Hello there!
Once again, I am WOEFULLY behind on my NetGalley reviews, so I thought I'd do a bunch together in some mini reviews so I can get them out there. My current NetGalley ratio is 68%, but I've read a bunch of books, I just haven't actually posted about them yet, so here I am to do that. Some of these books I read a while ago so I hope that I remember enough to write about. We shall see! Let's start with some 5 and 4 star books!
BOOK ~ Project Alpha (Voyagers 01) by D.J. MacHale
Completed ~ 1/22/16
STARS ~ 4 of 5 stars
PAGES ~ 224 page Kindle book
Earth is about to go dark. Without a new power source, life as we know it will be toast. A global competition is under way to determine which four kids will join the secret mission that might just save us all. Project Alpha is a contest of physical challenges, mental puzzles, and strategic alliances. The battle is fierce. Who will lead the team? Who will pilot the most complicated space ship ever built? Who will be a friend? An enemy? And how will they survive over a year stuck on a space ship together?
Once chosen, the Voyagers will journey to the far reaches of space, collecting unique elements and facing unbelievable dangers. The future of our planet is in their hands. Sure, they’ll be the best in the world . . . but can they save the world?
I've had this book on my NetGalley TBR for quite a while and just kept putting off reading it, despite the blurb being right up my alley. I wish I hadn't waited because I ADORED this book. It was just my kind of thing ~ competitions going on, things to be solved and for the most part quick and non-stop action.
8 kids compete for 4 spots and it's pretty easy to see who it will be from the start, but the competitions are interesting and keep the flow going quickly through the first part of the book. Then the book takes a nice jump forward in time so we don't see all their training, once they are chosen, but join right back up for them as they are heading out into space. In the first book, they are heading to the first location to pick up the first element but find that they weren't told the whole truth. Things fracture a bit for a few reasons, but they all work it out in the end.
The kids are likable characters, the "bad guys" are very unlikable. And there's something else going on behind the scenes that we don't quite know what it going on with it yet. Definitely can't wait to see where the series is headed and read more about the crew's adventures as they try to stay alive and save their planet.
Setting = A
Plot = A+
Conflict = B+
Characters = A
Theme = A+
BOOK ~ Gambit (The Prodigy Chronicles 01) by C.J. Renault
Completed ~ 1/17/16
STARS ~ 4 of 5 stars
PAGES ~ 556 page Kindle book
In Earth’s battle-ridden future, humans have evolved. Those with extraordinary skills rise to power and fame. Those without live in poverty.
Sixteen-year-old Willow Kent believed she was normal. But when a genetically-advanced military officer shows up in her village and questions her identity, long-buried secrets begin to emerge. With remarkable skills and a shocking genetic code the Core and its enemies will do anything to obtain, Willow suddenly finds the freedom she craves slipping through her fingers. Greed, corruption, and genetic tampering threaten every aspect of her existence as she’s thrust, unwilling, into the sophisticated culture of the elite Core city. To ensure peace, she must leave the past behind, marry a man she’s never met, and submit to the authority of a relentless officer with a hidden agenda of his own.
Her life has become a dangerous game. How much will she sacrifice in order to win?
Despite some REALLY annoying things about this book, I found it very enjoyable.
The Good: The story. It was fairly unique, with mostly good characters and it kept going at a fast pace. It grabbed my attention from the start and I was really sucked into the book. Despite it being a little on the long side, I felt like I got through it much quicker than the 2 days I have listed at GoodReads. The abilities were unique and different and it was neat to see how each used their own.
The Bad: The main character was a little too wishy washy for my tastes. One minute she appears strong and capable, the next she is weak and whining. I didn't feel like she was a believable lead character, she just was so hot and cold, but the story kept her moving despite herself. For the most part, she was fine and tolerable, there were just moments I wanted to slap her. Then, there was a romantic interest and I won't give anything away because it's spoiler-ish, but I thought it was very very stupid. I couldn't see how or why she would like that person and that almost ruined the book for me. I know it's only going to grow (likely) so we'll see how it goes. It just wasn't believable to me and while it did lessen my enjoyment of the book it wasn't SOOOOOO much that it ruined an otherwise great storyline and interesting plot. I will read the next one and hope someone bangs some sense into her.
