Pulse

Pulse (Pulse #1)

by Patrick Carman

3 stars

371 pages

Published Feb. 26, 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books

The first half of this book was very slow, but I was so intrigued with the premise and where the book could go, that I stuck it out. It finally picked up after slogging through the boring stuff - I'm glad I stuck with it. A promising new trilogy by one of my favorite authors, Patrick Carman.

Ruins

Ruins (Partials Sequence #3)

by Dan Wells

3 stars

464 pages

Published Mar. 11, 2014 by Balzer + Bray

Unbeknownst to me, I skipped the 2nd book in this series and didn't realize it until I was halfway through this book. Hmm. I'm not exactly sure what that means ...

At least now I don't have to read Book #2. It must have been not that enlightening, since I was following Book #3 right along with no problem.

Graduation Day

Graduation Day (The Testing #3)

by Joelle Charbonneau

3 stars

304 pages 

Published June 17, 2014 by HMH Books for Young Readers

 

Meh. Not great. Too many questions in the prose: "Should I do this?", "How can I do this?", "Who can I trust?", etc. Too distracting.

I'm just glad this trilogy is over. It wasn't stellar - more of a Hunger Games meets whiny girl meets Rage Against the Machine. If I had to do it again, I probably wouldn't waste my time.

The Boy at the End of the World

The Boy at the End of the World

by Greg Van Eekhout

3 stars

224 pages

Published June 21, 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens 

 

I started this book, then put it aside for a while to read another book. I guess that says something for the story.

While it was an interesting concept - an engineered boy waking up after thousands of years since the extinction of man - I just couldn't quite engage in the story. Mostly because it was a little-disguised environmental lecture. I love nature, yet I don't like being told that I'm an evil villain because I drive my kids to school.

I give this three solid stars because the writing was actually quite witty. There were even some places where I laughed out-loud ... Hello!

The Dark Shore

The Dark Shore (The Atlanteans #2)

by Kevin Emerson

3.5 stars

470 pages

Published May 21, 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books

If you liked The Lost Code, you'll be happy to know that No. 2 is better. Much better.

What bugged me about No. 1 is that nothing really happened - but The Dark Shore makes up for that lack with lots of action and lots of intrigue. Information is divulged and people die. The pacing is spot on and the action is not stop. Owen continues to grow a spine and is popular with the ladies. Leech sheds his sub-human attitude and makes peace and friendship with Owen. And Lilly - well, you'll just have to read what her deal is.

So why the 3.5 stars and not a 4 or 5? There is some teen almost-sex and some swearing. But what disappointed me most of all is that the author threw zombies into the climax of the book. I'm not the hugest zombie fan, I admit, but jumping on that band wagon was cliche and uninspired.

Although despite that, I am going to read the next in the series, which is expected to be out Aug. 26, 2014.

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.

Resist

Resist (Breathe #2)

by Sarah Crossan

2.5 stars

368 pages

Published Oct. 8, 2013 by Greenwillow Books

I'm being very generous with the 2.5 star rating. I really wanted to give it a 2-star, but the ending was happy-ish, and you know how much I like happy endings.

The reasons for my "meh" inclinations are many:

1. Too many main characters. It took me half the book to actually figure out what was going on and who was who again. I had read the first book, Breathe, when it first came out and got this one as soon as I could, but it was tough for me to remember exactly who everyone was - there were way too many main characters to make the sequel easy to read. It it did not help that each chapter was from the viewpoint of each of those multiple characters. It was so hard to keep track!

2. Too many loose ends. What happened to Niamh? The other members of the Ministry? The other members of Sequoia? Or Vanya? What were the oxyboxes?

3. The writing was blah. There was also some swearing, supposedly to add some spice to the bland writing.

4. The characters were blah. Nobody grew much really. All that apparently happened in the first book. This book was not character driven at all. It was all focused on ...

5. The plot, which was also blah. Overthrow the Ministry. Start growing plants. Booooring.

6. There needed to be an Epilogue - from at least 20 years in the future - so we the readers could see how everything turned out and how the environment had changed.

So all in all, a solid blah effort.

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!

