Review - Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, Book 2) by Marissa Meyer (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Paranormal
Size: 464 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: February 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-0312642969
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Lunar Chronicles series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles. There are four books planned in this series with the third book, Cress, releasing in 2014 and the fourth book, Winter, releasing in 2015. This was an excellent continuation of this series. This book focuses on Scarlet and adds some wonderful new characters to the story.

Cinder’s story does continue in this book, as she tries to escape from prison. The majority of the book though follows Scarlet. Scarlet lives in one of the few operating farms in the French countryside. When her grandmother goes missing she travels into the city to try and get help. She gets help in the unlikely form of a street fighter named Wolf. But could Scarlet’s grandmother’s disappearance be tied in with the Lunar’s Queen’s politics?

The book switches between Cinder, Scarlet, and Prince Kai’s POV. The way the different POVs are done for this book works very well.

I absolutely adore the world this book is set in and the wonderful characters in this story. I love how fairy tale elements of Cinderella and Red Riding Hood continue to be woven throughout the plot. They are not the main plot elements but they are definitely there and influence the story.

The pace of the book is wonderful, the plot and characters are delightful. Cinder continues to be a very spunky character who is struggling with what she is and her responsibilities. Scarlet is less aggressive than Cinder but more caring and determined. Wolf is also an interesting character...he is torn between many loyalties but steadfast in his own way.

The story is definitely sci-fi...but it also has steampunk elements, cyborgs, aliens, and action galore. It was a wonderful read and I breezed through the book...it was so hard to put down. This is a really long book that feels really short when you read it.

I also love how Meyer has the very personal stories of Cinder and Scarlet tied in with the bigger story of war coming between the Lunars and the humans. The smaller story and the more epic story are balanced very nicely.

Overall just an absolutely wonderful and creative YA read. This has got to be one of the most creative YA series out there. The book is easy to read, with a very engaging storyline and characters that are easy to relate to. The story is growing to epic proportions but it is still easy to follow. I really look forward to reading future books in this series. Recommended to those who like young adult science fiction with a big dose of mystery and adventure.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- ALIENS: Paranormal Reading Challenge
- Young Adult Reading Challenge

Early Graphic Novel Review - Zed: A Cosmic Tale by Michel Gagne (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult/Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Graphic Novel
Size: 280 pages
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: February 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-1607066682
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eBook from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars


I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. So thanks to Image Comics and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I had previously read the Saga of Rex and really enjoyed the beautiful illustration and quirky story. This was an excellent read that was much more violent than The Saga of Rex.

Zed is presenting his invention that will change the way the whole universe uses energy when things go awry and he evaporates the whole planet only to be saved by a spaceship invented by one of the other inventors. In his quest to find out what went wrong he discovers that he wasn’t at fault but was the target of espionage by an energy producing planet. Now he just needs to save his home planet and save the universe...no biggie, right?

This is a cute sci-fi graphic novel that I would recommend for young adult and older ages. The story itself it a bit disturbing and depressing, but in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. So definitely some dark humor. This is definitely not the light-hearted and all age appropriate book that The Saga of Rex was.

Although this is illustrated in a cutesy and young looking style this is not a read for children. Zed kills off a whole planet of people including his parents and is very upset by the whole scenario. There are also some pretty gory scenes where people lose limbs and life in battle. In addition there is some mild swearing and a somewhat sexually suggestive image of metal rock band groupies. I think it would be okay for young adult and older though.

The illustrations are stunning and the story is well done. Despite all the horrible things that happen to Zed, he is determined to save the day. The poor little guy is really put through the wringer though, so be prepared for the first section of the book to be violent and depressing.

The whole story is full of dark humor. The things that happen are a bit too epic and a bit too out there, this ends up lending the story a darkly humorous edge. I really really enjoyed it. It’s quirky, goofy, and totally off the wall. It is delivered in a way that is high quality and top notch.

Overall I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It’s beautifully illustrate and quirky and crazy. As mentioned above it is definitely not for younger readers. I would recommend this for people who enjoy graphic novels that are quirky and different. If you are offended by over the top epic violence I wouldn’t pick this up.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Graphic Novel Reading Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - The Bookman (The Bookman Histories, Book 1) by Lavie Tidhar (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Size: 416 pages
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN: 978-0857660343
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Bookman Histories series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars

I read the 2nd book in the Bookman Histories, Camera Obscura, last year and really enjoyed it. I was excited to go back and read the book that started it all. Unfortunately this book was just okay for me; I had trouble engaging with the characters and the story just seemed to drag on and on.

I listened to this on audiobook which I do not recommend. The narrator distinguished between voices of different characters well, but his choices for voices were often shrill and obnoxious. There were character voices in the book that made me flinch with their shrillness. Definitely don’t listen to this on audiobook.

