Sky Without Stars Review

592 pages

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.
Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…
Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spy on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.
Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a renowned traitor. In training to take command of the military, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when his father dies and leaves behind a cryptic message that only one person can read: a girl named Alouette.
Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.
All three have a role to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.

Review:
As the first book in a new series the concept is definitely intriguing. The book rotates between three points of view: Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette. All three have grown up in different experiences and have unique perspectives of the planet Laterre. Chatine is a thief, scammer, and liar, she will do anything she has to to survive her criminal parents and the slums of Laterre. Marcellus is a son of the governing body of Laterre, loyal to a fault but also a coward in other aspects. Alouette is a naive and sheltered girl who doesn't know much about what it is like living amongst those who live above-ground on Laterre. The paths of these three characters take them on a collision course that bring shocking revelations and set long laid plans into motion. I do wish there was a little more world-building in the description of Laterre. The action is minimal but the mystery behind the main characters past is captivating. All in all this was a good read and I can't wait to see where the next book takes things. If you like sci-fi novels then this will be an appealing book for you.

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Ready Player One Review

374 pages

In the year 2045, 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.

Review:
I've been meaning to read this book for a while. A very long while. In preparation for the movie I decided to actually get started and see what all of the hype was about, and it didn't disappoint. The world created here is one in which the world is such a depressing place and the only way for the poor to escape that is to live in a virtual world called the OASIS. The creator of the OASIS decides to create a massive game within the OASIS upon his death, which will give all of his power and wealth to the one who can solve all of the puzzles and retrieve all three keys. Wade grew up in poverty and has devoted his life to solving and winning the game. His sole purpose in life is learning as much as he can about the greater of the OASIS and using that to solve the game. Along the way he forms friendships with unlikely participants and has a crazy adventure within the virtual and real life. I enjoyed the parallels between this world and our own. A major theme showed that you really don't know if the person you're talking to online is what they portray themselves to be in reality. This book was action-packed and filled with adventure. I definitely recommend this book if you like sci-fi novels and also if you plan on seeing the movie.

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Shades of Earth Review

369 pages
Release date: January 15th, 2013

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceshipGodspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience. But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight. Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

Review (ARC):
Wow the ending to this series was so explosive and exciting that I couldn't put the book down until I was done! The new Earth is nothing like what Amy and Elder may have imagined it to be. Centauri-Earth is dangerous and mysterious with a lot of secrets. There is so much more to Godspeed's story and what the connection is to the original Earth. Both Amy and Elder still have a lot of growing to do especially when they wake up the frozen people. Amy grew into a leader on Godspeed but having her parents back reverts her to their child again. Elder feels himself being pushed out by adults who don't know or understand what Godspeed has been through. There is a lot of action and mystery in this novel that keep things exciting and moving at a good pace. I definitely recommend reading this if you like dystopian and sci-fi novels but you should read Across the Universe and A Million Suns first.

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The Pearl Wars Review

376 pages

A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government. Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess. Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

Review: 
This is a awesome, fast-paced sci-fi novel with lots of action. From the very first page we are thrown into a new world filled with adventure. Jesse Fisher is an average and even sometimes below average character who doesn't know where his life is headed. Cassius Stevensen is the complete opposite, and overachiever who sets out to prove himself. Both of these boys are from opposite ends of the spectrum and end up becoming part of something much bigger than themselves when they are thrown together in an unexpected twist of fate. I think that the way this book was written was interesting. The author switches between Jesse and Cassius from a first person to third person point of view respectively. However, this didn't deter from the great storyline. I loved unraveling the mystery of Jesse and Cassius' new powers and the end result is a definite unexpected twist. I honestly can't wait for the next novel to find out what happens next in their story. I definitely recommend this novel to those who love a good science fiction read.

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Cinder Review

390 pages

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:
This book was really good but the ending frustrated me! This novel is a fresh twist on the Cinderella fairytale with a cyborg Cinderella. I love the sci-fi aspect to this book that created a whole new futuristic world for Cinder to live in. Cinder is a wonderful character who is smart and fun and willing to do anything for those she loves. I loved the different characters created in the book and especially enjoyed Prince Kai and Cinder's budding relationship. This novel really is close to the original Cinderella storyline except with a few twists. Since this is the first book in a series to come I was frustrated because I wanted to know how Cinder's story ends. However, it would seem I have to wait for the next novel to be released so that my curiosity can be satisfied. I recommend this novel to those who like sci-fi, fairytales, and dystopian novels.

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Across the Universe Review

398 pages

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules. Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next. Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Review: 
Wow this was a really great book! The mystery aboard the Godspeed was an interesting one to say the least. I feel bad for Amy because she is woken up too soon ans as she comes to discover all is not right with the ship. I did enjoy seeing how she adapted to the new environment she woke up in. The society aboard the ship definitely changed a lot and it was interesting to see how. There is a bit of romance in this novel but its not the focus of the whole book which is great. There are a lot of lies and secrets on the ship but as the novel goes on and they start to unravel it captivates your mind. I really enjoyed this novel and I recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi dystopian novels.

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