Review: The Maze Runner: James Dashner

Book: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1)
By: James Dashner
Published: October 6, 2009
Published By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Description: The first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series—The Maze Runner is a modern classic, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

My Thoughts: This was one of those books I picked up because I heard a lot of hype about it, and then got afraid that it wouldn’t quite stack up, so it stayed on my shelf for forever. I finally picked it up the other day, and I read through it in a day. All in all, it was a pretty good book.

We follow Thomas, who’s been dropped in the center of this Maze with all these other guys. The ultimate goal of course, is to get out. Unfortunately, it’s been 2 years, and none of the other guys have been able to find a way out, so they doubt the possibility that Thomas will be able to. The difference between then and now though is, Thomas has been able to do things no others can do, he has secrets in his mind that imply that he knows more than others, and they no longer have as much time as they want. With the addition of a Female to the environment, things in the maze begin to change, and the lives of everyone are at stake.

The story started out pretty slow. We were dropped in the story and were just as clueless as Thomas. Though I understand the author’s reasoning, this was utterly frustrating. I hate not knowing what’s going on, and as Thomas asked questions that went unanswered by people that knew the answer, I grew pretty annoyed. It got better as I went on though, and more things were revealed. The storyline was well thought out and it was an interesting book. That being said, I don’t like Thomas. I can’t quite put my finger on why though; I just know I don’t like him. I think if I met him in real life, I would ignore every word out of his mouth.

I think the hype surrounding this book messed it up for me. If I had just picked it up with no expectations, I would probably have given it 5 stars. It was certainly good, just not as good as I’d hoped. I give it 4 stars.

Review and Giveaway: The Mackenzie Legacy by Derrolyn Anderson

Book: The Mackenzie Legacy
By: Derrolyn Anderson
Published: April 4, 2013
Published by: Self Published

Description: As their story continues, Calvin and Caledonia find themselves madly in love, on the run, and nearly out of money. When Cal stumbles upon a way to cash in on Cali’s powers, their life on the road becomes a life of leisure. Despite the easy money and newfound luxury, Caledonia’s conscience begins to trouble her.

A disturbing warning only serves to confirm her misgivings, making her question her purpose in life. Finally, a shocking discovery about the true nature of her powers points the way forward, sending the two Cals on a dangerous rescue mission.

Caledonia tries her best to right the wrongs of the past, but will she only end up provoking new and even more dangerous enemies?

My Thoughts: When Derrolyn contacted me to request a review, I was ecstatic. I mean, I had JUST finished checking out her goodreads page looking for her latest installment into her Athena Effect series. The series follows a girl Caledonia, nicknamed Cali (also sometimes nicknamed Cal but it becomes too confusing so we'll stick to Cali) and her boyfriend Calvin, nicknamed Cal (see what I mean about confusing) as they try to survive in a world where people want to use Cali for her aura reading powers while they try to fast to their deep and sometimes blinding love for one another. (some spoilers for Athena #1 may be included)

In this installment, Cali and Cal have escaped the professor who wanted to use Cali for monetary gain, but they are quickly running out of money. Soon, Cal haphazardly learns of a way for he and Cali to earn quite a bit of money by using her powers. Soon, they have more money than either of them can deal with, and as the saying goes, with more money comes more problems. Their easy lifestyle has dangerous consequences, and soon, Cal and Cali find themselves mixed up in the wrong crowd.

Even worse, Cali is realizing that she needs to find a way to help the only others that she knows who are like her, the twins she met while she was in the professors care. Only, they are no longer in the care of the professor, and the person who's care they are in is more dangerous than the professor ever could be.

I loved this installment. The love between Cal and Cali is as intense as ever and though at times it seems unrealistic in the way that they barely argue, I still love seeing it. The story was fast paced and intense and I cant wait until the next story, The Caledonian Inheritance. Something was certainly brewing at the end of this novel and I can't wait to see what happens.

As usual, I must name the few issues I have with the story. First, some of the conclusions drawn and the details of certain plans made were a bit confusing for me to follow. I'm not sure if it was because I was devouring the book entirely too fast, or if it really was that hard to follow. Second, there was one situation in the story that I worried about. Calvin seems to be one who knows the intricacies of the world including the way people can be tracked and followed. Why then, does he not take proper precautions in terms of making sure they are not followed. It makes the end of the book a bit predictable. Finally, I'm a bit worried about the strength of Cal and Cali's relationship. Sure they love each other deeply, but one must wonder about the insecurities each have in their relationship and the willingness Cal has of using Cali for their advancement. It will be interesting to see how this turns out in the future.

