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Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

May 16 |11:29

Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave is full of sweet torture with its cruel twists and unpredictable surprises. It’s a must read!

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

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Title & Author: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Genre: YA Science Fiction – Aliens

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Series: The 5th Wave #1

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of The 5th Wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.”

The 5th Wave Tolls

On the RBR Facebook page, I recently asked what books were getting a ton of hype lately and someone replied with The 5th Wave.

Waitttttt a second! I have never heard of that book! I swear, in life I’m the last to know things, so it just makes sense for that to translate to book matters too. Ugh! So now, that a lovely book lover told me about this weird alien invasion book, I HAD to check it out and see if it was worth the hype.

The answer is YES, YES IT IS! This book is about how aliens would invade the Earth in real life – not like in the movies where humans band together to fight their oppressors. In real life, aliens are waaaaay smarter than us and have figured out how to defeat humans like millennia ago.

So, why is The 5th Wave so hype-worthy? Because this book is riddled with delicious anticipation and tension. Four “waves” have hit the Earth after mammoth space ships are seen hovering over the planet.

An electromagnetic charge (1st wave) hits the planet and shuts down all electricity (phones, internet, cars) and battery operated things temporarily. Then natural distasters (2nd wave), then a terrible red death disease (3rd wave) kill what’s left of the human population.

Cassie Sullivan and her family are what’s left of her city, and they’re trying to regroup before the anticipated 4th wave hits. As Cassie says, it’s an “either/or” world now. You either die or fight your way to survival.

And that’s the magic of this book. You’re expecting the 4th and 5th waves to hit. You have NO idea what new fresh hell will be unleashed on poor Cassie and other characters. Rick Yancey is a master at surprises, and I was left shocked many a time. And that is definitely saying something because I can typically see things coming a mile away.

What’s also great about The 5th Wave is that just when you think and trust one thing, the action and plot changes into something else – sort of mimicking the oft said “trust no one” mantra in the book. Which by the way, no one follows.

Another important thing about this book are the relationships. They’re so complicated and broken, yet even during the potential end of the world, people are still loving and risking their hearts. Why? Because even the most hardened humans still carry hope deep down in their scarred and torn hearts.

OVERALL:

It should come as no surprise when I say that this book was amazing and is an absolute must read of 2013. I hope you love the rawness, bleakness and heartfull-ness of The 5th Wave – it’s gonna jack you UP!

Book Review: The Girl With the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

Apr 1 |07:58

Another steampunk book coming atcha – The Girl With the Iron Touch! Another foray into the mysterious world of London where automatons and organities creep in the night.

Book Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch

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Title & Author: The Girl with the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles) by Kady Cross

Genre: YA –

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Series: Steampunk Chronicles #3

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

How I Got the Book: ARC via NetGalley

Description:

“In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken

When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What’s left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends’ lives.

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke’s sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him…and for Griffin.

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel’s desolate alleyways to Mayfair’s elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist’s ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she’s to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn’t know she has….”

Get Your Daily Dose of Steampunk

I have been a fan of Kady Cross’ Steampunk Chronicles from book 1 (The Girl with the Steel Corset), so I’ve come to love the awesome steampunk-ness of this series and the motley crew of characters.

Even though The Girl in the Clockwork Collar didn’t suffer from the second-book syndrome, there was a little something missing from The Girl With the Iron Touch.

Let’s start with good stuff: In The Girl With the Iron Touch, the action and adventure has a strong center on Emily, our beloved Irish automaton-maker with the fine, ropey hair. Sam is being just as dense as ever about his feelings for Emily, and when she’s kidnapped from Griffin’s home, shizz gets real for this will-they, won’t-they couple.

I love Emily and Sam. They are super cute and taking it slow. There’s not a whole lot of spicy moments between them, but I think that’s ok. They’re romance is different from Finley and Griffin’s, and I like the change-up.

Plus, there’s ton of steampunk to go around. The book starts off with an evil octopus strangling the life out of a submarine the crew is trying to escape from. YES! And, there’s always the new automaton invention from Emily and the speeding velocycle from Griffin.

