There were two science fiction books that I read recently, and of the two, I chose to write about The God Game by Danny Tobey. A bunch of teenagers think it would be a good idea to enter a game from the dark web where the artificial intelligence behind it claims to be God. Yeah, this will end well.
The Situation: Charlie and his friends are the Vindicators. It is the name they have came up with for their small group of coders. Mostly they play video games and pull small pranks, but Peter thinks it is time for them to get into something new. On the dark web there is the God Game. Knowledge of every religion has been dumped into one game, and the stakes are incredibly high for those that agree to play. If you win, you live; if you lose, you die. Naturally, this causes some in Charlie's group to hesitate, but ultimately, curiosity wins out, and the Vindicators are launched into a game that is incredibly well-done, and feels eerily real. Some of the things it asks for seem silly, while other are dangerous, but only slightly. When it asks for a favor that would mean serving up justice to one of Turner High School's worst bullies, everything seems fine, great even.
The Problem: Alex was always the most distant, and the one everyone worried about. Now the game is allowing him to show more of his true colors, and his friends are not sure they like what they see. Kenny has always been the most tightly wound of the group, but being a black kid with devout Catholic parents, he knows what could happen if he is caught doing what the game is asking him to do. Vanhi is the only female of the group, but she does not mind. She handles herself just fine, and as long as nothing gets in the way of her getting into Harvard, playing the game should not be an issue. Charlie's world fell apart when his mom died, and this game may be able to help him put it back together. And Peter has always been a mystery, which is why people are drawn to him. It is why he and Charlie became friends, and why he was able to convince him to play the game. It is not long before things take a dark turn, and the group of friends Charlie had always leaned on begins to fall apart, while all of their lives spiral out of control. Even as the Vindicators decide they no longer want to play, the game gives them no way out, unless they are willing to offer the greatest sacrifice.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction book that takes place in Austin, Texas. At the fictional Turner High School, Charlie and his friends hang out in the Tech Lab, mostly okay with where they stand socially. It is Peter's idea to play the God Game, and despite some real concerns, they all eventually agree. Almost immediately, their world is filled with real adventures they can see and speak to, and even some they can feel. If they do well, there are real rewards. Fail to do what the game wants, and there are real consequences. Perhaps most disturbing of all is how the game seems to know everyone's secrets, and is more than willing to use that knowledge to have the players do what it wants. The game will even lie and manipulate information in order to move things forward. The Vindicators are almost immediately in over their heads, but the rewards are great, and the hole they have dug for themselves gets deeper. The question is not so much whether or not to play, as it becomes clear they have no choice. Instead, Charlie finds himself wondering if it is possible to stop a computer program, even if it only believes that it is God.
My Verdict: This is an interesting premise, and the characters are well-rounded and interesting. As an avid fan of almost all things YA, I am all for the setting of a high school in my hometown of Austin, Texas. But my goodness, this book becomes a bummer quickly. It is the kind of stuff that makes your soul sad, but you keep reading because you want to know these characters are going to make it out of this okay, even if most of them do not deserve to. For the most part, it seems the God Game gets hold of its players through its fulfillment of revenge fantasies. Anyone who was bullied has had thoughts of seeing their tormentors "pay," whatever that means for each individual person. But when the game helps to make those fantasies a reality, nothing feels right. Nothing feels good. Also, this book is needlessly long. It becomes clear that the ending is not going to be anything close to a happily ever after, but the reader is forced to slog through the suffering along with the characters. It is a crazy ride, but you know from just the first few chapters that it is not going anywhere good.
Favorite Moment: When Vanhi fends off an attacker with one well placed punch, despite her abhorrence of violence.
Favorite Character: Everyone in this book is revealed to have some sort of massive failing, if one was not already obvious. But I choose Vanhi and Kenny, whose outcomes I became most invested in.
Recommended Reading: Reader Player One is also a book in which the characters play a video game with real world consequences, but it is full of delightful 80s pop-culture references.
Once again I have found myself reading about World War II, but this time from multiple perspectives in and around Italy. Roland Merullo's Once Night Falls follows several Italian citizens, including Mussolini himself, as they navigate the tense time when Nazis occupied their country and homes, and the Allies are attempting to turn the tide of the war, slowly fighting their way up the Italian peninsula.
The Situation: Born with sight in only one eye, and a near useless left arm, Luca Benedetto is doing everything he can to fight against the Germans in World War II Italy. He has plenty of reason to hate the Nazis: his father was forced to fight their war in Russia; his mother is being forced to cook for them; and he must hide Sarah, the Jewish love of his life, in a far away cabin. It is dangerous work to complete any task that would hinder the Nazis, no matter how small. But despite his physical limitations, Luca longs for bigger assignments, willing to face the danger. Though he risks being watched, followed, and ultimately caught, Luca carries out his duties with resolve, as well as a growing hatred. It is only his love for his mother, for Sarah, and for the priest that is helping him that keeps him from being reckless, allowing his thirst for revenge to dictate every decision he makes.
The Problem: While the Nazi presence is certainly an issue, it is the spies and informants that everyone must be careful of. Someone you trust could turn out to be a Nazi sympathizer, ready to turn in a coworker, close friend, or even a family member for the smallest reward. Luca has many connections, but only a few he truly trusts. Don Claudio knows that being a priest will ultimately do little to protect him. So he quietly does the job he has been called to do, drawing as little attention as possible, hoping no one discovers his part in sabotaging Nazi plans. Sarah knows that staying hidden in a remote cabin gives her a better chance of staying safe, though not a guarantee. But with her mother still in great danger, she is not sure how much longer she can stay in isolation. And when Luca's mother, Maria, is forced to cook for the German soldiers who have taken up residence in the house across the street from her, she knows everyone she loves is that much closer to danger, and she may have to commit a desperate act to keep everyone safe.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set in Italy in 1943. Mussolini has been deposed and moved to a secure location, but Hitler is still determined to maintain his hold on Italy. Any Jews have long been forced out, their homes raided and stripped of anything valuable, while some of then are occupied by Nazi soldiers. The best resources, such as food, the Nazis take themselves, leaving Italian citizens to scrounge and forage. Many Italians risk their lives fighting against the enemy, some by engaging in covert activity. Then there are others, like Maria and Luca, who hide their Jewish friends. The issue is not only discovery of those that have sequestered themselves in far away cabins or quiet attics, but also in being found out as an accomplice, as someone who disobeys the explicit rules that have been handed out by the Germans. But many are willing to take the risk. Even Don Claudio, who weighs his calling and his faith against what he is doing, what he has done, and what he has seen, knows that being a man of the cloth will not save him. Even he is followed and threatened, and in constant danger of being arrested. This close group of people do their best to play their own small part in ending the war, while Mussolini wonders if the Italy he hoped for will ever come to be.
My Verdict: Reading about the events of World War II as they occurred in Italy was a refreshing change for me. And the shifting perspectives kept the narrative interesting, while also making it somewhat confusing in places. Having the view point of Luca, Sarah, Maria, and Don Claudio would have been enough. But then there was also Mussolini, which was an interesting choice. But Merullo did not stop there, also throwing in a privileged Italian man with connections and access to information, as well as a German official who is determined to find Mussolini and bring him to Hitler. At times it was all too much. And by then end, some of it did not seem necessary. The story held my attention, and the action was engaging enough, but the shifting perspectives caused me to lose interest in some characters, while wanting to focus more on others. And unfortunately, the characters I found myself more interested in were not the main protagonists. Those who are interested in WWII Italy will enjoy this book, for the most part. There are simply certain aspects of it that I wish had received more attention.
Favorite Moment: When Don Claudio finds courage he did not know he had to face down a Nazi official.
Favorite Character: Maria is a strong woman in an impossible situation. She is smart, knows what is at risk, and is prepared to do what she has to do.
Recommended Reading: I recommend The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, a story that takes place in 1939 as the Germans invade France.
Sometimes, adults need to read books with pictures. Or at least I do. And I was pleased to find Robin Ha's Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir. Graphic novels and memoirs are a fantastic way to portray a story, and it can certainly be fun to see classic novels converted into the sequential art format (such as A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle, or Kindred by Octavia E. Butler). I was certainly excited to read about a young Korean girl's experience as she is unexpectedly brought to the U.S.
Genre, Themes, History: This graphic novel is mostly set in the mid-1990's, when Robin's world is turned upside-down after what was supposed to be a vacation to Alabama. When her mother declares that the two of them will actually not be returning to their former home in Seoul, South Korea, Robin naturally feels confused, angry, and betrayed. In Korea, Robin had her friends, her favorite shops, her favorite foods, her favorite comics, and her mother. Their life was simple, and it had its complications, but it was enough. Now she has a step-sister who she has a hard time communicating with, and step-cousins who act as if she is not there. English proves difficult to learn, and the kids at school are making fitting in nearly impossible. But probably worst of all, Robin is angry with her mother, and their close relationship has changed. Robin's difficulties in the U.S. are only part of the story. There is also her mother's history and the many decisions she has made that have led to this, as well as the criticism both of them endured while they lived in Korea because Robin's father was not around. Something Robin was always able to turn to in Korea were her favorite comic books, and it is not until she begins making friends in a comic book class that she starts to feel comfortable in the U.S.
