Shift (Silo #2) by Hugh Howey

Plot Synopsis: Did you read Wool? Good. Shift is the prequel to Wool. How did the silos come to be? What happened to the world that it turned so toxic and nearly wiped out humanity? The answers to these questions and more are revealed through the eyes of a handful of characters--Donald, a recently elected congressman from the state of Georgia; Mission, a porter in Silo 18; and the familiar Jimmy (Solo) of Silo 17.

Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: Hugh Howey had a dilemma: he envisioned this post-apocalyptic world within a dystopian society and had to figure out how to explain it all. While this may be your motivation for reading Shift, some mysteries should stay mysteries. Howey's backstory on the silos is hokey, because that's the only real way it could be explained. There are enormous holes that will nag you until the very end when you realize Howey has no intention of filling them in. Shift is rather long and drawn out. Remember my criticism of Wool's tedious beginning, 30% of the book devoted to Jahn's stair climbing? Yeahhhh... this prequel is 70% tedium. The author spends too much time focusing on the daily lives of his characters. The suspense is there only because you want answers and there are periodic hints that you'll get them in time. But that's my gripe...all the waiting for that one bombshell reveal.

Oh, you think I hate the book due to what I wrote above? No, I actually liked it! It's strange and weird and wonderful. The hokey explanation may leave a metallic taste in your mouth (get it?) but you can digest it. Silo 17's plotline is fun and scary, the backstory on Jimmy exciting and insightful. Donald's slow piecing together of the dots is thrilling. Is Shift worth reading? YES, but know this: Shift doesn't reach the high bar that Wool created.

Final Rating: 8/10. It's great, but not as legendary as Wool. I'm reading the final installment of the Silo trilogy now, still totally motivated to see how all this pans out!

Wool Omnibus (Wool #1-5) by Hugh Howey

Plot Synopsis: A very toxic outside world has driven humanity to live within an underground "silo." 140 floors are devoted to keeping things humming - mechanical down below, hydroponic farm levels throughout, the IT department, Supply, porters (for delivering items), and even offices devoted to law and order -- deputies, sheriffs, and a mayor. But all is not exactly well in the silo as certain individuals begin to question why the outside is "taboo" and discussing an interest in it is punishable by "cleaning" (wherein those sentenced are put in special suits, let outside in the toxic environment, and for some reason, they clean the sensors that allow those in the silo to view the outside...only for the cleaner to then die a quick death outside). One individual, Juliette, a mechanic-turned-mayor begins to discover the awful truth about cleaning, just moments before she herself is sentenced to cleaning...

Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This is an incredibly well-done story! And to think it was written by some guy who just decided to self-publish his writing on Amazon! So, let's talk about why this book is so good. First, the writing is so easy to read, so smooth, the descriptions spot on. Each chapter ends on a bit of a bombshell which propels you to keep reading, even when you expected to take a break. The chapters are small and easily digestible. The characters are all very unique and the author does a great job of getting the reader into each of their mindsets. I loved how I could understand the intentions of each of them due to the fact that each chapter is in a third-person-limited POV. You certainly get invested in characters like Jahns and Juliette among others. And the plot is so out there, so original, very dystopian and science-fictiony and yet real enough that it's totally believable. There is no magic here, just deception. It's such a suspenseful story, slightly complex due to seeing the conflict from multiple angles, that it's simply too good to put down until you've made it to the last page.

Was there anything I didn't like about this book? Yes. In the beginning of the novel, there's an immense amount of description of Jahn's descent down to Mechanical. Okay, I get it, the silo is very large and it takes days to traverse all the levels. But was it worth devoting 30% of the book for Jahn's to reach the bottom (rather anti-climatic) and then come back up (okay, that was climatic. No spoilers here!)? Sort of...while I found it difficult to trudge through all the description of aching legs, worn stairs, and porters running up and down, I did understand that these descriptions really did explain in large part how the silo functions which is important to get in order to appreciate the rest of the novel.

My other gripe is about the switching from one character's point of view to another every other chapter. As I continue to reiterate, this book is suspenseful and each chapter ends with a bombshell. So when you hit one bombshell and the next chapter does not follow up on that bombshell, you will be left absolutely frustrated and given no choice but to speed through this chapter to get back to the last "event" of the former chapter. It's very frustrating...great for suspense, but it can drive you a little crazy!

