lei
The Unhappening of Genesis Lee is one of the best sci-fi books i've read this year. The world building was so detailed and intricate without being too over the top. I love how it wasn't exactly explained straight out because the plot just seamlessly unfolds all the answers to the questions you might have at just the right moment. Genesis Lee's world would have been a huge confusing mess if it was written in a wrong way, but Shallee McArthur didn't disappoint.
After the war, scientists invented a drug that would supposedly help PTSD victims store their traumatic memories in a place in their mind where in won't bother them anymore. Things didn't go as planned and people started going crazy because of the experiment and it started to affect their reproductive systems, starting the rise of the Mementi- humans who remember everything perfectly and can share memories with other Mementi through the slightest touch. The Mementi store their memories in Link beads that they wear as accessories on their arms, necks, and for the very daring- hair. The loss of a single link bead can lead to the loss of two years worth of memories.
When a person called the Link Thief begins stealing people's beads, fingers started to point at The Populace- the normal humans whose brains haven't been genetically altered by the drug, causing an even greater strain between the two groups. Interestingly enough, I never found myself favoring one group over the other. The author writes the story in a completely objective manner and shows us both sides of the conflict.
Remember when I said that The Mementi can share memories through touch? Well, reading this book was like having Genesis remove her gloves and grasp my hand, skin to skin. I felt every fiber of emotion she was going through- the fear she felt in that alleyway with Cora, the helplessness when Cora lost her memories, the pain, the anguish, the confusion, the butterflies in her stomach when she started to fall for Kalan, and the ache in her heart whenever she forgot about his existence. I feel her soul when she gets panic attacks, I feel her soul when her parents force her to be something she's not, I feel her soul when she falls in love over and over again- for the same guy.
Genesis isn't the main victim in the book's mystery, but she's stuck right in the middle of it and this is clearly HER story. However, the supporting characters didn't lack strength in their core at all. They were equally as strong and as fluid, especially Kalan. The charming preacher boy's son who is idealistic and brave. Imagine falling inlove with someone, and finding out that they feel the same way, only to have them forget you the very next day. Their romance tore me apart and completely crushed me on the inside.
The Unhappening of Genesis Lee isn't just emotional- it's fast-paced and thrilling, throwing twists at you that you never would have expected. Couple that with seamless world building and strong characters to back a complex unique plot and you're sure in for an adventure of your own.
I always assumed that The Walled City was a dystopian novel, so as I read each page I was surprised to discover that the book isn't set in a distant future or in a different world- it is set in our world, in our timeline. However, it felt like an entirely different world. It was incredibly dark and dangerous, and I could feel the tension in every scene. In a district filled with cheaters, gangs, prostitutes, and drug dealers, you wager your life every day.
The Walled City is a riveting novel written in three different perspectives- Dai's, a drug trafficker with a dark past and a dangerous secret; Jin's, a girl who spent years pretending to be a boy to survive the City and to look for her missing sister; and Mei Yee's, a prostitute with a silent desire to escape and find a better life outside and see the sea. Three different people from different walks of life in the City, three different lives that ended up finding each other and working together to destroy the King Pin's gang from the inside and escape the City forever.
I loved Dai, Jin, and Mei Yee equally. At first glance, they seemed like people who gave up and succumbed to the City's powers, but they actually had this fire within them- this quiet determination that pushed them every step of the way. Learning about their pasts, my heart broke and cheered for them even more. My heart raced along with theirs at every danger that they faced and believe me when I say that it was like they were cats that have nine lives considering all of the near-death circumstances that they got into. Reading this book was like asking for a heart attack!
The book had echoes of a reality that we refuse to accept. There are places out there just like the Walled City, like the Kowloon Walled City that the book is based on. Ryan Graudin managed to create a carbon-copy vision of those places and projected it into the book. It was absolutely masterful and terrifying. His writing kind of reminded me of Haruki Murakami's- tasteful, smart, fluid, and realistic with a drop of magic. It keeps you guessing and leads you on a spiral of fictional reality that will shake your core. Words cannot express the experience The Walled City gave me, you'll have to read the book yourself. But be careful! In the Walled City, there is no escape.
Ever since she was a kid, Skylar gets feelings or sensations of wrongness from the most normal things. When she freaks out about a bomb that no one saw and disappeared as quickly as it appeared, she feels like she has completely lost her grip on reality. And then she meets Win, a mysterious boy who somehow knows about the bomb that came and somehow understands her ‘panic attacks' completely. After being chased by a group of otherworldly-looking humans carrying weapons Sky had never seen before, Win admits that he is a time-travelling alien rebel hell-bent on stopping scientists from his planet who are experimenting on earth.
Win tells Sky that the sensations of wrongness that she gets are the effects of shifts in the time rift caused by time travellers and takes her back in time to different countries in search of missing pieces left behind by their rebel group's MIA leader- pieces to a device that will stop the aliens from messing with earth's timelines.
