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As a long time Christopher Pike fan (started reading him in Middle school), I had to check out Alosha which I missed when the books originally came out. While classified as YA, it feels more middle grade. Except unlike Riordan, Rowling, or others that do middle grade, Pike seems to be trying to change his writing to how he thinks middle graders read instead of how they actually read. It comes off as choppy, inconsistent, and just utterly dumbed down. It's like a blend of middle grade content told in a children's book type of writing. Which is upsetting because the characters and story are actually interesting. I forced myself to rush through this just so I can move on to something else. I'll eventually read the next two books, but I am in no rush at this point due to fear of them being written similarly. 2.25 out of 5.
Such a good ending to the series. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I like how not everything is wrapped up perfectly in the end. This is one of those series that shows there are good, but, and ugly you have to deal with in life. From the social issues to personal, Okorafor manages to make you think about, feel, and see what Binti is going through. Even while she finds the strength within herself to deal with everything she goes through, she learns nothing is easy, we all have a choice, and to fight through her own self-doubt. I'm sad it is over, but in the near future I look forward to reading more of Okorafor's novels. This was just too good not delve in to more works! 4.75 out of 5
I loved this book and how it plays out. You get two perspectives. You have a bard who meets our main character, Tea, who has been exiled. She tells him her backstory and why she is doing what she is. Each chapter is 95% of her past, with the end of each chapter is a brief look at the present from the the bard's PoV and what she is planning. This really helped make the story more interesting, and I loved the shifts. The moments of the present always tease you just enough that you can't help but want to start the next chapter to hear more of Tea's story. I loved her dark magic and necromancy powers. When I hit the final page, I was like "sh**!" and went to make sure I had book 2 on pre-order. 4.75 out of 5.
I have rewritten this review multiple times. I find it a book that is very difficult to generalize about in a mini-review as I usually do. Jude is a very interesting character, as is the cast around her. Living in the High Court of Faerie is not easy for her being mortal, and she does nothing but strengthen herself to help best the ones bullying her. She actually has some of the better character development I've seen in awhile. She's cunning, intelligent, determined, yet also emotional and flawed. This book is dark and violent from the get go, but also feels very samey for its genre. Once it starts to hit the meat of what is in store for Jude, it takes it to a higher level and stands out completely by the end. I thought I was going to find myself just enjoying a really hyped book, to totally understanding and agreeing with the hype behind it. 5 out of 5
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
After reading Daughter of the Pirate King last year, I needed more novels featuring women pirates. So when I heard about The Unbinding of Mary Reade I knew I had to read it, and thankfully I was able to. Below I am going to discuss some things in the review that may be spoilerish, so be warned.
So Mary Reade is a young lady who learns to disguise herself as a boy as she joins a ship crew. During her time at sea her ship is attacked by pirates, and being so impressed by a lady in the pirate crew, she takes out her own crew's captain with a single shot. She is taken as part of the pirate crew still under the guise of a man. She becomes fond of the lady, Anne, she was impressed with while she still yearns for the boy she loved back home.
Throughout the book, every chapter or two, we get a look back at Mary's past and why she even disguised herself in the first place. Her mom was a poor, drunk woman who used Mary by dressing her up as Mark, a son who passed. By doing this, Mary was forced in to deceiving her Grandma in to seeing her as her heir. This was a nice way to keep the reader engaged with the present while letting them in on Mary's background, without the massive information dump that hinders many other books.
Mary is a girl who yearns to be what she believes is right. She wants to be a woman and with her childhood love. She is tired of deceit, and yet when she is outed, everything changes. She realizes those who considered her opinion as one of a man's now cares not about hers as a woman. We also see how Mary is divided within herself over who she loves, and whether it is acceptable or not within herself. You can feel her pain as she can't seem to understand her, just as much as Anne is in the same predicament. What I loved about this was in the end she realizes it is okay to love whom you want, regardless of what anyone else may think.
This book made me think about a lot of social issues when it came to love, the lack of equal standing with men and women, and how people are looked down upon for being outside of the norms. I thought about how much things have changed since the 1700s, and yet how much things haven't in many ways. I can look at current politics in the U.S. and see how many wish we were headed back to the way many think and lead back then.
My only significant gripe about this book was the lack of Pirate adventure and action. It had some, but kind of leaves that desire a bit unfulfilled in the grand scheme of everything that happens. The way some of the early moments of this book play out, you almost expect a bit more, but it never comes. Overall I really enjoyed The Unbinding of Mary Reade and how it touches upon social aspects like feminism and LGBTQ in an older setting. Any book that has me sitting back in and giving serious thought to topics present after I'm finished is doing a good job.
Cover Thoughts: While it definitely a beautiful cover and sets the tone for the overall Pirate theme, I feel like the cover promises more of a pirate adventure than what is actually had.
