Featured

Friday, October 4, 2013

Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Oh, The Hunger Games. What a fantastic dystopian YA novel. It has the honor of a five star rating on GR from me, and a huge fan base for the movies AND the books. More importantly, it is on my hallowed shelf called Inspiration. Inspiration houses Harry Potter and Twilight, among a couple other choice selections.
"But Mollie, why Twilight?!" you ask. "How can a respectable book blogger possibly put Twilight on their Inspiration shelf?"
Well, I'll tell you. Twilight sparked a bunch of other vampire-themed novels: Some good (oh haaaay Blue Bloods, Vampire Academy, and House of Night); some okay (ehhhhh Glass Houses. Sorry, you Morganvillians); and some just BLECH NO NEVER AGAIN (looking at you, Tantalize). 
The very same can be said for the dystopian YA genre with The Hunger Games. After HG took off, the dystopian novels just started word vomiting everywhere. Harried book bloggers struggled to keep up with the seemingly endless pile of dystopian ARCs they were receiving, and much to their dismay, realized that many of them were utter crap. I am one of those bloggers, and I was overwhelmed with the underwhelming dystopian novels I was trying to get through. Pretty sure it was the Reached series that did me in. 

So, I decided months ago that I needed a vacation to Hiatus Hawaii as far as dystopia went. A few days ago, however, I decided to test the waters and see if I could stomach it. Aberrant was my choice because a) I hadn't read an ARC in awhile and b) You know, the cover. I'm a sucker for a good YA cover. 
Now the real question: Did I choose well????
Sadly, not really. Actually, I'm not sad. This wasn't a terrible book, but there's a couple of things that I just couldn't get over. But first, the good, because I'm feeling nice!
1) Fast paced. This is a blessing, and a curse. It's a blessing because like all book reviewers, I need to get through my books quickly so I can get to the next one. We don't like to be bored, because that slows us down. I burned through the 250 pages with ease because the plot kept moving. I like wanting to know what comes next, and that's what Aberrant did for me.
2) The ending. This isn't one of my spoiler-filled reviews, because deep down, I actually do enjoy not spoiling endings for people. But I will say that in the last couple of chapters, things really pick up. You're left wanting more at the end, and that's ALWAYS a good thing! Kudos to Ms. Silver.
3) THE PLOT TWIST. Yayyyyy, a plot twist I wasn't expecting! This is also towards the end, and it's one that caught me off guard. 

Regardless of all this good, the bad just couldn't be ignored. 
1) EDITING. PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF SEASONED SWEET POTATO FRIES, CAN WE PLEASE START REREADING WHAT WE WRITE?! I get that this is an ARC. I get that this is self published. But the grammatical errors were just STUPID. Like, mixing up "you're" with "your." COME ON! There are just so many of these.
2) The chapters. It's like the author wanted a bunch of chapters, and decided that when she felt it was the right time, she'd put some generic closing sentence at the end of a paragraph and then jump into a new chapter. Seriously, I started anticipating when the next chapter would appear. More often than not, I guessed correctly each time. Not. Okay.
3) The characters. Joshua had no depth. I couldn't picture this guy. I will honestly forget about him by tomorrow, because there was nothing desirable about him. He wasn't given enough emotion or time. Like, dude, you found out your mom has been lying to you your whole life. How can you have NO REACTION to this?? 
And then Olivia. I mean, she's okay I guess. But memorable? No. She's a weak character given strong traits, and it doesn't mix well. You should know when your character isn't up to the challenge, and accept it.

Giving this book a three star review seems nice of me. Maybe I'm being too nice. I think the ending was so out of left field that I became biased, because up until that point, I was seriously considering a one star rating. Oftentimes, the book reads like a poorly-written Hunger Games fanfic. There's archery, tributes, escaping from the government with a boy, and even matching outfits. And a shit ton of other stuff, but it's not really worth drawing comparisons because that's not why I write reviews. 

So, three stars, and probably not a book I would recommend. It just left me with a lot of meh.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Okay, so, I read Splintered.


 Now, I've never been a fan of Alice in Wonderland. When I was little, it was too weird for me. Nothing was magical or interesting. Honestly, if it didn't have a princess in it, I just wasn't interested. This still rings true today. I still find Alice in Wonderland far from my cup of tea. Maybe that's why I was so drawn to Splintered. See, I'm into gothic literature. One of my favorite short stories is The Yellow Wallpaper--it's just dripping with morbid twistosity. I thought hmmm, Splintered is supposed to be kind of twisted and backwards. Maybe I'll like it!

