Deep Blue

by Jennifer Donnelly

Series: Book #1 Waterfire Saga
ISBN: 9781423133162
Publisher: Disney Press
Publication Date: May 6th 2014
Number of Pages: 320
Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

My Rating:

This is the first book in a new series and it fell short of my expectations. We have what seems to be varying POVs through the story but they sometimes vary within the same chapter and when this happened, it startled me and got me out of the story. 


Our two "main" characters are princesses, Serafina & Neela. We start our story out on the day of Serafina's Dokimí:

"Greek word for trial; a ceremony in which the heir to the Miromaran throne has to prove that she is a true descendant of Merrow by spilling blood for Alítheia, the sea spider. She must then songcast, make her betrothal vows, and swear to one day give the realm a daughter." - Deep Blue, 332

Off the bat, you will notice there are MANY characters to keep straight. We have seven "realms" or kingdoms, we also have bandits and other tribes. There is also a lot of vocab words, so many in fact that the author provides a glossary at the back! 


One of these vocab words, Bloodsong, made me laugh since it was eerily similar to how memories are extracted in Harry Potter! 


This is a nice fantasy adventure that features a strong (albeit a self-doubting) female character.

"She had to do it. She had to put her pain and loss aside and exchange vows with a merman she couldn't even bear to look at, in order to save her people from a war. That's what her mother would do, and that's what she would do, too. I always disappoint her, Serafina thought, but tonight I won't. Tonight, I'll make her proud."  - Deep Blue, 77

Her kingdom is ruled by a woman (a Regina, which is Italian for Queen) and the man pretty much is there for looks, 

"There was no re, or king, in Miromara. The regina was the highest authority. Males could be princes of the blood if they were sons of a regina, or prince consorts if they married one." - Deep Blue, 79

Serafina's mother, Isabella, is a strong role model and I liked this reversal of roles between women and men. I can see Serafina growing into herself as the books progress. I also appreciated the emphasis more on the girls' friendship rather than boys and love interests. Yeah, there is a little bit of it (I mean Serafine was going to be betrothed!) but it is not the point of this story. 


The main reason this book didn't receive more stars is the fact that I don't think we progressed the story much. There are still many questions to be answered and the girls' quest just began at the end. I feel like there could have been much more. 


I am going to read the next book, Rogue Wave, but it isn't due out until January 2015. This series definitely has potential and I am curious to see if we stick with Neela and Serafina's POV or if we will "hear" from some of the other girls in the group. (The summary given does sound like we will still focus on them). I want to hear more of the other girls backgrounds and I need to know Astrid's secret! 

In the Shadows

by Kiersten White & Jim Di Bartolo

ISBN: 9780545561440

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: April 29th 2014
Number of Pages: 384

Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy, told in an alternating narrative of words and pictures. 

Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch.

Thomas and Charles are brothers who’ve been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can’t.

My Rating:  

This book gets props for being an uniquely told story. We have a text story with graphics intermixed that tell a story as well. It was a little confusing to me, but by the end of the story, all of it comes together and VIOLA = makes sense! I did go back after figuring it out and "re-read" the graphics. 

The characters are positively creepy and the story is shrouded in secrets. We do get the point of view of all of the characters and I liked "hearing" from all of them. 

Two brothers (Thomas & Charles), two sisters (Cora & Minnie) and the broody Arthur (who may or may not be related to Cora & Minnie) make up our little group. Lots of "I like him but he likes her" and "I like her but it's my duty to protect her instead." So there is romance in addition to the adventure and mystery.

This story doesn't focus on the "supernatural" aspects until the end, it is more of a story where things that can't be explained happen and danger lurks around every corner - the kids aren't even safe in their boarding house! 

"'I'm sorry,' Cora whispered. 'Please don't hurt me.'
'You don't need me for that, do you?' The witch's grin widened to reveal teeth that looked impossibly old and yellowed in her unlined face. 'People are very good at hurting themselves. I never have to do a thing.'" - In the Shadows, 34-35

I recommend this book for all fantasy lovers and any fans of Kiersten White! If you like comic books, this book filled with them will also appeal to you. This is a VERY QUICK READ (took me around an hour and a half!) and the ending makes up for the mysterious plot line!! 

