The 5th Wave (Rick Yancey)

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, for those who are celebrating it today! Hope you are enjoying your time and are appreciating everything you have to be thankful for. This book is one I have been meaning to read for a while, after first hearing about it from YouTuber Joey Graceffa. He gave this book high praise and I wasn’t going to pass on this book after hearing about it at that level of enthusiasm. When I first picked up the book, I was not aware that this was set to be apart of a trilogy; I was disappointed when I found out, especially since the third book is not due to release until 2016. But, with that detail set aside, I read the book and I’m excited to share my thoughts.

The 5^th Wave is a futuristic, science fiction novel that follows the stories of several people whose lives become very intertwined as they struggle to survive. The novel is broken into clear cut sections, each following the mind set of another individual trying to survive to the next day; a few of these characters include Cassia, Sam, Ben, and Evan, though there are many other viewpoints you get to experience in addition to those four. The story begins by explaining how the Earth reached “the 5^th wave” and who was behind these destructive waves: aliens who appear to want to exterminate and move in. But, humans, being the stubborn species that we are, won’t go down without a fight, and the characters plan to do just that: fight. Cassia and Sam fight for family, Ben fights for righting past mistakes, and Evan fights for change. Who will come out on top: humans or aliens?

I know what you must be thinking – another science fiction novel? Struggle to survive? – this is just going to be a cookie cutter story of what you’ve reviewed in the past. I too had my reservations about it all as I started, but it has a lot going for it. Though I was worried about the constant switch of perspective, especially since they aren’t clearly labelled as to which character you have entered the mind of, it only slightly distracted from the plot. Each character brings a unique viewpoint of the problem at hand and a unique way of dealing with the pressures of an extraterrestrial attack. Cassia is the sister you would want rooting for you: she is strong and does not flinch when faced with a challenge. Sam is the brother you would want to protect until he’s an adult, though he has grown up so quickly that he is just fine on his own. Ben is the “boy next door” type that you would label as a hard-core guy, but discover he may actually be sensitive behind all the walls. Evan is the mysterious boy that is dangerous and raises some red flags, but also melts you inside so you hold on tight. I really enjoyed the diversity of the characters, especially since they blended together so well.

The plot of the story is slightly cookie cutter “aliens attack Earth”, and I did find myself predicting some of the events that popped up along the way; however, I was very immersed in the novel and struggled to pace my reading. There are a few moments in the story that take you by surprise or leave you yelling at the pages, hoping to get through to the character with your outside perspective. I would have preferred the story be written from only two or three perspectives instead of the upwards of six you go through, but I do understand the author’s reasoning behind doing so. Though the stories of the characters are intertwined, they take place in their own time and space; trying to tie them together without separate perspectives would be difficult.

As mentioned at the beginning, this is the first book in a series of three novels. The second book is entitled The Infinite Sea and the third book is entitled The Last Star, due to publish on May 17, 2016. The first book is also coming out as a movie, premiering in January 2016!

 

Overall I would rate The 5^th Wave 3.5/5 because the multiple perspectives left lags between sections, since it took me a few paragraphs to grasp which character I was following. Also, the lower rating is due to the slight cookie cutter plotline; I would have enjoyed some more creativity, especially with the four waves leading up to the 5^th wave.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Ready Player One (Ernest Cline)

Welcome to another review being posted within the schedule! Hope you are all enjoying the consistency of my posting, as well as the books I am reviewing; I've been lucky enough to be in a pretty good streak for books at the moment. This next book is one I came across on Tumblr, but it was also suggested by a couple YouTubers that I still watch. After reading the summary for this novel, I was instantly intrigued. I absolutely love books that mess the worlds of reality and virtual reality. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may recall a book I read called Erobos that did exactly that. Since I'm a fan of gaming, being able to collide the worlds of virtual reality and the real world in a book is one of my favourite things!

Ready Player One is a science fiction novel that follows the lives of real people entering an online world known as OASIS. The main character of this novel is Wade, a teenager whose life in the real world is not desirable and difficult to remain in. Being an orphan, forced to live in a trailer park with his heartless aunt, one can understand the desire of OASIS; especially when the stakes of being in it are so high. The creator of this virtual reality (James Halliday), upon his death, raised the stakes for immersing yourself in his world of OASIS: the first person to claim three keys and clear their three respective gates would win millions of credits and gain immortality and invincibility. Wade, not liking the real world, became a gunter, meaning he spends most of his time in OASIS searching for the ultimate prize. But as the first key is discovered, the challenge becomes increasingly difficult as one corporation tries everything to finish the race first. Who will claim the prize, and at what cost?

