Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

Series: Angelfire (bk. 3)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Angels, reapers, supernatural, magic, reincarnation, Michigan

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 469 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen: Katherine Tegen

Summary/ product description: “Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:
She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.
She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.
And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.
In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: What a crazy action packed adventure this final book has been. It felt so epic even if it was shorter that the first two books. There’s a lot of traveling within the states and to places on the other side of the globe. A lot happens. It’s exactly what you want in a series conclusion. There were parts that made me laugh, or cry or root for the characters. There were surprises, either wonderful or terrifying. There was romance and friendship. After such a wonderful series, I wonder what Courtney will come up with next. I was hoping for a spin-off series, but a new series would be okay too.

At the beginning, Will’s hurt. I was missing Will badly, but Cadan was just so kind and wonderful. For a mostly demonic reaper, he’s a trustworthy friend. He has a good heart and that’s what matters. I don’t think I could pick a team, because Ellie and Will are clearly together. Love triangle over. You can let me have Cadan now! Not that this is a spoiler, but of course Will doesn’t die. I just can’t tell you how she saves him. Cadan actually helps her save him. I love Will still, because he’s so hot (well, the illustration of him on my Angelfire book mark is). I want an angel(ic reaper) boyfriend! (Demonic only if it’s Cadan). Will loves Ellie so much. I remember in Wings of the Wicked how he said he liked carrots, but he knows that Ellie love Coldstone anything. He knows her so well, and worries about her because he’s her Guardian.

Other characters that I like: Marcus. He is so funny. Him and Kate (Ellie best human friend) are still dating. They’re perfect for each other. I’m still sad that Nathaniel is gone. He was one of my favorite. He was bookish and smart and kind of like a young looking uncle to Will, and a good friend.

I also love some of the new characters we meet. Ethan Stone is really hilarious. He’s a real smart-arse. There’s this part towards the end when he’s plays AC/DC in a church. You’ll see. I was LMAO when I read it. I must have underlined almost everything he said because he was that funny.

I underlined quotes and metallic forest-green gel pen. A new gel pen. The ink’s pretty much almost gone because I underlined so much. So many funny or beautifully written sentences, phrases and dialogue.

I loved all the traveling in this book. I wonder if Courtney’s actually been to all these places or if its research or people she knows have been there. I loved the descriptions. I pictured them even without photo reference. I still wish I looked them up. Oh well, I like to use my imagination.

I was so sad and worried toward the end. I didn’t want Ellie to loose herself. Her Gabriel self is just so different because angels aren’t supposed to feel emotions. They’re like killer robots in that way. “Must obey orders. Must destroy…destroy…” (lol…not exactly like that).

There’s a surprise ending in the epilogue, so don’t sweat it. I was hoping for more, but it made me stop crying. It’s kind of bittersweet that way.

Cover Art Review: Not as good as the first 2 book’s covers. I don’t like the top the model’s wearing. The background is more natural this time, but there’s still stone. I wish the title was a different color. They could have done a lot better. It’s still semi-metallic with a gloss finish. There’s a green metallic embossment of the title on the inside cover.

 

~Haley G

 THE END IS HERE for the ANGELFIRE series!

http://www.epicreads.com/blog/the-end-is-here-for-angelfire/

 

Read the first two books in the series if you haven't already!

My Read List from 2012

I decided to scan some stuff and I came upon this. I know it's already February, but here's all the books I read last year in a non-digital form. My handwriting is not really readable.

~Haley G

 

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: STAND-ALONE

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Sci-fi

Subjects: supernatural, energy, assassins, secret societies, love, government agencies

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 393 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Egmont

Summary/ product description: “There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.
That’s why they make the perfect assassins.
The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.
Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s books! I didn’t know about this book until about a month ago. Glad I found out, and now I read it. I wrote this review right away because I was afraid I would forget that I ever read it if I didn’t. (Just kidding. This book is called Nobody, and if you read it, you’d get my joke.)

Another book I had no idea what to expect from. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I’m not a fan of 3^rd person perspective, but this book was well written. I love this author’s writing style, even if this is different from her usual 1^st person books. Sure, the book had some issues. Over repetitive mentions of being nobody or nothing. An unrealistic romance. But it was mostly good. It was very unique. I wonder how she came up with this. Did she start with the idea of an invisible assassin, or the idea of being an unnoticeable person? Being just another face in the crowd is very relatable. It’s hard to be noticed when you’re shy. But the author took this to a supernatural/sci-fi level. What if you were born unnoticeable? A Nobody. And then there’s the manipulative psychopaths that they call Nulls. The ones who are easily noticed and get what they want. The Society, which is mostly Sensors who call detect energy, is using Nix, a Nobody, to kill Nulls.

