Meteor Men - Review

On a summer night, Alden Baylor sits in a field watching the largest meteor shower in human history.What begins as teenage adventure becomes something more - the celestial event brings travelers who will change the world completely, and Alden discovers a connection to one of them. How does a young man who had to grow up fast handle the invasion of his planet? Can Alden keep humanity from oblivion? From writer Jeff Parker (Aquaman, Hulk) and artist Sandy Jarrell (Batman'66) comes this story of adolescence, friendship, and hard decisions.

Meteor Men by Jeff Parker, Sandy Jarrell and KevinVolo 

Read July 6, 2014

Find it on GoodReads

Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review:

*Thanks to the publisher, Diamond Book Distributors, for the free review copy via Netgalley.*

This is a hard book for me to review, simply because I wasn't quite sure what I thought of it - even as I was reading it. One thing's for sure, "Meteor Men" had a very memorable story line. There were twists and turns in it that I hadn't even considered as possibilities for where the book might go. The art wasn't my absolute favorite, but it was definitely good and really held my attention throughout the storytelling.

Without giving too much away, I'll say that I enjoyed the uniqueness of the aliens and their capabilities. Everything about them was intriguing even by the end, as well as some of the finer points of how Alden, our MC, was involved with them. I would definitely recommend this to science fiction fans and I'm sure that it will gain many fans once published.

Pinocchio Vampire Slayer - PREVIEW

Pinocchio Vampire Slayer by Van Jensens

Read July 6, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 stars

This puppet may not be a real boy... but he just might be a real hero! When bloodthirsty monsters invade Pinocchio's hometown and kill his father, Geppetto, Pinocchio discovers a new benefit to his magical nose: telling lies produces a never-ending supply of wooden stakes to combat the vampire hordes! Will Pinocchio be able to defeat these horrors, avenge his father, and save his friends? Now, for the first time, the complete trilogy is collected together in a single deluxe softcover edition. Jensen (Green Lantern Corps) and Higgins (Knights of the Living Dead) present a captivating blend of comedy, horror, romance, and adventure, rooted in the original Italian novel, but brought - as if by magic - to new life.

My Review:



*An extended preview of this novel was provided by the publisher, Diamond Book Distributors, in exchange for a review. The fact that I received a free copy has in no way influenced my review, nor have I received any compensation.*

In this interesting take on the classic Pinocchio our hero, Pinocchio obviously, has an interesting way of taking out the vampires. Lie, break off nose, stab vampire, repeat. In my opinion this makes it much more unique than the many scores of classic vampire retellings that have made an appearance in recent years. Unlike most of the many books that have surfaced "Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer" has more to it than taking the same story and adding vampires to it. Instead it expands on the original tale and gives it a new level of depth, differentiating from the original tale so that it becomes something new and original. 

The illustrations were also very well done, there was consistency in their quality and there was definitely quality. The humans and puppets alike looked realistic enough to be believable, but not overly so. 

The only real reason I didn't give this book a higher rating was because there were some grammatical errors. Perhaps once I read the entire work I will give it a higher rating, because I will quite possibly better understand how the particular characters talk.

The Artful - Review

The Artful by Wilbert Stanton

Read June 23, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 stars











New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world.
Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels - their playground. They aren't heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.
On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world

My Review:

*Thanks to the publisher, Curiosity Quills Press, for the free review copy via Netgalley.*

Possible Spoilers of a Minor Nature

The Artful by Wilbert Stanton has become one of my favorite books of the year so far. It features as it's main characters Twist and Dodger, two thieves who call themselves the 'Gutter Punks' and act like a post-apocalyptic version of Robin Hood. They take medicine from the privileged Tower Babies and give it to the poor, who are forced to live on the streets. Its set in Manhattan and Brooklyn in 2025, anyone who is still around is unable to tolerate the sun's rays and burn much to easily without shelter and protection. The story picks up when the two boys rescue a girl named Gia and Dodger is injected with a lethal virus only their enemies have the cure to. They'll have mere days to take back something their other friend stole before Dodger dies a painful death.

