Ridley & Jay by Shania Nicole Soler 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! I just finished reading Ridley & Jay.  I enjoyed it up until the last few chapters.  The story did a complete 180.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Ridley in a field.  I'm going to be honest, it doesn't relate well enough to the story for my tastes.  A C cover.

Official Description:
Could you ever hand your parents over to the police? For Ridley this is a definite no. She could never do such a thing because to her, they have never done anything wrong. It’s always her own fault and the bruises and scars on her body remind her of this every day. From her own perspective her parents don’t hurt her. To her, they don’t abuse her. She knows that people won’t see this the same way she does which is exactly why she has one close friend and no one else. People don’t talk to Ridley and Ridley doesn’t talk to people because if she does they’ll get close. If people get close to her somewhere along the line they’ll discover what she’s hiding. If this happens it’ll be the end of everything. She’ll have to pack up what little she owns and say goodbye to Virginia. So, as far as she’s concerned, all she needs is her music, books, and a lifetime supply of long sleeved shirts. 
Jay has a few close friends and a regular life with a great family. As far as he’s concerned all he needs are his good looks, grades, and charming personality. That is until he meets Ridley. Then, all he’s concerned about is getting to know her. Who is the girl that only wears long sleeved clothing, even when it’s ninety degrees out? What is she so desperately trying to hide? How do I get closer to her? 
Ridley can’t stop the unknown feelings she gets when Jay’s around and Jay can’t get enough of Ridley’s mystery. What begins as solving the mystery of the girl named Ridley becomes something more than Jay could have ever imagined. Ridley tries to keep Jay further than arms length away but cannot deny the unknown feelings inside her.

My Review:
Ridley & Jay was a story about a high school girl who is abused at home.  She meets Jay and realizes her true value until it all collapses around her.

I enjoyed the story.  It was fast-moving and had a very believable and cute relationship.  Ridley and Jay's relationship felt organic and not forced.

The book was full of description.  It added vivid imagery, but the descriptions sometimes bogged down the story a bit.

My main problem with Ridley & Jay was its ending.  I generally don't care what the ending is as long as it's approached naturally and feels right for the book.  This ending did not make me feel this way. From the end of one chapter to the start of the next, the story entirely changed direction.  There was no transition and suddenly the story had flipped over.  The ending was abrupt and didn't fit well with the story.  It left me unsatisfied and a bit cheated.  Don't get me wrong, the ending would have been fine if there was more build up to it, but as it was, it didn't work.

Overall, I would not recommend Ridley & Jay because of its abrupt change of direction.  It had a cute romance plot, but I don't think it outweighed the rest of the issues.

Phrase:
iPod

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Eleanor & Park

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*Thanks to Shania Soler for a copy of Ridley & Jay in exchange for my honest review*

The Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) by Pittacus Lore 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  It's been a long time coming but I finally read the penultimate Lorien Legacies book!  If you haven't already read it, this is a really fun series (which apparently I haven't reviewed before). Either way, I'd recommend the whole series, but you need to read them in order.  This review may have spoilers for previous books in the series!

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a Lorien sign (for ten?).  It is a fairly simple cover and isn't eye-catching, but it works well with the rest of the books in the series's covers.  An A- cover.

Official Description:
The sixth book in the thrilling, action-packed, New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series! For years the Garde have fought the Mogadorians in secret. Now all of that has changed. The invasion has begun. If the Garde can't find a way to stop the Mogs, humanity will suffer the same fate as the Lorien: annihilation.
There is still hope. When the Elders sent the Garde to Earth, they had a plan—one which the Garde are finally starting to understand. In the climax of The Revenge of Seven, a group of the Garde traveled to an ancient pyramid in Mexico known to their people as the Sanctuary. There they awoke a power that had been hidden within our planet for generations. Now this power can save the world . . . or destroy it. It will all depend on who wields it. 

My Review:
The Fate of Ten is probably the most intense book in the Lorien Legacies series.  There was never a dull moment.  The action was nonstop, and it was action I cared about, not just random gun waving.

The characters remain one of my favorite parts of this series.  They are complex and feel like real people.  Over six books, you grow to really care about John, Six, and the others, and their reactions, emotions, and character development feel organic and are fun to read.  

The only problem I had with The Fate of Ten is its formatting.  The entire book is in first person point of view, split between John and Six (with one chapter from Ella's point of view).  However, there is no notification when the point of view changes.  This leads to some easily remedied confusion.  It's a bit irritating!

Overall, I loved this book.  It was a reminder of how much I had loved the series and will (most likely) continue to love it.  The last book, United As One comes out on June 28 and I will be sure to read it.  If you haven't read the series, I'd recommend reading it.  It's a lot of fun.

Phrase:
Ximic

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Human.4

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The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter #2) by Thomas Harris 2.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  So here's a book I regret reading.

