Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown and, in one month, he will be a man. But Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. First, there are no women in Prentisstown – they all died years ago, when the aliens called Spackle released a germ that created Noise. And that’s the second thing… the Noise. Every one can hear everyone else’s thoughts, from the tiniest squirrel to the loudest man. It’s an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise that cannot be ignored. There is no quiet, no privacy, and no room for secrets.

Or is there? When Todd and his dog, Manchee, are exploring the swamp one day, they discover a pocket of silence, where there is no Noise. And the source of the quiet is a girl, something that Todd never expected to see. Todd does his best to keep the girl a secret from the rest of Prentisstown. But Todd isn’t the only one keeping secrets – the men of the town have been hiding something from him, something about their past and the legacy that belongs to each boy that becomes a man there. Soon Todd finds himself running for his life, trying to escape a past he didn’t know existed. But how can you run when those chasing you can hear your every thought?

The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first in the Chaos Walking series. I thought it was a little slow to start with – this is a world that feels recognizable when you see the settler life that Prentisstown is leading, and you think you know where things are going when the rug gets pulled out from under you. Todd knows almost nothing about his town’s dark history or the surrounding world, so you are constantly having to revise the way you understand Todd’s world. This got to be a little bit overwhelming, which is how it should be for Todd, but wore on me as I was reading.

The concept of Noise, of trying to keep your thoughts private or calm or layering them so that you can keep something to yourself, as really intriguing, and I liked the connection the author made between the way we’re bombarded with all kinds of information today. The way Noise is expressed in the book is very powerful, and I would’ve liked to have seen that appear a bit more throughout. You also got a strong sense of the desperation that Todd and Viola must feel and the hopelessness of their journey, which can be a bit crushing to the reader… particularly when it comes to Chapter 31. I had a good cry at the end of that chapter.

This book does have one of my all-time favorite openings: “The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say. About anything.” With such a great opening, it can feel like a bit of a slog to continue those first few chapters. However, this book is worth it!

David Small draws you into his childhood, evoking the 50s and 60s and a household that represses and internalizes all feelings. “Stitches” is the story of his childhood, of his mother, and of the growth on his neck that turns out to be cancer, resulting in the removal of one of his vocal chords and a horrific scar. This book is brief – maybe an hour to read, but it sinks into you. The art swirls and moves as if it were a film, and the awkwardness, tension, and sadness of Small’s family is conveyed through the black, white, and gray-washed illustrations. Certain themes crop up through the book – Small’s fascination with Alice in Wonderland, a haunting discover in the pathology department of the hospital where his father worked, his escape into art throughout his childhood and into his teens, and the words that we say even when we are silent. Small closes the book with further details of his family’s history, particularly his mother’s medical background. This is a powerful story, made more so by the format used to tell it. For those looking for a complicated book on family relationships and finding your own voice, I would highly recommend this book.

Friends, enemies, and acquaintances gather to remember Batman at his funeral, as the Caped Crusader’s spirit watches and wonders what’s going on. No two stories are alike, but this is a way of reconciling the Batman stories and legends, and as each person steps up to tell about Batman’s demise, the artwork and language take on new life. If you’ve been following Batman for ages, you’ll recognize the storylines and inspirations for these stories.

I thought this was a great “ending” to the Batman story, though if there’s anything that this book goes out of its way to say, it’s that the Batman legend doesn’t end. However, the funeral seems a bit short – I mean, with this cast of characters, Gaiman could’ve gone on and on, but a few more stories wouldn’t have hurt! The three stories included afterward are great, and I particularly enjoyed “A Black and White World,” probably because I’m a fan of stories and TV shows that break the fourth wall.

Princess Talia has spent her life being warned to avoid spindles, all because of a witch’s curse. But how is she to avoid one when when she doesn’t even know what a spindle looks like? When willful Talia ditches her governess to find the perfect dress for her 16th birthday, she finds out just what a spindle is…. Flash forward 300 hundred years and Jack has spent the last three weeks on a dull tour of Europe. When he and his friend ditch the tour for a trip to the beach, they stumble across Talia’s kingdom and the sleeping princess. Jack wakes her, but both quickly realize that this is not true love. However, Talia is desperate to travel and escape a kingdom that will surely be furious with her when they realize 300 years have passed. She leaves with Jack to go to Florida, his home, and plans to make Jack fall for her, because only true love will actually break the witch’s curse.

This was an intriguing retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. While it seemed to start a bit slowly, once Talia and Jack step out into the present time and begin to interact, the story takes off. Both characters evolve, a touch too quickly, as they begin to see themselves through the other’s eyes. Jack abandons his “party boy” attitude and finally acknowledges the things he cares about, including his parents’ opinions. Talia changes from a stubborn, self-centered princess, and takes joy in helping Jack and his family rebuild their relationships. This all takes place over the course of several days, which is fairly implausible… though is it more so than waking a 316-year-old princess with a kiss? For any fans of retellings or light romances, this is a fun read.

This was an intriguing book, and another one that I think fits into sci-fi for those who don’t normally read sci-fi. It’s also got a generous dollop of philosophy, which I think almost all great sci-fi has, and is about the only way I want to read anything that has to do with philosophy.

Genesis is the story of Anaximander’s entrace exam for The Academy. It is a four-hour exam in which she with be questioned by three examiners on the subject of her choice. Anax’s speciality is a man called Adam Forde, who we know is connected with the creation of Anax’s society, but other than that, we learn about him and this new society as the Anax answers questions. We also discover what came of our current world, how The Republic was created, and how Adam challenged society and changed it. Of course, things are not what they seem and Anax has a tenuous connection to Adam of which she is not aware. The idea of humanity, of thoughts, ideas, and feelings, are called into question throughout the test, and the reader is often exposed to layers of story all at once, from Adam’s perspective to Anax’s interactions with the examiners to her private thoughts and fears.

I spent the majority of the story wondering what the swerve would be, and enjoyed it when it was revealed. Even flipping back through the book, there are wonderful clues and hints at how the exam and Adam’s story will end. However, I think this story ends up being more about the philosophy than about science fiction. Anax’s story’s ending is good but felt just a bit predictable. Adam’s story felt like the strong point of the book, and I think the connection, particularly between Anax and Adam could’ve used some more development, since the reveal comes so quickly.

Overall, an interesting book that creates interesting discussion points and would make for a few good reads. It’s a fast-paced story and a compelling story-telling technique.

I agree with other reviews in that this book will probably only appeal to people who already like Kevin Smith. It’s a little haphazard for those who don’t know his movies. However, if you like his work, you’ll most likely enjoy the essays here. I did! It has me thinking about going to see him speak live, so it must’ve done something right! The essays can feel a bit dated – references to a young Britney Spears or to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s romance (and there are essays that are just admittedly love letters about his man-crush on Affleck). Mostly I enjoyed getting to read about Kevin Smith himself – some of the funniest essays are about his wife’s self-portrait, his history with comic books and Jersey, or his issues with lap dances. I think my personal favorite was his depiction of the seedy underworld of San Diego Comic Con.

When Dagmar lands in Jakarta, she finds her connecting flight has been canceled… along with every other flight out of the country. The currency is under attack and a revolution is underway. Luckily, Dagmar is the major producer/writer for Great Big Idea, a company that specialized in creating ARGs: alternate reality games. Her boss is a multimillionaire and he’s determined to get Dagmar out of the country and back to safety, where she can start writing the next big game. When some of the more conventional rescue attempts fail, Dagmar turns to the online gaming community to help her.

Fast forward to a few months later, with Dagmar back in LA and starting a brand new ARG. As the game gets underway, one of Dagmar’s longtime friends is murdered. Can she once again call on gamers to help solve this murder? And, as Dagmar digs deeper to solve this mystery, other countries come under attack, just like Jakarta. The line between game and reality begins to blur… however, This Is Not A Game.