Earth & Sky primarily caught my attention because of its Doctor Who vibes. Time traveller picks up a female companion to help him save earth? Sounds like a fun read, right? Unfortunately, the book wasn't as exciting as I expected. Yes, the plot was pretty interesting but I think that the whole concept of a species from another world manipulating Earth just wasn't explained clearly enough. It just didn't sell for me because of that and I found myself stumbling over sentences and getting confused a lot. The world-building was just too weak to hold a massive plot like that.
Sky was a pretty boring protagonist and Win didn't really stand out much for me. I didn't feel a connection with them at all. They went through this cycle of travelling to a timeline, getting chased, finding the piece they need, getting chased again, and returning to Sky's timeline to rest. It got pretty repetitive after a while because there weren't any wow moments that heightened my excitement. I did really enjoy the first part of the book because it started so high, but it just didn't go anywhere after that. Earth & Sky had the makings of a great read, but I think that it just tried to accomplish too much that it fell short in the end.
If anyone would ask me what I thought of Marie Lu's sexy new book The Young Elites, i'd reply with five words: dark fantasy at it's finest. I absolutely could not put this book down! It was like X-Men meets Game of Thrones meets Throne of Glass meets Cruel Beauty meets.. arrghh nevermind. Why don't I just give you five reasons why The Young Elites deserves that five-word praise? Here we go..
1. The Malfettos. A decade ago, a deadly illness called the Blood Fever swept through the nation, killing thousands of people. The few who survived the fever, mostly children, were left with strange scars that marked them as outcasts and bad luck to society. However, some of the fever's survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
In an X-Men kind of universe, the Malfettos would be the mutants. Shunned by society and deemed as “bad luck” as an excuse to hide the king's negligence in ruling his kingdom, innocent malfettos have been killed left and right. That doesn't make them weaklings though- most of the Young Elites are pretty kick-ass! What I loved about the malfettos is that their origin was never fully explained and there's still so much secrecy surrounding the Young Elites.
2. Adelina Amouteru. Adelina -freakin- Amouteru. Don't let her regal name fool you because this girl has gone through hell and back, losing her mother to the Blood Fever and having to spend her whole life answering to her abusive and sadistic father's beck and call. Because of her harsh experiences, there is a great darkness inside Adelina that threatens to consume her and will not hesitate to kill. Adelina isn't the typical heroine protagonist- she's clearly drawn to evil and darkness, and her heart calls out for vengeance no matter what the means, but there's this tiny spark in her that tries to control the darkness. She's pretty bad-ass if I do say so myself.
“I am Adelina Amouteru. I belong to no one. On this night, I swear to you that I will rise above everything you've ever taught me. I will become a force that this world has never known. I will come into such power that none will dare hurt me again.”
3. The Dagger Society. When the Inquisition held Adelina at the stake for the murder of her father, a group of Young Elites whisked in and saved her. Basically the X-Men of their world, The Dagger Society dedicate their lives to reinstating the rights of the malfettos and overthrowing the king and queen. Led by a sword-fighting fire wielder named Enzo Valenciano, the group sees murder as a means to an end and will kill anyone who gets in their way. I loved reading about them and their different abilities- there's Ezio with his ability to control fire, a male courtesan who can sense the abilities of other malfettos, a windwalker who can control air, a girl who can steal the will of any animal, a boy who can bend any object to his will, and one of the greatest fighters the world has ever seen.
Adelina trains to become on of the Daggers and this opens up whole different worlds for her, and in turn for us. Through the society, I was whisked to a world with flying manta rays in the sky, a beautiful pleasure court, underground tunnels, and devious plots.
4. The plot and world-building. Marie Lu packed everything into this book: darkness, family, magic, powers, action-packed swordfights, sexy romance, deception, betrayal; most of the plot is centered around political intrigue packed with a lot of players. I never knew what was going to happen next and I couldn't stop turning the pages. She weaved a whole new seamless world to perfectly back all of it up, too. I learned something new about their world as the story progresses, and it opens up a lot of roads leading to places outside Adelina's kingdom- places I can't wait to read more of.
5. The epilogue. THAT EPILOGUE. THAT SNEAKY SNEAKY CLIFF HANGER EPILOGUE. I can't say much without spoiling, but it's definitely a massive game-changer! A few hints? Princess. Different Kingdom. Prince. Underworld. Confused? I am too! And I need book two right this instant!
So yup, those are the five things that instantly made me Marie Lu's slave. Anything for book two. ANYTHING. Kidding aside, or not-so-kidding aside, The Young Elites isn't perfect, but it's a definite must-read for people looking for a dark fantasy with political intrigue and a fast paced adrenaline-filled plot.
Truth be told, I had a really hard time getting into this book. The beginning dragged on a bit too much and never really set the pace ‘til near the end. It was supposed to be thrilling from the beginning, what with the whole plotline of being involved in gangs and all, but I never really felt my heart beat faster than the normal rate. And the fact that Maddie was kind of a dull character didn't help either. She was made out to be this headstrong student journalist who was smart and sexy at the same time but it just didn't seep through. Her character sort of fell flat for me. She was kind of like a transient being robotically interacting with the other characters and moving from scene to scene. The pacing was choppy too- the transitions between scenes wasn't smooth and it made me confused.
