Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Many, many years ago, I read Obert Skye's Leven Thumps series, and it was my favorite series for a long time. (I'd recommend it if you haven't already read it!) So, when I heard Obert Skye had written another book, I knew I wanted to read it, even if I have definitely aged out of the target audience for this book.

The Cover:

The Cover:

It shows Rin, sitting on the back of his ex-wife's car, getting ready to give some solid, wizardry advice. The cover fits the book, even if it's a bit too busy for my tastes. A- cover

Official Description:

Fourteen-year-old Ozzy lives near Portland, Oregon, and is desperate for help. His scientist parents have been kidnapped after discovering a formula that enables mind control. Their work was so top secret Ozzy is afraid to go to the police, but without help, he fears he'll never find his parents. Then he stumbles across a classified ad in the local newspaper that says "Wizard for Hire. Call 555-SPEL." Ozzy has read about wizards in books like Harry Potter, but wizards couldn't actually exist today, could they? After Ozzy meets the wizard Labyrinth--aka Rin--he's even more skeptical.

Sure, Rin dresses like a wizard, but the short robe and high-top tennis shoes seem unorthodox, as does Rin's habit of writing notes on his shoes and eating breakfast for every meal. Plus, Rin doesn't even cast any magic spells, which means that the unexplained coincidences that start happening around Ozzy are just that--coincidences.
With the help of a robotic-talking raven invented by Ozzy's father, a kind and curious girl at school who decides to help Ozzy, and, of course, a self-proclaimed wizard who may or may not have a magical wand, Ozzy begins an unforgettable quest that will lead him closer to the answers he desperately seeks about his missing parents.

My Review:

Wizard for Hire was an exciting, wholesome book. Ozzy is on a mission to find his missing parents while trying to avoid the men that he knows took them. He is willing to do whatever it takes to trace down what happened to his parents many years ago. He also has to acclimate back to society after living on his own (Hatchet-style) in an isolated cabin for 7 years.

One of the interesting things about this book was Rin's character. I spent the entire book going back and forth on whether he was really a wizard or just a crazy man. I think that's one of the charms of this book. You can't tell how crazy the main character is, so it leaves the door open for magic in the real world.

The characters were fun. I wouldn't say that I was astounded by their complexity one way or another, but I did enjoy their interactions. The dialogue was natural and often witty. It kept me caring about what was to happen to Rin and Ozzy and all of the other characters in the novel.

The plot was paced well. It balanced action scenes with scenes to get to know the characters remarkably well. The action kept you hooked, but there was also a fair amount of substance between the characters and the situation.

Overall, I would recommend Wizard for Hire to anyone wanting to read a mash-up of a fantasy book and a survivalist novel. You won't be disappointed!

Phrase:
Solar panels

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Leven Thumps
A World Without Heroes
Five Kingdoms Series

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

*Note: This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This had no effect on my thoughts on the content/quality of the novel*

The List by Patricia Forde 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! I decided to pick up The List after reading its description. It seemed like an interesting story to me, and I wasn't disappointed. This book delivered exactly what it said it would.

The Cover:
It shows Leta standing on the top of a building of "list" words and being taller than any other structure in the city. It's a really pretty cover that sums up a lot of the contents of the book. A+ cover.

Official Description:
In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world. 

On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark’s citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it’s up to her to save not only words, but culture itself.

Review:
This book is an interesting mix of things. It is a dystopian society that seems both to be set in the future and in the far past. At some point in the future, a flood came and destroyed all of civilization but those who got on the Ark. The setting is that of a small community that is set up more like an ancient village than anything else, with apprentices, etc.

The List has been described as The Giver meets 1984. And, I think that that is a fair estimate. It has the job specialization and the realization that you are able to see more of the world from The Giver and the desire to overthrow the corrupt government from 1984. I think there is also an element of Divergent worked in there with the characters' interaction with the "Wordless". It's an interesting mix, but it works perfectly for this book.

The List is well-written with a fairly interesting, if a bit overdone, plot. I liked the characters and empathized strongly with Letta, the lead. They were easy to root for on their journeys.