Prodigy

Prodigy (Legend #2)

by Marie Lu

3.5 stars

371 pages

Published Jan. 29, 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

An exciting sequel to Legend. It has everything I love - survival, anti-government rebellion, a good love story with "issues," so it's not too boring.

I also appreciate how the main characters don't know who to trust, but ultimately decide to trust each other. I will read the last in the trilogy to see how it all plays out.

Little to no swearing, and no sex. A bit of violence, but it's mostly glossed over. Nothing like the first book where it was glorified and reveled in and described in minute detail.

Rise

Rise (Eve #3)

by Anna Carey

3 stars

310 pages

Published April 2, 2013 by HarperCollins

Sooo ... I liked this book. Mostly. There were some things that I would have changed or included, but on the whole it was a decent ending to the Eve trilogy.
One thing that bugged me was the abruptness of how the book ended. I got down to the last 20 pages or so, and said to myself, "How is Carey going to end this book in 20 pages? Maybe there is another book?" There was just too much going on to be able to satisfactorily finish the series in just 20 pages. I was right. The blunt ending left me turning the page, and say "Where's the rest of it???"
I hated the fact that we never find out what happened to the girls who were locked away pregnant. Or to the children of those girls. What happened to Charles? The women in Califia? The boys in the dugout? Or any of the other characters we met throughout the series??
An epilogue would have greatly enhanced the book. It would have left the reader with a better taste in her mouth. The one I have now is slightly bitter.

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.

The Maze Runner series

The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1)

by James Dashner

3 stars
 
374 pages 
Published Oct. 6, 2009 by Delacorte Press 

The first in this series The Maze Runner was OK. This is what I had to say about it back when I originally read it:

 "A young adult adventure/action story. It wasn't bad."
So not an overwhelmingly fantastic review, but not horrible.
 

It gets worse ... 

The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2)

by James Dashner

2 stars
 
360 pages
Published Oct. 12, 2010 by Delacorte Press 

I have to be blunt ... I skimmed this. I read the first 40 or so pages and just couldn't stand all the terrifically awful deaths of these teenagers.

And honestly, I really only wanted to know how it ended. It seemed like I was thinking through the whole book "How can 'they' put these poor kids through this? They can't take anymore!" Indiscriminate killing, horrific scenes, and confusing plot line all required me to give it the 2 stars. I will read (or skim) the last book just to see how it ends. It had better have a good ending!

Can it get worse? Oh, yes it can ... 

The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3)

by James Dashner

1 star (if that)

325 pages
Published Oct. 11, 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Lame, lame, lame ending. Please don't waste your time on this.

 The first book was decent, if completely unnecessarily violent. Book 2 was more disappointing. And this one was pretty terrible. The ending will make you say, "What?? THAT'S how he ends it? What was the point?"

Save yourselves!
Skip it.

The Testing

The Testing (The Testing #1)

by Joelle Charbonneau

3.5 stars

336 pages
Published June 4, 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

(Mild Spoilers)

Is this a The Hunger Games knock-off? The odds are ever in your favor ... so yes. It absolutely is. A completely unabashed, blatant knock-off.

That being said, it is a good knock-off. I enjoyed it thoroughly once I accepted the similarities between the two books. The plot is basically the same as Hunger Games - except in The Testing, the applicants want to go to the Testing (Hunger Games) because if they pass, they can go on to University and their families back home get compensation.

The main character - Cia - is a clever, resourceful, smart, lucky, strong heroine who falls in love with her travel companion/fellow applicant. Sound familiar? I know, I know. But just as I loved Katniss, I thought Cia was awesome. Slightly flat at first, but she is developed further as she loses her innocence during the phases of Testing.

The majority of the book is focused on the 4th phase of The Testing, which makes sense, because it is the most exciting and longest test the applicants must go through. Traveling in a designated area, they must reach their goal any way they can. Killing is neither encouraged nor discouraged. Some applicants are good. But most turn vicious. It's sad that the author decides to put forth the theme that people are intrinsically bad - and will revert to base instincts whenever possible. I agree there is evil in the world, but I have hope that people at least have the desire to be better and to do better things. Am I naive? Probably. But I still lock my doors and keep my wallet safe. I ain't stupid.

