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Thu, February 21, 2013

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis Review

Shades of Earth
By Beth Revis
Publication date: Jan. 15, 2013
Razorbill, 369 pages
Source: Borrowed

The final book in the New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Galactica and Prometheus!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They’re ready to start life afresh–to build a home–on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn’t the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed’s former passengers aren’t alone on this planet. And if they’re going to stay, they’ll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who–or what–else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed–friends, family, life on Earth–will have been for nothing.

— Goodreads.com description

I have to praise Beth Revis for one thing about this book specially: In a million years, I would never have guessed what Shades of Earth was about. I mean, sure, I read the book description. But the setting was so hugely different from the previous two books that it still felt surprising. I missed the spaceship, but it was ultimately a refreshing change of pace.

I had some issues with the finale to this series — namely I was SO ANGRY with Amy for practically the entire book — and it was probably my least favorite of the three, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I can’t complain about Amy’s actions, really, as what I’ve always loved about this series is that although Amy and Elder were drawn together instantly, it took a looooooong time and a lot of work for them to get together. In the world of instalove, it felt special to watch their trepidation and the growth of their relationship.

Fans of sci fi: If you haven’t read this series yet, all three books out there, so now is the time! Get on it!

Previous reviews:
Across the Universe
A Million Suns

Fri, February 1, 2013

Unwind by Neal Shusterman Review

Unwind
By Neal Shusterman
Publication date: Nov. 6, 2007
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 335 pages
Source:

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

— Goodreads.com description

When two of my best friends highly recommended I read Unwind by Neal Schusterman, I was like “What? Who’s heard of that book?” I hadn’t! Not a peep. Well, shoot, where have I been? Because this futuristic thriller, out since 2007, is a darn good book.

Here’s the deal: We’re in a future where if, between 13 and 18, your parents think you’re a “bad kid,” they can choose to have you “unwound.” That means that you are essentially cut up and split up in bits and pieces like a sort of demented system of organ donation. People’s entire arms are transferred, brain tissue, eyeballs, you name it.

Soooo you can imagine that this book is creepy as all get out. And I sort of loved that. So Connor, Risa and Lev are all up for unwinding for very different issues (Connor’s “bad,” Risa’s an orphan and they’re out of funds to care for her, and Lev’s parents are religious zealots who believe in “tithing” a child as a sacrifice of sorts). They all end up on the run together – and you know how I love books about kids on the run!

I definitely had some issues with Schusterman’s writing style (a bit boring in parts, honestly), but I so enjoyed the overall concept and story here that I’ll definitely read on to book two, Unwholly, which came out this year.

Thu, January 24, 2013

Altered by Jennifer Rush Review

Altered
By Jennifer Rush
Publication date: Jan. 1, 2013
Little, Brown & Co., 336 pages
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

— Goodreads.com description

Well, first off, I obviously liked Altered by Jennifer Rush because it was about a girl named Anna. I’m superficial like that.

But but but…there are plenty of other reasons to like this quick and action-packed read.

I sped through Altered, hooked from page one. It’s one of those books that gets your heart-pounding with a mix of government conspiracy, mystery, treasure hunt, code-breaking, LIES LIES LIES, kisses, lots of boys and shootouts. Um, hello! All the heart-pounding things ever in one book!

Okay, it was a little emo for me. But, hello, Anna’s entire world is flipped upside-down! I’d be emo too! I did have some issues at first with the fact that Anna knew the boys were caged for years and never tried to break them out…but it’s sort of addressed/understood where she was coming from.

Perfect for those who like government conspiracy books, Altered will have you flipping from page-to-page lightning-fast and leave you begging for the sequel. Totally fun.

Fri, December 14, 2012

Eve and Adam by Grant & Applegate Review

Eve and Adam
By Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate
Publication date: Oct. 2, 2012
Feiwel & Friends, 291 pages
Source:

And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple—

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect… won’t he?

— Goodreads.com description

I think the universal response to Eve and Adam seems to be: “I wanted to like it more than I did.” Unfortunately, I felt the same way.

The concept here is very cool: A girl gets hit by a car and is swept away to her mother’s high-tech laboratory. She quickly realizes she’s healing faster than normal and has been a secret experiment of her mother’s for years. And that’s just the start of the experimentation: Signs point to unethical experimentation in cloning and more.

It’s high-stakes, creepy, sci-fi and full of adventure and intrigue. For me, though, the character development just fell flat. There was so much that could have been done with this book, but no matter how hard I tried, I just didn’t connect. The potential to make it a little darker, a little creepier was high, but it stayed very surface-level the whole time. Disappointing!

Thu, November 29, 2012

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer Review

Scarlet
By Marissa Meyer
Publication date: Feb. 5, 2013
Feiwel and Friends, 464 pages
Source: Publisher

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-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 and 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 has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

— Goodreads.com description

I’m not going to lie: When I heard that this book involved new characters, I sort of freaked out. I loved every single thing about Marissa Meyer’s first book, Cinder, and I wanted more more more. So, honestly, my first thought was, “NOOOoooOoOoOoooo I need know what happened to Cinder and Prince Kai!”

Erm, well, I was wrong. Marissa Meyer, I am sorry I doubted you! You are genius!

Cinder is there! Prince Kai is there! And the new characters? LOVE ‘EM! Wolf. Oh, Wolf! I lurve you.

Oh, goodness me, this series is fun. I think my friend Shanyn said something like, “I want to read this book forever,” and I have to agree. Meyer is a gifted storyteller and extremely skilled at putting smart, fresh twist on fairytales. I’ll never doubt her again!

I know this review is super early but I wanted to be sure you didn’t pull an Anna. No, sir, you should totally be preordering and psyching yourself up for one darn good book!