Review: Life Sucks

Life Sucks
by Michael I. Bennett and Sarah Bennett

Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Publication Date: April 9, 2019

LIFE SUCKS is not a story, but more of a (slightly comedic) guide to life. It goes into detail on many common problems one may have in their life, from home to family to friends and more. This book gives advice on how to deal with many issues, understanding these issues, and how what you need to do might differ from what you think you need to do. But my favorite section of this book is “What your parents say to try to help," “...and why it isn’t helpful at all." These sections are fairly self explanatory. 

As someone who felt his life sucked for the past year, I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels like their life sucks or is struggling with any of the mentioned topics. However, I would recommend this book even more to the parents of kids who are struggling. 

Review: Through the White Wood

Through the White Wood
by Jessica Leake

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 9, 2019

THROUGH THE WHITE WOOD takes place in a world similar to our own recent past with a few key differences: superpowers and occasional magic. When Katya’s powers intensify beyond her control, she is outcast by her village and turned over to the Prince, who has an evil reputation. Katya befriends others with powers, and they help her try to gain control over her own. I really enjoyed this book. As one who loves reading about people with superpowers, the plot was not too shocking and was a bit predictable, but it was still a really enjoyable story. 

Review: The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe

The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe
by Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 26, 2019

THE LAST VOYAGE OF POE BLYTHE takes place a while after Poe’s first voyage, where Raiders killed someone she loved. Since then, she has developed armor and weapons for the Admiral with the sole purpose of killing Raiders as efficiently as possible. But when the Admiral sends her out on another mission, things go horribly wrong, leading her to suspect each and every one of her crew. I really enjoyed this book. It has sort of a steampunk, post-disaster theme that differs from a natural disaster or alien invasion. This book is more of a mystery book than anything else, as each chapter gives insight as to what each crew member was doing, causing you to evaluate and reevaluate each of the crew. However, towards the end, the story jumps to an ending that I thought came out of nowhere. 

Review: Strange Days

Strange Days
by Constantine Singer

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 4, 2018

STRANGE DAYS is about Alex Mata, a teen from Los Angeles, who possesses the talent to be capable of saving the human race from invading aliens. He is able to “Witness” a certain future, setting it in stone. This talent is used to help formulate a future where the Earth is not invaded. STRANGE DAYS is a book featuring time travel and aliens. As with many stories revolving around time manipulation, this book uses the theory that one cannot manipulate the past, only influence the future. Once a future is “seen” by a Witness, that future is destined to happen. However, I found it confusing later on in the book, where if a Witness dies, their foreseen future is no longer guaranteed. The ending is also very abrupt. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Review: Flatland

Flatland
by Edwin A. Abbott

Publisher: Dover
Publication Date: September 21, 1992

FLATLAND by Edwin A. Abbott is narrated by a Square, who describes how life works in the Second Dimension. He explains things such as how their society functions in a Caste system, how the inhabitants see or “feel” their surroundings, and the differences between males and females. FLATLAND is not really a plot-driven book, which for me, can occasionally be a bit difficult to get through. I would describe this book as “interesting”. It is not gripping or suspenseful. However, it offers a unique perspective (pun intended) of something few ponder. For those who are interested in physics, engineering, or anything geometrical, I would highly recommend this book. However, even though I myself am interested in these subjects, I still found myself rereading many passages multiple times; not because I did not understand what was being described, but because I wanted to fully comprehend it. The occasional illustration assists with understanding this different reality, but still requires much thought to truly understand and comprehend how life works in Flatland.

Review: Lifel1k3

Lifel1k3
by Jay Kristoff

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 29, 2018

In a near future, post-disaster version of Earth, Humans have created Robots with Artificial Intelligence (Logika) that are governed by the Three Rules of Robotics:
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
Eve, a Domefighter, struggles to make enough money to buy medicine for her sick Grandfather, and to keep her and her friend Lemon safe. Shortly after Eve manifests mutant abilities, they encounter a Lifelike, an Android not governed by the Three Rules. Together, Eve, the Lifelike, and Lemon go on a mission to rescue her kidnapped Grandfather and discover Eve’s mysterious past.

