These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner

Series: Starbound (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Space Opera/Romance

Subjects: survival, planets, outer space, love

Setting: In space and on a terraformed planet, in the future

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense. Rotating between Tarver and Lilac.

Age/Grade Level: Teens +

Length: 374 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary/ product description: “It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.”

My Review: This extra-planetary survival story was utterly romantic and entertaining. I love the two main characters and how their relationship develops. They start off as completely stranger to each other, though they both have their own name to fame. Tarver and Lilac are thrown into a dire situation and come out changed. They’re well developed and pretty much the only characters in the book, with the exception of the characters at the beginning and end of the book. They both are stranded on a mysteriously abandoned terraformed planet and are also the lone survivors of the Icarus crash.

Lilac is very stubborn and strong-willed. Her father is the richest man in the universe, and the owner of LaRoux Industries. Tarver is a solider and the son of a poet and history teacher. He processes thing internally, so he’s a bit introverted. He’s also chivalrous and ever humorous at times. At times their dialogue and narration seemed like they sounded Australian, like one of the authors, so I wasn’t sure if I should imagine them with what kind of accent. There’s a lot of slow, sweet romance. It’s not insta-love. It’s a realistic love created in their circumstances.

The book started out slow, and felt like it was dragging on the hiking part. But once things started happening, they kept me going. The problem was the type, not the story. I had a hard time reading thing book at a fast pace because the typography is set badly. There are too many words of the pages, which are big, and have small type. It kind of hurt my eyes. I did like how before each chapter there was a page with quotes from Tarver’s interrogation. The chapters weren’t long, but the pages were.

I really though the sci-fi stuff in this book was cool. We got to learn about Terraforming, which is when people intervene with a planet’s climate to make its conditions livable. Trees are planted, and animal brought to breed. It’s way faster than letting a planet evolve on it’s own. Also, there’s strange event occurring on this planet. Ghosts, hallucinations. Lilac keeps hearing whispers. She thinks she’s going crazy. When we find out what the heck is going on, it’s a surprising twist. There’s more to this planet than they thought. Lilac and Tarver must reach the wreckage and find a way to achieve rescue.

This book is being made into a TV show apparently. I don’t know if Syfy will pick it up or what, but I can definitely see it as a show. I recommend this book if you liked: Avalon by Mindee Arnett, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, The 100 by Kass Morgan. The TV shows: Firefly, Stargate, or any other TV shows or movies that take place on other planets.

Cover Art Review: Really beautiful. Love that dress and the text. The models look like the characters.

Love Reborn by Yvonne Woon

Series: Dead Beautiful (bk. 3)

Genera(s): Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Subjects: supernatural, zombies, love, eternal life, adventure

Setting: Wintertime, Massachusetts and throughout Europe. Paris, France, the Netherlands, Germany and more.

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, past tense. Renée

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 358 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary/ product description: “Renée and Dante are dying. The soul they share cannot sustain them both, and they're quickly running out of time.

But Renée has in her possession a legendary chest said to contain the secret to eternal life-if only they could solve the clues that lie within it. With both the Liberum, a Brotherhood of the Undead, and a team of Monitors, led by Renée's own grandfather, in hot pursuit, Renée and Dante must keep the chest safe or risk having it fall into the wrong hands.

With the help of a mysterious letter-writer called only Monsieur, Renée and Dante follow a series of clues that lead them on a treacherous journey across Europe. They seek the Netherworld, a legendary chasm where souls go to be cleansed. It's their only chance at a fresh start, but with it comes a terrible choice, one they never imagined they would be forced to make.

The third novel in the acclaimed Dead Beautiful series is a haunting story of sacrifice, loyalty, and a love that can never die.”

My Review: Love Reborn is the conclusion to the Dead Beautiful trilogy. It’s been about two years since the second book came out, Life Eternal. This final book is full of romance and adventure. Not as much romance as the first book, but way more adventure than the previous too. I really did enjoy it, but I wish I didn’t have to wait so long. So was it worth the wait? It was.

Dante tells Renée to meet him in Pilgrim, Massachusetts and she ends up at a tavern called the Old Soul. Anya, one of her classmates that went to the Montreal school is there. She also meets Theo, a young Monitor whose very good at pick pocketing. Theo and Anya both received a letter from someone called Monsieur. Once Dante shows up and finds another letter addressed to Renée with four plane tickets to Paris, they set out on a journey across Europe to find the pathway to the Netherworld.

