Book Review: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pages : 515

Year : 2018

Genre : Dystopia , YA

Series : Arc of Scythe 2/3

Thunderhead follows the previous, couple of months later (almost a year). Here we follow Anastasia the vast majority of the time (almost always accompanied with Granddame Curie, also a bit of Rowan as he is killing scythes that are a shame for the ideals they (old guard) represent. If anyone likes gleaming, is discriminatory etc - will get gleam by Scythe Lucifer. We also follow a bit of Faraday (which at the time is hidden and looking for the Land of Nod) and he is being helped by a Scythe wannabe / librarian Munira (although these instances are far in-between the great scheme and finally we have a new character, Greyson Tolliver who is enamoured with thunderhead even wanting to work for her but following what he thought it was her advise he breaks one of the vows of contacting the Scythes and his expelled.

But the main character and probably the most interesting , flesh out one is not those above. OH no, she is every chapter (and there are more than 40) and we get to see, finally, what is the ThunderHead. This tale we get to know her more and more and even more, we see her change as the story progress. It was an amazing feet to make it happen and I really love it. She (is a it maybe?) a lot throughout the book , although a lot of it was a bit predictable. Read and understand why.

The ending was very good and I can't understand the feeling of people waiting a year for the end. Thank the lords I Am late to the party. Not in February but in March I am going to read it. 83/100.

If you enjoy the first you are going to enjoy the second - although and there is a caveat, the last two were highly focus on those two teens and their pseudo-love story. Here both characters are there but the most important thing is ThunderHead and the going forward with all the plotlines... If you were invested on those two characters, well I Don't' know book 3 but I expect some closure there. The main story, again is the politics within the scythes. Old Guards vs Goddard and the correct way of gleaming, the all scythes society vs thunderhead and finally the city and procedures. Again, highly focus on advancing the plotlines, less on characters 

View all my reviews

Book Review: Scythe (Arc of a Scythe#1) by Neal Shusterman

This was an interesting read. I don't enjoy YA due to the tropes but this one "fail" on that regard which I loved. We follow two characters - two apprentices of being Scythes. Well so what are they?

Well we are on Earth in the future where we've erradicated Death. We are finally immortal. We live and grow old and then go back to being young again. (I've got a lot of questions regarding this) because we've invented a AI that controls our daily live. Since everything is controlled people just have to live, work , do whatever they want and repeat. Unfortunately we still want children and with the enormous stress of over population a group of people called the Scythe exist on Earth and they basically go around killing/gleaming people. Some have some codes, some try to be a bit statistically, some are just mentally disturbed and like killing. They exist, they have rules and people try to live their lives until the day they are gleamed off.

So we've got two young teens who due to some interesting circustances start to be apprentices of Scythe Faraday. There is a politics, interesting views on society, on killing, on relations etc. Everything is okay and apart from some strange things I loved the book...

Let me try to explain what I didn't enjoy or didn't find explaining sufficient

- Why the AI (thunderhead) don't interact with Scythes

- why the scythes are all powerful and nobody really do nothing when some of them are really monsters

- why space traveling was "discontinued"

- why erasing death but replacing with gleaming; wouldn't be more interesting just stop with diseases but leaving death "on"?

- why Faraday choose two scythe apprentices when that was never done?

- why almost every kind of death is sur-passable but not fire? so if you drop yourself from a 100 floor building didn't kill you but fire did?

There are other questions but alas my mind is a bit foggy.

Reading this I have a theory and conviction.. being immortal we become complacent, boring & lack of interest to innovate since we have all the time in the world. That's how I see elves... how come they don't overcome every humans in every art they do? because the danger the fear of death is important to value time and to discover new things... if we already live forever, why rushing? Having said that I would love to live a bit more (double what we live now)

Overall it was good and I will be reading the next two in the next months... I don't want to read back to back. 8,5/10

Review: Level 7 - Mordecai Roshwald

Title Level 7

Author: Mordecai Roshwald
Publisher Signet
Year 1959
Stand Alone or series Stand Alone

Pages 143

Summary
Level 7 is the diary of Officer X-127, who is assigned to stand guard at the "Push Buttons," a machine devised to activate the atomic destruction of the enemy, in the country's deepest bomb shelter. Four thousand feet underground, Level 7 has been built to withstand the most devastating attack and to be self-sufficient for five hundred years. Selected according to a psychological profile that assures their willingness to destroy all life on Earth, those who are sent down may never return.

Review
This book was an interesting read. I must say I didn't felt this good reading this kind of novels for some time. It's a short novel with only 143 pages. I read somewhere that other editions have an introduction and a some thoughts with the author. I've read them online and to me this edition is quite complete. It doesn't need anything else.