Twist was by far my favorite character. Unlike so many scores of YA main characters, he not only saw his flaws but also embraced them. He didn't whine and moan about his imperfections and he didn't over or under look them to any extreme. They were simply there and a fact of life.

He also really grew as a main character. In the beginning he resented the fact that everyone thought he was Dodger’s shadow, but it was sort of true, by the end he realized his own strength. He neither needed or wanted Dodger’s assistance because he had become his own person, Dodger’s illness really forced him to see his potential as it was.

One of the things I love about YA books with male main characters is the lack of drama. In particular girl type drama, evil in the clever disguise of words when it’s overused, so I also appreciated how there were no real frivolous type problems in the book. All of the issues the main characters faced were realistic and understandable. It was a lovable novel about the true pains of survival in a futuristic world that has been destroyed through something realistic. The only thing I didn't like about it was some of the dialogue. Whenever Dodger and Twist were separated, Dodger would tell Twist what happened to him while he was gone. That doesn't seem like a bad thing, but everything Dodger said during those times was a big block of text that told what happened just about word for word with no details omitted. Too many words were used at these times and it happened all at once, leaving the reader with no question as to what happened to Dodger during those times. It got to be quite annoying.

Although not everything about the book pleased me, The Artful was a greatly enjoyable read which I highly recommend to dystopian lovers. In particular those who enjoyed Andrew Smith’s The Marbury Lens.

Lunation by J. J Gadd

Lunation by J. J Gadd

Read: June 19, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 5/5 stars






An exciting digital story that allows the reader the choice of following various characters in the style of the much loved Choose Your Own Adventure stories.

Seven companions set out to free the woman trapped in the moon, and change the world along the way. Young, sheltered Branguin discovers that his ancestor, Marama, has been trapped in the moon, and sets out to free her. But he must first unravel the mystery of how she got there, confront and defeat the sorcerer Raul, and counter a menacing new force that's assembling an army to attack the capital. Branguin deciphers the clues with the help of his companions, several lost relatives along the way. The Lunation Series is a modern-day moon myth about ordinary people discovering their inner strength and overcoming extraordinary challenges, in order to solve a great mystery.



My Review:





A thousand thanks to HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the free review copy of this book. The fact that I received a copy has in no way altered my opinion and review of the book. 

'Lunation' was an intriguing and powerful book. Although I thought the choose your own adventure part was unnecessary, it was amazing (keeping the minor grammar errors) I really got a sense of the world's culture, possibly because the Boy was also somewhat new to it. Not only was it rich in culture, 'Lunation' had a powerful plot and strong, quite well developed characters. 

My favorite out of all of the characters would have to be the Boy, or Branguin as some call him. He was interesting in a unique way. I can't imagine not knowing my own name, but then again the Girl doesn't sound quite as cool as the Boy does. He is oblivious and knowledgeable at the same time and his mysterious family history only added to my interest in him.

The different religions were also very interesting. I liked seeing how many versions of one faith there could be. I highly recommend 'Lunation' to fans of legends and fantasy.

Flawed - A Review

Flawed by Kate Aveynn 

Read: May 30, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 5/5 stars



Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact . . .




My Review:

All those times I've said a book is depressing? I lied. Nothing I've ever read can even compete with the level of sadness this book made me feel.

Pain.
Pain.
Pain.


major spoilers ahead
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Flawed is one of those books where you can easily find yourself in a situation where you don't know want to think of the main characters. They were all so very messed up, but this made them seem almost beautiful at the same time.

Sarah has had to watch her brother protect her for years to a point that she has some difficulty making choices that will make her happy. She's all too worried about James to think of herself. Especially with a father as psychopathic as her's.

James has suffered more than Sarah should or will ever understand. His mentality is a bit screwy, presumably caused by his childhood of abuse and suffering. This shows up most obviously in his sick obsession with his younger sister. She seems to remind him of who his mother used to be before their father ruined her and of who she could have become before she begged James to kill her. His unrequited love for Sarah has caused the two of them great pain, as she loves him as a brother and has no desire to take their relationship past that while she still at the same time doesn't want to hurt him in anyway.

