Review: THE POINT by John Dixon
The Point by John Dixon 
Published by Del Rey Books on August 7, 2018
Genres: Thriller, Science Fiction
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
MY REVIEW:
I really enjoyed John Dixon’s last two novels, Phoenix Island and Devil’s Pocket. They were fast-paced, action-packed reads that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading them. Since I enjoyed those so much, I was eager to get my hands on a copy of The Point as soon as I heard about it, especially once I read the synopsis and saw that it was set at West Point Military Academy.
The Point follows the story of Scarlett Winter, a rebellious, thrill seeking teenager who has no interest in conforming to whatever life plans her parents have dreamed up for her. She just wants to do her own thing and be left alone.
That is, until one night when she finds herself on the wrong side of the law. Scarlett tries to sneak into a party one of her former friends is having. She knows she’s not invited but thinks it will be a good time to sneak in and shock everyone. Instead, she stumbles upon some other folks who are lurking on the property planting a bomb. She throws herself on the bomb and when it explodes, she walks away, basically unharmed. Witnesses see her at the scene of the crime and before she knows it, two military recruiters come knocking at her door. They know that she has some kind of superhuman power and they present her with an ultimatum – she can either attend West Point and serve in the military for a few years, or she can go to prison.
Scarlett chooses West Point, of course, but has no idea what’s in store for her once she gets there. Can she tame her rebellious nature enough to keep from getting kicked out of West Point? And what happens when a threat from the school’s dark past emerges placing Scarlett and all of her fellow classmates in danger? Scarlett may be the only one with powers great enough to neutralize the threat, but will she rise to the occasion for the greater good?
Scarlett. I’ll confess right now that I was not a big fan of Scarlett’s at first. While I admired her sense of independence and her adventurous spirit, I was a little put off by the way she completely blew off her high school graduation ceremony –without telling her family – so that she could go off and get high with her boyfriend. Scarlett just lets her parents go to the school and sit in that audience, only to end up shocked and embarrassed when her name was called and she’s not there. All I could think at that moment was “What kind of person even does that?”
That said, Scarlett also quickly began to grow on me the more I got to know her and could see firsthand the dysfunctional family dynamic that she was surrounded by. Her father is abusive towards her older brother Dan, who then proceeds to hand down his own brand of abusive behavior to Scarlett, while their mother just sits by and lets it all happen. It became so much easier to understand why Scarlett had such a rebellious streak.
I actually flat out fell in love with Scarlett once she arrives at West Point. I am always one to cheer on an underdog and it’s clear from Scarlett’s first moments on campus that that’s exactly what she is. Everyone around her is out to make her life hell and I became extremely invested in cheering on her successes and seeing her really grow and mature as she comes to embrace a life where she is part of something bigger: the Long Gray Line.
West Point (and The Point). I have a thing for books that are set in schools so I was thrilled to learn that the bulk of this book is set at West Point military academy. Dixon has clearly done his research and beautifully captures the atmosphere of what it’s like for a plebe to walk onto this prestigious campus for the first time. I also thought the whole concept of The Point, a secret training unit for superhumans located beneath the main campus was brilliant.
Superhuman Powers. The superpowers were, by far, my favorite part of The Point. And when I say superpowers, I’m talking X-Men, Marvel, whatever — pick your favorite superhero and imagine someone with their powers being trained to serve as a special strike force in the U.S. military. There are students who can engage in combat using telekinesis, students who can walk through and manipulate the dreams of others, and then there’s Scarlett, who may truly end up being the most important weapon of all: Scarlett has the ability to absorb and temporarily store any raw energy that is directed at her, and then redirect and release it toward whatever target she chooses. I thought it was fascinating to watch Scarlett and her classmates practice and hone their incredible powers.
Excellent Pacing and Lots of Action. If you like a fast-paced novel with plenty of vivid action scenes, you won’t be disappointed. This book grabbed my attention from the first page and I devoured it in a day!
The only issue I had with The Point is that I would have liked the explanation for how those with the superhuman powers actually acquired them to have come earlier in the novel. I was glad to finally get the explanation towards the end of the novel and I thought the explanation itself was very well done, but I would have preferred it earlier so that I didn’t spend so much time wondering about it while reading.
John Dixon’s The Point is an action packed thriller that I’d highly recommend to anyone who enjoys military and/or superhero novels. It also has a powerful coming of age story woven in with Scarlett and her journey, so I’d also recommend it to anyone who likes stories that feature strong heroines.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
What if you had a power you had to hide from everyone–until now? In this bold sci-fi action thriller, a secret training program at West Point is turning misfits into a new generation of heroes.
Welcome to The Point, future leaders of the Posthuman Age.
