Review: Goliath (Spoiler free!)

Goliath 
Scott Westerfeld
alternate universe/ historical fiction

Alek and Deryn are abroad the Leviathan when the ship is ordered to pick up an unusual passenger. This brilliant/maniacal inventor claims to have a weapon called Goliath that can end the war. But whose side is he really on?

While on their top-secret mission, Alek finally discovers Deryn's deeply kept secret. Two, actually. Not only is Deryn a girl disguised as a guy...she has feelings for Alek.

The crown, true love with a commoner, and the destruction of a great city all hang on Alek's next--and final--move.

I'll start with an explanation on why I haven't blogged since Thursday- the internet at home is down and we won't have someone come until two weeks from now (!!!). I'll still be available on Twitter because of internet on my phone but will be blogging sporadically. Currently I'm at my dad's office. 

Anyhoooo, to business. 
Goliath is the third and final book in the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld. You can read my reviews of Leviathan and Behemoth by clicking. 
Now that you've read them, you know I lurrrrrrvvveee this series. And Goliath did not disappoint!

This time the Leviathan's off to Siberia, and then to America! All the travel in these books makes for more adventures and exposure to really cool cultures. Also, no more secrets between Alek and Deryn. You know what that means..... *cue the applause and whoop whoops* 

The series always switches between Alek's and Deryn's POVS, and I absolutely love that. Through Alek's eyes, you fall in love with the Leviathan. Through Deryn's eyes, you fall in love with Alek. Brilliance. 

And speaking of the giant airship, it has officially been added to my top ten favorite settings. Almost like Hogwarts, I love the place, the people and creatures in it, the way it works. For that alone I hated to finish the trilogy. 

And the girls! While most of the characters are guys (we're talking war here, in the 1910's) the few girls in this book REPRESENT. Deryn kicks ass and Alek always admits that, not to mention Dr. Barlow who rocks the world. 

What else? Just pick up the nearest copy of Goliath (or whichever book you're on). It'll quickly become a fave. Rating: 

Esty

Review: Extras

Extras 
Scott Westerfeld
YA dystopia

It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of "American Idol." Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for.

First of all, that was the worst and most inaccurate blurb I have ever read. For one because I love American Idol. (Well, maybe not this season. Speaking of which, you guys excited for the finale tonight?) and two,  because unlike what it says there,  Aya IS FREAKING OBSESSED WITH GETTING FAMOUS.  DON'T GIVE ME THIS "AYA DOESN'T CARE" OR "A WORLD SHE'S NOT PREPARED FOR". THAT'S WHAT SHE SPENDS THE ENTIRE BOOK DOING.  SERIOUSLY, GOODREADS?
Ok, end rant.  At least on that. 

Blurb aside, if you're an old follower/reader of mine, you know I looooove Scott Westerfeld's work. You can read my reviews of Leviathan and Behemoth here. I read the Uglies series before I had a blog, but rest assured I was head over heels for every word of it. In fact, up until the last third of this book, I loved Extras too. The theme was mind boggling- a world where everything depends on your popularity on the internet. It's a brilliant idea and well done. Everyone has a face rank based on how much people are talking about you on the feeds (feed=  a personal page online). A subtle message to us as to how far our obsession with fame and the internet can go, just like Uglies, Pretties, and Specials explore the boundaries of how far our obsession with beauty can go.

Also, Extras is a really fast paced book, even reminded me of James Patterson's writing a little bit, complete with thrilling technical gadgets that will excite any teenager (me included). What's more, we get fun nostalgic cameos by our favorite characters in the Uglies series:)

HOWEVER,

There was little to no character development for Aya in this book. In the beginning, all she wanted was to be famous. In the end, all she wanted was to be famous. In the beginning, she was going to do something morally not ok. Later, when asked if she would have done it had such-and-such not happened, she doesn't have an answer. I had expected the author to present the dangers of this kind of system, the addictive-ness, to explore the ethical questions it raises, to have Aya grow and change and get her priorities in order. But he didn't do any of those things. In fact, there was a point where the they discovered something that literally put all of their lives in danger and all Aya could think of was how this story could make her a celebrity.
The other characters were cool and likable, and most of them did grow a little bit. Rating:

Review: Behemoth

Behemoth (Leviathan #2)
Scott Westerfeld
historical fiction/ fantasy

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory. 

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

This is the second book of the Leviathan trilogy. You can read my review of the first book (which Scott Westerfeld himself retweeted!) HERE. 

If you have read my review of Leviathan, you know I adored it.  Behemoth was a little less addicting- as in, I didn't find myself in agony every second I was away from the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 

First off, I have to applaud the original setting. You'd think that as momentous as World War I was, there would be more books about it, no? Alas, this trilogy is the only set of books I can think of set in that time. And not only in Europe! It was so refreshing to have something placed in my side of the world for once. Behemoth takes place in the Ottoman Empire in 1914. My country, Israel, was under the Ottoman's rule at the time and today the entire region is still largely influenced by that period, so I felt familiar with the backdrop of the story. 

As for the characters- can I just spotlight Dr. Barlow and Count Volger for a second? HOW AWESOME ARE THESE TWO?! They always either make some sort of illumination in the story or just crack me up. And their completely conflicting backgrounds yet very twin personalities just go to show that it's not about where you're from (though some say they're totally different in character- That's interpretation for you!), but who you are. I would LOVE if they each had their own companion novel with their take on the events in Leviathan and Behemoth.

In this installment we really get to see Alek and Deryn's friendship grow. I have some complaints on that but I won't say anything so as not to spoil it for you:) 
Rating:

Have a good week, guys!
Esty

Review: Leviathan

Leviathan
Scott Westerfeld
fantasy/historical fiction

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. The Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.
Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men. Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

Why oh why have I not read this book until now?? It's been around for awhile and I've heard sooo much about it and I absolutely LOVE Scott Westerfeld so I really don't know. All I can say is, I'm glad I finally did.

The plot, the characters, the pacing and the points of view were all done flawlessly. I was reading this on a school and dance day so I couldn't just sit and read for hours straight but believe me, I wanted to. It was one of those books that you can't let go of, and if you have to it calls your name all day and you're like 'I'm coming, I'm coming!'

In the beginning, it may be a little hard to understand. Even if you have some basic background in World War I, some of the facts are changed so it may confuse you. Not to worry though. After the first few chapters you'll swing right in.

As for the story...

(Just so you know, Leviathan takes place in an ALTERNATE World War I. The advanced technology and biological knowledge didn't exist at the time, and frankly that kind of DNA grafting still doesn't) Alek is an heir shunned by the throne for his mother's less-than-royal heritage and now on the run for fear of his life. He fights with 'Clankers'. Deryn is a girl who dreams to fly and joins the British Air Force as a boy to accomplish this. She fights in "Beasties". While obviously I'm rooting for the allies in terms of their actions and what they stand for (let's all assume for a moment we don't know the outcome of this war), I had to agree with Alek about the moral ethics of the beasties. It seems wrong to take innocent, living animals and graft them with others to create mutants that can be attached to engines and used for war.. kinda chilling and unnatural. Although you should take a stand on this after reading the book because I might not be explaining this properly.

The book is obviously meant to be the first in a series as no major plot point are resolved, rather, it introduces us to the characters (and their many problems), the world, and brings us to the (quite funny) circumstances in which Deryn and Alek meet (I smell romance next book!). But that's not to say it lacks in action. It is full of terrifying fighting scenes and lots of tension and suspense. The first thing you'll do after reading Leviathan is try to get your hands on Behemoth! My grade: 100 PERCENT !!
-Esty

P.S. So how did everyone survive the end of the world? :)