When James and Sam died, I wasn't as surprised as I wish I had been. I wanted them to live more than anything, but the story couldn't have ended properly in any other way.

I may speak on the subject of Sam more later, but for now I can't handle thinking about this book in that depth anymore. It was sad enough in the first place.

Review - The Child of Two Worlds

The Child of Two Worlds by M.E. Megahee 

Read: April 15, 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 stars

Schuyler Chase appears to be a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl in suburban Atlanta. In reality, she is an immortal being caught in an epic war between vampires and werewolves. As a half-vampire, half-werewolf hybrid, Skye is an abomination to both--hated, feared and hunted because of her superior supernatural powers. Skye hides from her relentless enemies by pretending to be a high school senior, each year switching schools to keep up the ruse. In her newest school she quickly makes friends, only to discover that they too are immortals--werewolves from the same pack that had killed her parents sixty years earlier. One of them is the devilishly handsome Zac, whose blood calls to her like a siren's song. Skye fears that her new friends will kill her the moment they discover what she is, despite their opinions about the pointless blood feud. Time and again they stand by her and protect her. But will they be able to stop themselves when their free will is taken from them? Will Skye be forced to kill them to survive?

My Review

*I received a copy of The Child of Two Worlds on Goodreads Firstreads in exchange for a review. In no way has this effected my rating/review of the book.*

Schuyler Chase is the kind of protagonist I love. She thinks through her actions and is intelligent at a reasonable level, she's not smart enough to seem like a know at all and makes good decisions most of the time. Another thing I loved about her was her way of handling her loneliness. She didn't think of herself as better or worse than everyone else, her lack of attachment to others was just a part of her life. This made her sudden friendship with Sarah and the others much more believable. She unconsciously craved companionship but didn't know how to form relationships outside of the one with her aunt without ending up hurt when she had to leave or betrayed by the person she desired to be friends with. She was scared. So very scared, here's a girl whose spent her entire life running and doesn't know what 'normal' really means. It was real bravery on her part to open up to Zac, Caleb, and Sarah but she did it anyway and I think that's one of the bravest things you can do when your afraid. 

I see great potential in M.E Megahee as a writer and I hope that she continues to write this series. I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future

Review - Seraphina

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Read: July 15, 2013

Find it on Goodreads 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.


My Review:

Possible Spoilers

Seraphina is the unique story of a girl cursed, or is it blessed, with the blood and scales of her mother's dragon form. It is a curse because of the uneasy alliance between the dragons and the humans and a blessing because her unique talents could help her to save the two races from going to war.I really liked this book as it is different from every dragon story I have read to date. Although I have read books with dragons with the ability to take on the shape of a human before the stories were nowhere near as compelling.compelling. Seraphina was one of my favorite aspects of the story. She felt more real than most female YA protagonists tend to today. She was not overly brave, had flaws that made sense, and her sob story was sob worthy. I appreciated how she didn't complain about nonexistent flaws throughout the entire book, her scales were the only things she didn't like about herself and that seems to only be because they could easily reveal the secret of her heritage. She was a very likable and I felt connected with her character.

Now stop reading this review and go read it.

It's awesome...

Review - Erin the Fire Goddess: The Beginning

Erin the Fire Goddess: The Beginning by Lavinia Urban

Read: February 31 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 1/5 stars




Erin Tait is a 15 year old girl, who thinks of herself as a freak. She's moves to her parents home town of Galladale, where all is not what it seems On her first day at school, she meets Sean Jackson. Instantly she is besotted with him. But this results in her being targeted by a girl called Jessica Watson. She has one warning. Stay away from Sean! But he is everywhere she goes, even in her dreams. Which are soon taken over by Jessica's threats and actions against Erin are taken in school. Erin is scared, lonely and confused. Who can she turn to? Will Jessica stop this hate campaign? and can Erin control the fire within?


My Review:


Minor spoilers



It was my own fault for trying to read this book again. I was smarter the first time when I didn't bother getting past the first page.

Usually I don't bother with books that get on my nerves like this one, but I got complaints about how I received it to be negative after reading so little. So I figured that if they were going to be so passionate about it I should probably give it a chance - I really should know better by now. I mean it's usually a bad sign when the author names her characters after her kids. They'll most likely turn out unrealistically perfect or, I imagine, the actual children will be insulted by their character's faults.

Let me begin with the characters:

Erin Tait - She's the main character and the ugly duckling in the family because of her "hideous" birthmark. Despite her insecurities she manages to get the hottest guy around drooling after her. My main issue with her is her has to do mostly with Sean and her poorly explained powers. They had something to do with a rock...

Sean Jackson - The love interest.  His entire life revolves around his 'fire goddess,' Erin, who he decided he was in love with after an incredibly short period of time. He calls her beautiful even though she has the birthmark insecurities going on and doesn't seem to believe him (it really bugged me how she never got over this).

UNREALISTIC

UNREALISTIC

BLAHHH!!!

Review - Evan Burl and the Falling

Evan Burl and the Falling by Justin Blaney

Read: October the 2nd 2013

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 5/5 stars

My father abandoned me when I was an infant.
My friends have turned against me. 
My uncle beats me.
The most powerful people in the world want me dead.
They all have one thing in common.
They think I’m turning into a monster.

I’m starting to worry they’re right.

My Review:

Note to the author

I have not yet finished this book, I am only on Chapter Four so there is no need to take me seriously. But the "Note from the author on this Advanced Reader Copy," made me a bit sad. Mr. Justin Blaney there are so many different people in this world, no one is exactly the same and thus not everyone enjoys the same types of things. No one book will please everyone some people hate Twilight some people love it, the same goes for Shakespeare and his works. So not everyone will be pleased with cliffhanger endings like you have said your book has. Personally I would hate it if everyone loved every book, how would you know good books from bad ones if the world was like that? If you change things in your book to make the angry people happy there will still be others who will remain unsatisfied. So I think you should write Evan Burl and the Falling the way you envisioned it, not the way others do, I imagine it would make you happier in the long run. So far your book is reading like a masterpiece to me, I can easily see why some people might find themselves upset that it ends with questions unanswered since they love it so much and can't imagine waiting for the second book to be published.

After Reading

I loved this book. No seriously it was great. I liked Evan's confusion about the future and himself in general, not often do characters in YA novels feel uncertain in that way. He was brave in an honest kind of way, not because he wanted to prove anything to anyone but because he put others above himself. A lot of the main characters of books I read are brave to prove they can be, not that that's bad but its a nice change to find a book with a character who doesn't need to. Evan Burl and the Falling was an amazing book and I will probably end up pulling out some of my hair from having to wait for its sequel.

Review - Every Day

Every Day by David Levithan

Read: September 21 2013

Find it on Goodreads 

Rating: 5/5 stars






Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.


 My Review:


I loved this book. It seems to me that authors often use similar personalities for multiple characters because its easier to create a lot of them that way. David Levithan did not do this at all, for that I am grateful. Although the main character, A, kept the same personality no matter what body he was in, every body he inhabited had a clear and distinct personality. It amazed me how well this was done and I enjoyed watching A struggle to not lose himself/herself/itself(?) to the personalities of those people. I really wish more about A could have been revealed, the story intrigued me so much and I was incredibly sad to see it go. Does
Levithan want me to suffer? I really wish there were more books about A, but I guess that could take away from the magic of it.

Review - Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Read: 2011

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 2/5 stars




Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. When she meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen--a vampire--her life takes a thrilling and terrifying romantic turn.



 My Review:



Since everyone was raving about this book by the time I read it I was expecting it to be pretty good.

IT WASN'T

I know that some people did enjoy reading it but I wasn't one of them. So if you are the type of person who doesn't think that Bella Swan was a shallow, boring and unnecessary characters you might not want to read this review.

This book would have been better without the love story. A couple of vegetarian vampires living in a world where only they don't drink human blood. A story like that has great potential, although this one did to until it was written. It got two stars because it wasn't the worst book I have ever read but I most definitely didn't enjoy it.

It wasn't for me but don't let that discourage you from reading it if you don't mind the fact that it is poorly written and has an amazingly stupid main character. I will spare you all from a long drawn out rant about Bella's love interest. He got on my nerves just about as much as Bella did, and honestly I'm not in the mood to relive this book.

Review - Indeliable

 

 Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

Read: September 2nd 2013

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 3/5 stars










Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT




 My Review:


This book was originally on my 'must-read' list but I'm afraid it just fell a little short to me.

It's incredibly hard to love a book if you don't like its main character. Joy was immensely hard for me to like, I struggled to see where she was coming from time and time again. But her reliance on others and tendency to over react just got on my nerves. However I liked her "best friend," Monica, even less. What kind of friend best or otherwise abandons you right after you've experienced a traumatic event? I hope none of my friends ever do that to me, I cant even begin to express how unfriendly I would feel towards them. It would be exceptable, I suppose, if they had a good reason for doing so. Let me just say that Monica had just about the worst reason ever, and Joy just brushed it off! Ugh!

Ink and Inq were the only reason I ended up enjoying reading this book. Their unique perspectives were intriguing. I especially liked Ink because he saw everything involving humans through fresh eyes. Unfortunately his lack of experience with humans was probably what drove him to be interested in Joy who I imagine he would have been much better without. Inq I liked a little less than Ink because of some of her strange behaviors that I didn't particularly agree with. Overall I really enjoyed their opinions and ways of seeing things.

But just please. Please let me throw something heavy at Joy. Like refrigerator heavy or so. She reminded me just a little too much of Bella Swan.

Review - Incarceron

   

 Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Read: July 25th 2012

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 4.5/5 stars









Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells and corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, and wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, and only one man has ever escaped. Finn has always been a prisoner here. Although he has no memory of his childhood, he is sure he came from Outside. His link to the Outside, his chance to break free, is Claudia, the warden's daughter, herself determined to escape an arranged marriage. They are up against impossible odds, but one thing looms above all: Incarceron itself is alive . . .

My Review:



Minor spoilers


  


I loved it! So very fascinating and oh so very mysterious. Incarceron is a prison that is alive with hopes and dreams of it's own. Claudia is trapped in a world where technology is illegal and she is in an arranged marriage with, Caspar, a boy who she absolutely despises. When Claudia meets Finn a boy who lives in Incarceron she is convinced that he is Giles, the Prince, who she was told had died. Finn doesn't believe much of what Claudia says, but in order to escape their own separate nightmares they join forces to help Finn and his friends escape.

I loved how Claudia had to save Finn instead of the other way around. Girl power! Yaahh! I also really enjoyed the contrast of the two character's lives. Claudia wants freedom so she doesn't have too marry Caspar, while Finn fights for freedom so he can both see the Outside and in the process save himself from what would ultimately end his life.

Some things I didn't like were:

-The Sapients who some of whom at least seemed to think they were the most important people you could find. I disliked how they were portrayed in that way when others showed more knowledge and comprehension than the all knowing Sapients did. The Sapients bothered me because it seemed knowledge, their supposed strongest feature didn't shine as brightly as some of their other traits.

-The end because the problem wasn't even close to resolved (in my opinion).

-And also I couldn't really decide if I thought Claudia was awesome or annoying which somehow bothers me.

Review/Rant - Alyzon Whitestarr

Alyzon Whitestarr by Isobelle Carmody

Read: Didn't finish

Find it on Goodreads 

Rating: 1/5 stars







Are Alyzon’s new abilities a blessing . . . or a curse?
Alyzon Whitestarr doesn't take after her musically talented father or her nocturnal, artistic mother. In fact, she’s the most normal member of a very eccentric family . . . until the day that an accident leaves her more unique than she ever could have dreamed. Suddenly colors are more vibrant to Alyzon; her memory is flawless; but strangest of all is Alyzon’s sense of smell. Her best friend smells of a comforting sea breeze. She registers her father’s contentment as the sweet scent of caramelized sugar. But why does the cutest guy in school smell so rancid?
With Alyzon’s extrasensory perception comes intrigue and danger, as she becomes aware of the dark secrets and hidden ambitions that threaten her family. In the end, being different might be less of a blessing than a curse....



