Thanks for dropping by our blog for The Dead I Know blog tour.

The Dead I Know reminds me a bit of I Am Not a Serial Killer.  Both are young men working in a mortuary with the dead.  Both are lonely, troubled youth, though with different problems.  Both have peculiar home lives.  Neither was what I expected, and for both books that's where the problem lies.  I expected a bit of supernatural story in this one.

Aaron feels like he doesn't quite fit in the world.  He lives in a trailer park with Mam, but wakes up in random places.  He has terrible, recurring nightmares.  And now, he has a job in a mortuary. But with the owner and caretaker John showing him the ropes and helping him get through the stress of dealing with mourning families, Aaron gradually finds that he likes the work, and even comes to discover that maybe he doesn't have to bury his personal life so deeply.

Ultimately, it's hard to tell what this book is about.  For me, it was a story about overcoming your past and finding your place in the world despite that past.  Aaron suffered terribly, and never really had a chance to deal with it emotionally.  The nature of his early experiences are really terrible, though, and that's what confused me about the story.  For the sake of the story being told, did it need to be so rough?

Having said all that, the nature of working with the dead as a funeral director is a good draw.  There's the potential for gruesome imagery and the possibility of some morbid humor.  Whether it actually happens or not is irrelevant; the mere possibility is a selling point, especially for young guys who might otherwise avoid a story like this one about emotional self-discovery.

The Dead I Know is well-suited for book reports.  It's not too long, has a troubled character, and a dark secret that stays secret to the even the reader deep into the story.

Thank you Penguin Canada for providing us with the preview copy of The Dead I Know.

(We're going to take a reader's suggestion (thanks!) and start reviewing books for the preteen crowd too. Here's our first review.) 

"It was over coffee and biscuits that Grandma Ives offered to return Cameron’s father from the dead."
Okay, who can resist and is not be intrigued by a first line like that?

When his dad was found dead by the beach, Cameron went to live with his grandma, whom he's met maybe once or twice. Before they get to know each other, she offers to resurrect his dad.
Grandma Ives is not your ordinary grandmother type. There is nothing warm and fuzzy about her, but she does know about The Daemon Parallel, a hidden world that co-exists with Edinburgh, and she knows spells that can raise the dead. That's just what Cameron needs. He misses his dad, and he wants to figure out the cause of his mysterious death, but first, we'll have to see if Cameron has inherited the special powers that will enable him to travel back and forth between the two worlds, to deal with the daemons, and to help his grandma get the right ingredients to complete the resurrection spell.

This impressive debut novel has just the right blend of action, mystery, adventure, magic, supernatural, humour and character development.  Most of all, I was surprised at how "right sounding" the voice of Cameron is. The things he said are exactly the kinds of stuff I'd expect a kid to say. Despite the title and perhaps the cover, the book doesn't rely on just grossness or goriness to carry the story, even though you will encounter many daemons in the book, and underneath all the fantastical elements is a boy who is trying to figure out if he's doing the right thing or not. And what a gutsy ending! Not going to spoil it for you, but throughout the book, I was thinking, is the author really going to do that? No way. It's just a red herring I'm sure. No, wait, he's really going there. Nice.

On NetGalley the other day, I found a listing for a new book by Chris Wooding called Pale.  Many of you will recognize Wooding's name from Malice or The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray. He's written some of the best and more original fiction out there in my opinion, so I knew I had to read this new book.
Pale is a 67-page book designed for reluctant teen readers, and I thought, okay, I haven't really read any impressive Hi/Lo (High Interest / Low Reading Level) books yet, but this is Chris Wooding, so I'm sure it'll be different.

The story is set in a world where people can be brought back to life with a special serum, as long as their bodies are compatible. The only thing different when you come back is that you will look visibly different. The serum turns your whole body white, hence the term "Pale". People are not fond of the Pales at all. They are shunned for life and banished to live in The Graveyard.  Just ask Jed and Kyle. If they see a Pale coming towards them, they'll go over and beat him up. Just because.
Then one day, Jed got hit by a car. When the paramedics asked his girlfriend Sadie if they should use the serum on Jed, she panicked and said yes because she didn't want to lose him. Jed was now a Pale. He hated the idea at first and was really mad that he got changed, but he knew that he was still Jed, even if he looked different. No one else understood that though and accepted him. Not his parents, not his best friend, not even Sadie. Sadie who turned him into a Pale in the first place!

