Honor Among Thieves (The Honors #1), by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Friendship, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

309 Pages

Synopsis: Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead of moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell. 

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathans—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

As soon as I saw two of my favorite authors were teaming up to write a YA science fiction series my eyes lit up and with Honor Among Thieves, the first book The Honors series, I was not disappointed.

Zara is the type of savy, tough as nails heroine both authors are known for. She’s not perfect by any means. She tends to act first and ask questions later, which doesn’t always work out for her or anyone with her. A survivor of an abusive father, she’s mistrustful and has a chip on her shoulder a mile wide. But, she loves her mother and younger sister intensely and once she does make friends she’s insanely loyal and will instantly put herself in harm’s way to help them. I did find myself wishing that a little more had been shared about her childhood, the intense migraines she suffered, and the surgery using Leviathan biotech that cured her. Especially as that surgery seems to be a part of the bond she and Nadim almost instantly develop.

And speaking of Nadim, I never thought I’d love a sentient ship as a character, but I did. I had to keep reminding myself that he was an alien ship, not an actual human. He’s written so realistically that I had no problem buying into Zara’s and his developing relationship. Being the intelligent, headstrong seventeen-year-old that she is, Zara needs someone who can match her in spirit, yet help resolve some of her trust issues and while he’s initially a bit bemused by her, Nadim certainly winds up fitting the bill. I’m really excited to see where Caine and Aguirre take their relationship in subsequent books. 

The other human accompanying Zara and Nadim is Beatrice, who I initially thought was going to be a weak character, but she pleasantly surprised me. I loved the way her friendship with both Zara and Nadim evolved, and she perfectly rounds out this team.

There’s also plenty of diversity in this story which I loved. Zara is black and Beatriz is from Brazil. There’s also another strong female, Chao-Xang, who is a side character here but I have a feeling that she might be playing a bigger role in the next book. 

I have to admit that the first few chapters were the weakest part of the book. I felt like a lot was thrown at me in a relatively short amount of time, but once Zara and Bea are on their way with Nadim it’s just about sheer perfection. I was enchanted with the Leviathans and the way they communicate with each other and listen to the “singing” of stars. It’s beautifully described and in someways reminded me of humpback whales. No matter how much I tried I could not tell when one author’s writing stopped and the other’s began. The chapters flowed smoothly and seamlessly together and if I didn’t know any better I would have thought there was only one author. While there’s not a lot of action except for the first few chapters and the last third of the book, I didn’t mind this at all. I was so invested in the characters as they  learned about each other, that their story and the mystery of what was really happening with the Leviathans and their Honors, kept me turning the pages and I read this in one sitting. The only other issue I had was with the ending which was exciting but a little abrupt. I still had some questions that hadn’t been addressed so when I reached the last page it left me hanging a bit. I have no doubt though that they’ll be answered in bk. 2.

Overall, Honor Among Thieves is an outstanding beginning to this new space epic and I cannot wait to read more. I do have one word of caution though. There’s a scene where Nadim is being physically assaulted by one of his “Elders”, and I actually had a hard time reading it. It’s graphic and I think it could be a trigger for certain readers who have been victims of abuse. That said, this is another book that will be going on my favorites of 2018 list and I highly recommend it to science fiction lovers. 

 

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Maledicus (The Investigative Paranormal Society Book 1), by Charles F. French ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Family Relationships, Friendship, Historical Fiction, Horror, LGBT Relationships, Mystery, Paranormal, Suspense

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now 

333 Pages

Synopsis: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

Roosevelt Theodore Franklin attempts to make it through life day by day. Roosevelt is a widower, who lost his beloved wife to cancer and a retired history professor, and he has not stopped grieving. Along with his two closest friends, also retired and who also have lost loved ones, the three men form a paranormal investigation group. They hope to find an answer to the question: is there life after death?

