The Murder Complex Review

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Title: The Murder Complex

Author: Lindsay Cummings

Series: The Murder Complex #1

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: June 10, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Dystopia; Science Fiction; Thriller; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 398

Format: Hardcover

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An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.

A boy trained to kill. A girl taught to survive. What could possibly go wrong?

Zephyr and Meadow live in a state packed with too much people and too much crime. Their lives and their deaths are controlled by the MC, the Murder Complex (*cough* Title *cough*). The MC tracks the delicate balance of the population in their community. After Meadow’s mother died in the streets during the night, her father is bent on protecting her and the rest of her family. Being put through grueling training has heightened Meadow’s instincts and ensured her ability to survive. When a chance encounter forced Zephyr, a meaningless Ward, into her life, her world is flipped, and truths start to turn into lies.  

The plot line was basic. Normal. Nothing new. Another Class A case of forbidden romance. Woo-hoo. It’s not like we don’t know how it’ll end. But the setting, that’s where it actually gets interesting.

The world Lindsay built was grotesque and horrifying, and ironically, intriguing. I’m not one for horror, but this book wasn’t a horror; it was a thriller. Big difference. Instead of being scary, it was more…thrilling. Edge of you seat, tips of your toes kind of thrilling. It’s the difference between captivatingly heart-stopping and just plain disturbing. While there’s plenty of death, guts, and blood, it’s all about suspense and mystery – not a showcase of the macabre.

The romance was vanilla. It gave me everything I expected, which honestly I didn’t really want. I wanted to be surprised. I wanted this book to give me the old razzle-dazzle. What I really needed were two things:

1.     Less of that gross mushy stuff. There’s no time for declarations of ever-lasting love! Hello?! You’re in a world ruled by murder – start acting like it please!

2.    More danger and frenzy and fear. See above points.

Be warned, there's no ending, just a real kick ass cliffhanger at the end. 

The Murder Complex was a good read for those still caught on the tail end of the dystopia fad or those you wanted to be thrilled with guts and glory. Honestly, it’s not a bad waste of time, and I wouldn't mind wasting more on it's sequel.

The Death Code

May 26, 2015

Stitching Snow Review

Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Title: Stitching Snow

Author: R.C. Lewis

Series: None

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Science Fiction; Futuristic; Retelling; Adventure; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 328

Format: Hardcover

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Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

First Impressions: Stitching Snow looks like any other fairy tale retelling. A breeding ground for the infamous insta-love (*gag*). Little to no complexity in the plot. Shallow characters, (i.e. the wanna-be-hero male lead and pathetically-hopeless female lead). Extremely low expectations.

                                                                                                                                         

After Reading: Stitching Snow was nothing like how I thought it would be.

Essie chooses to live in the coldest, most desolate of planets. She keeps her distance and expects everyone else to do the same. When someone named Dane crashes near her home, she can no longer keep her distance. Something about him and his circumstances draws her in and forces her to confront the past she’s been desperately trying to forget. When it becomes clear she can no longer run from her role in the fate of the universe, she must choose a side.

Following a trend set by the well-loved Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, Essie is a mechanic on a distant planet fighting to end an oppressive regime. It's no wonder that people have noticed the disturbing similarities between the two books, and while there is a undeniable like-hood between the two, I gave Stitching Snow a chance to prove it was different. It really wasn't that different, but there were qualities about this book that set it apart from its competition that made it worth reading.  

The characters, setting, plot line, world-building were all on point. Essie was a textbook case in terms of retold fairy tales. Independent, smart, defiant, cautious but not so much as to miss out on adventure. The exact opposite of the character they were based off. There will be no sniveling damsels-in-distress here.

With a name like Stitching Snow, I expected one of those nothing novels. The ones you read then instantly forget because it was so superfluous and unremarkable. I was extremely surprised to find heavy subjects distributed throughout this seemingly light and fluffy story line. Abandonment, death, abuse. They were all in there. Who would’ve thought? The confrontation of these topics caught me so off guard, I couldn’t help contemplate it long after I’d actually finished the book.

To sum up, this book defied all my pre-conceived notions on exactly how it would turn out.  I’d recommend it for a quick read, especially for the lovers of Cinder caught in the limbo of waiting for the next book of the Lunar Chronicles. For those still doubtful, pick it up any way. You may be surprised. 