This book tells the story of Orphen. He is a poet who wants nothing more than to live our his life with his beloved Lucy. When Lucy is murdered by the terrorist The Bookman, Orphen goes on a quest of revenge. He will either get Lucy back, kill the Bookman, or die trying. Unfortunately for Orphen he becomes deeply embroiled in a plot full of alien lizard races and automatons.

As with Camera Obscura, I enjoyed the wonderfully creative world here. The British Empire is run by a lizard race, automatons are struggling for their rights, and the Bookman seems to have eyes and agents everywhere. Unfortunately since I was introduced to this world in Camera Obscura, while I still enjoyed it, some of the novelty had worn off for me.

I had a lot of trouble engaging with Orphen. His is kind of whiny and weak as a character; he is a poet at heart and spends a lot of time whining about loosing Lucy. He wants to take action but is continually swept up in events that are bigger than he is. By his own omission for most of the book he is a pawn.

The majority of the storyline revolves around political struggles between the lizard folk, the Bookman, the Automatons, and the British people. If you like politics you may really enjoy this. I personally am not big on politically focused books and constantly had trouble staying engaged in the story.

The story takes many side trips along the way. You may find yourself suddenly emerged in a history of this or that when you thought you were on an adventure to a different locale. This lead to the storyline being somewhat ambiguous and convoluted. I was listening to this and constantly found my mind wandering and missing parts of the story because I just couldn’t stay interested in what was going on.

As I said the writing wanders a bit and the pacing is slow. There is some wonderful descriptive writing throughout though and the dark and bleak environments really come alive. There is an oddly heavy science fiction element to this steampunk story as well.

Overall an okay book. The world is wondrous and creative and the descriptions very well done. The main character of Orphan was a weak one though and I had trouble staying engaged. The story was ambiguous at times and wandered quite a bit, again I had trouble staying focused on what was going on at points because I just didn’t care. The story was very political in nature, which I don’t care much for. If you love steampunk stories and are interested in a politically motivated steampunk story that is a bit ambiguous you might like this book. Personally I would recommend Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series over this one.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge
- Steampunk Reading Challenge

Review - I Am Number Four (The Lorien Legacies, Book 1) by Pittacus Lore (2/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Science Fiction
Size: 480 pages
Publisher:  HarperCollins
Release Date: January 4, 2011

ISBN-13:  978-0062026248
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in Lorien Legacies series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 2/5 stars

I was eager to read this book before going to see the movie, I still haven't seen the movie and probably won't now.  I wasn't a big fan of the book.  I didn't think it was very creative, the characters were very 2D, the plot predictable and the writing juvenile.   I pretty much didn't like this book after the first fifty pages, but decided to stick it out to the end and was sorry that I did.

John is one of the last ten Lorien children who fled the evil Mogadorians after the Mogadorians destroyed his home planet.  The ten last children of Lorien have a protection set on them; as long as they never meet in person they will be protected until the child before them is killed.  John is number four and number three has just died, so that means that the Mogadorians are hunting for him next.  John is sick of fleeing from place to place and, as his Legacy powers start to show up, has decided that he (and his guardian Henri) should stick it out where they are currently living...the small town of Paradise.  Things get complicated when John falls in love with a human girl and John has to choose whether to stay or flee; to survive or love.

Now I understand this is a book intended for a YA audience but that doesn't mean the writing needs to be juvenile.  Right from the beginning of the book the writing style rubbed me the wrong way.  The sentences are short, the words used fairly simple...I felt like it was a more dumbed down that it should have been.  Then there is the overused plot...peaceful aliens seek Earth as a refuge only to be hunted down on Earth by the very evil aliens they were fleeing...yawn...  How many times have we seen/read/heard plots like this?  This is definitely not the most creative story out there.  Then there was the whole you have to kill the children in order spell-thingy...which is creative but strange.  Why would the Loriens do that sort of spell?  Why not just set a protection spell?  It was never well explained and never really made sense.

Then there are the characters.  I can see why this book was easy to make into a movie; that is because it is written like a corny action movie.  You can really picture characters flying through the air and zooming around.  What you never get a really good picture of are the characters themselves; they are like cardboard cut-outs that are moved through first a boring high school drama and then a corny action filled plot.  You never get to know the characters or really engage with them.  The book starts out just plan old boring; lots of high school drama, no aliens, no anything.  The last fourth of the book really picks up the pace and from there on out it is a string of continuous action scenes.

I know I am complaining a lot here but I really didn't enjoy any aspect of this book.  The final thing (aside from the characters, plot, and writing style) that totally bugged me were the inconsistencies.  At one point John finds out he is fire proof on the outside; the authors make a big deal of explaining how he is not fire proof on the inside and cannot open his mouth to speak or breath while he is consumed by fire.  Then towards the end of the book he is engulfed in flame, running around like a fireball, and yelling at the enemies (obviously with his mouth open).  I am sitting there thinking, uh okay, how is he not burning up on the inside?  When did his power drastically change so now he is fire proof everywhere?  Why did they make such a big deal about him not being fire proof on the inside if they were going to ignore their own rules later?