When asked by a local teacher to investigate a possible haunting of her house, the group discovers an evil beyond anything they could have imagined. This is no mere ghost. Maledicus, who was in life a pimp, torturer, and murderer during Caligula’s reign in Rome, in death has become a sociopathic demon that attacks the weak and innocent. Maledicus threatens a five year old child’s life and soul. Terrified by what they have discovered, Roosevelt and his friends must choose to either walk away from this threat, or do battle with this ancient creature at the potential loss of their sanities, their lives, and their souls.

When our fellow blogger, Charles French, asked if I’d be interested in reading and reviewing Maledicus, the first book in his Investigative Paranormal Society series, I immediately said yes after reading the premise and I’m so glad I did, because I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Maledicus is definitely a character driven book, and just about everyone involved is well-rounded and completely relatable. The Paranormal Society itself is made up older gentlemen: Roosevelt, Jeremy, and Sam. Each of them has suffered the loss of a loved one and as a result have formed this group to investigate strange occurrences and either confirm and dispel meddlesome spirits, or debunk them. The focus in this story is mainly on Roosevelt, but you still get a good sense of who the others are as the author alternates POVs and timelines. Even the demon, Maledicus’ backstory is thoroughly explored, and let me tell you he is one nasty piece of work.

My only criticism is that I felt the dialogue was a little awkward at times and there was some repetitive words and phrasing. But there wasn’t enough of this to spoil my overall enjoyment of the book. I also wish that the IPS’s latest client Helen, had been a little more developed. I don’t know if she’ll be appearing in future books, but I wouldn’t mind seeing her again.

The plot itself is classic horror. Instead of relying on blood and gore, there’s a continual building of chilling suspense and fear. I was mesmerized from the very first page. Everything is so detailed, from the characters backstories, to the afterlife where Maledicus is unleashing his campaign of terror, that I was completely invested in what was happening.

In the end, I believe Maledicus is an auspicious debut for Charles French. With its believable characters and themes of love, friendship and devotion coupled with the horror, suspense and mystery, it’s a captivating tale and one I highly recommend. I’m looking forward to reading the next supernatural adventure of this intrepid group.

~

If you haven’t checked out Charles’s blog at https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com I recommend that as well. You won’t be disappointed. 

Bad Call, by Stephen Wallenfels ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Competitiveness, Drug Use, Friendship, Mystery, Survivalist Stories, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: December 19th, 2017

320 Pages

Synopsis: It was supposed to be epic.

During a late-night poker game, tennis teammates Colin, Ceo, Grahame, and Rhody make a pact to go on a camping trip in Yosemite National Park. And poker vows can’t be broken.

So, the first sign that they should ditch the plan is when Rhody backs out. The next is when Ceo replaces him with Ellie, a girl Grahame and Colin have never even heard of. And then there’s the forest fire at their intended campsite. But instead of bailing, they decide to take the treacherous Snow Creek Falls Trail to the top of Yosemite Valley. From there, the bad decisions really pile up.

A freak storm is threatening snow, their Craigslist tent is a piece of junk, and Grahame is pretty sure there’s a bear on the prowl. On top of that, the guys have some serious baggage (and that’s not including the ridiculously heavy ax Grahame insisted on packing) and Ellie can’t figure out what their deal is.

And then one of them doesn’t make it back to the tent. Desperate to survive while piecing together what happened, the remaining hikers must decide who to trust in this riveting, witty, and truly unforgettable psychological thriller that reveals how one small mistake can have chilling consequences.

I love survivalist stories, so when I read the premise for Bad Call, I knew I had to try it, and for the most part I’m so happy I did. It’s a slow burner, but the steadily building suspense kept me glued to the pages and I wound up finishing this in one sitting.

I have to be honest and say at the beginning I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this. I had a difficult time buying into Ellie’s overcoming her misgivings and going off with a guy she barely knows and his two friends she’s never met. But the more I learned about her backstory, the more I could understand why this otherwise intelligent girl would throw caution to the wind. She and Colin wound up being my two favorite characters. 