New Cadets, society is not ready for you. The oldest, fiercest fear is ignorance. The general population would burn you at the metaphorical stake.
Here, you will train alongside other posthumans. You will learn to control and maximize your powers and to use them for the greater good. You will discover camaraderie and purpose.
You will become a part of something bigger than yourselves: the Long Gray Line.Scarlett Winter has always been an outsider, and not only because she’s a hardcore daredevil and born troublemaker–she has been hiding superhuman powers she doesn’t yet understand. Now she’s been recruited by a secret West Point unit for cadets with extraordinary abilities. Scarlett and her fellow students are learning to hone their skills, from telekinetic combat to running recon missions through strangers’ dreamscapes. At The Point, Scarlett discovers that she may be the most powerful cadet of all. With the power to control pure energy, she’s a human nuclear bomb–and she’s not sure she can control her powers much longer.
Even in this army of outsiders, Scarlett feels like a misfit all over again, but when a threat that endangers her fellow students arises from the school’s dark past, duty calls and Scarlett must make a choice between being herself and becoming something even greater: a hero.
About John Dixon
John Dixon’s debut novel, Phoenix Island, and its sequel, Devil’s Pocket, won back-to-back Bram Stoker Awards and inspired the CBS TV series Intelligence. A former boxer, teacher, and stone mason, John lives in West Chester, PA, with his wife, their daughter, and a freeloading dog. When not reading or writing, he obsesses over boxing, chess, and hot peppers.
Review: THE MERMAID by Christina Henry
The Mermaid by Christina Henry Also by this author: The Girl in Red
Published by BERKLEY on June 19, 2018
Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 325
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
MY REVIEW:
Christina Henry’s The Mermaid is a captivating reimaging of the FeeJee Mermaid, one of P.T. Barnum’s infamous hoaxes from the 1840’s. In Henry’s version of the tale, the Mermaid is not a hoax at all. Amelia is a real, live mermaid who lives in the sea until one day when a fisherman catches her in his net. When their eyes meet, Amelia instantly knows that she wants to spend her life with this man, and so when he cuts her free from his net, instead of fleeing to safety, Amelia chooses to come ashore, find the fisherman, and live as his wife. They live together in a cabin overlooking the ocean until the fisherman is lost at sea and Amelia is left all alone.
Rumors about the existence of a mermaid reach the ears of P.T. Barnum, who is always on the lookout for new attractions for his museum. When he hears about Amelia, he knows she is sure to be a money maker for him if he can convince her to join him. He sends an associate to find her and after meeting Barnum, Amelia agrees to play the mermaid in one of Barnum’s attractions. She sets her own terms – a 6 month contract and enough money to be able travel anywhere in the world she wishes to go – and they sign a contract.
At first Amelia is somewhat intrigued by the idea of showing the world what a real mermaid looks like, but the more she sees of humanity and how people behave, the less enamored she is with the idea and the more determined she is to leave the show as soon as her contract is up.
Will Amelia ultimately be free to leave Barnum when her contract is up or will Barnum’s determination to hold on to his moneymaker lead him to try and stand in her way?
Appealing main character. I was drawn to Amelia from the first moment we meet her. First of all, I loved that Henry chose not to give Amelia the half woman half fish appearance that typically comes to mind when we think of mermaids. Instead, she gives Amelia the appearance of being something truly born from the sea. Her body is completely covered in silvery scales and she doesn’t really resemble a human in any way. In addition to giving her this unexpected appearance, Henry also makes Amelia’s transformation from mermaid to human and vice versa sound so beautiful. I loved the idea that it was solely Amelia’s choice which form she took and that all she needed was sand to become human and ocean water to turn back into a mermaid. I thought Henry just did such a beautiful job of bringing this mythology to life.
What really captivated me about Amelia, however, wasn’t really the way she looked. It had more to do with the feminist twist that Henry gives her. Amelia is a force to be reckoned with, a woman ahead of her time, and it’s mainly because coming from the sea, she really has no idea how society expects women to behave. The more she learns about society’s expectations for women, the more she begins to dislike the whole idea of society. She values her own freedom and independence above all else, and she has no use for anyone who tries to stand in her way and hold her back. Because of this, she stands up to Barnum and challenges him in ways that he never expects to be challenged. Barnum is portrayed as kind of a jerk as well so it makes it very easy to cheer Amelia on.
Atmospheric writing: The Mermaid is not what I would consider to be a fast paced novel. Instead, it’s one of those novels where the storytelling is just so exquisite I felt as if a spell was being cast over me drawing me deeper and deeper into the tale with each page that I read.
