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

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
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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Panic by Lauren Oliver 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! I've been meaning to read Panic for two years.  I enjoyed Lauren Oliver's previous series, Delirium, so I decided to give it a shot.  I thought it was pretty "eh" for the most part and hated the ending.  It wasn't all bad, but I was a little let down.

The Cover:

It shows Heather's face against a plain back background.  It looks nice aesthetically.  The title, "panic" is the name of the central competition in this book.  The cover doesn't tell you anything about the book, but I like it anyway.  B+ cover

Official Description:

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

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.
Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.
For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most. 

My (Ridiculously simplified) Description:

Graduated high school senior have an annual competition where they perform dangerous challenges to hopefully win a pot of money.  Drama ensues.  

My Review:

Panic sounded so good.  I thought it would have action or be a psychological thriller or something.  It was mostly high school type drama, with six action scenes thrown, each with only a few pages devoted to it. 

I didn't like the characters.  Most of them felt painfully shallow, and I couldn't connect with them. Not only were they dumb (and probably on a suicide mission) for even entering the competition but they also were whiners.  

Most of Panic was devoted to the internal drama of the characters, whom I didn't care about.  It was just filled with filler content.  We get detailed descriptions of Heather's day working but of little else.

Sure, not connecting with the plot/characters was a problem, but the part of this book that bugged me the most were the points.  If a character completed an especially difficult part of a challenge, they might win bonus points.  Fair enough.  But, the bonus points go nowhere.  They don't get a head start (eg Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) or win based on points.  It didn't even effect the betting, so why bother?

I would have given this book four stars, but the ending let me down.  At the climax, I was distracted by Lauren Oliver's attempt to place every single plot point in the book at a single point.  It felt cluttered and distracted me from the book.  Also, during the epilogue (always a bad ideas, epilogues), she decides to make a moral and shove it down the reader's throat.  A bad ending overall that left me dissatisfied.

Overall, I would not recommend Panic.  There is little action and uninteresting characters.

Phrase:

Revenge/ Get out of Dodge

Audiobook Review (read by Sarah Drew):

I wasn't a fan.  Sarah Drew, the narrator, only had two voices.  Her main character voice (that could be both from Dodge's or Heather's point-of-view) and her "other" voice for characters such as an old lady and a love interest.  It was hard to tell characters apart. 

It was a fine audiobook, but it had no special characteristics.

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The Game of Lives (Mortality Doctrine #3) by James Dashner 4/5 stars

Hey, guys!  This'll be a quick review.

I finally finished the Mortality Doctrine series by James Dashner.
Previous Books: Eye of Minds, Rule of Thoughts (review)
Reading Ready Player One inspired me to finish a different video game/ alternate reality series.  I loved this series, but I think I lost the plot sometime between when I read book 2 and book 3.  I still enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it was harder to get through than the previous books were.

The Cover:

The title is kind of neat.  A play on words of both game (strategy vs video game) and lives (real vs video game lives). I don't think this cover shows any scene in particular.  Just something mildly tech-y with Michael jumping in the background.  It's not a very relevant cover, but it'll do.  B cover

Official Description:
Michael used to live to game.
Now the games he was playing have become all too real. Only weeks ago, Sinking into the Sleep was fun. The VirtNet combined the most cutting-edge technology and the most sophisticated gaming for a full mind-body experience. And it was Michael’s passion. But now every time Michael Sinks, he risks his life.
The games are over. The VirtNet has become a world of deadly consequences, and Kaine grows stronger by the day. The Mortality Doctrine—Kaine’s master plan—has nearly been realized, and little by little the line separating the virtual from the real is blurring. If Kaine succeeds, it will mean worldwide cyber domination. And it looks like Michael and his friends are the only ones who can put the monster back in the box—if Michael can figure out who his friends really are.

My Review:
The Game of Lives was a fitting end to the series.  
The plot surprised me with its twists and the relationships between characters felt organic.  
A crazily unbelievable happily-ever-after was not pushed onto the reader at the very end, which I appreciated.  The series had a nice ending that finished the story arcs and left me satisfied.
The plot was interesting, but it dragged on a little too long.  
If you've read the previous books, you should definitely read this book to finish off the series.  It's a good and satisfying conclusion to the series, but it won't blow you away.

Phrase:
Going off on a Tangent

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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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Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy #1) by Anna Banks 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! I listened to the audiobook of Of Poseidon and finally finished it.  I was excited to be done with the book, only to discover it was the first in a series (The Syrena Legacy series).  It's safe to say that I will not be reading the rest of this series.  That's not to say it was all bad, but I wouldn't recommend reading it.

The Cover:
It shows a girl, who I would assume is Emma (the main character), but the character has light hair. So I assume it's Reyna? Either way, the cover doesn't really make sense.  C- cover

Official  Description:
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...
Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view(only Emma's is in first person), here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

My Review:
Basically, this book was about a merman who falls in love with a girl who may or may not be a mermaid.  I know, it sounds a bit stupid.  Believe it or not, the bad part of this book had no relation to the actual storyline, which was as good as could be expected for a mermaid book.

The problem was  that it just wasn't realistic.  I'll excuse all of the mermaid stuff, but the regular life parts were unrealistic.  I understand that this book was made for younger audiences, but if a senior in high school avoided cursing by saying, "Oh my sweet goodness!" all the time, they would be made fun of.  Harshly.  

All of the interactions with Emma's mom were incredibly awkward.  Awkward to the point that if I was the mom, there is no way I'd allow my daughter to hang out with Galen. 

Speaking of their relationship, there is a scene when Galen confronts Emma and a guy.  His actions honestly felt like an abusive relationship.  It was out of character, but still if I was guy Emma was with, I would feel obligated to have a serious chat with Emma.

That being said, the dialogue was witty and natural feeling.  The situations they found themselves in were not so organic.  Of Poseidon was a fan of creating conflict through unclear communication and... That was it.  As well as unnecessary scenes such as Reyna Drives a Car!

Obviously, I was not a fan.  It wasn't all bad, of course.  There were fun scenes and a bit of drama.  I might've just aged out of it.  I could see all the plot twists coming a mile away, but there were still plot twists! I finished the book, so it wasn't horrendous.  This is more of a middle school book.  

I would not recommend Of Poseidon. 

Phrase:
Oh my sweet goodness!

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The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I just finished The Rose Society by Marie Lu.  It was great... once I figured out what was happening.  It had been about a year since I read The Young Elites (click for review of book one!) so I had forgotten quite a bit of the book, including the entire ending.  If you are reading this review and you don't remember, do yourself a favor and reread the last fifteen pages of book one.  The Rose Society will only explain it at page 250 or so.

The Cover:

The cover shows Adelina's codename (the White Wolf) looking over some water.  I'm not impressed with the image, but it's okay.  The name of the book, The Rose Society, is the same thing that Adelina names her secret society.

Official Description:
Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?

My (Super-Simplified) Description:
Adelina got kicked out of Raffaele's secret society, so she decides to make her own secret society.  All's fine, except her secret society is a lot bloodier and not opposed to fighting Raffaele's society.

My Review:
The purpose of this series is to watch Adelina slowly become the villain of the story, which is great.  She is not high and mighty, her sister is mildly afraid of her, and she takes what she wants without regard to consequences.  It's an interesting premise and is executed wonderfully.  

The plot was not the focus of the book, but it was good and engaging.  There were numerous action scenes as well as character development scenes.  The book went by quickly.  There were two main storylines, what was going on with Adelina and what was going on with the Daggers.  At times, one was much more interesting than the other, making the book go by a little slower.

My only real complaint was that Adelina's inner monologue became repetitive at times.  I get that it was an important part of the book, but there was a lot of repetition going on.

Overall, I enjoyed The Rose Society and would recommend it.  Be sure to refresh yourself on The Young Elites before you start it though.  It doesn't warm you up at all.  

Phrase:
Why did you kill him?


Happy Reading!

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Red Queen
The Young Elites
The Wrath and the Dawn

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Crystal Keepers (Five Kingdoms #3) by Brandon Mull 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I just finished Crystal Keepers by Brandon Mull.  It was great, just like the rest of this series.  If you haven't read any books in this series, here's book 1/ book 2.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows a robot attacking Cole and Constance in Zeropolis. It's not my kind of cover.  At all.  B-

Official Description:
Cole Randolph is trapped in a world where magic is powerful and dreams are real. He found his friend Dalton and has survived the first two kingdoms of the Outskirts. But none of that has prepared him for the magnetic highways and robotic bounty hunters of Zeropolis.
Ruled by Abram Trench, the one Grand Shaper who stayed loyal to the evil High King, the government of Zeropolis uses advanced technologies to keep tight control. Luckily, the resistance in Zeropolis is anchored by the Crystal Keepers, a group of young rebels with unique weapons.
On the run from the High King's secret police, Cole and Dalton venture to find more of their lost friends, and help their new friend, Mira, locate her sister Constance. But as their enemies ruthlessly dismantle the resistance, time runs out for Cole to uncover the secrets behind the Zeropolitan government and unravel the mystery of who helped the High King steal his daughters' powers. Can Cole fix The Outskirts magic, or will he be stranded forever?

My Review:
This book was very pleasant.  Despite the fact that it had been a year and a half since I read book 2, it was not hard to orient myself inside the story. If you enjoyed the first two books, you will like this one as well.  
That being said, this was not my favorite book in the series.  There was a lot of setup for the next two books in the series and significantly less action than the previous books.
That just left more time for character development, which ran rampant in this book.  The characters in this series are very relatable and are unique.  From just a line of dialogue, you can tell which character is speaking because they are so distinct.
The plot was exciting and the adventure was thrilling. 
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but then again, I enjoy everything that Brandon Mull writes.  If you enjoyed the previous books, definitely pick up Crystal Keepers.  If you haven't read any of this series, give it a shot (keeping in mind, its target market is closer to twelve-year-olds than most posts on my blog).

Phrase:
Roxie the robot

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Outcasts
The Sword of Summer
Tesla's Attic

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