This Shattered World Review

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World

Author: Amie Kaufman; Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #2

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: December 23, 2014

Genre: Fiction; Futuristic; Science Fiction; Romance

Pages: 390

Format: Hardcover

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Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

These covers SUCK!! The stories are great, but ohmygod the COVERS! Someone needs to take a class or something in the art of covering books. Honestly, it’s lucky I even picked these up.

The story of Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac is classic Romeo and Juliet kind of stuff. With a tad bit more arguing and reluctance, of course. Jubilee is stubborn and untrustworthy of everyone. Flynn is the leader of a rebellion, making him a number one enemy of Jubilee and her troops. After Flynn kidnaps Jubilee in the search for answers, their tumultuous story begins.

With the repetitive use of “star-crossed lovers” and “out-of-this-world romance,” you’d think this novel held nothing but angst and horny declaration of love, all set in outreaching planets of the universe. Thank all of the book gods that this isn’t actually what the Starbound series is about. If anything, I’ve could’ve done with a little bit more romance; it’s just my expectations were raised so high and they weren’t all really met, which made me a little sad.

Tarver and Lavender make a reappearance, and this makes me one superbly happy camper. Their story was better than Jubilee and Flynn’s, but what can do? Sometimes you’ve just got to accept that sequels usually fall short of their predecessors.

Spooner and Kaufman make one hell of a team. I didn’t think you could write a good novel with more than one person, but these two ladies make it possible. They’ve done an impressive job, both with These Broken Stars and This Shattered World. Besides the covers. The covers really do need some work.

Overall, a good job. I was happy with the outcome, and I’m looking forward to the last installment of the Starbound with a mixture of anticipation and sadness that it’s really ending. But, nothing gold can stay, am I right?

Their Fractured Light

December 1, 2015

Infinite Sea Review

Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Title: Infinite Sea

Author: Rick Yancey

Series: The Fifth Wave #2

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Genre: Science Fiction; Fiction; Romance; Adventure; Young Adult

Pages: 300

Format: Hardcover

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How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

I am so glad I finally got my hands on this glorious, magnificent novel! I honestly forgot how amazing this series was, but now, I am fully aware of the splendor of Yancy’s genius…and I am going to continue to be aware of it for 5 more long awful months. Oh goody.

Cassie, Ben, Ringer, Evan, and everyone else are still on the arduous and eventful adventure in which they try to defeat the infamous and tyrannical Others. Cassie Sullivan, pulled into the underground rebellion against the Others by trying to save her little brother Sammy, now finds herself fighting for something bigger than herself and her family. Ben, once a reputable child soldier, now fights against the very people he once fought for, alongside his closest friends and troops. Of course, the Others are pulling even more dangerous and complex combative techniques in attempt to quell the small group of stubborn and persistent teenagers that are wreaking havoc on their delicately planned hijacking of the world. The 5^th wave was only the beginning.

Oh my god. How exactly did I survive the limbo between when I read the first book and the release of the second? Did I just black out? I must have because I have no idea how I stood for that miserable time, and I definitely don’t know how I’ll survive this one. And what’s worse? There’s a movie coming out! A movie. Coming out. Next year. Ohmygod. 

The 5^th wave instigated intense instability of my emotional state, but this book? Oh, this book literally crushed all my remaining sanity and any grip on reality that I had. You read the first book of this series, and you think, Woah, that was some serious stuff, but then you read Infinite Sea, and you’re like, OHMYGOD WTF DID I JUST READ?! *throws book across the room* Yeah. You’ve been warned.

Curse you Rick Yancy! Is it too much to ask for a little bit of closure? Just a little? I’m not even asking for much, just a teensy tinny happy ending. Just like, convince me Cassie and Evan are a safe, and I’ll be good. Kind of. Okay, maybe not good, just not screaming from the desperation I harbor as I wait for your third and final(?) book.

I…I just…I really–I loved this book. The characters, the plot, the setting, the dialogue, the pages it was written on, everything. I’ve just, you know, lost all handle I had on my emotions, but that’s okay, right? I think I’ll recover from this series. Maybe. Hopefully.