Reading this book was both thrilling and unstoppable - I completed this book in approximately three days. The characters in this novel have distinct personalities, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I never once questioned the real nature of their online personalities in OASIS, though there were a few twists towards the end that took me by surprise! That's another thing about this book that made it so incredible to read: it wasn't predictable. The story had twists and turns that I didn't expect, each with significant tolls on the characters and plot.

One thing that I didn't like was the extensive explanation present within the story. I understand that the details were meant to help immerse the characters in the culture of which Halliday based his contest on. Despite the relevance of the extra explanation, I found them to distract from the main plot line of which I truly wanted to read. Despite this, I found a way to not let it ruin my opinion of the book - I simply skimmed over the parts that were not completely relevant to the plot.

A handful of alternate book covers!

   

Upon completion of the book, I discovered that there are plans to turn this book into a movie! The film is set to release in 2017 and will be directed by Steven Speilberg

Overall I would rate Ready Player One a 4.5/5 because it was absolutely thrilling, leaving me immersed in the world of OASIS. The decrease of 0.5 from a perfect score is due to the over explained aspects of what made up Halliday's contest.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The Bodies We Wear (Jeyn Roberts)

Hello again everyone! I'm officially starting to get this blog back on a decent publishing schedule and it makes me really happy knowing that. Since it's mid-September, quite a few of you may be back at school and already feeling like you're drowning in work. But, despite that, reading is something I always made sure to make time for and encourage you to as well. This book was an easy read, so it's a good one to start with if you decide to add reading nightly into your routine; I promise you it's a good way to distract yourself from the stressful or tiring day you've had, either at school or work.

The Bodies We Wear is a science fiction novel that follows the life of Faye, a seventeen year old girl who has survived six years past her expected life span. In the world that she exists in, there is a drug referred to as Heam that allows the user to die momentarily and see heaven; however, not everyone has a pleasant experience, especially when you overdose. An overdose is equivalent to painting a target on your back. The moment you've been marked, your ability to live a normal life becomes near impossible. Faye, on the other hand, defies odds to attend school in the hopes of a normal teenage life. Despite her attempt at normality, Faye's activities outside of school are far from normal, due to her plot for revenge that left her marked by Heam. But just as she starts to get going, a ghost from the past seems to want to help her instead of haunt her. Who is this ghost, and what is their purpose? Will Faye succeed in normality, or will her plan for revenge rip that away from her?

While reading this book, I truly struggled to put the book down. I found myself binge-reading the novel, despite my busy schedule, and finished the full story within three days. The reading itself is very easy and required no brain power at all; but I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Since the wording was simple, it allowed me to focus more on immersing myself in the characters and plot development. The concept behind the story was unique to me - I haven't read something quite like it yet. Faye is definitely a character that I bow down to and strive to be. She is incredibly strong, knows who she is, and doesn't let her physical flaws (and the society's interpretation of them) define her life; I wish I had her grounded self of being. The other main character - who I referred to as a ghost and am going to keep nameless - is the type of guy I would like to meet. He is caring and truly wants to give Faye a life of meaning and happiness; he knows what's best for her and tries to make her see that too.

I do applaud the author Jeyn Roberts on this story because it could have been a very predictable plot, but I didn't find it to be. After visiting her website, I discovered she has two other novels listed there, set to be part of a trilogy. I might just be adding this author to my list of authors to watch, because both of her books peaked my interest with only a glance at the cover and a skim of the synopsis.

 

Overall I would rate The Bodies We Wear a 4/5 because it was a brilliant story with some incredible characters, but I did feel that something was missing. The plot consisted of several mini climax points, but it didn't have a main climax point. Maybe that's a personal preference, but I really do enjoy when there is a point in the book that sideswipes you and takes you on a roller coaster ride.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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Fire In The Stars (Isabella & Mitchell)

Welcome back to my blog if you are a returning reader, or just simply welcome if you are new here. My name is Kelly and I absolutely love to read, sharing my opinions on the stories as I go. The reason I’m starting off with a more formal introduction, is because this review is more special than the rest: it is part of a virtual book tour! I was asked by one of the authors of this book if I would like to participate in the virtual book tour for the upcoming novel Fire In The Stars. Of course I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review a book that had yet to be released to the public. The moment the novel landed in my inbox, I dove right into the story and I am so glad I did!

Fire In The Stars is a co-written book by Isabella Rogge and Mitchell Thomas Kazanjian. The two authors came together to write a science fiction book from two perspectives for the two main characters: Harper and Clint. The story takes place in a world where teenage and child delinquents are exiled to the island of Penance. The island is an isolated world where only the fit survive and the fittest lead the lesser. Clint, being one of the original, is the island’s very own “bad cop” in a way, doing jobs that would not be desirable; though his status on the island provides him with the privacy to live in his own bubble. Harper, being one of the newest additions to the island, still has a lot to learn if she is going to survive in her new home. Not long after her arrival, the dynamic of the island is turned on its head and Harper always seems to end up smack-dab in the middle of it. Who will be the fittest to survive above the rest? Harper, Clint, or neither?

After I finished reading this novel, I was left staring at my black computer screen just sitting in awe of the incredible story that I had just finished reading. How is one supposed to go on after they complete a book they didn't want to see end? When I was first approached by Isabella with a co-written book, I was thrilled by the opportunity but worried about having two authors; I have read co-written books before and have often found a disconnect between chapters. For Fire In The Stars, there is no hint of disconnect whatsoever! The two perspectives, that of Harper and Clint, are so seamlessly intertwined that it felt as though the two authors were in fact one. The characters themselves are also so real that it's as though you are watching their lives unfold before your own eyes, just watching from behind a tree on Penance Island. It was as if I had known these characters before, instead of trying to learn who they were. They each had their own distinct personality as well, which made the story that much more enjoyable!

Another enjoyable part, especially for me, was the pace of the story. From the very first page, the story began and not once did that pace seem to falter or slow; the consistency was impeccable! With each new chapter, you learned more about Penance Island and those who have existed in this make-shift society since the beginning of its time; it was as though my mind was filling in the details of the poorly defined map given to the new additions to the island - it was like I was one of the "Fins" of this world.

Fire In The Stars is due to release on September 18, 2015 and I encourage all of you reading this review to go out and give this book a read - I promise you won't regret the decision to do so! For more details about the book or the authors, make sure to check out the BOOK BLOG or the BOOK WEBSITE.

Overall I would rate Fire In The Stars a 5/5 because I didn't want it to end whatsoever! The world that existed on Penance Island was one that you didn't want to live on, but also didn't want to let go of. Most certainly a must read!

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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*OTS* Innocence (Dean Koontz)

Welcome back to another review! I finally feel like I'm getting back on track with this blog, and I'm hoping to continue that so there is a new review every 2-3 weeks. For this review, I don't actually have a back story as to why I chose to read the book - there was no request, no friend suggestions, and no discovery through Tumblr: I just pulled it directly off the shelf and decided to give it a go! This is almost like my personal take off of Meghan Camarena's (Strawburry17) YouTube show called Something New. Since I don't have other people's opinions or preconceived notions of the book, my opinion can not be clouded by what I had already visioned in my mind. I'm going to call it Off The Shelf and will include OTS in the title of any review part of this series. Here we go :)

Innocence by Dean Koontz is an adult fiction novel, categorized as suspense, fantasy, and romance: which makes it a triple threat in my mind, since you get a little bit of everything. The story follows Addison, a boy left to lead a life of solitude beneath the city due to a difference in him that would certainly get him killed by society. Having been used to the horrors above ground, Addison becomes curious of a girl, Gwyneth lurking through the night despite her ability to exist in the day. Upon discovery of Gwyneth's secrets, Addison is drawn out of the shadows to help her survive from the horrors of her past. The story can be described as a contemporary version of Beauty and the Beast, in a round about way; two unlikely characters coming together for one purpose.

The overall story plot was interesting and I did find myself being drawn into the book whilst I was reading it; however, I found the book to be slow and I even found myself confused at times. Before I found myself immersed in the book, I was at least halfway through the novel itself - not something you want to discover. Once you are halfway through a book, you should have already been sold and at the point where you refuse to put the book down; I on the other hand was left wondering if I should just put it down and be done with it. Despite not wanting to continue, I did so for the sake of finishing the book for a complete opinion.

Upon completion, I was left with mixed emotions. The relationship that developed between Addison and Gwyneth was unique and believable, which I was very glad to discover. Seeing an unlikely pair grow together, despite their own flaws, restored my hope in authors creating believable relationships, instead of "society-perfected" ones. However, despite the wonderful relationship between the main characters, the writing of the book was flawed. The chapters continuously flipped between past memories and present occurrences, without any distinction between the two; the first few times this happened, I was left extremely confused. More confusion occurred when I finish the book, since one of the constant pieces brought up in the book didn't play a significant role or have an final explanation; to those who have read this, you will likely know that I am referring to the marionettes.

Alternate Cover

Overall I would rate this book a 2.5/5 because it was slow and had poor plot conclusions, but it did have a good character relationship. One thumbs up and one thumbs down!

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

P.s. Make sure to come back on September 1st for a special review!