My Review:

Me: Show don't tell. Show don't tell

Friends: Are you alright.

Me: Show don't tell. Show don't tell.

Friends: Uh...were the characters alright though?

Me: KILL ALYZON. KILL ALYZON. SO STUPID. MUST CLEANZE EYES WITH ACID.


So obviously I didn't like this book. The author had a really good idea going with the whole thing but it drove me crazy. I didn't even make it halfway before I decided to quit.

Some things I didn't like:

•Info dumps - the paragraphs and paragraphs of explanations drove me insane. Even what could have been good dialouge between characters turned into paragraphs and paragraphs where we were told what the characters said! To me this took away any chance there had been to properly get to know the characters.

•Alyzon - she's the typical heroine, her family is gorgeous yet somehow she looks incredibly dull and always seems to feel unappreciated. She also likes the cutest guy at school and continually ignores the many signs that say he isn't as good as he pretends to be and ignores problems in her family that quite obviously need to be addressed.

Also its weird how all of her siblings always refer to their father as "Da" even though a lot of them seem to have issues with him. It seems like they would greet him more formally if they are that annoyed with him.

What I liked:

The idea of senses becoming stronger.


Who I would recommend this book to:

Anyone who doesn't want to use their brain

Review - The Testing

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Read: June 12th 2013

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 5/5 stars









Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.




My Review:


I received The Testing from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't entirely sure of what to think when I picked up The Testing. Now that I've finished reading it I further wonder how people can possibly enjoy The Hunger Games so much when books like this are out there.

Cia Vale, the main character of The Testing, was amazing. Not many authors seem to be capable of creating such likable characters who aren't heavily conceited or shallow and boy crazy. I always find it a relief to find a book where the romantic interest doesn't save the heroine at every turn. It makes books that could have been amazing dull when that kind of thing is always happening.

Tomas was also a likable character, despite some of his more questionable actions. I really appreciated how he didn't protect or rely on Cia too much. That kind of behavior has made me drop a book like it was on fire in the past.


I can't wait for Independent Study to come out! I just can't!!!!!

Review - Unfurl

Unfurl by Cidney Swanson

Read: January 18th 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 1/5 stars








Against all expectations, Samantha Ruiz has survived attacks by two of Helmann’s deadliest assassins. She’s alive, but she’s far from safe. Helmann is planning a second Holocaust and wants Sam to play a starring role. Will, meanwhile, separated from Sam by an ocean, seeks a way to prevent Helmann’s apocalypse. Along with Sir Walter and Mickie, Will plays a deadly game sneaking into Geneses’ facilities, discovering unsettling clues as to Helmann’s plans. The clock ticks down as Will and Sam discover just how much they must be willing to sacrifice to stop Helmann. UNFURL, the powerful conclusion to The Ripple Series, will leave fans breathless.



My Review:


*Contains minor spoilers for previous books*

 

Why did I read this? I spent .99 cents on the whole series and I wanted to see if it would redeem itself after the first two books. It didn't. It was worse.

Not only was the dialogue still filled with long drawn out explanations, I had to sit through Will and Sam talking, thinking and crying about each other. They whined about missing each other at least twice every chapter. At least in the other books Sam thought for herself a little bit more. But in my opinion Will talked and thought like a girl much too often throughout the entire book. Him and Sam talked in a much too similar manner I hadn't noticed in the previous books that were only in Sam's POV.

Both of the characters also used the term "rippled/rippling" much to often. I wouldn't have minded it as much if the way it was said varied a little bit from time to time, but it didn't. It was always "he rippled solid", "I rippled solid", "he rippled invisible." I think the word rippled must have been used at least 50 times which gets annoying really fast, I had hoped that the author would tone it down a little but if anything it was worse in this book than the others.

Even the story's plot was a bit jumbled, though it was much better constructed than the rest of the story. At times there were too many bad guys to keep track of and the fact that none of them had the same ultimate goal made it a bit hard to keep track of which one wanted what.

