max often talks right to the reader. Sometimes I feel like Patterson nails the voice of a 14 year old girl — just gets right in that sweet spot with the cadence and the language. And at other times, the voice is painfully not the voice of a teenager; it almost yells to the reader “middle age white guy trying to sound like a teenage girl.” During these passages, well, lets just say some of them are cringe-worthy. Especially when Patterson — through the voice of Max — gets preachy about responsibility and global warming (yes, you read that correctly, there is a anti-global warming thread throughout this series…).
But if you can put all that aside and read on, you have yourself a solid story that winds up to be compelling, interesting, and a fun read. Teenagers will love it (mine sure did). I even think this one would grab the attention of teenage boys, even though it is told from the point of view of a female. The story spins from one intense moment to the next and the characters are easy to care about.
I recommend this book series for boys and girls age 11 and older.
Maerad (“My Rad“) is a slave in in the worst possible circumstances when she is discovered by a mysterious and powerful traveling Bard. Cadvan soon convinces Maerad to join him on his perilous journey in the service of the Light. It isn’t long until Maerad discovers that she, too, has powers and eventually “the Speech” and that she is needed to help push back the rising threat of the Nameless One — the evil that threatens all of Annar. It is through her journey to the capital city and by facing peril after peril, that Maerad’s true important place in history is revealed.
The Naming is the first book in a quartet about Maerad’s epic journey to reveal her destiny. The hero’s quest and good versus evil (or as we like to say in my family “e-ville”) theme feels very familiar and comfortable. We have a heroine who has humble beginnings but later find out that she is actually aristocracy and that she holds the key to saving the world. Not unlike Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, Eragon, and countless others…so, the “formula” works. The book has many compelling moments where Cadvan and Maerad face enemies, fight them off, and learn from their experiences. These focal-moments of the story are intense and suspenseful without being terrifying. But in between these moments, the book is a bit slow (and even bogged down) with long descriptions of forests and the story-telling that unravels the very complicated mythology of the Bards. The mythology (the history of the Bards, explanations of “The Speech”, and so forth) seemed a bit long and, frankly, not that interesting. I can forgive the masters, like Tolkien, for this but it wore a bit thin here. Like Tolkien, Croggon creates a “real” history and language that is supported by an appendix full of fictitious primary sources. I found myself wanting to rush through this exposition to get to some of the action, which in itself revealed a lot of what the reader needs to know (without being long-winded). The book wasn’t slow enough or dull enough to put down, however, and it does end in such a way that makes it nearly impossible not to continue with the series. The last 8 chapters of the book are so interesting and suspenseful, in fact, that it re-focuses and redeems the entire book — making the first 279 pages a very long, very involved setting of the stage for future books.
I would absolutely recommend this book for ages 11 and up. It is a good, solid read that tweens and teens that enjoy fantasy or science fiction will enjoy and they will most likely end up wanting to complete the series. My 13 year old claims that the story gets better and better with each book. The Naming is a nice send-off into another world where Maerad and Cadvam weave through pitch-black tunnels following a mountain lion, fight off the horrible “wights” from the otherworld, and encounter a secret city with an ethereal queen.
Full Title: The Naming (The First Book of Pellinor)
Series: The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, The Singing
Written By: Alison Croggon
Genre: Science Ficton/Fantasy/Adventure/Hero’s Quest
Age: Young Adult (age 11 and up)
Every week I try to review at least one book. These reviews are about books I have read and usually one of my kids have read, too. I am not compensated for these reviews — I love books and just want to get the word about good (and sometimes not-so-good) books.
