The Defector

/5     

Character Development         5

Editing                                   5

Sex                                         0

Violence                                 5

Romance                               1

Readability/Flow                  5

Someone should have really prepared me for this book before I started ... or maybe it was better that I found out for myself. This is one dark puppy! I may be dating myself here but, do you remember the short story 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson? Great short story - another dark puppy! I loved 'The Lottery'. I guess it appealed to my dark side. 'The Defector' appealed to that same side. 

Janec is likely the most evil character I have ever met in a work of fiction. The games he came up with were bizarre, genius, really, really, really sick and twisted. The book does explain what the Prisoner's Dilemma is in detail. In fact the entire plot is basically an enactment of how the dilemma can be used for evil. I don't think I can do it justice by explaining it here but the first paragraph in the foreword gives an overview:

The Prisoner's Dilemma - n. A philosophical conundrum enacted through a game with two participants which gives an insight into the behavior of the individual in society. 

OK, the definition is dull but the book is definitely not dull. Ever.

Martin is the protagonist in the story. He is just your average Joe off the street. Until he gets mixed up with Janec and the games begin. Janec loves his games. Martin isn't too fond of them. I was impressed with Martin's resilience and luck. He pulled off some fantastic escapes! He was smarter than either he or Janec expected. I loved that Martin learned so much about himself as the novel progressed. 

Kate was the love interest in the book. She provided the love triangle angle and the perfect pawn for Janec. I didn't like her at all. She seemed so shallow to me. Not really worth fighting for. But what I thought of her really doesn't matter. It's what Marin thought of her that made all the difference to the story.

There were definitely times, when reading the book, that I just wanted to stop. Some of Janec's evil games were almost too evil for me. But Mark Chisnell's writing style drew me in and wouldn't let me go. Just the same way Janec wouldn't let Martin go. The fear, felt by those unlucky enough to get on Janec's bad side, was palpable. In fact, I finished the book over an hour ago and my stomach is still in a small knot. Decompression could take a while. 

This is definitely a book for the Halloween season. You want scary, this book has it in spades. Nothing paranormal or otherworldly, but weird and scary for sure. 

A Taste from page 132:

Kate looked at me. Neither of us needed to say it. Of course it is, Martin, I could hear the words in Janec's voice. Feel the fear pounding in my gut. I leaned back against the concrete wall. 'We have to disappear, evaporate. No other choices. We have to run and hide somewhere he can't find us.'

True Grime Book Tour

Book Details:

Genre:Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Mystery
Publisher: Blueberry Hill
Publication Date: August 2011

Synopsis:

Grime cop and teen fairy Pepper Powder lives for one thing: protecting the human species from magical zealots who seek to eradicate them with Violent Illness of Unusual Resistance and Strength (humans call them “viruses,” but their mistake is understandable. The very young often get their words wrong.). When a terrorist leader releases a necrophage bomb, it not only decimates Grime headquarters, it turns Pepper into the magical world’s first fairy amputee—but she’s not going to let a little thing like a missing leg stop her. To catch her criminal, and prevent him from unleashing a VIURS in one of the human world’s biggest shopping centers, West Edmonton Mall, she goes undercover as a human. But once Pepper's theories of humanity collide with the reality of bullies, cliques, and environmental destruction, will she still believe humanity's worth saving?

My Thoughts:

Where do I even start? This book was so much fun to read! The first best part was the setting. Not only is the book set in Canada (so much easier for a Canadian reader to visualize) but it is set in Edmonton, Alberta!! Yay!! For those of you not in the know, I live in Sherwood Park, Alberta which is about a two minute drive to the outskirts of Edmonton. I loved reading about places I know so well. West Edmonton Mall - I go there (when I have to). Hawrelak Park, Terwillegar: I know them. How Edmonton looks in the snow, how it feels, sounds, smells: got that. Those of you from places like New York, Boston, London, Paris, etc., get to read about places you know all the time but not so much for me. It was a treat and perfectly described.  

Knowing that most of you don't live in or near Edmonton, I am anticipating your question: so what's in it for me? Well, good question. Can I answer it with a few questions of my own? Do you like smart, fast paced, fun, dialog? Well developed characters? Action and a little romance? You will find them all in 'True Grime'. I especially laughed at the magical worlds use of acronyms. They didn't have to make a lot of sense as long as they sounded good. Those are acronyms I can get behind!

The part that worried me before I started to read was that I am not a huge fantasy fan. The fact of fairies as main characters and a whole magical world living parallel to ours, didn't sound like my kind of thing. I was wrong. I loved Pepper and Harley - even if they were fairies. And their take on the human world made me laugh and also think about how we see ourselves - and things we should see but sometimes refuse to see. I wish I were a straddler! (read the book, you'll wish you were one, too)

Natasha Deen has done an amazing job of intertwining the mystery and action plot with a message of environmental responsibility. I may not agree with all of her ideology but there was not one time I felt like I was being preached at or lectured. She managed to subtly make her points while entertaining me at the same time. 

I know the teenage group will enjoy this novel but I enjoyed it just as much! As a reader I connected so strongly with the characters and the story that I am already missing both. Hopefully there will be more Grime adventures in the future!

As a bit of a taste can I give you my favorite quote from page 53? Loca, the bat-fairy is talking to an injured Pepper who has been told she is not indispensable:

"He may not think you're not indispensable, but he's wrong. You're a good creature, Pepper, and good creatures aren't just indispensable, they're irreplaceable."

 /5     

Character Development          5

Editing                                     5

Sex                                          0

Violence                                  1

Romance                                 4

Readability/Flow                    5

Author Bio:

When I was little, there was only one thing I wanted to be: a superhero. But there came a day when my dreams were broken, and that was the day I realized that being a klutz was not, in fact, a super power, and my super weakness for anything bright and shiny meant a magpie with self-control could easily defeat me in a battle of wills. I turned to writing as a way to sharpen my mental super-hero skills. I don’t get to orbit the earth in a space station (and thank God, because I get sick on merry go round), but I do get to say things like: “Stand aside! This is a job for Writing Girl!!”

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The Next Stop:

October 20-Words By Webb (Review/Interview)

Purchase Links: 

Amazon|BarnesAndNoble

***Sorry*** I have no idea what is going on with the white highlighting but I can't seem to get rid of it. Maybe the magical world is having a little fun with me?