Cloned Humans

 Replication: The Jason Experiment

 by Jill Williamson

  Genre: Christian YA Science-Fiction

"Martyr-otherwise known as Jason 3:3-is one of many clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that the has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to 'expire' in less than a month. To see the sky. 

"Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door, asking about the stars. 

"As the reality of the Jason Experiment comes to light, Martyr is caught between two futures-the one for which he was produced, and the one Abby believes God created him to have. Time is running out, and Martyr must decide if a life with Abby is worth leaving everything he's ever known." 

I had a difficult time as a pre-teen and teenager finding 'Christian' novels that weren't cheesy, filled with bad writing/plots, or boring. I didn't want to saturate my mind with the godless, hormone-driven, cussword-filled teenage books that one often (though not always) finds on the book-shelves. But it was just difficult to find specific Christian books that looked entertaining and deep. Has anyone else had this problem? 

Replication, however, is a cute, humorous book that I wished I could have enjoyed when I was younger. Williamson keeps the cheesiness/superficiality to a minimum, although she does have God talk at one point. Why do Christian authors often do that? I've never heard the Lord speak clearly like that before, but all these characters just happen to hear him so well. Anyways, Abby is fun and real, and Jason stole my heart with his sweet innocence. There is also plenty of adventure/mystery in this novel, even though most of it couldn't have happened in real life (probably). The author does a good job of portraying the world as a clone would see it and using (or not using) words the clone would know. 

The characters in this novel face real, deep issues without the author preaching at anyone, and while keeping its lightness. I didn't find any major flaws with the book, and it was a delight to read. It's suitable for children 12 and older, and I give it a 3.5 out of 5. 

What I learned: It's important to know that not everyone sees the world like you do, and we shouldn't take the little, beautiful things for granted. 

The Host: Body and Soul

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Science-Fiction

"Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

"When Melanie, one of the few remaining 'wild' humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading 'soul' who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

"Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love."

You can now close your mouth and re-light your brain from that mind-boggling, complex insert-summary. But doesn't it just sound so compelling? And yes, this is the same author who wrote the Twilight series, which I'm not going to get into here. This novel is completely different than those. It is a love story between a man and woman, but there is also so much more woven into it: aliens (souls), betrayal, brother and sister love, danger, and murder. I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but this novel has a love triangle involving two men, two girls, and one body. Fascinating, huh?

This novel is unlike the other few science-fiction books I've perused. The aliens inhabit human bodies here on earth, and the reader soon learns that neither the humans nor the aliens are the enemies, but they both have can be evil. I also love Meyer's creativity; she doesn't just portray the aliens as these glowing blobs, but gives them personalities, backgrounds, and gives the reader a good picture of the other worlds mentioned in the book.

But what I love most about this book is that it is mostly about what it means to be a human: embracing both the joy and pain in this life, taking nothing for granted, and learning to love sacrificially. God created humans more uniquely and beautifully than any other creatures, and this book definitely highlights that truth.

When I first read this book, I was confused at part of the ending, so you might need to go back and re-read it. But it has a lovely, hopeful ending that is worth the pain and confusion the characters (and perhaps reader) trudges through.

I give this novel a 4 out of 5 and recommend it for 15 year olds and up.

What I learned: Life is so beautiful because it is so short. The pain and sorrows of life make the joys and highs that much more precious.

Stephenie Meyer's website: http://stepheniemeyer.com/

Shannon Hale is Dangerous

Dangerous by Shannon Hale
Genre: YA Sci-Fi

         How far would you go to save the world? Probably not as far as Maisie Danger Brown...

"When Maisie Danger Brown nabbed a spot at a NASA-like summer boot camp, she never expected to uncover a conspiracy that would change her life forever. And she definitely didn't plan to fall in love.

"But now there's no going back-Maisie's the only thing standing between the Earth and annihilation. She must become the hero the world needs. The only problem is: How does a regular girl from Salt Lake City do that, exactly? It's not as though there's a handbook for this sort of thing. It's up to Maisie to come up with a plan-and to find the courage to carry it out-before she loses her heart...and her life."

Wow, you impressed me, Mrs. Shannon Hale. I heard a lot about this book from her blog, about how she's writing another genre-hopping book (sci-fi in a contemporary world and a superhero novel, instead of a comic) and writing a minority character who also has one arm. And Hale didn't let me down. Sure, I like some of her other books better (The Goose Girl series and Princess Academy to be precise), but there is so much to love in this novel:
                 1. Maisie Danger Brown: I mean, with a nickname like that, you can do anything, right? I loved that she was half-Paraguayan (so unique) and had one arm, with a prosthesis that had a hilarious, always-changing name.
                 2. The Plot: It was more creative than other science fiction stories I have read. Yes, there are aliens, but they aren't the main focus of the story.
                 3. The Humor: Maisie's dad makes pretty hilarious puns throughout the book, and Maisie is funny in her nerdiness.
                 4. The Poetry: What? Poetry in a science-fiction book, where all the characters are obsessed with science and technology? I know, right?! This might just be the English major in me, but I loved that Hale laced the story with real poems, adding another layer of depth and beauty. It shows that literature and science might be able to live side-by-side after all.
                  5. The Similes: Hale always writes so beautifully and eloquently and peppers her novels with similes, which are so clear and creative.