I was disappointed with the story. It feels unfinished and the characters don't seem natural to me. The changes in them are too abrupt and not very believable. It is also too much of an issue book sprinkled with a bit of sci-fi, which is what bugs me mostly about many teen Hi/Lo books. Haven't we moved past that in teen literature? We want a variety for anyone, not just books about taboo subjects that we adults for some reason think every teen loves. 

This is what the author said on his website about Pale.

"Now listen y’all. This book was written for a specialist market. It’s very short, and the language and story are much, much simpler than the books you’re used to reading from me. If you’re curious, or if you’re a completist, or if there’s someone you know who’s a struggling reader and might like this sorta thing, then by all means pick it up; it’s a creepy little sci-fi tale that may tickle your fancy. But if you’re expecting something in the vein of Malice or Alaizabel, you’ll be disappointed. I wouldn’t want anyone spending their hard-earned readies and then being gutted because of the content."

Okay, Mr. Wooding. I will still read every one of your books because I like your stuff too much, but your explanation/excuse is not good enough. Why do Hi/Lo books exist in the first place? To entice kids and teens who have difficulties reading to read of course. By giving them a book that is easier, kids will not have such adversity to books and they'll discover the joy of reading.  Which sounds fine in theory, but the problem with many of these books is that often, not only the language, but also the plot, is simplified. How are we supposed to convince a kid that reading is good stuff with mediocre stories?  The concepts in the books don't have to be dumbed down, and no, I'm no writer, but I'm sure a good one can tell an equally great story even if they're somewhat limited by the kind of words they can use, or the number of pages they have. If a story is crazy intriguing, wouldn't it motivate kids to try harder? I would like to think so.

I immigrated to Canada when I was 15. For the first couple years here, I had trouble understanding everyone around me, especially my classmates, who used words and slang I've never heard of from my minimum Hong Kong English classes. I still remember one of them asked me for a calculator one day, and when I asked her to repeat what she just said, she said it louder and slower, mimed the pressing-calculator motion, and explained what a calculator is. Duh, I know what a calculator is. I just didn't catch what you said. Just because I couldn't speak the language perfectly didn't mean I'm stupid, I remember thinking.

What is your experience with Hi/Lo books? What are some of the better ones you've come across?  Do share in the comments.

How about a topical post?

Did you know that humans put another rover on Mars? One specifically designed to look for evidence that life exists or existed on Mars?  Or that it was also intended to pave the way for a potential visit by humans to the Red Planet?

There has been a lot written about that planet.  Here's just a tiny selection of Mars and  space related stuff.

Fiction:

Kim Stanley Robinson' s Mars Trilogy (Red Mars, Blue Mars and Green Mars) is an interconnected series of short stories about the settlement and development of a Martian colony.  It's a major cornerstone in science fiction and winner of numerous awards, though I will admit I was a bit bored by it.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein is even more legendary.  Valentine Michael Smith, an orphaned child of the first human visitors to Mars, is adopted by Martians and raised in their culture.  When he returns to Earth as a young adult, he struggles to adapt to Earth and human culture.  This isn't a young adult novel, as Heinlein doesn't shy away from controversy regarding human sexuality and other mature topics.  Still, it a major piece in Heinlein greater body of work.

Edited to add: Also set on Mars is Black Hole Sun, which we've previously reviewed.

Non-Fiction:

Packing for Mars by Mary Roach looks at all the preparations that are required even before we consider sending a human to Mars.  Like Roach's previous works, this isn't a hard-science examination; while it does have all the science in there somewhere, it's just as much about the people as the tech.  And to get a sense of the tone?  She watches a live video feed of herself pooping in a training exercise on how to use space toilets.

Solar System: A Visual Exploration of All the Planets, Moons and Other Heavenly Bodies That Orbit our Sun by Marcus Chown.  Like the previously recommended The Elements, Solar System is a beautiful book with fantastic photos and descriptions of the subject matter.  While it obviously covers more than Mars, it certain is a big motivator to look at the universe around us.

Video Game:

I can't resist.  While the game isn't a masterpiece, it is interesting: Red Faction: Guerilla is the story of a near-future mining colony on Mars that is in the midst of a miner's revolt.  You play as a recently joined revolutionary set out to demolish the infrastructure of the ruling corporate ownership.  Big draw? You can destroy pretty much everything with a sledgehammer.  Everything.