Final Rating: 10/10. I kind of wanted to give this book a 9/10 because of the heavy, boring descriptions in the beginning of the book, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This story is just too good and makes up for whatever faults it may have in the beginning. Oh, and did I mention I'm reading the splinter saga of this book, Shift Omnibus, as we speak? Any book that makes me excited enough to read its continuation less than 30 minutes after finishing it deserves a 10/10!

CyberStorm by Matthew Mather

Plot Synopsis: Michael, his wife Lauren, and their son Luke live in a friendly apartment in New York City. Their neighbor and good friend, Chuck (who lives with his wife, Susie, and their baby girl), is a prepper and keeps tabs on the news, just waiting for Armageddon. Lucky for Michael, Chuck is prepared when things begin to go downhill. And they go downhill quickly. There are reports of bird flu outbreaks in the city. The internet stops working. Is it hackers? Then the power goes out...is it due to the hackers? And later, so does the water. All this happens while two heavy snow storms pummel the city. Meanwhile, tensions mount in Michael's apartment as neighbors are forced to come to grips with the best way to manage Chuck's stockpiled supplies. Will Michael and neighbors survive the CyberStorm?

Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: This book made me think about how crucial the internet is to the infrastructure of our modern world. Everything is computerized these days and the openness of the internet is a benefit and a curse at the same time. All it takes is someone malicious or perhaps just "curious" to send a virus or some other "attack" on one of the computers that regulates electricity or water pressure and then we'd have a serious problem on our hands. This is the theme of CyberStorm. The novel beautifully reveals the effects of a lack of communication as the internet, cell phone towers, electricity, and water supply abruptly end. It explores our morality - how willing are you to give out your own supplies to see that others survive?

There were a few flaws with the story. First, Michael is wayyy too happy to be a father. It's creepy. I know, you love your son, but ugh, I don't really think men are that attached to their children. Second, Michael is too willing to help out. I'm not sure how many people in NYC would be willing to volunteer to help at the snap of  NYPD's fingers. But I guess it is a means of moving the story along by providing information as gathered by Michael from the police. So I'll forgive it. My last gripe is that the story ends rather abruptly. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, but I will say that about 4 months are unaccounted for completely as things "wrap up." The ending is okay, but simplistic. For all the great details for 90% of the book, the ending may be disappointing to some readers.

Final Rating: 8/10. This book has a great plot that'll make you think about whether doomsday preppers are really all that crazy and how you should befriend one :-) A few points taken off for the rushed ending and Michael's annoying tenderness toward babies and the helpless.

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

Plot Synopsis: Sixteen year old Hazel is living with an incurable type of cancer. An experimental treatment has kept it from worsening, but Hazel's quality of life is hampered by requiring special breathing apparatuses and dwelling on the impact her inevitable death will have on her parents. When she attends a cancer support group, she meets newcomer Augustus Waters, a handsome, funny, all-American teenage boy. Together, they begin living each day like it's their last best day. Until it is.

Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: Goodreads' readers gave this book a whopping 4.55 rating (260,000+ raters!) and this book has received some prestigious awards, too. The novel, written from Hazel's own point of view, is perfect for a teen audience. Correction: it is perfect for a FEMALE teen audience. Once again, I'm suckered into reading another book with a major cheese factor. There are two reasons why this book is so cheesy:

1. Augustus Waters likes to read. And he's sensitive to the feelings of others. Ugh. Really?! I'm tired of these unrealistic teenage boys marketed to teenage girls through popular adolescent literature. Like Four in Divergent or Peeta/Gale in The Hunger Games, we have a strong female lead who bends to the whims of these awkwardly sensitive boys. I'm all for romantic interests, but I expect them to be REALISTIC. A teenage boy like Augustus, who reads bloody, violent books, would NOT read (let alone re-read) Hazel's favorite book ("An Imperial Affliction"...the title alone would make any real boy run in the opposite direction). Secondly, Augustus goes out of his way to impress Hazel, but due to the fact that these actions are related to reading this book, it's unrealistic and....well...cringe-worthy.

2. The Fault in our Stars is another book where an author talks about their love of books vicariously through their protagonist. I don't want to read a book where every fucking protagonist is a bookworm who thinks glorious thoughts about writing and reading. I get it, John Green, you love books and you want some semblance of yourself in your characters. But as a reader, it's sickening, like watching a movie about characters making a movie. It's weird...annoying, even. The fact that half of this book focuses on cancer and the other half focuses on Hazel and Augustus' journey to discover what happens to characters in "An Imperial Affliction" is just ridiculous. Nobody cares about characters of a made-up book within the book they're reading.

