Variant by Robison Wells

** ½

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.


Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.


Where breaking the rules equals death.


But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.




There are two kinds of cliffhangers. There is the cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more, even if that “more” means being tortured until and possibly after the next installment in the story. Then there is the cliffhanger that makes you want to scream and throw things and never pick up the story again. Unfortunately, Variant by Robison Wells falls into the latter category.

I really wanted to love this book. I really did. It was set in a boarding school, which is always fun. The main character was very determined to find the truth of his situation and was never complacent, which of course won me over. And there were lots of action and fun twists. But did you ever watch Lost? Or better yet, Persons Unknown? Do you remember how, at first, the weekly cliffhangers were fun but then became so frequent that they became tedious and annoying? Yeah, that was this book.

Don’t get me wrong. Once all installments of this book are out, I will probably give it another chance. If you have been eyeing this one at the store and are not a fan of Lost-like cliffhangers, I would recommend holding off until the entire story is available. If you ate up the Lost cliffhangers for all six seasons and think you can handle what will probably be a year long wait for the next installment, then go for it.


Nat

A Peek In The Biblio-Bin - #3

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This week Nat is giving you a peek into her section of the Biblio-Bin.

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between...She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive...and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

SHAKESPEARE SHAPIRO HAS ALWAYS hated his name. His parents bestowed it on him as some kind of sick joke when he was born, and his life has gone downhill from there, one embarrassing incident after another. Entering his senior year of high school, Shakespeare has never had a girlfriend, his younger brother is cooler than he is, and his best friend's favorite topic of conversation is his bowel movements.

But Shakespeare will have the last laugh. He is chronicling every mortifying detail in his memoir, the writing project each senior at Shakespeare's high school must complete. And he is doing it brilliantly. And, just maybe, a prize-winning memoir will bring him respect, admiration, and a girlfriend . . . or at least a prom date.

Benson Fisher thought a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Comment and let us know what reads you are looking forward to this week!