Oct 20 2013
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Book Review: False Memory by Dan Krokos

False MemoryTitle: False Memory

Author: Dan Krokos

Series: False Memory #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability. Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving. Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter… when there may not be a future.

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The Review:

I was on the fence with this one at first because, although intriguing, the story was a bit confusing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love books with a lot of complexity and plot twists. The difference here was that the explanations were almost always outside the parameters of the understood rules of the world – at least as far as the reader was concerned (anybody familiar with the phrase “jumping the shark?”). What that did for me was take away the fun of trying to figure out what will happen next. All of my theories were squandered every time the rules changed, which happened often. Eventually, I stopped trying to engage in the book and just let it take me where it would.

For the most part, I enjoyed the journey, but I can’t help but wonder how much cooler it would’ve been had I known all the rules up front. There were a few instances where I’m sure the author was trying to provide more information about the situation, but it was a bit ambiguous and unclear – and I don’t think it was supposed to be. I kept feeling like I should know more about the situation than I did (which is definitely part of my overall confusion) so either I was overly dense or the author conveyed it poorly.

This was a really fast-paced book – so much so that if I got distracted even for a second I had to go back and reread because it really was just one thing after another. Ironically, the faster pacing is supposed to be more accessible for those with short attention spans, but I found it had the opposite effect. Anyway, It might have moved a little too fast because it didn’t give me a chance to get emotionally involved with the characters. There’s not a lot of time for inner reflection and development when external conflicts are coming at you left and right. It does, however, get a lot more involved as it goes along.

Now, I’m hoping the second book will provide some answers. I have little patience for books that continually string you along without any payoffs. It’s part of the reason why I quit reading Mazed Runner after book #2 – I just got tired of not knowing what was going on. This book is written in the same vein, so if you’re a fan of one you will most definitely like the other. The benefit of having a super fast-paced book like this one is that there’s never a dull moment – plenty of action and entertainment. My overall impressions were positive, and I can see myself recommending it in the future.

Recommended Reading: for dystopian fans who like a lot of action – this book will really grab you by the hand and run. Also especially for those who loved Dashner’s Maze Runner.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 18 2013
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Book Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

ProdigyTitle: Prodigy

Author: Marie Lu

Series: Legend #2

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic’s most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots – a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

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The Review:

I always find the second book in a trilogy to be the most difficult to write a review for – they’re often little more than transitional stories. The only thing I can really do is compare it to the first one and figure out if I like the direction is going in preparation of the third one. Sometimes you luck out and get a second book that winds up being the best in the series… as good as Prodigy was, that was not the case here.

Not to say it wasn’t a great book. I enjoyed it thoroughly, I just liked Legend a bit more. I think the difference for me was pacing – Prodigy was considerably slower, lacking that fast-paced decision-making I enjoyed so much about the first one. A lot of things happened to advance the plot, it just didn’t feel as pivotal… At least until the end, where the story culminated into a powerful conclusion (which happens to be my favorite part of the series so far).

Another thing I enjoyed was learning about a handful of side characters who had a much stronger role this time around. They really helped broaden the conflicts and kept the story fresh and interesting. I would say what I’m most looking forward to in Champion is to see how all of these characters are going to work together.

Overall, the quality of the writing and the overall appeal of Prodigy was every bit as good as Legend. I am extremely excited to find out how the story ends in Champion coming out November 5!

Recommended Reading: for dystopian fans! Especially those who prefer edgy (rather than romantic) dystopians like Hunger Games and Divergent.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 15 2013
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Coming Soon: Ruins by Dan Wells

RuinsTitle: Ruins

Author: Dan Wells

Series: Partials #3

Genre: Teen Fantasy / Dystopian

Release Date: March 11, 2014

The Overview: As the clock ticks closer and closer to the final Partial expiration date, humans and Partials stand on the brink of war. Caught in the middle, thousands of miles apart, are Samm and Kira: Samm, who is trapped on the far side of the continent beyond the vast toxic wasteland of the American Midwest; and Kira, now in the hands of Dr. Morgan, who is hell-bent on saving what’s left of the Partials, even if she has to destroy Kira to do it. The only hope lies in the hands of the scattered people of both races who seek a way to prevent the rapidly escalating conflict. But in their midst appears a mysterious figure, neither human nor Partial, with solemn warnings of the new apocalypse-one that none of them may be able to avert.

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Hosted by Breaking the Spine:

The first book in this series, Partials, was by far the best YA I read in 2012 (and trust me, it had some stiff competition). I loved the characters, the story, the world-building, the pacing – everything! The second book was every bit as good, and now I am dying to find out what happens next! This series is responsible for reinvigorating my love of dystopians and I recommend it as often as I can. If you loved Hunger Games, Divergent, and Legend, this is the perfect series to try next!

 What book are you waiting on?

Oct 15 2013
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Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Books Other Bloggers Convinced Me to Read! (10/15/2013)

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 Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This Top Ten Tuesday was almost as difficult to compose as last week’s (which I ended up changing entirely), mostly because I can only think of three books I was ever “forced” to read. They were literary classics I had to read for grade school and in no way reflect my tastes as a reader. For the people that like that genre, I’m sure they were outstanding books, so I’d rather not spend a post ranting about them just because they are outside my wheelhouse.