There was one thing that made Maddie come to life though: romance. She became animated and flirty (in a cute, awkward, nice girl way) when it comes to boys. Three of them come into the picture: Manny, her funny, reformed ex-convict co-worker; Ortiz, the quiet, kind, and mysterious boxer who oozes sex appeal; and the gang leader Lobo, the unknown gang leader who saved her life. I only ever liked Maddie when she was talking to either one of the three. The author definitely knows how to develop subtle chemistry and sexy banter. The backstory behind the rivalry between the two gangs was incredibly well plotted though. It was the main reason why I kept reading- it was interesting, dark, and made my arms tingle with excitement. Too bad that it was only made evident in the later part of the story. I would have liked to know more about the two gangs and their members, especially Lobo's partner X.
All in all, On The Edge had the promise of a great plot and well thought-out storyline. However, a story like this needs a main character with strength and conviction, and Maddie unfortunately fell short.
Ashes to Ashes is a whole lot heavier than it's predecessors. For starts, there's a lot of blood and violence- mostly coming from Mary's hand. The book has this really creepy vibe to it especially during the chapters told in Mary's point of view. Almost like looking at everything from a psychopath's point of view. However, Mary is not a psychopath. She's a girl who's out for cold revenge, but she is also just a girl. A lost and confused girl who got hurt way too many times, in effect clouding her judgement. Throw in Kat and Lillia who are still both struggling to cope with the regret and guilt clouding their entire beings and you're in for one hell of an emotional ride.
I really liked that about Ashes to Ashes. Like its characters, the story is incredibly vulnerable and real- almost like it had it's own heartbeat. Reading it was like having an omnipotent force whispering to me to turn page after page and neglect the rest of my life entirely. I was hooked. The suspense was addictive and it will loop you in a daze and won't let go until you reach the end of the line. Unfortunately though, I thought the journey there was a whole lot more exciting than the ending.
I also think that Kat didn't get to shine. The storyline mainly rotated around Lillia, Reeve, and Mary and left Kat hanging around as a character who only showed up when her role was needed- and she wasn't needed that often. I would have liked a little more balance in the role hierarchy, I guess. Regardless, Ashes to Ashes is an explosive read with an addictive plot and strength in it's main characters who are bursting with life. I just think that the ending left a little more to be desired.
Originally posted on The Reading Slump
Romeo and Juliet. Sound familiar? Star-crossed lovers forced to be apart because of a lifelong feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. Jemma and Ryder live a completely asymmetrical life. Born in the same year to families who have been friends since World War II, Jemma and Ryder are forced to always be together. Their mothers practically planned their wedding as soon as they were born. Perfectly Convenient right? Wrong. They wanted nothing to do with each other.
Jemma and Ryder are characters that are difficult to like. Both of them are infuriatingly self-centered and stubborn. It seemed like their life goal was to get rid of and deny any inchling of feelings that they had for each other. It was always a matter of pride. But unlike what the blurb suggests it was clear from the very first chapter that they didn't hate each other, not really, and the undeniable chemistry between the two of them reappears when a massive storm strikes Magnolia Branch and they have no one to turn to but each other.
Magnolia was a cute book filled with adorable romance and pent up emotions. Kristi Cook really knows how to cook up scenes just bursting with sparks and chemistry- the banter between Jemma and Ryder had me hooked! The book, however, also found its faults in its strengths. The two main characters only ever came alive when they were with each other and just fell flat when faced with the other aspects of the story. It was a shame because Magnolia really set its foundation on its themes of family but both Jemma and Ryder lacked the solid characterization that would have made the whole set-up flawless.
Everything was evenly paced, easing the readers into each new scene at just the right moment. Aside from the lack of strength on Jemma and Ryder's characterization, I felt no bumps in the road. The book felt more like a short story, if anything. Fluffy and sweet, Magnolia is the perfect book for readers looking for a light story filled with romance and steamy banter.
Before I read this book, I basically had close to zero contact with novels for almost four months. The only books that I managed to pick up were required readings and college textbooks. I dug myself a reading slump hole so deep and I didn't even know if I could get out of it. So one rare afternoon, finding myself with no importat schoolwork whatsoever, I decided to submerge myself in the book blogging world and see what you guys were up to (sneaky, right?) and I found this book.
I don't remember who, but one of my blogger friends posted this book on her Instagram and it piqued my interest. Long story short, I got myself a copy, settled into my reading nook, and completely devoured the whole thing. And guess what happened after I finished the last page? I wanted to read more books! I've been searching and searching for the book that would finally get me out of my slump and I found it in Gabe and Lea's story. Here's why:
1.) The story is told in fourteen different points of view. Yup you read that right. FOURTEEN. And each one of the characters had their own distinct voice that managed to pull me deeper and deeper into the story. I guess I really enjoyed this because of the reading slump that I was in; the different points of view gave me entirely different perspectives that tickled my brain cells and reactivated my yearning to devour more words, more stories. And did I mention that these points of view included a squirrel's and a park bench's?