There is some mild swearing and some violence (obviously, since it's Hunger Games reincarnated).

Anyway ... if you liked the Hunger Games, you'll probably like this. It's basically the same. Hopefully Number Two in this series will go in a different direction than Catching Fire did. I'll read it when it comes out and let you know.

Inhuman

Inhuman (Fetch #1)

by Kat Falls

4.5 stars

384 pages

Expected publication: Sept. 24, 2013 by Scholastic 

 

Dystopia-lovers, REJOICE!

I finally get to share a book with you that ranks up there with the best sellers, because this one is definitely going to be on that list!

Recently, I had fallen into an "I'm bored" slump with many of my books, so it took me a week to pick up this novel and start reading. But when I did, somehow my fingers developed super glue! This book mutated me into a part human, part raccoon who can't let go of that shiny something.

A fantastic premise (Think an I Am Legend/The Island of Dr. Moreau hybrid),  excellent writing, quick pacing and insightful character development make this the next "TO READ" for any teen or adult. I enjoyed every gripping minute I was immersed in the wild, colorful, dystopian, violent world of "Inhuman," by Kat Falls.

The only reason I docked a half-star was the love triangle that is developed. I'm so tired of the widely overdone Bella/Edward/Jacob formula. I adored both male love interests, so I despised the choice that our heroine is faced with. But that's the only beef I have with the book. I'm not going to overly analyze it either, because I just want to enjoy.

I cannot wait until I can get my paws (sorry!) on the next book in the series. I can only hope it's as good as this initial offering. Kat Falls has a winner on her hands - much to the joy of the millions of dystopian fans that roam the earth.

Thank you NetGalley and Scholastic Inc. for the opportunity to review this wildly good new book!

Above World

Above World (Above World #1)

by Jenn Reese

4 stars

368 pages
Published Feb. 14, 2012 by Candlewick Press

Finally a book with a new, fresh idea! Those are harder to come by in YA literature nowadays. Most books gravitate toward vampires or werewolves. Thanks for that, Stefanie.

This story revolves around a girl who is a "mermaid" who tries to save her people (a genetically-altered people who live in the sea, and "breathe" water with the aid of technology), because the technology is started to fail. She embarks on a journey "above world" - which is to say, air and land, to find allies.

I don't want to give too much away, though. It's a good read. 

Recommend.

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences

by Brian Yansky

3.5 stars

240 pages

Published Oct. 12, 2010, by Candlewick Press

I needed a "palate cleanser" after a bunch of YA paranormal romance type stuff. And this quick "alien" book fit the bill.
After aliens come and take over the earth in 2 seconds, the humans - products are what they are called - who survived are taken as slaves in the new regime led by a little green dude called Lord Vert.
The survivors start accessing their latent psychic abilities and fighting back.
The premise is good, the writing is solid and characters are pretty well developed.
My only gripe is that I wish the story were longer. There were things that could have been explained further. And the ending ... quite abrupt. I hope there is a sequel, but I don't think there will be. I would totally read it!
A smattering of mild swearing. No sex. Little to no physical violence. It's all in their heads. Literally.
Great read for anyone - boys, girls, teens, adults.

Breathe

Breathe (Breathe #1)

by Sarah Crossan

3 stars

373 pages

 
If you can get past the super-blatant tree-hugger theme, it's actually a decent dystopian novel.
I love trees - who doesn't? - so it's an interesting idea to think of a world without them and how people would adapt and exploit this.
Something that bugged me was the relationship between Quinn and Bea. One day - best friends, and the next it's looooooove. At least Bea is constant.
There is a smattering of language, too, so watch out.

Mirage

Mirage (Above World #2)

by Jenn Reese

4 stars

368 pages

A strong female protagonist, quick pacing, great plot and themes of forgiveness, honor and loving those who are different all combine to make this sequel to Above World a brilliant read.
I can recommend this series to pre-teens and teens - there's no swearing, sex or "mature" topics. There are some fight scenes, though, if you're averse to that.
I will be reading the next in the series.