Robison E. Wells

Have you ever started reading a book and wished you hadn't but just couldn't put it down? I have, and this was the book. I really wanted to like it! It's got all the right elements-action: check! conflict: check! teens doing great things to pull adults butts out of the fire: check! a pinch of romance: check! Unfortunately, all of these things weren't enough to compensate for the lack of depth, lack of emotion, and lack of descriptive language.

I didn't realize just how much I hate "info show more dumps"-bunches of information the author wants the reader to know to move the story forward but doesn't want to take the time to let it develop within the story, so they just dump it out on a page as background info or have a character, say one with super sensitive hearing?, inform his team all about what the army has planned for them and what's going on in the war because he's just happened to hear all the conversations taking place everywhere on the base.

And descriptions? I know I said this before, but, really? Two books now and I still have no idea what Jack or Aubrey look like. No picture of them at all. Another character-Rich-this is the description we get of him: "Little guy. Fifteen. Black. You'd recognize him". That's it. Nothing else, and he plays a large part in this book!

The plot was tighter here, not so scattered, and easier to follow. The distracting random blog posts are gone. There is something happening on every page. There isn't any lack of action! Alec is still hanging around, sowing his brand of discontent and confusion behind American lines. You know, I kept hoping it would get better, that I would start caring about the characters and the places that were getting blown up. But I never did. Maybe you will, though, so...don't take my word for it. :) show less

Benson Fisher has nothing in his life—no family, no friends, no ties to anything. So when he receives a scholarship to Maxfield Academy, it seems too good to be true. And it is. Now he’s trapped in a school that there is no escape from. There are no adults, breaking rules could mean death and the students survive by aligning themselves with the most powerful group. When Benson discovers the real secret that the school is hiding, he has to decide if following the rules is going to keep show more him alive or if escaping is his only option.

Variant is a fast-paced, roller coaster ride of a book. It literally grabs you from page one and never lets go. Wells knows how to pace a book perfectly, keeping the reader interested while still developing character and plot. The story is also original, which is always a nice change from the standard young adult fare. Variant will also appeal to both male and female readers, something that is often lacking in the young adult genre; rarely does one find a book that both will enjoy. Variant is that book.

On a more personal note, HOLY CRAP was this a good book! It was entertaining, chilling and just flat out good. I love a book that keeps me guessing. Every time I thought I had it figured out, it took another twist I just wasn’t expecting. I enjoyed everything about this book: great characters, well-thought-out plot, fantastic writing. The only thing I disliked was the last sentence in the book—which upon further thought, I won’t give away. Read it for yourself, you’ll see.

This was a great book, I will be recommending it to my girls and my librarian friends, and quite frankly, anyone else I can think of. show less

genre: teen steampunk

setting: alternate world Rocky Mountains

source: This one I picked up for lots of reasons. First, Arthur. Second, steampunk. Third, Arthur + steampunk. Fourth, the author. Fifth, the cover.

Plot: In an alternate earth, the 1918 flu pandemic killed even more people and hung around. Society broke down and the country fragmented into little fiefdoms, sorta, each controlled by an admiral and his airships. Texas is its own state (of course!) and that’s where all the helium show more comes from.

Arthur is the son of Admiral Uther, being groomed to take over and fly the premier airships in the fleet, but during a raid one day, he gets separated and left behind with the slavers and the infected. He rescues one of the slaves, a girl his age named Jennifer (get it?) and the two try to make it through the wasteland to – ta-da! – Camelot!

Verdict: So satisfying. All the Arthur figures are there, and you’ll recognize them all. Galahad, the pure and annoying, Lancelot, the powerful and conceited, Merlin, the wise and cryptic, Morgan, beautiful and manipulative. It’s just what you expect, but it feels fresh at the same time. Jennifer and Arthur have several conversations about their way of life, about the raids and technology and the long term purpose of Camelot. There’s really so much more than I can cover in this review, but honestly, it’s so good. This one is the first in a planned series. 4.3 stars. show less

2.5 Stars rounded up to 3

Well that was an entertaining action story about some over-powered teens!

I liked the premise and the multi POV. I'd like to have seen a bit more use of their powers in battle situations but overall it was a satisfying story. What was missing was some much needed world building. We had no context for why there were terrorists and what they hoped to achieve. I will actually follow up with book two at some point however it will be a wee way down the TBR to be honest.