Shatter City

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Shatter City
By Scott Westerfeld
Narrated by Therese Plummer

Once upon a time when I was still teaching seventh grade English, I picked up Uglies.  I Could Not Put It Down.  Like, there were two days of school in my honors class that I decided that we would all read because I wanted to read, and I wanted to read that book, and so we had silent reading days.  And then I read Pretties.  And then I read Specials.  I missed Extras, but I stopped reading mid Goblet of Fire, so maybe I just don't have the attention span to last through four books.

In this sequel to Westerfeld's Imposters, which is set more than ten years after the Uglies series, Cole is imprisoned by Frey's father, and her twin sister Rafi has run away.  Cole and Frey are saved by rebels, and then the real story begins.

Westerfeld is a masterful world-builder who gives the reader the impression he is describing a place he's actually been to several times, instead of a world he has personally created.  I know, I know, this is book, what, six in his world?  So he's been in it for a while.  But still, when buildings fall down, you feel it.

I was actually gifted this book by Scholastic, through Libro.fm.  I was so excited to read a Scott Westerfeld Book, I didn't realize that this was book two until about two hours in.  I found that I understood the entire story without having read the first, that there is enough backstory included that everything was clear.  I wonder if there was too much backstory and if it would be annoying if I had read the first novel.

Imposters is great for those who like sci-fi, intrigue, and just a great story.

Romanov

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Romanov
By Nadine Brandes
Narrated by Jessica Ball

Romanov is a fictional account of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov and takes place during the time of her family's exile, their slaughter, and her adventure after they are gone.  It highlights Anastasia's -- Nastya's-- impish, mischievous personality, her deep love and respect for her family, and her loyalty to her country.  Nastya is a strong, intelligent heroine who does not need a man to make decisions for her--a trope that never gets old.

I particularly love the complexity and growth of the characters in this book, specifically arcs of Zash and Nastya--both individually and together.  I found myself constantly admiring young Alexei for his bravery, his responses to his awful illness, and his wisdom.

There are at least two instances that utterly horrified me--the shocking execution of the Romanov family and the result of star crossed love.  I cried more than once, but I laughed much more than that.

I found some of the passages to be too wordy.  This led to a bit of anxiety on my part in that I would come to my own conclusions about things and want to see if I was correct, and Nastya's inner monologues would go on and on before my suspicions would be verified.  This happened a number of times.  Additionally, I would have liked to have learned more about the spell masters.  While Brandes does a complete job of describing the world of spell mastery, I would have liked a better connection between magic in the novel and in Russian history.  I did think that magic was used appropriately, if in an understated way.

I listened to Romanov in my car through Libro.fm and found myself thinking of Nastya even when I was not driving, and wishing to spend more time with her.  

Jessica Ball does a phenomenal job of narrating; her accents and the way she switches from English to Russian and back are flawless.  I found the narration a huge contribution to the world-building.

There is nothing inappropriate, as far as language or sexuality, but there is violence, alcoholism, cigarette smoking, and attempted suicide spattered throughout the book.  Romantic aspects are sweet and innocent, and do not carry the plot.    

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to mature readers interested in historical fiction, dystopian fiction, or magic.