I can't even begin to express how happy I am that that was the last of these books. I'm never reading any of this authors books again.

Review - Rippler

Rippler by Cidney Swanson

 Read: January 16th 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 2.5/5 stars






 Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love.

Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments.

The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.

My Review:



 I almost didn't finish this one, but as it was a halfway decent read I don't regret taking the time to finish it. Though I do admit to putting it aside for more than a month before I finally got around to finishing it.

Sam's character wasn't my favorite, it mostly bothered me how much she relied on her precious love interest, but I enjoyed seeing her become - slightly - more independent. The dialogue also got on my nerves, they laughed and guffawed way too much for conversations that weren't really that funny.

A lot of things weren't well explained in the novel either, hopefully because it is the first in a series, and to really get the most out of it the rest of the series will likely need to be read.

I definitely wouldn't recommend this book to people who go nutty over dialogue that can be unrealistic. But anyone who doesn't mind that sort of thing will likely greatly enjoy this book.

Review - Scorched

Scorched by Mari Mancusi

Read: January 1st 2014

Find it on Goodreads

Rating: 3.5/5 stars




Trinity
Don’t leave me here... It starts with a whisper. At first Trinity thinks she’s going crazy. It wouldn’t be a big surprise—her grandpa firmly believes there’s a genuine dragon egg in their dusty little West Texas town. But this voice is real, and it’s begging for her protection. Even if no one else can hear it...

Connor
He’s come from a future scorched by dragonfire. His mission: Find the girl. Destroy the egg. Save the world. 

Caleb
He’s everything his twin brother Connor hates: cocky, undisciplined, and obsessed with saving dragons.

Trinity has no idea which brother to believe. All she has to go by is the voice in her head—a dragon that won’t be tamed.


My Review:

With a crazy grandpa obsessed with mythical creatures and a crumbling Museum business, Trinity Foxx has a lot going on. Things only worsen when he brings a beautiful egg he believes belongs to the last of the dragons home. This leaves the two of them with next to no money and Trinity with quite a bit of anger.

This book just barely missed being four star worthy. A number of its aspects got on my nerves.

• Trinity Foxx - The name Trinity gets on my nerves enough by itself, but Trinity Foxx sounds like some preppy girl who thinks she's above everyone else. Her character was also a bit too dependent on others for my liking. Even though she kept the museum business alive and helped her grandpa with his financial problems she still let herself rely on Connor and Caleb throughout the majority of the novel.  For someone depicted as so strong she should have been more willing to make her own decisions.

• The dialogue - These characters are supposed to me in their late teens and they go around thinking and saying things like "I'm the good guy," he wanted to add. "The one they sent to save your world" and "There were men," she said at last. "They barged into my house. I freaked out and ran here to hide before calling 911. I think one of them might still be in the house." The dialogue also indicates that the author is a beginner and not the best author in the over use of "said bookisms." There were way too many she demanded, he muttered, she hissed, and she joke type dialogue tags as opposed to just saying she/he said, a technique that would have made the book seem more professional. Instead it seems like the author thought the "said bookisms" were necessary and in turn it made the book less interesting, and the characters sounded even younger than they would have with just the more simple dialogue.

Despite its many faults Scorched had a number of characteristics that made up for it's faults. The number one thing that made me like it was the dragons. I'm pretty much incapable of resisting dragons and these ones were cute (especially Trin's dragon who we saw most of) and I enjoyed their playful mannerisms. Also Fred the female dragon amused me to no end.

Caleb and Connor also had me constantly entertained. Unlike Trinity they kept me guessing for the majority of the book - with Trin it was more of a fifty/fifty chance she'd follow what either one said - they interacted with the world with much more intuition than Trinity seemed capable of.

Between the dragons and the twins I mildly enjoyed this book. Though it was much too simple for my liking as I was hoping it would do better to mentally engage me in the story. But oh well. If you are in fact looking for a quick easy read with dragons and romance then you will more than likely enjoy this book.