Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield

*based on an ARC edition

Afterworlds is not just one book, it's two. One is the tale of a debutante young adult author as she leaves for Manhattan at the age of 18 after selling her first book for an enormous advance, growing with adult and authorly responsibility, and discovering her own sexuality. The other is the book she sold, told in between living her life. Darcy, our author, is both bold (because she left home to live by herself in NYC) and the most timid character I've ever met. She is rife with insecurities and the feeling of impending failure, even jeopardizing her fledgling relationship because of it. In her book, which is the titular Afterworlds, we have Lizzie who was the sole survivor of a terrorist attack and came out being able to travel to the Other Side. She grows quickly into her role as something of a grim reaper without the reaping, meeting the ghost of a young girl who has lived with her all her life. She does some questionable things through her journey. She falls in love with what is essentially the Hindu Lord of Death, Yama.

Honestly, I am not sure what to write about this book. I am a big fan of Scott Westerfield. And I enjoyed seeing a reference to his other work thrown in there for faithful readers. But Afterworlds read like a love letter to the publishing world, or maybe a warning to all potential YA authors, I can't decide. Darcy doesn't seem to grow very much throughout. The two stories didn't have enough juxposition to give us a reason to really want to read Darcy's book. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy reading Afterworlds (the actual book, not Darcy's book) at times, but many times it dragged and was written too much as though it was written for only published authors to read, as they would be the only ones who would truly be able to understand. I liked the mythos of Darcy's story, and it probably would have been a good book on its own. But combined as it was with the author's life, with characters who were merely window dressing, it lost what appeal it could have had. My final conclusion is that Afterworlds isn't a complete waste of time but anyone expecting something like the rest of Scott Westerfield's work is going to be very disappointed.

Stitching Snow by RC Lewis

First and foremost, I was deeply pleased that this book was not the first part of a trilogy. I have read too many trilogies in the past few years and I am overjoyed to be able to enjoy a story from start to finish and not have to wait another year for the next part. Seriously cannot say how much that pleases me. As for the story itself, I was also pleased by just about everything. With elements of fairy tale, fantasy and steampunk, Stitching Snow was an excellent read. Essie, the titular Snow, is an exceptionally strong main character who I had a good time following. The story had many twists and turns, some of which were of course easy to forsee but still satisfying. The story takes place, we find out subtley, 1000 years into our future, in which different planets are under the control of an evil king and queen. The ruling planet is apparently under attack by the Exiles, waging a bloody battle for revolution. But not everything is as it seems and hope lies with Essie. The only flaw I saw at all, if one could call it that, is that the Exiles have a power to Transition, or basically take over the mind of someone else they touch. That detail doesn't do much to further the story other than to reveal a secret, and I felt that could have been accomplished another way. Other than that, however, Stitching Snow was solid and well-written with well-drawn main characters and (cannot be said enough) a real and enjoyable final conclusion.

Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Love is the Drug took me a long time to finish. I am normally a speed reader and go through things fairly quickly. I consider the fact that it took me so long a complement to Alaya Johnson. This story is very layered and intricate, and full of every element of a suspense novel you could ask for. There is a influenza outbreak. There is a black girl with a scientist mother who disapproves of anything that might prevent her daughter from fitting in with the white upper crust. There is a mysterious forgotten night after a drugging by a nefarious CIA agent who thinks our Emily Bird knows more than she says she does. There is love and transformation, because it is still geared towards young adults. But I very much appreciated the way the love affair was handled. Emily awakens through this terrifying time into Bird, a tough, self-accepting woman who knows what she wants, who she wants, and how to get what she wants. If she can get away from the CIA and her mother, that is. The end was satisfying and was clearly written well enough to make my heart clench a little when I thought it was headed a different way. I would definitely recommend this book for those who love a little suspense and a solid story.