My overall feeling about the novel is that it wouldn't have received so many awards and 5/5 star ratings if it weren't for the ending of the novel. I mean, it's a book about teens with cancer. As a reader, you do sympathize with the concerns of the characters: Hazel says she feels like a grenade ready to go off, that her parents live in fear every day and that at some point, she's going to die (BOOM!). Grab a pack of tissues and be prepared to cry as you read this book. You will almost enjoy the cheesy moments since during the other moments, you'll be crying. It's these intensely emotional, insightful sections that give the book its great ratings/awards. After readers have had a good cry at the cathartic, emotional conclusion to the story, I think they forget all about the awkwardness of the book as a whole. However, I look at the novel as a whole and I gotta say - the cheese factor really impacted my overall satisfaction with the story.

Final Rating: 6/10 - Insightful, easy prose, and an interesting subject make it an enjoyable read. However, the cheesy, unrealistic plot points and characters are nauseating and ruin some of the fun of this book.

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver

Plot Synopsis: Fortysomething Pandora has a pretty good life in Iowa. She's married to Fletcher, a talented carpenter (though his business isn't profitable), and has two generally good step-children. She even has a thriving business that has landed her on the cover of some prominent magazines. However, her life begins to change when her older brother, Edison, comes for a two month visit. As siblings with a B-list famous father, they grew close during their childhood. But as Edison arrives at Pandora's home clocking in at 400 pounds, no one can truly tackle head-on the elephant in the room. Edison's weight and grandiose attitude disrupt the family in more ways than one. Pandora is left to drastically change her life to change Edison's by moving into an apartment with her brother to make him lose the pounds. Will Edison manage to get down to a healthy 163 lbs? And will Pandora's family handle the crush of big brother in town?

Literary Analysis/Personal Reaction: I previously read Shriver's famous We Need To Talk About Kevin. I'm actually disappointed that I did not review it here on Literati, but I would have definitely rated that book a 10/10. It was excellent. So when I found out the premise of Big Brother, I knew it was a book I wanted to read. Shriver gives an interesting perspective on obesity and the American relationship to food through Pandora's narration. I thought it was very insightful how she notes that we love putting food in our mouths, that it's instinct, and yet we've "forgotten how to eat." We don't know how much is too much until it is too late. And she considers how psychological eating really is - how when someone has gained 10 lbs, what's another bag of chips and one more pound? Can anyone really tell the difference between weighing 120 and 121 lbs? Despite the stigma of being overweight, our society pushes individuals to eat more than they should. And yet, it's shameful that we can only criticize obese people behind their backs rather than confronting the issue head-on without worry that we will hurt their feelings and continue their further downward eating spiral.

But this isn't just a book about obesity and weight loss. The family dynamic is central to the success of this book. Really, what would you do if an obnoxious, yet close family member hit rock bottom and came by for a rather long visit? Would you turn them away? Would you look the other way as they ate everything you had in the refrigerator and cupboards? Would you make it your mission to help them lose the weight? Pandora decides on doing the latter, but not without sacrifices.

There are some downsides to this novel, however. Edison is not a likable character. I'm not sure if he is supposed to be, but I found him downright unbearable and couldn't understand why in the world Pandora would stick up for him. Oh, that's right, Pandora is also somewhat unlikable. Edison and Pandora's father, Travis, is a washed up TV actor. He had a semi-hit show back when they were kids and the siblings remember those halcyon days of being semi-famous. The amount of space that Shriver devotes to describing the family's "claim to fame" is rather annoying. Readers will not be interested in reading about a television show that never existed, nor particular episode plot lines. I understand that Shriver is using these details as a metaphor for Pandora and Edison's dynamic, but it's humdrum and would best be left out.

Back to Edison. In his teenage years, he left home to become a jazz pianist. This just seemed too kooky for me, but worse, Shriver uses jazz lingo all over Edison's dialogue and it's AWFUL, "ya dig?" Seriously, nobody talks that way, even contemporary jazz musicians do not talk that way. It's cliche and frustrating to read over and over. I recognize the importance of giving characters a unique voice, but this was downright ridiculous. Even worse, Edison rants about all the jazz musicians he's played with (okay for character building to show that he's a pompous ass...) but Pandora then discusses everything she fucking knows about jazz from Edison. UGH!!! I get it, he's into jazz, she's trying to understand her brother's jazz world, but my god - enough is enough!

The ending - no, I won't spoil it for you - is somewhat short and surprising. But satisfying. Very satisfying. That is all I will say about that :-)


Final Score: 8/10 - Generally, a very good book, easy to read, with a few annoying faults that don't really take away from the overall enjoyment of the story.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Plot Synopsis: Hmm, how to describe the plot of this book. Life After Life is the story of Ursula Todd, an unusual child who is born, dies, and then sort of picks up her life before the last time she's died to do a "re-do." There is no central plot other than that this is Ursula's life...but the author covers a myriad of personalities in Ursula's world - from her sarcastic mother, Sylvie, to her brute of a brother, Maurice. Real world events such as World Wars I and II heavily influence the progression of the novel.

Literary Analysis: This is a book about character development. Each character is given a special personality, a different perspective, an unusual voice that makes them interesting and unique. There are quite a number of characters, so if you're one who can't keep many characters straight, it would be in your  best interest to make a list. It's Atkinson's style and snide comments that moves the reader through the story, since the plot is slow moving at best. A great deal of the pages are dedicated to details and character development with a few major events thrown in (and re-done again and again). In some ways, because the story jumps between significant time periods in Ursula's life, and then repeats itself with small, yet important changes, the book itself reads as if this is a draft of a book, rather than an actual refined book.

Personal Reaction: I previously read a Kate Atkinson book, Case Histories, which was a mystery novel. So, I had expected Life After Life to have a bit of mystery to it. It didn't. It took me almost 2 months to complete. The novel is very long - 529 pages - and as there is no central plot and so much character building, it does not make this book a quick read-through. It's certainly an interesting book. The quirky, witty comments from some characters make it fun to read. And if you're into historical fiction, this book has some fascinating events. But it's a heavy book, with so much detail and time juggling that it is a saga you must trudge through, rather than run freely through.

Final Rating: 7/10. It wasn't a bad novel, but it was rather long for what it provided the reader in the end.

Dune (Book One) by Frank Herbert

Plot Synopsis: Think Game of Thrones...in space. That is what Dune is like. The story follows Paul Atredies, the son of Lord Leto Atredies, as he moves from a paradise planet to Arrakis, a desert wasteland. Arrakis, however, is a key planet because it is the only place in the universe that has the most valuable resource -- spice. After Paul's family is betrayed by both the Emperor and a rival house (Harkonnen), Paul and his mystical Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica, must survive out in the desert wastelands of Arrakis, full of storms and dangerous sandworms. There they will plot their revenge...and learn more than they bargained for.

Literary Analysis: Dune is a complex story with many plot twists, interesting characters, and an imaginative world full of unique objects, religions, and magic. It is impressive how Frank Herbert manages to cram so much detail into a single novel and do it elegantly! Readers are given a thorough understanding of political structures, philosophies, ethnic languages, deadly weapons, religions, and mystical powers (as in the case of the Bene Gesserits). Herbert describes all of these things with precision and even though there are made-up vocabulary, readers will never be lost on their meaning. (I read the entire book and had no issues with the vocabulary...only to discover there was a glossary at the end. Obviously, I didn't need it.) The characters are extremely well-developed. Chapters switch focus from one character's view (third person limited) to another and provide insight into their thoughts as well as background information, creating a great deal of tension as readers dive deeper into the novel.

Personal Reaction: This was a great novel, although it was a long read. There were some slow spots, but never enough to stop me from continuing on. I fell in love with some of the characters (Liet-Kynes!) and was intrigued by others. I definitely see why Dune is one of the best-selling science fiction novels out there, even after 70 years. It's engaging, creative, and suspenseful. Enough said!


Final Rating: 9/10. Great storyline, memorable characters, fantastic world descriptions, all bundled neatly into a solid novel contribute to the high score.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Plot Synopsis: I did not finish this book. After 2 weeks, I'd only read a quarter of the book because I hated it so much. The plot, from what I read, is as follows: Hiro Protagonist, a pizza delivery man for a mafia-owned pizza company, has a bad day when he receives a pizza that must be delivered in 10 minutes (OR ELSE!). Thankfully, an annoying skateboard kourier (courier) named Y.T. saves the day (sort of). Hiro ends up unemployed and being the hacker he is, spends time in the Metaverse, a virtual reality universe where he is one of the elite. Inside the Metaverse, he is offered a drug called Snow-Crash, but doesn't take it. But his friend does and then things get weird...

Literary Analysis: Is Mr. Stephenson playing with the reader by naming his character Hiro Protagonist? It's quite the symbolic name and there is no way to overlook such a detail. Y.T. also has a strange name, especially considering the importance of race through the part of the novel I managed to read. Hiro is part Nipponese/ part New South African (?). Y.T. is "whitey." Uh huh. [Note: Y.T. is supposed to stand for Yours Truly.]

Stephenson's writing is very stylistic. Most sentences are colloquial and incomplete to give it that futuristic, cool cat vibe. After all, the world in which the novel is set is quite unique with many aspects of our world changed into strange, grotesque corporate entities. The CIA for example is now the CIC (Central Intelligence Corporation). "Burbclaves" is the term Stephenson uses for suburbs, which are owned by corporations, only allowing certain people in and out, having serious landscape regulations, and even hiring their own security contractors...who then turn any apprehended criminals to other corporations (The Clink or the more refined Hooskow).

The plot is woven through two oscillating character focuses. At first, readers glimpse into Hiro's conflicts...then Y.T.'s...then back to Hiro's again. Their stories converge, separate, and eventually converge again, but the conflict is difficult to pinpoint. The author consistently puts out new vocabulary terms, but their definitions are unclear (perhaps on purpose). Other characters are introduced, but are not really developed until pages after their first introduction.

Personal Reaction: This is one of my husband's favorite books. He loves science fiction and thought this book would be great to introduce me to the world of "cyberpunk" novels. But I hated it! I spent at least an hour every day reading this book and I barely made it a quarter of the way through after two weeks. That's an atrocious statistic for a voracious reader like myself! As I skimmed through other reviews on Goodreads, I realized this book is in the "hit or miss" category. There are some people who think it's phenomenal and others, like me, who "don't get it."

So what's wrong with Snow Crash? My husband would ask me, "Where are you in the book?" And I'd respond, "Hiro is delivering a pizza..." And that's the first 10% of the book, which my husband said is NOT the plot. Huh? So why spend so much time on every little detail of Hiro's car, the burbclave, the way he tries to knock Y.T. off? That's what I hated most about this book - whatever conflict there was, it wasn't interesting. Delivering a pizza with some serious consequences about it being late is DUMB. Y.T. attaching her skateboard to a minivan in a burbclave and getting arrested is DUMB. Even the Metaverse and Hiro's sword fight with some Nipponese businessman is just plain DUMB.

And my husband assured me "That's not the plot." Okay, then why doesn't the author just GET ON WITH IT!?

The second problem with this novel is Stephenson's colloquial writing. As a secondary English teacher, I've read my fair share of young adult novels. Snow Crash is a great book for ADHD kids and I mean that in the kindest way! Stephenson bounces around in his writing. Every paragraph is a tangent from the previous one. It's great for those readers who get bored very easily and need distractions every other paragraph. However, don't expect things to line up after reading all of Stephenson's diversions. The tangents are so far out there, you'll forget what the hell is going on (if anything is going on at all).

On top of that, the incomplete sentences are supposed to be cool and trendy. I found them as likable as being in the backseat with someone who'd never driven before, constantly slamming on the brakes whenever the needle on the speedometer went over 10mph. The extremely jolty writing did not move me through the story...whatever story there was to be told. Even Stephenson's lingo - his made-up words and crazy names - stunt the speed at which you can read this book. I mean, really, how do you internalize a name like Da5id? I've seen crazy names before and I personally hate when authors go out of their way to select an unpronounceable name. So when I saw Da5id appear on the page, I cringed. As if I didn't have enough emotional baggage against an author using the name Hiro Protagonist for his...ugh...protagonist.

Final Rating: 2/10. I'll give this book some credit for an interesting interpretation of a futuristic world. But that's it. This book was a slow, painful read and I'm glad I've moved on to a better book.

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Plot Synopsis: Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey's topsy-turvy relationship continues in the second book of the Fifty Shades trilogy. As Ana tries to understand where their relationship is going, Christian tackles his demons head-on to stay with the woman he loves. In the meanwhile, the other women in Christian's life begin threatening the delicate threads of his tentative relationship with Ana. Will Ana and Christian be able to survive both the pressures in and out of their union?

Literary Analysis: Unlike Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker sticks to one single plot line, leaving the reader to simply focus on Ana and Christian. Christian's character has completely changed since the first book. Once a strong, forceful man, now he is portrayed as a groveling, romantic whimp. There is a reason for his change of character, but it may leave some readers unsatisfied. Ana's character lacks continuity from the first novel, and unlike Christian, her change is not justified. It's hard to believe she'd suddenly want Christian to whip and spank her when that's the very reason she left him the first time. It is she who eggs on Christian's deviant side and that's the side she doesn't like (but of course, when it's happening, she likes it). It will leave readers confused and unable to trust the narrator. Her true feelings are not fully expressed, despite pages and pages of internal processing.

Personal Reaction: Let me express how hard it was to write the plot synopsis for this novel. Unlike its predecessor, Fifty Shades Darker lacks tension. Someone may argue that Leila's lurking creates suspense, but it's pushed so far into the background of this story that it was hardly on my radar when Leila actually appeared. Don't worry - I don't think I could spoil anything in this story -- there's nothing to spoil. So if you're still interested in reading this book, you're safe reading this review. Most of the book amounts to Ana's and Christian's sexual escapades. Sure, at first, it's exciting, but once you begin reading about the 5th time they've had sex in one day, it gets rather annoying. The sex is all the same, right down to the lines E.L. James uses to describe it. Who cares if they do it in Christian's bedroom, a boathouse, or on a pool table? The location has changed, but it's all the same "heady stuff."

The rest of the novel contains rather boring events - Ana teasing Christian via e-mail, Ana going to work, Ana and Christian on a yacht, Ana and Christian at a charity event... what's next, taking the subway? Anything of interest is revealed only after painstakingly reading through more sexcapades and will mostlikely be mentioned in a few casual lines at the end of a chapter.  Even the end of the novel, which supposedly makes you want to read the last book of the trilogy, isn't all that interesting. You just think, "Okay, so?"

Needless to say, I will pass on reading Fifty Shades Freed. There are no more secrets to be revealed and I refuse to be burdened by one confused, self-sabotaging character who always needs rescuing and one once strong, now pussywhipped (oh yes, I went there...) character. Forget it.

Final Rating: 5/10 - Boring plot line, annoying characters, excessive sex scenes, and repetitive descriptive vocabulary all contribute to the average rating of this book. For anyone considering reading it, I'd say save yourself some time and just read a spoiler summary of the next two books in the series. It's just not worth it.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Plot Synopsis: When Anastasia Steele interviews wealthy, young entrepreneur Christian Grey for the college newspaper, she thinks that this is all that will come of them. But Christian keeps appearing in her life - from a visit to the hardware store where she works to a drunken night at the bar. Ana is intrigued by this powerful man, but she got more than she bargained for when she discovers Christian wants her to be his submissive for their sexual pleasure. Yet Ana is so caught up in the mystery and intrigue of Christian Grey, she follows through with his proposal and so begins their mercurial relationship. Can Ana, a regular shy bookworm, really handle being dominated and pleasured by famous, super-rich, super-refined CEO Christian Grey? Is this really what she wants in a relationship?

Literary Analysis:  It's hard to say why Fifty Shades of Grey became a bestseller. Erotica has been around for ages, so why does this piece get picked out of thousands to be graciously published as "romantic fiction"?  Well, Fifty Shades started out as a Twilight fanfiction story called Master of the Universe. Cheesy, right? After being flagged as sexually explicit and removed from fanfiction.net, James put it up on her own website. The viewership kept growing and finally, a publisher picked it up. The story got a new title and character names were changed. Bella became Anastasia and Edward became Christian. So, Fifty Shades of Grey is the adult version of Twilight and putting sex in with a best-selling series simply draws a crowd! The crowd hypes the story and suddenly, you have a massive bestseller on your hands.

Understanding the story's history and evolution makes it easier to understand why this book is awful from a literary standpoint. For a girl who is supposed to be an English major, Ana has a limited vocabulary to describe everything she is feeling. Yet, even though attention to word choice is sadly lacking, the characters are well developed through their thoughts and minute actions. That is to be expected if the author is simply borrowing already developed characters from another set of novels (very convenient). The plot is loose since the conflict lacks real depth. At any time, Ana can walk away and the problem is solved. Or Christian will open his eyes and see that they're not compatible and never will be (or that he's screwed up and needs a better therapist). But Ana is a terribly self-deprecating woman who enjoys making things more complicated than they should  be. That, and the mystery of Christian's background continue to propel the reader forward, always wondering what new factoid will be revealed.

Personal Reaction: Ugh, I hate this book. I hate it so much I love it. Does that make sense? Unlike Hopeless' cheese factor, this book has an unnerving weird factor to it. I think it has something to do with the vocabulary used to describe everything. When Anastasia is amazed or entranced by Christian, she says, "Oh my..." Oh my? Really? What woman looks at a good-looking man and says, "Oh my!" Maybe southern belles in the 1850s, definintely NOT in modern times, and definitely NOT in Seattle (where the story is set).  Next, Ana describes everything Christian does to her as making her feel "delicious." Ugh. Cheesecake is delicious. Fettuccine alfredo is delicious. Someone kissing your neck is NOT delicious.

