Location: United States
Member Since:
Jan. 22, 2012
Karen Siddall
Karen Siddall's favorite authors on Smashwords
Smashwords book reviews by Karen Siddall
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Frost
on June 02, 2012
I recently received an ebook copy through Goodreads of Kate Avery Ellison’s debut of a new young adult series that had me SHUSHING the “target audience” in my own home! Descriptive without being heavy-handed or obvious, I could see and feel the harsh environment that is the setting of the story. Ellison put me right into the terror that is Lia’s life in the Frost. Gradually I learned more and more about Lia, her family, her circumstances, and the other characters that shape her desperate existence all the while tensely waiting for the horrible Watchers in the woods to make their appearance. I cared about what would happen to Lia and her family. I hoped that they would make good decisions and be heroic. And I sincerely wish that a sequel is coming soon!
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No Rules Of Engagement
on June 02, 2012
Great story – really - but plot holes and editing plays havoc. Ship a load of youngsters across the universe to fight an alien menace moving in on our own galaxy. Because of the length of the trip to get to the battleground – 6 years – start with children and train them along the way while they age to their battle-worthy peak. This seems like the novel approach – unique. (I understand a similar plotline is used in Orson Scott Cards’ Ender’s Game but I haven’t read it so this was new to me.) I look forward to the next installment in what has got to be a series, hopefully, with some improvements. As mentioned in a number of reviews, the novel is in need of editing. Jumps among points of view caused confusion and weakened the flow of the story. (The author really has a knack for telling a story, too.) Spelling and word use need some attention as well. This has been detailed elsewhere. The plot hole that bothered me (and I forgave) involves the aliens that come requesting assistance from Earth. They’ve come from the future to get Earthlings to make the 6 year long journey to be in position to save their planet when the Gators attack. Why didn’t they send fully trained soldiers into the future through the same means they used to come to the past? Because we’d miss out on the training trip with all these kids?! And what kids! Other reviewers mentioned the age of the main child character as being way too young for his speech and action. I am in agreement and think focusing on teens would have solved this issue. Even a teenager with the “Alexander the Great”-like understanding of warfare and battle strategy would have been precocious enough for me. Then, too, the girlfriend/boyfriend, sex discussion, drinking and smoking would have been less disturbing to many.