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!

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2016 A Year in Books

Hello! As this year wraps up, I wanted to give you my book highlights from this past year. Here are my top ten favorite books and/or series that I read this year in no particular order. Just click on the title to see my review. Hope you enjoy!

Thirteen Reasons Why 

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

The Wrath and the Dawn / The Rose and the Dagger

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Ready Player One

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

The Knife of Never Letting Go / The Ask and the Answer/ Monsters of Men

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.
But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

More Than This
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?

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.
Then came a plague, and fever spread across the globe. Families died, violence reigned, and man killed man.
Next came WICKED, who were looking for an answer. And then they found the perfect boy.
The boy’s name was Thomas, and Thomas built a maze.
Now there are secrets.
There are lies.
And there are loyalties history could never have foreseen. 
This is the story of that boy, Thomas, and how he built a maze that only he could tear down.
All will be revealed. 

We Are the Ants
There are a few things Henry Denton knows, and a few things he doesn’t.
Henry knows that his mom is struggling to keep the family together, and coping by chain-smoking cigarettes. He knows that his older brother is a college dropout with a pregnant girlfriend. He knows that he is slowly losing his grandmother to Alzheimer’s. And he knows that his boyfriend committed suicide last year.
What Henry doesn’t know is why the aliens chose to abduct him when he was thirteen, and he doesn’t know why they continue to steal him from his bed and take him aboard their ship. He doesn’t know why the world is going to end or why the aliens have offered him the opportunity to avert the impending disaster by pressing a big red button. 
But they have. And they’ve only given him 144 days to make up his mind.
The question is whether Henry thinks the world is worth saving. That is, until he meets Diego Vega, an artist with a secret past who forces Henry to question his beliefs, his place in the universe, and whether any of it really matters. But before Henry can save the world, he’s got to figure out how to save himself, and the aliens haven’t given him a button for that.

Steelheart / Firefight
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.
Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.
And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.
He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

The Fever Code

Once there was a world’s end.

The forests burned, the lakes and rivers dried up, and the oceans swelled.
Then came a plague, and fever spread across the globe. Families died, violence reigned, and man killed man.
Next came WICKED, who were looking for an answer. And then they found the perfect boy.
The boy’s name was Thomas, and Thomas built a maze.
Now there are secrets.
There are lies.
And there are loyalties history could never have foreseen. 
This is the story of that boy, Thomas, and how he built a maze that only he could tear down.
All will be revealed.

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?


Previous Years:
2015
2014

Happy Reading!

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The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (5/5 stars)

Hey, guys! Continuing my tour of Patrick Ness's books, I decided to read The Rest of Us Just Live Here.  It was really good, but not as advertised.

Other Books by Patrick Ness:

Chaos Walking series 

More Than This

Monsters of Men

The Cover:

The Cover:

Official Description:

What if you aren’t the Chosen One?
The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?
What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.
Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world, and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life.
Even if your best friend is worshipped by mountain lions.
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness’s bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.

My Review:

When I started The Rest of Us Just Live Here, I expected it to be about a normal kid who everyone around them were Chosen Ones and was left on his own.  That wasn't really what it was about.  Really, very little about Chosen Ones were mentioned.  It all went on in the background.  The majority of the book centered on the very real world struggles of Mikey as he starts to transition from high school to college, moving on from his small town world.  It was much better than I expected.
Also, The Rest of Us Just Live Here is aimed at an older age group than I first expected.  It's definitely a more sophisticated book than it seems, probably aimed more at the high school age group, though there's nothing inappropriate for younger ages.

The characters were all very easy to like.  Mikey, the main character, was a very interesting character.  Misguided but I cared more about him than I have for any character for a long time.  The supporting  characters were not entirely developed, purposely.  In fact, as the book developed, the characters grew more complex as Mikey starts to understand them.

One of the main plot points was the mental illnesses of Mikey and Mel.  It was a perspective that you do not often see in books and is incredibly impactful.  (A style kind of similar to Challenger Deep.)

The plot was a small part of the book, yet it was still intense.  While not the focus, the plot was interesting and kept me completely engaged.

One thing you should know before reading The Rest of Us Just Live Here is its formatting.  At the beginning of each chapter, there is a paragraph or so about what is going on with the Chosen Ones in the meantime.  Be aware that these paragraphs are background to the story, not the story itself.

Overall, I would recommend The Rest of Us Just Live Here for people who have liked Patrick Ness's other books or books that make you think.  It's not the book you should read if you want a book about magical powers, etc.  Not what I expected, but I liked it more than expected too.