The reader hears from all the characters except for Grahame, which was my only other issue with the story. By the end, I felt I had a firm grasp of who Ellie, Colin, and Ceo were, but Grahame, not so much. A big part of the suspense is the tension between the boys. They’re friends, yet both Colin and Grahame have valid reasons for disliking Ceo. I really felt Colin’s mixed feelings toward his friend, but with Grahame it’s more telling, not showing, so I wound up not connecting with him as much. 

The first 60% of the book deals with the rising tension and deterioration of the weather as the group gets further and further away from civilization. There are flashbacks detailing how the guys first met and what’s gone on between them at the private school they attend. The action kicks in during the latter part of the book and it had me feverishly turning the pages right up to the exciting conclusion.

Bad Call, is not your typical teen survivalist story. Except for Grahame, the characters are very complex and relatable. Although I knew from the premise and the cover that something horrible was going to take place involving an ax, when it did happen, I was still caught by surprise. I think this will be a fantastic read for high-schoolers and adult fans of YA fiction. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone younger due to language, drug use, and a couple of sexually suggestive scenes. It’s an attention grabber right from the beginning and if you’re a fan of survivalist stories mixed with loads of tension, suspense, and a bit of mystery, I think you’ll enjoy this.

 

Protected, by Claire Zorn ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Australia, Bullying, Coping With Loss and Grief, Family Relationships, Friendship, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

276 Pages

Synopsis: I have three months left to call Katie my older sister. Then the gap will close and I will pass her I will get older. But Katie will always be fifteen, eleven months and twenty-one days old.

Hannah’s world is in pieces and she doesn’t need the school counsellor to tell her she has deep-seated psychological issues. With a seriously depressed mum, an injured dad and a dead sister, who wouldn’t have problems?

Hannah should feel terrible but for the first time in ages, she feels a glimmer of hope and isn’t afraid anymore. Is it because the elusive Josh is taking an interest in her? Or does it run deeper than that?

In a family torn apart by grief and guilt, one girl’s struggle to come to terms with years of torment shows just how long old wounds can take to heal.

Australian author Claire Zorn’s Protected has been nominated for and won several awards, and after reading it, it’s easy to see why. With the many issues it brings up it’s a difficult read at times, especially as it’s so believable, but take my word for it, this is a book worth picking up.

The story begins in the present day, with the one year anniversary of the death of Hannah’s sister, Katie, approaching. The family is in crisis, with the mother being severely depressed and the father being under investigation as he was driving the girls at the the time of the accident. Complicating things further is that he has amnesia due to his injuries. Hannah also claims to have amnesia, and is now facing a meeting with investigators. 

As the story unfolds, you see that fifteen-year-old Hannah’s trauma started long before the accident. She has been a victim of a vicious and frankly, depraved campaign of bullying since her first year in high school. Despite a caring teacher and school counsellor, the adults here are oblivious to what’s been happening until after the accident. Hannah’s well-meaning parents discover how much their youngest daughter is suffering, but with Katie’s untimely death, the bullying is forgotten. If there’s a silver lining in all this, it’s that now, Hannah’s tormentors have somewhat grown a conscience and leave her alone. 

Hannah is such a relatable character, and my heart ached for her. Her grief is palpable and as the story goes back and forth between the present day and the past events which lead up to the fateful day, it’s obvious that this young girl is a lot stronger than she appears. Her first person narrative is full of raw emotion and I honestly found myself stunned at times at the way she was able to push through the trauma and grief and guilt. 

The reader also sees the difficult relationship that existed between the sisters. Katie knew about the the bullying, but as the popular older sister, not only didn’t want to get involved, but actually blamed Hannah. The quintessential party girl, Katie was completely self-absorbed and viewed Hannah with a mixture of scorn and bitterness. I found myself wondering if she had lived, if their relationship could have been saved once they reached adulthood. My one criticism is that I thought Katie was a little too one dimensional. Sibling relationships can be complicated, but there was nothing likable about Katie whatsoever, and I wish she had been fleshed out a little more.

Hannah’s mother and father are both loving parents, but since the accident, her mother has completely withdrawn from the world and only shows emotion when she’s bitterly blaming her husband for Katie’s death. There is a family support system in place of sorts, with grandparents trying to help, but I found it hard to believe that no one brought up the idea of professional counseling for her. The father and Hannah have a closer relationship and I appreciated how even facing the possibility of legal repercussions, he urged her to tell the truth. 

The two people who ultimately help Hannah get past what has happened though is Anne, the quirky school counsellor and Josh, a fellow classmate. Both of them determinedly set out on bringing Hannah out of her shell and showing her what a wonderful person she is, and that she did not ask for or deserve anything that’s happened to her. I enjoyed the burgeoning relationship between Josh and Hannah. He made me laugh out loud more than once, and he’s exactly what Hannah needs as he patiently coaxes her back into the world, The ending is bittersweet but filled with hope as you can see that Hannah is going to be alright. 

Claire Zorn’s writing is incredibly vivid, from her descriptions of the Blue Mountains of Australia, to the bullying and the consequences that result from it. Hannah is such a sympathetic character that I think she’s going to stay with me for a long time. Protected is a perfect book for classrooms and book discussion groups and I highly recommend it. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last.

We All Fall Down, by Natalie D. Richards ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Codependency, Friendship, Mental Illness, Romance, Supernatural tv series, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebook Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available lNow

268 Pages

Synopsis: Theo’s always been impulsive. But telling Paige how he feels? He’s obsessed over that decision. And it’s time. Tonight. At the party on the riverbank, under the old walking bridge, site of so many tales of love and death.

Paige has had a crush on Theo since they first met, but she knows her feelings are one-sided. She’s trying to move on, to flirt. A party at the river is just what she needs. Except a fight breaks out, and when Paige tries to intervene—Theo’s fist lands in her face.

All Theo and Paige want to do is forget that fateful night. But strange events keep drawing them back to the bridge. Someone, something is determined to make them remember…and pay for what they did.

I have to admit We All Fall Down has left me frustrated and torn over my rating and review. The premise is original, and the two protagonists are sympathetic and likable, but there just seemed to be something missing.

Both characters have mental health issues. Theo has severe ADHD and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), and Paige suffers from debilitating anxiety and panic attacks, and sleepwalking. They were so real and believable that my heart ached for both of them. I did think that more attention was spent on Theo and his struggles with the medications that are out there to treat his disorders. There’s also the relationship between him and his Uncle Denny who also has ADHD, which brings in the genetic component, and shows how an adult lives with this illness.

When Paige is suffering from anxiety or a panic attack, it’s meticulously described, from her feelings to what the triggers are. There’s a mention of how her overprotective mother also suffers from anxiety, but there’s nothing more and I wish the author had spent a little more time exploring their relationship like she did with Theo’s and his uncle’s. 

The friendship and romance between Theo and Paige is sweet and you can understand why these two are drawn to each other, yet at the same time I found myself agreeing with Paige’s parents that their relationship is based on codependency and is toxic. 

The plot is what ultimately took away from this book. Natalie Richards chose to add supernatural elements, and a bland mystery. I’m not sure if the author included these simply to try to attract more readers, but at best it was bland and uninteresting, and at worst it was distracting and confusing. And, the ending left me scratching my head. There were some questions answered, but quite a few issues were left unresolved. Hence, my frustration.

For the last day I’ve dithered over giving We All Fall Down, 2 or 3 stars. I’ve decided to go with the higher rating because of the likability of Theo and Paige and the attention Natalie Richards gives to mental illness. This is one of the better YA books I’ve read in regards to this topic. Despite my issues with the actual story, I would recommend this, particularly to teens who struggle with these illnesses. 

 

 

The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding (The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding #1) by Alexandra Bracken ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Family Relationships, Friendship, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Supernatural, Tween Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 5th, 2017

272 Pages

Synopsis: Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history–that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made–then broke–a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn’t exactly the forgiving type. 

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose–to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts to trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks. 

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor’s control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there’s a lot Alastor isn’t telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.

