iFrankenstein, by Bekka Black

Homeschooled teenager Victor Frankenstein is determined to write his own ticket to independence: a chatbot to win the prestigious Turing prize and admission to the high tech university of his choice. He codes his creation with a self-extending version of his own online personality and unleashes it upon the internet. But soon he begins to suspect his virtual clone may have developed its own goals, and they are not aligned with Victor’s. The creature has its own plan, fed by a growing desire to win darker and more precious prizes: unfettered power and release from loneliness.

As the creature’s power and sentience grows and its increasingly terrible deeds bleed over from the online world into the real one, Victor must stop his creation before his friends and humanity pay the ultimate price.

Using only text messages, web browsers, tweets, and emails, Bekka Black tells an awesome story. 

The "monster" isn't pieced together from recycled (read "stolen") body parts, but from "recycled" awareness and conversations. While the world is clamoring for artificial "intelligence" that evolves it's own thought processes, I think we all fear that the computer is going to go a little "HAL9000" on us. Black's monster is creepy, super creepy, and not too far removed from what is currently possible with technology. 

It helps if you have even a little prior knowledge about the original story line, so that you grasp the monster concept and catch how masterfully he's been brought into the 21st century. I have secretly been glad that I haven't found a re-mastered Frankenstein that does Mary Shelley's justice. That being said, I think Black appropriately brings Shelley's idea to modern life very well. I could easily see comparing the 2 pieces in order to demonstrate that literature themes are timeless. And Black's done a nice job of mirroring the horror/sci-fi mix from Shelley's novel.

It's a highly unconventional mode (format?) for storytelling, but it's what our YAs know. And while I was a little afraid it would be choppy and difficult to follow, it wasn't at all. Highly readable, and frankly--these are brainy kids who don't use text-speak, so that helps. They text the way us English majors do, with correct spellings and punctuation.

It's captivating...I read it (twice) in one sitting. That second time was because I thought I'd missed some foreshadowing of the end (I didn't...it's just that darn creepy.)

I realize the HAL9000 reference is one my younger readers may not get---come talk to me, it's time you met Arthur C. Clarke.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book as an ARC from JKSCommunications in connection with their hosted blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Introducing.....Bekka Black

Tomorrow, I'll be reviewing a new monster book..iFrankenstein, by Bekka Black.

As a teaser, Bekka graciously agreed to share her favorite monster stories with you...enjoy!

Happy Halloween! It’s past time to toddle off to the library or the video store,or virtually toddle with your Kindle and Netflix, and collect those stories that will keep you awake Halloween night and long after. To help you in your quest, here are my top 10 favorite monster books and movies.

1.     Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This one has been my obsession for the past year while I worked on iFrankenstein. What do you do when you create a monster? I think that’s something every writer worries about, even if it’s just a book that might go off the rails and smash its way into the world.

2.     Dracula by Bram Stoker. This was my obsession while I was working on iDrakula. How do you deal with an ancient evil in modern times? Are we any more able to deal with being prey now than we ever were?

3.     We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. A beautiful tale, chillingly told. From the moment Merricat starts to tell the story of her murdered family, you can’t look away.

4.     The Shining by Stephen King. I read this tale of a haunted hotel and a writer father who slowly goes mad while I was working cleaning motel rooms in a remote, wooded Alaskan town. I didn’t sleep the entire summer. Terrifying images.

5.     The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. She finds the beautiful conscience inside the monstrous vampire. Lestat knows what he does, but it doesn’t change who he is or the terrible acts that he is driven to perform. Lush, wonderful writing too.

6.     Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. I was scared when I read it, but the movie was even scarier because I lived in Pittsburgh at the time, and some of the scariest scenes were filmed there. There’s no getting out of the city without going through a tunnel, usually the tunnel where Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter escapes.

7.     Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. The fact that it’s true made this one a terrifying read. Realizing what real horror can break into an everyday world enthralled me and scared me in equal measure.

8.     Lovely Bones by Alice Seybold. The teenager girl whose life is stolen from her and the lyrical writing both frightened me and broke my heart. I read the book almost in one sitting; I still have not worked up the courage to see the film.

9.     Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The idea that we all have a monster inside of us, and it only takes a moment to set it free scared me as a teenager. What does your monster look like?

10.  The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Great writing and a bleak time and place in history left this one sitting in my brain long after I closed the book.