The Last Star

September 8, 2015

Monsters of Men Review

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Title: Monsters of Men

Author: Patrick Ness

Series: Chaos Walking #3

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date: September 28, 2010

Genre: Science Fiction; Fantasy; Dystopia; Young Adult

Pages: 603

Format: Hardcover

goodreads

"War," says the Mayor. "At last." Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge - the electrifying finale to the award-winning "Chaos Walking" trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about power, survival, and the devastating realities of war.

Holy sugar, this series was good. Sure it left me winded and reeling like I had just taken a ride on the world’s worst roller coaster, but man, was this series good.

The battle-hunger, power-crazy, will-always-come-back-to-life-no-matter-what-you-do, megalomaniac mayor has finally gotten what he wanted: all-out war. Todd and Viola are alone, caught in the middle of three raging enemies willing to do anything to annihilate one another, and have to save the world...again. Not that they succeeded the first time, or the second, or the third, but now, they really have to save the world. With the help of some of Viola’s friends (which is a very limited amount of help at that), the duo just may pull it off. The bond of friendship that holds them together is unlike their world has ever seen, and it may be what saves their lives.

Two words: Action-packed. The last book may have left you with a feeling of indescribable emptiness and a hysterical need for closure, but by golly, this book fixes all your problems. Ness delivers more than promised in this last book of the Chaos Walking series. Where the war left off in The Answer, it is picked right back up in Monsters of Men. Todd–loyal, fantastic, sweet Todd–is set on one thing, and that is to keep Viola safe at all costs. His sentimental personality and the astonishing evolution he has faced throughout the series had me fall in love with him in the first book, but kept me unequivocally devoted in the second and third. He was definitely one of the best characters that I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Viola, on the other hand, is–shall I say it?—bad-ass. Period. Exclamation point. She is tough, strong, and persistent; qualities, I am sure, are necessary in any kick-ass female character ever written. When you pair her with Todd, how could I not devour every word ever written about them?

Now, you may be wondering why, with all this praise, is this book not a full five stars? That is a good question, and there is a reason. I hate to say that I deducted two stars on behalf of the fact that the entire book was a prolonged battle. A battle, that I must mention, started in the previous book and didn't end until 400+ pages later in this book. Yes, there was an unnecessary element of violence in the book, in my opinion, and I hate it when the whole book’s persona is made up of blood and battles. But the good news? That was literally the only thing that I disliked in this book, and because of the awesome characters, their relationships, and the complex world around them, I got over it pretty quick.

This science-fiction, mind-blowing series will have you rethink your life and thoughts. All I can say is thank you, Patrick Ness, for taking me, the reader, on an incredible journey that I do not believe I will forget any time soon. You really are a rock star in my world.

The Ask and The Answer Review

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Title: The Ask and the Answer

Author: Patrick Ness

Series: Chaos Walking #2

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date: September 8, 2009

Genre: Science Fiction; Futuristic; Dystopia; Fiction; Young Adult

Pages: 528

Format: Hardback

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Reaching the end of their tense and desperate flight in The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical government. Todd, meanwhile, faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives — Todd’s gritty and volatile; Viola’s calmer but equally stubborn — the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

Tom and Viola have been separated. On two different sides of the Mayor’s regime, they have no way of communicating with another or even knowing if the other is alive. As the Mayor patiently attempts to convince Tom to join him in building his empire, Viola is struggling to resist the powerful persuasion of The Answer, a rebel group that hopes to defeat Mayor Prentiss and his oppressive influence. While Tom and Viola both fight for the same ideals as the Answer, they cannot help but question the future that the Answer plans for Haven and its citizens. With the appearance of new enemies and a turbulent plot line, The Ask and the Answer will question everything that Viola and Tom have been fighting for. In a world where nothing is secret and morality and principles are a joke, Viola and Tom must single-handedly fight to save their world and destroy anyone that threatens its future.

Ness does many thing very well, but one thing that he definitely needs to work on are his conclusions. After I finish a book, I would like to move on with my life without breaking down and crying every five seconds because I have to wait a whole day to get its sequel, thank you. All I need is a little closure in life. Is that too much to ask? These endings are worse than the Hunger Games series. And that’s saying something.

I love the dynamic connection between Tom and Viola. I appreciate how honest their friendship is, and how much they care for one another. They provide a profound contrast against the horrible world that Ness has built around them. Despite all odds, their characters are strong and defiant.

