When Renegades came out last year, I liked it but didn’t love it. At the same time though, I thought this new series had potential and was excited to continue reading. Now I’m happy to report that Archenemies lived up to those expectations. It’s everything I hoped for and more!
SOFIA AND THE UTOPIA MACHINE by Judith Huang
Sofia and the Utopia Machine fills an important space in Singapore literature not only as an young adult book but as science fiction. I don’t remember coming across any local YA books when I was in primary and secondary school. In fact, when I was still in secondary school, I wasn’t interested in Singapore literature precisely because it seemed to be geared towards adults. In that regard, it’s heartening that local YA books have gained more visibility in recent years.
FAMILY AND OTHER CATASTROPHES by Alexandra Borowitz
Good satire makes you laugh while simultaneously reflecting on the subject matters. Rooted in reality, it makes you wonder how serious these characters are (very) but then on second thought you realise that they’re world views are so black and white, they couldn’t be for real. With that in mind, Borowitz used satire very effectively in Family and Other Catastrophes. Emily was so neurotic but with the kind of mother she had, it kind of made sense. Her sister Lauren, was fully committed to feminist social activism, in stark contrast to their brother, Jason, who was a desperate divorcé and quite the sexist.
MIRAGE by Somaiya Daud
For some reason, I’ve had a significant slow down with YA novels this year. I’ve just not been able to settle down and focus on reading, no matter how intriguing various books sound. Most of the time I’ve resorted to audiobooks for which I tend to pick non-fiction books. Thanks to a long haul flight though, I had no distractions to keep me from Mirage. I was happily entertained.
SHADOWS OF SELF by Brandon Sanderson
Compared to the previous four books in the Mistborn series, Shadows of Self took a slight dip. It sure was entertaining but despite the mix of fantasy and murder mystery, it wasn’t as memorable.
