ARC Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Book: Gemina (Illuminae Files_02)

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback ARC received at BookCon 2016

Favorite Character: Nik

When I first read Illuminae, I was completely drawn in. The book is a work of art and tells an epic story in a way I had never imaged. The use of the case files brings a new level of depth to the storytelling. After reading Illuminae, I read the Starbound series by Amie Kaufman. I thought it was interesting how the three books were all based on a different set of main characters whose stories slowly started to become intertwined. I find it interesting that they decided to go that direction with this series as well, though I do not know how I feel about it.

Since I am reviewing the ARC copy, this will mostly be based on my initial reaction. Once the full book is released, I will reread it and review it again. Since a lot of the art was not complete, it did feel a little vacant. 

Pros: Gemina has the same face paced action as Illuminae but in a whole new way. Whereas Illuminae's central conflict was man vs. machine, Gemina explores the chaos of man vs. man. Hanna and Nik are both interesting characters with well-designed backgrounds and plenty of character flaws. There are multiple plots twists that made me throw my book in the air, then quickly grab it to get back to reading. Just like with Illuminae, I found the style of story telling to be wonderful 

Cons: With Gemina I had the same problem as with the Starbound series, which is the complete switch of main characters and plot. During Illuminae, I got incredibly attached to Kady and Ezra and the plot they are entangled in. While I understand that this book is telling a different part of the story, it did seem a bit disconnected. The new characters and new enemies really took me away from the story of the first book. It also felt a bit messy at times with the plot, and I often felt like there was too much going on. With three different sources of enemies, it was a bit much, and I felt that they could have left one out and been a little cleaner. 

Overall I enjoyed the second book from this series, and I am excited for it to be released in October. Once I read the finished copy, I will be doing another review that contains spoilers and reviews more specific information about the story. 

January 2016 Wrap-Up.

So I've decided to no longer do book reviews for every single book I read. (As you can see by how well I've been updating!) Instead I will consolidate most reviews into end of the month wrap-ups, and only post individual reviews for some books.

So to kick it off, here is JANUARY 2016!

In January I read seven books, due to school taking up a lot of my time and the busy season starting at work.

Doctor Who: Deep Time by Trevor Baxendale (4)
This was the only book I gave a full review to (link is in the 4). I've read a lot of Star Wars books but this was my first Doctor Who book. I thought it was enjoyable and a quick read, but it definitely wasn't as good as watching the show.

 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (4)
Frostbite by Richelle Mead (4)
One day I was bored and flipping through Netflix and I found the Vampire Academy movie. I had the first book sitting on my shelf for a while, and I decided to just go for it. God that movie was terrible but I watched the whole thing. I then read the book which was better. I got pretty into it and ended up buying the next two books. I think I finished the second one in one day and started on the third. Then I made the mistake of spoiling the end of the third book for myself accidently, and completely lost interest in the series. Maybe one day I'll go back, but no time soon. As for a review, it's pretty much what you expect and nothing too extraordinary.

 

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau (3.5)
The Testing Guide by Joelle Charbonneau (-)
I had tried to read The Testing last year and just could not get into it. When this year started I created a TBR jar where I wrote down all the books on my TBR shelf and put them ina jar. I then shook it up and pulled one out to choose a book. So far this is the only book I have used these means to choose and will most likely only do it in moment of terrible indecision. It was very Hunger Games/Divergent and followed the generic female lead dystopian evil government plot. Nothing about it was really interesting and I didn't care enough to continue the series. :/

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider (3)
Cue my sudden need for contemporary, and this was the first book I chose. As my rating suggests I found it pretty 'meh'. As you can see, so far 2016 is a pretty meh year. Nothing much to say about this book.

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed (3)
This was an incredibly stressful book and made me incredibly angry. Not at the book, necessarily, but at the subject matter and characters. Ninty percent of the people in the book are absolutely terrible. I ended up staying up until 5am finishing this, huddled in bed with the lights off so Joe could sleep. The ending made me even more angry, when I thought about all the girls that have to live this as their reality and don't have a prince charming to come to their rescue. Grrr I'm getting angry just thinking about this book.




