Review: Very Entertaining Series; Hope We See More of Maddy and His World
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 21, 2014
I read three books by Nick Pirog, prior to reading "Borns", the second in the Maddy Young series. Two were contemporary mystery/suspense books featuring the protagonist, Thomas Prescott. The third book was the first book in the Maddy Young series. I liked all three books and looked forward to reading more in both series. Unfortunately, there were no new books available at that time. That has since been remedied and there are now new books available in both series.The Maddy Young books are set in a place that is obviously not present-day Earth. The first book leaves the reader in some doubt as to exactly where the protagonist, Maddy Young, has landed. Maddy died, or did he? If he did die, then where is he? Is he in limbo, purgatory, some celestial waiting area, an alternate earth, or in a future earth? Why is he there? How did he get there?Maddy and the reader know there is something suspicious going on, and we know the society in which Maddy finds himself, is not what it appears to be on the surface. In the first book, the author builds a new world, introduces important characters, and provides the foundation for future books in the series. The book does have a conclusion, but it is not the end of the story."Borns" picks up where book one left off. Maddy begins to find answers and he begins to understand that he has become an unwilling participant in a longstanding war between Borns and normal humans. He is forced to choose sides and he discovers more about what is happening. The immediate story line in this book is resolved, but the stage is set for what comes next for Maddy and his friends in future books.Maddy is an interesting character. He is irreverent, iconoclastic, resistant to authority, sometimes sarcastic, pragmatic, whimsical, funny and committed to the underdog and to what he sees as an honourable path. Other characters are well-drawn and the story moves along at a good pace. So far, I am enjoying the series and am looking forward to reading more about Maddy and his world.There are a few things that might be an issue for some readers. There were minor problems with grammar, and spell check allowed the wrong words to be used a few times, because the spelling was correct. I noticed this, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. There was also mild profanity and allusions to sex. I felt it was used judiciously and fit into the dialogue, story line and the characters' personalities; it was not gratuitous or excessive. The only reason I mentioned the grammar, language and sexual references is because I know some reviewers give low ratings for books with that content, when they were expecting a perfectly clean read. So I would not recommend this book to anyone who has an exceptionally low to no tolerance for the above-mentioned content.On the other hand, if you are the type of reader who likes a well-written, entertaining story to while away an afternoon, if you like a slightly irreverent, very likeable hero, a cast of interesting characters, and a Saturday afternoon matinee movie plot, then I recommend this book. On the surface, it is a fun read, it has some serious undertones, it is a bit over-the-top in places, and it would play out nicely as a movie.Who knows why something appeals to some people and not others? Nick Pirog's writing appeals to me, though, so I hope he continues to entertain us with his writing.