All in all, it was a great book and I am super happy that Derrolyn thought of me when she sent out her review requests. A copy was sent to me in exchange for an honest review of the book. I give it 4 Stars.

To see my review of her previous book, click here.

Derrolyn Has been kind enough to include a giveaway with her release. There will be one winner. He or she will receive a copy of The Athena Effect (The Athena Effect #1) and The Mackenzie Legacy (The Athena Effect #2) plus a special charm bracelet designed by the author. The Bracelet is pictured below:

The Rafflecopter to enter is below. Good Luck!:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

Book: Leviathan
By: Scott Westerfield
Published: October 6, 2009
Published By: Simon Pulse

Description: Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.


Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

My Thoughts: You know that book that sits and sits on your shelf collecting dust? The one that you have already bought the sequel to because you have heard that the story was amazing and that you'll just have to read the next book in the series. The one that, try as you might, you can never bring yourself to actually pick up and read. For some reason you never actually think you'll like it and so it just sits there collecting dust. Well, Leviathan was that book for me. It sat on my shelf since 2010, and I constantly looked at it wondering if I should read it. I would pick it up, read the synopsis, think about it for a second, and then put it back down. Sometimes I would even skim through and see the fact that it had pictures and figure it was obviously too young for me to read. Then, when I saw that there was an audiobook in the library, I decided to pick it up, thinking I may feel differently about it if I were to just listen to it. The audiobook sat loaded in my iPod for over a month. Finally, when I exhausted all of the other audiobooks loaded onto my iPod and didn't have a chance to connect to my computer to load some more on, I begrudgingly started listening to Leviathan, and I'm happy I did.

I'll start off saying first that I think the best way to digest this book is to read the actual book. The pictures ARE VERY NECESSARY!!!! I couldn't get into the book in the beginning at all because I just couldn't seem to picture some of the steampunk machines they were talking about. I was ready to throw in the towel until I remembered the pictures and did a quick skim through of the book. Once I got what everything looked like in my head, I was finally able to get into the book.

We start off this book alternating between two characters, Prince Alek and Deryn/Dylan/Mr Stark. Prince Alek's parents have been poisoned and he's on the run. He belongs to the "clanker" side of the line in this story. Due to his parent's death he has to hide because the Germans are looking to kill him next so he can't take his parent's place and rule the empire. Deryn is a girl who would very much like to be a soldier/airman. She pretends to be a boy and joins the leviathan (The "darwinist" side of the line) sometime later. Due to quite a few occurrances, Alek (clanker) and Deryn(darwinist) find themselves toe to toe facing the same enemy threat. It seems they're not quite enemies, but not quite friends. They must work together if either of them will survive.

Once I was able to get into the book and really understand what was going on, I loved it. It was quite interesting. It seemed to be a big buildup of whatever is to come in the next book. I'm excited to continue this series. I also liked all the alternate curse words they had here like "get stuffed" or "barking spiders." It made me wonder whether or not I should clean up my mouth a bit....but I probably wont. Using these terms in casual conversation will probably make people think I'm psycho (as if they already don't.)

Due to the original difficulty, I cant seem to give this book the rating I want to give it at the end, so I'll give it 3.5 stars

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Yes, you're right. I did just post a review a few minutes ago. I know you're thinking I probably read this during the drought, but the truth is, I finished Dead Sky Morning, and went directly into reading Shatter Me, finishing it within the day. My sister was angry (For some reason she likes to make it a contest to see who can read books faster. I always win. She's always angry)I loved Shatter Me.

Book: Shatter Me
By: Tahereh Mafi
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Description: "You can't touch me," I whisper.
I'm lying, is what I don't tell him.
He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him.
But things happen when people touch me.
Strange things.
Bad things.
No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.
But Juliette has plans on her own.
After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

My Thoughts: Shatter me was everything they said it would be. It had a touch of Hunger Games, (Minus the games) a touch of X-Men, and a touch of everything else.

I cant thoroughly explain how I feel about this book. One thing's for certain, the writing style was amazing. I loved it. I liked the fact that some of it was crossed out to show what Juliette was thinking. I even loved the explanations or the random statements, " My Jaw is dangling from my shoelace." HA! I loved it. It's so wonderful and I always wanted more.

That being said there were a few things I didn't like. First, there were a few slow moments in the book. Not enough to annoy you, just enough to notice. There were a bunch of unanswered questions, especially near the end. Too many loose ends. I hate it when a book references some answer someone knows, that will explain everything, and then the book ends without telling you what it is. Then, I hated Juliette's personality sometimes (But I also LOVED her! It's a strange thing, I know). I wanted her to fight back earlier, be meaner, stop being such a goody goody. I guess that's just her personality, but it sucked, until it didn't. This book showed quite a bit of self actualization. In the beginning Juliette was SUCH a pushover, but at the end.......well you'll just have to wait and see.

