~2.5 Stars~If I'm being totally honest, I was a little disappointed by this book. It's got that feeling that I tend to call my favorite genre - darker, bloodier, more intense than a lot of books. But it sort of fell flat for me. First, though, the things I did like, and that was a) the writing and b) the super minor side characters. The writing was really good. The description was vivid and you really did get a good picture of what was going on. The super minor side characters, like Matt, who was conscious in the story for about two chapters, and Kate, who came in near the end, were so much fun. I loved them, but the problem was that I didn't really love the main characters.They were okay, I guess. Jamie did some things that made me groan sometimes, and I liked Larissa on and off. If I liked her, I really liked her. If I didn't... well, I really didn't. Other characters, like Frankenstein and a few others, barely caught my attention. As well as that, the three main twists at the end - I saw two out of three of them coming, and I don't usually even make predictions on books because I'm usually wrong. I'm really bad predicting the ends of books, but I got most of this one. The plot itself kept me engaged for fifty pages, and then I'd be completely bored the next fifty. It kept switching off, and I just overall didn't really enjoy it.I might have liked it better if I was younger. I remember reading a lot of stuff like this when I was younger, so maybe that's the case. Either way, this would be a fun book for maybe an eighth grade boy who wanted to get into reading, but I'm not sure who else would like it. Vampires, they have really captured the imagination have they not? Even though the fad caused by the success of the Twilight series is beginning to fade (thank the Emperor) no one can deny that vampires have left an indelible mark on culture, both on and off the page. They are an undeniable entry to the lexicon of monsters and myth and will no doubt continue for a long time to come. Today is one of those marks: Department 19. The Story: Jamie Carpenter is a bullied high schooler, whose mother has been kidnapped by strange creatures. His father has also disappeared. He is soon discovered by a secret organization called Department 19. Jamie needs their help to find his mother but an older conspiracy from deep in his family’s history is stirring and Jamie will have to fight for the future, alongside his allies from Department 19. The Good: The setting is very well done. It takes place in Britain, and Department 19 is stated as a extension of the British government, and numerous references are made to Britain and British culture. Unlike a lot of stories which take place in Cityville, Country Name, this story is specific rather than generic without overdoing it. Sometimes its better that way. Secret are always a fun plot device. We like to think there are secrets all around us and adds another layer of mystery to our world. In spite of a sluggish start, the text is energetic and action-packed and it does pick up near the end so the reader can become invested in the characters and see how it all turns out. One of the hardest parts of writing young adult fiction is making the young adult star act his or her age. The author does a good job of making Jamie’s reactions, particularly a bullied outcasts, seem very authentic and how he reacts with fear to a lot of the very frightening situations he finds himself in. The Bad:A good way to determine how ‘good’ a book is, is how long it takes to complete it. If one reads it in an afternoon, that probably means that the reader enjoyed the story and really wanted to know what happened next. If a book sits on your desk, a few chapters in for days or weeks at time and you still have not picked it up, that probably means that the reader does not care for it too much and the author stumbled in a few places. This book is one the latter. The bottom line is that Department 19 is not new. Everything inside has been done before in one way or another. The book is just one long amalgamation of cliches. Bullied Protagonist? Seen it. Secret Government Organization? Been Done. Secret Government Organization Dedicated to the Paranormal? Seen it already. Bullied Protagonist actually descendent of great hero? Hero’s journey anyone? Hidden Sect of Killer Vampires. Done. To. Death. Bookworm has not read many ‘vampire’ stories but even he can tell this author’s vampire mythos is overdone. Even one of the main characters, (no spoilers) while in of itself is not a bad character, is designed after a character of the same name from a movie. Granted, this how the character is perceived in great deal of media. But that makes it worse! The author didn’t try to make his own twist on the character, he just copied what everyone else did. It’s lazy and unoriginal. The pacing is off as well. It does pick up significantly near the end but in all the chapters preceding, it is extremely muddled. There are several flashback chapters throughout but the trick with those is coordinating them with the present chapters so the past and present form a cohesive narrative. It does not work, and make the reader force his way to the next page rather than flow towards it. Final Verdict:Department 19 was a disappointment, plain and simple. Expecting a daring tale of a secret society battling evil, what we got was a muddled, boring, cliched mess. Perhaps a few one or two good vampire books came in the wake of Twilight, but this is not one of them. Perhaps the first sign of trouble was the fact it was on the bargain rack. 2 out of 5 stars.
What do You think about Die Mission (2012)?
Fast-paced, awesome book, tons of action keeps you on the edge of your seat!
—ydm2
Now I'm only a teenager this book was the thing that got me into reading
—Mcgwen
Really loved this book. It kept me hooked the whole way through.
—semplicementenadia
