Vortex (Insignia #2) - SJ Kincaid

Review: Vortex
Series: Insignia (#2)
Author: SJ Kincaid
Rating: 5/5
Genre: science-fiction

I wasn't sure whether to continue this series or not, I could barely remember why I had loved the first book so much. But I did, and I'm so glad, because it all came rushing back.

It continues from Tom's view after the events of the last book, and Tom is struggling with understanding his unique power and overcoming his fears. There is a lot of technical jargon at times, but it's okay, after all it is a science-fiction book. But to me, what made this great, was that it was completely hilarious. The characters know no bounds, and are constantly cracking dialogue that makes me laugh out loud. There are very seriously aspects, and interesting plot points, but for me, there was nothing better than the characters and their dialogue.

Tom, a sarcastic little thing, takes orders from no one; Vik, the totally ridiculous and inane partner in crime; Wyatt, the socially awkward genius; and Yuri, the gentle giant. The four of them get up to very large amounts of trouble, and it is exceedingly enjoyable. There are higher powers at work, very bad business tycoons, and yet, somehow these kids are succeeding in messing with their plans in a totally demented way. And then, there's Medusa, who I am completely in love with, she is such a strong female character in a book that seems very boy based. Girls, please don't run away! It was written by a woman after all, and she has succeeding in creating a perfect, humorous science-fiction novel, enjoyable for EVERYBODY.

I really loved it, is was such good, clean fun, and I really want more people to give this under-appreciated novel a chance. 

Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1) - Debra Driza

Review: Mila 2.0

Author: Debra Driza

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Science-fiction

Recommend To: fans of Adam & Eve, Maximum Ride, and Unwind

Hmmm...I was stoked about this book, and the cover totally helped to increase my excitement. I was expecting heart-pounding action, awesome tech, and a great cliffhanger (according to the blurb at least.)
There was also the expectation of some slow, simmering romance that would gradually build. 

I was ready to absolutely love this book, but there were some parts I could not bring myself to like. First off, there wasn't really a cliffhanger. Nah. Also, the character development was stunted except in the case of Mila's relationship with her mom. Everyone else just showed up...and then disappeared. Mila herself, I liked, she was easy to root for, but she was so typical. Bleh. Her obnoxious "friend" Kaylee? Yeah no, she was useless. It was really her mom who I could see a growing relationship and understanding developing. 

The romance was.....there? I just didn't enjoy it. There was Hunter, who falls in love with her after like a minute, and they have a secret meeting in the barn....stuff happens. Bye Hunter. Enter Lucas, a nice guy working for the bad guys, who seems to care for her.....stuff happens. Bye Lucas. Oh hey Hunter, I need your help. END OF BOOK. That was honestly it. I felt nothing for Hunter, who she kept thinking about, and then Lucas, I don't even think he was supposed to be a love interest, although it's pretty confusing when she compares the two. 

Yes it sounds awful right? The good thing was, the bad stuff was focused on very little of the time. The main focus is the action and the suspense and it delivers. Mila discovers she is an android, activate defense capabilities and badaboom she can FIGHT. Throw in some bad guys, and an evil scientist/madman, it is automatically a fun book. Mila has to learn how to use both her human and android abilities to rise up and it is so very awesome. 

The end was not a cliffhanger, but it will lead into the next book, which will no doubt be suspenseful and will probably answer some questions.

But the real question remains *serious face*....how on earth does Mila 2.0 go to the bathroom if she's an android?

Eve & Adam - Michael Grant, Katherine Applegate

Review: Eve & Adam
Authors: Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Rating: 3/5

Genre: Science-fiction

Recommend To: fans of Partials

This was not the most original book I've read all year. Just based on the cover, the whole mother is in charge of a biochem lab; the whole thing was screaming GENETICALLY MODIFIED MUTANT STUFF HAPPENING HERE. Yeah it was obvious. But it was still very enjoyable. 

It was interesting enough (just not surprising). Evening Spiker is tasked by her mother to program a human being, DNA and up. Of course she picks male. (DUH) However, the company her mother heads has some funky stuff underfoot (wow who didn't see that one?) and is breaking the law and creating biological anomalies (*gasp! WHAT?* Yeah not really) and the cute boy who works around the building thinks it's Eve's mom who's the head of the whole operation. He plans to bring the company down to expose the atrocities occurring, all the while Eve is slightly clueless. ("I'm only creating him using the program, the billion dollar biochemistry company my mom is the CEO for would never actually do something with it!") Right. Thanks for your input Eve. 