I really enjoyed LIFEL1K3. The book presents issues that may soon be relevant to us, such as becoming too dependent on technology, at what point is AI considered alive, and how humans would react to such changes. However, I was a bit confused as to who the target audience is. The story is rich and thought provoking, yet is written in a way that seems targeted to younger readers. While this is about a common Sci-Fi scenario, I love the depth it goes into about issues with Artificially Intelligent Androids and robots, who can both feel and think for themselves. This book reminds me of the movie Ex Machina. While LIFEL1K3 is nowhere near as intense as Ex Machina, they cover the same issues in similar ways.

Review: The Diminished

The Diminished
by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: April 10, 2018

After the Gods destroyed the Earth and split the moon, everyone is born with a twin, save a few every generation. Those who are unfortunate enough to have their twin die become Diminished, doomed to have their grief overtake them in a violent rage. The few who are Singleborn are destined to rise to the Throne and rule Alskad. Vi, a diminished, is just trying to survive unnoticed, despite the fact that she has been without her twin since birth and has never succumbed to her grief. Bo is Singleborn, heir to the throne of Alskad. 

I really liked THE DIMINISHED. It is interesting to see how the mythology of the world has shaped, and it seems intentionally unclear whether the myths are true (like in Percy Jackson), or if they are just religious beliefs that almost everyone believes. While a good story, the plot twist was extremely predictable, but this does not make the book unenjoyable. The created world is rich with mythology, lore, and conspiracy, both politically and religiously!

Review: Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves
by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: February 13, 2018

One hundred years after the Leviathans, living alien ships, came to Earth to help humanity, Zara is selected for a year long trip aboard one of them. Zara, not used to trusting anyone, is unsure of how to proceed or if she can trust the Leviathans. The trip is to ideally prepare Zara for the Journey, which no one seems to know much about and is surrounded by mystery throughout the book. It is interesting to read from the perspective of an alien ship, and how this book explores communication between Leviathans and Humans: Leviathans have basic telepathy but sometimes have trouble ‘translating’ their thoughts into something understood by the humans. I also found it interesting how Leviathans are biologically able to do what they do. They are biological, yet they are able to be upgraded and modified by technology and are aware of what goes on inside themselves. There is a lot of mystery surrounding what exactly the purpose of the trip is, and Zara does not appreciate how little she is informed. 

HONOR AMONG THIEVES heavily draws elements from DIVERGENT, LEGEND, THE HUNGER GAMES, and DOCTOR WHO. While at times the similarities can be annoying, I mostly enjoyed how it takes many familiar ideas and puts them into one story.

Review: The Martian

The Martian
by Andy Weir

Publisher: Broadway Books
Publication Date: August 28, 2014

In a near future when humans have already traveled to Mars and back, the crew of the Ares 3 recently landed on Mars. When a storm interferes with their mission, they are forced to abort and return to Earth. However, struggling to make it back to their ship, Mark Watney is hit and knocked out. This forces the crew, thinking he is dead, to leave the planet with Mark still on it. But Mark did not die in the storm, making him the only human on mars with no means of communication, little food, and a small tent trying to survive on his own.

THE MARTIAN is one of my favorite books. We get a botanist/mechanical engineer as the protagonist trying to science his way to survival, who knows he may never see another human again. The book is a constant battle of “Man vs. Nature”, where whenever Mark finally gets a bit of good luck, something almost always eventually goes wrong. We are greeted with explanations for many of Mark's scientific solutions to problems he encounters, going into enough detail that it makes sense, but not too much detail that it makes the story confusing.

Review: Batman: Nightwalker

Batman: Nightwalker
by Marie Lu

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2, 2018

BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER is about young Bruce Wayne who's just turned 18 and received access to his trust fund. After an accident on the night of his birthday, he is sentenced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, where he meets a mysterious inmate. Bruce must extract information from her in order to solve the mystery of an anarchist group named the Nightwalkers.

I really enjoyed BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER. Like the other books in this DC Icons series, the origin story of the hero is retold and remade. While not straying too far from traditional Batman lore, we see some elements taken from different continuities of Batman, as well as some original elements. One aspect that I really enjoyed was the Easter Eggs hidden in the book. While rarely referencing it directly, certain phrases give a nod to Batman lore. Those who are not too familiar with Batman will likely not understand the references, but will not lose anything as the references do not do not contribute much to the story. Also like other books in the DC Icons series, this book takes place in what seems to be present day (2017) which presents some interesting changes to the character, mainly how Wayne Enterprises has been renamed to “WayneTech,” which focuses on futuristic technology by today’s standards.

I really liked this book and would recommend it to any Batman fan, or to someone who just wants a quick hero story to read. 

Review: Otherworld

Otherworld
by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: October 31, 2017

When Simon’s best friend, Kat, is diagnosed with “Locked-in” syndrome, Simon is horrified. Fortunately, there is an experimental technology that puts a patient's mind in a virtual world, free to do whatever they want while crippled in the real world. In order to communicate with Kat, Simon sends himself into the virtual world and tries to bring her mind back to her body. 

This book very quickly became one of my favorite books of all time. Most of the characters are well developed by the end of the novel, and most characters serve a purpose that is essential for the plot. One thing I really enjoyed about OTHERWORLD is that the romance (which seems almost mandatory in most new Science Fiction books) does not seem forced; Simon develops a romantic relationship with his best friend, not someone who he just met. To me, this book clearly draws inspiration from both READY PLAYER ONE and The Matrix. It raises questions such as “at what point is something artificial alive?”, and “is humanity becoming too dependent on technology?”. One of my favorite aspects of OTHERWORLD is that it has the potential to be realistic. The only unrealistic aspect is the advanced technology, but it is within reason that it is something humans can invent in the foreseeable future. OTHERWORLD is full of conspiracy theories that keep readers questioning what they think they know. 

The story ends with a cliffhanger, and I cannot wait until the next book comes out. This book reminded me of READY PLAYER ONE and The Matrix.

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: Into the Hurricane

Into the Hurricane
by Neil Connelly

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: June 27, 2017

INTO THE HURRICANE is pretty much about what you’d expect it to be about: two kids getting trapped in a city while a category 5 hurricane passes right through it. Eli, one of the protagonists, is a depressed teenager who witnessed his older sister die. While Eli has some extreme views on life, he is a very relatable character due to his interests. Max, on the other hand, initially seems to be the complete opposite of Eli, but throughout the book, we see that they really have more and more in common than either they or we realized. As expected, a relationship forms between Eli and Max, but I really liked that it was formed appropriately over time, and never even started until the end of the book. I really liked this because it portrays a sense of realism, and does not distract anyone from the real threat. The main antagonist in this book is not the rifle wielding, car stealing, cult-like family they encounter, but Hurricane Celeste, which threatens everyone on the island.

This book really reminded me of THE MARTIAN, due to its “man vs. nature” theme. They both have their environments try to destroy their protagonists. The characters somehow find a way to escape, only to have another disaster sent to them. There is some death caused by the hurricane, but in my opinion, there was not enough. While unfortunate, I feel it would have been more realistic if at least one more character died due to the hurricane.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and while I had some minor problems with it, it was not enough to detract from my enjoyment of reading it. INTO THE HURRICANE is a bit shorter that I would have liked for this plot, but Connelly has still done a great job for the length that it is. This thriller really allows you to relate to its nicely developed characters, while still telling a great story. 

Review: Deep Water

Deep Water
by Katherine Nichols

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 2, 2017

Based on a true story, DEEP WATER depicts the drug smuggling journey of Eddie Otero over the span of about ten years. Eddie starts his operation by swimming across the ocean, eventually moving up to trucks and boats loaded with millions of dollars of marijuana. Eddie and his friends from school and work escalate from a two-man team in Coronado to an international smuggling operation. The main story is sporadically interrupted by interludes of the police trying to catch them, but not in a way that creates two major storylines. The police are like a secondary story that runs parallel to, but does not overwhelm, the main plot.

I really liked this book, and found it very interesting, especially because it really happened. Every few chapters cover one to three years, which helps portray the amount of time passed very well. This book is very gripping and usually builds great suspense right before, during, and right after each shipment. I found it interesting how the dynamics of the group worked, how they interacted with larger drug lords, and why they continued their illegal business.

Review: Splinter

Splinter
by Sasha Dawn

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2017

SPLINTER by Sasha Dawn is a mystery novel about Samantha Lang trying to figure out what happened to her mother after her disappearance ten years ago, trying to avoid the obvious conclusion that her dad is guilty. Samantha tries to play the role of a detective, finding out clues on her own. I really enjoyed this book, which is basically a puzzle. It is fun to try to think about what really happened, piecing together bits of information as they appear. Throughout the book, many of the clues that are revealed cause you to re-form your own opinion of what really happened. For each new piece of evidence, you are forced to decide how, or if, you should use the new information. I found this book to be engaging and suspenseful, and I would read other books by this author. Although it's a different genre, this book reminded me of THE MARTIAN. I would recommend this book to fans of THE MARTIAN, and also to those who like to solve or play with puzzles.

Review: The Wish Granter

The Wish Granter
by C. J. Redwine

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: February 14, 2017

In THE WISH GRANTER by C.J. Redwine, Thad makes a deal with the mysterious Wish Granter so that he and his sister Ari ascend to be the King and Princess of the kingdom. Thad does the best he can to protect his people, but is restricted by his side of the Wish Granter’s deal. Sebastian, the new weapons master, helps Ari try to find a way to get Thad out of his contract, and return peace to the kingdom. The motivation of the Wish Granter, Teague, felt a little weak, such that the extent that he goes to in order to achieve his goal seems like overkill. I enjoyed reading THE WISH GRANTER, which retells a certain fairy tale with a dark twist. Those who are not familiar with the fairy tale will not understand what it is based off of until the end of the book, but those who are familiar with it will be able to figure out the ending. I recommend this to fans of the book CINDER. 

Review: The Edge of Everything

The Edge of Everything
by Jeff Giles

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: January 31, 2017

In THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING by Jeff Giles, Zoe, a 17 year old who just lost her father, meets X, who comes from the Lowlands, a hellish afterlife. X is a super-powered bounty hunter who is assigned to capture Stan. Stan is attacking Zoe and her brother when X intervenes. Zoe and X fall in love but are separated when X has to return to the Lowlands, although he tries to escape and does what he can to reunite with her. The whole story is based off of the relationship of Zoe and X, but there are a few subplots that diverge the story and make it much more interesting.

While I really liked the book, it is written in the 3rd person, which causes some of the conversations to be a bit confusing, but it makes some parts seem more ominous. It also helps see things from an objective view, although sometimes I found it distracting me from the story. This book has a good mix of action, love, adventure, and fantasy: the supernatural boyfriend is a bounty hunter from hell and tries to escape into the real world. This book is very gripping and suspenseful. It has a satisfying ending which leaves room for a sequel, but also could be an ending to the story. There is a cliffhanger at the end, but not one big enough to suggest a sequel is definitely coming. I really liked this book and would want to read the sequel if there will be one.

Review: The Diabolic

The Diabolic
by S. J. Kincaid

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 1, 2016

In the dystopian novel THE DIABOLIC, by S.J. Kincaid, Nemesis, a Diabolic, devoted her entire life to protecting Sidonia Impyrean (Donia) at any cost necessary; it was what she was created to do. As a result of Senator Impyrean, Sidonia’s father, committing a treacherous act against the empire, Sidonia is summoned to the Emperor's palace, the Chrysanthemum. Nemesis, realizing that Donia is in danger, poses as Sidonia and goes to the Chrysanthemum in her place to protect her, convincing everyone that she is Sidonia Impyrean. When the Emperor damages Nemesis in a way she could not predict, Nemesis plots to kill the Emperor with the help of his crazed nephew and heir, Tyrus Dometrean. Throughout the book, Tyrus helps Nemesis realize that she has human aspects in her when she thought she had none, and causes her to realize that it is possible for her to have emotions the way others do.