In all, I liked the book, although it didn't put me over the top like I expected. It was an easy fun read that I loved but some of it seemed done before (except the killing by touch, that was cool!). The book was everything I had hoped fore, but not enough to satiate me. I want more. I want answers. I feel like Juliette with the constant battle going on in my head, so I'll just stop this confusing review before it gets even worse. My Review? 4 Stars.

I'd like to point out that I was friends with the author on her blog before she released her book (before I even knew she was releasing  a book). I love her and stalk her blog Grab a Pen every chance I get. She has wonderful and funny tips to aspiring writers/current writers and never fails to give me a laugh. It's funny because I don't know her but I felt like it was my own little victory when she released her book. Then, when I saw in her acknowledgements that she wanted to thank her blog friends, I knew FOR SURE she was talking about me and I did a little dance in my seat. (I sound like a stalker right? It's OK. It won't be the first time) Ha!

Review: Darkhouse by Karina Halle

Book: Darkhouse
By: Karina Halle
Publication Date: May, 28,2011
Publisher: Createspace (Self Published)

Description: There’s always been some­thing a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been deal­ing with a quarter-life cri­sis and post-college syn­drome like any other twen­tysome­thing, she’s still not what you would call “ordi­nary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pre­tend never hap­pened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts. Luck­ily for her, that all comes in handy when she stum­bles across Dex Foray, an eccen­tric pro­ducer for an upcom­ing web­cast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s bud­get is non-existent and Dex him­self is a mad­den­ing enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threat­ens her life and seduces her with a sense of impor­tance. Her uncle’s haunted light­house pro­vides the per­fect cat­a­lyst and back­drop for a hor­rific mys­tery that unrav­els the threads of Perry’s frag­ile san­ity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dan­ger­ous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

My Thoughts: Darkhouse was the first ghost story, and first self published book I have ever read, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I always thought ghost stories would be boring books that gave off the "ghost hunters" vibe from the television shows with no real ghost sightings and random orbs and the like. This book had just the right amount of ghost sightings, eerie happenstance and terrifying events, and balanced it well with comic relief. I absolutely loved it!

The book follows a 22 year old girl named Perry Palomino. Besides our common ages, I did not originally relate to her. She is a "big girl" who has dealt all of the "typical big girl" issues. I have no idea what that's like; therefore, I didn't know how to see eye to eye with her, other than to relate it to my own Popsicle stick youth. Furthermore, she seems to see ghosts and people others cant see, and is easily put down when people question her mental state. I wished she would stick up for herself in those instances; however, I guess anyone would feel the way she did if they always saw things others couldn't see. As the book continued though, I could find a multitude of things I could relate to her on. First, she's still living at home with a younger, more popular sister who seems to be the family favorite (yes, i am airing out dirty laundry). Second, she's stuck in a job that she hates doesn't really like. She wants to find her place in the world, but seems somewhat lost. Plus, she gets carsick while reading in a moving vehicle just like me. I found my affection toward Perry Palomino growing just like it would if she were an actual friend. In the beginning I thought "hey, she's cool...I guess," then "hmmm...I don't really like that about her," followed by "come on...come on...you can do it," and then before I knew it..."WHAM, best friends forever." I absolutely loved Ms. Perry Palomino (and I love her name too. Its one of those names you feel like you should say entirely to thoroughly appreciate).

The love/like interest, Declan "Dex" Foray was (of course) gorgeous and sexy, and amazing, and...bipolar? I'm not sure what his issue was but I loved and hated him. He was annoying and lovable.I couldn't help but want Perry to hug and kiss him, and punch him in the face. That's just what kind of person he was. You couldn't help but be unsure of how you felt about him, just as Perry felt.

Besides Perry and Dex, the other characters seemed a bit flat. I hated Perry's Mom, and thought her dad was...boring. Perry's sister was cute, but way too ahead of herself. She was only 15 and drinking at bonfires while sucking face with men and who knows what else. I'd kill my 13 year old sister if I even knew she was thinking about that kind of stuff (I may be a hypocrite but so what!)