Setting = A
Plot = A+
Conflict = A
Characters = B
Theme = A
BOOK ~ Taking Fire (One Eyed Jacks 04) by Cindy Gerard
Completed ~ 1/5/16
STARS ~ 4 of 5 stars
PAGES ~ 384 page Kindle book
Betrayal. Retribution. Redemption?
Six years ago, tough-as-nails military contractor Bobby Taggart met the woman of his dreams in war-torn Kabul—a sexy, whip-smart war correspondent who approached him at a local bar, took him to bed, made him fall in love…and then mysteriously disappeared. In her wake, the terrorist leader he’d been mining for valuable intel was assassinated—then Bobby discovered his phone had been bugged. And he’s pretty damn sure he’s been played for a fool.
Now, a covert security mission for the U.S. Embassy in Oman unexpectedly reunites him with Talia Levine, the woman who betrayed him and broke his heart. And there’s one more secret she hasn’t told him—one that will change his world. But as the heat of anger mixes with a still-simmering passion, dangerous forces close in, their sights set on Talia. Trust is the only way they will survive—but with their lives in the balance, can Bobby risk trusting her again?
I've been reading Cindy Gerard for years and love just about everything she has written. The One-Eyed Jacks series is yet another one of her romantic suspense series with ex military guys now working elsewhere. In this one, we meet Bobby as he's on a mission. Talia is also on a mission, one that includes meeting and betraying Bobby. He's stunned to be betrayed (though he had suspicions, so I don't know why he didn't just listen to them) and moves on with life. 6 years later their paths meet and just happen to be in the same building when it gets blown up by people coming after Talia for the stuff years before. Bobby learns why she did what she did as well as some other stuff she's hidden from him. He then has to help her and brings in the other One-Eyed Jacks as backup.
I did not like Talia lying to Bobby. I'm pretty particular about hating liars, and I normally would have rated down just for that, especially the main thing she lied about. That pissed me off and I hated her for a bit, but the story was so engaging and I liked Bobby so much that I didn't rate down because of her. It was a great typical romantic suspense with good male characters. :)
Setting = A
Plot = A
Conflict = B+
Characters = One-Eyed Jacks ~ A+ / Talia ~ C-
Theme = B+
BOOK ~ Rewinder (Rewinder 01) by Brett Battles
Completed ~ 12/14/15
STARS ~ 5 of 5 stars
PAGES ~ 300 page Kindle book
You will never read Denny Younger’s name in any history book, will never know what he's done.
But even if you did, you’d never believe it.
The world as you know it wouldn't be the same without him.
Denny was born into one of the lowest rungs of society, but his bleak fortunes abruptly change when the mysterious Upjohn Institute recruits him to be a Rewinder, a verifier of personal histories. The job at first sounds like it involves researching old books and records, but Denny soon learns it's far from it.
A Rewinder's job is to observe history.
In person.
Embracing his new duties with enthusiasm, Denny witnesses things he could never even imagine before. But as exciting as the adventures into the past are, there are dangers, too. For even the smallest error can have consequences.
Life-altering consequences.
Time, after all, is merely a reference point.
I LOVE time travel books and this one was done really well. In this society, as schooling comes to an end all teens are tested to find out where they will live and work. Denny gets tested into a place he's never heard of and finds out that time travel is real. While doing his job of watching and verifying a moment in history, Denny makes one mistake and everything changes. Denny finds himself in a world different from the one that he knows, but finds that he prefers it. Instead of finding a way to make things right, he tries to find a way to keep things changed.
It was definitely a great story with good characters. Denny grows on you, though he starts off a little slow. He does seem to develop as time goes on and it's enjoyable to watch him grow and take on new things and then ultimately make decisions for what is best for him, not what it best for everyone. The time travel aspect was great and my favorite part of the book and it was quite easy to keep up with what was going on during all of it. Highly recommend for time travel fans.
Setting = A
Plot = A+
Conflict = A
Characters = B+
Theme = A+
Book ~ Destroyer (Rewinder 02) by Brett Battles
Completed ~ 12/15/15
STARS ~ 4 of 5 stars
PAGES ~ 230 page Kindle book
With the whole of human history altered, Denny Younger may be the last rewinder in existence - and the last person on earth with a chaser unit capable of time travel. While caring for his ailing sister, Denny must discover a way to recharge his device before he's left with no defense against a past that wants him dead.
