Post movie blues... Part 4

We've been pretty caught up in the hype about Divergent, the latest YA novel to be adapted for the big screen. BUT, this got us thinking.... Once the hype has died down and all the books in the series have been read in preparation for the future movies, what to do? We've done some posts offering advice on other YA books to be adapted to movies, and - here's an old fashioned idea - other series you could read!

Now we're onto Part 4 - the final post for our 'Post movie blues', and the final genre of excellent books!

What's that? Did I hear you say Steampunk? You might think Steampunk is not for you, but don't be afraid peeps, we've got some goodies for you...

• The Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. Ah Scott, we simply can't get enough of your books! This absolutely fantastic series gives us an alternate version of the First World War where the German Central Powers (aka Clankers) and the British Entente Powers (aka Darwinists) do battle using robots and genetically engineered beasts. Brilliant! Yep, we've done a review of Book 1 and Book 2!
• The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress. Whether this becomes a series is yet to be seen, but the book, set in Victorian London, is a great little introduction to the Steampunk genre and packed with girl-power! Check it out with this review!
• The Finishing School series by Gail Carriger. This steam-punk series is about girls attending a posh finishing school where they learn to curtsy, dance, pour tea, and also kill, maim and spy. Cool!
• The Extraordinaires series by Michael Pryor. An Aussie and an extremely experienced and prolific author, Pryor takes us back to 1908 London with this fantasy / hint-of-steampunk adventure series. Find the review of the first book here.

Happy reading! Don't forget, if you can't find the hardcopy on the shelves, check our ebook collection. Just click the link below!

Caitlin @ Balwyn Library.


What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Borrow it as an ebook.
• Review a book yourself.

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

As a fan of Scott Westerfeld's more recent steampunk series, I finally took the time to read this earlier work, Peeps (2005). This original take on the endless vampire stories filling our bookshelves follows Cal as he hunts down all his former girlfriends through New York City. Cal's been infected by a parasite, but he's not a vampire. He's only a carrier of the illness, whilst his hapless girlfriends have been infected to become what he calls Peeps (Parasite positives), a.k.a. vampires. With the help of his fellow vampire hunters at the Night Watch, it's Cal's job to track them down before they can start killing or spread the parasite further. This original story offers a new take on the origins and spread of vampirism, and also offers lots of fascinating and icky facts about actual parasites throughout.

Caitlin @ Balwyn

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Review a book yourself.

REVIEWbyU - Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld.
Reviewed by Gareth.
4 stars.

This book is really good and I think that it would be good for ages 10 to 100. The book is written from 2 different points of veiw and is set in a fictional world war 1. There are two different sides, the Clankers who are the Germans who use gigantic machines eg: walkers which they use as transport and other things. The other side is the Darwinists which use genetic engineering and have developed all these cool animals which do different jobs. The title of the book is the name of the giant air ship in which the two main characters meet. Alexander is one of the the clankers and has huge secret. He is rescued by Dylan, a young midshipman who also has a huge secret. I think that this book was really good and I think lots of people should read it.

--- What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Review a book yourself.

Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

Staff member Jasmin has written a four star review of Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld:

This is such a great series, I love Scott Westerfeld.

In this book you'll meet Tally, a girl just about to turn 16 and just about to get herself turned in to a 'Pretty' with extreme plastic surgery. In this futuristic world all people are divided into Pretties and Uglies, and all get plastic surgery at 16. Pretties live a fun existance, partying and dancing, but surely there's more to life? Tally's pal Shay thinks so and runs away to the unknown outside, to be an Ugly forever. Tally has a choice to make, and when she does she uncovers the secrets and the lies that have made up her world for so long.

This is a fast and fun read and it's the first in the series so you can keep reading!

---

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Review a book yourself.

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld

Picture an alternate Europe just before World War I. The German and Austro-Hungarian armies have at their disposal a range of Clankers - steam powered walking machines of various shapes and sizes. Heavily armoured against attacks and mounted with machine guns and canons. On the other side are the British Darwinists. They have learned to engineer and fabricate animals to create their weaponry. Featured heavily in this book is the Leviathan, a airship that is actually a living ecosystem.

If you are anything like me, that alone will be enough to make you want to read this book. But along with the clankers and living airships are Aleksander, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Deryn Sharp a young English girl. Aleksander is on the run, under threat from his own allies. Deryn is disguised as a boy so she can fulfill her lifelong ambition and join the Air Service. From vastly different backgrounds and opposite ends of the continent, their stories converge as the possibility of war grows.

This book represents a bit of a shift for Westerfeld. I have liked all his YA books and like this too, but it won't surprise me if some of his fans are not as keen on it. On the other hand, I suspect he will gain a range of new fans. I am not completely sure of this, but it seems a large proportion of Westerfeld's fans are girls. Leviathan will gain him a whole slew of boy readers. A lot of them will be younger that his current fan base, and quite a few may well be older. Among others, I will be putting this book in the hands of all those kids who love reading about teenage secret agents, whether they are 11, 15, or 35.

It is an exciting read. The world, contraptions and creatures are fantastic and the story develops to a climax that will leave you wondering how long it will be until he finishes the sequel.

---

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Visit scottwesterfeld.com to keep up with news about Scott.
  
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Review a book yourself.