This installment paves a very welcoming road to the third and final book of the Chaos Walking series. With a staggering number of wars to win and problems to solve that even the most capable of protagonists probably couldn’t even take on, I am excited to see how Ness ends his series. I am also hoping that this series actually does end, and I am not left with some mind-imploding cliff hanger. Fingers crossed! 

Monsters of Men

The Knife of Never Letting Go Review

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Author: Patrick Ness

Series: Chaos Walking #1

Publisher: Walker

Publication Date: May 5, 2008

Genre: Science Fiction; Futuristic; Dystopia; Fiction; Young Adult

Pages: 479

Format: Hardcover

goodreads

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought? 

I used to wonder what it would be like to read minds. After reading this book, I’ve decided it wouldn’t be so great.

Todd is the last of the boys. He can read minds, just like everyone else in Prentisstown. Men, dogs, cows, everything. He has no say in what he hears, and he has no say in what other people hear. There are neither secrets nor privacy. Some men break under the constant pressure of the Noise, and some hide underneath alcohol and its effects. Some embrace the Noise, while others hone it like a weapon that needs to be finely sharpened. The Mayor is one of the people that believe the Noise is a gift that is yet to be used to its full potential. He believes the Noise enables the mind to be a vehicle of power and control. When Todd escapes the oppressive Mayor and his town, he runs into a girl and is shocked to discover he hears nothing. The girl has no Noise. The shocking discovery is the start of many more findings that will not only change Prentisstown, but Todd’s entire world as he knows it.

After reading his novel, A Monster Calls (review here), Patrick Ness became one of my idols. I absolutely adored his book, and I immediately wanted to read every book that he had ever written. When I learned about the existence of this series, it soon became number one on my to-read list.

This book is not only a narrative of this unusual story. It is the embodiment of the voice of a boy who struggles to understand not only his own thoughts but everyone else’s thoughts as well. While the Noise is a seriously awful thing, whenever I read about it, I can’t help but think about How the Grinch Stole Christmas. How does it go?

“And then! Oh, the noise! Oh the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That’s one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!”

Although I think the Grinch was talking about a different kind of Noise, and the Whos are infinitely happier than the citizens of Prentisstown, I still think that the message is the same. Noise = Bad.  

Ness creates a captivating story by using both the words themselves and how the words look on the page to tell his story. He uses different fonts, carefully placed punctuation, and even the white space on a page to create both art and a story. It is intriguing and mysterious and very hard to look away from.

Fair warning: You have to be a very strong person to resist the sequel. If you pick up the first book, in all likelihood, you’ll end up with reading the whole series, one after another.

Patrick Ness, once again, deserves five stars for his ingenuity, creativity, and expert skill at language. Reading more of his work is at the top of my list. 

The Ask and the Answer

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Movie vs. Book

Let's face it: we all knew how the movie was going to end.

But that doesn't make it any less painful.

The Hunger Games trilogy will always be one of favorite book series of all time. Out of the three, Catching Fire tops my list (unusual, I know. But what can I say? I'm a sucker for plot twists), followed behind by Hunger Games, and, at the very bottom, lies Mockingjay. My opinion is that there was not enough time to pound out a third book that would be as good as the other two. Mockingjay was destined to be fall short of expectations. As I have just seen the movie, I believe film makers have copied this trend. 

Mockingjay, the book, was the most destroying of the three books. Violence, death (lots and lots of death), and war all played a huge part. It is to be expected that the movie, which is based on such a dark and tragic book, would end up dark and tragic as well. 

Jennifer Lawrence is (and I think we can all agree on this) an amazing actress. She portrays Katniss so well, so true to the character. Although we did not see Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson) for most of the movie, the parts he could be seen in were powerful. Of course, I cannot forget about Liam Hemsworth, who plays Gale. I believe that the Hemsworth brothers are gifts that should be appreciated whenever possible. As to be expected, Hemsworth's performance was perfection. There were several very powerful moments. Goosebumps ensued. Tears pricked the backsides of my eyeballs. I became emotionally invested in this movie, and I felt as if I had just ridden a roller coaster by the time the lights finally turned on. 

One thing that seems to be missing from most war-related or violent films is consideration for the character's well being throughout the battle. Mockingjay did not follow this pattern. The film makers seemed intent on defying the accepted idea that warriors are indifferent to the bloodshed around them, and I appreciated that. Both the movie and the book made very it clear that the war going on around Katniss was devastating. The savagery and the barbarism Katniss witnesses is enough to drive her insane. 

