Nothing Lasts Forever

Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, 188 pages

The time is the late '70s.  Joe Leland is a retired New York City detective and World War II vet visiting his big-shot corporate daughter in LA.  The Christmas party at his daughter's office, high in the skyscraper headquarters of the Klaxon corporation, is even more festive this year, thanks to a massive deal with the Chilean dictatorship that has just been finalized.  Leland isn't terribly impressed by the deal, but he is impressed by the murderous German terrorists, led by the psychopathic Anton Gruber, who expertly seize control of the building and take the partygoers, including Leland's daughter and grandchildren, hostage.  Slipping away in the confusion, he wages a one man war against the terrorists, using elevator shafts and air conditioning ducts to stay one step ahead of his enemies, his only uncertain allies the police outside.  The same police now laying plans for a frontal assault on the terrorists, plans that put Leland and his loved ones in the middle of the crossfire.

Nothing Lasts Forever is, of course, the novel that became Die Hard.  Obviously, many things changed in the adaptation - most obviously some of the names, the age of the protagonist, turning the terrorists into thieves, and switching an estranged daughter for an estranged wife.  Much is the same - the friendly police sergeant (although here a much younger man), the prickish police captain, a terrorist enraged when his brother is the first to die, extended conversations between hero and villain over the radio.  One of the greatest differences, however, is that the novel is entirely focused on Leland.  Scenes in the film featuring secondary characters greatly aided their development, but in the novel that is all missing.  This is most obvious in the case of Anton, who despite being a smart and canny adversary lacks the dangerous charm of Hans, even setting aside that he doesn't have the advantage of being portrayed by Alan Rickman.  This also adds to the second great difference, the '70s grimness of the novel, which becomes more a test of Leland's endurance than of his inventiveness.  Nor is all his suffering physical, for not only do the novel's more progressive terrorists include a number of women, but events will prove that everyone, including Leland himself, is deeply morally compromised.

On its own, Roderick Thorp's novel is a fine diversion with vague aspirations to be something more.  The connection to Die Hard adds an entire other level of interest, providing material for hours of reflections on storytelling choices, the differences between novels and film, shifting social mores, the excellence of Alan Rickman, and the patience of long-suffering wives.

Red Rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown     382 pages

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

This book took some time getting into it. The setting up of this futuristic world was tricky to take on and anyone who is not very fond of sci-fi might have difficulty getting past it to the more interesting bits of the dystopia/character building/plot.

There are things I enjoyed very much reading this book and things that made me feel less interested in it. The things I didn't care for are that it trods in the path of many previous sci-fi books with a male lead who must save the world. That wouldn't be so bad because, after all, one of my favorite books is Ender's Game, buuuut, the fact that this book has that and that the catalyst that starts the whole thing is the death of his wife. A woman has to die to give Darrow the rage and drive he needs to take down the system. I feel like this is such an overused trope that it makes me depressed when I read it these days. Of course a woman has to die to give the main character the start he needs. Of course, of course, of course.

Aside from that, once the story really gets going there is a lot of violence, rape, and anger that is not my cup of tea. So many people are brutally maimed or killed, the mention of "pissing" on people happens at least a dozen times. I don't really care for that aggressive, animalistic stuff. It's not interesting to read and it's also gross.

Things I did like were the characters. I think Mustang, Pax, Roque, Sevro, and many others are really what makes this book strong. The building of a team, an army, what makes them all work together and trust their leader, Darrow, unconditionally is what really gets you interested in where the story will go. It reminded me a lot of Ender's Game. And the name "Wiggin" is even used, as if that story were an actual part of history. It made me smile.

The plot is strong, once you get past the first twenty or so chapters. That's where the book really hits its stride. If you can wade through the beginning to get this far, it is worth the time. It's action packed, the characters are finally becoming whole people, building off each other, and the plot is full of neat surprises and twists. It is enough of crest to ride till the end. I will definitely finish reading this series. The story captured me enough for that.

I would recommend this book to those who are fond of sci-fi, in addition to liking dystopias. There's also a lot of Greek/Roman mythology mixed in there, so if that's something you're into, it's a neat little feature in this book. Cheers.

The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken     488 pages

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for

kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.

If there was any book I would recommend for those who have read and liked The Hunger Games series, this is IT (aside from telling them they have to read Battle Royale first). It's got kids fighting for their lives (against other kids and adults, really), it's got an over-arching governmental bad-guy, it's got betrayal/suspicion vibes all over it. It really fits right in there, so I'm surprised I'd never heard of this book until I started seeing movie trailers popping up for it.