There were other things about the book that I enjoyed, but I don't want to give away too much. There were just a few things that I thought could be improved upon. The first part of the book, when the characters are at the camp, seem to go too fast, and I would have liked more information/detail about the fireteam training. Since I'm a highly visual person, a few more details about what the characters looked like would have helped; I had a hard time seeing them in my head. And I was confused about what the havoc armor looked like exactly.

Overall, though, this book was excellent, and Hale did what she wanted to do: write a thrilling sci-fi superhero story, and about a girl, no less! I give it a 4 out of 5 and recommend it for 15 year olds and up.

What I learned: Don't judge people too harshly until you understand their motivations. An elevator that goes up to space=awesome. Love is not made up of attraction, infatuation and consternation; there's more to it than just tingly feelings.

How I do wish I could have understood more clearly all the sciency words she used in the novel...

My Favorite Quote: "Life is precious because it's finite."

Martians Meet London

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Genre: Science-Fiction, Classic

"Thirty-five million miles into space, a species of Martians set eyes on planet Earth. With their own planet doomed for destruction, the Martians prepare to invade. Their weapons are ready and their aim is ruthless. The war of the worlds is about to begin."

Duhduhduh! The story-line of this novel, aliens taking over the world, is very intriguing and exciting. It makes even more sense if you read the introduction by Orson Scott Card, who wrote Ender's Game. The introduction offers important insight by Card at the purpose and value of science fiction and why Wells wrote this book.

Even though I enjoyed the idea of the plot, I think Wells could have made it even more exciting and real to the readers. This could just be my bias from reading so many contemporary works. But sometimes I was a little bored by the novel, and aliens taking over the world should not be boring! It was also difficult to follow at times because the narrator takes you all over and around England, mentioning all of these towns I hadn't the foggiest idea of; a map would have made it clearer.

Also, the reader never knows the narrator's/main character's name (at least not that I was aware of). And how can a reader be close to the characters if they never know his name? It frustrated me, just a little. It's also an intrusive narrator, so be aware of that.

Overall, I was disappointed by this work and give it a 3 out of 5. But if you enjoy science fiction, you should still read it since it is a building block of the genre. I recommend it for 14 year olds and up. Be aware that it is quite different than the movie with Tom Cruise (which is an excellent movie, in my opinion).

What I learned: Humans are not as indestructible or powerful as they might think/wish. Beware of pride!

A Review: Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Genre: Science-Fiction 

Summary from the back: "Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses-and then training them in the arts of war...The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'...Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games...He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?"

I heard a lot about this book and have wanted to read it for a long time. And now that I graduated college, I have the time :). I haven't read a lot of sci-fi books, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this novel, and it wasn't  what I thought it would be like. But according to the author's supposed plan (I read his intro), the book is excellent and his story-writing skills are superb. 

I found the way the children are trained fascinating and the sad way that they are treated true even in our world today, albeit to a lesser degree. The harsh treatment of the children and the idea of war as a 'game' reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games, although this novel is completely different in many ways from that series. The author knows much about how power and leaders work and this was very enlightening. I came to know and love Ender, the main character, and could see parts of myself in him, which I believe is the trait of a good creator: to show a reader him/herself in the characters to that she can come out of the novel changed. 

I'm a visual person; I like descriptions and clear images when I read, and there wasn't much of that in this novel. So it was difficult at times to picture the ships and rooms that the soldiers live in. I was also confused at times about what was happening politically on earth. Orson Scott Card could have explained some of these things more clearly for the reader. 

Overall though, the novel was well-written, thought-provoking, and interesting, so I give it a 3.5 out of 5. I recommend it to 16 year-olds and above because there is some language and graphic images. With every book that becomes a movie, I advocate reading the book before watching the movie, so you can truly comprehend/understand what is happening. But that might just because I love books so much. This novel is also a series, I believe, and I most definitely want to check out the others. You can learn more about this author and his books at his website here. 

What I learned: War/fighting is most definitely not a game. An important quote that's made me think about love and hatred (don't worry, it's not a spoiler) that I'm still chewing on: "In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves." What do you think about this idea?

Merry Christmas, by the way! Let us remember the truest, greatest story of all this season!

I