I’m a huge fan of Alexandra Bracken’s YA books, so when I saw The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding on NetGalley, I was both excited and curious about her first book for tweens. I’ve always thought that writing for 9-12 year-olds must be especially challenging, as they’ve moved past most juvenile fiction, yet they’re not quite ready for the more mature themes you find in YA fiction. It’s a tricky balance, and with this book I think Bracken has hit just the right spot.

From the very first page, I was completely charmed by 12-year-old Prosper. Being the “black-sheep” of the Redding family, he’s learned to cope with their disappointment in him, as well as bullying by his classmates, with a dry, self-deprecating humor. At the same time, I was angered by the treatment he received. Sure, he may not be the strongest student, but he’s gifted artistically, and he’s sweet and incredibly loyal. Even his twin sister, Prudence, who he adores, doesn’t really respect him. The relationship between Prosper and Alastor, a centuries-old demon prince, is both humorous and touching at times. As the story unfolds, there’s something more developing underneath Alastor’s snarkiness and disdain for humans and the boy he calls “maggot”. I can’t wait to see where this goes in the sequel.

The secondary characters are wonderfully fleshed out and help bring to life the underlying themes of friendship and family. There’s the relationship between Prosper and Prue, which is made difficult by her being unconditionally loved by their family and the rest of their small town. There’s also the relationship between Alastor and his sister Pyre, who he loves and does everything he can to protect. We also see the contentious feelings between Prosper’s rescuers Uncle Barnabus, and his daughter Nell. These themes are repeatedly brought up throughout the story in a realistic fashion that I think tweens will completely relate to. 

There’s plenty of supernatural elements, with demons, witches, faeries, and hob-goblins, to appeal to fans, and a lot of humor to balance the more serious elements. The main setting of Salem, MA during Halloween is absolutely perfect, and experiencing it through Prosper’s and Alastor’s view was so much fun. The one issue I have concerns the ending. I thought Bracken did an amazing job building everything up, but then when the finale came, it was so rushed and had so many last minute twists, I was left shaking my head and wondering what the heck happened. It was a bit crazy and messy, and stood out too much from the rest of the story.

Overall though, I was charmed by The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding. It’s a whimsical, fun, and creepy tale that I highly recommend to tweens who love horror and the supernatural. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First We Were IV, by Alexandra Sirowy ~ 2.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Friendship, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books For Young Children for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 25th, 2017

448 Pages

Synopsis: It started for pranks, fun, and forever memories. A secret society–for the four of us. The rules: Never lie. Never tell. Love each other. We made the pledge and danced under the blood moon on the meteorite in the orchard. In the spot we found the dead girl five years earlier. And discovered the ancient drawings way before that. 

Nothing could break us apart–I thought. But then, others wanted in. Our seaside town had secrets. History.

We wanted revenge.

We broke the rules. We lived. We told. We loved each other too much, not enough, and in ways we weren’t supposed to. Our invention ratcheted out of control.

What started as a secret society, ended as justice. Revenge. Death. Rebellion.

Despite a promising beginning, First We Were IV wound up being a frustrating read for several reasons.

First, it felt as though I was reading two separate books simultaneously. One was a creepy and compelling tale about four teens trying to solve a girl’s murder that occurred when they were children. This was what I liked the most. But then there was another side which was your stereotypical YA story where a group of teens feel like the entire world is against them and decide that they’re much better than anyone else around them. To prove their superiority, they they form a secret society to strike out against the town and their classmates. Oh! And while they’re performing random acts of vandalism and violence, they’re also falling in and out of love with each other at a rate that made my head spin.

The other issue I had was with the characters themselves. There was only one of the foursome that I actually liked, Harry, who is the on-again, off-again boyfriend of Izzy, who primarily tells the story. The others, including Izzy, are immature, bland and uninteresting at best, self-centered and arrogant at worst. Izzy, Harry, Viv, and Graham, have all been subjected to bullying which should have had me emphasizing with them, but because of their attitudes and actions, completely turned me off instead. And as for the adults, well, they all pretty much fit into the stereotypical roles that unfortunately you find in a lot of YA fiction. There’s the lazy and ineffectual police; the clueless parents and school officials; the elderly, nosy neighbor; the abusive father, etc. The way adults are often portrayed in YA literature is a particular pet peeve of mine, so I was extremely aggravated. After over 400 extremely long pages, the ending finally came, only to leave me feeling even more frustrated and unsatisfied. 

In my humble opinion, if the author had focused more on the murder mystery and Izzy and her friends trying to get justice for this girl that the rest of their town had purposely forgotten, this would have been a great book. But instead, it spins off into too many different directions including much too much high school drama. Simply cutting some of this soap opera would have made this a tighter and more controlled story.

I have to be honest and say that there are far more positive than negative reviews for this, so please go check them out before making up your mind as to whether you’re going to read this or not. As for me, this is the third book I’ve read by Alexandra Sirowy, and I had many of the same issues with all of them. It might just be that her writing style isn’t for me.

*Krysti, over at http://yaandwine.com absolutely loved this if you’d like to check out another opinion. And she’s having a giveaway!*

Castaways – By Jessika Fleck – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Fantasy, Friendship, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: The Castaway Carnival: fun, mysterious, dangerous.

Renowned for it’s infamous corn maze…and the kids who go missing in it.

When Olive runs into the maze, she wakes up on an isolated and undetectable island where a decades-long war between two factions of rival teens is in full swing.

Trapped, Olive must slowly attempt to win each of her new comrades’ hearts as Will–their mysterious, stoically quiet, and handsome leader–steals hers.

Olive is only sure about one thing: her troop consists of the good guys, and she’ll do whatever it takes to help them win the war and get back home.

The Castaways is a clever novel that is a combination of Mean Girls and Lord of the Flies. As the story begins, Olive Maxi Gagmuehler is being tormented by three high school classmates. A couple of the things they do to her are definitely cringe-worthy, so beware. Everything comes to a head one night when after being once again attacked, at a carnival, Olive runs into a corn maze and suddenly finds herself trapped on an island with teens from different time periods. the only thing they have in common is they were all running away from something or someone, when they landed n this mysterious island. Olive is someone that many teens will relate to, especially if they’re victims of bullying. While she’s clearly terrified of her attackers, she also fights back against her tormenters. Once she’s on The Island, it quickly becomes apparent that this is no oasis of safety. While the teens and two young children in her group are for the most part welcoming, there’s another group that seems determined to wipe them out. But one of the best parts about this story is that nothing and no one is what they seem. Olive is the one constant, and she not only becomes the catalyst for change on the Island, but she goes through a journey of self-discovery that leaves her a stronger person by the end of the book. There were a couple of things that prevented this from being a perfect read for me. While I liked Will, Olive’s love interest, I never really bought into their romance for some reason. I’m not sure if it was just me, but there just didn’t seem to be any sparks. It almost seemed like they were forced together because of the circumstances, rather than there being real emotion behind their relationship. And, there were a couple of plot holes, particularly in regards to Olive’s tormenters that weren’t filled in enough for me. For the most part though, I thought The Castaways was imaginative and unique. It also does a good job at tackling the subject of bullying and sends a strong message that running away is never a positive solution to solving problems. It’s a book that should hold wide appeal for teens and I think it would also make an excellent selection for book discussion groups.  

Defy The Stars (Defy the Stars #1) ~ By Claudia Gray – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Friendship, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young People for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 4th, 2017

512 Pages

Synopsis: Noemi Vidal is a teen soldier from the planet Genesis, once a colony of Earth that’s now at war for its independence. The humans of Genesis have fought Earth’s robotic “mech” armies for decades with no end in sight.

After a surprise attack, Noemi finds herself stranded in space on an abandoned ship where she meets Abel, the most sophisticated mech prototype ever made. One who should be her enemy. But Abel’s programming forces him to obey Noemi as his commander, which means he has to save Genesis–even though her plan to win the war will kill him.

Together they embark on a daring voyage through the galaxy. Before long, Noemi begins to realize Abel may be more than machine, and for his part, Abel’s devotion to Noemi is no longer just a matter of programming.

