Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2)

by Robin LaFevers

3.5 stars

385 pages 

Published April 2, 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 

 

I was so confused at the beginning of this book. It had been a while since I read the first book, and was expecting to keep following the main character in that one. But I had forgotten her name, so I was so out of it. I persevered and finally figured out that this book follows a completely different character. Once I had that straightened out, I started to enjoy the plot and action.

Like the first book, the writing is dark and depressing, yet compelling. I couldn't put it down, but I had to to preserve my sanity. The bad guy was truly bad - so bad that it was slightly unbelievable. And the end of his story was unsatisfying. I wish there had been more to it.

I will probably read this last book in this series, which I assume will follow a different character than the first two books.

Into the Still Blue

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)

by Veronica Rossi

4 stars

392 pages

Published Jan. 28, 2014 by HarperCollins

Finally! I got to finish this trilogy. My life can continue.

Since it had been a while since I read #2 in the trilogy, it took me a while to catch up on what had previously happened. You know how some books have the book equivalent of TV shows' "Previously Seen on ..." before the books starts to get you reacquainted with plot and characters? This book would have benefited by having that.

But it's not too bad. There aren't a gazillion characters you have to remember. And the plots pretty simple.

The one thing that bugged me about the ending and their journey to the Still Blue is the abruptness in which they found their destination. It was so easy! After 2.5 books touting the difficulty of the way, everything was so simple.

And what really bugged me was how Cinder was treated. I'm not giving anything away here. You'll have to read the book and find out, but I HATED what happened to him!!

There was a bit of teen sex that was glossed over, but little to no swearing. There also is a bit of gory violence and a few torture scenes.

Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains)

Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains)

by Laurie Boyle Crompton

0 stars

320 pages

Published Feb. 1, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

 
This is the payback I get for not reading the reviews and "blurb" before reading a book. I thought I was being all brave and stuff for picking up this on the fly. NO!

I got to page 60 before I shut the book. It had wildly, wildly inappropriate content for teens!!! Porn on a page. Awful. I wish I could give it 0 stars. My brain "eyes" are bleeding!

Even if the porn wasn't there, I'd still give it one star because the writing was below sub-par. I was skimming paragraphs because it was all just atrocious. Terrible.

Please, don't read this book. There are so many other worthwhile and better written books out there.
Rant over.

The Lost Code

The Lost Code (The Atlanteans #1)

by Kevin Emerson 

2.5/3 stars

435 pages

Published May 22, 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books

I'm wavering between a 2.5 and a 3 star rating.

The first couple of chapters were fantastic. I couldn't believe how gripping they were - kid at a summer camp drowns, but doesn't drown. Cool stuff happens to his body that allow him to breathe underwater.

But after he figures that whole body thing out and he finds some friends, the story kind of stalls. It picks back up toward the very end of the book with some major discoveries, but the previous lackluster story dulled the heightened tension. I really had to push through the "blah" to get to the "yah!"

I must say, though, that Kevin Emerson knows how to write a good bad guy.


There is some gore and swearing and allusions to teen sex.

I may read the next in the series. We'll see.

Champion

I've been out of town for a week - hence the lag in posting. But I'm back!

Champion (Legend #3)

by Marie Lu

4.5 stars

369 pages

Published Nov. 5, 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

I was sad when this series ended, because overall it was a well-written, exciting dive into a post-apocalyptic, dystopian society. I was happy though, that most, if not all the loose ends were tied up nicely - if a bit too abruptly. But I can't complain too loudly when an author doesn't neglect her duty to satisfy readers' needs for closure.

The ending was happy, with a touch of sadness - lots of room for hope and healing. I enjoyed that very much.

No swearing, but one slightly glossed over sex scene.

I'd love to see a spin-off of this series set in the world of Antarctica. That place was intriguing.

Good job, Marie Lu, I like your style!

Once

Once (Eve #2)

by Anna Carey

4 stars

354 pages

Published July 3, 2012 by HarperCollins 

 

I liked this sequel to the dystopian novel Eve. A bit of teen sex, which is icky, but at least it was glossed over. And there isn't a love triangle! Yay! The author tries to force another guy on our heroine, but it doesn't stick. Hopefully, we'll keep that theme going through Number 3, which is out already, so I don't have to wait!

In this book, we find Eve captured and taken to Las Vegas to lived with the king of New America. We witness her attempts at escape and her relationship with rebels and with Caleb, her love interest.

The plot is simple - escape and overthrow the king. Pacing is pretty good, with lots of high points full of action and tension. The ending will leave you wanting -  nay, needing to read the last book, Rise. It is waiting patiently on my Nook for me to delve into.

Skin

Skin

by Donna Jo Napoli

2 stars

Published Aug. 6, 2013 by Amazon Children's Publishing

I've read a number of Donna Jo Napoli's books and have enjoyed them, so when I had the chance to read this book, I jumped! Her writing is usually spot-on for the YA genre and audience.

The theme of "Skin" - overcoming anxiety and anger about being and looking different - was stellar. A 16-year-old girl discovers she has a skin condition called vitiligo, where patches of skin lose their pigmentation. It's mostly cosmetic - but to a teen (or anyone else, for that matter) - the stigma that comes with vitiligo - of looking different - is challenging and scary. I appreciated the journey that Pina had to go through. And I enjoyed reading about how her parents and friend supported her and gave encouragement, even when she was depressed and angry.

In that regard, this book would be perfect for any young adult going through a tough time in life. But unfortunately, there are aspects of the book that preclude me from being able to recommend this book with a whole heart.

First, the language is very rough and vulgar. Admittedly, I am on principle very anti-cursing, and I tend to lose respect for books that use excessive amounts of these words. But I understand that sometimes these types of words are used to enhance the story - although this technique is used successfully very seldom. In this book, it was not.

I lost count of how many f-bombs there were. I don't usually read past the third f-bomb in a book, but since this is a review I had committed to, I felt a responsibility to finish the book, and so I forged ahead. I realize that teens speak like this - but does that mean that books have to sink to that level? I don't buy it. YA writers have the unique opportunity to introduce creative word use to an audience still forming and learning their vocabulary. Why not improve their language instead of debasing it?

Second, teen sex. There was way too much of this. Some of it graphic, too. One of the characters admits to having sex at 14, and the other character thinks that's OK! That is insane. These are 16-year-olds having sex in the back of her mom's car and while she's baby-sitting. Classy.

Third, the way that Pina finally comes to grips with her condition and accepts it is very abrupt and lacks believability. Literally, one day after months of anger and depression, she decides she's "coming out." And she's OK - happily ever after. That doesn't ring true to me, especially for a teenager. There is more to it than that.

So, if you don't mind crass language and loose morals in favor of a decent coming-of-age story, by all means, read this book. But it likely will not be one I can recommend to my friends.