Skinned

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Lia Kahn has just died in a car accident. She is alive though. But she is no longer Lia Kahn. She has been skinned. Welcome to the world of the future, where people who die can be "downloaded' into new bodies and become immortal. Lia, an car accident victim, has become a recipient of this new technology. But everything has it's drawbacks. She must relearn how to speak, how to walk, and she must learn how to survive in a world that is against her new "race", the mechs. For Lia is no longer the popular girl living an idyllic life of ease, and her problems do not end there. Skinned is a stunning tale about rebirth and self-discovery that tests the very limits of human nature.

Rating: 
This book was great in terms of description and world-creation but what really brought it down was the characters. I just don't feel as if they were believable; it was almost as if they were mediocre actors who didn't know much about the people they were supposed to be imitating. Also, the plot was sometimes a bit difficult to follow (although maybe that is because I read the second book before reading this one... oops) owing largely to the made-up terms that were used liberally throughout the book.

Overall: Eh... The book is decent but you may find yourself getting bored or exasperated at times.

The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
Imagine you have less than six days to save the world, rescue your half-brother, and retrieve a long-lost artifact. Fortunately, you have six other demigods on your team, ready to battle the forces of evil and to survive, or die with you. This is the situation Annabeth and the rest of the Argo II crew find themselves in. Riordan again weaves a masterful story filled with suspense, adventure and supernatural enemies. The demigods from two sides, Camp Half-Blood and the Roman camp must learn how to work together, despite starting off on the wrong foot due to Gaea's trickery. While the Romans and Greeks are preparing to battle, the seven must work together, journeying through the most dangerous waters in demigod history, battling ever more deadly monsters. They manage to combine forces despite their different aspirations and abilities, yet there is always catch. Will the demigods be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save their friends?

Rating: 
You can never really go wrong with Rick Riordan but I felt as if this book was missing just that little something, something that would make it exceptional rather than merely great. I believe that this is largely due to how all of the Percy Jackson books are remarkably similar and sometimes, the same thing gets stale after a while. Also, the humor was mostly intended for younger audiences.

Overall: I would recommend it but a bit less enthusiastically...