2.) Gabe and Lea are incredibly awkward-cute.
“I've got a theory.”
“That it's a demon?”
“A dancing demon?”
“No, something isn't right there.”
I love awkward-cute people, I really do. I'm awkward-cute, my crushes are awkward-cute, and some of the best people I know are awkward-cute. But the thing about Gabe and Lea is that their awkward-cutenesses merge whenever their together and created this huge intergalactic force filled with cuteness and blushing and oh my gosh just talk to each other alreadyyyy-s
3. They were more than just awkward-cute. Okay, so most books with awkward-cute characters fit exactly in that mold, learning it, loving it, living it- but that is not the case for our two protagonists. You might think that Lea is one of those girls who stay indoors and read in their room all day, and Lea does do that parties and goes on the sneakiest stalking seshes with her roommates too. Lea is actually pretty feisty and can definitely put a man in his place. Gabe, on the other hand, might sound like a total dork, and he is, but he's an athlete too! He's shy, but not completely socially awkward. He just had his reasons, that's all. So yes! Character building and development were so on par and timely. It almost kind of felt like reading a collective journal.
4. It didn't kill any brain cells. When you're reading, your brain cells might die because of two reasons: one, the story was so incredibly complex and mindblowingly heavy to intake or two, the story was so incredibly bland and stupid and you just want to hit every character with a stick. A Little Something Different sounds like a cutesy lovestory that would fit into the latter, but thankfully no brain cells were harmed while reading. It is a love story, and it is cute, but it isn't stupid or bland at all. It's one of those books that manage to melt your ice cold heart at each turn of the page and make you feel weird bubbly emotions at the pit of your stomach, but it has intellect too. It's smart and witty, and while it melts your heart it doesn't melt your brain.
5. It pretty much told the story of my life. A Little Something Different is set during Lea's first year at uni and since i'm a freshman in college too, I could relate to so much of what she was going through. The hesitance, the insecurity, the fear of the unknown, the crush that I have on the cute guy who sits next to me in almost all of our classes- umm scratch that last part out haha! I don't think that my college profs pair me up with the guys in class, but there's still a chance right?
But yes, dear bookish friends, it kind of was like reading the story of my life. I used to like a guy, and this guy used to like me, and everyone knew except for us. My friends and his friends were so tired of us beating around the bush about things but like Lea, I was just so scared of the bad things that might happen. That was an old chapter in my life, but reading A Little Something Different made me want to blow off the dust and open it up again. I guess my instant connection with Lea gave me a stronger connection with the story and that's why I loved it even more. When a book hits home with you, it's a keeper for life.
Honest, compelling, and completely heartwarming. Those three words don't even begin to describe Say What You Will in it's entirety. It isn't at all the easy light read that I was expecting, no. From the moment I flipped to page two, I was thrown into the messy life of Amy, a teenage girl with cerebral palsy, and Matthew, a boy who's hiding the fact that he has severe OCD.
Amy's Cerebral Palsy robs her of her ability to talk without a voice box, and perform simple motor movements in a normal way but her mind is anything but slow. She's incredibly smart and great at school, and she isn't unaware of what others think about her condition. Regardless, Amy doesn't shy away from anybody and tries to befriend them instead. Matthew, on the other hand, looks perfectly normal on the outside but hides his OCD from everyone and gets anxiety whenever he deviates from his ‘routines'. The two of them are already full of life on their own, but the two of them fit together like two puzzle pieces. Amy was emotionally stronger than Matthew and Matthew had the physical capabilities that Amy lacked. They helped each other, complemented each other and made each other shine.
The romance was sweet, pure, and real; the epitome of first love. Cammie McGovern slowly guides us through Amy and Matthew's attraction, confusion, indecision, tension, happiness, and downfalls. Painfully slow and shy, it's the kind of love that doesn't hit you full force, the kind of love that gives off inch-lings of a spark- a spark bright and hopeful enough to make you wish that the ship would sail. However, their relationship was always messy and fragile. I always felt like I was standing on the edge of a roof and could fall off at any moment. It only made it more magical and real, something worth holding on to.
In truth, I didn't always like Amy and Matthew but I did admire the author's skillful characterization of them both. Their actions annoyed me and clawed at my head, but it goes without saying that the things they were doing and the decisions that they made were perfectly humane. McGovern doesn't sugarcoat the two. They were both so painfully flawed and real. And they were written in the way that didn't make me pity them despite all of the problems and issues they were having, I found myself sympathizing with them instead.
