Review: Not if I Save You First

Not if I Save You First
by Ally Carter

Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: March 27, 2018

NOT IF I SAVE YOU FIRST by Ally Carter is about a 16 year old named Maddie, who was friends the President's son, Logan. Maddie moves suddenly to Alaska after an incident involving her dad at the White House. For 6 years she has been writing letters to Logan but he never responds. Then Logan's dad decides to send him to Alaska, where he is kidnapped and Maddie has to find him. I really enjoyed this book! It was well written and the plot never faltered; I couldn't stop reading! I highly recommend it.

Review: The Last Girl on Earth

The Last Girl on Earth
by Alexandra Blogier

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 23, 2018

THE LAST GIRL ON EARTH by Alexandra Blogier is about a teenager named Li. She is a human living on an alien planet with beings that look just like humans but aren't. These beings have killed all other humans. Li must struggle to survive.  

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. At first I thought it seemed very cheesy. But as I got into it, I started to really enjoy it. I really liked the plot and the author did a good job of keeping the book moving. There were plenty of plot twists and I couldn't put this book down! 
  

Review: Wonder Woman: Warbringer

Wonder Woman: Warbringer
by Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: August 29, 2017

WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER is about Diana Prince trying to save the lives of everyone she cares about, including a stranger, Alia, that crashed near Themyscira. Breaking every law of her home, Diana swims out to save her. It turns out that Alia is part of a line of “Warbringers,” who unintentionally cause turmoil, as well as war. Diana chooses to try to end the line of Warbringers by venturing into the World of Man, despite her place on Themyscira. 

I enjoyed reading WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER, and would highly recommend it. However, there were a few things I felt could have been done better. The story starts with Diana entering a race against her sisters, but Diana diverts from the race in order to save Alia. When we learn what the race meant to Diana, we learn that she is only seen as the queen’s daughter, not a fellow warrior. I could not help but feel a bit sad for Diana when she so easily abandoned her goal to view a shipwreck. I feel it would have been more appropriate to see how Diana does in the race, so we would get a better view of who she is and what she can do a bit earlier on in the story. At the end of the book, when Diana returns to Themyscira, we see a brief glance at the aftermath of Diana’s adventure. However, I really wished that they would have extended the aftermath a bit more. Throughout the book, Diana wonders how her actions would affect her family, and how they would treat her when she returned, but when she actually does return, she has little interaction with any Amazons. 

The story itself is very good and has a diverse cast with an excellent plot twist. While reading, I was trying to predict what the plot twist would be (the seemingly simple task made me certain that there would be one), but I was completely surprised by what it turned out to be. 

As a side note, I was a bit surprised that the author chose to call the inhabitants of Themyscira “Amazons,” and not “Amazonians”. While these terms have usually been exchanged without much explanation, I expected “Amazonians”. Those who are at least acquainted with the Wonder Woman comics or the recent Wonder Woman movie will easily be able to understand how the politics work on Themyscira. While one may think it is an adaption of the movie (due to its recent release), the book is completely its own canon, and not based on any comic book storyline that I am aware of. 

Review: Dead Girls Society

Dead Girls Society
by Michelle Krys

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: November 8, 2016


Michelle Krys, author of HEXED and CHARMED, writes a heart-pounding mystery-thriller that’s a combination of “The Breakfast Club” and “Panic” in her most recent release, DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY. Hope Callahan is sick, with a condition called cystic fibrosis— which has forced her to drop out of school and all things social; she instead spends her days getting treatments from her mom, and watching reruns on TV. So when she’s invited by the mysterious Society to an abandoned warehouse, she decides to finally take a risk and break free of her sterile confines. From there… things get complicated. DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY manages to capture high school life amidst its faced-paced action and intriguing mystery, whilst never skimping on its characters. Personally, I can’t read a novel if I don’t root for at least one character, and I managed to root for nearly every character in this book. Each person has their own motives and reasons behind every choice they make, and practically everyone isn’t who you initially think they are. If you like Mystery-Thrillers with a bit of YA-Romance, and real, genuine characters— be sure to pick up DEAD GIRLS SOCIETY.

    

Review: Every Hidden Thing

Every Hidden Thing
by Kenneth Oppel

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 11, 2016

EVERY HIDDEN THING by Kenneth Oppel is a compelling story that is quite similar to Romeo and Juliet. There are two rival families, the Bolts and the Cartlands, who are attempting to be the first to discover a massive set of dinosaur bones, and the two teenagers of the respective families, Samuel and Rachel, are brought together. Although this is very different than books that I usually read, as I am into mainly action and adventure books, the romance does not take up the entire story, and there is still plenty of suspense to keep me interested. I enjoyed the book largely due to this mix of action and romance, and I feel as if other people would enjoy it too. Overall, I had a great experience reading this book and would definitely recommend it to others.

Review: Zero Day

Zero Day 
By Jan Gangsei

Publication Date: January 12, 2016

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion 

ZERO DAY, by Jan Gangsei, is suspenseful to the core, with plenty of action.  Gangsei intertwines modern day politics with the haunted and mysterious past of the President, Mark Webster. His daughter, Addie, disappeared eight years ago, and she reappears at a strange time.  This thriller of a book kept me constantly anxious, waiting to see what happens next. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mystery, action, and page turning suspense.

Review: Hear

Hear by Robin Epstein

Publication Date: December 29, 2015

Publisher: Soho Teen 

Kassandra Black thought her life was over when she got expelled from her high school and the admission to her dream school revoked. With nowhere else to apply and her future in shambles, she must spend the summer working in her mysterious uncle's teen program, H.E.A.R., at Henley University in exchange for acceptance into the school. Turns out, she and her fellow students in H.E.A.R. are handpicked lab rats on her uncle's quest to analyze ESP capacity. Soon, Kassandra realizes that she is doing things with her mind she never thought possible, and she is terrified. If that weren't enough, an ominous mystery, with more questions being asked than answered every day, is taking over the lives of her and the other H.E.A.R.s. With their lives and others in danger every step closer they get to the truth, they must learn to use their gifts and work together in order to survive.

   

In the never ending stream of new books being released, it is rare to find a unique concept, let alone one as well written as this. The story moved along quickly without unnecessary prose, but gave enough details and emotions to add depth to the characters. I really enjoyed how the story focused more on the paranormal and dangerous aspects of their ESP rather than the romantic subplots. I found myself sucked into the story, reading for hours at a time in anticipation for what would happen next. I would highly recommend it for anyone with in interest in sci-fi, paranormal, mystery, action, romance, or fantasy.

Review: Inherit Midnight

Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers
Publication date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

INHERIT MIDNIGHT is about a girl named Avery who races around the world doing challenges based on her ancestor’s past, and competing to win the family inheritance. There is a lot of action in this book, but it is mixed in with a lot of details about her stuck-up family and her love interest, who by the way, seemed very realistic, which I normally find never happens. The bits to do with her family were very relatable to me, even though I don’t think anyone’s family is as full of secrets as Avery’s. Another reason I particularly liked this book is because the main character is such a strong and independent female, who doesn't let her love interest get in the way of her main goal; winning the family inheritance. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes action fiction, but who doesn't necessarily want that to be the only thing they get from a novel. Ages 12 and up.

Review: Chasing Power

Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst
Publication date: October 14, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury

CHASING POWER is an action novel about a very unique family that has been both created and torn apart by powerful and ancient magic, but sixteen-year-old Kayla has no knowledge of her family’s complicated past. She only knows that she and her mother must hide her telekinetic powers or her father will find and destroy Kayla, just as he did to her sister Amanda. All of Kayla’s caution evaporates when a boy seeks Kayla’s help in rescuing a kidnapped woman, and Kayla finds out there is much more to the story of her family.

This book is intriguing, because it examines the effects of power on family relationships and the emotional toll it can take. It also has a fun, detailed plot filled with action, romance, and the supernatural. It is an easy, but enjoyable, read that is descriptive with a great storyline and a twisting plot (which was unfortunately revealed in a little too much detail on the back of the book). The plot did occasionally drag or seem overly long, but overall this was a great read.

Review: Divided We Fall

Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine
Publishing date: January 28, 2014

DIVIDED WE FALL is a great story about Private First Class Daniel Wright. On his first ever mission, he is sent to control a riot in Boise where he is hit with a rock, and because of the surprise, he shoots the bullet that starts a war between Idaho and America. This story is slow throughout but I would expect this is a set up to future sequels. The end of the book throws an intense plot twist that will have your jaw drop. I would recommend this book to ages fourteen and up due to alcohol, language, violence, and sexual references. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see if there is a sequel.

Review: The Nethergrim

The Nethergrim by Matthew Jobin
Publisher: Penguin
Publishing date: April 8, 2014

THE NETHERGRIM, by Matthew Jobin, is an action-packed adventure book about three teenagers named, Edmund, Katherine, and Tom. Although each character is very different from one another, they are best friends. When Edmund's brother is captured by an evil monster named the Nethergrim, the friends set out on a journey to get him back. This book is very action-packed and suspenseful, and once you start reading, it is very hard to stop. The characters in the story feel real and you can relate to what they are feeling. This book resembles The Chronicles of Narnia because of its fantasy style and the time and because of the middle age fighting techniques. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages because of the action in each page.

Review: The Nerdy Dozen

The Nerdy Dozen by Jeff Miller 
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: June 10, 2014

The book THE NERDY DOZEN by Jeff Miller started a little slow, but turned out to be a great book. There was constant action, and I didn't ever know what was going to happen next. Also, the idea that a nerdy group of kids could become pilots for the United States Air Force helped to create comedy in the book. I would definitely recommend this book to ages 12 and up because it is easy to read and has lots of comedy that is very appropriate. I would definitely read this book again.

Review: V is for Villain

V is for Villain by Peter Moore
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication date: May 20, 2014

"V IS FOR VILLAIN" by Peter Moore is a book about a group of villains in a world full of superheroes who run the government. Brad Baron will never be able to live up to his world-famous brother. He doesn't have any superhuman powers like his brother does, but what he lacks in physical strength he makes up for with is mental capabilities. While the rest of his family worries about Brad's lack of physical capabilities, Brad meets a new group of friends who will forever change him.

I could not put this book down. I was constantly wondering what Brad's next move would be. I loved how the villain was seen as the protagonist and how the superheroes, usually in this position, are now seen as the antagonists. I also liked how there were examples of each side: Brad's brother represented the hero and Mutagion represented the villain. I also liked the planning that came before the action, preparing you for what was to come. Although I would definitely read the sequel (the ending makes it clear that there will be one), I think that this book could use improvement: I wish that when Brad said some things, he had actually believed what he was saying and had thought about them beforehand (he is often saying he doesn't know where his thoughts and words come from), I feel that the small amount of romance in the book could have been more successful, I feel that there were a couple of unnecessary scenes, and I feel that Brad's claim that every word in the book is true makes it only more fictional. Other than this one fictional aspect (not including the superpowers, of course), the personalities of all the main characters were very realistic.

This book kind of resembles the "H.I.V.E." series by Mark Walden. I also think it resembles the Avengers, reversed and from the villain's perspective. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.

Review: Codename Zero

Codename Zero by Chris Rylander
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: February 4, 2014

Carson Fender leads a boring life in North Dakota until, one day, a man hands him a package containing instructions. Because of this package, he discovers a secret government agency that's been hiding within his small town and this agency needs his help.

This book, while admittedly written for a younger audience than me, was a very fun and entertaining read. Throughout the book, I could not put it down, anxiously hanging on the exploits of our two young boys, the main characters. Although the plot seems a little far-fetched at times, I know that it is the dream of many teenage boys to become spies or secret agents, and through this book, we get the chance to. There is not very much overt bloodshed or torture and the reading level is not extraordinarily complex. It is for this very reason that I would personally recommend this YA book for all children from ages 12-15. This book will provide hours of excitement and enjoyment for the reader as they follow the intrepid, newly minted secret agent on his path.