"I do love it when they try to wrap their little minds around it all. The moment they realize what they are up against, and their hopes come crashing down. You can see a bit of their soul shriveling then and there." - In the Shadows, 297

We Were Liars

*I received an ARC (ebook version) from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.*

by e. lockhart

ISBN: 9780385741262

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: May 13th 2014
Number of Pages: 240

Source: ebook (ARC)

Goodreads Summary: 

A beautiful and distinguished family.A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

My Rating:  

The whole story is basically a secret, so I can't give anything away regarding plot. I mean, you can tell just by reading the so-called "summary." All very vague....

This book was a quick read not only because of the length but also the story-line is fast paced. 

The reason this book only received 2 stars from me is due to several factors. One, the way it was written. I did not like the main character's voice or how the story was written in the way it was. Some of the wording is off to me and this style did not work well for me at all. I do understand why it was written that way - to keep the reader engaged enough for them to read this book like a thriller.

There lies my second gripe: it was supposed to be a thriller and secretive but I had figured everything out pretty quickly. Only reason I kept reading through was to get answers to the few questions I had.


Marketing FAIL


Things I did like:
-the underlying moral of the story
-the weird and interesting fairy tales


I'm not sure I can really recommend this book. I will say MAYBE if you came and just randomly picked this book out and went in blind, it might be okay. Some people might even enjoy this type of writing style. But I think the hype surrounding this book was too much and it ultimately spoiled "the secret." 

The Here and Now

Here we have a new book by the popular author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I received an ARC (ebook version) of this book in exchange for an honest review.

by Ann Brashares

ISBN: 9780385736800

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2014
Number of Pages: 288

Source: ebook (ARC)

Goodreads Summary: Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins. 

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth. 

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

My Rating:  

So many of the reviews I have been have been pretty negative. There are holes in the plot, the main character is dumb, and it's unrealistic. Well, I am going to be one of the positive reviewers (and not because I got a free copy..) It is my honest opinion. It is all about what you are expecting from the book.

We have time travelers from future who come to our present to escape the horrors of their time. They have to deal with a dengue fever epidemic (which actually sounds like a PANdemic) aka the blood plague. Here is a description of this disease from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

"Dengue hemorrhagic fever is characterized by a fever that lasts from 2 to 7 days, with general signs and symptoms consistent with dengue fever. When the fever declines, symptoms including persistent vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing, may develop. This marks the beginning of a 24- to 48-hour period when the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) become excessively permeable (“leaky”), allowing the fluid component to escape from the blood vessels into the peritoneum (causing ascites) and pleural cavity (leading to pleural effusions). This may lead to failure of the circulatory system and shock, followed by death, if circulatory failure is not corrected."

I beg to disagree with those that say this future sounds unrealistic. To me, it sounds completely plausible. I guess it just depends on whether you believe global warming is happening/an issue. 

"The mosquito is the thing to worry about when the world gets wetter and hotter. Because when that happens, the mosquito's territory is everywhere and its season is always." The Here and Now, 28

So, the world goes to hell and some how the technology develops that a small group of people are able to travel back in time (present day is 2014, future time is around the 2020's). I do think there were some plot holes, but I wasn't reading this book as an accurate scientific explanation, I was reading it for fun. I think it works for the book.

One of the good things about this book is the length (less than 300 pages) - you are able to finish it pretty quickly. There was a little detour in the book, but with the time frame presented, it made sense to me.

The end left me a bit unsatisfied, but it makes sense with the past affecting future and the uncertainty Prenna now faces. 

Prenna as a character is sometimes not the brightest, but at that age, who exactly is? She has the task of "saving the world" and how would you handle that? I have to give her and the cute sweetheart Ethan credit for figuring out what they did. 

There are definitely some twists that kept the story interesting and I think if you go into this story with an open mind and looking for a quick read that makes you think, this book is for you. If you need exact explanations and a perfect main character, you will be disappointed. I liked that this book made you ponder about your place in this world and the choices you make affecting not only your future, but could have a ripple effect to the world as a whole. 

Panic

By Lauren Oliver

ISBN: 9780062014559

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 4th, 2014
Number of Pages: 408

Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Rating: 

I loved Lauren Oliver's first novel - Before I Fall (and if you have not read it - YOU NEED TO!) So when I saw she had a new book out, I was pretty excited.

