Cover Lover 21

Book Review: The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Title: The Drowned Cities (Ship Breaker #2)
Author: Paolo Bacigalupi
Pages: 439
Publication: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Summary taken from goodreads:

Soldier boys emerged from the darkness. Guns gleamed dully. Bullet bandoliers and scars draped their bare chests. Ugly brands scored their faces. She knew why these soldier boys had come. She knew what they sought, and she knew, too, that if they found it, her best friend would surely die. 

In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But when they discover a wounded half-man--a bioengineered war beast named Tool--who is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers, their fragile existence quickly collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to a place where freedom might finally be possible. 

This thrilling companion to Paolo Bacigalupi's highly acclaimed Ship Breaker is a haunting and powerful story of loyalty, survival, and heart-pounding adventure.

4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW:

I've heard nothing but good things about SHIP BREAKER, the book that came before THE DROWNED CITIES, and after reading this book, I can't believe that I still haven't read SHIP BREAKER yet. I can't seem to get enough of the author's writing and world that he created.

The bleak setting, the child soldiers, the neverending wars, the choices that will forever haunt you, the meaning of survival...Bacigalupi depicts all of this in such beautiful prose in the most unexpected places as you're sucked into the suspenseful story during the first half of the book.

I kept on telling myself that I would put the book down to do my homework after I finished reading one or two chapters, but the cliffhangers at the end of every chapter just made it impossible. Even after the cliffhangers disappeared during the second half, I still couldn't stop reading because of the anticipation of the climax. The tension and suspense and adrenalin made the next one hundred pages seem like a blur.

But it was the characters that really hooked me. Mahlia and Mouse each had their own problems that they had to go through that always had me hanging on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how the end result would look like if they just gave in and went out the easy way. However, it was Tool that had my utmost respect and attention.

Tool is a half-man. He has the DNA of dog, tiger, hyena, and many others. He was born and trained to be a killing machine, the perfect predator. And he's pretty amazing. Ruthless and intelligent, the guy's thought process was so intriguing, and everything he said was full of win. He had a different view of the world, one with no attachments--just a cold, analytical observation of his surroundings and how it would help his survival and goals. And what he decided to do at the end! If Bacigalupi decides to write another book set in this world, I hope it will be about Tool and his plans.

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little confused about the world outside of the setting, but I think that it would have made more sense if I had read SHIP BREAKER first, which I'm going to do as soon as I can get my hands on a copy!

I also want to mention how much I love the paperback cover. I mean, I liked the hardback cover, but something about the colors and font really appeals to me. 

I'm Back.

Came home around one this afternoon with my family. We got up around 1:30 this morning to get ready to leave our hotel by two so we would have plenty of time to return our rental car and get our tickets and such at the airport before our plane left at six in the morning. (We had too much time on our hands there; the ticket machines weren't open until 3:30!)

Throughout the whole car ride and airport, I've only been able to get small snatches of sleep, and when we finally came home, instead of knocking out like everyone else, I unpacked and caught up on a lot of youtube videos. -__-" My sleepiness is slowly getting to me. I think I'll go to bed early tonight. There's lots to do for the next few days--actually, the next few weeks. 

My orientation starts on Friday, so Shelle and I have to finish moving the rest of our things to the apartment by then. Luckily for us, we only need to move our clothes and other necessities there and do grocery shopping. But I also have to read this book called The Whisper of the River by Ferrol Sams for my FYS class, which I knew that I should have already read earlier this summer since I don't even know how I'm going to find time to read it in between shopping and moving and orientation (which lasts until next Monday night, the day before school starts). :\

But yeah, Canada was fun. Half of the time exasperating and irritating because of my parents, but fun nonetheless. I'll post about it if I have any free time/feel like rehashing everything out. :P

For now, settle for some pics.

Leaving the airport in Canada to go to our hotel.

Visited the CN Tower.

The view from up high.

Can you spot the Rubix Cube-like building? :P

Visited Niagara Falls.

Visited the Royal Ontario Museum. It's massive.

You have to see it in real life; it's so detailed and intricate!

Accurate picture is accurate. XD

Oh, how my Latin fails me after not taking it for one year. -__-

The outside of the museum. 

The graffiti downtown is awesome.

So yeah, that's basically all that we did in Canada. 

I'm gonna go watch some B.A.P videos now. :P

Later!

pointy.star

To Canada!

I'm going to Canada tomorrow with my family minus my bro since he still has to go to school. Sucks for him since we'll be gone until Tuesday. 

Apparently, my dad has been wanting to go to Niagara Falls for a while now. He had wanted the whole family to go some time earlier this summer, but when he found out how expensive it was, he decided not to go. But then a few weeks ago, my dad changed his mind and wanted us to go again. Shelle thinks it's because earlier this summer, my dad thought that he would have to pay around $15,000 for our tuition, but since I have enough scholarship money to pay for my bill, my dad only has to pay around $6,000 for Shelle, which is why he decided to go to Canada after all. 

So yeah, we're going to Canada! Lol. Not sure what we're going to do there besides visit Niagara Falls, but Shelle has been looking into stuff, so I'm sure we'll have plenty to do. Although the weather says that it'll be raining for two of the days that we'll be there, so I'm not exactly sure what we'll do on those days...

I'm just hoping that we'll go to a Chinatown or something and I'll be able to find some Kpop stuff. I still haven't really gotten anything for Krista for her birthday even though it passed two weeks ago, so I'm really hoping that I can find her something awesome in Canada. 

And now I need to go. I still haven't really packed yet. -__-"

Later~

pointy.star

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I really should organize my Six Flags pics and talk about them already before I forget...

When Worlds Collide - Kpop Manhwa

So, two of my favorite things have combined: Kpop and manhwa! (Although I usually read manga mainly because I've read it longer and have found a lot of manga that catch my eye whereas there is considerably less manhwa to choose from.)

One of my favorite Kpop groups, Beast, is going to have their own manhwa called "The Beast"! They're going to be the main characters in it, which is awesome because it's an "action fantasy series, which took three years of preparation, [that] will focus on the boys discovering new supernatural powers and their adventures on saving the world as new superheros."

The artist goes by Jena and is apparently widely known online for some of her other work. I haven't heard of them, but I would definitely like to read them! Her art looks amazinggg.

There are six parts to the series, and the first part is scheduled to be released on August 22nd. I cannot wait for it to come out! The articles says that "the series will be distributed with a focus on the international market as well as the domestic market as a ‘OSMU (One Source Multi Use)’ product", so I really hope they will release an international version of "The Beast", because I would so buy it within a heartbeat. XD

Books I Want to Read This Month

I managed to read five books on my list last month. Hopefully I'll be able to do the same this month. :)

• Saving June by Hannah Harrington
• The Whisper of the River by Ferrol Sams
• Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
• Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
• Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
• Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund
• Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala
• Grace by Elizabeth Scott
• World War Z by Max Brooks
• Truancy by Isamu Fakui
• Truancy Origins by Isamu Fakui
• Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
• Hold Still by Nina LaCour
• Abandon by Meg Cabot

July in Retrospect

I read:

• Free? by Amnesty International
• Foiled by Jane Yolen & Mike Cavallaro
• The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver
• The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith & Sussan Griffith
• Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy
• Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
• The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
• Maximum Ride vol. 4 by NaRae Lee & James Patterson
• Maximum Ride vol. 5 by NaRae Lee & James Patterson
• Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
• Happy Cafe vol. 1 by Kou Matsuzuki
• Happy Cafe vol. 2 by Kou Matsuzuki
• Happy Cafe vol. 3 by Kou Matsuzuki
• Nothing by Janne Teller
• Happy Cafe vol. 4 by Kou Matsuzuki
• Supernaturally by Kiersten White
• Happy Cafe vol. 5 by Kou Matsuzuki
• Happy Cafe vol. 6 by Kou Matsuzuki
• Happy Cafe vol. 7 by Kou Matsuzuki
• Happy Cafe vol. 8 by Kou Matsuzuki

I reviewed:

• She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott
• Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
• The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen & Rebecca Guay
• 12 Things to Do Before You Crash and Burn by James Proimos
• Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black & Cecil Castellucci

I watched:

• Magic Mike (2012)
• The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
• Salamander Guru and the Gang (2012)
• Teen Wolf Season 2 (2012)

I read a lot of manga this month. But at least I'm finally out of my not reading funk. :)