In the beginning, Nix is given a job to kill Claire. He thinks she’s a Null, and it takes a while to figure out that she’s really like him. Another Nobody. And then sometime after that, they kiss. Nix doesn’t like the way Claire makes him feel. It’s a freaky kind of insta-love because them both being Nobodies makes them able to connect. They are the only ones who can love each other, because Normals, Sensors and Nulls can’t notice or love them. Makes me feel really sorry for them.

This book was thrilling, action pact, and a fun mix of sci-fi and supernatural. I loved all the scenes where they fade and fly. I loved when Claire made up “situations” in her head. I love all the unique details and world building that went into this. It reminds me of Paranormalcy. If you like that series, check this out. Also, if you liked False Memory, Altered, Pulse, or any other YA series that has a government or non-government agency that does experiments. Or stuff with conspiracies, I recommend this. THIS BOOK IS NOT DYSTOPIAN!! Also, THIS BOOK IS NOT A SERIES. I wish it was a series. I want more! I feel like the characters could use further development. Nix doesn’t have much life-experience, and Claire actually pretty brave. So, this book has twists and turns and few things I never guessed would happen. Enjoy it!

Cover Art Review: I don’t really like the eye image they used. It’s Nix’s eye, I guess. The target over it makes it more interesting, though. And the girl silhouette in the center. The title is okay.

 

~Haley G

Pulse by Patrick Carman

Release Date: February 26, 2013

Series: Pulse Trilogy (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi/Near-Futuristic Dystopian

Subjects: psychic ability, telekinesis, futuristic, paranormal, supernatural

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 371 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperCollins: Katherine Tegen

Summary/ product description: “From New York Times bestselling author Patrick Carman, a teen fantasy-adventure of epic proportions. In 2051, some teens have a “pulse,” the power to move objects with their minds. Compulsively readable, with thrilling action scenes and a tender love story.
The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too.
In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both.
Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy is a stunning, action-filled triumph about the power of the mind—and the power of love.”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: Before reading, I was sure this was going to be awesome, and then when I started reading it I felt a bit discouraged because I hate 3^rd person omniscient. I can’t stand all the head-jumping, knowing what each character is thinking. I prefer 1^st person, or 3^rd person limited. I loved the way the author wrote Thirteen Days To Midnight. This book’s writing style had some problems. At least, for like the first 100 pages or so. Once Dylan starts showing Faith what she can do, it does get kind of awesome.

I loved the whole concept of a Pulse that lets people more things with their mind, as well as themselves. Telekinesis, levitation, flying, and all that fun stuff. And the second Pulse, which is like a shield of indestructibleness, but has a weakness. I would love to be able to fly like that and not get hurt if I fall. (But if I could wish for a power, I’d probably go with teleportation for its practicality).

The world building is mostly realistic. It’s set in the near future, and is kind of post-apocalyptic (post-global warming) and utopian (because the States). It’s not truly dystopian because it’s not about resistance to the government, but it’s still post-catastrophic events. It’s sci-fi awesomeness. I loved the explanations given. I sure hope this doesn’t truly happen in the next 40 years. Also, the Tablets and Coin are a big part of this future world. We all know about tablet, but these ones can change in size and have basically replaced more digital electronic devices. Standardized, no brands. Sounds like there’s no capitalism.

The characters in this book are pretty developed. Faith is strong willed, and tall. Her friend Liz likes the feel of things. This kid named Hawk is an extremely smart hacker. He becomes friends with them. Wade and his sister Clara are very, very tall and into athletics and the Field Games. They’re jerks. Dylan is romantic, hot and basically the best super-powered boyfriend ever. I love this character Dylan!! I hope there’s more even romance is the next book. He’s very swoon worthy.

I recommend this book if you like: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Gone by Michael Grant, Divergent by Veronica Roth, or Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. Dystopian books with characters with superpowers or abilities, or strong female characters.

Cover Art Review: The tree looks really cool. It looks like an illustration. It’s something that Faith actually telekinetically lifts in the book. You can see the fog around the State under the roots. And those repetitive houses look kind of boring. But as a sci-fi cover, this is definitely awesome. I can tell that the rings behind the title are going to be embossed, while the title will probably be de-bossed. Wonder if there’s anything metallic. I love the colors of the sky background. Makes me think of an aurora, but it’s a sunset.

