Review - The Lens and The Looker by Lory S. Kaufman

There's hope for the future,

but what about the past?

TITLE:    The Lens and the Looker
AUTHOR:    Lory S. Kaufman
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 322 pages
PUBLISHED:   The Fiction Studio, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review and Book Tour

  

Pump Up Your Book Tours

FROM THE AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:  It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s), have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.


In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.


These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

MY TAKE:    This is an exciting new series in the YA genre that will appeal to readers of various ages.  I think it's another one of those stories that shouldn't be "pigeon-holed" into just one genre or classification.  While it's being marketed towards YA readers, I think dystopian, historical fiction, time travel, romance, adventure and science fiction aspects are also well represented in this work by Lory S. Kaufman.  As an adult who enjoys all of these genres, including YA; I found this to be a great read.
  
I'm an avid reader of historical fiction.  When I saw the description of this story, I jumped at the chance to be part of the blog tour.  One of my favorite books/movies is Timeline by Michael Crichton.  It involves a group of archaeologists who are thrown back into medieval France and must learn to survive without their modern amenities.  This story reminded me of that in a vague way and I am happy to say I'm not disappointed.  It's a fresh take on the "fish out of water" syndrome. 

A History Camp where youngsters are taught to learn from the mistakes of the past is a fantastic idea.  I love that our three main characters are pretty much hard-ass delinquents who are spoiled and quite jaded.  They do their best to get in their own way and cause even more problems for themselves and the adults who are trying to help them.  It was fun watching the three of them grow and change their perceptions of themselves and the privileged life they came from.  None of them were especially likable at the start.  I found myself caring what happened to them quickly as the story progressed and their hardships began piling up on them.

The extensive research done by Mr. Kaufman is very apparent from the beginning.  He mixes historical facts in with the fictional tale seamlessly.  I learned a lot about Verona and much of medieval life without feeling like I was being "taught".  The story was enjoyable and educational and I became attached to many of the people who made the tale come alive for me.  While Hansum is the one we spent the most time with in the story, I am hoping to hear more from Shamira and Lincoln in the upcoming books.

I highly recommend this story and the entire series. The The Lens and the Looker  is available now.  I look forward to continuing on the adventure with Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln in the next installment The Bronze and the Brimstone - available TOMORROW ~ June 7th! 

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

You can learn more about the author and the series by visiting:
History-Camp
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

I'm excited to also be on the tour for the second book in the series: The Bronze and the Brimstone  on June 24th.  Be sure to check back in to see what's next in this exciting Verona Trilogy.

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - America Pacifica by Anna North

TITLE:    America Pacifica: A Novel
AUTHOR:    Anna North
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 294 pages
PUBLISHED:   Little Brown and Company, 2011
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:    Eighteen-year-old Darcy lives on the island of America Pacifica—one of the last places on earth that is still habitable, after North America has succumbed to a second ice age. Education, food, and basic means of survival are the province of a chosen few, while the majority of the island residents must struggle to stay alive. The rich live in "Manhattanville" mansions made from the last pieces of wood and stone, while the poor cower in the shantytown slums of "Hell City" and "Little Los Angeles," places built out of heaped up trash that is slowly crumbling into the sea. The island is ruled by a mysterious dictator named Tyson, whose regime is plagued by charges of corruption and conspiracy.

But to Darcy, America Pacifica is simply home—the only one she's ever known. In spite of their poverty she lives contentedly with her mother, who works as a pearl diver. It's only when her mother doesn't come home one night that Darcy begins to learn about her past as a former "Mainlander," and her mother's role in the flight from frozen California to America Pacifica. Darcy embarks on a quest to find her mother, navigating the dark underbelly of the island, learning along the way the disturbing truth of Pacifica's early history, the far-reaching influence of its egomaniacal leader, and the possible plot to murder some of the island's first inhabitants—including her mother.

MY TAKE:    Dystopian books have captured my attention lately and I have been enjoying delving into them.  America Pacifica was no exception.  It was an interesting story that I read quickly in an afternoon.

The book starts just a bit slow with the reader becoming familiar with America Pacifica and how it came to be.  We get some of Darcy and her mother Sarah's history but with a lot of holes to be filled in as the book progresses.  The heavier action doesn't really start until the latter half of the book.  It does quickly pick up then.

Darcy is really the only character that we get to know more than just in passing.  Because she is very contained both in her mind and her actions, she also stays a bit of mystery at times.  The rest of the people are pretty much there to further Darcy's adventure and quest to find her mother.  Most of them are not what they seem and some are exactly the opposite.  This uncertainty keeps you turning the pages as you try to figure out exactly what is going on.  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon 

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.