While I am constantly influenced by other readers, I never feel coerced into picking anything up that doesn’t interest me – especially when there are hundreds of books in my TBR that I’m just dying to read. So where does that leave us this week?

 I decided to feature the books I added to my reading list solely based on stellar reviews posted by my fellow bloggers:

Top Ten Books Other Bloggers Convinced Me to Read!

 Not all the books on the list were unanimously loved, but all of them had enough great positive feedback to convince me to check them out!

You will note that most of these were featured in my Ten Books at the Top of My Fall 2013 Reading List – and they were there for a reason. Thank you, awesome book bloggers for your thoughtful reviews – this list would not be possible without you!

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 13 2013
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Book Review: Inhuman by Kat Falls

13517617Title: Inhuman

Author: Kat Falls

Series: Fetch #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: America has been ravaged by a war that has left the eastern half of the country riddled with mutation. Many of the people there exhibit varying degrees of animal traits. Even the plantlife has gone feral. Crossing from west to east is supposed to be forbidden, but sometimes it’s necessary. Some enter the Savage Zone to provide humanitarian relief. Sixteen-year-old Lane’s father goes there to retrieve lost artifacts—he is a Fetch. It’s a dangerous life, but rewarding—until he’s caught. Desperate to save her father, Lane agrees to complete his latest job. That means leaving behind her life of comfort and risking life and limb—and her very DNA—in the Savage Zone. But she’s not alone. In order to complete her objective, Lane strikes a deal with handsome, roguish Rafe. In exchange for his help as a guide, Lane is supposed to sneak him back west. But though Rafe doesn’t exhibit any signs of “manimal” mutation, he’s hardly civilized . . . and he may not be trustworthy.

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The Review:

This is one of those books where reading the overview doesn’t fully prepare you for what’s in store. It started out business as usual, but eventually took on an odd Alice in Wonderland feel that still managed to remain entirely dystopian. I wasn’t displeased with the somewhat disconcerting direction of the story, but it definitely threw me for a loop!

It does take a while for the plot to get weird, which is a good thing because it allowed me to fully appreciate how good the writing was. Falls kept the nature of the feral zone a complete mystery at first, which perked my curiosity and left me all the more eager to discover what was on the other side. It got me involved, in a way, and was part of the reason why I had a difficult time putting it down. I also really enjoyed the characters, specifically the two male leads – more so then even the female protagonist. There was some mystery shrouding each one and I was curious to see how their stories would unfold.

For the most part, Falls did a good job backing up her concepts with science – it helped give reason to and otherwise ridiculous world. On occasion, however, she would sacrifice feasibility in favor of creativity – a choice that I didn’t fully appreciate. It gave the story a creepy yet whimsical feel, but would have been stronger with just the creepy element. For example, she tweaked the rules of the science (as far as I understood it) so she could introduce piranha bats and chimpanzee moles. It was really far-fetched, even within the realms of her explanations. I feel like virus-infected man-eating bats and burrowing chimpanzees would have been just as scary – perhaps more because it’s more believable than chimpanzees sporadically breeding with moles… Just saying.

Overall, this is a dystopian I won’t likely forget. I’m not usually a fan of whimsical or far-fetched concepts, but I didn’t mind those elements here. I loved her writing enough to pick up the next book because, despite the hesitance I feel about the story concept, I earnestly could not put it down.

Recommended Reading: for dystopian fans who are sick of the same old stuff. Also, for fans of Alice in Wonderland whimsy who want to see it taken in a totally new direction!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 10 2013
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Book Review: Hammered by Kevin Hearne

hammeredTitle: Hammered

Author: Kevin Hearne

Series: Iron Druid #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 2/5 stars

The Overview: Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully—he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plain of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

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The Review:

I’m finally ready to admit that I’m just not getting everything out of this series that I hoped I would. I’ve given it the benefit of the doubt for three books now, and unfortunately found this one to be even more disappointing than the first two. Hammered was one giant tangent – sort of enjoyable tangent, but way off-story nonetheless.

There wasn’t any part of it that was particularly plot advancing, at least in any way that I found meaningful (okay, maybe there was one thing, but it was less than a page long so I’m not counting it). I mentioned in my reviews for both Hounded and Hexed that I wanted to see some sort of character growth for Atticus, but this novel continued the trend of being externally focused. I also wanted some sort of love story, not just a series of sexual encounters with flawless goddesses. In short, I needed something real and relatable… but was disappointed yet again.

In Hammered, Hearne essentially took the element of the series that I was least interested in and made it into a novel. There were so many other plot points that he could’ve expanded on, so I’m bummed it took this route. I will note that this is entirely a preference thing, so don’t let it sway you if the synopsis sounds exciting. I think the reason I was disappointed was because of personal and expectations rather than any fault with the author – I always had the impression he was telling exactly the type of story he intended to.

I’ve come to the conclusion that this series is great for light in-the-moment entertainment (which is sometimes just what the doctor ordered), but is not the type that draws you in emotionally. I enjoyed it in the moment, for the most part, but I won’t be remembering it for years to come, that’s for sure.

Recommended Reading: for those who want a fun, adventurous, he-man story with a cheeky comic-book flair. Also for anyone who doesn’t mind an entirely external-driven story.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes