Yeah, so I've been kinda busy this month. I'll be making a post on my personal blog in a little while if anyone wants to know why, but it's time to get down to business.
The Supernaturalist
by Eoin Colfer
Miramax Books (2004)
267 pages
Sci-Fi fantasy
Official Website:
http://www.eoincolfer.com/
5 stars
"In the future, in a place called Satellite City, Cosmo Hill enters the world, unwanted by his parents. He's sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys. Freight Class.
Here, the boys are put to work by the state, testing highly dangerous products. Cosmo realizes he must get away, and escapes with the help of the Supernaturalists, a group of kids who have the same special abilities as Cosmo - they can see supernatural Parasites, creatures that fee on the life force of humans. The Supernaturalists patrol the city at night, hunting the Parasites in hopes of saving what is left of humanity in Satellite City. But soon they find themselves caught in a web far more complicated than they'd imagined, and they discover a horrifying secret that will force them to question everything they believe in."
For someone who's not a big fan of Science Fiction - like me - this is the perfect book. It also happens to be my favorite of Colfer's books (I've read eight and a half).
You're immediately thrown into the action of the novel when we see what a day in the life of Cosmo Hill is like, and hear his escape plotting - and see the actual job - all in the first chapter. And the action never stops for long, though it's well balanced with the non-action scenes.
Cosmo is a great protagonist. Someone you really want to see succeed - and just feel sorry for during most of the book. I enjoyed learning about the orphans - or "no-sponsors" - and the results of their upbringing. Like how Cosmo received never went to school, but learned everything from testing educational software, and has perfect teeth thanks to teeth-whitening products. And The Chemist: a boy who watched medical dramas on tv and was the only doctor the no-sponsors had.
The three other main characters, Stefan, Mona and Ditto, were also funny and mysterious. So much so that I can't really decide who my favorite character in this novel is. Stefan, at eighteen, is the guilt-ridden leader of the group with a deep hatred for the Parasites. Mona, the Latina fifteen year old, used to be a mechanic for the Sweetheart gang before a near-death experience brought her to the others. And Ditto, a twenty-eight year old, had been a test subject of Doctor Bartoli as a child and, as a result, has the height and looks of a six year old, along with some very special talents outside of his natural skills as a doctor.
While finding out the pasts of the characters was something that made me love the book, the plot twists were definitely my favorite thing about it. Someone's life is in danger in nearly every scene of the book. You never know who you can trust. Or what's real. Even while re-reading it, it kept me on the edge of my seat!
Attention to detail is one of Colfer's talents. Minor characters and villains like Ziplock Murphy and Marshall Redwood had their moments of glory where we would find out a little bit about them and their histories. Satellite City, weaponry, futuristic car mechanics, and even outer space were described in great detail.
It's hard not to feel a little sad after finishing this book (though Eoin has said he's planning a sequel!). It's even harder not to love it.
Quote of the Day:
"Yes, this grumpy little man is Granddad. And Mona is our kid sister. It's a dysfunctional group, but we're all we have. We're all anybody has. Sometimes it seems like we can never win, but we save who can. You, for example. If it hadn't been for us, that Parasite would've sucked you dry, and no one would have ever known." - Stefan, page 48
-----
I finished Suite Scarlett today, so expect the review for that in a couple of hours - or maybe tomorrow. It's getting kinda late here.
Comments? Pretty please?
-Lizzy
No comments:
Post a Comment