The book is being pitched as being in the same vein as The Fault In Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, but I think that the story strays from that pigeonhole and eventually develops into something more than that. Say What You Will doesn't just tell the story of a girl with CP and a boy with OCD, it also dives into the lives of everyone around them like their parents and friends like Chloe and Sanjay; it's beautiful prose sings about family problems, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and the things that people do when they're desperate for something more.
In the end, this book and their story taught me a lot about strength. Amy and Matthew taught me to conquer life's limits, even if the one blocking your way is yourself. The path the story took shocked and surprised me; it was something I never even expected. What started out as an innocent love story developed into something so much more, dealing with a surprising issue that was heavier than I ever expected. Say What You Will was sweet, honest, heartbreaking, and utterly brilliant. Pick up a copy of Say What You Will but handle your heart with care, because this book might just break it when you least expect it and render you speechless.
Fatal took a different approach toward zombies. The main character of Fatal, Grayson, doesn't eat human brains and lists raw beef as his favorite snack instead. Gallons of water keep his dead body from falling apart and he won't infect anyone until he reaches the age of restoration, which is still years away for him, but he still hates himself. He hates the fact that he is a zombie and can't wait til the day he meets his Save- the one person who can cure him of his ‘disease'. When that day finally came, he was underwhelmed and enraged. The girl who was meant to save him from the hell he was living, Cori Abbott, turned out to be a short, weak, and spineless shrimp of a girl. How the hell could she save him?
Grayson soon found out the answer to that question. Yes, Cori was weak in a physical sense, but she was brave and definitely not spineless. She was good and pure and made him feel somehow alive. I was unsurprised when the two ended up reluctantly falling for each other. Fatal had a diverse set of characters. Grayson is the loner type and keeps to himself mostly because of his hatred towards what he is, and Cori is used to faking smiles but she sees the kindness in everyone. Sometimes her reactions toward things felt too childish and her niceness was a bit overplayed at times to the point where it seemed unrealistic and it got on my nerves. Cori finds friendship in Peg, a regular girl who won't take crap from anyone, and a cute geek named Rex who reads people easily and is a realist. I would say that I would act like Rex when faced with the same situations.
Fatal had pretty solid world building and T.A. Brock brought a lot of fixtures in Grayson's world that I easily ate up. Grayson lives with a zombie tribe that consists of Leiv, the brother figure in Grayson's life, and Raina- a zombie who enjoys average girly activites like shopping and not-so average girly activities like sparring with her ‘brothers'. Aside from zombies, the book also introduces us to wise oracles who guide the zombies towards their Save and brave Reapers like Aiken. Reapers are noble zombies who keep zombies from hurting humans. T.A. Brock gave me a lot of reasons to believe and enjoy this world filled with zombies who were different from what I was used to.
This was your classic young adult paranormal story that balances romance and high school life with the paranormal aspects, but I felt like it tipped in favor of the romance more. The story focused mainly on Grayson and Cori's love story, and the paranormal aspects were kept on the sidelines. I enjoyed the world that T.A. Brock created, but I felt like the dialogue was inconsistent- it was interesting at times but suddenly became dry and forced the next. The pacing was choppy and I had a rough time transitioning between chapters and events. T.A. Brock's writing was easy and didn't dwell too much on fancy words, and I was perfectly okay with that.
Fatal had likable characters, impressive world building, and a twist that I didn't see coming. It also easily set the stage for the upcoming second book. If you're looking for a young adult paranormal story with a heavy does of romance, Fatal is the book for you.
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Sovereign opens up right in the middle of the action and keeps the pace balanced throughout, but it still somehow managed to constantly take me by surprise.
The world-building was cruel and dark, but so horrifyingly real. Antius is not a place I would like to live in. Adults are drugged into submission and women are penetrated by high-ranked officials and are forced to bear children out of duty. The colony was strict before Nathan succeeded his father, but it's even more ruthless ever since. Cori is sick of Antius' corrupt hierarchy, and her friend Dylan convinces her that the only way out is to gain trust on the inside. Cori agrees to train under Nathan and become a soldier, quickly becoming the best of her group and instantly impresses Titus, a well-respected instructor. Being a soldier brings the perks of mush labeled ‘chicken' and hot showers, but Cori soon understands that life is even harder on the inside, and the things she sees will change her forever. Sovereign is filled with chapters with graphic violence and the excitement kept me on my toes.
Cori reminded me of a tougher Katniss Everdeen, if that's even possible. She's been trained to fight by the most ruthless person in Antius, and her own enemy, Nathan through sickening exercises that endangered her life every day. A lot of people have died for her sake and her own childhood was a dark one, making her shudder away from the slightest amount of human touch. Cori isn't just tough, she's also fairly smart and knows how to assess her surroundings and situations properly, and I admire her for that. And if that's not enough, there's also something about her that stops Nathan from killing her at first sight. E.R. Arroyo really created a strong and fierce heroine that everyone could easily look up to.