In fact, let's discuss the sex scenes. So many sex scenes... that are so random, so cringe-worthy, whether or not they involve the Red Room of Pain. Most of what Christian says during these moments is downright unrealistic. No man would ever utter these words. "I'm in awe of you, Miss Steele." UGH! And Ana at these moments is just as intolerable. She keeps describing what her Inner Goddess is doing - hiding behind the couch, doing summersaults - it's WEIRD. She needs therapy or some drugs to keep her schizophrenia in check. On top of all this is the sexual tension between the characters constantly being described as a "heady cocktail" or "heady mix..." Heady, heady, heady...I have learned to despise this word and I feel sick every time my eyes see it on the page. And finally on the topic of sex, why is biting one's lower lip a turn on? Sure, Bella does it in Twilight, but seriously - who bites their lower lip? I've never seen anyone do it...ever. It's an uncommon action and referenced far too much in this novel.

There is too much space used in Fifty Shades of Grey to describe what Christian is wearing. He pretty much always wears the same thing, so why is it so crucial to continue to tell the reader that he's (once again) wearing a white linen shirt, black jeans, and a gray/black jacket? Oh, I'm sorry - sometimes he's wearing gray sweatpants that hang "deliciously loose" on his hips. Oh my... I wish the editor of this book would have given E.L. James a heads up and eliminated these repetitive clothing descriptions.

My last real problem is Ana's issue with food. Christian is big on making sure Ana eats, but she's never hungry (unless she's hungry for sex) and when she eats, she barely eats anything. There are no explanations as to why Ana is never hungry, but this anorexic undertone is almost more disturbing than the sex descriptions! Even I'm cheering for Christian, hoping he'll tie her to the rack and force feed her. Eat something, damn it! A little more than 3 oysters!

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, I still (embarrassingly) enjoyed this book. There is something captivating about it. I want to know what Christian is hiding - why he doesn't like being touched, what his issue with food is, why Elena did what she did with him... I don't like not knowing something and I'm driven to continue reading because of it. Secondly, some things remind me of my own relationship with my husband and as I read in bed, I looked over at him and realized how happy I was that he likes holding me close and how much I enjoy the way he smiles when he looks at me. Even the back and forth e-mails made me remember how we used to do that when we first started dating. Perhaps it's that feeling that makes me love this book. If a book can intrigue you AND remind you of how good you have it, wouldn't you label that as a success?

Final Rating: 8/10. I must deduct points for poor, embarrassing descriptions and annoying characters, but damned if I didn't enjoy reading this book to the point that I immediately dived into Fifty Shades Darker.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - by Philip K. Dick

Plot Synopsis: Set in the future, Earth has become a rather dismal place due to nuclear war and the subsequent nuclear fallout. Most animals are extinct, but those that exist are bought at an exorbitant price and are a sign of status in this new society. While most Earthlings have left the planet to live on Mars and other colonies, those that have stayed cling to Mercerism (a type of religion?) to help them cope with loneliness.The novel follows the lives of two people - Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter, who hunts human-like robots known as androids. Androids are banned on Earth, because they are used as slave labor off-planet and have had tendencies to kill their human masters. Then there's John Isidore, a man whose intelligence has been slowly fading due to the fallout. Rick and John's lives converge when Rick begins hunting a list of androids, some of whom take refuge in John's company.

Literary Analysis: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was originally a short story that Philip K. Dick expanded into a novel. It feels that way. Whole chapters are reserved for character development, as if Dick's idea of making a short story into a novel only entails adding more detail without regard to the plot. Some details, such as Mercerism, are left ambiguous to the reader even though they take up considerable space in the span of the story. The plot is one-note. There are no sub-plots. The setting is wildly interesting, yet Dick devotes most of his attention to characters, rather than the more interesting world around them.

Personal Reaction: The old 1982 movie Blade Runner is based off of this book. While the plot concept is interesting, the execution  has something to be desired. The fact that there is only one plot line really makes the reading slow going, particularly chapters that have nothing to do with the plot at all. Buying scarce animals is interesting, but it has no impact on the story. Mercerism infiltrates all parts of the story, but is never fully explained in black and white...or even gray for that matter...and so the end of the novel is disappointing if not confusing. I love dystopian novels. I love nuclear war aftermath type stories, but this one is so caught up in the mundane plot that it sadly doesn't go into more detail about the interesting world that it is supposed to be set in.