So what does this novel brings? A warning to nuclear holocaust.

This book was written in the first person perspective with entries as he records a diary.

Our main character has no name and only a number (X-127) and because of his work for the military he is transfer to a shelter several thousand meters underground to continue his work.

His only work/order is to push buttons in case of nuclear assault. During the first view chapters (days) he tells us who he lived underground, what were his problems, who were the other persons inside with him, how they live, how it work. In June day 9 he was order to push some buttons that started (or ended) the World War III (which lasts a total of 2 hours and 58 minutes). After this entry we get to know how other people arrive to other underground shelters (they were numbered as levels). Our main character was on Level 7 at 4000 feet. Levels 1, 2 or 3 were only a hundred feet to the surface and so on. As the days passes they get news about the first leves being contaminated and as it descended as the time passed. In the end, the inhabitants of "Level 7" are exterminated by a malfunction in their nuclear power plant.

Notable Quotes/ Parts

This passage I truly hated for what it meant. It sounded to me like a propaganda from Mao's Comunist China...

"Libraries and museums, works of art, institutes of learning, houses, monuments, railways, roads, factories - all these are a thing of the past. ... The toil of centuries, the traditions of generations, the wisdom of ages - all blown away in a few split seonds of atomic blast. This is the suicide of civilization!

This kind of talk is rather alien to my way of thinking. ... Libraries have been destroyed. So what? Museums are in ashes. Who wants to visit a museum anyway? The traditions of centuries perished in a moment. Who cares about traditions?"
Verdict:
This novel was written 50 years ago where USSR and USA were at each other throats. There was fear that one of them would trigger a button and unleash the end of civilization. Fortunally neither did it. Nowadays the fear is set back and the only fear comes from third world countries with acess to nuclear power like India, Pakistan, North Korea and Iran. China is another country that we must never forget. Russia and USA are now allies in desarmament.

The only problem for me was after the main character pushed the button he turn to something similar to a human. He was cold that until there he was not. It would take a double sacrifice (read the novel) to get him changed. Was this a critic to psychology? Because supposedly he was "cured" by it. Roshwald made a ugly picture of mankind.

One thing that I enjoyed was never knowing which nacionality was our main character. He could have been american or soviet. Interesting no?

In the end, simple book, simple message but excelent in whole. A must read to anyone who enjoys Post Apocalyptic Fiction.

Try it.

Rating: 8/10

Review: O Homem Que Sonhava Ser Hitler - Tiago Rebelo

Esta review irá ser em portugues visto o livro também ter sido lido em portugues e duvido que alguma vez chegue a ser publicado noutra lingua.

Título: O Homem Que Sonhava Ser Hitler
Autor: Tiago Rebelo
Ano: 2010
Páginas: 470
Tempo de Leitura: 6 days (Julho 20010)

Rating: 5/10

Bem, quando vi este livro sabia muito bem o que ai vinha. Um livro contra a extrema direia. Mas como sera um jornalista pensei que pudesse ser mais imparcial. Este livro é na minha opinião pessoal uma afronta. Para quem se diz democratico e se vive na democracia porque razão ó odio a extrema direita? Nazismo = Extrema direita? Não. Existem muitos casos de partidos de extrema direia que nada tem a ver com nazismo. Basta olhar para alguns partidos de leste ou até mesmo o partido que ganhou as eleições na Austria.

Segundo ponto, se a extrema direita tem uma reputação tão má devido ao fascismo (que nao é a mesma coisa) ou ao nazismo, pergunto-me porque razão o comunismo não tem o mesmo? Também eles são ditadura. E morreram mais pessoas (e morrem ainda) em paises com extrema esquerda do que direita. Querem quantos? União soviética e todos seus aliados. China. Cuba. Cambodja. Vietnam... Mais?

Enfim. Este livro é o que quer ser. Vamos odiar a extrema direita que sao um bando de gajos maus e cabeças rapadas sem ideias leais ou democraticas. É viavel um partido de extrema direita boa. Mais uma vez olhem o caso da Austria, ou Bulgaria ou afins...

Mas obviamente o jornalista tem de ser parcial entao inventou uma personagem chamada Nelson que tem ideais identicos mas formadas de operar diferentes. Ele é o bonzinho... Enfim. Até mete nojo.

Caveira e companhia limitada ou o seu irmão chefão Joao Carlos um bando de animais. E então e todos os outros que fazem merda e são defendidos? Anarquistas, Extrema Equerda, Comunistas, Africanos, Brasileiros, Paises de Leste e Arabes (e afins). E estes todos? Enfim. Este livro é realmente propaganda antiga extrema direita.

Até o nome do partido.. Nova Ordem ou agora Nova Ordem Renovada (tão parecido com o actual Partido Nacional Renovador). Enfim. Entristece-me isto...

Todos os partidos tem coisas más e coisas boas. Todas as pessoas tem o mesmo. Ninguém é melhor que ninguém mas como português que sou amo o meu país e obviamente quero o melhor para ele. Não me considero de extrema direita nem nunca o serei. Acreditem. Mas sou patriota. Para além de patriota acredito que todas as nações tem direito a soberania dentro do seu pais e tem de haver regras para proteger o nosso pais. Quer ameaças internas quer externas... E acho que as vezes as medidas as vezes praticadas deveriam em certas condições mais duras. Atenção: Nunca e jamais extremismo. Nunca iria resultar.

Neste país é necessario estrangeiros, nao esquencendo que mesmo nós temos pessoas no estrangeiro. Mas tudo tem um limite. E quando se ultrapassa um limite as coisas correm mal. Não é por nada que o extremismo na europa está a aumentar. Mas talvez ninguém queira saber disso.

A história em si é bastante rudimentar. Um partido tem um plano e para faze-lo acaba por os pés na poça. A policia fica no seu encalce. Aqui existe uma boa história de investigação policial e até interessante. Uma história de ideais de politica e visão. Uma tentativa de assassino a um primeiro ministro. Uma história de amor e uma história de luta. No fim... bem, o lider do partido morre, os skinheads sao presos com uma excepção, o miudo salva-se e o amor prevalece. Uma história tao bonita. Nem sei como deixou o Caveira fugir. (talvez queira voltar a esta história mais tarde). Enfim...

Ja sei que irei receber algum comentario estupido de um comunista mas que se lixe. E antes de comentar pensa nos teus ideais. Se pensas que és comunista (nao dos extremistas e assim) eu tenho direito a liberdade de falar o que quiser e caso me ofendas terás a ser aquilo que tanto odeias... Porque razão os comunistas odeiam tanta gente da direita... Nao são eles a favor da igualdade e toda a gente tem direito a opinião? ... Interessante.

Unfinished - The Execution Channel - Ken MacLeod

I am reading this book right now and I am going well under half the book.

What have I learn?

Fascism is Evil and Communism (and anarchism) is Good

White People are Evil and Black, Chinese, Muslims are Good

England is Evil and Scotland is Good

This is a political book. Worse. This is Propaganda book.

I've read "Turners Diaries" by Andrew MacDonald but I've also read "Aftermath" by Levar Burton. One says the black people should die and the other says let the white people die.

Well this book Execution Hour is a Communist book. It's a book that say everyone is evil with the exception with the hard-working communists and anarquists..

I truly hate this peoples. Everyone. They are all the same. Preaching a lesson but the end is the same. Kill the other bastard.

I will continue to read the book because I don't believe letting the book half done and because I still believe Macleod can do a good work on its stories..

I really hope he reads this post.

My grandfather was an anarchist. He made bombs against the regime of Salazar in Portugal. What did he get? Several years in one of the worst prisons in our colonies. But even knowing that I don't hate the fascists and I hate communists and anarchists. We westerns tend to hate fascists because some of us had a fascist power or was fighting one. Some young people (and say again young) people turns to the left side and the communists. In the other end the Eastern Bloc it's the other way around. Has they had a communist past they hate communist and view the right-wing as a salvation. Can't you see that?

The fascists killed people? Yes. And the communists? Yes as well.

The fascits stole from the people? Yes. And the communists? Yes.

And don't start preaching about anarchism.. That's the true evil. You know why? Because the people who are anarchists are either living stealing from all of us not wanting to work and worst than that... They believe in the humankind. They believe humankind is responsable for themselves. What a laugh. Every human being is at heart a jeoulous person.

If fascism and communism are good utopias, anarchism is nothing. It's umpracticable.

I hope Macleod starts writing good books again.. If he wants to write a political book then I suggest he writes one and do not mix it with fiction. It's ridicolous.

Oh well...

Last Year Books...

Well, I haven't uptated my blog for a long time... It's time I do it...


After august I've been very busy and read a lot of books but unfortunally haven't make a review in recent months... I am a lazy guy.


Well after Grand Father's Tale of a German Sniper I've read George Orwell - 1984. This was an odd book... It had far more information than the movie and it let us readers understand more of the world he live on... I Like the novel and would advice anyone to read it... Some of the ideas that the Inner Party had were pretty good but others were pretty useless. I can see several of the ideias implemented on our world to function properly but others are almost impossible. The lack of vocabulary is a thing that would never be implemented. The writing of the history is nowadays done so it can be implemented and it works.