I love all the adventure in the final book. It’s set during winter, so it’s a perfect time to read it. I like books with interesting settings, and I haven’t read many books that involve travel to Europe, so it’s like a virtual vacation to a foreign country. They start in Paris, which I’ve read a few book about. They have a map that indicates five points they must travel to.

This map was made by René Descartes. They show it to a cartographer in Paris and he gives them his theories on the locations. They end up traveling to the Netherlands, Germany and Bavaria. They climb the Alps. At every turn, there’s danger. The danger of the high court of elders following them. The Liberum that wants their map. All kinds of peril and they have their shovels and spades to protect them. At each point on the map, one of the five senses will be affected. That sense will become numbed and dull.

I like that we get to see Anya again. She’s a very interesting character and she’s Russian. She’s very helpful and reads Tarot cards. I also liked the new character Theo. Though he was secretive, he was also funny and such a cool guy. He was a big help along the way.

I feel like the ending was cut short. I’m pretty sure that this was the last book, but it felt like it could have not been. I really wish that there was more romance between Renée and Dante, but there was enough early in the story and some near the end. I did enjoy the book. It’s a pretty quick read. Definitely shorter than the previous books. It could have been longer, but it wasn’t. I am slightly disappointed. There’s been such a huge gap between each book. A two-year wait! And this is all I get?

Now that they’re all out, if you haven’t read this series, you don’t have to wait! Read them all back-to-back. If you enjoyed Vampire Academy, Die For Me by Amy Plum, Hex Hall, or books about boarding school, sexy undead boys or paranormal romance, then give this series a try.

Cover Art Review: Not as good as the previous book’s cover. The girl does not look like the main character. The photos don’t go together. The color’s kind of off, especially on the graveyard photo, The lighting is wrong.

In My Mailbox 2-8-2014

I ordered a lot of HarperTeen books, and also bought some at the store. I finally got Ignite Me today. I also bought Cress, the Divergent movie companion and Alienated.

I got these books at a new used book/media store called 2nd & Charles.

I also checked out a few books at the library.

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

Release Date: 2/25/2014

Series: Unremembered (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance

Subjects: memory, time-travel, genetic engineering, abilities, love

Setting: London, England 1609 in October, New York City 2032 in February

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV present tense (Seraphina)

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 399 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: MacMillan: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Summary/ product description: “Some memories are better left forgotten...

After a daring escape from the scientists at Diotech who created her, Seraphina believes she is finally safe from the horrors of her past. But new threats await Sera and her boyfriend, Zen, at every turn as Zen falls prey to a mysterious illness and Sera’s extraordinary abilities make it more and more difficult to stay hidden. Meanwhile, Diotech has developed a dangerous new weapon designed to apprehend her. A weapon that even Sera will be powerless to stop. Her only hope of saving Zen’s life and defeating the company that made her is a secret buried deep within her mind. A secret that Diotech will kill to protect. And it won’t stay forgotten for long.

Packed with mystery, suspense, and romance, this riveting second installment of Jessica Brody’s Unremembered trilogy delivers more heart-pounding action as loyalties are tested, love becomes a weapon, and no one’s memories are safe.”

My Review: I had no idea what to expect in this sequel. It surprised me at every turn. I was so happy and excited when I got an ARC in the mail because this was pretty much one of my most anticipated books of the year. Honestly, it wasn’t as good as Unremembered, but I still want to give it five stars. I was kind of unhappy when Zen got sick and there wasn’t enough romance between him and Seraphina.

I love the characters in this series. Seraphina is very unique. She may have been designed to be perfect, but Diotech has controlled her all her life. Her memories have been tampered with and she can’t trust her own mind. She’s strong, fast, smart and can time travel. Zen is an amazing and romantic love interest. In the first book he had such a major role of helping Seraphina remember her past.

At the beginning of this book they’re in 1609. They’re staying under the radar, in the past. When Seraphina reveals her abilities, they must escape the past and go back to the future. A guy named Kaelen saves Seraphina and brings her to Ney York City in 2032. Seraphina must unlock memories to lead her to someone important.

I don’t like Kaelen that much. I feel sorry for his because his lack of free will. He’s like an android that you want to be human. He is like Seraphina, but he has a lot to learn about life and being normal. Sera had a hard time adjusting to the real world too, but she had more free will. I don’t like the love-triangle that was created with Kaelen. I’m Team Zen no matter what.