~Bekka Black

After a childhood often spent without electricy and running water, Bekka escaped the beautiful wilderness of Talkeetna, Alaska for indoor plumbing and 24/7 electricity in Berlin, Germany. Used to the cushy lifestyle, she discovered the Internet in college and has been wasting time on it ever since (when not frittering away her time on her iPhone). Somehow, she manages to write novels, including the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set, in all places, 1930s Berlin, and The Blood Gospel series (with James Rollins).

She lives in Berlin with her husband, son, two cats, and too many geckoes to count. iDrakula is her first cell phone novel.

 

Death of a Kleptomaniac, by Kristen Tracy

At sixteen, Molly is a girl who's just started living-at last she's popular. But for a girl who has everything, Molly feels like she never has enough. So she steals. At least there's plenty of time to fix this last little problem. Except Fate has other plans for Molly. Like death.

Suddenly dead and in denial, how can Molly move on when life was just looking up? Can she abandon her earthly ties or will she jeopardize her soul to stay close to her loved ones?

Odd little story. And really, it's predictable.

Molly suddenly dies at 16 (though the how of that was a little bit of a surprise), just when her life seems to be looking up and looking good. She's got the hottest guy interested in her, but she's also starting to realize that the "IT" guy isn't necessarily the one you want.

So when she suddenly dies and doesn't exactly take it well, well...you can imagine. She begs, pleads, bargains. And then accepts that nothing will change that particular fact, but she could change where her soul exists for eternity, couldn't she?

See? Predictable. While I can't immediately recall a name, I know I've read this story/seen this movie before. I knew going in what the gist would be, but really hoped that the "kleptomaniac" aspect would be better utilized and make the story...different. But frankly, the scenes after Molly dies in which it's addressed feel almost like they were added because "oh yeah, that title thing" or, the title was based on a secondary issue, not the primary one.

Overall, though, it's good quick read. Not too heavy, but not too fluffy. I can think of quite a few students I'd hand this to, who wouldn't agree with my review at all--and that's a good thing. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Disney-Hyperion through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Sites to See, October 25 edition

NIH Science Curriculum Supplement Series http://science.education.nih.gov/customers.nsf/highschool.htm Free Supplements, Teacher’s guides, and several have state standard correlations for the materials (biology studies)

Biology Resources from the Copernicus Project http://www.copernicusproject.ucr.edu/ssi/HSBiologyResources.htm Wow…video clips, powerpoints, a few project/lab guides. LOTS of neat stuff.

HyperHistory Online http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html Timelines, maps, and graphics for events in 300 years of world history. They aren’t “pretty” but they are functional.

Poll Everywhere http://www.polleverywhere.com/ Free text-in polls. Use this to do quick in class checks for understanding.

Critical Thinking Cheat Sheet http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1cx5y0Kug1r85eido1_500.jpg During inservice last week, we talked about how the STAAR tests require more critical thinking skills from our students than the TAKS tests ever have. Here’s an easy reference to help you as you structure discussion and lessons.

National Geographic Education http://education.nationalgeographic.com/?ar_a=1 I found this one through one of the interactive map links. Of course, it’s full of incredible images that you expect from NatGeo, but it’s also full of some pretty awesome resources—for history, politics, psychology, and sciences. I’m having too much fun exploring myself!

 

Dark Star, by Bethany Frenette

Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it's hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she's lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human-something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile. 

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn't fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers-livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape.  And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person's memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers' next move. But Leon, her mother's bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won't let Audrey out of his sight. 

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything-and everyone-she loves.

Okay....WOW.

I know I say that a lot, or seem to, but seriously I don't take the time to review a lot of books that aren't "wow." To be honest, I have a hard time making myself even  finish books that aren't "wow."

Audrey is pure awesome. She's a teenager trying to figure herself who is suddenly thrown into "Guardian" world. She now has family that she never knew existed before (and who live in town!), and a whole lot more excitement than she ever imagined possible. Oh, the hot sidekick just moved in with them.

This is Frenette's debut novel and she's just what my nerdy-geeky-writer-girls want to read. She's into all things geeky and video games (and no, the 2 are not synonymous). Find out some more about her here. 

Dark Star is packed. It's a supernatural/paranormal story that's...wow. There's action without it being an "action story"---i.e. no gratuitous descriptions of bloody fights, just enough there to keep you interested. There's a lot of teenage cerebral-ness without it being overdoing or pedantic. This is a readable story. Honestly, it's really well done superhero-ish story that doesn't border on comic book. It's better.

I sent a tweet to Bethany at 7:00 am the morning I finished this in July. Not my usual m.o. to immediately seek out an author and gush a little, but I have to know if there's more to Audrey's story! I have to.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Disney-Hyperion through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”