Books I Read & Rated 5 Stars in 2015

A short list – only six books – but a good collection. Only one was published in 2015; the others are from previous years.

[REVIEW] The Mad Scientist’s Daughter – Cassandra Rose Clarke

Cassandra Rose Clarke
The Mad Scientist’s Daughter
Angry Robot (US & CA: 29th January 2013; UK: 7th February 2013)
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TRIGGER WARNING: Domestic violence, gaslighting.

Someone ages, and someone doesn’t. They first meet when the ageing human, Cat Novak, is about five years old. Meanwhile, android Finn stays as an adult throughout the course of the novel. As a teenager, Cat falls in love with Finn, but at that stage he isn’t able to feel feelings as such. Is it okay for a human to use an android to serve their sexual and emotional needs? Finn doesn’t object, but had their genders been the opposite, would your answer change?

In various forms of media, it’s a common concept for a white man to fall in love with, and try to rescue, a female “other”. Cassandra Rose Clarke flips the genders, but the story doesn’t progress in the usual loud, revolutionary, overthrow-the-government, kill-all-opponents manner. Instead, it’s a quietly elegant unfolding, of two people just trying to cope with the way society works, though it’s not to their liking. Each of them tries to do the “right” thing, though their decisions turn out to be the worst for them. Rest assured that it all works out in the end, but this is a happy ending that must be worked for, and the characters are put through their paces to earn it. It’s often a sad tale, but one well worth reading.

I bloody love this book. This is sci-fi romance the way it should be – real and relatable; simple on the surface, but deeply exploring everything. Realistic characters and scenarios, keeping the heart of the story down to earth. It’s magnificent, and a must-read.

29th January 2013 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

Cassandra Rose Clarke
The Mad Scientist’s Daughter
Random House Angry Robot (US & CA: 29th January 2013)
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Finn looks and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task now is to tutor Cat. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, Finn is her guardian, her constant companion…and more. But when the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world.

Marie Lu
Prodigy (Legend, Book 2)
Penguin (US, UK & CA: 29th January 2013)
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June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request – June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. But as June realises this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood – what if the Patriots are wrong?

Megan Shepherd
The Madman’s Daughter
HarperCollins Balzer + Bray (US & CA: 29th January 2013)
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Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London – working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumours about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true. Accompanied by her father’s handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward – both of whom she is deeply drawn to – Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it’s too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius – and madness – in her own blood.

February 2013 Releases

Done with January 2013 Releases? Here are February 2013 Releases. For future titles, check Reading Wishlist.

January 2013 Releases

Done with December 2012 Releases? Here are January 2013 Releases. For future releases, check Reading Wishlist.

12 New Covers (Anderson, Barnes, Clarke, Harrison, Jones, Kessler, Littlefield, Mitchell, Moss, Reisz, Rendahl, Rossi)