Rating: 4 out of 5
You can check out this review and other reviews of books, games, and see my K-Pop fangasming over at g-nitro.com
After reading Daughter of the Pirate King last year, I needed more novels featuring women pirates. So when I heard about The Unbinding of Mary Reade I knew I had to read it, and thankfully I was able to. Below I am going to discuss some things in the review that may be spoilerish, so be warned.
So Mary Reade is a young lady who learns to disguise herself as a boy as she joins a ship crew. During her time at sea her ship is attacked by pirates, and being so impressed by a lady in the pirate crew, she takes out her own crew's captain with a single shot. She is taken as part of the pirate crew still under the guise of a man. She becomes fond of the lady, Anne, she was impressed with while she still yearns for the boy she loved back home.
Throughout the book, every chapter or two, we get a look back at Mary's past and why she even disguised herself in the first place. Her mom was a poor, drunk woman who used Mary by dressing her up as Mark, a son who passed. By doing this, Mary was forced in to deceiving her Grandma in to seeing her as her heir. This was a nice way to keep the reader engaged with the present while letting them in on Mary's background, without the massive information dump that hinders many other books.
Mary is a girl who yearns to be what she believes is right. She wants to be a woman and with her childhood love. She is tired of deceit, and yet when she is outed, everything changes. She realizes those who considered her opinion as one of a man's now cares not about hers as a woman. We also see how Mary is divided within herself over who she loves, and whether it is acceptable or not within herself. You can feel her pain as she can't seem to understand her, just as much as Anne is in the same predicament. What I loved about this was in the end she realizes it is okay to love whom you want, regardless of what anyone else may think.
This book made me think about a lot of social issues when it came to love, the lack of equal standing with men and women, and how people are looked down upon for being outside of the norms. I thought about how much things have changed since the 1700s, and yet how much things haven't in many ways. I can look at current politics in the U.S. and see how many wish we were headed back to the way many think and lead back then.
My only significant gripe about this book was the lack of Pirate adventure and action. It had some, but kind of leaves that desire a bit unfulfilled in the grand scheme of everything that happens. The way some of the early moments of this book play out, you almost expect a bit more, but it never comes. Overall I really enjoyed The Unbinding of Mary Reade and how it touches upon social aspects like feminism and LGBTQ in an older setting. Any book that has me sitting back in and giving serious thought to topics present after I'm finished is doing a good job.
Cover Thoughts: While it definitely a beautiful cover and sets the tone for the overall Pirate theme, I feel like the cover promises more of a pirate adventure than what is actually had.
Rating: 4 out of 5
You can check out this review and other reviews of books, games, and see my K-Pop fangasming over at g-nitro.com
OH MY GOD! WHY IS THIS SO GOOD! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!
Okay seriously... THIS IS SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!
But let's be serious.... HOLY HELL!!!! IT'S AMAZING!!!!!
5 out of 5... I'm done...
Okay seriously... THIS IS SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!
But let's be serious.... HOLY HELL!!!! IT'S AMAZING!!!!!
5 out of 5... I'm done...
I received a digital copy free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Fate of The Stars by Arwen Paris is an interesting Science Fiction adventure about an alien invasion on Earth. Allison is a young high school girl who recently lost her father and is struggling to recover from that loss. She is chosen as a host for a sentient being named Eenoki just before a vicious alien invasion begins. She is torn between wanting to be with her friends and family, becoming whom she was chosen to be, and dealing with the responsibility of saving earth that has been thrust upon her. She must also deal with an Alliance who is trying to wipe out the invaders by taking Earth with it.
Allison was such a unique character for me, as she isn't just another character who accepts things easily and sets forth to do what she was chosen to do. She constantly is fighting with her own lack of confidence, her fear, her loss of loved ones, and other factors. This made her entirely relatable, and characters like her always make me think about how ridiculous it is that many just accept the hero role without much thought or inner turmoil. I enjoyed watching her grow through out this book to learn and accept who she is, yet still have insecurities about herself and whether she is capable of carrying such a burden even.
The story itself won't really surprise anyone who reads a lot of Sci-Fi. The Ma'tiok invaders and their gruesome nature definitely conjured up some disturbing images in my imagination. I thought the other races like the Vongjar and the Hytans were kind of by the numbers. One bound by honor, and the other is led by someone who isn't. Just kind of by the numbers in my opinion. Eenoki, the being who chose Allison as a host was probably the most interesting, but I wish a bit more was revealed about him as a whole.
As for the writing, I struggled with it a bit in the beginning. I felt like Paris spends a bit too much time being over descriptive. It kind of takes away from allowing my own imagination to conjure up what I'm reading about, and forces it a bit much. Much of the first half of the book is lacking in a lot of conversations, and it is just the reader following what Allison is thinking and seeing about what she is experiencing. I found the second half of the book much more interesting. The general pace of the story picks up, and things become more interesting as she learns her role in everything. Where I found myself taking breaks early on, I couldn't put the book down once I hit that halfway point.
Overall, Fate of the Stars is a really good YA debut. Allison as a character makes up for some story shortcomings and early pacing issues. I truly felt empathy for her, and just connected with her as a protagonist. By the end of this novel, I found myself eager for the sequel to see how her journey continues. For Allison's character alone, I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick and enjoyable Sci-Fi read.
Cover Thoughts: It definitely emanates Science Fiction in a very stereotypical way, but I love how the book showcases Allison's eyes. Her eyes help grab your attention when I don't think I'd have given this book a second look with them missing. I do wish the the little quote wasn't there at the bottom, as it mimics the overly used phrase from Uncle Ben in Spider-Man.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Beers
Fate of The Stars by Arwen Paris is an interesting Science Fiction adventure about an alien invasion on Earth. Allison is a young high school girl who recently lost her father and is struggling to recover from that loss. She is chosen as a host for a sentient being named Eenoki just before a vicious alien invasion begins. She is torn between wanting to be with her friends and family, becoming whom she was chosen to be, and dealing with the responsibility of saving earth that has been thrust upon her. She must also deal with an Alliance who is trying to wipe out the invaders by taking Earth with it.
Allison was such a unique character for me, as she isn't just another character who accepts things easily and sets forth to do what she was chosen to do. She constantly is fighting with her own lack of confidence, her fear, her loss of loved ones, and other factors. This made her entirely relatable, and characters like her always make me think about how ridiculous it is that many just accept the hero role without much thought or inner turmoil. I enjoyed watching her grow through out this book to learn and accept who she is, yet still have insecurities about herself and whether she is capable of carrying such a burden even.
The story itself won't really surprise anyone who reads a lot of Sci-Fi. The Ma'tiok invaders and their gruesome nature definitely conjured up some disturbing images in my imagination. I thought the other races like the Vongjar and the Hytans were kind of by the numbers. One bound by honor, and the other is led by someone who isn't. Just kind of by the numbers in my opinion. Eenoki, the being who chose Allison as a host was probably the most interesting, but I wish a bit more was revealed about him as a whole.
As for the writing, I struggled with it a bit in the beginning. I felt like Paris spends a bit too much time being over descriptive. It kind of takes away from allowing my own imagination to conjure up what I'm reading about, and forces it a bit much. Much of the first half of the book is lacking in a lot of conversations, and it is just the reader following what Allison is thinking and seeing about what she is experiencing. I found the second half of the book much more interesting. The general pace of the story picks up, and things become more interesting as she learns her role in everything. Where I found myself taking breaks early on, I couldn't put the book down once I hit that halfway point.
Overall, Fate of the Stars is a really good YA debut. Allison as a character makes up for some story shortcomings and early pacing issues. I truly felt empathy for her, and just connected with her as a protagonist. By the end of this novel, I found myself eager for the sequel to see how her journey continues. For Allison's character alone, I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick and enjoyable Sci-Fi read.
Cover Thoughts: It definitely emanates Science Fiction in a very stereotypical way, but I love how the book showcases Allison's eyes. Her eyes help grab your attention when I don't think I'd have given this book a second look with them missing. I do wish the the little quote wasn't there at the bottom, as it mimics the overly used phrase from Uncle Ben in Spider-Man.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Beers
I needed a book like this. After a lot of darker novels, it was nice to read something a bit more light-hearted and comical. Seeing Sun Wu Kong, Erlang Shen, and others from Chinese mythology was awesome. The secret behind Genie was really cool. I really hope this have more books coming, because I need more of Genie in my life. 4.25 out of 5.
Okay I'm going to write a more serious review here, so my thoughts on this sequel are as follows.
HOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY S******************************!
I thought it was going to feel gimmicky a second time around.
Well, it didn't, and OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! IT WAS FREAKING FAAAAAAAAANTAAAAAAAAAAASTIIIIIIIIIIC!
3 weeks until the sequel... GIVE ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY S******************************!
I thought it was going to feel gimmicky a second time around.
Well, it didn't, and OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! IT WAS FREAKING FAAAAAAAAANTAAAAAAAAAAASTIIIIIIIIIIC!
3 weeks until the sequel... GIVE ME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the style of prose, as it set the tone of Young Ju well. Sadly, too many highlighted moments that felt easily forgotten with no consequence or reward. Just left me thinking "Ok, so what happened with that?", and never getting the answer. The story is emotional and sometimes very tough to read with the abusive father.
I think this is an important read overall, but hampered by inconsistency with story telling.
I think this is an important read overall, but hampered by inconsistency with story telling.