The book ends okay, it is very very predictable.  I could have outlined this whole story for you after reading the first chapter; no surprises here...no twists or turns.

Overall this book was not my cup of tea.  I disliked the writing style for its simplicity, disliked the characters for their shallowness, disliked the plot for is predictability, and was driven crazy by the inconsistencies in John's powers.  Everything about this book screamed "Please make me into a corny action movie!"  Needless to say I won't be reading any more books in this series; nor will I be going to watch the movie.  I would suggest that YA/Middle Grade readers who like action books with a male lead should check out Percy and the Olympians, the Hunger Games, the Artemis Fowl series or anything other than this book.  There weren't any brazen technical errors, misspellings, or typos so that's why it gets two stars instead of one.  I am so, so glad that I got this from the library.

This goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge

Classic Review - War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Classic Science Fiction
Paperback: 80 pages
Publisher:Public Domain Books
Release Date: March 17, 2006 (Originally published 1898)
ASIN: B002RKSCAQ
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: free e-book on Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars



I downloaded this for free for my Kindle.  I have never read this before (I have seen a couple bad movies about it) but was eager to read the original story.  Overall I liked the story.  I thought parts of it were a bit drawn out and boring; but overall it was definitely worth reading...and much better than any of The War of the Worlds movies I have seen.

The nameless narrator of this book tells about green capsules that fall to Earth.  Inside them are strange tripod/octupus like creatures that use a heat-rays to destroy a number of people early on.  The book follows the narrator as he struggles through the English countryside trying to make it back to his wife.  Then for a while he tells the story of his brother in London and of the second Martian weapon they face, that of a black cloud which instantly kills people.  Then the story winds back to the original narrator as he makes his way to London to see the final destruction of the Martians.

Like most classics, this story is most outstanding for the story it told at the time it told it.  There are probably better books out there now (John Christopher's Tripod series comes to mind) about alien invasion; but for the time this was a very forward thinking book.

The description in the book is very well done and, it is, for the most part very readable and enjoyable.  Wells does an excellent job of creating suspense at certain times in the book.  He also does an excellent job at showing humanity both at its best and its worst.  It is amazing how inhumane some of the humans in this book behave when they are in a panic.  The most colossal tragedies this book show that there is space for great heroics and great evil in a time of mass destruction.

I also enjoyed the irony behind how the Martians finally meet there death; it was suiting and says interesting things about evolution in general.

There were some things I did not like about this book.  Some of the parts just went on too long.  There is a portion where the narrator spends forever describing every minute aspect of the Martians which was slow, another portion where the narrator is making his way across the countryside that was boring, and the part where the narrator is trapped in a collapsed house seemed to drag on forever.  Wells gives great attention to the narrators situation but doesn't ever go outside of the narrators sphere of influence to see what is happening world-wide or what kind of reaction the rest of the world is having.  Also the characters were pretty sketchy...this was definitely more of an adventure driven novel than a character driven one.

Should you read it?  Well if you like sci-fi and are interested in alien invasion then this is a must; this is pretty much the story that inspired a lot of later sci-fi stories.  A lot of the story is very enjoyable, engaging and intriguing; but as with many classics there are portions that drag on a bit.  I never found the language or writing difficult to understand, so that means this novel has aged well with time.  If you are not a sci-fi fan, interested in post-apocalyptic stories, or alien invasion I would probably skip this in favor of something else.

If you do really like this story and haven't read the Tripods trilogy by John Christopher I recommend that you do; the story is similar in tone, more character driven, and a wonderful read.

 

Review - The Doom Machine by Mark Teague (4/5 stars)

I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program.  After reading the synopsis I was hooked, this sounded like a fantastic book.  It was a great read.  Very amusing and would appeal to children and adults alike.

It's 1956 and Jack Creedle is a trouble maker, but he's a trouble maker who is really good at fixing cars and trying to hold his own paper route.  One morning while delivering papers he sees a flying saucer land in the forest.  Little does Jack know the Skreeps have returned and they are here to collect a special item.  Ironically the special item is something that Jack's uncle Bud built and it just happens to be a time machine of sorts.  If the Skreeps get there..uh..legs on it, it could mean the end of Earth.  When Isadora and her mother get stranded in Vern Hollow they are sucked into the adventure with Jack and Bud.  It is an adventure that will take all of the participants literally out of this world to Skreepia and beyond.

If you want to compare this book to something I would say think of it as a 1950's sit-com version of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy but suitable for all ages.   This book is zany and crazy and full of intriguing characters.   The characters are very interesting, the plot moves along at a great clip, and there is a lot of great humor.  This is fun science fiction for kids (and adults) that has a bit of a pulp science fiction feel to it.

This book reminded me a lot of Philip Reeve's Larklight series too.  It has that zany adventure through space feel to it.  The book itself it very well put together and has some very nice sketches throughout that help readers to picture some of the more crazy creatures easier.  This would be a great book to read to kids.  The writing is easy to read and engaging.  Teague does a great job creating a goofy but believable premise. The book wraps up nicely.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.  I hope to see more books from Teague in the future.  If you like Daniel Pinkwater, the Larklight series by Philip Reeve, or are looking for a kid-friendly version of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy this is the book for you.  Everyone should check out this zany space adventure.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- The Young Adult Reading Challenge
- The 100+ Book Reading Challenge

Blacklisted (Teen Alien Huntress, Book 2) by Gena Showalter (3/5 stars)

This was the second book in the Teen Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter. As far as I could find there are not anymore young adult books planned in the Alien Huntress series at this time. I didn't like this book nearly as much as the first one, Redhanded, but it was okay.

Camille Robins and her girlfriend go to a nightclub chasing after some boys from high school. Camille is interested in Erik (who was in Redhanded) and is ecstatic when he passes her a note in the club. When she finds out the note is only a blank napkin it pisses her off, so she follows him into a back section of the club. There she is attacked and drawn into Erik's illegal activities. Erik and Camille end up fleeing for their lives trying to outrun AIR agents.

I didn't like this book nearly as much as "Redhanded". My biggest problem was Camille. She is cowardly (which she admits to herself), somewhat whiny, and I found her to be annoying. Erik is, in general, kind of a jerk. Like with many other of Showalter's books Erik ends up being better in the end, but I still didn't like him much. The relationship between him and Camille felt forced and unrealistic.

I also didn't like that the main premise of this book was that Camille wanted Erik. At least in "Redhanded" Pheonix was trying to beat her addiction and make it through A.I.R. training; in "Redhanded" her relationship with Ryan was part of the story not the whole story. Don't get me wrong there is some plot outside of Camille and Erik, but it is pretty thin.

Additionally I thought the book was wrapped up really quick and a little too conveniently. It was unreal how all these strange coincidences happened all at once so that the story could be end quickly, almost as if Showalter had to hurry and get this book done. In general it made for an unsatisfying story.

The positive points were that Showalter has created an interesting world here, the actions scenes were well done (although much fewer than in "Redhanded"), and the book was a quick, easy read. In the end it was an okay read, definitely nothing to write home about, but a quick diversion. I would definitely read "Redhanded" first since that is, by far, the better of the two books.

Red Handed (Teen Alien Huntress, Book 1) by Gena Showalter (4/5 stars)

I liked the first couple books in Showalter's Alien Huntress series, but didn't like the last few. So, I had mixed feelings about reading the Teen Alien Huntress series. Luckily this was a pretty darn good book. It is not high literature, but is fun to read and full of action.

Phoenix has been through rehab twice already and is trying to kick her addiction to Onadyn for good. Still she needs to see her friends sometimes, so she sneaks out to a party to meet up with them. There she meets the super hot Ryan who warns her to leave because some Outers are coming to attack the party. Phoenix doesn't listen (she has a real attitude problem) and instead hangs around. When the party is attacked by Sybilins (water sucking aliens, that will literally suck you dry) Phoenix stays and fights instead of leaving like she was told. Afterwards Ryan knocks her out and returns her home. Phoenix's mom thinks she's been using again and this time it is the last straw. Phoenix's mom signs her up to go to a new "hard-love" rehab school. Only the school isn't what it seems to be and Phoenix is learning about *way* more than how to kick her habit.

This was a fun read and action packed. The characters aren't the greatest ever created, but they are somewhat interesting and engaging. The world Showalter has created with multiple human races isn't gone into in any great depth, but promises to be interesting. For those who have read the adult Alien Huntress series (definitely not appropriate for younger readers because of being so heavy on the sex) you will recognize many of the teachers at the school; Mia is there as well as Le'Ace. I actually liked this book a lot better than the Adult Alien Huntress series, maybe because more page space is given to action and plot.

While Phoenix is definitely not a role-model for young adults, she does grow throughout the book and starts to become someone readers can admire as the plot progresses. The action scenes are well-written. For those who have read Vampire Academy and are intrigued by the teacher-student relationship between Rose and Dimitri, you will find something similar in this book. Ryan and Phoenix really hit it off, but as Ryan is one of Phoenix's teachers their relationship is (of course) forbidden. This adds some nice tension to the story.

Much of the story is spent with Phoenix learning her new skills and learning about Otherworlders. The story is engaging and a fast, fun read. I am looking forward to reading "Blacklisted" the second Teen Alien Huntress book.