The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

There's been a LOT of buzz about this one (the phrase "the next Hunger Games" has been tossed around, and for good reason), so by rights I should have posted this weeks ago. Ah well.  

This was an intense read, and since so much of the tension relies on knowing as little as the characters, I'll try not to give anything away. Cassie is a fierce and believable heroine- I've seen some critiques of her character, but honestly I think given how quickly and brutally she was forced to grow up, I think it makes sense. The alien invasion aspects are pretty damn scary, as is much of the human response to it. I didn't love the romance, but what are you going to do? For the most part, this is a gripping thriller that may help ease the pangs of waiting for Catching Fire and the new season of The Walking Dead.

Read More

The Lost Girl

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination--an echo. She was made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her "other," if she ever died. Eva spends every day studying that girl from far away, learning what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But sixteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything and everyone she's ever known--the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love--to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads


I'm not going to write a nitpicky review because I LOVED this book. I loved the concept, which is very sci-fi and by that I mean, something I can certainly believe people would do if technology allowed. And, as in the best sci-fi, Mandanna asks a lot of hard-hitting questions about the implications, and consequences, of what this technology would mean. She writes elegantly about life, love, loss, the lengths people will go to to protect their own, and what it means to be human. After reading so many Hunger Games clones, I was honestly surprised and relieved to find something new (and no, this is not a dystopian novel, although readers who enjoy them will very likely love this as well).

At 432 pages, this not a short read, but I was so caught up in Eva's story that I read it in just a few sittings. The characters are complex and very, very human, and I don't think I've wanted a heroine to succeed so badly since Katniss. Eva is wonderful. I also loved all the ties to Frankenstein, which could have been heavy handed but instead feel like a natural progression, and prove that it's still a relevant book to this day.

There are a few tiny issues, like the ending feeling slightly rushed, but I don't care. I was fully invested in the story and at no point did Mandanna let me down. I'll be on the lookout for more of her books and I definitely recommend this one.

Read More

Review: Breaking Point (Article 5 series)

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?
-Goodreads

Stats:
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: Feb. 12, 2013
Page Count: 400
Favorite Quotes:

"You didn't think of those things when you were six. You only thought about how fear could be split down the middle like an orange, so both of you could eat half."

"By dawn, the weather's tantrum was over and had left the garage eerily silent."

Chase and Ember. Ember and Chase. If you've read Article 5, you will sigh with me...

Dystopians have been very popular since The Hunger Games, but I'm always on the lookout for one that stands apart. Article 5 was one such story. It had action and romance and suspense. A likable main character who'd go to any lengths to find her mom. I appreciated how the story straddled the line of present and future all at once. One whole family, a president who preached that a return to traditional values would save the country. Something like that could happen, even though our country's so obviously going in the opposite direction when you consider the issue of gay marriage. 

So I was incredibly eager to see where Simmons would take the second book, since I liked the first so much. She definitely delivered!

I read another review before picking up this book that said not to expect much romance. I disagree. It might not be hot and heavy, but who has time for this when running for their lives? This is the sweet kind, where a glance across the room has the power to comfort, to convey thoughts without words. Several instances, especially during some near-death situations, Chase demonstrates his love for Ember like they're the only two in the room. Even though the story is full of action, which is another thing I enjoyed, the romance is laced throughout in a way that grabs your heart and forces you to turn the pages.

The story starts out with Ember and Chase at the Wayland Inn, where they've been hiding with Wallace's branch of the resistance. They have lain low and Ember dreads the time they'll have to split up and go out into the square. She can't lose Chase when he's the only one who knows her old self, the only one who feels like family. This threat becomes especially frightening when a sniper targets MM soldiers right outside the Inn. Ember's name is mentioned in a nation-wide bulletin. An Article One order has been issued: soliders can shoot her without question because she might be the sniper.

The beginning was a little slow for me, but I believe that was necessary for the story. It was nice to look back and know Chase and Ember had some time between craziness to hide out before they were caught up in another plot. 

The characters surprised me in a great way. Although I liked all the crazy adventures Ember had in the first book, these characters were more relatable and interesting. I loved Sean. He and Ember's friendship continued to grow as they never gave up on trying to find his girlfriend and her former roommate, Becca. He had her back through the whole story, just like Chase. His determination to find Becca was inspiring, the same need that Chase had to constantly protect Ember. Then there was Lincoln and Houston, practically attached at the hip, but always joking despite the fact that death could sneak up on them any time. Then there was Billy, a fourteen year old who worships Wallace and was smart enough to build a mainframe so the resistance could see breaking bulletins from the FBR. Later, Truck with his missing tooth comes along. Coolest transport driver anywhere. Ember also steps up her game, learning how to fight back. Watch her take down a huge guy with a baseball bat!