 So...did I like it? 

 SORT OF (said with mild enthusiasm because, well, how else do you give an apathetic answer?). Something just felt off to me. I can't really put my finger on it. 
Although, maybe it was the DEATH TRIANGLE OF LURVE!!!!!
Apparently, it's not YA if there's no Triangle. Good. Grief. 
Anyway, it really bothered me that there was all this sexual tension with Morpheus (I STILL CAN'T GET OVER HIS NAME HAHAHAHAHA WHO CAN TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY?!) and Aly. Then Aly would moon over Jeb but obviously, there was way more attraction with Morpheus. BE WITH THE BAD GUY, IT'S OKAY. The good guy doesn't always have to win! 
It's just confusing, because Jeb is really annoying. He's very bossy with Aly, and possessive. Morpheus, though a conniving SOB, is obviously just better. Aly is weird and has this "dark side" to her, and I think that if she wasn't so obsessed over how sexy Jeb's lariat was to her, she'd be into Morpheus and his weird ass hats. 

 It's called a Death Triangle of Lurve for a reason. No doubt, it kept me interested. But as I said, something felt off, and I think this had a lot to do with it. The world building was beyond creepy for YA--I wouldn't recommend Splintered to anyone, honestly, unless they were a fellow blogger/reviewer or just really like creepy retellings--but nothing I couldn't handle. That's why I give Splintered a 3.5 that is really a 4 on GR. It's not a 5, but I really root for what I think is different. This isn't stock YA, and I appreciate that. Hopefully, the next book in the series is better. Hopefully. 

Taste by Kate Evangelista

I am back from Hiatus Hawaii with several exciting new reviews, all full of snarky sarcasm and wit! What better way to kickstart this than with one of my most recent completed reads: Taste by Kate Evangelista.

 Oh yes, that Taste. 
It's been on the YA Paranormal circuit for quite some time, and let me tell you, I was one reluctant reader. Zombies? Love triangle? No wonder I stayed away!
See, I just don't do zombies. Wings, fangs, blood, glitter, smoke, mythology, there's not a lot of supernatural stuff I won't buy into for YA. Dead people? Of course it's been done. They're the ones who are Death/Hades reincarnated, or maybe an angel banished to Earth to save the fate of a seemingly unknowing girl who holds all the power to save the world in her seemingly unknowing brain! How wonderfully magical and not creepy at all!

So why mess with perfection? Well, originally I thought I'd be going to the Austin Teen Book Fest--instead, I got carted off to San Antonio with the band to play against UTSA, who btw has the rudest fans ever but the nicest marching band!--and Evangelista would be there. It made sense to read one of her books first! So I picked Taste, because even though I was convinced zombies couldn't interest me (dead skin cells are bad enough on living humans) I thought...well, I enjoy torturing my brain anyway.

Annnnnnnnnnd..........................eh, it wasn't that bad. It lacked a lot in world building, and that's where I think this book would have excelled. 

Spoiler Section Synopsis 
Phoenix McKay, Private Eye (jk, but what is this name??) goes to boarding school because she suffers from a neglectful father and no mother. She's kind of a bad girl, I guess. She oversleeps in the library and gets stuck there after everyone else had gone back to the dorms for the day. This is a big NO NO NO because anyone who stays on campus after the school day ends is sentenced to immediate expulsion, no questions asked. Funny, you'd think at a school for rich, smart kids, they'd have been questioning this absurd rule out of sheer academic curiosity.
She basically almost gets eaten by these Twilight-looking Victorian teens, is saved by Hottie McHott aka Demitri, and we're finally into the whole story of how they're basically undead people who eat flesh but don't really eat flesh (like Twilight, they've sworn off killing humans for food). THEY'RE NOT ZOMBIES, OKAY. They're Zahmvy. Get it right, because it's going to be forced on you a lot that they're different from the stereotypical zombies. This is actually a pretty cool idea as far as YA goes, but it's overshadowed by the annoying protagonist Phoenix and how #basic she is. 
See, my problem with Phoenix is her really dumb motivation to be injected with Zhamvy DNA so that she can be used as an experiment to save the Zhamvy people from their non-flesh diet. 