The story itself was good. It had its fair share of horror. I was scared (although I must admit, it's pretty easy to scare me). I couldn't stop reading this book. I needed to know what happened next. I was absolutely terrified during the scary parts and I noticed my heart actually began pacing while I read. That said, there were only two things I didn't like about the book. First, because this book was self published, I noticed a few errors, however, these errors were few, and therefore didn't take away from the book. Second, There were so many questions left in my head at the end. As you all know, I hate unanswered questions. I couldn't help but wonder, what the heck was up with Perry in the past that she keeps running from, why are her parents so worried about her, and why can she see people others can't? What in the world is up with Dex? Is he bipolar or isn't he? What was the result of the lighthouse excursion. What did they gain from it? Despite my many questions though, I understand that this is a series that by the end, will probably answer all my questions slowly but surely. (I just want to know NOW).

Darkhouse was an amazing book that I COULD NOT read late at night in fear that the events would transfer into my dreams. (I have a vivid imagination) It was a great start to a great series. I look forward to reading the next book, Red Fox. Karina Halle is a great writer. I enjoyed the characters she infused in the story and will definitely read every book in this series! I give it 4 stars!
 

Review: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Book: Wolfsbane (Nightshade Series #2)
Author: Andrea Cremer
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication Date: July 26, 2011

Description: This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

My Review: Wolfsbane was just as exciting as Nightshade, if not more. Andrea Cremer successfully picked the story up right where we left off in Nightshade. It was a story of love, lust, and war that did not disappoint.

The story begins as the main character, Calla, is more confused as ever. Not only does she wake up after being in a brutal fight with her enemies (which she obviously lost), but she finds herself in the midst of their lair. She then learns that everything she knew about herself was a lie. As if that wasn't enough, she despises herself for leaving behind her pack and family, is confused about how she should feel about Shay, and does not know if she's still in love with Ren (I don't know about you, but that sounds like a panic attack waiting to happen). Nonetheless, Calla is an Alpha and she acts like one. Shay is, of course, still here supporting Calla and the relationship quickly grows and evolves. The pack dynamic between then is interesting to watch and made me feel as if the relationship were resting on pins and needles.

In this book we are introduced to a large amount of new characters. Slowly, I began to love and admire them all in different ways. Andrea Cremer definitely out did herself in this book. There was plenty of action to get my blood pumping, suspense that made me want to get angry at my coworker when he interrupted me at the best part of the book ("Oh my gosh! Why are you talking, please do not to talk to me right now...oh hi, ummm sorry."). There was just enough love and lust to make sap's like me giggle with excitement, but not so much that it took away from the storyline. Humor was incorporated within the book and i found myself laughing out loud, only to look around making sure no one was staring at me. I absolutely loved Wolfsbane.

That being said there was one thing that frustrated me about the book. My main issue was the way the book began. If you're like me, you cant wait to start books. At times (okay all the time) you are so excited to read the new book that you refuse to re-read the previous book to catch up assuming that the book will remind you of the important points. Although Wolfsbane did a little of this, It wasn't enough to stop me from scratching my head constantly to try to remember what happened in the last book. The first few chapters had quite a few flashbacks that I couldn't remember anything about, although after a while I remembered. I wished that the book had reminded its readers of the Nightshade's events a little sooner within the book. Regardless, once I neared the climax of the book, I was completely caught up and engrossed .

Wolfsbane was a wonderful book full of twists and turns. It was packed from cover to cover with action and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Review: Awaken-Katie Kacvinsky

Book: Awaken

Author: Katie Kacvinsky

Publication Date: May 23, 2011

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Genre: Young Adult

Description: Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.
In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

My Review: In Awaken, Katie Kacvinsky really opened our eyes to what would happen if the world let technology, and our dependence on it, get too out of control. This book is full of love interests, coming of age stories, and has a main character you cant help but fall in love with.

Madeline, a.k.a Maddie is easy to understand. She felt similar to me in some ways. On one hand, she is okay with the life she lives. Excluding the brief digression into adolescent rebellion that caused her to be basically punished for the rest of her life (kind of), she accepts the cards dealt to her, knows her path and where exactly she will end up.Her views are shaped by the world she lives in, as all people's are, and she keeps her goals within the boundaries of that world.  

Enter the gorgeous guy with perfect everything. Justin is completely sexy and doesn't even know it apparently. Of course he opens her eyes to the world and the rest you will just have to read to know.

I liked the book a lot. It had me thinking about the dangers of  too much technology. I could actually see this world existing in 2060. I had tears at the end that i forced to stay put. All in all it was a great book although there were a few things that frustrated me. First, although i loved the relationship between Maddie and Justin, I also hated it at times.  It actually made me want to reach in the book and shake him and say please just shut up and relax for a second. I also didn't like the amount of questions I was left with at the end. Luckily there will be a sequel so my feelings weren't totally hurt. Other than those few issues, I really loved the book. I will definitely be looking out for the sequel!