Really, my one and only real issue with this book was minor but devastating to my view of the book. It just distracted me to no end constantly and made me kind of scoff. It's the issue of what is on The List. We can see from conversations that the word choice is limited at best in the jumpy sentences, etc. Fine, I believe you might be able to get by with 500 words for conversations, if you count in the fact that the conversations won't really be worthwhile. I understand that and that it's the point of the book.
My problem is that there seems to have been no plan as to what The List actually holds on it. Each chapter starts off with a list word, including the word and its definition. And those chapter starters were completely nonrealistic! When defining water, it is said to be "clear and translucent." In a world where colors were eliminated from the English language, I highly doubt that "translucent" made the cut. And in that case, why would they bother defining the words at all? No one who reads it will have no idea what the definition means, which won't help them to understand the List word.

Overall, The List was good. It was well-written and had a bit of a spin by using the idea of limited language. It did have some drawbacks, such as the lack of a plan for the List words and its general lack of originality (I felt like I'd already read three versions of this book). That being said, I would recommend this book if the premise sounded interesting to you! It is exactly what it said it was going to be.

Phrase:
Beet juice

*Note: This book was given to me through edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Matched by Ally Condie

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Inferno (The Divine Comedy #1) by Dante 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! Reading Dante's Inferno has been an end goal of mine for a few years. I kept hearing it referenced, and I thought I might enjoy it. I told a friend, and she leant me a copy to read while traveling. I basically wanted to read the idea of this book and knew absolutely nothing about it.

The Cover:
There are so many covers of this book. None of them I particularly like, so this is the version that I ended up reading. It shows a spiral, depicting the layers of hell. B cover.

Official Description:
Belonging in the company of the works of Homer and Virgil, The Inferno is a moving human drama, a journey through the torment of Hell, an expression of the Middle Ages, and a protest against the ways in which men have thwarted the divine plan.

Review:
Going into it, I knew the vague concept of this book and that was it. I opened it and was immediately surprised. The Inferno is composed entirely of poetry. It flowed beautifully, which is pretty amazing considering it was originally written in Italian.

However, it was also difficult to read. The poetry was beautiful, but it was easy to get lost in the words and lose the meaning. In fact, in this version, each chapter started out with a summary of the chapter in plain english and then moved on to the actual chapter in its poetic form. I don't know how much success I would have had reading this book if it wasn't for those summaries, either.

That being said, the ideas in The Inferno were just as solid as I had heard they would be. It is a mix of controversial statements (for example, there are many Popes in the deepest layers of hell) and political statements, as well as a commentary on what values to us as human beings and what justifies a crime, as well as what worthy punishments are.

My only other draw-back is that it got to be a bit repetitive halfway through. Basically each chapter would be Dante viewing the punishments of a group of sinners, talking with one, and then moving on to the next group. I feel like a lot of those repetitions were not entirely necessary. It dragged a bit in the middle as a result.

Overall, it was very difficult to read through. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I could ever read it again. It is interesting from a cultural point of view, but you could probably skip half of it and get the same benefit. It was a challenge, but the ideas and concepts that it proposed are, largely, equally valid as they are now. I would recommend it, if you are also interested in the ideas and are willing to work through the dense poetry.

If You Liked This Book:
Check out the classics tag!

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! For weeks now, really since the book was announced, I have wanted to read Turtles All the Way Down. The only reason I'm not writing this in October is that I haven't had time to read anything other than textbooks.

I was so excited for this book, and my excitement was 100% justified. This is a very different book than the John Green books we are used to (The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, Will Grayson Will Grayson, An Abundance of Katherines), but it is better for it. If John Green had tried to recreate the success of The Fault in Our Stars, it would have felt fake and would be like a sequel to the first, a slightly worse version of the thing you liked. Thankfully, John Green changed things completely. 

The Cover:

The Cover:

It shows the title framed by an endless, ever-tightening spiral. This spiral represents Aza's thought spirals that occupy her mind at any given time. The title is taken from a popular ancedote in the science community: 

A scientist gives a talk on the universe. At the end of the lecture, an old lady stands up and tells the scientist that all he's been saying is bull. That really, the earth is just on a flat plate on a turtle's back. The scientist thinks himself smart and asks, "What is that turtle standing on?" The lady replies, "On top of another turtles back." The scientist grows frustrated ands asks what that turtle is standing on. The lady replies, "Sir, you don't understand. It's turtles all the way down."

