Becoming (Daughters of Saraqael #1) - Raine Thomas

Review: Becoming
Author: Raine Thomas
Rating: 3/5
Genre: fantasy, romance
Recommend To: fans of Splintered

Oooh yay. Entertaining stuff. Plus really light and fun, no heavy, awful, gripping emotions. Unless you are emotional at the slightest bit because there is action, and romance, and fights, and typical awesome stuff that bookish people thrive on. By Raine Thomas.

Plot: Amber “explodes” every three years. And whenever she does it always leaves a huge mess and ends in her moving out of her current foster home to another. Until she reaches Mrs. B’s foster home. There she meets a kid her age named Gabriel and when her inevitable episode happens, he doesn’t tell anyone. They become close best friends (who knows where this is leading?). Anyway, so now three years after that Incident she’s due for another one and it’s stronger this time. They go through it together and what do you know? Love. They go on a trip to Alaska and then meet some people(Amber’s sisters, duh, daughters as in plural) who tell them Amber and Gabriel are both not human, they are Estilorians, and don’t belong on this plane. They were sent to be kept safe and in Gabriel’s case to learn about emotions. More stuff happens, plus there are bad guys out to get them. Who doesn’t love this perfect mix of awesomeness?



Characters: 
Protagonist: Amber. Okay she’s pretty cool. Tough. Hardened by the foster system. She’s also pretty funny. She’s intelligent and doesn’t dither all over the place.

The Best-Friend-turned-Boyfriend: Yes. Omg yes, yes. While Amber was okay, Gabriel was much better ;) Funny, caring, protective not to mention hot, yep this boy has it all. Finding out he wasn’t human either was a bit of a surprise but I guess it makes sense because humans don’t transfer planes right?

The Sisters: They both, Olivia and Skye, seem like pretty remarkable characters. I think the next books are going to be focused on them, but it wasn’t like we didn’t get switched to their perspectives in this one, so I’m not too upset about the different protagonist thing which is weird. Usually I hate that stuff, I like my series to just pick a character and stick with it, but I think I’ll survive with this one.

The Romance: OMG. Pick a place in private to read this because you will giggle, smile, and laugh out loud at Amber and Gabriel when they are together. I mean Amber was pretty stupid; of course Gabriel’s in love with you! But it was okay because she figured it out. I was so happy there was no insta-love! Gabriel and Amber have been best-friends for years until they fall in love. Happiness from me. It was sweet but at the same time heated and so oh yes’s to love!

The Villains: Now this is where it gets confusing. There is the Estilorian plane and then on it there are different branches like Gloresti, Mercesti, and more. It was hard to keep track who was who I guess. There was lots going on with snippets of conversations between the bad guys or the good guys who know what’s happening. Argh, you’ll know what I mean if you read it I think. It wasn’t impossible to keep track, it was just harder. But the mythology itself was pretty unique and original.

Overall: Great romance, pretty awesome characters, fast-moving plot, needed more details but nevertheless very fun to read. I bet the next books will answer the questions we have at the end of this book. 

Exodus (Exodus/ Raging Earth #1) - Julie Bertagna

Review: Exodus
Author: Julie Bertagna
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Science-fiction, dystopia
Recommend To: fans of Insignia

I really liked it! I did indeed. It was really, pure science-fiction and I gloried in the 3-D internet landscapes and floating cities of the future. Mara is a young girl living on a simple farm on an island. The storms rage for days and the water continues to encroach on their land. However, Mara has an escape, a device that transports her to the long dead Weave, staked with information. There she meets a Cyberfox for an instant and decides to prompt her people into leaving the islands before they meet their death. They continue on to New Mungo, a glittering floating city built on the pain of the forgotten.

It's mostly fantastic. The characters are varied and lovable. Mara, the resourceful protagonist; Wing, her little devil savior; Broomielaw, the broken hearted sweetheart; Gorbals, the languishing lovable poet; Candleriggs, the stubborn old lady with a secret past; and Fox, the daring, dashing, tech expert. The names were ridiculous at times, but they're named like that for a reason. 

A few things that I have to say threw me for a bit. 

1. Sometimes it was hard to picture the setting for me. The original island was simple and the refugee camp was vivid. But the floating city with the wall around it, the tree covered island so close to it? I had a hard time picturing it. The way Mara got in? I didn't really understand it that well. I also didn't understand how the people in the refugee camp wouldn't have seen the construction projects the city was working on. I don't know. Maybe I should have inferred better. 

2. I was having issues understanding the Weave and the Noos. I was trying to make it into the equivalent of the internet, but I wasn't sure how it was like an alternate realm with people hunting for information. And then making programs and viruses....maybe the details weren't that important, it didn't really affect the overall story, but it was an obscure concept at best.

3. L'Amour. This was a teeny problem. At first I thought it'd be her friends Rowan, but then I realized it'd be whoever was behind the Cyberfox. It's obviously going be some cute guy, who was smart beyond belief, who would most likely be connected with high up people and with whom I would probably fall in love with. (I'm proud to say I did actually guess all that and it came true.) It was just....rushed. Yeah disappointing to me, I wanted them to meet, but they didn't for 80% of the book. I get why, Mara had to meet the refugees and become attached to them so she would feel compelled to save them. Yeah, but then the instant she meets Fox they fall madly in love? And kiss within a day of meeting each other? Well okay insta-love. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, but then they barely even get to know each other! No. NO no nO. I was a fan of Mara and Fox, as far as I am concerned they make an adorable couple who are dedicated to good and saving the world, putting others before themselves. They suit each other, but they should at least FIGURE IT OUT THEMSELVES BY GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER. Sigh.

4. It was a bit shocking how easily Bertagna killed off Mara's parents and then had Mara kill Tony Rex. Mara was "devastated" by her family's loss, but I wasn't feeling it. She tried to drown herself, okay. But after that? Eh not much. Barely mentioned. And Tony Rex? We didn't even know if he was a bad guy. I'm sorry but a little silver thing that could possibly have been a weapon, plus a sleazy nature is not enough to justify killing the guy so quickly with so little guilt. She was "wracked" with guilt for like 5 min. Oh well.

So while I may have ranted a bit about the things that bothered me, they only bothered me this much because the rest of the book was so good. Almost as if these things stopped the book from being a perfect science-fiction, romance, kick-butt heroine saves the day kind of book. I could rave about the awesomeness of Mara and how much I want Zapeedos to cruise around New Mungo. How the vicious little urchins captured my heart, and how I wanted to cry when I read about the destruction of the old human world. The museum and the destroyed books especially made me look at the human world today. 

The look at global warming and the damage humans can do to themselves was shocking, but it was interesting having a dystopian world caused by a gradual process rather than a plague or nuclear war. It made me more aware of the problems we could face if we don't do anything. Also the lack of recognition for women in the museum made me outraged alongside Mara. It addressed these problems really well and made me less oblivious.

Overall, this book is an adventure story, a tale of the courage of one girl who tries to help her people and find her purpose in life. A girl who chooses to use her intellect and her curiosity to get people out of their daily stupor and encourage them to make better lives for themselves instead of live like cowards. The book spans from simple farms to high-tech metal hallways and includes a huge cast of characters. The ending leaves much to be desired, but I can't wait to continue the series. 

Starseed - Liz Gruder

Review: Starseed

Author: Liz Gruder

Rating: 1/5

Genre: Science-fiction

Recommend To: No one

I'd like to thank Ms. Liz Gruder for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so, I really hate doing this but there is no way I can avoid it...I was literally forcing myself page by page to read this book. The whole time I was wondering...is it me? Is science-fiction alien stuff too much for me to handle? But no, I've loved plenty of extraterrestrial stuff. I'm a fan of Star Wars for Pete's sake. So why wasn't I enjoying this book?

It was a quick read, with an interesting idea. I thought the aliens would be really interesting and fun to hate, I thought I would get to feel torn by Jordan and I would get sucked in to Kaila's story. 

But...it was weird. None of it was making a lot of sense, there wasn't any tension, the writing was bland. It was not interesting. Plain as day, it was confusing and bizarre. The aliens were repellant. There was insta-love. But most of all, I hated the characters. Each and every single one. There wasn't one lovable character. There were some with potential, her friends were cute enough. But I NEVER CONNECTED. I didn't like Kaila, she annoyed me, Jordan was despicable along with his "hive." They were just way too sinister and gross. The whole time I felt like I was waiting for something to happen and the story just got weirder and weirder. 

It twisted and the worst thing was, I felt like it was constantly painting humans in a very negative light. It was distasteful. A lot of random pop culture was tossed in, and then there was some really nauseating alien partying that was completely unnecessary. The school cliques were way overdone and the bullying was so cliche I thought I'd puke. And you may think me cold, but I really felt no sympathy or empathy for any of the characters. It was badly done....

Sigh, I really wish I'd liked this book. But I wasn't able to enjoy it. The characters themselves were too atrocious to have any chance of holding the story up. I waited for it to get better, but it never did. A huge disappointment to someone who loves science-fiction.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Review: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak

Rating: 5/5

Genre: historical-fiction
Recommend To: fans of the Diary of Anne Frank

*Weird noises that go like this: blurghhagrggggghhhbeeeggg* Literally how I ended the book. I mean, it's obvious enough that a book set during WWII in Germany is going to be sad, but I was not expecting this. I WAS NOT READY FOR THIS. WHY DID NO ONE PREPARE ME?

I took a long time to read this book, more than a week. I read pieces at a time. This is a book that needs to be savored. Because if you go to fast, you will get to the end. You do not want to get to the end. No. Stay around the middle of the book and simply revel in soccer, stealing books, and snowmen in the basement. The end....is just too heartbreaking. 

Honestly, I wasn't sure what the big deal about the book was until the end. The writing was beautiful, the narrator was interesting, the tale of the Jews was horrifying, but I'd been confronted with it many times in school. What was it about this book that made it so special? And I realized, it's the way you become entangled in the lives of the characters. You literally walk around with Liesel and her Papa, drinking champagne in the summer, listening to an accordion. You jump into the river with Rudy Steiner and you beg, BEG for Liesel to just give him a kiss already. You live with them, hope with them, read with them, snore with them, give bread with them, play soccer with them, steal with them, and most of all...you die with them.

It's just too much at times. I was fine for most of the book. Mostly. Death....was an interesting narrator. He didn't hide things, or gloss over them, I mean he's Death. The Death. He spoiled things all the time though. There was no spoiler alert either. He'd just come out with something that would break and cripple your poor heart and soul. Yeah, Death did not have compassion for the reader. He was a brutally, honest narrator.

I don't know what else to say. I could go on all day I guess, but I don't want to. I just want to curl up somewhere and sleep for a while. This book takes a lot out of you. I love Hans Hubermann. I love Rosa Hubermann. I love Rudy Steiner. I love Ilsa Hermann. I love Max Vandenburg. I love Jesse Owens. I love Liesel Meminger. I love this book. 

Occasionally I will probably think about this book and cry a little. But I'm so glad I read it.

Birthmarked (Birthmarked #1) - Caragh M. O'Brien

Review: Birthmarked
Author: Caragh M. O'Brien
Rating; 4.5/5
Genre: Dystopian, science-fiction
Recommend To: fans of Exodus

I really, really enjoyed this book! It didn't immediately draw me in from the first line, and the setting took some getting used to, but something about it was really easy to get into. The novel tells the tale of Gaia, a sixteen year old girl following the steps of her mother as a midwife. She lives on the outside of the wall where the people are required to give a quota of 3 babies a month to the Enclave, the governing town within the wall. When her parents are kidnapped, she goes on an epic quest to save them and unravel the mystery her mother left her in the form of a ribbon. It has everything fun imaginable-- secret codes, executions, prisons, long-lost siblings, scandals, forbidden romance, evil people in power. It was a bucketload of merriment.

The setting itself was really different, but it didn't take away from the story. I, for one, absolutely love the medieval type of town with midwives, bakers, market day, public hangings (etc), but it's actually set years in the future. They refer to present day as the "cool age" and have technology such as TV's, computers, and cameras. It's odd to reconcile the old township/historical period sort of feeling with the dystopian, gene sequencing future village. It's interesting though.

Gaia herself is intelligent, and stubbornly fights for what she believes in. She is sweet and kind, and believes that every living thing deserves a chance to live. Even though her scar has put her through some awful times, she isn't bitter or cruel. Her parents and their relationship with Gaia are also wonderfully sweet, they raised her to have morals and values through life experiences. Finally, her relationship with Leon is gradual but tender and beautiful. It isn't love at first sight, or even second sight, but they start to get to know each other and love blossoms. 

Finally, the story telling is descriptive, the characters are all engaging. Even the secondary characters have pivotal roles (ex. Mack, Bartlett, Sephie). The world is new and interesting, few authors ever have suggested that the world can go completely backwards, the technology is barely even noticeable. The problems of genetic problems and inbreeding are delicately tackled and remain the focus of the novel, and overall the book is a very light, congenial read.

Article 5 (Article 5 #1) - Kristen Simmons

Review: Article 5

Author: Kristen Simmons

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Dystopian, romance

Recommend To: fans of Legend

WOW. I have to say I knew when I read the summary that I would like this book, but I really had no idea how much. I lovelovelove this book! I was fascinated by the way the United States had just crumbled and become something so terrible. It was super interesting to read a dystopian novel that was unique and yet had characteristics that make this genre what it is. 

The United States has morphed into a country governed by the moral statutes:
1. An official religion everyone must follow 
2. Literature and other media deemed unacceptable are banned (This is the one I'd be carried away for.) 
3. Families are a man a woman and children
4. Traditional male and female roles are being reinstated (I'd be in violation of this too.)
5. People are only legal citizens if they've been conceived by a married couple.

Can you imagine a world like this? Forced to become compliant to each of these rules? Change your religion because it's not allowed anymore? Throw out all your precious books and magazines? Women back in skirts and in the kitchen? No freedom, no expression, no creativity. I'd implode. It's incredibly totalitarian and literally makes me fear people with power. 

Article 5 is what starts Ember's life to become completely changed. She ends up at a horrible reformatory school, separated from her mother who she'll do anything to save. Aided by Chase Jennings, her childhood love, she travels across the country to be rescue her mother and escape the system. 

There is a lot of action and romance in this book, but that's not what the book is truly about. There is also a terrifying glimpse of a future with no rights and no boundaries. It's actually frightening to think about the government having that kind of power, and the abandoned roads and towns were creepy and way too familiar. Ember herself goes from being timid and obedient, and also very ignorant to a girl who can handle herself and kick some butt, even if she still feels uncomfortable doing it. She still remains Ember, and keeps the same values, but she isn't naive or reliant anymore. She grows into an independent, intelligent and courageous person, but one who still feels fear and desperation in this new world. She's a character who is easy to root for.

However, the action and romance is highly enjoyable. When I mean enjoyable, I mean I LOVED IT. The fights and the tension of being on the run was very realistic. It was so action-packed and the pace never slows down, but it's not boring or repetitive, it just makes you hang on to every single word.

And oh my god Chase made me positively swoon. I loved the snippets of his history with Ember and his bad boy, tortured self is impossible not to love. The desperation and love he felt for Ember were almost palpable. And then you just end up holding your breath and going, "KISS HER FOR GOD'S SAKE, DO SOMETHING. " The romantic tension was really painful, as it was so evident how much they loved each other...and just...glurgle...

Okay, moving on from Chase and his muscles, the book was really intense. It was vivid and glued me to my chair. It's still one of the best dystopians I've read, and I can't wait for the second one.