Before long, Denny notices a mysterious stranger following him - keeping tabs on Denny, his family, and his friends. Is Denny just paranoid? Or maybe he isn't alone in this new reality after all...
When his chaser is stolen and his girlfriend is kidnapped, Denny risks everything to get both of them back. Launched into a high-stakes chase that spans continents and millennia, Denny's responsibility to save our future isn't over yet. It will take all of his cunning to stop a threat capable of steering the fate of the human race into disaster.
I was really excited to go right into this one and I was a LITTLE disappointed with it. It was still quite enjoyable but was a much slower pace than the first book was. I ended up guessing a few things pretty early on and there were some times that what was happening just slowed way down but it ended up being really good. The end was enjoyable and it left me wanting to know what happens next, and that's always a good thing when it comes to series. :)
Setting = A
Plot = B+
Conflict = B+
Characters = B
Theme = A
Book ~ Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs
Completed ~ 12/3/15
STARS ~ 5 of 5 stars
PAGES ~ 272 pages
Elena Martinez has hidden her eidetic memory all her life--or so she thinks. When powerful tech giant Aether Corporation selects her for a top-secret project, she can't say no. All she has to do is participate in a trip to the future to bring back data, and she'll be set for life.
Elena joins a team of four other teens with special skills, including Adam, a science prodigy with his own reason for being there. But when the time travelers arrive in the future, something goes wrong and they break the only rule they were given: do not look into their own fates.
Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future from unfolding. With time running out and deadly secrets uncovered, Elena must use her eidetic memory, street smarts, and a growing trust in Adam to save her new friends and herself.
Another time travel book and this one was FANTASTIC!! It's not often that you have a time travel book go into the future as this one did and I really liked that, it was done really well. It had great characters and a great story and it kept me guessing all the way through it. Something goes wrong and they don't end up going where they were expecting to and they find some stuff out that they shouldn't, so they set out to change things. No one knows who is on whose side and the main characters are hiding their own secrets for different reasons.
One of the better time travel books I have read, and I have read a lot. Wish it could have been a series somehow, but it was a perfect stand alone book. Very enjoyable, I highly recommend!
Setting = A
Plot = A+
Conflict = A+
Characters = A
Theme = A+
Book ~ Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier
Completed ~ 12/4/15
STARS ~ 4 of 5 stars
PAGES ~ 338 page Kindle book
Welcome to Wonderland. By day, it’s a magical place boasting a certain retro charm. Excited children, hands sticky with cotton candy, run frenetically from the Giant Octopus ride to the Spinning Sombrero, while the tinkling carnival music of the giant Wonder Wheel—the oldest Ferris wheel in the Pacific Northwest—fills the air. But before daybreak, an eerie feeling descends. Maybe it’s the Clown Museum, home to creepy wax replicas of movie stars and a massive collection of antique porcelain dolls. Or maybe it’s the terrifyingly real House of Horrors. Or…maybe it’s the dead, decaying body left in the midway for all the Wonder Workers to see.
Vanessa Castro’s first day as deputy police chief of Seaside, Washington, is off to a bang. The unidentifiable homeless man rotting inside the tiny town’s main tourist attraction is strange enough, but now a teenage employee—whose defiant picture at the top of the Wonder Wheel went viral that same morning—is missing. As the clues in those seemingly disparate crimes lead her down a mysterious shared path of missing persons that goes back decades, she suspects the seedy rumors surrounding the amusement park’s dark history might just be true. She moved to Seaside to escape her own scandalous past, but has she brought her family to the center of an insidious killer’s twisted game? Acclaimed author Jennifer Hillier’s bone-chilling thriller is masterful and fast-paced, hurtling toward a shocking, bloody conclusion.
I will just about anything set in an amusement park and this one didn't disappoint. It start out with an employee climbing the park ferris wheel and falling, and the action hardly lets up after that. A new police chief comes to town and finds out that there's plenty of secrets hiding in the small town and no one wants her poking her nose in. She finds out that at least 2 boys have gone missing in recent years and she starts stirring everyone up as she tries to find out what is going on around the town and in the park.
It was definitely a really enjoyable book. The characters were good (the daughter was annoying) and the story moved along at a good pace. It definitely left me wondering what was going on though I did guess some stuff, but not some others. Really enjoyable book!
Setting = A+
Plot = A
Conflict = B+
Characters = A
Theme = A
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