From the August 3, 2012 print edition of Entertainment Week on the 20th anniversary of Goosebump, R.L. Stine concludes the interview with this quote (I can't find a link online):

I try not to put any messages in my books. Really, I Just want kids to say, "Gee, I can turn to a book for just entertainment.!"  The rule for children's books has always been that characters had to learn or grow in every book. I tried to break that rule.  The kids [in my books] never learn. The just run away.

I totally agree.  We want kids to love reading, but we also seem obsessed with learning something every second of every day.  All that learning must be exhausting.  It's nice to give them a break and just have let them have fun every now and then.  Imagine, kids not reading about empowerment and self-esteem and drugs for half an hour.  We don't want them to see sex, violence or drug use in movies and video games, but if that's not  in a book, the book isn't worth reading.

Mia, Antoine and Midori are the envy of the world. They are the three lucky teenagers who have been randomly chosen to go on a trip to the moon  to commemorate the first landing.  As everyone tunes in to watch the takeoff, we find Oleg Himmelfarb in front of the TV at his nursing home, trying to remember something as the footage of the moon plays. No one is supposed to go back to the moon, he thinks. What is it they find on the moon again?

First off, 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad is not the best written book. Perhaps something is lost in translation from the Norwegian original. Nevertheless, this science fiction still has its merits and good entertainment value. Here's our joint review (contains spoiler):

Steven: It took way too long to get into the real story. The first 150, maybe even 200 pages, were just setting up who these characters were, but this background info, except maybe in the case of Mia, was not mentioned ever again in the rest of the book.  This book seriously violates the principle of Chekhov's Gun and it makes for a frustrating reading experience. None of the background info helps us care more about the characters because their backstories are irrelevant to the rest of the plot.
Like the bit about Antoine's girlfriend. The chapter from her point of view in which she feels that something bad has happened to him is quite pointless, since readers already knew about it.

Virginia: That is definitely my biggest complaint about this book too. Fortunately, for those who stick with the book, it does get better and progressively more intense. Once they were on the moon and mysterious and horrible things started to happen, we have a story. You kinda knew that there's no hope for these guys, and I'm glad they stick with that throughout, rather than taking the easy way out.  I like the ending. Feels right to me and it fits.


Steven: The book could have ended a couple of pages earlier, though.  Things are spelled out to us that may have been better left to the imagination.  I already know that a threat exists: it was explained to us more than once already.

Virginia:  Maybe it's priming for a sequel...  Well, like we said, despite its flaws and plot holes, the book is still worth recommending. One thing I know we both really like is that this book is one of the rare cases where even though we have a female protagonist, it's not about a girl, and so there's no girly-ness to it at all. 


Steven: The book also really reminded me of a Japanese horror Manga.  I haven't read many, but the ones I have read felt much like this: hopeless and bleak.  Come to think of it, it seems most Nordic entertainment that we get over here is like that.  Maybe this isn't unusual.  You tell me, Virginia.  You read Nordic authors.


Virginia: Yah, probably pretty grim, even for crime fiction. The main guys are generally more flawed, and  at least for the ones I've read, you don't really feel the triumph of solving a crime and a job well done at the end. Can't get enough of them though. 


Despite its flaws, we'll still recommend this sci-fi/horror to readers who enjoy Alien, Event Horizon, Solaris, or the more depressing Philip K. Dick works.

If the emotions you feel in response to what you see, hear, feel and taste are caused by connections in your brain -- what would happen if someone was able to get inside and change those connections?  Say, connect the areas in the brain responsible for discomfort to chocolate? Or associate memories of your mother with the area responsible for fear? Or connect pleasure with the images of violence?

In the world in which Sadie and Noah live, two groups are secretly fighting for the control of minds on the micro scale, in the brains of world leaders. On one side is a group led by the Armstrong twins, brilliant but power-hungry brothers that were born joined at the head, with three eyes and three legs. They claim their goal is the re-wire the brains of as many humans as possible to bring about world peace (which involves killing off any opposing forces). Their group operates under the disguise of the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation (AFGC), which has stores all over the world. On the other side is BZRK, a secret organization that tries to ensure fredom of thought by stopping the Armstrong twins.