I also really liked the addition of a new character that I can already tell we’re going to see more of in future books. I assummed this was the last book in the series, as most YA books cap out at three, but I just read on Goodreads that there will be five books total of the Steampunk Chronicles, not including the prequel novella.

Lost Some Steam

The main trouble with The Girl With the Iron Touch is that it lost some of it’s steam (pun intended) about halfway through. I found myself pushing through the story and struggling to find the spark that started it all.

I think part of the problem is that two books into the story, there starts to be some overlap in themes and tropes. For example, Griffin has consistently been the protector of the group and the leader. He and Finley have been going back and forth in several books about how she can take care of herself, and Griffin says how he knows that but still wants to prevent her from harm.

So in this book, when this whole pattern is repeated in a different way, I just got bored. It’s a trope that Harry Potter almost killed to death (although J.K. can do no wrong in my book), and this series is repeating the same types of things.

There are a few other instances where the lack of surprise and newness is a disappointing.

OVERALL:

I enjoyed “seeing” these awesome characters again. They’re so interesting and fun, and I liked how this book focused on the machine-speaker Emily. The Girl with the Iron Touch still has all the steampunkness a reader could want and ask for but seemed to lose some momentum in its storytelling.

Book Review: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Mar 25 |07:55

Let the Sky Fall is another debut YA series coming atcha! Although it had it’s ups and downs (<-- air elemental joke), I thought it was a good read overall.

Book Review: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

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Title & Author: Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Genre: YA – Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Series:

Publisher: SimonPulse

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.”

Sylphs and Secret

Vane and Audra could not be opposite of each other. Vane’s lived a sheltered life on Earth, occasionally facing odd occurrences when he’s on dates. Audra is an air elemental, or sylph, who’s been sworn to protect him. Vane doesn’t know he’s being protected or that there are things about him he doesn’t even understand yet.

When Audra is forced to reveal herself to Vane, she struggles to not slap him every hour, and he in turn wrestles with his new reality where he’s not human and the fate of his kind rests on his shoulders. NBD, right?

What I really enjoyed about Let the Sky Fall was the love/hate relationship between Audra and Vane. I think a lot of really great romances (book ones, at least) start out with this push and pull dynamic. Vane and Audra need each other, yet would rather do without. Although, Vane is very, very attracted to Audra, so you always get a sense that he could get over his annoyances with her a bit easier than she could with him.

Also, sylphs are new to me in YA fiction. Sylphs are creatures born of air, and can communicate with the wind. There are Northerly, Easterly, Southerly and Westerly winds, and each sylph, depending on their origin, has a special affinity with one type of wind.

The mythology and story of the sylphs was really interesting, and I’m excited to see how that evolves more in future books.

The only thing that kept me from really loving this book was the cheesy dialogue. It wasn’t always cheesy, but Let the Sky Fall definitely had it’s moments. It mainly originated from Vane, so maybe it was a teenage boy thing?

He just seemed to speak fluently in cliches and always seemed to be thinking about girls and…yeah, I was right. It’s because he’s a teenage boy. I think authors can definitely avoid becoming too obvious with this, but I can understand the “realism” created here.

OVERALL:
If you like cool fantasy creatures, love/hate relationships and your average beat-the-bad-guy storyline, then this is your kind of book. Let the Sky Fall was a good YA read overall, but I wasn’t in love with everything in the novel, including some cliched writing.

Book Review: City of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Feb 22 |09:13

Although I’m dying quietly because City of a Thousand Dolls is seemingly a standalone novel (what?! no!), I’m seriously am happy. Cuz this book was AWESOME! It’s what fantasy is all about.

Book Review: City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

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Title & Author: City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Genre: YA – Fantasy

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Series: Standalone

Publisher: HarperTeen

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.”

A Winning Setting & History

The City of a Thousand Dolls had one of the most interesting backgrounds I’ve read in awhile: because of the empire’s two-child law (parents can only have two children max), girls were being abandoned and left to die because of the male inheritance rule (typical).