The world itself it's in a never ending war involving three superstates. Two allied powers fighiting against the third. The book of Goldstein (the arch enemy of the state) states that each superstate is so strong it cannot be defeated even when faced with the combined forces of the other two powers. The allied states occasionally split with each other and new alliances are formed. Each time this happens, history is rewritten to convince the people that the new alliances were always there, using the principles of doublethink. The war itself never takes place in the territories of the three powers.




There is one part that is very entertaining and shows how powerful is the state against the masses... Midway through the book, the alliance breaks apart and Oceania, newly allied with Eurasia, begins a campaign against Eastasian forces. This happens during "Hate Week" (a week of extreme focus on the evilness of Oceania's enemies, the purpose of which is to stir up patriotic fervour in support of the Party), Oceania and Eastasia are enemies once again. The public is quite abnormally blind to the change, and when a public orator, mid-sentence, changes the name of the enemy from Eurasia to Eastasia (still speaking as if nothing had changed), the people are shocked and soon enraged as they notice all the flags and banners are wrong (they blame Goldstein and the Brotherhood) and tear them down. This is the origin of the idion, "we've always been at war with Eastasia." Orwell's book explains that the war is unwinnable, and that its only purpose is to use up human labour and the fruits of human labour so that each superstate's economy cannot support an equal (and high) standard of living for every citizen.


Goldstein's book hints that, in fact, there may not actually be a war.


Even Eurasia and Eastasia themselves may only be a fabrication by the government of Oceania, with Oceania the sole undisputed dominator of the world. On the other hand, Oceania might as well actually control only a rather small part of the world and still brainwash its citizens into believing that Oceania dominates the whole Earth or - as in the novel - that they are battling/allying with (a fabricated) Eurasia/Eastasia.


Then there is the key word of the book... Doublethink that is explained as followed :


"The keyword here is blackwhite. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink. Doublethink is basically the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them."


I would advice this book to anyone... This book relates much more than the totaliarism state but also the power of our mind and the power to change our mind. The main story of the two characters is psychological intense. It made me shiver and think of life and our feelings... they are all fabricated in our mind.








Then I read Splinter by Adam Roberts. I have to say it's a weak book with a weak plot. The main character only thinks of sex and it's a celf-centered and self-obsess character. The other characters are weak minded and don't evolve. It could be a good book but it's very boring... the idea was good but was not so well conceived. I must say that last year I only stop reading one book and this was it. It drags on and on... It may be good to read if you are teen and think a lot about sex. (which is odd because the main character is not a teen but only thinks about sex).
It was published by Solaris that have published far better books.


Then I read Subterranean by James Rollins (0380792648). After reading the Descent by Jeff Long I really had great hopes for this book but... I didn't enjoyed. Terrible I must say! It sounded good from the synopsis - a hidden world beneath the polar ice caps, and a team put together to go explore when another team goes missing - but the characters were so wooden and annoying that I fervently hoped all of them would die, violently, at the hands (well, teeth) of the T-Rex-Marsupial type creatures who live in the underground world. You had the stereotypical tough-gal single mom who brings her brat with her, the oh-so-hunky military guy she eventually beds, and the evil Arabic archetype who wants to blow everything up. I can't even bother to give more detail than that; it's not worth it. I'm surprised I even finished it. In the end I becaome thinking of the all books that are coming out that the women are the men and the men are women? I've read, he has a woman as "leader," she's the toughie, and the men are wimps who usually do nothing but think with the head that's dangling between their legs. It had too many steorotypes.
If you want to read about hidden caverns and worlds read The Journey to the Center of the World by Jules Verne, Lost World by Arthur C Clarke or the Descent by Jeff Long.


Rebel Winter by Steve Parker published by BL. This was the third book by the Imperial Guard novels. The first Fifteen Hours by M. Scanlon and Deathworld by Steve Lyons. What can I say? It continued the great debut and the second book (my favourite of the series).
The book had a decent Commissar for once... Reading several book you tend to get incompetents, or heroes that completely fail to act like Commissars. He was also interesting, in that he didn't always get on with everyone else. In fact, many of the characters didn't...usually anyone the heroes don't like turns out to be a coward, traitor or deserter at some stage later on. That didn't happened here and that was very good. Anti-Cliche. The soldiers acted like soldiers and de the Medicae in the end of the book instead of the "fight to the death" to save the wounded just give them something to ease them off into death so the orks can't get to them before he goes to fight to his death. In the begining and the end the main character is on trial... I think that there wasn't much point putting the trial in, and no real reason at at sticking Space Marines, the Inquisition and an infil-traitor in. Not all books in 40k need SMs and Inquisitor. But it was not that important and revelant to story. In the end I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to read a Soldiers point of view book. As I would recommend Fifteen Hours.




I would make more reviews when possible...