Technology has allowed for the creation of biots and nanobots -- living microscopic beings made from spider, cobra, jellyfish and human DNA. These biots/nanobots are not robots, but are a detached part of the person whose DNA is included in the biot. The person not only controls his/her biots but also sees, hears, and feels whatever happens to them. (And yes, you can create multiple biots for one person.) These biots are small enough to climb into ears and ears, then burrow to the brain where they can re-wire whatever they want. Unfortunately any damage to the biots are also felt by the "owner" as equivalent pain (e.g. if your biot's leg is ripped off, you feel like your leg is being ripped off). If all the biots are destroyed, the person usually goes insane.

Operating multiple biots that are busy re-wiring someone's brain or fighting off other biots while still going about daily life is not an easy task. Those who are able to do this are usually super gamers or crazy.

Noah is recruited by BZRK after his brother, a previous BZRKer, goes insane. He joins the fight in hopes of escaping his depressed parents and revenging his brother. 

Sadie is familiar with the technology -- her father was the one who came up with it -- and is drawn into the conflict when her father and brother are killed by AFGC.

AFGC is about to infiltrate the brains of the US and Chinese presidents and the Prime Minsters of Britain, Japan and India. Attempts to stop them is suicidal -- but it looks like Sadie and Noah don't have much choice but to join the fight.

It took me a little while to get into this book (probably due to the fact I was reading it sporadically), but once I did, I found it it pretty intriguing and exciting. The beginning is a bit choppy, as Grant tells the story through the perspectives of several different characters (I also find his writing style fragmented at times), but as the story developed, I found the movement smoother and faster.
The whole thing with little nanobots crawling in people's brains had the right amount of creepiness and grossness and I'm sure will appeal to many guy readers. Scientific details are minimal kept simple, so it makes for an easy sci-fi read.

Michael Grant is the author of the Gone and Magnificent 12 series. He also co-authors the well-know kids' series, Animorphs. Visit his website to watch trailers of some of his books.

...and get them reading.
CBC Books posted a list of Batman non-fiction books you can highlight at your library for fans of the dark knight.
» Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero by E. Paul Zehr
» Batman: The Complete History by Les Daniels
» Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight by Travis Langley
» The Essential Batman Encyclopedia by Robert Greenberger
The article gives a brief summary of each, so head on over.

Readers may also be interested in learning more about the Physics of Superheroes.

What do you get when you combine the current two most popular themes in teen fiction? The Hunt, by Andrew Fukuda.


In Gene's world, everyone is a vampire, and humans, whom they call hepers, are protected just like endangered animals. They are only released once a year for the Hunt, an annual event that demonstrates and consolidates the power of "the Ruler" (Sounds familiar? Yah, I know.)  Only a selected few are picked by lottery to participate in this delicious feast, and Gene's name was chosen. It would have been his lucky day, except he is actually a human. Of course he is.  Can he survive among the bloodthirsty fiends?


For this book to work, readers will have to buy into the premise that Gene has successfully passed as a vampire for all this time until now. Since a good chunk of the book is spent on telling you all the things that you can and will do wrong that give you away as a human, the premise is a little hard to swallow.  There is also a crucial plot element that you wish you can't see from miles away. Having said that, it is nice to see the return to real vicious vampires. Like the ones in Abraham Lincoln:  Vampire Killer (better movie than people give it credit I think).  The Hunt, when it finally happens, is actually pretty intense. The dynamics between Gene and the hepers is probably the most interesting part, and hopefully we'll see more in the next book.  What? You weren't expecting a sequel?


The Hunt is also available on audiobook. Check out a sample clip, courtesy of Macmillan Audio.

The internet is magical.  For the vast majority of us, the internet begins with a hole in the wall and ends on our screens.  And if we use mobile or wifi, I doubt our image would even extend that far. But for all that magic, the internet is nevertheless a real place with physical parts.  Pretty unimpressive ones, actually, a bit like the router in your house: big black boxes with flashing lights and wires coming out all over the place.

Andrew Blum explores these places, visiting server farms that route traffic across the planet, meeting engineers who maintain the hub through which most of that traffic passes, and even paying homage to its creators in the very room where early strides were made, all the way back in the '60s.

This book isn't intended or designed for teens, but given how huge a part the internet plays in the lives of everyone, let alone kids, these days, it's pretty darn neat to see what is involved as something so seemingly simple as sending an e-mail.