That was my January. It was a rough month. So far February has been a bit better so we're getting there!

Book review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Genre: Young Adult, romance, fiction, drama, mystery

Rating: 4/5

Format: Audio Book

Favorite Character: Clay, I suppose. Hard to have one in this book

Website

Goodreads

Well this book was incredibly depressing. It was also incredibly difficult to listen to due to the content. I'm not sure why I feel that it would have been easier to read. I think that It made me feel like I was listening to the tapes along with Clay. I don't have much to say about this book aside from I think everyone should read it. The only reason it got a 4/5 from me is that I found the character frustrating at times. Mostly Clay, but also Hannah. It brings up some important points about bullying and how some people can be terrible.

Am I...

Books Read In 2015

January
1. Rumors by Erica Kiefer (3)
2. The Story of Awkward by R. K. Ryals (3)
3. The Selection by Kiera Cass (3.5)
4. The Elite by Kiera Cass (3.5)
5. The One by Kiera Cass (3.5)
6. The Guard by Kiera Cass (-)
7. The Prince by Kiera Cass (-)
8. The Queen by Kiera Cass (-)

February
9. Ever Day by David Levithan (5)
10. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (5)
11. (reread) Looking For Alaska by John Green (5)
12. (reread) Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J K Rowling (5)

March
13. Parallel by Claudia Lefeve (3)
14. Paradox by Claudia Lefeve (3)
15. Paradigm by Claudia Lefeve (3)
16. Hitched by Claudia Lefeve (3)
17. Hold Me Closer by David Levithan (5)
18. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (3.5)

April
19. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (4)
20. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (2.5)
21. Evermore by Alyson Noel (1.5)
22. Mind Games by Kiersten White (2.5)
23. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (4)
24. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (4)
25. Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by JK Rowling (5)

May

26. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (3.5)

27. The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld (4)

28. The Heir by Kiera Cass (3.5)
29. Atlantia by Ally Condie (3)

30. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (3)
31. Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High (2.5)
32. Stolen by Lucy Christopher (4)
33. Red Queen by Victoria Ayeyard (4)

34. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (5)
35. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (4)
36. The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige (4)

June
39. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (4)
38. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (-)
39. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (4)
40. Glitches by Marissa Meyer (-)
41. 1984 by George Orwell (5)
42. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (4)
43. The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer (-)
44. Lumberjanes Volume 1 by Noelle Stevenson (3.6)
45. The Hues Volume 1 by Alex Heberling (5)
46. Cress by Marissa Meyer (4)
47. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (5)
48. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (4.5)
49. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (5)

50. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (5)

July
51. You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart (5)
52. Vicious by V.E. Schwab (4.3)
53. A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall (4.5)

August
54. Pieces Of Me by Amber Kizer (3.2)
55. Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde (4)

56. The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi (4.5)
57. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (3)
58. Warm Up by V.E. Schwab

September
59. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (4.5)
60.  Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (4)
61. Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Witter (4.4)
62. The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo (-)
63. The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo (-)
64. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (4)
65. The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo (-)
66. The Too-Clever Fox by Leigh Bardugo (-)
67.  Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (4)

68. Little Knife by Leigh Bardugo (-)
69. I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
70. Queen Song by Victoria Aveyard (-)

October
71. Yes Please by Amy Poehler  (5)

72. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (5)
73. Binge by Tyler Oakley (5)
74. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews (4.5)
75. The Lost City of the Jedi by Paul and Hollace Davids (2)

76. So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld (4.5)
77. The Time Being by Antonia Honeywell (4)

November
78. Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall (4.5)

79. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (4.5)

80. Uglies: Cutters by Scott Westerfeld (4)

81. The Invention of Hugo Cabinet by Brian Selznick (5)
82. Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld (5)
83. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (4)
84. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (4.5)
85. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (4)
86. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (3)
87. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (4.5)
88. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (5)
89. Never Stop Shutting Up by Mike Falzone (5)
90. We Were Liars by E. Lockhard (2.5)
91. Egghead:  Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone by Bo Burnham (4)

December
92. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra (4)

93. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (4)

94. My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors (4)

95. Maleficent by Elizabeth Rudnick (4)

96. Trouble Is a Friend of Mine by Stephenie Tromly (4.5)

97. The Chimes by Charles Dickenson  (2.5)

98. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger  (4)

99. Star Wars: Smuggler's Run by Greg Rucka (4)

100. 21st Century Tank Girl by Alan. C Martin (4)

102. Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger (4)

103. Star Wars: Moving Target by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry (4)

104. Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon by Delilah S. Dawson (4.5)

105. Star Wars: The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku by Landry Q. Walker (4.5)

106. Star Wars: Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka (4)

107. Star Wars: All Creatures Great and Small by Landry Q. Walker (5)

108. Star Wars: The Weapon of a Jedi by Jason Fry (4)

109. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (4)

Total: 109

Book review: Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld

Book: Stupid Perfect World

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young adult, fiction, dystopian, romance, science fiction

Rating: 5/5

Format: E-book

Favorite Character: None.
Website
Goodreads


This was a nice short novella by my favorite author. This was a good follow-up to my review of So Yesterday because this book was also SUPER Westerfeld-y and I loved it. Once again his use of creating a mirror culture and using language to build his story.

Loved this. Everyone should read it.

Book review: Uglies: Cutters by Scott Westerfeld

Book: Uglies: Cutters

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, graphic novel

Rating: 3.5/5

Format: Paperback

Favorite Character: None.
Author Website
Goodreads

To start, Uglies is one of my favorite series' and Scott Westerfeld is my favorite author. I had read the first graphic novel but did not realize there was a second one until I saw this on Amazon. Overall I enjoyed this. It's nice to see the story from a different perspective and to get new information on what was happening while Tally was off being main-character-y. It took me a moment to get into, just because it's been so long since I read Uglies.

I would recommend this and the first graphic novel to any Uglies fan, even if they didn't like Shay as a character.

Book Review: Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall

Book: Signs Point To Yes

Author: Sandy Hall

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, romance

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: Target. Really liked her first book.

Favorite Character: Teo.


When I saw Sandy Hall was making a second book, I got excited. I randomly picked up A Little Something Different one day because I thought it looked adorable and ended up loving it. I was not disappointed by Signs Point To Yes. Hall's books are adorable, quirky, realistic romances and quick to read. They are nice breaks from highly intense or dramatic books. I did not like this book as much as her first book, though. There were parts where I thought it tried a little too hard to be relevant to too many things and it got overly complicated. Overall it was enjoyable and made me smile.

Book Review: So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

 

Book: So Yesterday

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Young Adult, fiction

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: HPB. Picked up due to my love of SW.

Favorite Character: Jen.


This book was VERY Scott Westerfeld. As an author, Westerfeld explores the idea of language in his books and the use of language to influence ideas and stories. There also seems to always be the exploration of a youth subculture in his books. I really enjoyed this book. I love Westerfeld as an author and found this to be an interesting story. They characters were enjoyable and at times it was super anime-esk. Like, this would make an awesome anime.

September wrap-up

So after a rough July and August I was able to read a lot in September. Having a series helped, and I also read six novellas that were super easy to get through. 

I started out with A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. I listened to this book and ended up buying the paper copy because I loved it, and the book is beautiful. I really enjoyed this story and the world it created. I thought it was an interesting use of magic and dimensional travel, and I'm excited about the second book.

I then started the Grisha trilogy with Shadow and Bone and fell in love. I had a little trouble starting out but once I hit the halfway point I couldn't stop and bought the other two. I took a brief break to read through Claudia's Story, which didn't take very long since it is a graphic novel. I really loved the art and the glimpse into Claudia's screwed up tale. Then back to Ravka! Banged through the next two books and the novellas. Overall I really liked this series. I, of course, loved the Darkling because that's the way I roll. I also loved Nikolai because he is just fantastic. Alina pissed me off a lot, but most female leads in YA do. The last book gave me so many feels. I was crying so much through that book, for almost every character. 

Ended the month with I Am Princess X, which was a quick but thrilling read. It was tense in parts, and I found that fantastic. Then I read the Red Queen novella Queen Song. Meh. It was interesting to learn more about Cal's mother, but I felt the book dragged. It had also been a while since I read the book, so I was a bit lost at first until it came back to me. 

Overall I think it was a good month. I've started off October with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but I'm only about 30 pages in. I love that it takes place in the same world as the Grisha trilogy two years later, but has nothing to do with the previous cast. Though, I mean, I kind of wish it did. 

Onward and upward!

Book Review: Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip by Linda Oatman High

Book: Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Road Trip

Author: Linda Oatman High

Genre: YA fiction, prose

Rating: 2.5/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: HPB Clearance section.

Favorite Character: Jake.


Not much to say about this one. The first books in prose that I've read in a long time. Not bad, basic Cinderella story.

Book Review: Atlantia by Ally Condie

Book: Atlantia

Author: Ally Condie

Genre: YA fiction, dystopia, fantasy

Rating: 3/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: HPB Clearance section, but I knew Ally Condie from Matched and had been planning to read it eventually.

Favorite Character: Can the bats be my favorite?

So I knew about this book from reading Matched but I wasn't drawn to it enough to pick it up until I found it for cheap at HPB. Overall I think it was an okay book. I I think the story was pretty similar to most dystopian YA novels, but also was different enough to not bore me. I especially enjoyed that this is a stand alone book and not part of a series, which made this a lot more stress free. I did not find Rio to be as obnoxious/short-sighted/naive as most female leads of these types of books, though that may have come from there being less space to fill with temper tantrums than there is a in a series.

Overall it was a short and decent read. I wasn't sure about it in the beginning but It ended up being alright.

Book Review: The Heir by Kiera Cass (Selection #5)

Book: The Heir (Selection #5)

Author: Kiera Cass

Genre: YA fiction, dystopia, romance

Rating: 3.5/5

Format: Audio Book

Where I got the book: Audible

Favorite Character: Kyle, Eric, Henry, Hale.

So I wasn't sure about this book going in. I really enjoyed the other Selection book, but I wasn't sure how I felt about a time jump. I was more interested in what happened to America and Maxon after the end of The One. I ended up listening to this book on my phone and I actually ended up getting super into it. I'm going to continue this under a spoiler cut though, just in case.
(Spoilers)
I spent most of this book hating Eadlyn, and it wasn't really until the last chapter that I started to hate her less. What a spoiled, whiny brat she is. It's hard to imagine that she was really raised by America and Maxon. I thought it was pretty adorable that everyone from the first trilogy was still in the background of this book. I also liked that at the end of the book I still don't know who the main love triangle is. (Let's be honest here, there is always a triangle.) I'm pretty sure Kyle's got a point and from the beginning I thought something was going to happen with Eric. Those are pretty much the two I am rooting for, though Hale is super adorable. 

I realized around chapter thirty that this book was not going to be the end. And I will admit I spazzed a little because I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

Book Review: The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

Book: The Last Days

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: YA fiction, sci-fi, paranormal, vampire

Rating: 4/5

Format: Paperback

Where I got the book: Ordered off of Amazon after finishing Peeps. Could not find this book in an actual store.

Favorite Character: Zahler.


Like many others I feel that this book is more of companion novel to Peeps rather than a sequel. I also thought this book was a lot better than the first one. The characters are a lot more interesting and I've always enjoyed stories where the reader knows more than the characters in the book. I still have some of the same feeling I did about the first book. I still thought the book was overall pretty juvenile and silly, but it was a step up.

(Spoilers)
I really enjoyed the idea of Luz, and that people were trying and succeeding at figuring out their own ways to get through the rough bits of becoming a peep. I liked almost all the characters, though I really enjoyed Zahler the most. With his crush on Pearl and his honest observations about the people around him, he definitely seemed the most likable. The whole concept of Minerva's singing bringing up the worms is...interesting. I wish there was some snippets of the language she was singing in. I liked the end, even though I also thought it was silly. In a world where everything is ruined, the band is touring and saving the world. The only thing that bothered me in the end, is what happened to all the people? Did they find a cure for peep-ism? If not, how did peeps/angels reproduce? Was everyone infected doomed to live a few hundred years then die out? There were a lot of infected people.

Book Review: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Book: Afterworlds

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Genre: YA, fiction, fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5

Format: Hardcover

Where I got the book: I really loved his Uglies series and had the picked up the chapter preview from B&N one day. Then bought the book when I saw it after it came out.

Favorite Character: Darcy/Yama


So I kind of broke the rules of this book I feel. I started reading it like normal, alternating stories with each chapter, but it was so jarring and I had trouble getting into it. So I ended up reading all the Darcy chapters then going back and reading all the Afterworlds chapters. Once I started this I got super into it, especially Darcy's story, because I wasn't pulled away ever chapter. I had a little more trouble getting through the AW chapters, but I can't complain much since I read the book wrong.

Overall I enjoyed this book, despite the strange layout. I'm not sure if I would have read it so quickly if I read it in order, as it loses some of the pull. I don't think it was quite as good as Uglies, though that is a whole series and this is a single (double?) novel. I would suggest trying to read it as suggested and deciding which way works for you. <3 p="">

Book Review: Hitched: A Travelers Story by Claudia Lefeve

Book: The Travelers Series: Hitched

Author: Claudia Lefeve

Genre: YA Fiction Sci-Fi Distopian Future with a female lead, love triangle, and in a trilogy.

Rating: 4/5

Format: Kindle Ebook

Where I got the book: Bought after finishing the first three books.

Favorite Character: Cooper Everett

After finishing the first three books of the Travelers Series I found that there was this short story about Cooper and Etta's wedding. It satisfied me in some ways because I super wanted to see their relationship in the alternate reality, but I wish it was longer. :(

Book Review: The Travelers Series by Claudia Lefeve

  

Book: The Travelers Series (Parallel, Paradox, and Paradigm)

Author: Claudia Lefeve

Genre: YA Fiction Sci-Fi Distopian Future with a female lead, love triangle, and in a trilogy.

Rating: 3/5

Format: Kindle Ebook

Where I got the book: Free through Bookbub

Favorite Character: Cooper Everett

I started reading the first book in this series when I was looking for a new YA book too read and scrolling though my e-books. I chose this one and random and started to read. It didn't take long for me to get hooked and I ended up reading the first book in one day. I then bought the second e-book and read 30% of it before bed. The next day I read the rest of book to and bought and finished book three. I was hooked pretty hard, however I have mixed feeling about this series. 

I was drawn to the the idea of alternate realities and time travel and I really enjoyed how the plot line as far as that went. The science and reasoning behind what happened felt believable, and I found the wibbly wobblyness interesting. And I loved Cooper. But..I feel like the story never got anywhere. My biggest issue with this series was the transition between Paradox and Paradigm, where Jamie is sent back by her father and is able to finally stop Etta from going back to her reality. Then book 3 starts up and all the work and building up of the last two books is gone. I understand why this plot twist happened, but I think if it was going to happen, I would have liked it to be sooner. The entire third book is spent trying to convince Etta AGAIN about her reality and getting her to go back, which doesn't happen until the end of the book and then it's just over.

The first two books got me incredibly excited to see Coopers reality and everything they go through, and see them overthrow Thornberry. But it never happens. I suppose that was a big let down for me. I wanted to see Etta jump to that reality and everything that happens there. Maybe She'll write it? We'll see. Overall decent for a book I got for free (Well I guess I paid for the second and third haha)