This is one of those stories that put me in a good mood all day. It had hope. Sorrow. Happiness. Love. You will root for the characters, root for their cause. It resembles a futuristic underground railroad. The hope comes from the people who are willing to help, no matter the cost. This is one of the best "middle books" I've read in a series! I'd give it half a star more, except the first one was so freakin' awesome, both the writing and action, that I just couldn't. Which means, pick up Article 5 ASAP!

When you finish Breaking Point, go straight to Simmons's website and read her extra scenes! They really give you a better understanding of Chase and his motivations. I want more from him...to dig under those layers and get into his thoughts. But I was quite satisfied with those extra bits. The third novel can't come soon enough! 

 

 

 

Read More

Ashfall

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.

For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

I love survival stories. There's something really fascinating about a protagonist being dropped into a seemingly impossible situation (a dystopian future with televised death matches, a plane crashing into a lake, a frozen wilderness populated only by wolves, an island surrounded by murderous dolphins- what? the dolphins weren't the problem?). Maybe it's that as readers we automatically look around our house, try to put ourselves in their shoes, and think "oh god, I don't have good enough canned food! Where did I put those hiking boots? Would it be ridiculous to take my replica Aragorn dagger as my main weapon?" I mean think about it, how well would you do if a disaster struck and you had to flee your house RIGHT NOW, with only a few short minutes to pack everything you need to survive? What do you take? What do you leave behind? Bet you wish you hadn't sold off that backpacking gear you only used twice!

But back to the book. Despite the 466 page count, I tore through it in a day. Even when Alex isn't in immediate physical danger from fire, ashfall, or random acts of violence, the story is still extremely compelling. Even if his journeys (his inner development is at least as interesting as all the survival stuff) weren't so captivating, Mullin has done a fantastic job with the secondary characters, showing a dizzying, realistic, and often sickening variety of reactions to this disaster. Looting? Yup. Thieving? Oh yeah. Worse? Um... yeah. Things get pretty dire. The scariest thing is that this takes place right in our own backyards, on the suburban and rural streets, in normal neighborhoods and on major highways the supervolcano under Yellowstone IS real and, according to geologists, IS overdue for a massive explosion. If you're a reader in the midwest, good luck sleeping after this one. 

Through it all, Alex is, for the most part, resourceful, collected, and mature beyond his years. Sometimes this veers close to unrealistic territory, especially when he uses words like "ersatz," but hey, some teens are more mature than others, and this situation grows people up quick. Luckily for the people Alex encounters, he is also empathetic and tries to do the best he can by others. Darla, who is The Best, is even more capable (this is a girl who fixes tractors, rigs up her own power generator, and knows how to tan rabbit hides. How can anyone not love her?), but she is also more wary of strangers and a bit ruthless. As a result, they make a perfect survival team. But will it be enough to save them?

I loved this book and heartily recommend it to fans of survival, adventure, and post-apocalyptic stories. If you need something to feel the gaping wound left by The Walking Dead, this might even keep you shuffling on for a while. 

Read More

Mind Games

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads
As in Paranormalcy, White weaves a story around a kick-ass heroine living within the bounds of a shadowy (and quite possibly shady) Organization. Fia's got a bit more on her mind than vamps, pink tasers, and teen dramas however (no disrespect to Evie, whom I love). Her story opens on her being fully prepared to assassinate a boy- the only thing that saves him is coincidence. She's no certainly no wimp, as several violent encounters prove, and the has seen some serious... stuff in her time. Why stay with the agency making her into a human weapon? Her love for her sister, Annie. 

Fia is just a fantastic character- smart, powerful, thick-skinned and obviously damaged. You'll probably spend equal amounts of time being impressed and scared by her, while feeling sympathetic to her plight and rooting for her success, even and especially when that seems impossible. Part X-Men, part Gunslinger Girls, with just a little bit of Firefly (Simon and River Tam, anyone?), Mind Games hits the ground running and doesn't let go, speeding by in a blur of intriguing world-building, multi-layered characters, and some fight scenes worthy of a movie. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the sequel, due to hit shelves in 2014.