I was a big fan of Claudia Gray’s YA paranormal Evernight series and Defy the Stars, which is set in the year 2295, is about as different a departure as you can get, but it is every bit good, if not even better! To be honest, the first few chapters were a little slow for me and I was thinking “Oh God! How am I going to get through over 500 pages of this?” There’s a lot  of sci-fi technology being introduced, and while I think fans of this genre wouldn’t give it a second thought, for someone like me it slowed the pace down a bit. But then I started getting completely falling for the two main characters Abel and Noemi and from then on, I was completely entranced. Noemi at first comes off as prickly, but she winds up being everything you could want in a heroine. She’s courageous, feisty, loyal, and more than willing to sacrifice herself to save her planet. Abel, definitely starts off as more machine than human and in some ways he appeared to me a sort of space age Pinocchio, but it’s soon apparent that there’s much more to him than meets the eye. He not only develops human emotions, but he displays such a witty sense of humor, that there were several instances that he had me laughing out loud. The relationship between these two go from distrustful enemies, to friends, to the beginnings of a lovely romance. The world-building is breathtaking and combines with very real questions of faith and religion, terrorism, the effects of climate change, colonialism, and the ethics of artificial intelligence and robotic. The ending is a perfect set up for the next book, but it left me wishing that the sequel was coming out now! Defy the Stars is a highly original and beautifully told story that definitely lives up to the hype surrounding it. It will take you on a breathtaking journey across the galaxy, where you’ll discover dark conspiracies, sinister and powerful enemies, and unexpected friends and allies. I highly recommend it for both teens and adults who enjoy an exciting science fiction tale filled with characters you can’t help but fall in love with.  

 

Dead Little Mean Girl ~ By Eva Darrows – 2.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Friendship, LGBTQ Families, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Out Now

304 Pages

Synopsis: Quinn Littleton was a mean girl–a skinny blonde social terrorist in stilettos. She was everything that Emma MacLaren hated. Until she dies.

A proud geek girl, Emma loves her quiet life on the outskirts, playing video games and staying off the radar. When her nightmare of a new stepsister moves into the bedroom next door, her world is turned upside down. Quinn is a queen bee with a nasty streak who destroys anyone who gets in her way. Teachers, football players, other cheerleaders–no one is safe.

Emma wants nothing more than to get this girl out of her life, but when Quinn dies suddenly, Emma realizes there was more to her stepsister than anyone realized.

The cover and premise both caught my eye when I saw Dead Little Mean Girl on NetGalley, but sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations. The best part of this book is Emma. I absolutely loved her! She’s smart, spunky and a self-confessed nerd with a great sense of humor. She definitely needs a confidence booster though, and that’s even before Quinn moves in. I also loved her friends, especially snarky Nikki and Emma’s love interest, Shawn. But then there’s Quinn who invades Emma’s home when their two moms get together. “Mean Girl” nowhere near comes close to describing this girl. There is something seriously mentally wrong with this girl which leads me to my biggest issue with this book. It is so obvious that Quinn is dangerously  unstable, yet none of the adults do anything. There’s lots of threats, blame and hand-wringing, but no one actually does anything to not only stop her from ruining people’s lives, but also to get her the help she so desperately needs. When I read the afterward, the author talks about why she was inspired to write this book. She wanted people to see that even bullies at times are hurt and frightened and don’t know how to deal with their feelings or ask for help which results in them lashing out.  I really do admire what she was trying to accomplish here. The problem is that Quinn is so one-dimensionally toxic that by the end it’s impossible to feel any sympathy for her. At this point Emma supposedly realizes that there was more to Quinn than people realized, but honestly, there really wasn’t. She was just a horrible, possibly psychopathic girl, who because she was angry over her parent’s divorce, set out to destroy the lives of anyone who had the misfortune to get in her way. I’m giving this 2.5 stars because of Emma (who loves Harry Potter and Supernatural by the way) and the diversity that was shown. Otherwise, I’m sad to say that while Eva Darrows’ intentions were honorable, the idea behind this book was far better than the actual execution.