Previous book in the series (can read it out of order):
Red Dragon

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows the protagonist Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter side by side with their mouths covered by a moth (found in a murder victim's mouth).  It's a cool cover.  B cover

Official Description:
Hannibal Lecter. The ultimate villain of modern fiction. Read the five-million-copy bestseller that scared the world silent... A young FBI trainee. An evil genius locked away for unspeakable crimes. A plunge into the darkest chambers of a psychopath's mind-- in the deadly search for a serial killer... Thomas Harris is the author of Hannibal , Red Dragon , and Black Sunday . As part of the search for a serial murderer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill," FBI trainee Clarice Starling is given an assignment. She must visit a man confined to a high-security facility for the criminally insane and interview him.

(That description says about nothing about the book.)

My Condensed Description:
A serial killer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill" is kidnapping and skinning his victims and he won't stop.  It is up to FBI trainee Clarice Starling to help solve the case.  She works under Jack Crawford to help the FBI find the clues that may lead to Buffalo Bill's capture before he disposes of his latest victim.  When stuck, she seeks clues from the captured serial killer Hannibal the Cannibal who gives cryptic information that may just help Starling stop Buffalo Bill's killing spree.

My Review:
This was just disappointing.  First of all, the only reason to read Silence of the Lambs really is Hannibal, and he's in only about a fifth of the book.  The parts of the book he's in is by far the best parts of the book, but it isn't good enough to overweight the other four fifths.

Also, Silence of the Lambs is unnecessarily crude.  Both in language and situations.  I would give you an example, but I would feel gross to mention it.  There is never a scene were the female characters are not objectified on the most vile level.  It's just gross (I get that it's the point to show the terrible acts of prisoners, etc. but that doesn't excuse it) and made me self- conscious of reading the book.  In fact, it goes to the point where I may judge someone for reading Silence of the Lambs to begin with.

The main character was boring.  She could've been basically anyone and nothing in the book would have changed.  She didn't do anything to advance the plot, was unremarkable, and had no personality to speak for.

Also, this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but there is an occasional perspective from Buffalo Bill.  In my opinion, in cop books, perspectives from the "bad guy" only ruin all of the suspense, make you frustrated with the main characters, and distract from the actual plot.  I hate it, and Silence of the Lambs definitely told things from the villain's perspective multiple times.

The only redeeming parts of this book were the moments with Hannibal, which is why I read Silence of the Lambs to begin with, but it wasn't worth it.  I would not recommend reading this book.  It was crude and not very interesting.

Phrase:
Don't pass him any paperclips

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Stephen King books
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More Than This by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  After reading Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy, I wanted to read the rest of his books. This book is definitely different.  I loved about 99% of it with a passion, but the ending was too open ended for my tastes.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows an open door full of light.  It both references a particular scene that takes place around a prison and shows the general theme of the book, with a kind of parallelism to the afterlife.  The background could be interpreted as a circuit board or nothingness, both of which fit the book.  I love it!  A+ cover

Official Description:
A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies.
Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive.
How can this be? And what is this strange deserted place?
As he struggles to understand what is happening, the boy dares to hope. Might this not be the end? Might there be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?

My Review:
This book is part suspense, part mystery, and part philosophy (kind of).  Most of More Than This is Seth (the protagonist) mentally debating where he is and experiencing flashbacks from his life.  Is he is hell? An apocalyptic world? Or did the world never exist at all?

It was thrilling, with a fast paced plot and frequent twists and breakthroughs.  

Seth was a likable characters who was flawed but was easy to route for.  He was stubborn, resourceful, and intelligent enough.  

The book had interesting undertones.  It questioned existence and how we experience life.  More Than This is a book that makes you think, and I've found myself continuing to think about it a few weeks after I finished it.

Just a warning.  If More Than This was a movie, it would be rated R.  There are a few scenes that are a bit adult and may make younger audiences uncomfortable, but certainly nothing massive.  It's definitely fine for mature teenagers, but reader discretion is advised.  
Also, there is mention of the main character being gay.  It's not a major part of the story, but it is frequently mentioned.  

The only problem that I had with More Than This was its ending.  I understand why the author wrote it as he did, but the ending was a bit too unresolved for my tastes.  I'm fine with open endings normally (at least the ones in the Neal Shusterman fashion of resolution but not complete resolution). However, More Than This's ending didn't resolve a pivotal question of the book.  It was ended this way purposely to continue the book's themes, model uncertainty, etc.  I see Patrick Ness's goal, but I would've preferred more resolution.  If open endings bother you, this book may frustrate you. However, the rest of the book is so spectacular that it makes up for it!

Overall, I would recommend this book.  It has complex ideas and doesn't shove them into your face. It's funny and sweet and gut-wrenching all at once.  It has suspense, danger, betrayal, and mystery.  It was a wild ride that is well written, as well.  

Phrase:
The Driver

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Books by Neal Shusterman
Chaos Walking Trilogy
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Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I finished the Chaos Walking series.  It was amazing and makes me want to read every book that Patrick Ness has ever written.

Previous Books:
The Knife of Never Letting Go
The Ask and the Answer

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a world on fire as a result of the war going on.  The Noise lines the sides of the page, which I really like.  The title also links well with the book.  "War makes monsters of men"  A+ cover.

Official Description:
Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await?

My Review:
Monsters of Men was a great conclusion to this series.  

One of the most remarkable things about this series is its character development.  You can see the changes in the characters brought about by their varying experiences, and this book showed the depth that these characteristic changes affected the characters.  Despite oftentimes being misguided, the characters of this series feel real and relatable.  I just wanted to wrap them up in a blanket and protect them from the dangers throughout this book.  And the danger was everywhere.  The plot gets far more intense and violent in Monsters of Men as war becomes inevitable.  

This book also contained elements of mind control which were super interesting both in format and storyline.  It really added to the book and doesn't feel artificial.  The mind control links with the character development in cool and new ways.  

There was also an added point of view from a Spackle.  The wording is entirely different since it is an alien being with a different construct of the world than the humans, so it took some getting used to.  But, it did help show all sides of the battle and humanize the enemy, which I thought was worthwhile.

Overall, I loved this book!  If you enjoyed the previous books in this series, you will enjoy Monsters of Men as well.  To be fair, it starts off a little slower than The Ask and the Answer, but it still started by hitting the ground running.  I'd definitely recommend this book as well as the entire series.

Phrase:
The Sky

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Books by Neal Shusterman

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Reality Boy by A.S. King 4/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I listened to the audiobook of Reality Boy and am not sure what I think about it.
The book and characters were super interesting and the book makes you think, but the plot was almost nonexistent.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Gerald with TV static in front of him in the same way as jail bars.  It's a nice cover and works with the book story.  A- cover

Official Description:
Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.
Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.
In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved.

My Review:
Basically, this book was about the disasters that stemmed from Gerald's bad experience on a Super-Nanny-esque reality TV show.  On this reality show, Gerald acted up by pooping on the dinner table, earning his high school self the nickname of "the Crapper."  Needless to say, that is a disaster for his high school social life.
Reality Boy's a story about self-discovery and overcoming the largest challenges.

It was a book centered on Gerald's thoughts and internal conflicts.  This part of the book was great.  It had the elements of a story that make you continue to think about it.  The other portions of the book weren't as impressive.

The characters were unlikable (though I believe they were supposed to be), but you could still relate to them in a less personal way.

The plot was focused on the internal conflict of Gerald.  There were few key plot points.  This was neither good nor bad, but if you prefer plot-centered books, this is not going to be your cup of tea.

I'm going to be honest, this book is not what I expected.  I misunderstood the description.  If I had know what it was about, I probably wouldn't have read it.  It wasn't my typical kind of book, but I really enjoyed reading it.  It was very well-written and I looked forward to reading the next part.

I'd recommend this if the above elements don't bother you.  This is a PG-13 at least book.  Nothing too bad but not a book you read at 10.

Phrase:
Fake Nanny

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Helix (Helix #1) by Nathan M. Farrugia 4/5 stars

*Note: This book was given to me by the author in return for my honest review*

Hey, guys!  After reading The Chimera Vector (also by Nathan M. Farrugia), I was interested in his new series, Helix.  I enjoyed it, but it didn't knock my socks off.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Olesya with a gun.  It's a pretty simple cover that connects pretty well with the story, but something about it doesn't seem right to me.  It's alright, a B- cover.

Official Description:
Olesya has always been different.
To most, she was an ordinary girl from post-Soviet Russia. But to the covert agency that recruited her she was something much more. The agency is a collector of genetic anomalies; forging gifted children into their most deadly weapon: black operatives. 
Seven years later, Olesya leads a team of hunters on a dangerous assignment. Her targets are black operatives: elusive, genetically enhanced, and unstoppable. From the bio-clinics of Brazil to the icy borderlands of Kaliningrad, from the catacombs of Lithuania to the citadel of occupied Prague, Olesya is at the heart of a war against a powerful, malevolent organization that wants total control. 
But as operatives and hunters start to vanish, Olesya discovers they aren’t the only players in this deadly game … 

My Review:
Helix: Episode 1 was a fast read.  The plot was fast-moving, and it was a page-turner.  The book itself is only 142 pages so it goes by very quickly and leaves you wanting more.

The characters were likable.  I especially liked Olesya who was well-developed and a strong female character.  All the characters were likable enough, but considerably less developed than Olesya.  This may improve as the series goes on though!

My main problem with Helix was the switching point of view.  About half of the book was set six years ago from Olesya's point of view, but the other half starred Damien as he tried to stop a kidnapping.  These storylines were not very connected so it felt like two books mixed together rather than a single story.  I didn't like that formatting.

Overall, I wouldn't warn against this book, but I also wouldn't recommend it.  It was fine, and I'd look forward to reading the sequel, but there are books out there that will knock your socks off in a way that I don't think Helix: Episode 1 will.

Phrase:
plasticuffs

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The Chimera Vector

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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I'd heard about And Then There Were None for ages and finally decided to read it.  It was good; I enjoyed it and think you would, too!

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a hand reaching for a "soldier boy" statue.  It makes sense in context of the book and emits an eery vibe.  It's alright.  B cover

Official Description:
First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion. 

My Review:
And Then There Were None was great.  It wasn't perfect by any means, but it did a great job of building suspense and mystery.  It is a classic mystery novel that earned its hype.  

The drama that ensued from the search for the murderer was incredibly intense.  The conclusion blew my mind.  Finally a mystery novel where you don't guess the ending half-way through the book!  

That being said, the characters were a bit stupid.  They had to be for the sake of the plot but it was a bit much at times.  Some parts of the book are a bit outdated/ not entirely politically correct because it was written in 1939, but it was less so than you might expect.  Despite being written so long ago, And Then There Were None didn't require a translator to read by any means.  It was straightforward, fairly modern writing.  Perfectly understandable to an average reader.

I'd recommend reading And Then There Were None if you like mysteries at all.  It's not only a classic, but a good classic.  It's intense and fun.  It'll make you excited to read the next chapter.

Audiobook Review (read by Dan Stevens):
This was a wonderful audiobook.  Dan Stevens did a great job conveying the excitement of the book without going overboard.  Also, whether this is positive or negative to you, he has a British accent.  It fits with the story, but I wanted to mention it in case you don't like accents!

Phrase:
Ten Little Soldier Boys

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Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick 0/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I always read the full book before I post about it here.  That is not the case today.  I couldn't take this book, and it got abandoned.  More on that later.

Preview Books in the Series:
Hush, Hush (book 1)
Crescendo (book 2)
Silence (book 3)

The Cover:

I am the kind of person who always finishes books, no matter how much I hate them.  (A good example is Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld).  I stick it out, hoping for some redeeming quality, so you know it's bad if I give up.

To be honest, I only started Finale because I was waiting for And Then There Were None to become available at the library, and I felt kind of guilty to abandon a series 3/4 of the way through.  I honestly would have rather been sitting in silence than reading this book.

Simply, the plot was ridiculous, the characters were ridiculous, and the writing was mediocre.

The major selling point of this series is supposed to be the relationship between Nora and Patch.  However, the don't have chemistry and the longer the series went on, the more Patch seemed abusive.  Nora was not allowed to talk to any other boy, she's criticized for hanging out with her friend, etc.  Instead of being entranced by their romance, I was scared for Nora's safety.  Bad foundation for a book.

The only thing left to say is do not read this book.  Even if you liked the previous books, Finale was awful.  Would not recommend reading.  Ever.

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The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking #2) by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  A few weeks ago, I reviewed The Knife of Never Letting Go (review), the first book in this series.  It was amazing, if you haven't already read it.  The Ask and the Answer was possibly even better.  Wow.  This was a sequel that definitely deserved the first book.

The Cover:

The Cover:
I just love it.  The cover shows a giant A, the calling card of the mysterious terrorist group the Answer.  On the edges of the cover is the jumbled Noise of the phrase, "I am the Circle and the Circle is me."  The significance of that phrase becomes more and more obvious as the series goes on.  Really cool cover.  I'm a fan.  A+ cover

Official Description:
We were in the square, in the square where I'd run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren't no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men...
Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...
"The Ask and the Answer" is a tense, shocking and deeply moving novel of resistance under the most extreme pressure. 

My Review:
The Ask and the Answer picks up directly after The Knife of Never Go stopped in one of the most exciting starts of a book I've ever read.  And the excitement just keep coming.  The book was intense, full of almost nonstop action.  I loved it.  

A word of warning, in this book, the point of view shifts.  Instead of just being in Todd's perspective, Viola also has a point of view.  I usually condemn this kind of thing, but in The Ask and the Answer it actually worked for once.  

The characters became even more likable, the character development was all over the place (and it was amazing), and the internal drama was spot on.  As far as "internal drama" goes, it walks a thin line from being deep and interesting to being whinny and irritating.  Patrick Ness managed to keep his characters on the right side of that line.

I can honestly think of nothing else to say other than "Read this book.  Please."  It was fantastic.  
That being said, if you hated the first book (and I can't picture you would have), this book is pretty similar, at least as far as formatting goes.  Use your discretion.  

Phrase:
I AM THE CIRCLE AND THE CIRCLE IS ME.

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Books by Neal Shusterman

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