The world that Cori lives in sounds so cold, but as she goes through hell and back, she manages to find warmth in her best friend and in the people she meets throughout the course of the book. Cori's companions were interesting to read about- there was always something lingering behind the words and they each had a definite purpose. That's the problem I had with Sovereign- the lack of character development. Everyone, even Cori, had their own definite and predetermined purpose and it was like they were pidgeonholed into it. I couldn't sense much of a growth in Cori, either. Another thing was the romance. It was sweet and tender, but I felt like some of the romantic scenes were unnecessary and too convenient considering their situation.
Sovereign is kind of like Hunger Games crossed with Divergent, but it still has it's won unique mark. The characters could use a bit more authenticity, but the world-building is absolute perfection. E.R. Arroyo's writing was beautiful, although I spotted a few typographical errors that could use some editing. The story was thrown to the readers punch-by-punch and I was just as surprised as Cori when some unexpected events took place. Fast-paced and filled with terrifying chaos narrated by Cori's strong yet fragile voice, Sovereign is a young adult dystopian novel worth reading.
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I think that most of us have heard about the Witness Protection program. If you're an avid viewer of cop shows and mystery/thrillers, then it must have crossed your ears at some point. The usual scenario is that someone witnesses some kind of crime and murder, so the US Marshalls enlists the person in the Witness Protection program to keep them safe before they have to testify in court. The Rules for Disappearing tackles with what happens when you're in the Witness Protection program. Not before or after, but during the whole gruesome process. I haven't read any other young adult book with the same subject matter and I dived right in.
One of the things that The Rules for Disappearing did well was the depiction of the changes in Meg's family. They used to be really well-off and were depicted as happy go-lucky in all of Meg's flashbacks, but everything suddenly fell apart when they entered Witness Protection, and it was all pretty apparent. Meg's dad, who used to be a successful accountant but now works rough jobs, is really stressed out and unattached, her mother falls into the habit of drinking and passing out at any hour of the day, and her little sister Teeny just gave up in general and freaks out whenever she's left alone or whenever she sees a man wearing a suit. Meg is also sick of all the moving and pretending and won't allow herself to get attached to anything anymore, in turn creating a set of rules for herself. They were the perfect family before the whole mess and the program really took a toll them.
Meg was a really hard character to get used to. Meg was the only one who tried to pull things together when everyone else just refused to function. She isn't an ignorant girl, she knows when there are problems and she doesn't deny not figuring out that Ethan planned on asking her out. She was really observant and I admire her love for her sister. I liked her and her headstrong determination at times, but I got really confused whenever her resolution wavered. Ethan was a really cute supporting character, although sometimes a bit too cute for my liking. I really appreciated his lightheartedness whenever it balanced out Meg's defiance but there were times when (although appreciated) he was a bit too good to be true.
The thing that irked me in this mystery read was the lack of mystery and thrill. The scenes that were supposed to thrill me were being told rather than being shown, and that's not good for a mystery book. Some things in the story were also unjustified, like the reason behind the whole Ethan-Meg attraction among other more important things. Everything conveniently falls into place. Some instances and situations were too unbelievably unrealistic, especially the reactions of those who eventually got involved. I was waiting for that exciting climax but it came and went without me even realizing it and I had to backtrack. I have to admit that the ending disappointed me a bit- everything was rushed and stuffed to fit into the last handful of pages.
The Rules for Disappearing works amazingly well as a young adult contemporary read, but I wasn't feeling the mystery aspect of it. The book wasn't as dynamic and adrenaline-filled as I expected but I would still recommend it to someone looking for an light action movie-type read with great character building. The Rules for Disappearing is a really cute and light quick read that chronicles a girl's journey through Witness Protection, and I really enjoyed all the relationships she formed and all the roadblocks she went through along the way.
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Jillian and Grant were two people who were perfectly happy with being inside their comfort zone. Loving her high school boyfriend through good and bad times was everything Jillian has ever known, even if things have been mostly bad as of late. Grant, on the other hand, has witnessed his father's downfall after his mother's death and decided that he would turn out better. Grant promised himself to focus solely on his career and to say no to any kind of romance until he finds a stable and financially fulfilling job at Google. Their safety bubbles begin to crack when the two meet at work. Linguistics major Jillian starts to teach Grant a language other than binary code and html, making him wonder if he finally found the one thing his father told him about- the one thing worth fighting for.
The summary and plot for Inhale, Exhale sounds like your average new adult contemporary, and it kind of is. It has everything you've come to expect from the genre: instant attraction, undeniable chemistry, tragic events that keep the two protagonists from giving in to each other, and steamy scenes. There's really nothing new here, but I have to say that some of the darker tones of the succeeding events surprised me and temporarily edged Inhale, Exhale away from the ‘been there, done that' book that I pegged it as.
Inhale, Exhale is told in Grant's and Jillian's alternating POVs. I struggled a lot with Jillian's voice. There really wasn't that much depth in her character and she relied on others too much. I think that Jillian is used to having a rock, someone to fall back on, and she came alive whenever that ‘rock' came full view, but sounded so robotic without one. Sarah M. Ross created a much more realistic character in Grant. He's gorgeous, of course, but not in the ‘bad boy' way that I've grown so accustomed to. He's more of your average geeky and focused clean-cut guy, but he still had his charms. Grant was much more believable than Jillian and his chapters were the ones I liked the best because he really came through.
