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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Depressingly close to the real situation in Australia - inhumane government, exploitation and ill treatment of refugees....
Strong sequel. Thoughtful, but fast paced. I think the perspective change was a solid choice.
Review Copy: Library/Purchased
I have to say this straight out. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! So much that I read it twice and was enthralled the second time. While We Run is just that good. The first time I read it was during summer vacation and I think I read the book in a matter of hours. I couldn’t put it down. Karen Healey’s pacing in this sequel is much better balanced with heavy hitting points mixed with quiet moments between characters that really showcase the relationships in this novel. The themes Healey presents as well, such as the concept of collateral damage, she handles with skill and a deftness that allows explores the grey areas of political revolutions. Many YA dystopian novels that focus on revolution often have an “Us vs. Them” mentality and the fight is usually a “good vs. evil” trope. While Abdi, Tegan, and their friends view the Australian government as evil, through their experiences they eventually learn what it means to have to make those tough decisions and that sometimes you have to lose to win. It’s a very grown up lesson to learn and Healey presents those ideas well.
The one aspect of the novel that I loved the most was Abdi’s voice. In When We Wake, I enjoyed Abdi’s presence in Tegan’s life and found him to be a well-rounded character, love interest for her. While We Run is told entirely from Abdi’s perspective and he is a fascinating character. I felt his voice is much stronger than Tegan’s, more introspective and thoughtful, owning a maturity far beyond his 17 years. He often very blunt with the reader while at the same time hiding information from the other characters. In Healey’s sequel, we get a real sense of Abdi’s inner self, what drives him, and what made him the deep thinker he is. Because he is still a teenager, he does make some stupid mistakes but unlike some YA characters, he does own up to them, eventually. He is also able to take criticism from his friends, internalize it and then work to change his behavior. I have to say that is one quality that I loved in him. Healey also handles instances of racism that Abdi experiences and comments on extremely well. These are usually comments that Abdi keeps to himself and rarely says aloud, and by doing that, Healey captured the internal dialogue a person of color usually has to racist comments or experiences. I greatly respect writers who understand that when writing cross culturally, characters of color would have to internalize their reactions to racist situations. I feel like Healey did her homework when writing Abdi and it shows; I practically feel in love with him.
I don’t know if there is a 3rd book planned for the series, but I hope there is one. I want to know what happens to Abdi and Tegan next, what their future holds, and how they handle the decisions they made at the end of the novel. The world that Healey created is very believable and one that I’m not ready to leave just yet. In the meantime, I’ll just read While We Run one more time.
Recommendation: GET IT NOW!
Originally posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/09/book-review-while-we-run/
I have to say this straight out. I LOVED THIS BOOK!! So much that I read it twice and was enthralled the second time. While We Run is just that good. The first time I read it was during summer vacation and I think I read the book in a matter of hours. I couldn’t put it down. Karen Healey’s pacing in this sequel is much better balanced with heavy hitting points mixed with quiet moments between characters that really showcase the relationships in this novel. The themes Healey presents as well, such as the concept of collateral damage, she handles with skill and a deftness that allows explores the grey areas of political revolutions. Many YA dystopian novels that focus on revolution often have an “Us vs. Them” mentality and the fight is usually a “good vs. evil” trope. While Abdi, Tegan, and their friends view the Australian government as evil, through their experiences they eventually learn what it means to have to make those tough decisions and that sometimes you have to lose to win. It’s a very grown up lesson to learn and Healey presents those ideas well.
The one aspect of the novel that I loved the most was Abdi’s voice. In When We Wake, I enjoyed Abdi’s presence in Tegan’s life and found him to be a well-rounded character, love interest for her. While We Run is told entirely from Abdi’s perspective and he is a fascinating character. I felt his voice is much stronger than Tegan’s, more introspective and thoughtful, owning a maturity far beyond his 17 years. He often very blunt with the reader while at the same time hiding information from the other characters. In Healey’s sequel, we get a real sense of Abdi’s inner self, what drives him, and what made him the deep thinker he is. Because he is still a teenager, he does make some stupid mistakes but unlike some YA characters, he does own up to them, eventually. He is also able to take criticism from his friends, internalize it and then work to change his behavior. I have to say that is one quality that I loved in him. Healey also handles instances of racism that Abdi experiences and comments on extremely well. These are usually comments that Abdi keeps to himself and rarely says aloud, and by doing that, Healey captured the internal dialogue a person of color usually has to racist comments or experiences. I greatly respect writers who understand that when writing cross culturally, characters of color would have to internalize their reactions to racist situations. I feel like Healey did her homework when writing Abdi and it shows; I practically feel in love with him.
