Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

This book was brought to my attention by BookBub (deal expired).

Dani Campbell lives in the South Dakota of a United States that is barely hanging on after locusts caused famine. The book opens with Dani's family learning that the Military-now-Council plans to remove children from their homes. To avoid being taken to an undisclosed location and fate, Dani's father decides that the 17-year-old and her 5-year-old brother, Brody, will escape to their family's cabin in the woods. But when they arrive, it is occupied by run away kids and Dani has to figure out how to manage with the squatters.

So let's rip the bandaid off: I did not like this book. It is written in first person, which I usually like, but I did not like the protagonist and narrator, Dani: she comes off as unreliable as she jumps between past and present tense. I think Kelly Van Hull opted for first person to protect the reader from learning things before she was ready to reveal them. I think this could have done more effectively using a third-person limited narrator. To me, Dani does not come off as the heroine but rather someone who is just along for the ride. She was supposed to be caring for her brother but seemed to more often abandon him in the care of her friend, Kit, who is not a developed character. I hope in the sequels Dani takes an active role in driving the plot.

I think part of my disappointment with the novel is that I really wanted to like it: the plot is right up my alley. I think the series has potential but I don't currently have plans to read any of the sequels. However, that could change because the twist at the end made me think of the gang in Willow protecting Elora Danan and I love that movie.

Visit Kelly Van Hull's website for more information about the author and how to purchase her books.

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

This book was brought to my attention by BookBub (get it!).

Kira Moore lives in a world where the majority of the population is telepathic (readers) and it manifests at puberty. Kira is pushing on the age where if these abilities don't show up, she'll be classified as a zero. Kira resigns herself to her fate until her friend and hunky soccer star (who is a reader), Raf, tries to kiss her. She panics and causes him to hit his head on a table. She meets Simon who reveals she jacked Raf's mind and, like Simon, can fake being a reader with their new and secret ability: mindjacking.

To me, the difference between reading and mindjacking was not clear and I worked it out because my sister and I have been discussing it. Initially it seems a reader and mindjacker are both telepathic, but a mindjacker can also control a reader. As I read, it became clear that a reader will stay in their own mind while projecting and receiving thoughts. A mindjacker can't do that but they can get inside readers and masquerade as one. So in order for Kira to blend in with the readers, she has to network to everyone around her. Mindjackers can also make readers do things (e.g. sell beer to a person underage, knock them out).

I liked this book. The novel is about Kira and the plight of the mindjackers as she takes a reluctant, savior-type role to help them find their place in society; so a coming of age with a love triangle side story. She, along with the reader, learn all about mindjacking and how it relates to reading. The beginning and ending moved at a slow pace but the middle of the novel read very quickly with back-to-back action. At the moment, I don't plan to read the sequels; it was so tidy at the end I don't feel the need.

Visit Susan Kaye Quinn's website for more information about the author and how to purchase her books.

BookBub

BookBub is a free service that aggregates great deals on ebooks. It also helps publishers and authors find new fans. It is not a seller, rather it alerts you to limited-time offers that become available on retailers like Amazon's Kindle store, Barnes & Noble's Nook store, Apple's iBookstore, and others. I like BookBub both for the deals it provides and the interface of the site.

When you first register for the site, you are provided with all of the types of books they have. You place check marks next to the genres you like and the email(s) that are sent to you are tailored based on that information. I found two books that I wanted to read immediately after registering. Personally, I don't like emails so I turned them off and instead visit the site when I'm ready to start a new book (or just download a bunch of new books for my reading queue).

As I explored their site, I wondered how BookBub made any money and how they found all these deeply discounted books. The answer is in their "Partners Overview" under the "Publishers & Authors" section in the footer: it explains how to get a book on the site and the associated cost of that advertising. Therefore, the books are only offered for a limited time based on the submitter's choice. Also, they do not feature the same book more than once every 6 months or feature the same author more than once every 30 days.

While BookBub has requirements for submission (e.g. being error free and a full length book) it does not provide ratings (i.e. you can rate books you've read to get recommendations but there aren't average ratings from other BookBub users for each book). I hope in the future, BookBub considers that an enhancement for their site. For now, consumers should check out ratings wherever they can find them (e.g. retailer website, book review blogs, Good Reads) before purchasing the book.

I think it is a great service great for finding a book to read without a specific title (or even genre) in mind.

Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne

When Disney bought Lucasfilm and announced the production of new Star Wars movies, they didn't want to feel obligated to fit the new content in between the novels of the Expanded Universe, many of which told stories taking place after Return of the Jedi. To keep the fictional planets, plot points, and characters consistent, from now on the Star Wars story group will consult with authors, screenwriters, and game designers regarding the new canon. One of the first novels included in this reboot is Heir to the Jedi, by fantasy author Kevin Hearne in his first foray into the Star Wars galaxy.

The fact that this is the first novel told in first person in the voice of Luke Skywalker was enough to get me intrigued. But a little more research into the development of the book made me wary. This was not originally meant to be a standalone story OR to be the start of the new canon, so in a way it belongs to neither era. Heir to the Jedi had been intended to be the capper of the thematic trilogy Empire and Rebellion, the other two installments having been narrated by Leia Organa and Han Solo. This made it more clear why Han is said to be elsewhere at the time of Hearne's book.

Taking place after A New Hope, in this book we find Luke is still getting used to his role as hero of the rebellion and shaken by the recent death of his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi whose posthumous voice gave Luke advice before the destruction of the Death Star. Soon after Luke borrows the ship of pilot Nakari Kelen, she joins him and becomes a romantic interest. Luke and Nakari are tasked with finding a slicer (hacker) named Drusil who belongs to an alien race known for their prowess with mathematics. I do have to give Hearne credit for introducing two unique female characters in a universe that sorely lacks them, but since Nakari doesn't feature in any of the movies you'd be safe to assume her relationship with Luke isn't meant to last. Fortunately the confidence she gives Luke to practice his Force abilities will sustain his self-teaching until he meets Yoda.