Read More

Review: Glow

GLOW by Amy Kathleen Ryan

"What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside." -Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Release date: Sept. 13, 2011
• Page count: 307
• Unique elements: Told from two perspectives, Waverly's and Kieran, but not alternating chapters-- you never know when they'll switch
• Would appeal to: Fans of Across the Universe, dystopian or science fiction lovers
• BUY Link

Favorite Quotes:

"Mather took her place behind the altar and, smiling down at the congregation, lifted her hands. She seemed to glow from within, and Waverly thought that some special spotllight must be shining on her-- a cheap effect to make her seem holy."

"The elevator doors finally opened with a cheery bell tone that made the violence elsewhere on the ship seem like a dark daydream."

"'When the time is right.' The voice lived in the place between his ear and his mind, where sound becomes meaning."

"Words escaped her like spikes."

Glow was a book I had trouble putting down for more than a few minutes at a time. I had to know what happened with each of the main characters.

And, look at the amazing cover! I love that you can't see Waverly's entire face (leaves something for the reader to imagine), and I love purple. The black represents space to me, so I really think the cover artist nailed it.

At first, I cared most about the protagonist Waverly. She and all the girls on board the Empyrean were snatched from their home ship because the New Horizon's women couldn't get pregnant. I didn't want the narrative to switch from her perspective to Kieran's (all in 3rd person though).

The first thing I thought was that the men were going to rape all those little girls. I was relieved to find out that all the adults on the new ship were very sweet to the girls.

I finally started caring about Kieran, the male lead, when he tries to take over (as the adults tell him to) and the other boys resent him. There's a long point in the story when it looks like he won't survive at the hands of the other boys, especially his archrival Seth (who also likes Waverly). This reminded me a tad of Lord of the Flies, the whole "what will boys do when left without adults?" concept.

We have another love triangle. Waverly and Kieran are expected to be together. But there's that mysterious something about Seth Waverly can't quite put her finger on, even despite his broody moods and loner lifestyle.

I figured out the ending (about who Waverly would like more), but that didn't take away anything from the story. This is the first in a series, so it all could change later.

I found myself wishing for more beautifully painted descriptions; the author paints a picture, but not in a stylistically pleasing way. Her words didn't leap off the page so that I would say, "That author can write!" Although this was the case, it didn't bother me as much as I thought. The action details were well suited to the quick pacing of the story.

Anne Mather, the leader on board the New Horizon, really irritated me. I was proud of the three  kidnapped girls who saw through her pleasantries right away.

I love that Waverly and Samantha, who were enemies on board their own ship, bond over their kidnapping as if they've always been old friends. Strife brings people together in real life as well.

The concept wasn't fully original; Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale pretty much had the claim to books about adults who can no longer conceive and teens who can. I did, however, like the fact that the entire story took place on two different spaceships while their crews were preparing for a home on New Earth. I wasn't exactly clear about which planet that was or where it was located, but I hope readers will get to see the crews as they settle on a planet.

Author Amy Kathleen Ryan definitely thought through the layout and mechanics of the ship. It would surprise me if she didn't have to do a ton of research before writing the book.

I absolutely loved all the emphasis on religion. The New Horizon is full of faithful people, but the Empyrean is not. Kieran's family was one of the only religious groups on board the second ship, and he actually pulls on that to comfort the left-behind boys. Waverly, however, cannot stand the way religion blindly leads people, as demonstrated by Anne Mather. I love that this couple butts heads about this topic and wonder if their relationship can survive such a dispute.

Things that bugged me:
-I didn't understand what the "nebula" was for quite awhile, or that it was a pink mass they were stuck in (Guess I should have paid more attention in science class!) However, part of the fun of reading a book with so much science is not understanding it all, so I didn't question what elements were right and which were wrong.
-There's a part when Waverly and Samantha have figured out how to pass messages to each other through poetry, and the way that Waverly first decodes the message isn't by reading every other word, as the book tells the reader.
-Waverly's biggest flaw is that although she is so strong and stubborn, she chooses comfort over desire in her love life. Some readers may like this because it shows she's human.

Final verdict:
Amy Kathleen Ryan explores the great leaps humans will take to ensure the survival of their species. An emotional journey through loss, religion, trust, and love, Glow's plot twists and futuristic setting beg readers to keep making new discoveries, even after the very last page.  --BUY "GLOW"--

Read More