The Adults

Well, I WAS really impressed with Alison Espach's writing style through most of this book. It's written from the perspective of an adolescent. We get to see how she sees the world, the dialogue is witty, and the story is compelling. But it all started going downhill as soon as her best friend claimed to be sleeping with the English teacher. The weakness of too many writers is in writing only about what they know: language and sex.

Rating - 0

Adulthood Rites

It's nice to have an easy read that fits into my crazy schedule. Adulthood Rites it the second book in the series Lilith's Brood by Octavia E. Butler. It is science fiction in every stereotypical sense. There are odd character names like Chkahichdahk, creatures with tentacles, and Earth is portrayed in a post-apocalyptic setting. But Butler has a writing style that ignores the sci-fi cookie cutter and deals with humanity's profound questions.

The main character, Akin, is a human/alien half-breed construct. During his youth, his human appearance allows him the ability (and necessity) of bonding with and exploring the last of the human race who have resisted help from the aliens and who insist on struggling to survive on their own. The inevitable metamorphosis into his permanent, adult alien form, forces him to take his knowledge of everything he has ever experienced, and choose to either help the humans survive as long as possible, or find a way for them to experience freedom on their own, thus securing their demise.

If you're into sci-fi and want something a bit different, I would recommend this.

Rating - 3