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Zodiac (Romina Russell)

Good morning readers! How is everyone enjoying the first days of August? I hope everything is well and that you are enjoying your summer - unless you are somewhere like Australia, then I hope you're keeping warm in your winter. The following review is for a book I discovered through Tumblr, having seen it a lot on my dashboard; however, I read about 2 months ago, but never got around to writing about. Therefore, I apologize for the short review as my memory of books upon starting another is actually quite terrible.

Zodiac is a science fiction book written by Romina Russell, that creates a physical world around the 12 astrological signs. Each of the signs are visualized into individual planets, all of which are governed by a single Guardian. The 12 planets lived in harmony and peace until a violent blast struck the moons of Cancer. This worldly disaster left Rhoma Grace (Rho for short), a 16 year old student, with a lot of responsible and an eye for astrology that the elder Guardians couldn't understand. Rho is left to convince these Guardians that the disaster is not some of natural cause, but of a a 13th figure. But does Rho really know what she is fully leading herself into?

Before starting this novel, I was very intrigued with the both the cover art and the actual concept of the story. Creating physical beings and planets from the astrological signs, is a unique plot that I had never read before; thus I had relatively high expectations. But regardless of my standard, the book left me disappointed, and at times confused. The beginning of the short became an overwhelming blurb of information and I found character introduction to be vague and confusing; too many characters in a short time frame, each with little guidance as to who they were. Once I had found my footing of the world and the people who existed in it, I noticed the story to be relatively captivating, but it was also slightly dry. It lacked the suspense or thrill that I hoped to find in the story - it was very standard heroine-villain relations.

Upon writing this review, I have discovered that a sequel is due to release in December, titled Wandering Star. I'm currently unsure if I will read the novel or not, but perhaps this will allow for clarification and a better sense of closure to what felt like a slightly disorganized book.

Overall I would rate this book a 3.8/5 because it was a rough start with a decent plot. I think if I had taken the time to read this story in one go, without being in school, I would have found it more enjoyable. This is definitely a need-to-binge type of plot line.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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The Great Repression (Shannon Cuthrell)

Feels like I always start off my reviews this way now, but I want to apologize for the lack of content as well as the delay of content lately; school is extremely hectic right now, but it of course always comes first. This review is slightly different than normal because it is more exciting then normal. In May, I was contacted by the author, Shannon Cuthrell, via my Tumblr page. She asked me if I would be interested in receiving a copy of her book to read and review here for you, the most wonderful readers (I'm not cheesy, I swear). I of course was thrilled by the opportunity and so excited when I received the book in the mail right before the start of June. When I finally had the time to read it, I loved every minute of it. So, without further ado, let me tell you about this incredible book!


The Great Repression is a series of poems written by Shannon while studying at school. Typically, poetry is not a medium of book that I ever reach for so having an incentive to read poetry was already extremely captivating for me. The poems each have their own unique story, and yet the book itself ties so well into the big picture. The stories presented in this collection of poems depict the hidden struggles that many people, including myself, have coped with or are learning to understand. Many of the poems touch topics such as falling in love, heartbreak, depression, and feeling overwhelmed. The poems really resonated with me because I was reminded of where I was four years ago when I was in the middle of my high school experience; it was a tough time for me and I went through quite a lot. It also reminded me of newer times - having recently been in and out of a relationship in a short time. One of the poems described perfectly what it is to be captivated by somebody new: "he settled / not just on my mind, but in it - / trapped." The words are so simply put but so incredibly accurate. A later poem also resonated after I was left to pick up the pieces; as a blogger, I run towards writing as a coping method. This poem had a line that said, "dating a writer could be the life and death of you," which is so true because depending on how you treat me, my description of you may change.

Upon finishing the series of poems, I was left sat on my bed, book in hand, just staring out into nothing. The words continued to bounce off the inside of every part of me, growing deeper in meaning and connection to my past and present. Very rarely do I ever feel so connected to words on a page, unless they are my own - raw and directly from my brain. I want to applaud Shannon for writing a piece of art. That's what it is: a piece of art. There are also illustrations in the book drawn by her brother Bradford, all of which are both abstract and beautiful.

I want to take a few lines of my review to thank Shannon for opening my eyes and mind up to the world of poetry, as I hope to add more of that to my blog now; whether that be my own attempt or other published books. I always want to thank her for sending me a copy of the book which is made so beautifully. For those of you who I hope I have intrigued, you can purchase Shannon's book The Great Repression on Amazon. If you do read her poems, don't forget to let her know your thoughts on her Blogspot page, or check out her website.

Overall, I would rate The Great Repression 5/5 because I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the way the poems were descriptive but vague enough for me to make my own personal connections.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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