Book Challenge Update: Shade's Children

I finished another book for my book challenge.  I know I'm a machine.  Its for the What's in a Name Challenge.  I finished the book for my live stage goal, reading Shade's Children by Garth Nix. 

that is not how I pictured the creatures

I was pretty certain I was going to like this book as I really like Garth Nix's writing.  I've not read the Keys to the Kingdom series, but the Abhorsen series is fantastic (highly recommend it).  Garth Nix is one of a set of Australian authors I really like. You should give it a try.

isle of cool stuff

Back to Shade's Children.  Its is a modern sci-fi story based on the premise that one day (15 years before) all the grown ups get winked away.  The children are then rounded up and on their 13th birthdays they get taken away to be turned into inhumane killing machines. 

Note - no kangaroos are found in the book

The story is very well done and really well told (as expected) making it a really fun book to read.  The characters are well drawn and interesting.  Learning of the children's (teens) adventures is very fun. Its kind of a dark tale, but not too dark (Still appropriate for teens).  My only issue with the story is that the end came to soon and therefore lack a bit of the punch.  I feel there was a lot of lead up a mid-length fight and then the conclusion.  It is a stand alone book and quite short, so the story really flies by.  I feel if it was two books instead of the one it would be great rather than really really good.  It also was a bit lacking in grit from an adult perspective though its suppose to be teen fiction, so I get it. 

Garth

This a great book for teens.  And a very enjoyable for adults.  It would help to like sci-fi, but you don't need to love jargon filled tome like sci-fi.