I have been and always will be a Team Peeta person; Gale was never an option for me. That said, I think it is fair to say that this movie, no matter how dark or violent, set me up to want to watch Part 2 the day it comes out. I don't know how I'll stand the wait. My only hope is that they won't go overboard with the violence and that they will keep it PG-13. 

While it definitely wasn't as good as the other two, I liked this movie, and it is a must see for all Hunger Games fans. Mockingjay Part 2 (which has already been filmed and finished by the way) is to be withheld from audiences until November 20 of 2015. 

Maze Runner Movie vs. Book

Many books turned to movies have obtained considerable failure while going from white page to silver screen. Take Percy Jackson, for example. Probably the worst movie rendition of a book that I have ever seen. Sure, Sean Bean and Logan Lerman were there, but even that couldn't have saved the movie. There is risk in making a motion picture based on a top-selling novel. For one,  the audience you're appealing to is a majority of book nerds (like me). If you skimp of the book details, there will be talk of an uprising. We want it done, but we want it done right. 

I absolutely love the Maze Runner book. Not so much a fan of the entire series, but the Maze Runner itself is fantastic. The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure just went downhill for me. It was violent, and I felt the author lost all sense of the story. It warped too much and eventually bored me. (Honestly I can't even remember how this series ends...) While it ended badly, the series started out well with the Maze Runner. When I went to the theater, I just hoped that the movie makers didn't mess it up too bad. 

First thing that the Maze Runner movie people did right: Dylan O'Brien. Second thing they did right: the setting. Exactly like the book! And not just the setting; the story and the character were all so close to the book. I loved the cast (except for Theresa, but I'll get to that later) and Chuck was the highlight of the movie. O'Brien was perfect for this role. He was exactly like how I imagined Thomas in my mind. And the Grievers (even though they scared the crap out of me) were just right. When I read the book, they were less scary, and I think they could have toned it down in the movie. But overall, they were great. And the action was fantastic. Watching this movie, I finally understood what the term "at the edge of your seat" meant. I must have held my breath for two thirds of the entire movie. 

Things the Maze Runner people did wrong: Theresa, and the violence. I did not like the girl casted for Theresa; they could have done so much better. She was a mediocre actress at best. Secondly, the violence. While the book was violent, book violence is different from movie violence. In books, you can kind of just skim past all the blood and gore, while in movies, you kind of have to watch it. I didn't like that I had to watch it. The book was violent, I'll admit that, but the movie seemed even more violent than the book. 

By the time the theater lights faded in, I liked the movie. My heart was pumping hard and the book nerd inside of me was satisfied (and not just from watching O'Brien for two hours straight). Fans of the Maze Runner I am sure will be fans of this movie. Not even the person sitting behind me who felt it necessary to kick my seat of five minutes could ruin the movie for me. It was good, and I liked it, and I think other people will too. 

Solstice Review

Solstice by P.J. Hoover

Title: Solstice

Author: P.J. Hoover

Series: None

Publisher: Tor Teen/Macmillan

Publication Date: June 1, 2013

Genre: Science Fiction; Futuristic; Mythology; Fantasy; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 384

Format: Hardback

goodreads

Piper's world is dying. 

Each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles that threaten to destroy the earth. Amid this global heating crisis, Piper lives under the oppressive rule of her mother, who suffocates her even more than the weather does. Everything changes on her eighteenth birthday, when her mother is called away on a mysterious errand and Piper seizes her first opportunity for freedom.

Piper discovers a universe she never knew existed—a sphere of gods and monsters—and realizes that her world is not the only one in crisis. While gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper’s life spirals out of control as she struggles to find the answer to the secret that has been kept from her since birth.

An imaginative melding of mythology and dystopia, Solstice is the first YA novel by talented newcomer P. J. Hoover.

Piper lives in a world that’s boiling and above 120 degree temperatures are to be expected. Piper, living under the control of an overly-protective mother, has never had much of a life. On her eighteenth birthday, all of that is about to change. She’ll discover worlds she never thought existed and secrets never meant to be uncovered. With the help of Shayne, a mysteriously dark guy who seems to know more about her than she does, she’ll learn things that will turn her life upside down. Solstice combines Greek mythology and dystopian science fiction to create a novel about discovering who you really are.