Is Inhale, Exhale one of the best books in it's genre? No, it isn't. But it isn't that bad either. Yeah, i had problems connecting with Jillian and some aspects of the relationships presented in the book were unjustified, but I still kept on turning the pages. The story is sweet, cute, and filled with steamy scenes and tension, but peppered with some darker undertones. Inhale, Exhale is a book is about daring to step out of your comfort zone, but if you're looking for a NA read that has all the common factors, this book is for you.
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This isn't your ordinary zombie book. Reboot introduces us to a world where some people, people whose bodies can adapt to the mutation given by an epidemic disease, rise from the dead and become stronger, faster, and less prone to human emotion. A government agency called HARC uses these living dead called the reboots to fight as soldiers and perform brutal tasks with no questions asked.
Wren rebooted after 178 minutes, making her the deadliest and most highly feared Reboot. The humans that patrol the HARC base are terrified of her and the lower reboots know to stay away. The only people who treated her like a person were Leb, one of the few humans at HARC who treated reboots with respect, and Ever, her ‘under sixty' roommate and the closest Wren had to a friend. Wren was okay with the reputation of being a monster who enjoyed killing and found some truth in it until Callum came along. Callum is a 22 and one of the weakest reboots in the base. Wren usually chooses to train the reboot with the highest number, but something about Callum and his unabashed humane self intrigues her and chooses him to be her trainee, surprising the other reboots, the humans, and Wren herself.
Being Callum's trainer changes Wren and she starts to feel the human emotions she thought she would never feel again. She starts to break the rules she has followed for the past five years, and allows herself to show compassion towards others. These emotions make Wren start to wonder when she gets called to do private missions and Ever and the other under sixties start to act strange and less sane. When Callum refuses to kill a human during one of their field missions, the president of HARC orders her to get rid of him but she silently refuses to kill Callum and enlists Leb to help her and Callum escape to a place where reboots get to live free from HARC's influence.
Amy Tintera's writing as Wren echoed the voice of a true reboot: strong, assured, confident, and calculating. But it also had just the right amount of bits of emotion that sprawled across the pages, showing us the humane side of Wren that was bursting at the seams.Wren was convinced that she was the heartless and bloodthirst creature that everyone thought her to be and it was true during the first parts of the book but as the story gradually progresses, you'll see Wren finally coming into terms with why she enjoyed killing and why she kept her emotions bottled up. Callum was incredibly cute and very very human. It was hard to believe that he was a reboot. With that playful smile of his and that curious glint in his eyes, he was just what Wren needed in her life. Callum was an overactive ball of sunshine; always looking at the bright side of things and never backing down whenever Wren dismissed his playful advances.
Reboot was an incredible fast-paced and adrenaline filled book with kickass and endearing characters and unbelievable twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The action scenes were vividly set out for the reader and the romance was cute and sweet. Reboot lived up to the expectations of it's cleverly unique plot that plays with what being human truly means. It perfectly laid out the framework for a series that i'm sure will be more than amazing, showing us glimpses of Wren's tragic past that i'm sure will slowly be uncovered in the succeeding books, and leaving us with questions that are dying to be answered. My only complaint about the book is that it unnecessarily rushed through some major events during the last part of the book. Filled with just the right amount of humor and innocent romance that balances out the gore and harsh realities, Reboot is one of the best young adult debut novels of the year.
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Kaliope has been chosen to become the leader of the Nactue, a group of female soldiers entasked to protect the Empress of the City of Cavan. A neighboring kingdom falls under the force of the Otherworlders and Kaliope becomes the reluctant protector of Caben, a rebellious prince who is heir to the throne and the last of his line. The Otherworlders attacks the City of Cavan and kidnaps Kaliope and Caben, taking them to their underground realm and forcing them to fight other contenders in a battle to the death in hopes of reclaiminng their freedom. There is more to this barbaric game than what the contenders realize and Kaliope's secret is the only thing that can save them all.
Let me just go straight to the point and tell you that Of Silver and Beasts is one of the best books I've read this year. I haven't had much luck with liking the fantasy books I've been reading these days but this book got me out of my slump. The book introduced me to different worlds that had me instantly intrigued and there was enough action, drama, and romance to keep me turning the pages.
Kaliope was an all-around kick-ass heroine. She placed her duty and the safety of the people she loved over her own well being. Kaliope's not one of those stoic and emotionless heroines, no. She defines the true meaning of fearless- to accept that you are afraid, but to have the courage to overcome it. Kaliope's been through a lot- her father stole mercury and injected it into her system to hide it from authorities. Her mother took her to the temple of a healer goddess and had a priestess pray over her while a doctor placed a clamp to stop the mercury from coming into contact with her heart. Her father's wrongdoings has led her to have a slight distrust towards men, but she still respects them to a certain point. Kaliope was a concrete character but Trisha Wolfe makes her transparent to the reader. Kaliope's emotions of compassion, bravery, loyalty, sense of duty, anger, frustration, and desire practically radiated from the pages.