To prevent senseless deaths, the City of a Thousand Dolls was created. Girls given up by their families could go here and learn valuable skills, which they would then use to marry well.

Girls can be placed into different houses like (Music, Beauty, Combat, etc) to train and acquire stills likely to attract a husband.

The author and/or publisher created this handy little diagram too:

city of a thousand dolls miriam forster map

Then there’s Nisha. She doesn’t seem to fit into any house, although she trains at several, and she serves as the eyes and ears of the Matron, who runs the City of a Thousand Dolls.

Even though the book doesn’t explicitly say it, you get the vibe of an Eastern culture from the book. The customs, names of people and names of objects pointed toward that and reminded me a bit of Prophecy.

Good to Great

What I think pushed this book from good to great were all of the moving parts of the story. Some books take such straightforward approach, which can definitely work well, but I enjoyed the multi-layered, everything-coming-at-you-at-once feel of City of a Thousand Dolls.

It reminds me of how my brain works. (You should be scared).

While Nisha is trying to figure out why several girls have died within the city’s walls, she’s trying to figure out her feelings for a boy who is of higher standing than her, avoid a girl who blames Nisha for her misfortunes AND keep her cat friends who she can speak to with her mind company.

Yeah, not TOO much going on.

Lately, I’ve been drawn to books where the main character feels like an outsider. Nisha has that in spades, and I found her story really interesting and exciting and fresh.

The ending didn’t kill at first (meaning not everything seemed exactly resolved). Then I realized there weren’t any sequels to help fill in the gaps. Please prove me wrong, if you know otherwise! GAH.

OVERALL:

I sincerely hope you love debut novel as much as I did. City of a Thousand Dolls took a fresh perspective on YA fantasy and enticed me with it’s compelling setting and multi-layered story.

Book Review: Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Jan 18 |09:00

Prophecy by Ellen Oh is an exciting new series that I’m anxious to see progress. The first book is definitely a winner!

Book Review: Prophecy by Ellen Oh

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Title & Author: Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Genre: YA – Epic Fantasy

Release Date: January 2, 2013

Series: Dragon King Chronicles #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

How I Got the Book: Bought

Description:

“The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms… is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope…

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.”

Dragon Oh!

Right out of the gate, Prophecy starts with Kira – the yellow-eyed outcast who can battle demons taking residence in human bodies. She’s fierce, loyal and has some serious self-loathing issues.

Although Prophecy sounds like a typical paranormal read, it’s not. The book is set in some future or past version of an Asian-type location. How the author uses cultural words and ideologies reminded me of a lot of Shadow and Bone.

That lore and cultural shown in the book added so much depth for me. I loved reading about the religious mysticism and the royal traditions.

Other things that made me a fan of Prophecy:

Kira’s kick-ass heroine attitude and skillz
Strong familial bonds
Epic journey to discover hidden objects (Harry Potter shoutout!)
Dreamy wounded warrior-types

Sounds pretty exciting, no?

There were only a few things that kept me from truly raving and going nuts over Prophecy.

The narrative is told in the third-person omniscient perspective. It’s really, technically Kira’s “voice” that colors the book, but it’s told more like it is actual ancient lore.

That both intrigued me and threw me off. As I’ve said before on the blog, I don’t particularly connect with that type of narrative because I always end of feeling like I’m missing insider information. It’s just a personal preference.

Also, Ellen Oh treats the passage of time differently than many other authors. I would say maybe 4 times out of 5, when Kira and her cousin Taejo are traveling, the story skips over the journey and picks up when they’ve “landed.”

I definitely didn’t mind it per say, but because they traveled so much, I found myself needing to double check where they were and why.

Considering those were super minor things, I still loved Prophecy! It’s a fresh look at demons and fighting them, about destiny and fate and definitely about self-acceptance and love.

Oh and definitely power plays and betrayal. Yikes!

OVERALL:

Mark this book on your TBRs. Even though the narrative style and how the passage of time was described weren’t my particular preference, there is so much to love about this novel. Ellen Oh’s Prophecy is a fantastic start to a new YA series.

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Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey