Into The Storm Review

Author: Karen Metcalf
Release date: February 11, 2011
Pages: 88
Publisher: Self-pubbed
How I got it: For review from author 

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.  

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay?

At a mere 88 pages, Into The Storm is a fast read with a really cool concept. Despite how cool it was to finish this in about an hour, I can't help but feel that some more length was what this book needed.

Into The Storm deals with dimensions, something that's intrigued me for a long while. While other things lacked due to the novella's short length, the world managed to be striking and interesting.

Most of what did suffer is the characters. The only thing I found relatable or likable about the main character, Carly, was her love for her brother, probably because it pretty much defines her. That and her atrocious home life, which left me feeling like I was supposed to be pitying her instead of anything else. Personally, I like to have a more solid connection to a main character than just pure pity.

Oh and also there was insta-love. There was a decent enough excuse for the insta-love I suppose, but even with that it felt sort of forced and unnatural. And so very insta.

So basically I found Into The Storm to be a decent read, but its lack of develoment kept me from becoming involved with the story, leaving me with the sad knowledge that this will not be be one to stand out from the crowd. However, if you're interested in different dimensions and have an hour or two to kill, this is something you may want to check out.

Plot: Unique and interesting, though it did move a tad too slow.

Characters: Didn't connect with any of them like I was hoping too.

Writing: Pretty good.

Ending:

Kid friendly? Some intense scenes dealing with an abusive step-dad, as well as mentions of sex, and some swearing.

Overall:

I would've had a conversation with someone while reading.

Into The Storm was by no means a bad book, it just didn't capture my heart like it had the potential to.

Human.4 Review

Author: Mike A. Lancaster
Release Date: March 8, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Most appropriate for ages: 12+
How I got it: For review from publisher 

Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone’s behaving oddly. It’s as if Kyle doesn’t exit. Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister? 

Narrated on a set of found cassette tapes at an unspecified point in the future, Human.4 is an absolutely chilling look at technology gone too far. 

I...I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this book.

But I think I liked it.

...Think.

When you first begin Human.4, you are told that this is the story of Kyle Straker, and that we first hear his story through some tapes he recorded, and now it's been recorded into a book form far into the future. This means that we see notes interrupting the story about what, exactly, Kyle is talking about. You'd think that this would interrupt the flow of the story, but actually this was my favorite part of Human.4. It was chilling to see people try to explain and understand normal things about today's society and customs.

Unfortunately I was very disconnected to this book. I was indifferent to the characters and the story, though I don't think it helped that I thought I'd had everything figured out like fifty pages in...

It was towards the end, when I discovered that I was wrong, that I really began to enjoy Human.4. I ended up closing the book, looking at it, and saying, "That was cool."

So if you're looking for a quick sci-fi, I would not turn you away from Human.4. While I didn't love it with all my heart or anything, it left me thinking and curious.

Plot: Pretty fast-moving.

Charcters: Sadly I was very disconnected to them.

Writing: Like I mentioned, we are told the story through tapes recorder by Kyle, so they're written how he speaks. So there wasn't really a chance for the author's writing to shine.

Ending: Appropriate.

Kid friendly? Yeah. It was chilling, but yes.

Overall:

I was more than willing to strike up a conversation with someone while reading...until the end.

I thought Human.4 was going to be a complete dud, and while it wasn't the perfect book for me, it had some really cool qualities to it that were revealed in the end.

Ultraviolet Review

Author: R.J. Anderson
Release Date: June 2, 2011
Pages: 330 (egalley)
Publisher: Orchard
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: For review through Netgalley

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

If I was asked to only review the first two hundred pages of Ultraviolet, then this would be a much more positive review.

But THOSE LAST HUNDRED PAGES. UGH.

Sorry. Anyways:

Ultraviolet grabbed from the first page. The whole "am I crazy orrrr..." plot-line kept me on the edge of my seat. Even when I failed to connect to any of the characters, I kept reading because I still had to know what happened next and because I found Alison's "illness" fascinating.

Another thing that I loved about it was that it was so original. Reading about the way Alison sees things is an experience in itself, one that I was really enjoying.

And throughout the book, we have a mystery that obviously has something to do with something supernatural. The mystery builds throughout the book, and when the answers we were looking for are finally revealed, I was left feeling so...

Upset. I mean, seriously? WTF just happened?

I don't want to give you any spoilers, but basically, I thought the big conclusion was--I know this sounds mean but it's how I feel--stupid. And unoriginal. I can't even properly review it because I was just sort of skimming through the last hundred pages, only reading the dialogue.

But it's not like I completely hated this book. It started strong, and just ended poorly. Alison's abilities were new and fascinating, and I was interested by the whole mental-hospital-thing. If you're looking for something different and don't mind weird endings, maybe try it?

Plot: Different. Until the end...

Characters: Eh...
Writing: Good.

Ending: NO.

Kind Friendly? There was swearing, sexual harassment, and mentally disturbed teens.
Should I read it? Check out more reviews of it on Goodreads and see for yourself if you think you'd like it. I seem to be one of the few that had major issues with it.

Overall:

My Superhero Sister Reviewed By Me and My Sister

Author: Toni LeTempio
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Pages: 190 (e-galley)
Publisher: self-pubbed
Most Appropriate For Ages: 9+
Where I Got It: For review from author

Holly Hamilton's always felt invisible in her family. How could she not when her older sister Ellen is the co-captain of the cheer squad, a star student, and her town's favorite superhero?

After Anti-Villain robbed the sister's dad of his powers, he had to hang up his cape and retire his superhero alter-ego, Invincible Man, and Ellen took over as Suprema. Now, Anti-Villain's escaped from prison, and is out for revenge. Anyone could be working for Anti-Villain, even the new hunk Tad that Holly has her eyes on.

The Hamilton family quickly realizes that time's running out...and this time, it seems like not Suprema or Invincible Man will be able to stop Anti-Hero. Who will?

I've always had a thing for Super-people. So when I was contacted to review My Superhero Sister, I was super excited (no pun intended). And while it was a decent read, I don't think it was quite old enough for me.

My biggest complaint about the novel might've been Holly. She was very whiny and woe-is-me and I-have-to-prove-myself-to-get-the-guy-cause-just-being-myself-is-lame. Not to mention self involved. When her sister is in trouble, she usually thinks to herself something along the lines of:

"I didn't want Ellen to get hurt, even if we did have our share of problems. Who would help me with my English homework?"*

And she doesn't jokingly tell her friend this. No, this is her inner dialogue, and she thinks similar to this more than once. I'm sorry, but when my sister ever appears to be in trouble, I don't question how it will affect me. It just struck me as very odd.

So, yeah, Holly. Not my favorite character. In fact, I never really liked any of the characters. They were all very flat.

In fact, I think my favorite characters were the villains, Anti-Hero and his sidekick Rodney Beaver. And my favorite part of the novel was the ending. While the rest of the book read more like an unoriginal cliche, the ending was cliched as well, but more in a way like it was parodying the average comic book villain.

Oh, and they kept using the word "fabbo", an abbreviation of the word "fabulous". Maybe this is just because I'm not hip to the young people's new slang, but this bugged me. Lots.

Occasionally, character's Eureka Moment seemed really, really obvious. And it was kinda predictable (but, then again, so is every hero story). Yeah, My Superhero Sister didn't quite click with me, but I have a feeling the younger crowd will like it more.

Book Report:

Plot: Cliched, but well-paced enough.

Characters: Not my favorite.

Writing: Good, though there was sometimes dialogue that I found too stiff.

Ending: Favorite part.

Kid friendly? Very. There's a tiny bit of language, but this one's pretty clean.

Should I read it? Depends.

Overall:

*Not an actual quote. But pretty close, I think....

And now, I've got a review of My Superhero Sister from my little sister Allison.

I had a hard time putting My Superhero Sister down from page one. I thought it was a good, fast read and that it was definitely aimed for the younger crowd. Some of the characters could get pretty annoying, but the ending of the book made up for any of my complaints because it was SO FLIPPIN' AWESOME.  My favorite characters were the villains and Eddie Mcgee. Overall I thought this book was awesome!

Book Report:

Plot: Good.

Characters: Most of them were very annoying.

Writing: I thought it was good.

Ending: LOVED IT.

Kid friendly? Very.

Should I read it? YES DEFINITELY.

Overall:

Hourglass Review

Author: Myra McEntire
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Pages: 397 (ARC)
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: From publisher for honest review

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

Time-travel has always given me a headache from confusion. Hourglass didn't change that (I'm not sure if anything could, unless I was the one doing the--no, no, that makes it worse), but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book.

With so many paranormal romances taking up space on the YA shelves these days, Hourglass is a breath of fresh air that will still appear to lovers of the paranormal genre. It still has a lot of aspects that some people find in popular paranormals have: suspense, sexy-times, and that un-put-down-able-ness.

My favorite thing about this book, without a doubt, was Emerson. She was such a funny, well-developed main character and I completely loved reading about her. Though, sadly, I felt slightly detached from most of the other characters--most noticeably Michael, the love interest. While I was appreciated his swooniness, I just never really loved him, and parts of their romance didn't feel quite right to me. Also, Some of the side characters (Dean, Nate) were very under-developed. I did like Kaleb, though. Kaleb was...yeah.

In a nutshell, Hourglass was good. It didn't really blow me away like it has some readers, but I enjoyed it and I'll be looking out for more of Emerson's adventures.

Plot: Fast, unique, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Characters: Emerson was a fantastic main character, but the side characters could've been better.

Writing: Pretty good.

Ending: Wrapped things up nicely, but left room for a sequel.

Kid friendly? There's some mild swearing and implications of sex, but nothing really serious.
Should I read it? If it sounds like something you'd like, go for it.

Overall:

 

Across The Universe Review

Author: Beth Revis
Release Date: January 11, 2011
Pages: 398 (ARC)
Publisher: Razorbill
Most Appropriate For Ages: 14+
Where I Got It: For review from publisher
Challenges: Debut author challenge

A Story of Love, Murder, and Madness Aboard an Enormous Spaceship Bound for the Future

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to wake up on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

Across the Universe is Titanic meets Brave New World.

I think my expectations for Across The Universe were too high or something, cause I just didn't love this book like everyone else has. Not that I hated it, but, well...

It started with a bang, but then somewhere along the line it just slowed down. The mystery was there but no progress was ever made, and nobody seemed to demand answers to any of the super-creepy stuff that went down on the ship. I found it too easy to put down, and I'll be honest and say that I almost took a break from it.  

However. The last 100 pages? Yeah, they were awesome. So awesome that they redeemed the book and made me want to read the sequel.

I'll be honest again and say that I might have enjoyed this book more had I read it a different time. I was suffering from a major Good Book Hangover, so it might've just been me.

I give props to Beth Revis, cause this is a promising start to a trilogy, as well as a good debut. But I expected to be blown away by this one but--while I thought it was good--I didn't think it was amazing.

Reviewers who were blown away:
Sophistikatied Reviews
The Hiding Spot

Book Report:

Plot: Well thought out, but doesn't really get going until the end.

Characters: Likable, but they never really came to life for me, you know?

Writing: Good. Very easy to read and descriptive, and the world-building was really well done.

Ending: BAM... That's the sound of the explosive ending.

Kid friendly? There's some pretty graphic (and really creepy) sex scenes.

Should I read it? If you're a fan of sci-fi, dystopia, or mystery, then yeah.

Overall:

I'll be interviewing Beth Revis tomorrow, so look out for that.

Explorer X-Alpha Review

Author: LM Preston

Release Date: February 7, 2010

Pages: 366

Publisher: Phenomenal One Press

Most Appropriate For Ages: 9+
Where I Got It: Author and publisher in exchange for my honest review

For most kids, a trip to space camp is the trip of a lifetime for Aadi it was life altering. After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. He realizes what is happening too late for a change of fate. The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot, Eirena, crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. This turn of events forces him to grow up quickly, accept his change, and to decide to save a world, or to do what he was trained to do dominate it. His power is coveted by the warring leaders of Shrenas, and he is forced to choose sides a decision that may prove just how much humanity he has left.
--------------------------------------------------
Explorer X-Alpha wasn't my favorite book....

The plot was very intriguing, but it did tend to drag. I usually don't read about spaceships type sci-fi (as apposed to, say, the Uglies series), but the plot wasn't bad at all and I think it will definitely keep kids entertained. One thing I didn't quite get, was why the kids kept beating each other up? It seemed very sudden and out of character at some points.

I never connected with the characters at all. They were strong but I just never loved any of them. Sometimes, I would get confused because of two similar names (Dakota and Damien) who also had semi-close personalities.

I've heard some heavy criticism on LM Preston's writing, but I never thought it was that bad. I thought that the dialogue was kind of stiff, and that could be one of the reasons that I never connected with the characters, but overall LM Preston's writing was good. She especially shines during action scenes.

So Explorer X-Alpha wasn't the book for me. But I'm definitely not it's targeted audience, either. I'd probably recommend the book to younger boys and sci-fi fans.

Unwind Review

Release Date: November 6, 2007
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Age Group: 13+
Pages: 335 (Hardback)


In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away. In Unwind , Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.
---------------------------------------------------------------

I hadn't heard if this until my friends raved to me about it; they told me how amazing it was constantly. I didn't enjoy it as much as them, unfortunately. But I did enjoy it.

The plot is extremely original; besides it being set in the future, there really is nothing that I've read or heard of like it. I just felt like there was way too much stuff in the middle that was irrelevant to the storyline. All of that made me wade through it, and I considered putting it down because it seemed like it just wasn't going anywhere. It did pick up though, it picked up a lot. The ending was strong and very satisfying.

The characters are what kept me reading through the slow spots. There are three main characters, Connor, Risa, and Lev. I immediately loved Connor's character, and liked Risa more and more until I loved her too, Lev...not so much. He actually kind of annoyed me until the last...ten pages. I just couldn't relate to him on any level and couldn't see any reason behind his actions all most throughout the whole book. But this book had great characterization.

The writing was good. Pretty impressive, considering the genre.

Overall, it was a thought-provoking, really good read that is prone to getting off-track and slow. It wasn't a quick read, but I still cannot say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy it-especially the ending. I'd recommend it.

Catching Fire Review

*~CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE CRAZY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE HUNGER GAMES. DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR CATCHING FIRE~*

Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: 14+
Pages: 400 (Hardcover)


Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be enjoying their freedom. After all, they won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty of food. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry, and they want revenge.

---------------------------------------------------

Wow. I just finished this book moments ago, and am speechless and will most likely remain this way for some time. I know that people who have read The Hunger Games do not need me to tell them to pick this book up, but I feel like I need to contribute my thought and feelings about this book. Maybe for me, but I need to speak nonetheless. So:

To Whom It May Concern,

...Wow. When I started this book it didn't seem like it could live up to the high expectations that I had set for it after reading countless rave reviews on it. It seemed like I would be disappointed. I was wrong. DEAD WRONG. It was amazing. The ridiculously original, suspenseful, and overall fantastic plot that Suzanne Collins created did The Hunger Games more than justice. The gut-wrenching twists and turns left me gasping and hyperventilating.

Of course, Catching Fire wouldn't have been nearly the book it was without it's fantastic cast of characters. Katniss is the same tough-as-nails heroine with feelings AND extreme doses of bravery. How often do you find that in YA fiction these days? No very often, my friends. I didn't know I could love Peeta any more than after finishing The Hunger Games, but Catching Fire, again, proved me wrong. His unconditional love and care for Katniss isn't the only thing to love him for; he's also ridiculously brave and provides those few chuckles that even an action-packed dystopic book craves. Gale? Oh, that Gale. I don't care for him much. He's...whiny, almost. I'm definitely Team Peeta. Haymitch is great, too. Although hate-able, at the same time.

The writing in Catching Fire was great, as expected by Suzanne Collins. She was a little more descriptive in Catching Fire than in The Hunger Games, and for that I was grateful; it helped me imagine the characters more vividly.

The ending left me gaping at the book, expecting more words to jump out on cue. They didn't. There was a huge cliffhanger and I'm already expecting the next book to appear in a recurring dream. After I was finished, I closed the book and smelled it. I don't know why, maybe to savor every possible bit of it, but I did. Overall, in case you couldn't tell this was a wonderful sequel to The Hunger Games that leaves you begging for more. I probably would've devoured it in 1 day had it not come on the day where we had company, followed by a crazy-busy week. But, I still LOVED it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to discuss it on Shelfari since m friends are cheap and waiting for me to loan them my copy.

Oh...wow, this review is long...sorry, but I LOVED it!

Was it better than The Hunger Games? GO. AWAY.

Life As We Knew It Review

Release Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Age Group: 12+
Pages: 337 (Paperback)

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is, if nothing else, a thought provoking and kind of scary book. It was also very stressful. Sometimes, when we ate I would feel guilty, because Miranda had barely eaten lately.

This is certainly a new type of dystopic sci-fi. Because usually it's all fault for being overly conservative and some people find the subject of those books too preachy, but this book isn't like that. Because, in this case, there was nothing that we could do. Even the Amish would've been screwed. The plot was enough to keep me interested and enthralled throughout the book, even with the slow parts.

for the first half of the book or so, the main character, Miranda, is an unlikable character. She's too whiny and teenagery. But, there is so much character growth from her. So much that it's ridiculous. I love how she rose to the occasion when necessary and it really shows how everyone one can be a hero. So by the end I loved her, and her family.

This book is written in the form of a diary, so Susan Beth Pfeffer's writing doesn't get to overly shine, but it is pretty good. Not very descriptive, but not dumbed down either.

This book is a little slow at times, but quickly picks up and makes a fast read. It's companion book, Dead and Gone, which takes place in NYC (where there's a lot more going on than in Miranda's area) will definitely be something that I'll be picking up. Overall, I really enjoyed it and it will probably be something that sticks with me for a long time.