I don’t know if there is a 3rd book planned for the series, but I hope there is one. I want to know what happens to Abdi and Tegan next, what their future holds, and how they handle the decisions they made at the end of the novel. The world that Healey created is very believable and one that I’m not ready to leave just yet. In the meantime, I’ll just read While We Run one more time.
Recommendation: GET IT NOW!
Originally posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/09/book-review-while-we-run/
I enjoyed When We Wake but I absolutely fell in love with When We Run!! So well done. I'm not good at reviews but, it was amazing!
Ooooooo...I like this one even better. I guess I just prefer the character of Abdi to Tegan, though not by a lot. He is just more reasoned and honest and unsure and mysterious. So, the rest of the story told from his point of view is both a nice change and a welcome respite from what I feel was the less-believable Tegan narrative. I dunno. I'm just not a big fan of character worship...and it seemed worship-ful at times. Just sayin...
Oh, and I love the settings of Healey's books. Australia/NZ/Tasmania is such a wonderful change for me to read!!!
Oh, and I love the settings of Healey's books. Australia/NZ/Tasmania is such a wonderful change for me to read!!!
Kind of disappointing and slightly boring. The first book was so great that I expected more from this.
I read the first in this series last year or the year before, and so a lot of the plot had slipped my memory. However, there is enough given within the plot of this one that it didn't matter. And bits came back to me throughout.
This is a fast-paced teen novel set in Australia's future. Tegan is the first successful cryogenic re-awakening (killed by a sniper's bullet meant for somebody else, a hundred years ago (which is also in our future)); Abdi is a Somali student on scholarship to Australia. They meet, etc. etc. But they are also caught up in torture and political manoeuvring. Just who can you trust, when you are starting to believe the lies they are forcing you to tell?!
This is a fast-paced teen novel set in Australia's future. Tegan is the first successful cryogenic re-awakening (killed by a sniper's bullet meant for somebody else, a hundred years ago (which is also in our future)); Abdi is a Somali student on scholarship to Australia. They meet, etc. etc. But they are also caught up in torture and political manoeuvring. Just who can you trust, when you are starting to believe the lies they are forcing you to tell?!
What I Thought: While We Run was a a great sequel and an equally as great end to the series. This time, the story is told from Abdi's point of view - and we pick up after Tegan and Abdi have been with SADU for a while, pawns in their little game. After being tortured and spouting lies to rich people, both Abdi and Tegan are close to giving up, when they get rescued by a band of people called "Save Tegan".
While We Run was very different to the first book, and I found it a lot darker, which was difficult to handle. Our duo got themselves into tight spots in the first book, but this was different. Their entire being was changed, and it put a huge impact on the story.
Despite this, I did like how the story went. There were several twists and turns, none of which I really saw coming. This added to the intensity of the book and I couldn't really put it down! So if you have read the first book, you definitely need to get to this one!
**Sorry for the short review - I wasn't sure how to write my feelings without giving too much away.
The Good: Healey managed to end the book in a way I certainly didn't expect. It wasn't "perfect" but it fit the setting perfectly.
The Bad: Abdi and Tegan went through a lot, but Tegan seemed to deal with everything a lot better. A lot of it depressed me, especially when it was brought up over and over throughout the story.
Rating: 4 stars
While We Run was very different to the first book, and I found it a lot darker, which was difficult to handle. Our duo got themselves into tight spots in the first book, but this was different. Their entire being was changed, and it put a huge impact on the story.
Despite this, I did like how the story went. There were several twists and turns, none of which I really saw coming. This added to the intensity of the book and I couldn't really put it down! So if you have read the first book, you definitely need to get to this one!
**Sorry for the short review - I wasn't sure how to write my feelings without giving too much away.
The Good: Healey managed to end the book in a way I certainly didn't expect. It wasn't "perfect" but it fit the setting perfectly.
The Bad: Abdi and Tegan went through a lot, but Tegan seemed to deal with everything a lot better. A lot of it depressed me, especially when it was brought up over and over throughout the story.
Rating: 4 stars
Started off a little clunky (or maybe it's just that I hate torture scenes?) but then got going and (I thought) was actually better than the first, more nuanced and complex in its politics.