Panic just didn't live up to my expectations. I don't know if it was the story itself or the characters, I just didn't connect.

We have alternating points of view between Heather and Dodge. I do like alternating viewpoints! I just didn't feel connected to either of them. Yeah, they have bad home lives and everyone needs this money, and poor Heather getting dumped.....blah blah blah. 

The idea of Panic intrigued me though. Some have said it's like a real-world "Hunger Games" and I'm sorry, but I don't see that connection at all. A bunch of teenagers get together and do wild stunts/dares and are judged on their performance.  There are different rounds where people are eliminated and there can only be one winner.

Good realistic fiction read for those that might like a bit of adventure mixed in. The characters aren't too likable though and the story didn't "grab" me. Let me know what you think!

If you like the "Divergent" Series...

The popular "Divergent" Series by Veronica Roth is receiving even more attention now that the first book has been made into a movie.

You may now be experiencing longer than normal waiting times at your local library to read the second or third book and need something to occupy your time while you wait. Or maybe you've read the whole series and now you are ready for something else. I have compiled a list of books (many of them also part of a series) that have the same traits as Divergent. Many are dystopian type books, many have adventure, some are science fiction and some have fantasy. Pick one up today and let me know what you think!

For those that like reading a book and then watching a movie adaptation (or the other way around!) check out these books:

Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card

Once Again, Earth is under attack. An alien species is poised for a front assault. The survival of humanity depends on a military genius who can defeat the aliens.

But who?

Ender Wiggin. Brilliant. Ruthless. Cunning. A tactical and strategic master. And a child.

Recruited for military training by the world government, Ender's childhood ends the moment he enters his new home: Battle School. Among the elite recruits Ender proves himself to be a genius among geniuses. In simulated war games he excels. But is the pressure and loneliness taking its toll on Ender? Simulations are one thing. How will Ender perform in real combat conditions? After all, Battle School is just a game.

Right?

Ender's Game is the first book in a series of four books, The Ender Quintet. If you like the series, there is a parallel series Ender's Shadow, and then there is the prequel series The First Formic War. The movie was released in 2013 and has some well known actors such as Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley.

I am Number Four
by Pittacus Lore

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now. The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. 

The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

This is the first book in the Lorien Legacies series. The movie was released in 2011 and has popular actor Alex Pettyfer as John Smith. 

Delirium
by Lauren Oliver

Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe.
I wonder whether the procedure will hurt.
I want to get it over with.
It’s hard to be patient.
It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet.
Still, I worry.
They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness.
The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.

Okay, so this book wasn't exactly made into a movie. The hope was to turn it into a TV movie series, but the pilot didn't make the cut. It is interesting to watch the 6-minute clip that got leaked though (it starred Emma Roberts!)

This is also the first book in the series, with two sequels and several short stories.



Here are some non-adapted books (though some are in the process of trying to be made into a movie!) in no particular order:

Shades of Grey
by Jason Fforde

Part social satire, part romance, part revolutionary thriller, Shades of Grey tells of a battle against overwhelming odds. In a society where the ability to see the higher end of the color spectrum denotes a better social standing, Eddie Russet belongs to the low-level House of Red and can see his own color—but no other. The sky, the grass, and everything in between are all just shades of grey, and must be colorized by artificial means.

Eddie's world wasn't always like this. There's evidence of a never-discussed disaster and now, many years later, technology is poor, news sporadic, the notion of change abhorrent, and nighttime is terrifying: no one can see in the dark. Everyone abides by a bizarre regime of rules and regulations, a system of merits and demerits, where punishment can result in permanent expulsion.

Eddie, who works for the Color Control Agency, might well have lived out his rose-tinted life without a hitch. But that changes when he becomes smitten with Jane, a Grey Nightseer from the dark, unlit side of the village. She shows Eddie that all is not well with the world he thinks is just and good. Together, they engage in dangerous revolutionary talk.

This is the first book in what will be a trilogy (second book, Painting by Numbers, is set to come out in 2015).

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland--known as The Death Shop--are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild--a savage--and her only hope of staying alive. 

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile--everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

This is the first book in a series.

Legend
by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. 

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. 

First book in the trilogy.

Finnikin of the Rock
by Melina Marchetta

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere. 

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock--to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

First book in the Lumatere Chronicles series.

Let me know what you think!!