Beyond that though, the concept was cute, the wee romance was also adorable. There was not much of actual chemistry I guess, but for the book's sake let's say that Eve and Solo were cute. His determination to bring down her ruthless mother was commendable (lol). Adam....eh. I loved Aislin though, it was hard not to. She was very dumb, but I was happy in the end. Best friends are usually fun side characters and Aislin was no exception. He nherent dumbness was frustrating but that was sort of the point. She was always there for Eve. 

Terra Spiker is probably the baddest, most awesome woman ever. I hated her at first, but at the end I was totally in awe. She's that person who is emotionless, but only on the outside, and will not hesitate to TAKE YOU DOWN.

It was very predictable, and utterly simple. Even the horrifying creatures didn't really make me shiver in fear or anything. It was too straightforward. But on a hot summer day, or a cozy winter day, this book would be a good companion. It's a good tale and ends neatly. It's fantastic stand-alone book because it ends so tidily, I probably liked the ending a good amount more than the beginning of the book. The bad guys were bad, they died, the good guys were good, they lived. It was undemanding, but maybe at times, that is exactly what is needed.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #1) - Douglas Adams

Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Author: Douglas Adams
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Science-fiction
Recommend To: fans of Insignia, Across the Universe and fans of Science and Hitchhiking

So I found out that I was supposed to have read this book in Middle School or something. Apparently it's something all people know they're supposed to read. And now I know why.

This book makes no sense. But it does. It's about this: Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Trillian, a highway bypass, another highway bypass, some Vogons, the End of the Earth, a book, a babelfish, a supercomputer, some mice, some terrible poetry, some dolphins, and probability.

It isn't super character focused, it's more plot focused. But then again, the plot jumps from revelation to revelation. There isn't really a single aspect that is emphasized. It's all weird, but good weird. There is lots of alien stuff and space stuff. Rocket ships and super computers plus weird alien species. It's not uber complicated so everyone can understand it....or not understand it. I challenge someone to come forward and claim that they know the exact point to this book. And don't tell me 42!

It's very strange. But it's also very hilarious in a twisted sort of way. Many ironies that just pile up make it dark, but funny at the same time.

If you don't like very pure, unadulterated science-fiction, this book probably isn't your best choice. But to the rest of the sane world, read this and it will undoubtedly make you insane. It is, after all, a wholly remarkable book. 

Finally, I would suggest reading it anyway so you can understand the weird references people make to it in the world. The Number 42, "So long, and thanks for all the fish." etc, etc. It's worth it just for that reason alone, you can finally understand that crazy person always mumbling obscure references to 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.

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.

Prodigy (Legend #2) - Marie Lu

Review: Prodigy

Author: Marie Lu

Rating: 5/5

Genre: dystopia, sci-fi

Recommend To: fans of Article 5, fans of Partials

OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED. Yeah. This is what the world has come to? Authors thinking they can just write books of this magnitude without completely blowing the minds of the readers? This is one of the most incredible things I have read. Not just because it continues at an absolute killer pace, but because every chapter you die a little more. The dramatic irony is murderous. Every time you know some thing either June or Day don't you want to kill yourself because the mounting action is just too incredible. Honestly I can't remember a book where I felt so frustrated. Obviously, it was completely done on purpose, and so masterfully at that I couldn't even see past the words on the pages for a day.

I also just wanted to savor June, Day and their bittersweet romance. The angst and betrayal, the feelings. Ack, so much agony. Their trust issues were also wonderful, because they are actually still getting to know each other, no matter how perfect they are together. The division of backgrounds comes together splendidly in their arguments. Although, just as they are learning to grow and trust each other....BLAM. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING.

Yeah. There are some nasty twists in here. Lu does not hesitate to rip out the heartstrings of people. Also, not only does she introduce drama between June and Day, but she adds Tess and new Elector Anden to the equation. Can it get any more overwhelming? But it worked though. The doubt was great, even if it did cause me (a great June and Day lover) immense pain. 