Henry’s use of vivid descriptions made me feel like I had stepped back in time to 1840’s America. I could feel my nose wrinkling in disgust at some of the less savory smells that were present on the streets of a less than sanitary New York City. In contrast, Henry’s attention to detail also made me feel like I was at the ocean with Amelia. I could practically hear the waves slapping the shore and smell the salt in the air. Henry’s writing reminds me very much of Alice Hoffman’s, which is a good thing since Hoffman is one of my favorites.
Social commentary: For the most part, The Mermaid reads like part fairy tale/part historical fiction. It’s whimsical and almost otherworldly at times because of the mermaid’s presence and the mythology surrounding her, but at the same time, the story also contains a powerful social commentary on the lack of women’s rights and about how restricting societal expectations for women were during this time period. It becomes especially evident in scenes between Amelia and Barnum’s wife, Charity. There are many times when Charity is the one who seems like she’s living in a cage rather than Amelia. Amelia even begins to pity Charity because she has so little freedom.
Amelia not only sees and speaks out against the fundamental wrongness of this lack of rights for women, but she also exposes how inhumane humans can actually be. She is appalled by the idea that Barnum thinks he has a right to own people or animals, and she is also dismayed when the mermaid tour travels south and she sees slaves working the fields and being mistreated. Through Amelia’s eyes, Henry delivers a pretty clear message that humans could use a little more humanity.
The only issue I really had with the novel was the character of Levi Lyman. He is the associate of Barnum’s who is sent to find the Mermaid in the first place. I liked him well enough, especially in the sense that he clearly had Amelia’s best interests at the forefront of his mind at all times. My only issue was that it felt like I didn’t really get to know nearly as much about him as I would have liked. Same thing with Barnum’s wife, Charity. They both intrigued me and while there were hints of what they were like, I just wanted a little more.
The Mermaid is a beautifully written story that is sure to captivate fans of both historical fiction and mythology. One caveat I’ll add is that Henry admits she has written the version of Barnum that she needed for this story, so I’d recommend taking this portrayal of him with a grain of salt since this isn’t meant to be a biography. It is an exquisite work of fiction though and I fully expect it to land of my list of favorite 2018 reads.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
From the author of Lost Boy comes a historical fairy tale about a mermaid who leaves the sea for love and later finds herself in P.T. Barnum’s American Museum as the real Fiji mermaid. However, leaving the museum may be harder than leaving the sea ever was.
Once there was a mermaid who longed to know of more than her ocean home and her people. One day a fisherman trapped her in his net but couldn’t bear to keep her. But his eyes were lonely and caught her more surely than the net, and so she evoked a magic that allowed her to walk upon the shore. The mermaid, Amelia, became his wife, and they lived on a cliff above the ocean for ever so many years, until one day the fisherman rowed out to sea and did not return.\
P. T. Barnum was looking for marvelous attractions for his American Museum, and he’d heard a rumor of a mermaid who lived on a cliff by the sea. He wanted to make his fortune, and an attraction like Amelia was just the ticket.
Amelia agreed to play the mermaid for Barnum, and she believes she can leave any time she likes. But Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life, and he’s determined to hold on to his mermaid.
About Christina Henry
CHRISTINA HENRY is the author of the CHRONICLES OF ALICE duology, ALICE and RED QUEEN, a dark and twisted take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as LOST BOY: THE TRUE STORY OF CAPTAIN HOOK, an origin story of Captain Hook from Peter Pan.
She is also the author of the national bestselling BLACK WINGS series (BLACK WINGS, BLACK NIGHT, BLACK HOWL, BLACK LAMENT, BLACK CITY, BLACK HEART and BLACK SPRING) featuring Agent of Death Madeline Black and her popcorn-loving gargoyle Beezle.
ALICE was chosen as one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2015. It was also a Goodreads Choice Award nominee in Horror and one of Barnes & Noble’s Bestselling Science Fiction and Fantasy novels of 2015.
She enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with samurai, zombies and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.
Summer TBR Wipeout 2018: Update #2
It’s time for my second update for the Summer TBR Wipeout Challenge hosted by The Candid Cover! It feels like this challenge has just flown by, but regardless, I’ve managed to knock a lot of books off my TBR so I’m very happy with my progress. My original goal for the challenge was to read 15 books and to try to stick as closely to my tentative TBR as possible. For the first update, I was able to read 6 books and for this second update, I read another 6 and am about two-thirds of the way through a seventh book. I did veer from my tentative TBR a little but overall I think I did pretty well following it, especially considering what a mood reader I am.
Anyway, so going into the final stretch of the challenge, I’ve read 12 2/3 books, which means I’ve almost achieved my goal. I still have 5 unread books from my original TBR, however, so I’m going to really strive to finish all of those. We’ll see how it goes!
COMPLETED BOOKS
NEARLY COMPLETED
WHAT I PLAN TO READ NEXT