I was not impressed for about the first half of this book. The whole time I was reading it, the thought “two stars, two stars, this such a two star book,” kept floating around in my head. Honestly I didn’t even think I wanted to finish it. A serious case of nauseating insta-love made me roll my eyes every two pages and the shallow depth of the characters about made me want to gag.  I had serious problems with this book. It was only past the half-way point where I actually thought, “okay, fine, maybe I can actually finish this sucker”.

First of all, the setting. I will give credit to Hoover, it was interesting that she combined two genres on the opposite ends of the spectrum of YA. Greek mythology and science fiction are an interesting combination. Sure, it was a good idea. Was it done well? Eh. Not really. If you are going to combine two different genres, you have to give equal time to both genres, and that is just not something that Hoover did. Her focus was more on the mythological part and the dystopian part took the back seat. Without the development, the setting was confusing and left too many loose ends. The book probably would’ve been better if there wasn’t a dystopia element at all. The mythological element of the story, however, was an entirely different story. You could tell the Hoover knew what she was talking about. The Persephone and Hades spin off was enough to keep me interested (and is probably the only reason why I rated this two stars, not one). But let’s face it, after Percy Jackson, there just really isn’t any competition for Greek myths anymore.

Secondly, the characters. I could not stand the main character, Piper. Too fake and superficial. And stupid. I found out the big “surprise” about five thousand pages before she did. And her reaction to learning these “secrets” and “revelations” was way too accepting. It wasn’t realistic. There was no denial, at all. And don’t even get me started on the sickening insta-love. Yuck.

Overall, not impressed. The Greek in it was good, everything else was not. Wouldn’t recommend it and not worthwhile. If I want to satisfy my Greek myth craving, I’ll just reread Percy Jackson. 

Tandem Review

Tandem by Anna Jarzab

Title: Tandem

Author: Anna Jarzab

Series: Many-Worlds Trilogy #1

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 8, 2013

Genre: Science Fiction; Romance; Young Adult

Pages: 428

Format: Hardback

goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

"Everything repeats. You. Your best friend. Every person you know. Many worlds. Many lives-infinite possibilities. Welcome to the multiverse."

Sasha has an unfortunate crush on the best-looking guy in school, named Grant. She is pretty sure he doesn’t even know she exists. But when Grant asks her to prom, she is surprised but quite understandably happy. Prom night is perfection: the dancing, the guy, the dress. Sasha doesn’t think it can get much better than this–until Grant takes across something called the Tandem into another universe that parallels ours. Then, he tells her that his name is not actually Grant but Thomas and she is going to be forced into impersonated a mysteriously vanished princess if she ever wants to go home again. Yeah, this is going to be fun.

It’s hard to do parallel universes right. I have read so many bad ones that I almost didn’t believe that a good one even existed. But, apparently it does. Parallel universes are hard to do (which is probably why nearly everyone gets them wrong), but Jarzab makes it surprisingly simple and even a little bit interesting. You’ve gotta admit, the thought of another universe with another you that may or may not look identical to you, may or may not love the same things you love, may or may not speak the way you do is intriguing. It certainly entertains my mind for hours on end. I could probably just sit and think about the possibilities of parallel universes and never be bored. While Jarzam could’ve added even more depth to her story by elaborating on the exact implications of parallel universes, I am glad she kept as simple as she did. No one wants to read something that gives you a headache.

I finished this book relatively fast. What can I say? I’m a saucebucket for romance. And Jarzab does romance almost as well as she does parallel universes. I loved Thomas even though there was that whole Stockholm syndrome thing going on. Couldn’t help it. I just really like Thomas. Callum, the prince whom Princess Julianna (Sasha’s doppleganger) is supposed to marry, however, was oh-so coincidentally movie-star handsome and seemed very very fake the entire book. I really could not stand that character or how he was written. It just made me frustrated. The “chemistry” between Sasha and Callum was forced and unbelievable. It was annoying.

Overall, not a bad book. Just relatively okay. A good book for filling up time and space. Maybe in another universe, I love this book, but not in this one. I’ll probably read the sequel, but I’m not falling out of my chair waiting for it. 

Tether