Due to the first-person perspective, the story of Heir to the Jedi is a lot more straightforward than other Star Wars novels I've read. Most of the book consists of the trio hopping through hyperspace between planetary systems, avoiding the Empire and bounty hunters. The plot really isn't much deeper than that. This was not by any means an essential book in the new Star Wars canon, but it's competently written and I enjoyed reading it. When we start getting novels that fill the three decades between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, I will feel a little more compelled to see what the story group has planned.

For more information about Kevin Hearne and his Iron Druid Chronicles, check out his website. To purchase Heir to the Jedi or other Star Wars books go to... almost any bookseller.

Beyond Blackfish

I remember hearing about and looking for footage online when Dawn Brancheau was killed at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium by the killer whale, Tilikum in 2010. The bulk of the information I knew about that incident came much later when the documentary Blackfish came out in 2013. This year, John Hargrove (former SeaWorld trainer) published a memoir: Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish. And just last week Mattel pulled their SeaWorld Trainer Barbie off the shelves. So I started doing some reading about the so-called #Blackfish effect.

Right after Blackfish came out, former SeaWorld trainer Bridgette M. Pirtle (who was not interviewed on screen for Blackfish) talked about her experience. She left SeaWorld in 2011 and, in 2012, found the blog Voice of the Orcas which is run by four ex-SeaWorld Trainers. The film was pitched to her as a way to show that what happened that day in 2010 was not Dawn Brancheau's fault and that appealed to her. After viewing it, she didn't think it did and now regrets her involvement. According to Bridgette, Blackfish director Gabriela Cowperthwaite asked her to “please wait until after award season to criticize Blackfish.” Now she's trying to distance herself from Blackfish. I'm not sure why: like I said, she wasn't on screen or even mentioned in passing.

Next pro-captivity former SeaWorld trainer Mark Simmons talked about his experience with Blackfish. His problem is less with the portrayal of Dawn Brancheau and more with the factual errors. He said "if you’ve ever been in a place in your life where you know something intimately, and to watch a movie about that thing, one that appears very well done, very credible, yet which is a complete perversion of your reality…you’ll know what I felt like." I understand his exasperation: when you watch Blackfish looking for Mark's perspective, he has three or four moments that are either nonsequitur or a segway into the next segment. The one that sticks out to me is when his footage is used to introduce what happened at Loro Parque. I'd be upset too if I gave this interview, providing what I thought was good content, and none of it was used.

At the bottom of Mark's interview, there is a link to Dissecting Blackfish which is "an analysis of editorial choices utilized in the film Blackfish and the book Death at SeaWorld and their relationship to the animal rights movement" which was published by Joe Kleiman in 2014. The essay goes after Blackfish for misrepresenting facts on the treatment, or mistreatment, of killer whales at SeaWorld parks. As I read I started agreeing that Blackfish does place the blame on SeaWorld for the state of marine life in captivity. I understand why: SeaWorld is universally recognizable and they have over half of the captive population of killer whales.

I was most interested in pages 15-19 where Kleiman critiques how footage of Dawn Branchaeu's sister and her foundation was used in the film. It reminded me that although documentaries market themselves as authoritative sources of information, they are not immune to bias and misrepresentation. I think, as a consumer, one has to remember that whenever watching something like this: the filmmaker is going to present information so you interpret it how they want, which may break from reality.

Getting back to the animals: according to Wikipedia, there are 8 other parks with captive killer whales (I'm excluding Loro Parque; those whales are owned by SeaWorld) in similar or worse condition than SeaWorld. I think we make a bad assumption after viewing Blackfish that if we "take down" SeaWorld, those parks will also go down. However, I do think that SeaWorld is an industry leader and if they were to make positive changes it would pressure the other parks out there to do the same. Or it might not and people will start flocking to the Miami Aquarium if SeaWorld throws in the towel.

And speaking of SeaWorld: their response, Truth about Blackfish, points at where Blackfish used footage and narrative to imply that the plight of the killer whale in captivity is 100% on SeaWorld. It also refutes interviewees saying SeaWorld blamed Brancheau. I like to think that SeaWorld wouldn't be so bold as to blame the dead for a horrible tragedy. And honestly, beyond what is said in Blackfish, I don't recall a SeaWorld statement saying that. Now, to the assertions that Blackfish wrongly characterized Tilikum's mental state, I'm not sure anyone can make a precise call on what he's thinking or how he's feeling.

That brings us to what started me on this train of thought: the release of John Hargrove's memoir, Beneath the Surface, and the response to his claims. John doesn't seem troubled by what's out there and says "they're going to pull out everything they can, drag up any dirt they can on me to make me look like this awful person." And SeaWord reportedly provided start-up funding to Awesome Ocean to point out the "unfounded claims and factual inaccuracies about SeaWorld and their killer whale care" made by John in his book.

To be clear, after reading all this information, I do not think that SeaWorld is a haven for killer whales who could not otherwise survive in the wild or that the conditions by which they are kept are good for the whales. But I also do not think SeaWorld is the evil jailer who is asserting their power over these creatures just because they can. I think when this started, the practice of catching and displaying killer whales, we didn't know the detrimental long-term effects on keeping these large animals in small pools and we did just want to learn more about them and provide an easy way for a lot of people to enjoy them. But now we know the problem and I think it's SeaWorld's obligation to be a leader in figuring out how to handle it moving forward.

My opinion: depending on the individual situation, captive killer whales need to be either released into seapens or the open sea.