I couldn't stand Caben when he first appeared in the book. He was reckless, stubborn, and placed too much value on his princely pride. I started to like him when I found out his back story and the reasons for his demeanor were explained. Caben and Kaliope are alike in so many ways, but Caben is the more sensible one. He keeps Kaliope in place and stops her when Kaliope acts before thinking about the consequences of her actions. A few days after I finished the book, I still couldn't stop thinking about Caben.
Of Silver and Beasts mainly focuses on the dark fantasy aspect and introduces us to a world of kingdoms and underground communities with their own set of goddesses, both good and bad. The world building was astounding and I understood every bit of the realm that was shown to me. Trisha Wolfe's writing makes it as if the events in the book unfold before your very eyes. It has some similarities to Battle Royale- like a darker and less forgiving Hunger Games. Of Silver and Beasts doesn't sugarcoat the evil and terror in the book. It doesn't mince on the vivid descriptions of the brutally high-adrenaline fight scenes and bloodshed. There is also romance in the book, but it isn't rushed and annoying. The developments and relationships develop in their own pace and aren't overdone.
Trisha Wolfe did not just create a book, she created a whole new world. Of Silver and Beasts finds strength in it's superb world building, comparable to the realm of A Song of Ice and Fire. The book and it's uniquely intriguing plot wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't as highly detailed. The ending completely took me by surprise and I love and hate Trisha Wolfe for it. Kaliope and Caben's story inspires and gives strength, telling us that there is a reason behind every bad experience- sometimes a curse is a blessing in disguise.
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Originally posted on The Selkie Reads Stories (http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.com)
Nicole Williams took two characters and had them meet by fate, chronicling their lives and spreading it out for all the world to read and fall in love with. The broken boy on the beach seemed like a lifetime ago. These two characters and their lives full of struggles and challenges, from their senior year of high school to their last year of college, have grown so much since I first read Crash and it's terribly painful for me to say goodbye.
The growth in Nicole Williams' characters were so evident in Crush. Lucy's a big girl now and knows how to deal with her life and Jude. The strong parts of Lucy came through this time around; she's no longer the jealous girlfriend and has learned how to control her mouth. She's determined to be this independent woman who doesn't have to rely on her man or his money. Jude is still the cocky, sexy, sensitive, and hotheaded Jude Ryder we've come to love but he has now learned how to control his temper to a certain extent. Both of them finally became the better version of themselves.
Crush circled around the most important factor in Jude and Lucy's relationship: their trust in each other. Jude scored a spot in the NFL and becomes an instant millionaire and Lucy struggles throughout the book to help Jude realize that money won't buy them happiness. There were certain times when I really thought that the money would change Jude for good but i'm glad that it didn't turn out that way. In the second book, Clash, Lucy was a raging jealous girlfriend but it's Jude who's the jealous one this time around. Anton, Lucy's ex-roommate India's twin brother, hires Lucy to be his assistant for the summer and he is absolutely not shy about his growing attraction towards Lucy. The long distance between Jude and Lucy didn't help the situation at all but I have to applaud Jude for handling it all so much better than Lucy.
I accepted Anton's presence in the book with open arms. Jude and Lucy's relationship made me happy and I cheered for them time and time again but I just couldn't ignore the underlying thoughts I had lingering around my head. Jude and Lucy had all these conflicts and all they had to do was apologize and have hot make-up sex and then everything would magically be okay. It sounded like a completely unhealthy relationship to me. Anton voiced those concerns of mine throughout the book and constantly challenged Lucy to prove him wrong. The thing is, I don't really feel like Lucy proved him wrong, like they opened up a gaping hole in the plot and forgot to close it.
Nicole Williams' writing was effortless and was a breeze to read. Crush finds strength in how well the emotions came through. Nicole Williams gave life to Lucy and voiced out all of her happiness, desire, indecision, fears, and the rush of strength going through her veins after the whole roof caved in. The juxtaposition of certain sentences and phrases just flowed out so beautifully. The writing really played a major role in how well the story was told, and I truly believe that Nicole Williams not only succeeded as a writer, but as a story-teller as well.
Crush was the perfect ending to Jude and Lucy's tale. It was well thought out and closed most loose ends with a tight knot. It wasn't perfect in a sense that it was a completely unrealistic fairy tale ending, but it was as real as life could get. The things that happened to Jude and Lucy in Crush were surprising but expected considering their lifestyle and their beliefs. The people that they consider their second family got their own endings, too. Jude and Lucy showed the world that they are more than what they are pegged to be; they rose from the ashes of their downfalls and became a power couple unlike any other. It's hard to accept the fact that I won't be hearing about their lives again, but i'm happy that they made it through.