I enjoyed reading THE DIABOLIC, and I would give it a rating of seven out of ten stars. There was good character development for most of the main characters, and some of the main characters, such as Tyrus, have their background briefly explained later in the book where it has a greater effect. When Nemesis is collaborating with Tyrus, she forms a small bond with him. This connection evolves throughout their partnership and Nemesis realizes that she is forming a connection to someone other than Sidonia, which mortifies her. Still under the grip of the Emperor, she realizes that she may never see Sidonia again, failing her one purpose in life. This eventually makes her less reluctant to bond with Tyrus, and forms somewhat of a love triangle between her, Sidonia, and Tyrus. Nemesis’s love for Tyrus seems a little bit unnatural to me because Tyrus is the first person Nemesis allowed herself to attach to, not because he was the first person she was attracted to, but because he was the first person to attach to after Nemesis’s realization about Sidonia. When Nemesis first arrived in the Chrysanthemum, the Emperor commands her to tell one of her Servitors (human-like creatures unable to think) to skin herself alive, which has some vivid imagery of the gruesome flay. There is one character who seemingly dies, but then is revealed to be alive, but then dies for real in the presence of Nemesis shortly after they reunite. I did not like this story arc because while it does cause emotional trauma for Nemesis needed for the story, it does not do much for the reader. I have already experienced this character's death, and it has less of an impact the second time, even though Nemesis’s presence makes it much more sad. I think it would have been better to either have that character seemingly die, or only die the second time. There is also a point in the story where the Emperor destroys numerous entire planets. There is a sense of loss and grief in the following chapters, but in my opinion, there was an extreme disregard to the actuality of the loss. These people are sad and scared that they lost their homes and families, but very few people show it. To me, this book resembles a mixture of SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD and PATHFINDER. If there was a sequel to this book, I would want to read it. I would also want to read other books by S.J. Kincaid after reading this, but this book does not make me want to put her other books at the top of my list.

Review: Level Grind

Level Grind
by Annie Bellet

Publisher: Saga Press
Publication Date: October 4, 2016

In the fantasy book, Level Grind, by Annie Bellet, Jade Crow, a 50 year old sorceress, is running from her ex boyfriend, Samir, who is trying to eat her heart to gain her power. Jade runs a comic book shop with her friend Harper, a shifter who can turn into an animal. She and two other shifters help out Jade throughout the book, and they also have the assistance of Alek, another shifter who works for what shifters consider to be gods. This book is comprised of four novellas (Justice Calling, Murder of Crows, Pack of Lies, and Hunting Season), which form a chronological story. In each of the four stories, there is a main antagonist who is trying to accomplish something evil, while the threat of Samir lurks in the background. Even in the last story, Samir is not the bad guy that Jade and her friends are trying to stop.

I felt that more should have been added to some of the stories. Something bad happens, they find out why, they try to stop it and end eventually succeed, all while Jade is trying to strengthen her magic . The stories are fairly straightforward, and I think it would have been better if there was more of a plot twist per story.  At the end of each story, many of its key points are concluded, leaving not very much room for an effective cliffhanger. I think that the romance in this book does not contribute much to the story, or the development of the characters. I like that this book is fast paced at each climax and that there are small bits of detective work done to figure out what is going on for both the characters and the reader. The reader can try to figure out what is happening before the story reveals it. There are also many references to TV shows, games, comics, movies, and video games that you will only understand if you know about the specific content.

While I enjoyed reading this book, I am not sure if I would read the sequels. Nothing happens in the book that makes me want to instantly have and read the next book. I did not love nor hate this book, but I think it would have been more enjoyable if it was targeted to a more specific age.