Skip to main content

Quicksilver

R.J. Anderson is a favorite of mine. I love everything she writes, whether it is fantasy about butt-kicking faeries or mind blowing science-fiction. And boy oh boy is her latest novel, Quicksilver, mind blowing. It will mess with your head in a way only the best books can.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Back in her hometown, Tori Beaugrand had everything a teenaged girl could want—popularity, money, beauty. But she also had a secret. A secret that could change her life in an instant, or destroy it.
Now she’s left everything from her old life behind, including her real name and Alison, the one friend who truly understood her. She can’t escape who and what she is. But if she wants to have anything like a normal life, she has to blend in and hide her unusual... talents.
Plans change when the enigmatic Sebastian Faraday reappears and gives Tori some bad news: she hasn’t escaped her past. In fact, she’s attracted new interest in the form of an obsessed ex-cop turned investigator for a genetics lab.
She has one last shot at getting her enemies off her trail and winning the security and independence she’s always longed for. But saving herself will take every ounce of Tori’s incredible electronics and engineering skills—and even then, she may need to sacrifice more than she could possibly imagine if she wants to be free.


Tori aka. Niki is...just...there is really no one word that can fully embody her awesomeness. (Awesome is so overused. I can think of one acronym that would do her justice, but as I try to avoid using the words the acronym stands for I'll leave that to your own amazing brains to figure out my savvy readers.) She is an engineer with a brilliant scientific and mathematical mind. And the snark that goes with her frustration at not being taken seriously because she is a girl interested in the field makes the reader feel her frustration and want to demand justice for it. (And all the girls like her.) She is steadfast, loyal, and courageous. (I can not stress that last one enough.) Despite Tori's uniqueness and special talents she is still a character that any teenager, or anyone who has ever been a teenager, can identify with. Unlike the de rigueur in most sci-fi/fantasy YA Tori has amazing parents who are present and love her. She loves them back, but often finds herself appalled by them and somewhat mocking of them, at least in her own head. Which is extremely realistic. Take for example these exchanges:
"Who's that boy, honey?" she asked.
"Milo," I said. "You know, from work. He lives around here, so we got off the bus together."
"He's not bad looking," she mused. "For an Asian."
Oh, wow. And she was a pretty nice mom, for a racist.
And
"...So who's the lucky boy?"
Hello, Dad Cliche 32. Nice to know this conversation was still on a predictable course. "Milo Hwang," I said.
There was a fractional silence. Then Dad said, a little too heartily, "Well, good for you. That's...um, great. Hope it works out."
And there it was. Liberal on the outside, redneck conservative deep down. He wouldn't forbid me to see Milo because that would be narrow-minded, but that didn't mean he was ready to invite him over for hockey and popcorn.
Who hasn't experienced moments like this with their parents over SOME topic?

And this brings us to Milo who is also amazing and totally crush worthy. I challenge you to read this book and not find him to be prime crush material, even if Tori's feelings for him are not quite the expected romantic norm. This difference is a real strength to the story and characterization.  I really liked what Anderson did with their relationship, challenging the modern concept that it's all about sex. (It isn't.) Milo is just as fully realized a character as Tori and I can't really say more without spoiling things.

I'm not saying anything about the plot that the synopsis doesn't already tell you, because it is one of those books you have to experience. It is a companion to Ultraviolet (my thoughts), but you can read it without having read Ultraviolet. In fact, Anderson's brilliant-mind-messing writing will have you questioning things that you think you know even if you have read it. I will say I liked Quicksilver more, mostly because of how much I love both Tori and Milo. I also liked the alternative perspective on Sebastian that Tori gives us.

Anyone who loves a good story told by an amazing writer this book is for you. I can not wait until my official copy arrives so I can read it again.

I read a copy made available via NetGalley. Quicksilver's official release date is March 1, but you can currently order it through your local bookstore or Amazon.

Comments

Christina said…
Yay for the Milo love. He is marvelous.

I also agree with you about the snarking of the parental units. Of course, I didn't like their judgment of Milo, but, let's be honest, we all know people whose parents or grandparents are like that, despite the fact that they should know better by now.
Brandy said…
Yes!

I like the realism of acknowledging that people can be good people but still have ugly prejudices. And Tori's reaction to this is so perfect.

Popular posts from this blog

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

Shadowshaper

Shadowshaper  by Daniel José Older is everywhere. Best of lists. Award buzz. Blogs everywhere. It's one of those books everyone is reading and talking about. I had it on my TBR but decided I definitely needed to read it before the year was out just so I could weigh in on one of the most talked about books of 2015 if asked. It is deserving of every good thing said about it. Every. One. Sierra was looking forward to a relaxing summer break. Her plans involved hanging out with her friends and painting. They did not involve being chased by zombie like creatures and threatened by a magical power connected to her family's heritage she has never heard of. When murals begin fading all over her Brooklyn neighborhood, Sierra is perplexed. When her grandfather, who had a stroke, begins to apologize and starts repeating strange phases and insisting Sierra get the help of a boy she barely knows to help her finish her mural, Sierra is concerned but mostly about her grandfather. Then at a

The Field Guide to the North American Teeanager

The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe is a book I picked up on a whim at the bookstore when it first came out. I liked the cover. I thought it had an engaging premise. I went into it with a healthy does of trepidation because the execution could have gone so terribly wrong. Fortunately, Philippe is an excellent character writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading about Norris's adventures in Texas and high school. High school junior Norris Kaplan's life is ruined by his mother when she takes a job that requires them to leave the only home he has ever known in Montreal, Quebec. Moving is always hard, but Norris knows for him it will be harder than it's ever been for anyone else. Norris is moving to Texas. He will be a Canadian living in Texas. Not just a Canadian. A French Canadian who speaks fluent French. And not just your average run-of-the-mill French Canadian. A black son of Haitian immigrant parents French Canadian. If Norris has