My Verdict: This memoir is both lovely and heartbreaking, hopeful and despairing. The artwork is absolutely gorgeous, and it brings the story to life in the best way. While portraying her struggles with her new life in the U.S., Ha brings across the difficulties with the language barrier, the culture shock, and of course, her issues with her mother. But Ha does not stop there. Sure, a teenager from another country is going to have a hard time adjusting to the relentless and unforgiving high school environment, but Ha makes it clear that life in South Korea would not have been ideal either, mostly because of the culture's expectations for women. Robin may be the center of the story, but there is so much more to it than only her experience. I would have loved for it to continue for a few more chapters.
Favorite Moment: Honestly, I loved the acknowledgements. I mean, I loved the entire book, but the acknowledgements were not simply a running list of all of the people that helped the author bring this book to life. The majority of it tells the story of what it was like trying to talk to her mother about the experiences that are included in the book, and how difficult those kinds of conversations can be for anyone attempting to write a memoir.
Recommended Reading: I recommend The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui, a graphic memoir that follows a family's journey from South Vietnam to a new life in the U.S.
If there is one book I recommend people read during this strange and trying time, it is Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven. In it, a strange illness has decimated humanity, and the world is never the same. Even though her newest release, The Glass Hotel, is very different from its predecessor, I was still excited to read it and add it to my library...which is growing even faster than normal due to me being home more during this time.
The Situation: When Paul begins working at the Hotel Caiette, his half-sister Vincent has already been working for some time as a bartender. While the two of them have never been close, they have at least always been civil and can manage to work together. And then on one fateful day, someone writes a disturbing message on one of the hotel's beautiful glass windows, and several lives of those living and working there are changed forever. Soon both Paul and Vincent no longer work there, with the latter starting a nearly unimaginable new life of luxury as the partner of the wealthy owner of the hotel, while Paul eventually finds his way in the world of music. The story does not end there, and it does not only concern these two. Their lives become intertwined with others at the hotel, including a shipping executive, a former artist, the hotel manager, and a woman whom the owner of the hotel has no desire to ever run into.
The Problem: Soon, the decisions made years ago by the hotel owner, Mr. Alkaitis,
will lead to one of the biggest financial scandals in history, effecting
nearly everyone in his circle, and causing consequences that will be
felt for years afterwards. While Vincent parts ways with him, suddenly removed from the world of money that she had come to enjoy, others must confront the idea that a man they trusted has lost all of their money. Having Alkaitis caught and thrown in jail is all well and good, but the money is gone, leaving financial futures of many uncertain, if not completely ruined. Some cannot handle the situation, including some of those that worked under him. Although Vincent was not a part of the scheme, and had nothing invested, something was still taken from her by someone she knew, and now that her life has changed once again, she sets out on a fateful career that will also end in an investigation.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that begins in the 1990s and carries as far into the future as December 2029. The timeline of the narrative is not straightforward. Just as the point of view switches between characters, the timeline also jumps around between years and locations. Eventually, the entire story is revealed, including who is guilty, who is innocent, and who is irrevocably changed by what happens, for better and for worse. The book initially focuses on Paul and Vincent, and how they got to be where they are, but then the focus shifts to Alkaitis and the inevitable fallout from his Ponzi scheme. After decades of stealing his investors' money, he is finally arrested, his investors lose everything, and those under him who were involved suffer the consequences. The book touches on how people can justify their actions for so long, and also how a few of them will continue to do so after being caught. It seems that stealing from those that put their trust in you is quite simple for some, and desperation and greed can make the most noble person simply look the other way.
My Verdict: What I love about Mandel's writing is the she conveys the craziness, the drama, the intensity of a situation without being over the top. The wildest events and most tense moments come across with the simplest actions or descriptions, or the smallest movements by the characters or pieces of dialogue. It can become obvious that a character is not in a good place even before they have done anything wrong. And the danger of a situation is portrayed well before anything has happened. It is incredible to watch, or read, and certainly helped to make the details of a Ponzi scheme much more interesting to read about than they normally would be. I cannot say I am fully satisfied by the ending, but at least it is not frustratingly ambiguous. It is clear where most everyone stands, and in what direction they are heading.
Favorite Moment: When it was clear that Alkaitis would be arrested for his crimes.
Favorite Character: I like Walter, the manager of the Hotel Caiette. He does not want much from life and is committed to his job.
Recommended Reading: I adore Mandel's Station Eleven because it not only shows what happens to society after a terrible flu wipes out a large portion of humanity, but it also shows how it happens, when it is happening. Most books only focus on the aftermath, so it was interesting to see more than the before and after, but also the during.
There were two science fiction books that I read recently, and of the two, I chose to write about The God Game by Danny Tobey. A bunch of teenagers think it would be a good idea to enter a game from the dark web where the artificial intelligence behind it claims to be God. Yeah, this will end well.