 

~Haley G

 

Beautiful Creatures Movie

So, I just came home from seeing the movie. And let me tell you, I am not happy about the changes they made. The characters that they dropped. The ending that was definitely different from what I remember in the book.

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie yet, I do not suggest reading any further in this post. I'll be ranting.

The Good:
I loved the humor. So much funny dialogue.
Ethan's inner dialogue at the beginning, talking about Gatlin. Very similar to the book.
Link. I love how he's very much what I pictured.
Lena's charm necklace, her writing the count down on her arm.
Ridley has red lollipops, like in the book.
The setting and scenery. I loved all the sets. Loved the spinning table scene. Loved the Gatlin signs.
I learned how to pronounce Duchannes: (It's Duke-kane, not Dutch-chain) I knew it did rhyme with rain (but no Ethan inner dialogue on that.)

The Bad:
What happened to the whole "16 moons" theme? The song, poem..
Cheesy special effects in some parts. Very unrealistic.
Link is not singing, or playing bad music with the Holy Rollers.
Mrs. English doesn't have a bad-side eye. There's a history teach with an eye patch, though.
The guy who plays Ethan seems to old. He has forehead creases. Maybe he's not that old, but I pictured Ethan more teenagerish, with longer, lighter brown hair.
Lena's hair is not black enough. Her eyes should be green. And Lena's birthday is February 11th, not December 21. That's John Breed's birthday.
Ridley doesn't have her blond and pink hair. And she doesn't call Link "Skrink-a-dink" like in the book. I loved her nicknames! Why didn't she say them!!!???
Amma isn't spelling out words, doing cross-words. Or doing her voo-doo stuff. Instead she's the librarian and the Keeper. THEY DROPPED MARIAN!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!  Also, her act cent's not southern enough.
Uncle Abner likes Lemon Meringue, NOT COCONUT!
We never saw Ethan's dad.
They left out the caster dog, Boo Radley.
Emily's hair is too dark. She should be blonder.
Where the heck is Savannah Snow?
The Caster Ball scene felt way to short. I didn't get to see all the costumes.
Why does Grandma have pink hair? And why is she touching people faces? Isn't she an Empath who can borrow abilities?
The Lunae Libri should only be open on bank holidays.

The Ugly:
They dropped Marian, the librarian and Keeper in the book. Replaced her with Amma.
They dropped Reese and Ryan, Ridley's sisters. Unless they'll be in the second movie. And Hunting, Macon's brother wasn't there.
Link wearing a Union Soilder uniform. Link's mom would kill him for that.
The plot was kind of thrown of. Important scenes were missing. The dropped the Snow Ball/Christmas Dance.The ending was very different. So entirely drastically different that I feel like there will be no second movie. Macon still died, I think, unless that was Larkin that shape-shifted into Macon, because he turned from Ethan into Macon after being shot. There was no Holy Rollers concert, with Ridley singing. Larkin wasn't discovered as being dark. Lena made Ethan forget her, after she made it snow, and then didn't remember her for 6 months. That made no sense.
I don't know if the next 3 books can happen with how much the screwed the plot up. I love this book series and I hate what they changed and left out.
How is it that the producer talked to the authors and then wrote something so far off from their story line?

I agree with Amy from MTV's Hollywood Crush blog:
http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2013/02/15/beautiful-creatures-poll/


~Haley G

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Series: Beautiful Creatures/Caster Chronicles (bk. 4)

Genera: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Subjects: Magic, supernatural, psychic ability, love, adventure, South Carolina, death

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 453 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $18.99

Publisher: Little, Brown

Summary/ product description: “Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?
Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.
Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.
Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.”

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: Because of the upcoming Beautiful Creatures movie, I had to make sure I read the last book before I saw it. I’ve loved these books so much. I love the southern setting and all the characters. They’re just so amazing. And funny, and entertaining. This last book was so different because Ethan’s dead and no longer in Gatlin. He’s in the Otherworld, trying to find a way back to life. He finds a clever way to send messages to Lena so she can help him out. There’s a 140 page part in the book from her first person perspective. Finally we get her hear Lena’s narrative voice. It’s less Southern, and definitely different from Ethan. It’s almost like having a novella, but inside the book. Really, each part feels like its own separate story with a climax. You get three books in one, kind of. It’s funny in the second part when Lena and Link are trying to figure out how to get the Book of Moons. I love Link. He’s adorably stupid and I love his love-hate relationship with Ridley. Macon is still the coolest uncle ever. He’s good at defending his family. Amma is Amma, and I wonder if the movie version of her will be as tough and cross-word loving as the book version. Out of the whole series, this last book had more adventure in it, and more fantasy. It felt like it had a mythological connection, because the part where Ethan crosses a river. He goes through a lot of trials and tribulations to get home. There’s action and a smart plot. There’s also a bittersweet end, but everything wraps up nicely. I’ll miss Gatlin, and the people who live in it. Thankfully, there’s a movie, so I’ll get to experience the story in whole new way.  

