Sunday, August 18, 2013

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Summary:(from goodreads) There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away. That’s why they make the perfect assassins.The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated. Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.
 
Review: There were two things about this book that caught my attention when it was released. First, it was by an author that i was familiar with and have enjoyed books from before. The other thing was the premise. For the most part, I thought this world was developed really well. I would like to know the history behind this world and how it came to be. The book was well paced. There was enough action to keep things interesting without becoming to predictable. The characters were interesting although the dynamic between them was kind of strange. As the book went on I liked them more and more and was rooting for them to succeed by the end. I also liked the fact that this book is a stand alone. The story could have continued but it doesn't really need to and I like the way things were left. This book is not over the top as far as scifi goes. There was just enough to keep it entertaining along with a dystopian element which i wasn't expecting. This is probably my favorite book that i have read by this author so far and I will be reading more in the future.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Summary:(from goodreads) Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn't ask to be the target of Nader McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.
But Lucky has a secret--one that helps him wade through the daily mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos--the prison his grandfather couldn't escape--where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It's dangerous and wild, and it's a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?

review:  This was one of those books that I picked up simply because everything I heard about was really good. However, after reading it I hate to say it didn't live up to the hype. I thought it was an OK book. The second half of the book was stronger. The first half lacked in plot a little bit and there was nothing special to make it stand out. I didn't really connect with the characters. I liked Lucky and was rooting for him to overcome his issues. I liked the message this book had about overcoming obstacles in our lives and felling trapped by our circumstances. The way the title played into it was really great as well. I appreciated the deeper meaning this story had and I thought that was the best thing about it. However, on a simpler level I just didn't connect with the characters and story. I will probably try more of this author's books in the future because this one did have promise and I know lots of people love them. I am curious to try more.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer


This review may contain spoilers of previous books in the series.

Summary:(from goodreads) The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.
Review: This is the second book in the Lunar chronicles and I loved it as much as the first one. The plot was engaging and although there weren't as many plot twists as there were in the first book, there was still a lot happening. All the characters from the first book make an appearance in this one as well as a few new faces. I liked Scarlet a lot. She was a brave and determined character. The plot line involving her character really added a lot to the story. The connection between the two books was really interesting. I hope that it continues for the rest of the series. I did find a few things to be somewhat predictable but I loved the rest of the story enough that it didn't really affect my enjoyment of it. I can't wait for the next book to be released. anyone is a fan of fairytale retelling should check out this series. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite series.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

10 things to do Before I Die by Daniel Ehrenhaft

Summary:(from back of book) Looking for a way to kill time in a New York City diner, sixteen year old Ted Burger and his friends write down ten things that Ted's got to accomplish before he. one faraway day,kicks the bucket. but when Ted discovers he actually is dying, the list turns into a beat the clock carpe diem mission. Now ted is about to embark on the wildest ride of his life... where the last thing he'll ever do is rest in peace.
Review: I have really mixed feelings about this book. When I started reading I expected the book to have a much more serious tone than it did. This book takes a much more lighthearted and fun approach to life and death. That wouldn't have really bothered me that much if it hadn't been for how ridiculous the characters reacted to the situation at hand. I honestly hope that no one would really behave that way in those circumstances. However, I think the book did have a good message about living life. I have to admit that as much as the characters annoyed me at times there was a lot of development that happened towards the end of the book. If you want a serious and emotional book about life and death than I suggest that you look elsewhere. But this is a good pick if you want a funny, quick and entertaining read about living life to the fullest that you might enjoy this one.