I'm sorry...
Oh, how totally unselfish of you! Like you didn't want to be a cool paranormal mythical creature? You didn't want to have a reason to be around Demitri more? I'm sorry, I'd be totally selfish and just outright say YES, I WANT TO BE A PARANORMAL CREATURE AND HAVE A HOT PARANORMAL GUY FALL IN LOVE WITH ME. Just say it, dammit! Stop using your mom as an excuse because the doctor's couldn't save her. I call bullshit on this! 
And then this lame-o love triangle of death she has going on with Demitri and his cousin Luka. Obviously, we know who she's going to choose. She had a sexallergic reaction to Demitri, even though she had like a tiny bit more chemistry with Luka. 
There's some other stuff, like royalty and politics and some bitch who loves Demitri and wants to kill Phoenix. *yawn* it's hard to get excited about such a flat character. It's kind of boring after awhile, and that's why this didn't get as high of a review as I was initially expecting to give it. 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Origin of the Sphinx: A Novella by Raye Wagner

I. DO. NOT. LIKE. NOVELLAS.

SERIOUSLY.

But for real yo, I am not the biggest fan of novellas. "Short" and "sweet" aren't exactly attractive words to me for a book. Plus, why would I want to read 50-something pages when I can read whatever book is next in the series for like, 300 pages? I don't need any teasers. I am PERFECTLY content to live my book reviewing life without reviewing novellas.

*five seconds later* EXCEPT THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD NOVELLA *evil smirk* 
This novella...I mean, I would honestly love to review a book in this series, but I can't. And that depresses me to no end, because I really want to jump in. Mythology+Ancient Egypt+love+magic is like the perfect recipe, and that's what this novella is all about. This review isn't so much a "review" as it is a pleading cry for the first Sphinx book to be published. I was contacted by the author, Ms. Wagner, to review her novella because of a book recommendation request I made on GR. Long story short, she offered me an ARC, and I had to decline, because I had already purchased the novella some ten hours previously.  But I got the pleasure of exchanging messages with her, and asked her (in my polite reviewer voice, of course) when the first book would be out. It's still a work in progress, but if it's anything like this novella, then I'll be hooked. I give five stars to, yes, this short little mini book midget because I am highly anticipating the release of the first book, and the rest of the series to follow.

Also, a bonus star (it's like the Happening Star in Mario Party...like the only star I ever win) because of this GORGEOUS COVER. Seriously, I'm not sure how the cover of the first book can top this, because this is, like, perfection.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Forevermore by Cindy Miles

I received this as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

So, I might be totally biased: I have a thing for all things Scottish. Lairds, dreary ruins, sheep, you name it, I'll buy into it. Preferably soaked in plaid with a side of heather. When I breathe in, I want the air I expel to come out through a bagpipe.
This is how getting a new Highland novel makes me feel.
THE SCOTTY DOG EATING CIRCLE IS ALSO ADORABLE AND (possibly) SCOTTISH

So yes, I will jump on that boat to Scotland (as if you had any doubt anymore). And thank my bonny Scotsman that an ARC I received called Forevermore was a YA novel that takes place in a dreary Scottish castle. Featuring an American girl and a Scottish ghost, no less. Because I was getting tired of only reading Highland romances...except you can't really get tired of the things that you undeniably love. 

So, Forevermore is not a book I would recommend to a high schooler. I miiiiiight not want to recommend this to a middle schooler. Then I remembered that I read the Lost in Time series in fifth grade and, well, as an advanced reader I have to look at this as unbiasedly as I can. So, even though I see this as a book for grades 5-8, who am I to say that someone in high school should probably not read it? Not everyone wants a super intensical romantical YA book sometimes. There are times when we all just want a quick puff of fresh air.
This book was short and fast, sweet and cute. Books like that are what I deem "lightly salted." 
To sum the story up: Ivy is a girl who finds herself being dragged to Scotland by her mom and her new stepdad, Mr. Scottish Laird Hottie. I swear, I was more into the stepfather than the ghost. Anyway, so weird stuff starts happening and Ivy is confronted by a ghost named Logan, who has no clue how he became a ghost. The rest of the book is about Ivy falling in love with Logan (there's some very G-rated heart fluttering action here), making friends with this Scottish family that Logan is supposedly descended from, and solving the "mystery" behind Logan's death. 

It's PRETTY OBVIOUS. I'm just going to throw that out there. 

All in all, very predictable book with no real surprises or awesome love story. However, this was a quick, fun read that held my interest. It is by far higher up on my list of cutesy YA than a lot of the ARCs I have read over the year--and yes, I'm looking at you, UnEnchanted. 

Solid 3.5 stars
Copyright © 2015 Bookdictive Reviews