Okay, this book is difficult to sum up, particularly without sounding cheesy. Williams does an excellent job between joining online games with reality, as well as recognizing the strange potential of massive amounts of gamers. I think he creates a story that will appeal to classic RPGers as well as those who’ve only gamed on a console or computer. I liked Dagmar – she was resourceful, funny, and creative.

If I have any complaints for this book, it’s that it felt like there were a few loose ends or unnecessary characters/plot bits. The transition from the chapters in Jakarta to the start of The Long Night of Briana Hall was abrupt, and the ending didn’t have quite the punch I expected… or maybe I was just thinking there was going to be another plot twist. The moments with the gamers are gold… I wish there were more (why is it I hate reading message boards in real life, but enjoy them in a story?). And there’s just something thoroughly enjoyable about a plot involving what happens when gold-farming goes so wrong.

If you love gaming, whether it’s on paper and involves d20s or if it’s on a console or involves being in character, this is a book you’ll probably enjoy. I’m glad it was recommended to me!

This was just such a good ending to the series. Lots and lots of plot threads, all tied up nicely. And a joke about Machi and Kakeru’s meat-loving girlfriend was worked in… that sounds dirty, but it’s not… “The meat!” Okay, that’s totally beside the point that this was a wonderful finish, picking up the pieces and presenting a large cast of characters, all with a variety of ways of dealing with the resolution of the Sohma curse and moving on… or in some cases, not being able to move forward. I found the part dealing with Kyo’s beads to be especially touching. I’m going to miss this series, but I’m looking forward to rereading it!

This book was just wonderful. I’m having such a difficult time finding things to say about it besides the fact that it was amazing. It’s sweet without ever being saccharine. There’s hilarious moments (I loved the ghouls), sad and scary moments, and the ending is just right, leaving you hoping for another book please please. I have to agree with Leila, this book feels very similar to Sandman, but without some of the horror content. Adult themes lurk around the edges of the story – after all, this is about growing up – and there are plenty of frightening characters in and out of the graveyard (mostly out). The characters are all so full of life (forgive the pun) – all around, this book was amazing.

I have to say that the audio version of this is just brilliant. I listened to Neil Gaiman read Coraline, and he did a great job there – but this blows that reading out of the water. The characters, the accents, everything is so developed, you forget you’re listening to just one person reading. Just listen to the chapter with the ghouls and Miss Lupescu and Bod’s adventures through the ghoul gate… you’ll be hooked! I know I’m going to have to check out the paper copy of the book, to peak at Dave McKean’s illustrations, but I’m going to be recommending the audio version to everyone.

I’m still not quite sure what to make of Black Dossier. I’m happy to see more LoEG, and pleased that where the comic is interrupted with diaries, books, and travel guides, these are not the same somewhat-dull walls of text that rounded out volume two. The majority of them are fascinating and entertaining, and bring much more life to the League’s history than vol. 2 did. My favorite was the recounting of how Mina got Nemo to agree to joining the League.

However, I’m missing the old league members (Nemo and Hyde seemed so much more interesting than Allan and sometimes even Mina). It also feels like we’ve missed out on so many amazing adventures, which we get to hear about secondhand through the diaries, comics, and book-segments. Moreover, I was not in love with the plot. Allan and Mina basically steal the Black Dossier, a series of documents that outline the history of the League and the generations who have served in it (before and after Mina’s League). What follows is a long chase story that involves James Bond, Bulldog Drummond, and the remnants of an Orwellian government. For a series that can be so smart, this plot seemed rather blah – I felt like this was mostly an excuse to give us League history and less about Mina and Allan’s latest adventure.

If you’ve read all of vol. 1 and 2, there are lots of references and visuals that you will get, and be pleased that you get them… just expect to spend a lot of time poring over the book. While this volume has skads of references to other literature and films, it’s become just as much a self-referential piece. The artwork is, as always, amazing. And that brings me to another thing… expect lots of sex and nudity. But shouldn’t you expect that from any work that includes a Tijuana Bible? Particularly an Orwell-inspired one? The 3-D section worked surprisingly well.