This series has a very complex plot. I have no idea how Jessica Brody did it, but wow! At a book signing she told us that when she first wrote Unremembered that her editor wanted her to drop Cody. Without his this series would be so different. We do get to see him again. I loved Cody in the first book. He was so funny and he taught Sera sarcasm. He thought Seraphina was weird when she didn’t know what something was. He taught her a lot. This book showed us that he has a much bigger role to play than just being comical relief and a friend.

Transession sounds like a cool ability, but it also sounds like you can screw everything up with it. Apparently this form of time travel doesn’t allow you to go to any point in time you have already been to because there would then be two of you there at once. It’s some kind of paradox and defies the laws of physics or something like that. So what happens it you teleport to the future, and then back to the past, get stuck in that time and then suddenly reach a time you’ve already been to? Do you suddenly jump to the time after that? I wonder if that question will be answered ever. The sci-fi stuff wasn’t supper heavy, but she must have done some research. There is a Stephen Hawking quote at the beginning of the book, after all.

If you haven’t read Unremembered, then you really should. It’s becoming on of my favorite sci-fi series. You should read it if you like any of the following: Altered by Jennifer Rush, Renegade by J.A. Souders, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, False Memory by Dan Krokos, Crewel by Gennifer Albin, Maximum Ride by James Patterson.

Cover Art Review: I love this cover so much. I like that they’re kissing and blurred out and the sun’s shining through their lips. The pink, the light and dark contrast. The title that’s screening/overlaying the image transparently. It’s very romantic and still looks like a mystery/sci-fi book.

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

Series: No One Else Can Have You (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Realistic Fiction/Murder Mystery

Subjects: humor, comedy, murder, mystery, friendship, death 

Setting: Friendship, Wisconsin (which is north of the Wisconsin Dells) before Halloween 

POV/Tense: 1^st person present tense. Kippy’s POV.

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 380 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/product description: “Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 689 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.”

My Review: No One Else Can Have You was a hilarious book. It was chomp full of ridiculousness and completely un-put-downable. It felt like I was reading a comedy movie, like one of those parodies? Like Scary Movie? Maybe this could be Murder Mystery Movie? This book was a comical teen murder mystery set in the small town of Friendship, Wisconsin. 

Friendship is an actual town in Wisconsin, and it’s north of the Wisconsin Dells. I never actually visited Friendship, but I’ve been through some of the nearby towns. I have family in Wisconsin, near Madison, Milwaukee and even in the north woods near Park Falls, where my grandma grew up. I’m very familiar with the state and have been there like a hundred times. This book makes fun of the state’s stereotypes, but not in an overly offensive way. Not many people there actually say “Don’t-cha know” or “You betcha” all the time. Some people there do have an accent, but some sound just like the people here in Illinois and Chicagoland or just the general Midwest. There are a lot of deer, but not many moose unless you’re way up north. 

The characters are all pretty interesting and have their unique quirks. Kippy has some very odd obsessions. She always watches reports by Diane Sawyer, her idol. It’s constantly mentioned.  She thinks some pretty random things and we get a lot of background and phases she’s gone though. Kippy seems very smart, but does some very dumb things. She completely messes up her eulogy speech at Ruth’s funeral. Ruth was her only friend, and she receives her diary. Ruth has said some very mean things about Kippy in her diary. Ruth’s brother, Davey, who came home from Afghanistan with a missing finger, also freaks out at the funeral/memorial service. The popular guy who was dating Ruth, Colt Witacomb, is charged with murder, but Davey doesn’t think Colt did it. 

When Kippy is finally convinced that Davey is right, she helps him by looking into Ruth diary for clues. She goes into investigation modes and lists suspects. She also compiles a list of attributes for people to qualify suspects. I a small town where everyone’s friendly, anybody can be a suspect, but only few have motive. The books turns into a crazy thrill/laugh ride full of twist and improbable turns. 

Most of the book does read as a comedy and it isn’t until the end that it becomes more like psychological horror, but still funny. There’s even some romance! It’s a really fun and bizarre book. It maybe be “realistic fiction” but it’s so random that it didn’t feel like the real world. It was never boring or dull. It’s light and fun and really easy to read really fast. The characters are relatable in an awkward way. Small-town America is strange, and truth is stranger than fiction sometimes. Anyways, so I can relate to Kippy in some ways. This book can make you feel good about your self. It’s worth reading. I recommend it to people who love watching comedies, or reading books by Heather Keeble or Gretchen McNeil.

Cover Art Review: I love this cover. It’s funny and quirky like the story. It’s like a knit sweater and there’s a deer that hanging. It’s pure genius.