Book Review: Running with the Demon, by Terry Brooks

Book Review of Running with the Demon (The Word and Void Book 1) - Terry Brooks
Other Worlds' Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.
Terry Brooks has created an X-File-esque fantasy series with the Word and Void. This series is about the conflict of good and evil (as fantasy often is). However, set in modern America, this series has some unique spins on a familiar flavor, and Running with the Demon is quite a good read.
Fourteen-year-old Nest Freemark lives in Hopewell, Illinois. She isn't your average teenager - her mother's line is endowed with magical powers and the ability to see shadowy creatures called "feeders". Feeders are demons that feed on emotions and influence thoughts, hoping to drive victims to self-destruction and "devour" them. Feeders are everywhere, but things take a turn for the worse when a traveler named John Ross comes to town. John is a "Knight of the Word", a warrior of the Word pledged to fight demons of the Void. He is plagued at night by dreams of what the world will be like should he fail to stop certain events from happening. He has come to Hopewell because there is a demon there that he must stop. 
This book was good, and, for Terry Brooks, was well-written. The characters are interesting and riveting. The mysterious nature of John Ross makes him a very intriguing character, and I found myself wanting to keep reading more simply to find out more about him. This book has some light Christian overtones, which will likely be visible to any Christian who reads it. The plot is interesting, and this book is a great start to the series.
I wouldn't say this is a must-read, but I would recommend it as a good read.

Book Review: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Book Review of The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins


Other Worlds' Rating: 7 of 10 stars

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a dystopian, young adult science fiction novel set in a destroyed North America that has been renamed Panem. This nation consists of 13 Districts, the Capitol and the 12 other districts that were labeled rebellious. The Capitol decided to punish the rebellious districts by instituting the Hunger Games. A raffle is hosted among the children of the 12 rebellious districts, which all children are required to enter. Each district has 2 names drawn - one boy, and one girl. The children whose names are drawn from the raffle are entered in the Hunger Games, a brutal gladiator-like event where the contestants fight to the death. The event is televised for the entertainment of the citizens of the Captiol. Katniss is a young girl who ends up representing her district. She is faced with a difficult choice - kill or be killed.

I thought this book got off to a rather slow start. I had a difficult time feeling totally engaged in the book until about a third or half of the way through the book. However, the character Katniss was interesting enough to me to keep me reading until the Hunger Games actually start in the book, and then I was hooked from there. I gave this book 7 stars because of the slow start.

The book is written in an interesting way - a first person, present tense viewpoint makes the book both tense and riveting. I had a hard time not feeling tensed up at certain moments of the book when Katniss finds herself in danger. The book manages to convey Katniss's views and emotions in a way that I thought was excellent. It was hard not to feel like I was Katniss at some points, and the emotions I felt while reading matched hers. When she was in danger, I felt the danger. I was amazed by how well Collins managed this effect.

The plot was good, and very believable. I felt like the characters were well developed, and were very three dimensional. While sometimes characters suprised me, they never did anything that made me say, "Yeah right, they wouldn't have ever done that." I think that this made the characters feel like real people to me, in a way that is hard to find.

In a couple places, the book surprised me with its brutality and realism. Some of the deaths of characters in the Hunger Games are savage and ruthless. Since the book is written in first person from Katniss's view, the gorey details are often given when Katniss is privy to them. This book is probably not for the faint of heart or for children too young to cope with these details.

Overall, I really loved this book. I'm excited to read the next book soon.

Book Review: Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull

 Book Review of Fablehaven - Brandon Mull


Other Worlds' Rating: 7 of 10 stars

Seth and Kendra Sorenson visit their grandparents while their parents go on vacation, and, expecting a boring vacation, are pleasantly surprised. They find that their grandparents are the caretakers of a magical preserve, Fablehaven, and they meet and interact with magical creatures.

I enjoyed this book. However, I did find that it was a fairly slow starting book - the beginning dragged a bit and it took a while for me to get into the book. Once I was into it though, this book was a definitely a page turner. It was fairly difficult for me to put it down near the end.

I feel like the book presented a unique idea - which is refreshing in the often repetitive fantasy genre. The characters were unique, albeit with familiar characteristics. I feel like the writing is pretty good too, especially since this is Mull's debut novel. The novel features an ending battle which was both unexpected and awesome, pitting the forces of good against a demon released from imprisonment.

I would recommend this read, and would say that if you're having a hard time getting through the beginning of the book, just push through. The book is really quite good and is worth it in the end.