Location: United States
Member Since: Jan. 20, 2011
Matthew
Books
This member has not published any books.Smashwords book reviews by Matthew
- The Knack
on Jan. 21, 2011
Not what I expected, but that turned out to be a good thing. The Knack is basically an urban fantasy story about a group of teenagers who, for better or for worse, contract a disease that gives them psychic powers, with one important drawback: they must continuously feed off of the life energies of others in order to stay healthy. In that respect, there's a mild vampire/horror element to the plot, but it's mainly a garnish on what is at its heart a very touching, very powerful love story. The novel jumps back and forth between the perspective of the two main characters, Kyna and Aaron, both of whom must learn to deal with the benefits and consequences of their burgeoning powers. And it isn't easy as they discover what can sometimes be an amazing gift can also be a terrifying burden. This is a beautifully told character-oriented, contemporary fantasy novel. Its harsh at times, but then it's always darkest before dawn, and in this case I think the journey is totally worth it.
- Heroes' Day
on March 10, 2012
A very nicely told novel about an ordinary teenager given the opportunity to participate in the equivalent of the Olympic Games of the future by becoming a "Hero" class citizen - an elite position reserved for each country's most talented athletes, artists, scientists, and so forth. Monica's character is engaging and well thought out, and easily appeals to both young readers and adults alike. I haven't decided whether Heroes Day is either a young adult novel with heavy socio-political leanings, or a socio-political novel that happens to have a very young protagonist. Either way it's an engaging glimpse into the not-too-distant future of "Patriot America".