Cover Art Review: Caster green title. Love the title, as always. The spiral staircase is awesome.

 

~Haley G

In My Mailbox 2-11-2013

 1. Pulse ARC and Unravel Me. Getting Pulse was a great surprise. I got a signed hardcover of BZRK by Micheal Grant that same day. I alread had one, so I gave that book to my friend's brother. Unravel Me I had preordered. But I also found a copy at Meijer the day before I actually got the book in the mail. Sucks because it took too long to get it.
2. I bought Scarlet and Meijer.
3. Shatter Me and Sever at Meijer. Didn't buy Sever because I still have to read Fever.
4. Scarlet at Meijer.
~Haley G

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Series: Shadowlands (bk. 1)

Genera: Paranormal/Mystery

Subjects: Murder, thriller, supernatural, horror, serial killers, islands

Age/Grade Level:

Length: 328 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary/ product description: “Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.
Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?”

My Rating: êêêê

My Review: This book was crazy and awesome and confusing. It had a cliffhanger-ish ending that has me dying to find out what’s going to happen in the next book. I don’t know if I loved this book. There were times when I had no clue what was going on and how it was going to play out. Confession: after reading the reviews, I had to peak at the last page. I read the last line. It wasn’t the biggest spoiler ever. Reading that last line made me want to read this book more. At first the book summary makes it seem like a contemporary/realistic horror story. I prefer paranormal, but murder mysteries are intense too. I read Ten by Gretchen McNeil, and that was good, realistic horror, so either way, YA needs more horror stories and murder mysteries.

The book is narrated in 1^st person past tense from Rory’s point of view. Rory’s a science geek who want to be a doctor someday. Her older sister, Darcy, is much more sociable and popular. Rory is the target of a serial killer and escapes. The FBI shows up at her house and after a week of not finder Steven Nell, Rory and her family are put into the witness protection program. They end up on an island called Juniper Landing. Some bad things happen or don’t happen along the way. You’ll just have to guess what’s real. But in the end, so many pieces don’t seem to fit. You have to overlook them. Maybe they’ll be explained in book 2.

On the island they meet some teens. Tristan, Krista, Olive, Joaquin and a few more. They seem very secretive. They have a few parties. Tristan is a very complicated guy, and Joaquin is a bit of a bossy, charismatic, jerk, but Darcy seems to like it. Also, Rory seems to think that Steven Nell is on the island and she keeps hearing things and find clues. It seems like every other chapter something like that happens. That’s way too often, but her PTSD is making her paranoid. Of course, since we also get to see the killer perspective in 3^rd person, we know that he is there.

The island itself is an interesting setting. It’s described as beautiful, quaint and too perfect. There’s no cell service or internet or even contact with the outside world. And seclusion like that just screams creepy, or what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-this-place? There’s also some scary fog. Also, there are no islands off the coast of South Carolina that can’t be driven to by car over a bridge. No place to take a long ferry ride. I checked on Google Earth. This book is definitely not set in South Carolina, trust me. It felt more like that island I visited in Ohio called South Bass Island, in Lake Eerie (pretty much the only island I’ve been to by ferry, and I’ve never been to the ocean!). I recommend reading this in summertime, because of the setting. Can I just have book 2’s summary now? I really want to know more about this island.

Cover Art Review: Ever since I saw this cover, I’ve wanted to read this book. Now that I see the cover in real life, it’s better looking than on screen. The angel of the girl looking up is a very unique pose and perspective. She looks like how Darcy is described. Brunette. I like the birds. The title is metallic bronze. The cover is velvety texture. I love the color scheme. The mint green/blue color of the clouds. The back cover has another girl on it, one who looks like Rory. And trees. The inside cover is whitish with dark specks. The title is on the spine in bronze.

 

~Haley G

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Series: Standalone /Not a series

Genera: Horror/Paranormal Thriller/Mystery

Subjects: Ghosts, supernatural, serial killers, murder, death, summer

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 304 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Penguin: Razorbill

Summary/ product description: “The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.
With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.
Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: If you’re looking for a wintery read about Valentine’s Day, then don’t read this book. If you’re looking for a paranormal horror story or murder mystery, then that’s what you’ll get. Its set in summertime, in a town called Ludlow (I looked it up, there’s only a Ludlow in Massachusetts, but the setting seems more Southern, possible Virginia or Texas). This book is a bit slow moving. It’s not that creepy. It’s light horror with some romance and a ghost of a best friend.