It may seem that this has little to do with this book, but it actually ties in meaningfully with the rest of the story. Overall, A+ cover and title.

Official Description:

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

My Description:

This book was everything I had built it up to be and more. I was worried that I was overhyping myself, since I had become a big John Green fan (as a person) since I had read his last book. However, I was not let down at all.

This is the kind of book that sucks you in and makes you forget about the world. I read the whole thing in two sittings; it would have been one but I didn't want to rush my way through it! This book makes you take a step back and really consider the various aspects of your life, the things you should and don't appreciate, the intricacies of the most simple thing. All of this and it gives you a fun detective story.

The characters are intricate and easy to like. Aza is the main character and her thoughts are complex and really moving. The other characters were three-dimensional, yet they were not the focus of this book. It is about Aza trying (and often failing) to escape her own mind and in the process, she can often ignore the world around her. You get an idea of the complicated emotions of the other characters, but since Aza can't focus on them, you don't get a complete picture. 

Overall, Turtles All the Way Down was phenomenal. It is a bit depressing at times, but it is a really helpful view of mental illness and just a powerful read. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking something that will make you think and will linger with you for a long time after you set it down.

Phrase:
Band-aid, check for pus.

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:

The Rest of Us Just Live Here

Challenger Deep

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

P.S. Sorry for the long hiatus. I really didn't have much time to read books last semester! I should have much more for this semester, so look forward to a return of The Secret Bookshelf!

Also, if anyone's curious, I have an interesting story of how I got this book for free.. from John Green.

Monster (Gone #7... kind of) by Michael Grant 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! Sorry, I haven't posted much recently. There's much less time to read at college!

As long-time readers will know, I loved Michael Grant books. The Gone and BZRK series are some of my favorite series of all time. They felt so real to me, and I loved the action and ideas behind them. When I heard that Michael Grant was writing a sequeling series to Gone (so Monster is technically book 7 but has different characters), I was skeptical. I've read some great sequel-series and some awful ones. I wondered what the story would even be since everything was resolved. I'm honestly still wondering that after reading it. 

I decided to give it a shot because I had faith in one of my favorite authors. Now, I'm not sure if that faith was justified.

The Cover:

The Cover:

It shows the main character, Shade, running with her insect persona shadow behind her. It's a kind of cheesy cover, but the image itself fits the book surprisingly well. A- cover

Official Description:

When the dome came down, they thought it was the end of the troubles. Truth is, it was just the beginning.
Shade Darby witnessed events that day, with devastating consequences, and vowed never to feel that powerless again. Now, four years later, she gets her hands on a part of the meteor that began it all – and that’s when she changes.
Trouble is, Shade’s not the only one mutating, and the authorities cannot allow these superpowers to go unchecked...

My Review:

This book was basically an alternate version of the Gone series but with adults and teens getting powers and where there isn't a dome (and, therefore, isn't like Lord of the Flies). More meteors like the one at Perdido Beach are falling across the earth and more people are getting powers. Also, instead of getting fun superpowers like telekinesis, they get weird superpowers like being half-insect. 

Honestly, my first impression of this book was wondering who would actually want the power. You can shapeshift into an ugly monster. Why do you want that? I read the book, and I have no clue. Yet, people knew what they were getting into and still snorted the alien, power-giving rock like it was cocaine. 

The actual book was exciting. It was fast-paced and obviously setting up what will be an epic series. It was fast-paced, and I ended up reading it mainly in an afternoon (in an airport without WiFi but who's counting). 

However, the characters and the writing were lacking the Michael Grant charm I've learned to expect. 

The characters were too flat. They all had a defining characteristic that they stuck to the whole time. There was Shade: the mysterious girl; Malik: devoted ex-boyfriend; Dekka: honorable but depressed. Everyone stuck to their roles for the entirety of the book. Any character development that occurred was obvious from the beginning. 

