Sunday, July 28, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy Review
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| 375 pages |
After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.
Review:
The first book was pretty short and left me curious about Jack Templar. I was really glad that this story was longer and gave more of an in depth look at the Black Guard and what it really means to be a Monster Hunter. Jack hasn't completely accepted everything about his new life, but he is still amazingly brave and tries to defend those who may not be able to defend themselves. I admire the fact that Jack's friends have found their place at the Monster Academy as well, although it does create some tension between Jack and Will. We're introduced to a new character, Daniel, who seems to want nothing more than to make Jack's life miserable just for bearing the Templar name and expectations. Although Jack has just started at the Monster Academy, he manages to get into all sorts of chaos, and the danger that is Ren Lucre has a huge impact on his life there as well. Although this novel isn't non-stop action, it moves along at a nice pace building up to and ending that is jam-packed with danger and adventure. I definitely recommend this novel if you like monsters, mythology, and kids who fight evil. Make sure to pick up Jack Templar, Monster Hunter first and give that a read before tackling this one.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Perception Review
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| 234 pages |
Eternal Life is To Die For. Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along-side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans. Her brother Liam is missing. Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically. Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.
Review:
This isn't an exceptionally exciting book, nor is it a boring one. I guess the best way to describe it is as a bit bland. However, I did admire the world created here and the story behind it. The name definitely reflected the book's main theme. There are perceptions on both sides as a GAP and as a natural when neither side truly have made the time to know and understand the other. Zoe is a GAP and although she is unbelievably book smart, she is exceptionally naive about the world outside of her GAP city. Enter Noah, a natural who hates GAPs but based more off a bias passed along from his parents than anything. The relationship between Zoe and Noah progresses pretty quickly and for someone who hates GAPs, Noah gets over it fast. Then there is the huge mystery behind Liam's disappearance. I have to admit it was hard to figure out the details of that one and the reason completely caught me by surprise. There are so many secrets in the GAP society that continuously impact the lives of Zoe and everyone around her. Although I can't say I completely connected to this story, I am interested to see how things continue in the next novel. If you like futuristic dystopian type novels then don't count this book out, you might enjoy it.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Movie Monday: Carrie
How many people know Carrie is a novel by Stephen King? And not just any novel, his first published novel. Apparently its also one of the most frequent banned books in US schools as well. Bet that just makes you want to read it!
I'm pretty sure we've all seen the 1976 movie and its interesting to say the least that they've remade it. I'm actually pretty interested to see how this updated version sticks to the original story.
I'm pretty sure we've all seen the 1976 movie and its interesting to say the least that they've remade it. I'm actually pretty interested to see how this updated version sticks to the original story.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Shutdown Review
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| 320 pages Release date: July 2nd, 2013 |
The battle is all but over, and hope seems to be lost. Zoe and her fellow Resistance fighters are on the run, having lost their home, their protection, and their leader. They are outnumbered and outmatched by the powerful corporation that controls the world, and the cruel Chancellor is inches away from completing a scheme that would kill most of humanity. Zoe's only remaining option is to chase the impossible dream of upending the Link system, freeing the world from the hardware that controls their thoughts and emotions, and hope it will trigger a revolution. The plot requires a nearly impossible mission to infiltrate the dangerous Community, and it is a task that Zoe must unfortunately complete alone. With challenges and surprises at every turn, nothing goes according to plan. Adrien's visions of the future now show two possible outcomes: one in which they succeed, and one in which humanity falls. It all lies in Zoe's hands.
Review (ARC):
What an amazing ending to an awesome series! If you've read the series so far, then you know that things seem to have taken a turn for the worst. Zoe has been through so much since first being rescued from the Community and its amazing that she is able to step up and take the leadership role she was born to fill. Adrien is a completely different person after the cruelty he endured, and its hard for Zoe to connect with him like she used to. Then there is the evil Chancellor who always seems to be a step ahead of the Resistance and is getting close to completely destroying them altogether. Despite all of this you can see the growth Zoe has experienced and her determination to make things right and free humanity from the Link. This novel has a lot of action and adventure which keeps the story moving at an exciting pace. Everything culminates into a jaw-dropping ending with an unexpected twist in one of the characters. I definitely recommend you read this novel if you like books about kids with awesome powers or dystopian novels, but definitely pick up Glitch and Override before you tackle this one.