I liked that this book was written in first person, present tense. I liked that Hannah and her friends had this hobby of customizing their outfits, and creating unique accessories. I liked some of the other characters. Her sister Ariel and her friend Pinky. The author has a way of creating unique, relatable character. There were some definitely good things in this book.

The main issue was the plot. It wasn’t super clichés, but it was slow. It felt more contemporary than paranormal. It wasn’t as creepy as the last two books. The idea of a killer leaving Valentines and toys around his victims was interesting, but at some point I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was.

This book was very impression-less to me. It’s stand-alone, so at least there’s no sequel. I was hoping that there’d be more paranormal stuff. I love ghost stories and murder mysteries, but this one was not thrilling enough for me. It was just okay. Give it a try if the summary interests you. 

Cover Art Review: The cut paper design is really interesting. It’s vector art, done in Illustrator. The gray clouds and grass seem a bit misleading since this book is actually set in summertime, not winter.

 

~Haley G

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Series: Revolution 19 (bk. 1)

Genera: Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: Robots, survival, adventure

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 265 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Headstrong seventeen-year-old Nick has spent his whole life in a community in the wilderness, hiding out from the robots that have enslaved mankind. But when the bots discover the community's location, he, his tech-geek younger brother, Kevin, and adopted sister, Cass, barely make it out alive—only to discover that their home has been destroyed and everyone they love is missing.

All survivors were captured and taken to one of the robots' Cities. The siblings have been hearing tales about the Cities all their lives—humans are treated like animals, living in outdoor pens and forced to build new bots until they drop dead from exhaustion. Determined to find out if their parents are among the survivors, Nick, Kevin, and Cass venture into the heart of the City, but it is nothing like they've been told.

As they live among the bots for the first time, they realize they're fighting for more than just their family. The robots have ruled for too long, and now it's time for a revolution.”

My Rating: êêê

My Review: I’m kind of disappointed in this book. I was expecting something similar to Terminator or the Matrix, but nothing like those. It’s not that thrilling. There’s no romance. There’s plenty of humor, thank goodness. For the most part it seemed written for kids in their preteen year to early teens. There were only a few mild swear words. The book lacked some of the things I look for in epic adventure dystopians. The world building was good, though.

The characters are not very deep. All I know is Nick, is 17 and has one blind eye and he’s the tough one. Cass, the adopted sister, is 15, and she likes to draw (we have that in common). Kevin is 13, almost 14 and love technology. He’s a genius with the stuff (and reminds me of Tom from Insignia). The book’s written in 3^rd person, and seems to be omniscient between Nick, Cass and Kevin only. They start out in a society living in the forest away from the City where the robots are. Raised in the wild, surviving and stuff. Then robots attack there village and take their parent and they travel to the city to find them.

They find out the robot run the city and control and police the people. People seemed to act normal and if they break the laws they get sent to a Re-education Center. They get brainwashed. Nick tries to get into one to see if their parents are there. They also meet a girl named Lexi who helps them along the way. None of the people love the robots, so many are willing to help as long as they don’t get caught. Citizens have implants in their necks, tracking devices. It’s like an ID.

The world building was really the only interesting part of this book. So if you like dystopian books with good world building and don’t care if the characters aren’t very interesting, then go ahead and give this a shot. It’s short and fast. So short that it didn’t really leave much of an impression. There’s a cliff hanger ending, so, it’s a series.

Cover Art Review: Love the cover. Love how the title is set. I think the bionic eye looks awesome. But shouldn’t it be in a guy’s face? Nick’s the one that gets a new eye. So why the girl face? It made me think of Terminator. I also like the texture of the cover.

 

~Haley G

In My Mail Box 2/2/2013

Happy Ground Hog Day! This past week...2 weeks really...I got some awesome books.

1. The Enemy and The Fear were from the Unrequired Reading cover redesign contest.
2. He only signed The Enemy
3. Beta I also won from a cover redesign contest.
4. Beta is signed.
5. Books I preordered. It seems to take 3 or 4 day for the books to actually get here from the time they are released. They're cheaper with the Barnes and Noble membership. I get free shipping, but I hate waiting so long!
6. The cover embossments are really cool. Love the flower for Asunder.
7. Prodigy and Slated I got from Meijer. Love Bites I got from the Dollar Tree.

~Haley G