Michael Grant also decided that he was going to appeal to the current hot topic in YA books in order to sell more books. He tried to be inclusive and prove a point by being progressive. For example, the protagonist's best friend is a trans girl. I have no problem with making efforts to be more inclusive and have representation for all groups, but it can be well done, and it can be poorly done. It feels as though someone told Grant to be more inclusive to sell more books, and he took their advice without it really being a part of the story. It can feel natural and inspiring (the books we need for these groups) or artificial and just sleezy feeling (this book). In order for some of these themes to fit in, they have to be authentic. It's not just books. For example, in TV you can see this. The gay relationship in How to Get Away With Murder is much more woven in and authentic than the one in Gotham. It's just a matter of execution. Some sentences were forced into Monster to prove a point of inclusivity, and these sentences felt so out of place that I'd often have to reread them to make sure I didn't miss a change of subject. 

One big example was when Grant called one of the characters a "big white boy" many, many times (roughly 15 times in 30 pages). I understand that our current society has a problem with having a "default race" of being white. I agree that this isn't fair, that you should have to declare each characters race if you do one. Sure. I'm all for that. But, each time you mention him? It's excessive. They didn't mention Dekka being black more than like twice in the whole book, and she was a much bigger character. Each time "big white boy" was mentioned, I paused. While it isn't a good system, I am used to the "default race," so I would question each time if he was just "big" or is he "big for a white boy"? There's a different meaning, and it just caused me some confusion that ruined my immersion.

For fans of the Gone series, there are cameos from other characters. Dekka is a main character and Drake and Sam are mentioned a few times. I get the impression that the earlier characters will make more appearances as the series goes on, so there'll be plenty of chances to read of your favorite characters again!

Overall, the book was fine. On the surface level, it did everything the description promises. I just wasn't hooked by the characters and found the superpowers to just be gross and unappealing. (Everyone wants to manipulate gravity, but does anyone want a lobster-claw hand?) I don't think that I'm going to read the next one, but I did finish this one. It was a solid 3-star book, definitely not up to the 5-star rating I expect from Michael Grant, but it was still decent. 

Phrase:

Just swallow the rock down with some peanut butter

*Note: Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review*

Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu (4/5 stars)

Hey, guys! Sorry that posting has been a little less consistent. I've just started college and have much less time to read!

Anyways, after reading Marie Lu's earlier books (Legend series and The Young Elites series), I was excited to hear that she was writing another series, Warcross!

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows the title of the book forming a virtual cage of some sort. It shows both the technology side of Warcross as well as how not everything is as pretty as it seems, that danger lurks. It's a fun cover that can relate to the book if you stretch it a little. A- cover

Official Description:
For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

My Review:
Warcross was an interesting book. The writing was great, typical for what I expect of Marie Lu. The main characters were complex. The plot started out great. Then, it took a plot twist that, honestly, it would have been better to leave out. More on that later.

The writing style was captivating. It mapped out the scenes beautifully, and, as a result, Warcross was very easy to get sucked into. The writing itself was the best part of this book.

The characters were also interesting. You have Emika, the main character, who makes her own path and retains her independence. Then, you have Hideo, a successful businessman at a young age and with an air of mystery to him, who may end up being the bachelor Emika doesn't even know she wants yet! In all seriousness, Hideo is a very well formed character with his own thoughts and ambitions. The rest of the characters in the book were indistinguishable from one another. These characters really weren't that important, so I doubt it mattered that I could barely tell them apart.

Now, the plot. It was a bit of a mixed bag. I'm a sucker for virtual reality books (see list of my favorites at the end of this post). And, Warcross just doesn't stand out from the other VR books I've read. The only real difference was that Emika was a bounty hunter. 

However, I was starting to get really into the plot. I was ready to see more of the competition to win Warcross. Instead, right as I was really starting to love this book, it took a complete 180. I'm not going to spoil it, but a plot twist occurs which just derailed the book I wanted to read. Instead of a winner of the game being announced, Marie Lu decided to start an apocalypse plot. It was such a questionable decision. It felt like Warcross was meant to be a single book, but someone decided to merge it with a different series to continue to make profit. 

Overall, Warcross was a good, but not great, virtual reality book. I'd recommend reading it if you like more of the bounty-hunting side of the description than the VR side. The writing was good, but some of the plot was a little haphazard.

Warcross comes out September 12, 2017.

Phrase:
My father's artwork

*Note: I received a pre-release copy of this book from edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

Favorite Virtual Reality Books:
Ready Player One
The Reality Bug (Pendragon #4)
More Than This
The Eye of Minds
BZRK

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I found a beat-up copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them that my library was giving away (because the condition was so terrible). It was exactly what I expected. 