Final Rating: 6/10 - A slow read (until the end...), a shallow plot, lack of detail when it comes to the setting, and missing definitions of crucial components in the story all contribute to the 6/10 rating. Again, the story has a great concept, but a poor execution.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Plot Synopsis: Seventeen year old Sky has lived a pretty sheltered life. Her adopted mother does not believe in technology and homeschools Sky until her senior year. After her first day in public school, Sky has a chance encounter at the grocery store with Holder, a handsome boy with a violent reputation. Something about Holder makes the usually composed Sky jittery and yet excited. They slowly become closer with one another and this begins opening an avalanche of truths about Sky's life that she could never have imagined...

Literary Analysis: Colleen Hoover is an over-analyst  The story is told in first person through Sky's eyes and the amount of detail that goes into Sky's thought processes and subtle movements can be overwhelming. Nonetheless, there's something wonderful about that over-analyzing that makes the reader understand why Sky does what she does and it's fun to see her put the pieces together. There are a few ends that are tied a little too easily together, when the reader will react with a, "Really? That's it?! How convenient!" Yet, the story moves forward, particulary 60% in when things get very interesting...

Personal Reaction: I'll be honest - I didn't realize this was an adolescent novel. I'd say it's for 16 year olds and up since there are a few parts of the novel I'd label "soft erotica." There's a cheesy factor in this book that was really hard for me to overlook. There's a lot of neck kissing...too much neck kissing. Too many hands caressing faces. Too many awkward moments that made me cringe for Sky...and even more for Holder, who has to deal with this crazy teenage girl! Too many descriptions of Holder rubbing the back of his neck and running his hands through his hair. It's cheesy! Another part I hate is when authors, who clearly love books, create characters who really love books to the point that they don't even live in the real world. Sky declares, "I need a chapter break," when she wishes life would just stop. UGH. It's like writing a book about writing a book or a movie about making a movie. It's weird. You shouldn't do it. Yet, I read the book in 5 days (at leisure) and I was intrigued by the plotline. The ending is a "happily ever after" despite Sky claiming, "This isn't going to be a happily ever after..." Okay, whatever - everything seems fine to me, so what's the problem?

Final Rating: 6/10. Points were deducted for the cheesy factor, the convenient resolutions to certain plotlines, and a somewhat psychotic narrator.

Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon

Plot Synopsis: The U.S. and Russia are headed towards nuclear war, only, unlike in real life, the worst did occur--the bombs were dropped. Enter in a host of memorable characters: Sister Creep, a "bag lady" who magically survives the ordeal by sleeping in a subway tunnel; Swan, a little girl with a green thumb and a trailer trash mother; Roland Croninger, a video game, gun enthusiast who just happens to have a survivalist father. There are many more characters and their plight after the nuclear disaster is told in bits and pieces. How do they survive a 7 year nuclear winter? And how will they survive when the greatest evil hasn't even fallen yet?

Literary Analysis: Swan Song is an exceptionally complex novel. Complex in a good way. The way McCammon weaves the stories of a number of characters together is truly a phenomenal feat. Despite the sheer amount of characters being followed chapter after chapter, there's really no need to create a list to keep them all straight. Each character is described memorably enough that it's quite easy to remember who each of them are. The chapters always end with a suspenseful grip that keeps you reading and wanting more.

Personal Reaction: Did I mention that Swan Song is almost 900 pages? I blew through this novel in about a week, because it was just so interesting. One part of the book that caught me off guard was the magical/fantasy elements. I had read the summary and said, "Okay, sounds good." I was expecting something along the lines of The Road, except with a female heroine. But this was not that novel. For example, (don't worry, no spoilers here), Sister Creep finds a circle of glass with jewels inside of it...supposedly a product of the nuclear blast on a glass/jewelry store. Okay, so this glass is pretty and valuable (if money means anything after nuclear armageddon), but then Sister holds the glass and the jewels pulse in color and brightness and she "dreamwalks" to where Swan is at a given moment. This is weird. I understand it's being used as a means to get Sister and Swan to one day meet up,  but it's still quite strange. There are other examples of magic, but that would spoil the plot...really, what I'm trying to get it is that it's unusual for a book that seems to take the effects of nuclear war so seriously.

Final Rating: 8/10 - Subtracting 1 point for using magical elements that really seem rather unnecessary in the grand scheme of things and 1 point for some rather bland chapters which lead to the book's whopping 900 pages.