Phrase:
Deer

Other Books By Patrick Ness:
The Knife of Never Letting Go/ The Ask & the Answer / Monsters of Men

More Than This

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:

Challenger Deep

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

Happy Reading!

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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (idea by Siobhan Dowd) 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I just read a book that reminded me why I love reading.  I was beautiful and dark in a way that no other media can properly convey.  Before I even get into the review, I'll let you know that you should read it, no matter how skeptical you are.

I read Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series and More Than This but I think A Monster Calls outshines those other, outstanding books.  I decided to read A Monster Calls simply because I liked Ness's other books and had high hopes.  I wasn't disappointed.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows the monster in front of Conor's house, looming.  It doesn't show much but it captures the spirit and content of the book.  A+ cover

Official Description:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.
But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…
This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

My Review:
A Monster Calls is a story of a thirteen year old boy whose mother is dying of cancer.  One night a monster made from the old yew tree outside his house begins to tell Conor stories, with the promise that Conor will tell one of his own at the end.  It's a story about grief, guilt, and change.  It breaks your heart but does so in a way that doesn't leave you sad but hopeful.

A Monster Calls was in a word: beautiful.  The very sentences were artfully composed.  Patrick Ness has completely conquered the old adage "show don't tell."  With a few words, you know exactly what is going on without ever being informed.  It made the story feel more significant as you come up with the ideas yourself without having them shoved down your throat. 

Within a few short paragraphs, I understood Conor perfectly.  He was a character you couldn't help but stand behind.  All of the characters, in fact, were deeply, deeply flawed, but still lovable.  From the dad who abandoned his family to the uptight grandma, the characters felt like real people going through a tough situation.

Once every twenty pages or so, there is a beautiful illustration (in the style of the cover).  It added to the book.  Don't be fooled into thinking the illustrations make it on par with The Magic Treehouse.  It is intended for older audiences.  I would say middle school and up.  Adults could easily appreciate A Monster Calls so do not be discouraged.

A Monster Calls can be looked at on two levels: the monster is/is not real.  It doesn't matter if you think of it as a fairytale or as a beautiful metaphor, the story remains incredible.

I would recommend A Monster Calls to everyone, especially the people who appreciate good writing. It was just amazing.  I feel like I am still within the story.  Definitely worth reading!

Phrase:
Sometimes there is no villain.

Other Books By Patrick Ness:
The Knife of Never Letting Go/ The Ask & the Answer / Monsters of Men

More Than This

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

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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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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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The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I just finished listening to the audiobook of The Knife of Never Letting Go.  I'd seen it referenced before and thought I'd give it a shot.  It was fantastic!  I'm so glad I read it!

The Cover:

This is a really cool cover.  Before I go too far into it, let's talk about the title.  It fits this book perfectly.  Todd's hunting knife is a huge part of this book, plus the title's symbolic.  The edges of the cover has various jumbled phrases, resembling the Noise (more on that later).  It works really well for this book.  Obviously a lot of thought was put into it! A+ cover

Official Description:
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.
But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

My Review:
I loved it.  It's definitely the best book-in-a-series that I've read in months.  Just wow.
That being said, look at the formatting before you read it.  Not often, but at certain points, Patrick Ness characterizes the Noise by having a jumble of unimportant phrases (like those of the edge of the cover) or different fonts.  If that worries you, check out the preview at Amazon before reading it.  It gives you a good feel for the style.  I thought it added to the book, but if that sort of thing bothers you...

I loved the characters.  They were not perfect in any way, but that's what made them neat.  The character development was the best thing about them though.  Todd completely changed as the book went on.  As much as I liked the protagonists, I will admit the villains were a bit undeveloped, though I think that's the whole point.

The plot was interesting and engaging.  There were plenty of mysteries to solve.  Some of them were predictable, others took me completely by surprise.  I didn't find myself becoming bored with the storyline at all.

The best part about this book was its writing style.  It was different and refreshing.  It was serious and funny and made me think.  The writing was really hooked me, and I could tell by only a few pages in that I'd love this book.

I'd recommend reading The Knife of Never Letting Go if you are up for something a bit weird but mostly great.

Audiobook Review (read by Nick Podehl):
Nick Podehl did a great job bringing life to this story.  The Knife of Never Letting Go works particularly well as an audiobook because of the style of the book, as well as the speech patterns (basically southern accent) of the narrator.  I really enjoyed it.  At the segments where I earlier mentioned the format, the audiobook talked over itself to give a really neat perspective of the Noise. Overall, one of my favorite audiobook interpretations.

Phrase:
Ow, Todd.

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

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