Official Description:
A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerely that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.

-Albus Dumbledore

My Review:
Fantastic Beasts is a copy of a textbook from Hogwarts. While more interesting than most textbooks I've read, it reads like a textbook. It really wasn't very entertaining. In 60 pages, it covers seventy-five beasts. Each beast has about a paragraph of a description. There is no real depth to it. 

The most interesting part of this book was the introduction. It describes the process of classifying beasts vs. being, among other things and was long enough to do into some details. 

This "textbook" was exactly what I expected. A lore-dump of quick descriptions of magical creatures. A lot of creativity went into it's production. I just wish it focused less on the number of creatures and went more into details about each.

Phrase: XXXXX MOM rating

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Release by Patrick Ness 4/5 stars

Hey, guys! As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Patrick Ness (links to my reviews of his books at the bottom of this post). When I heard about Release, I was super excited. A new Patrick Ness book? Count me in! 

The only problem was that it's been released for a month or so in the UK but wasn't supposed to be released in the US until September. I've been jealous to say the least. Thankfully, Edelweiss and the publishers provided me an ARC of the US version to read and give you guys an honest review.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Adam desperately holding on while the world turns upside down. It's simple and still communicates a lot of the feeling behind this book. A+ cover

Official Description:
Adam Thorn doesn’t know it yet, but today will change his life.
Between his religious family, a deeply unpleasant ultimatum from his boss, and his own unrequited love for his sort-of ex, Enzo, it seems as though Adam’s life is falling apart.  At least he has two people to keep him sane: his new boyfriend (he does love Linus, doesn’t he?) and his best friend, Angela.
But all day long, old memories and new heartaches come crashing together, throwing Adam’s life into chaos. The bindings of his world are coming untied one by one; yet in spite of everything he has to let go, he may also find freedom in the release. 

My Review:
Release tells the story of the day that Adam Thorn's life seems to fall apart. It is a deeply captivating, character-driven story that blew me away, mostly. I read this book in a day and loved it. 

If I was just reviewing the main storyline, I would give it 5 stars, no questions asked. However, in every chapter, there was a page or two revolving around a different, supernatural storyline. In a gist, it was about a dead girl in the town who got to roam the earth for one night. She is accompanied by a faun who is making sure she doesn't cause too much trouble. This storyline is almost entirely unrelated to the rest of the book (barely any tie-in to Adam's story) and is just distracting. You can just skim over it pretty easily and ignore it, so it doesn't ruin the book. However, it seemed completely unnecessary. (I suspect it's only added as a nod to Septimus in Mrs. Dalloway, which Ness claimed to model Release after.)

Ignoring the supernatural subplot, Release was spectacular. The characters were complex and realistic. Adam was easy to root for and likable, in part, because of his flaws. He was a character that you could get behind and relate to. The supporting characters had depth to them as well, and their relationships felt natural. 

The writing skill in this book is what really brings it to life. While the story is simply a day in a teenager's life where he gets in an avalanche of bad news and tough situations, it feels riveting. I was on the edge of my seat, heart aching on behalf of Adam. Release sucks you into its world. 

Overall, I would recommend reading Release. It was an amazing book with memorable characters and writing. You'll love it. Just don't get your hopes up for a tie-in with the supernatural plot.

Phrase:
Sexual Harassment Claim

Other Books by Patrick Ness:
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
The Knife of Never Letting Go (book 1) / The Ask and the Answer (2) / Monsters of Men (3)
More Than This
A Monster Calls

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon #3) by Dan Brown 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! After reading Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, I was ready for the next Robert Langdon mystery. They both blew me away. I could talk about The Da Vinci Code all day; I could talk about Angels & Demons all day (and all night); but, I could talk about The Lost Symbol for maybe 15 minutes before I got bored.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a Masonic seal holding together a torn coded page, above the city of Washington D.C.. The cover fits well with what the book is theoretically about. Or, at least, it fits the good parts of the story, what I expected the book to contain. A- cover. 

Official Description:

WHAT IS LOST...

WILL BE FOUND
The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling - a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths...all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, DC., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.
As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object - artfully encoded with five symbols - is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation...one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.
When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon - a prominent Mason and philanthropist - is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations - all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.


My Review:
I was disappointed in The Lost Symbol. It's focus was much less on decoding and solving a mystery while explaining a secret organization (in this case, the Masons) than the previous books. While the decoding was still an element, the book centered more on how crazy the bad guy was. The majority of the book was from the villain's point-of-view to try and prove how crazy he was. 

Large chunks of narration from a villain's point-of-view is one of my writing pet-peeves. It makes the main characters look dumb, while making the book uncomfortable to read and boring. This style made The Lost Symbol feel less like a Dan Brown book, and more like a Silence of the Lambs book. Specifically, it felt about 80% similar to Red Dragon.  

The Lost Symbol is much the same as the earlier amazing books by Dan Brown, but it replaced some of the unique code-breaking and conspiracy-style history with thoughts from a madman. It really wasn't my style, and I'm disappointed to say the least. This book has taken me three weeks to read, and honestly, wasn't worth my time. It just didn't hook me like the other ones did. 

I think I'll still try book four, Inferno, but I know I'm going to wait awhile and catch up on other books first.

Phrase:
Tattoos

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Da Vinci Code
Angels & Demons
Silence of the Lambs

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret

Dragonwatch (Fablehaven Adventure #1) by Brandon Mull 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! About seven years ago, I finished the Fablehaven series. I really enjoyed it. It's a fun kids' story about magical creatures with solid characters and an exciting plot.
In October at YALL Fest, I got to meet Brandon Mull (nice guy) and he told me that he was working on a sequel series to Fablehaven. I knew I wanted to read it, and then, edelweiss provided me a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

The Cover:

The Cover:

It shows a dragon blowing fire at the neutral area between humans and dragons, I believe. I don't like this cover. It just looks cheesy and isn't directly related to the story. C- cover.

Official Description:

In the long-awaited sequel to Fablehaven, the dragons who have been kept at the dragon sanctuaries no longer consider them safe havens, but prisons and they want their freedom. The dragons are no longer our allies....
In the hidden dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, Celebrant the Just, King of the Dragons, plots his revenge. He has long seen the sanctuaries as prisons, and he wants nothing more than to overthrow his captors and return the world to the Age of Dragons, when he and his kind ruled and reigned without borders. The time has come to break free and reclaim his power.
No one person is capable of stopping Celebrant and his dragon horde. It will take the ancient order of Dragonwatch to gather again if there is any chance of saving the world from destruction. In ancient times, Dragonwatch was a group of wizards, enchantresses, dragon slayers, and others who originally confined the majority of dragons into sanctuaries. But nearly all of the original Dragonwatch members are gone, and so the wizard Agad reaches out to Grandpa Sorenson for help.
As Kendra and Seth confront this new danger, they must draw upon all their skills, talents, and knowledge as only they have the ability to function together as a powerful dragon tamer. Together they must battle against forces with superior supernatural powers and breathtaking magical abilities.
How will the epic dragon showdown end? Will dragons overthrow humans and change the world as we know it?

My Review:
Dragonwatch picks up a few months after the original series ends. It stars the same main characters, though some of the supporting characters change. The feel of the book was the same. The adventure and characters still felt the same as they did seven years ago. The only difference is the setting (a Dragon Sanctuary) and the enemy (the dragons).

Once you get past the immediate disbelief (is sending Seth and Kendra in really the only option?), Dragonwatch is a really enjoyable read. It goes by quick with a fast pace and lots of adventure. 

The characters are the same ones that you know and love. Even the satrys make an appearance. There are a few minor characters that are added. For example, Kendra and Seth's cousins are visiting Fablehaven, and Seth gets them into all sorts of trouble. At first, I was worried that this series would just be a repeated of Fablehaven, just from the cousin's point of view. This is not what happened. They were an important plot device that actually worked really well!

The ideas in Dragonwatch were original and fun to read about! The change of focus was refreshing. This book did not feel like a rewind of the previous series. The characters are (mostly) the same, but the situations are not.


Overall, I would recommend reading Dragonwatch only if you have already read the Fablehaven series and liked it. The format is similar, but you'll find a new story that you'll love.
Phrase:
What do you look like before the milk?

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
A World Without Heroes
The Sword of Summer
Five Kingdoms series

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookshelfSecret

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookshelfSecret