Tag Archives: teen fantasy

Oct 31 2013
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October 2013: Review Recap!

Review Recap

I actually read a ton of books that I loved this month. The only problem is, I didn’t have a chance to write reviews for all of them (I know, ultimate shame). So, although this recap doesn’t accurately reflect my month in reading, there were still some pretty decent books reviewed:

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede
Hammered by Kevin Hearne

Poison Study – 4/5 stars

The Book of Enchantments – 4/5 stars

Hammered – 2/5 stars

False Memory by Dan Krokos
Inhuman by Kat F Falls
Prodigy by Marie Lu

 False Memory – 3/5 stars

Inhuman – 4/5 stars

Prodigy – 4/5 stars

And my favorite read:

Allegiant

 Allegiant – 4.5/5 stars!

As I said, most of best books I picked up this month haven’t been reviewed yet, so be on the lookout within the next couple weeks for some rave reviews!

Waiting on Wednesday features:

This is probably the best collective month of coming soon features that I’ve ever done – all of these books (with exception of the Estep book) I am so excited to read that I will be dropping everything to pick them up the day they come out!

What awesome books did you read this month?

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 25 2013
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Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

AllegiantTitle: Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #3

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

The Overview: The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Allegiant

The Review:

With the hundreds of books in my TBR pile, I rarely pick up anything the day it comes out. That so wasn’t the case with Allegiant! I was excited for this one the moment they revealed the cover and have been counting down the days since. With all the waiting and build-up, I was seriously setting myself up for disappointment if it didn’t live up to expectations…so thank goodness it was amazing!

I loved it every bit as much as the first two books. From the electric love story to the exciting “can’t put it down” plot, it was a heart-wrenching conclusion to one of the best dystopian’s out there. The voice of the story (my favorite part to it) drew me right back into the story as if no time had elapsed. What’s more, there was twice the perspective because Roth added Tobias’s POV. As this is the first book to include more than one perspective, I was really nervous I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. Turns out I enjoyed it more. His perspective added a great new dynamic to the story and if possible got me even more involved.

All I can say is, what a great writer! Roth knows how to put in romance without making it sappy, write conflicts deep enough to affect you without making it a sob story, and maintain a masterful yet understated pacing that soon has you flying through the book with abandon. I am truly sad this series has come to an end, and look forward to reading anything she produces in the future.

I love the concept of this world, And what this book did was take everything a little bit deeper and broader. There were some profound revelations for the characters within these pages and I’m still reeling from them days later. Overall, this series provided the same intensity and excitement I felt while reading Hunger Games and, if I’m honest, I reckon I enjoyed it more when evaluating the series as a whole.

Recommended Reading: for dystopian fans, or even those looking to get into the genre. It had a slow-building love story and an exciting plot and I liked it so much I mention it to every customer I catch browsing in the teen section. Also, with the movie coming out, I recommend it to those wanting to read it before they see it (If you’ve been stalling, now’s your chance now that they’re all released).

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

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.

False Memory 2

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?

Prodigy

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)

Top ten Tuesday pink

 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