Finally, we learn much more about the world they live in. The split between the Republic and the Colonies, and also what happened to the other countries. (We even get to see a wee glimpse.) Overall, just an excellent, follow up to Legend, I may have enjoyed it even more, and it is one of my favorites. The assassinations and conspiracy plots were so thick I was hyperventilating at some points. It truly was breathtaking and now I have to wait another year until the next. If I don't die from the suspense and anticipation.

Hourglass (Hourglass #1) - Myra McEntire

Review: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Rating: 5/5

Genre: sci-fi, paranormal, romance

Recommend To: fans of the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and Red Ruby

Well, well, well...what a surprise! (*snorts at herself* I sound like someone's ridiculous grandmother.) Anyway.... in all honesty, I wasn't expecting much. Maybe an overly hot guy and a naive little girl. I wasn't really expecting all the good things that came with those. 

The Plot: There was actually a pretty complicated plot and the McEntire did actually do some research on time travel. The Novikov Principle is an actual theorized proposal, but who knows if it's true. Other than the previously mentioned overly hot guy meets naive girl, there was a lot of space time continuum and creepy dead people stuff happening too. Secret societies and betrayals abounded. Overall, it wasn't as one dimensional as I'd expected (which probably wasn't a fair judgement in the first place, but hey, after reading too many paranormal romances you stop expecting too much). 

The Characters: Overly hot guy's name is actually Michael, and Emerson is the naive girl. But...what makes Emerson more interesting is her deep, dark past. It wasn't sloppily thrown together to create a wounded, depressed character. Nope, this girl actually had some issues. So I guess there was some self-discovery in here too. Michael was alright, he was heroic and handsome. I get the whole "perfect for each other" thing. But after Emerson, all the secondary characters became my favorites. Thomas and Dru were completely perfect. My heart froze at thought of them in danger. Contrary to other books, they prove that poor orphan girls can have people (other than their boyfriends) who care about them. Also, Kaleb. Maybe he was drinking and flirting way too much, but he was still more interesting than Michael. Lily, Ava, Cat and Jack round out the rest of the group with some awesome, nefarious things happening behind walls. There were some pretty marvelous characters in Hourglass.

The Romance: Maybe it was supposed to sizzle, but it didn't...at least not until the middle to the end. Up until then, I wasn't feeling too much intellectual connection between Michael and Em, just physical (and I'm not a huge fan of love at first sight). I like better dialogue between two lovers, forbidden I might add. But after Kaleb and Ava entered the picture, it actually got much more interesting. I like jealousy, but not confusion. This may have had a minor love triangle, but it was an engaging plot point. And the relationship began to feel a little more realistic, even if Michael's speeches were slightly too dramatic.

Overall: Like aforementioned, this book wasn't sloppily put together (something I hate) and it had some twists that I really didn't see coming. The dialogue wasn't amazing between the two main characters (Michael just kept feeling too good to be true) but it pulled together in the end while leaving some unsolved riddles to lead into the next book.

The Essence (The Pledge #2) - Kimberly Derting

Review: The Essence

Author: Kimberly Derting

Rating: 5/5

Genre: dystopia, sci-fi, romance, fantasy

Recommend To: fans of the Seven Realms series

I definitely liked this one much more than the first, and I liked the first pretty dang a lot. I think this one was just more in depth. 

The Plot: For one, the plot was more developed rather than simple revolution and finding your true identity. This time, Charlie, Charlaina, has to deal with the pressures of being Queen while still having the last Queen in her head. It mainly rotates about Chalie's growing concern with rebellions around the city against her rule and abolishment of the class system, while also preparing for a meeting between Queens at the annual summit. I like that the world-building was more developed and explained, and we got to see beyond the walls of Ludania.

The Characters: Charlie on a whole was progressing well into her role as Queen even if having trouble with the horses. She made some great changes in the city while facing opposition and was mature, but then again, she is still having trouble with Sabara. I love Sabara. It's weird but I loved her even more in this book, especially after getting more insight into her life as a child and well...stuff. She is just so ancient, twisted and evil, but then under that is just this little girl who went to the beach. And then of course there is Max, who is absent for a major part of the book, but is still adorable. Finally, the supporting characters are all absolutely wonderful and you love them and just want to keep them safe although you cant always. Brooklyn, Aron, Zafir, Angelina, Xander, and Eden along with Avonlea, Florence and Neva are all so precious.

The Romance: I guess it's getting a little more complicated here. And very interesting. Seems like Sabara's got an old beau. Haha but that's her old love life. I'm not saying anything more on that matter. Charlie and Max are happy enough, if a little stressed about the events in the kingdom. 

The Style: Ludania was greatly expanded by Derting and she made sure that all the political shenanigans are far from over. Plus all the different perspectives are great and keep the story moving in all directions. Furthermore, the Queens powers and the supernatural aspect of the story are also being explored. 

Overall: Nothing is dull and everything is intense. Sabara's threats are far from over and Charlie has to deal with heaps of responsibility. It was a continuing struggle to mesh the newfound identity and the old identity of  Charlie and her fights against dresses and "Your Majesty"ing, with the ancient, evil of Sabara mixed in. I could see that things were not going to be easy for Charlie, but with the support of such wonderful characters, I know she'll be fine and I cannot wait for the third book. 

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) - Beth Revis

Review: Shades of Earth

Author: Beth Revis

Rating: 5/5

Genre: sci-fi, dystopia

Recommend To: fans of Incarnate, fans of spacey books

A little spoilery but nothing horrible. Although don't risk it if your reading it soon. And not until you've read the first two. Because come on people, you don't want to ruin these books for yourselves. 

This is one of my favorite science-fiction dystopia series ever. Absolutely. I can think of a million hyped up novels (not naming any) and this trumps them all in everything. In fact, it's so real, its terrifying.

The Plot: There is just so much tension. I can't even try to explain the intricacies of the plot without giving away all the plot-twists. The obvious ones, yeah you could see them coming, the non-obvious ones....."what the heck just happened?!" is the reaction. It's also such a satisfying ending. The story really didn't smush together and end. It wasn't a quick last minute wrap up. It was well-thought out and all the pieces finally fit together. The mysteries of phydus and the monsters are finally solved. It is really truly incredible and never loses momentum. I could go into depth about all the birds, the flowers, trees and *gasp* the betrayals! But really, it was just so brilliant. 

The Characters: These characters just have so much more depth than before. Honestly, I felt as if I understood Amy and Elder even better as they started to grow into their real roles. Elder was making leaps and strides as a leader, and Amy really grew out of her naive Sol-Earth persona. Of course I missed others, and Beth Revis was completely unafraid to kill off her characters, but it all served a purpose. The new characters (yes the Frozens), angered me at times but they too became lovable, if a little confused about how life on the Godspeed really was. It's all right though. Conflict between characters is better than everyone being too happy. That would just be boring.

The Romance: We all know that Amy and Elder are totally soul mates right? The only question was does Amy love him because he's the only guy available, or because he's Elder? What do you think? I don't know, gosh, let's see what happens when we add a love triangle!.....No, but seriously that part was good too. Amy and Elder begin to realize what they really mean to each other on this planet full of new dangers, not all of them expected. And I hate love triangles. But when they work...they work.

The Style: Can I just say, this book had me under the covers quivering? Not because its a horror book, but because trying to predict what's horrible thing will happen to the beloved characters is a horror. The last two books I missed Sol-Earth so badly...and I live here. Amy's pain was so real. I really didn't think anything could be worse, but my god, the mysterious monsters, and gen mod material, and the *shhh* abandoned colony. It was all doubling the creepy planet factor with every description. 

Overall: One of the most satisfying series I have ever had the fortune to read. Nothing was rushed or badly written. Everything had a place and a time. Every betrayal, death, sacrifice, reveal and kiss was perfectly placed. And it completely drew me in and refused to let me go until the last word, and it will do the same to you. 

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) - Marissa Meyer

Review: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Rating: 5/5

Genre: dystopia, sci-fi

Recommended To: fans of Grave Mercy, Shadow and Bone

The Plot: I finally finished! I'll try for no spoilers. In the second installment of the Lunar Chronicles, the main character isn't Cinder, which was disappointing at first, but it's all good because the third person POV switched to her pretty often. The plot basically centers on Cinder's struggle to come to terms with her true identity and how Scarlet and her grandmother have a part in Cinder's whole cyborg with no memory situation. It's all quite easy to jump back into actually after reading Cinder. It's very well connected, even if it is really obvious at times. What I thought was new, was the very interesting, completely psychotic take on the Wolf and about Levana's army. That was very twisted, even for a fairy tale retelling. I didn't say it wasn't completely welcome, and awesome though.

The Characters: Cinder we all know is a mechanical version of Cinderella who can pretty much control people with her mind. Prince Kai is an adorable version of Prince Charming. One can only hope they actually ever get a chance to talk with each other. Not the main characters though. Basically, the titular character, Scarlet, is a really feisty version of Little Red Riding Hood with a gun, and a grandmother who was in the military and knows secrets. Secrets that pertain to Cinder, hmm hmm....Anyway, Wolf too is a really mysterious and strange character. I don't want to give any spoilers but honestly, his name is a spoiler. Think about that. Finally, my personal favorite was definitely Thorne. I don't know how Cinder managed to  pick him up, but he made the whole book three times better with his ridiculous shenanigans. 

The Romance: Cinder and Kai are a nonexistent couple right now although their caring for each other over seas was very adorable. The focus was on Scarlet and Wolf as a couple. The most upsetting fact for me about their falling in love (we all know it happens, quit complaining) was that it occurs in nearly 24 hours. How can two people fall in love in one day? Other than that, it was all very touching. Wolf afraid he'll hurt her, by being so big and bad, and poor little Scarlet completely oblivious to her very seductive advances. Seriously, she was no shy girl when it came to romance.

The Style: I love the entire concept of the series. It's just so original. I can't fathom how she came up with a dystopian society, with not-so-princesslike princesses (one who is half metal and one who totes around a gun while looking for her grandmother), and an evil moon queen. The writing is also excellent and the descriptions of the world are amazingly vivid. One could almost be tricked into seeing Lunars left and right. 

Overall: If you haven't given Cinder a try, please do. Especially if you like dystopian, science-fiction , romance. It's very fun. And if you have read Cinder, Scarlet is a great follow up and continues the story at a great pace. I loved discovering all sorts of secrets and juicy stuff about Queen Levana's plan, all set against a backdrop of a world we know so well, yet so different. 

Top-10 Science Fiction

I'm a pretty big fan of this genre, so let's see how this goes. All of the books mentioned include their series. The worst part about writing this list was struggling not to include all the Dystopia or Steampunk books. I tried to focus more on pure geeky scienc-ey stuff, but that was really hard.
PS. Sorry a little late but I was sick (lame excuse)

1. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

2. The Host by Stephanie Meyer (wait, isn't that the lady who wrote Twilight? Umm, yeah but what can I say, the Host was actually good. Can't wait for the movie...)

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (you should go read this if you haven't yet)

4. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson (the first 3 only)

5. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

6. H.I.V.E. by Mark Walden (uh-huh the Higher Institute for Villainous Education, how awesome is that?)

7. The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma (random read from years ago - pure sci-fi)

8. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows)

9. Partials by Dan Wells (yeah I give up I know this is Dystopia I tried my best to resist ok?)

10. LUX Series - Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (for steamy aliens)

Others include:

Artemis Fowl Series  by Eoin Colfer (yeah who hasn't heard of that?)

Some that I must read:

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix

The Pledge (Pledge #1) - Kimberly Derting

Review: The Pledge 

Author: Kimberly Derting

Rating: 4/5

Genre: dystopia, sci-fi?

Recommend To: fans of Article 5

Plot: Taking place in the country of Ludania, we have a tyrant queen who can move to another body when dying from old age. A queen for all eternity. And we have a class system enforced by language, which I thought strange at first, but Derting makes it work. Basically, after people were forbidden to learn a language other than their own class language and the universal language, the ability to learn was lost. Yet, Charlaina can understand all languages, an ability that puts her in greater danger than thought before. She fights to save her younger sister and ends up with the help of a handsome soldier, Max (yay). Finally, they have a rebellion running through the city. Yeah there is a lot going on but I absoltely loved every minute of it. 

The Characters: If there is a place the book was lacking, this was it, but I didn't have much of a problem here. The characters were thought out and obviously had more depth than I previously thought (ahem Brooklynn). Other than that, Charlie could be a bit dense at times (seriously, Max and Xander was so obvious) but other than that, she cared and was strong. Max was a definite hunk and he was definitely courageous and all so yay. But my favorites were Xander, Eden, and definitely the Queen. She was an awesome villain. The female villains are always worse, and more fun to hate.

The Romance: Maybe it was choppy at first, but it was cute and fun to love. Max was pretty dang adorable at times. Again Xander and Eden were probably better as a couple but I liked both. Hopefully in the next book it'll show more of Max being supportive and all. 

The Style: I loved Derting's Body Finder series. So I suppose thats a huge reason why I loved the Pledge so much. From a reader's standpoint, it lacked a little. From a fan's standpoint it was absolutely ah-mazing and it couldn't possibly be loved more. I loved the world where language represents who you are and I loved the legend of the lost royal legacy. Plus the Queen was just so evil.....

Overall: Romance could use some work, it was very insta-loveish but I hope she and Max will learn more about each other. A great first book to a series with a great setting and exactly the kind of plot I love. Breakneck speed, rebellions, romances, secrets, its all there 

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) - Marissa Meyer

Review: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Hmm....fantasy, dytopia, sci-fi, retelling?

Recommend To: People who want to live

HOLY MOLY. This book was just amazing. I still can’t shake this crazy world full of cyborgs and Lunars….and LUNAR CYBORGS (yep, both mixed together). Plus it had Kai. And Cinderella. 




The Plot: 

Cinder is an orphan, with an evil stepmother and two overprivaleged stepsisters (surprise! One of them actually isn’t evil, just spoiled). She is a cyborg, so she’s half technology half person. So cool, and very futuristic. Plus she has a lie detector. I seriously want one. Who doesn’t? Anyway, mixed in with all this are a plague, and a society on the Moon headed by an evil queen with an evil agenda who can control minds . And of course this all has something to do with Cinder, the future version of Cinderella. Original much? Of course, this book is so amazing and intense, it would have little girls crying for their mommies. It’s is definitely not the regular take on a fairytale. Except for Prince Kai, yum. Oh and also, it’s incredible how this actually isn’t taking place in America, it’s New China. That gives it an extra super awesome flavor. 

The Characters: 

Cinder is super independent, or at least she wishes she could be. Her controlling stepmother is crazy evil, and hates Cinder (pretty much the same as the original.) But, weirdly enough, we have one evil stepsister, and one actually nice one that Cinder loves. Cinder has a past shrouded in mystery, she has no memory of where she came from, or how she became a cyborg. She has no idea who she is (pay attention there, that’s important at the end, although all astute readers can probably guess her identity midway through the book). Kai is the super sexy Prince who somehow ends up at her mechanic’s stall in the market (China remember?) to get his robot fixed for suspicious reasons (lie detector remember?). Anyway, Kai himself is a guy really devoted to duty, being honest, and working hard for his loyal, loving subjects. Yeah, he’s cute. 

The Romance: 

It’s pretty obvious Cinder and Kai fall in love (I mean everyone has read or seen Cinderella right? If not where do you come from?) It’s easy to see it from Cinder’s point of view, trickier from Kai’s. He just wants her at the ball, he never exactly professes his love for her or kisses her (yet). Plus he’s dedicated to doing his duty, so no, he can’t exactly be with her (also notyet). So basically, we see a mutual attraction but nothing that’s been acted on. Waiting on the second one for that. 

The Style: 

The writing was amazing, detailed and ambitious. This book could so easily have been overdone, with too much craziness happening, but it was just perfect, with a balanced mix of sci-fi, fantasy, dystopia, and fairy tale. Who else could have pulled that off? Not many. 

Overall: 

This was an amazing book, so different from any others. However, it has one of the nastiest cliff-hangers ever written. One of those, OMG wait the book just ended or did someone rip the rest of the pages out to make me furious type of cliff-hanger endings. It was crazy unfair. But it’s okay because the rest was just mind-blowing. A need to read with an incredibly, fresh, original plot mixed with characters right out of a fairy tale and some other crazy conspiracies and revelations happening. Seriously.