Honestly, this book is probably even better written than The Hunger Games - Bracken has a strong writing style that grabs you and doesn't let go. This book made me so anxious the entire time I was reading it. It's a very on-the-edge-of-your-seat type read. The plot is hard hitting, a bit slow on take-off, but once it takes off, BAM! You're in the thick of it and it doesn't slow down, not even at the end. It really rolls you right into the next book, you feel you have to keep reading to get to the bottom of this story.

Ruby is certainly a more likable figure than Katniss will ever be (but for those who are fans of Katniss, I say this not to diss her). Ruby is softer than Katniss, but she has that hard-hitting, fueled-by-anger-fighter in her that, when unleashed, could definitely rival Katniss. Ruby fights for the ones she loves, she is not going to roll over and take it lying down. But she is also fragile in this book, probably the most fragile she will be in the entire series, but Bracken doesn't make that seem like a bad thing. In fact, by the end of it, Ruby recognizes that her gentle side, her loving side, is a real, valuable part of her, one that she has to put away for the time being to get things done. But when it's all said and done, that rougher, monstrous side of her is not something to be proud of, only a necessary evil. Like Katniss, Ruby takes up the gauntlet for her friends, her family, and she will fight to protect those she loves. She is willing to play the game.

This is a great, action-paced YA dystopian book, full of amazing characters and well-written dialog and character development (and it's diverse, which is nice!). Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu feel like a family and it's such a great thing to see develop. I can't recommend this book more, it's so good.

Choke Point

Choke Point by Ridley Pearson.  399 pages.  (Risk Agent, #2)

This story focuses on a foreign journalist who discovers an Amsterdam-based sweatshop that enslaves young girls as laborers.  A private security firm hires John Knox and Grace Chu as a team to dismantle the child labor operation and rescue the girls.  Along the way, they tangle with a crime organization, and it becomes unclear just who is good.

I enjoyed this book.  Reading it was like seeing a Jason Bourne movie: lots of action, with some quieter moments to tell the story. There is a definite sense of tension and urgency that permeates the story.

I appreciated that the characters felt complex, and none of them were perfect.  Some of the back-story, like the hints about training for how to know if someone is following you, was also pretty interesting.  Making Knox and Chu into a team made for a good mix; Knox has a lot of cultural knowledge and combat skills, and Chu is well versed in obtaining sensitive tech information.   With a lot of back-and-forth going on, as well as multiple perspectives, I found that if I put the book down for too long, I needed to go back slightly and re-orient myself.   So, with a book this fast-paced, it's easier to just set aside some time and read it through.  At least, that's my suggestion if this sounds like your kind of book.

Claymore 16-20

Claymore Volumes 16 - 20 by Norihiro Yagi, (5 books, 943 pages)

It was just as I foretold! The circular leveling has happened! Repent now and flee! Wait, don't do that I got a little carried away... Anyways the one thing I hate about manga has now happened to a series I was just starting to really like, circular leveling. If you don't know what that is see my previous blog post about the Claymore series. Don't worry I will wait for you to come back. Back yet? good lets continue.

Everything happened just as I predicted, the Claymores and namely the ones who had already developed sketchy new powers came across a new bad guy, or in this case girl who they, even when fighting together cannot beat. This should be game over, end of story, everyone gets to die and have their closing cut scenes. I am thinking a nice monologue about saving yourself and forgiveness. But since no one really wants the series to end, except maybe me, the author had to find a way to allow good to have a fighting chance. I would almost rather see it as a hidden weak spot, sort of like the video games, but in manga we get the circular leveling. Since I have ranted about this enough for one year, I won't continue this rant, but Claymore got penciled in on my naughty list.


Despite all of my hatred for what Claymore has become, the series is quite good. Despite having a feeling of wandering in the first few volumes, everything has really come together in a nice streamlined story. There are of course some pieces missing that frankly seem slightly more interesting than the actual story, but it is not distracting and we do get glimpses to keep them fresh in our minds. Everything is headed for the final showdown, it will be interesting to see how they end it.
And yes, like nearly everything else I blog about, I will also continue to read the story. So sometime in the future you can look forward to reading another post about how right I was and my circular leveling hatred.

Saga, Volume 4

Saga Volume 4, by Brian K. Vaughan (Fiona Staples, art), 144 pages

In this latest collection of the Saga comics, Marko is getting lonely in what feels like a job as a single dad, Alana is finding the darker, more addictive side of acting, and Hazel is learning to dance. We also learn a little more about the Robot kingdom. It's a compelling work, but I am really losing track of what's going on when I have to wait in between volumes.  Also, this really doesn't sound like a lot, but I think it's really laying some groundwork for the next work.