Book Review: Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel

Title: Only Human (Themis Files #3)
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 336
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Reviews for book 1 & book 2

In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.

The Themis Files has been a series that is really out of my comfort zone in a number of ways, but really just worked. This trilogy is written in a series of interviews and journal entries, similar to The Illuminae Files, but based in the nearer future and (mostly) on earth. The first two books of the Themis Files completely blew my mind and I loved every second of them! I was eager to get Only Human, but it actually took me quite a long time to get through it and is a bit different than the first two installments.

Like the first two, this book follows Rose Franklin and Vincent Couture. Unlike the first two books, Eva is a main character in this and she's also nearly an adult, as it takes place a decade after Waking Gods. After spending ten years on an alien planet, Vincent, Rose, and Eva land back on earth - Eva against her will. Having been raised primarily off Earth, it's no wonder that Eva did not have much desire to return, but daddy knows best so back she went.

I found myself struggling with all the characters in this book more so that in the others. Eva was basically a new character and, while she was definitely a strong female character, which I like, she was also a whiny teenager, which I did not. Her rebellious nature caused issues for everyone and, although I understood her feelings, I found myself becoming very frustrated with her as a character. Similarly, while I understood Vincent's decisions as a parent, there were moments that I would have liked to knock him over the head with something. Still, he remains my favorite character in this series. As always, I love his attitude and snark. Rose was just Rose for me, but I've never been particularly fond of her.

Sadly, my favorite part of the first two books was largely missing from Only Human. The conspiracy aspect is all but gone and instead this book focuses on various countries trying to outmaneuver each other and steal each others' robots. Although there is still some action in this book, it's much more spread out than in previous books. There also wasn't any big twist that I've come to expect from Neuvel. Simply put, it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat like Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods.

One thing I did greatly enjoy was the interactions between the main characters and the alien species they lived with! I liked learning more about their government and moral code. I also appreciated the social commentary on racism and the us vs. them mentality.

Only Human is a good ending to a fantastic series. It's without question the weakest of the three books and I wish it had packed more of a punch, but at the end of the day I'm happy with it. This series has conspiracy, action, and aliens and I am definitely glad I read it!

ARC Review: Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title: Unearthed (Unearthed #1)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 284
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When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...

Jules and Amelia have come to Gaia for very different reasons. They have opposing opinions, histories, and mindsets, yet they find themselves stranded on Gaia with only each other to rely upon. They must navigate an Undying temple, trying to decipher the message left for humans by an ancient alien race. Their lives, and the lives of everyone on earth, are in jeopardy as Jules and Amelia discover a horrifying secret.

Gah, I wanted to love this book so much. I was in a super sci-fi mood when I picked it up, and there has been a ton of hype surrounding this book, so I was really hopeful. Unfortunately, it let me down for a couple different reasons.

First of all, there was absolutely HORRIBLE instalove in this book. [Insert scream of frustration here.] Jules and Amelia were stuck on a different planet in another galaxy, with a limited supply of oxygen that would probably run out before they could get rescued, while being chased by a group of hired guns through an Indiana Jones-style temple full of deadly booby traps. Oh, and the entire human race might be destroyed if they fail. But what are they thinking about? How dreamy the other person is. Ugh. I could maybe have gotten past some of their attraction if it had been just that - ATTRACTION - but they were practically obsessed with each other after only one day. Some of the things they thought about each other were absolutely cringe-worthy. I was constantly rolling my eyes.

Another thing that bothered me is something that I really don't think should have been an issue. The story was told in alternating perspectives of Jules and Amelia. I don't know for certain, but I am assuming that each character was written by one of the authors. I know that is the way they handled the writing in their other series. But I could not tell the perspectives apart! That sounds absurd because they were written by different people, but there were multiple times when I had to flip back to the beginning of a chapter to remember who's perspective I was reading. There is no way that should have happened when the writing was coming from two different people.

The one thing that I really did enjoy about this book was the alien plot line. Despite the problems I was having as I was reading, I was determined to press on because I really wanted to learn more about the Undying. And I have to say, I am so glad I finished this book. It will not be one of my top reads of the year, but it definitely wins an award for a really interesting story. I was really impressed with the Undying race and the revelations that developed towards the end of the book.

If you are interested in sci-fi, and particularly in stories with aliens, I would suggest giving this book a try. If you don't mind some romantic distractions in your books, you might not have as many issues as I did. I was quite disappointed with how a lot of the book was handled, but I am glad that I read it. I haven't decided yet if I will continue on with the series. I might wait until a synopsis for book two is out to make my decision. For now, I would give this book about 2.75 stars. It wasn't a bad read, but it was lacking a few things that would have made it a true 3 star read for me.

ARC Review: Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel

Title: Waking Gods (Themis Files #2)
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Publication Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 320
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Reviews for book 1 & book 3

//I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review// 

When an alien vessel materializes in London, does it mean peace or war? Waking Gods is the gripping sequel to the ground-breaking thriller Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. What's going on? Turn on the television. What channel? Any channel. An unknown vessel, not of this world, materializes in London. A colossal figure towering over the city, it makes no move. Is this a peaceful first contact or the prelude to an invasion? Every child has nightmares. But the only thing scarier than little Eva Reyes' dreams - apocalyptic visions of death and destruction - is the habit they have of coming true... Scientist Dr Rose Franklin has no memory of the last few years. The strangers she works with say she died, and was brought back to life. The question is not just how ... but why? Kara Resnik and Vincent Couture fell in love during war, and have found peace since. They are the thin line of defense against what is coming. But they do not know they have been living a lie. And a man who claims to have the answers has his own agenda. There are things he cannot say - and others he won't. All pieces of an epic puzzle. One we have been trying to solve since the dawn of time...

Last year a friend introduced me to Sleeping Giants and sparked an obsession. This year I heard there was an opportunity to read Waking Gods early and tripped all over myself trying to get a copy! Although I wasn't sure Sylvain Neuvel could deliver a second book as incredible as the first, I am excited to report that Waking Gods did not disappoint!

Sleeping Giants was a well-wrapped package. While there was a mind-blowing revelation near the end, there was no giant cliffhanger, so it wasn't surprising that Waking Gods opened with a time jump. I'll readily admit I was nervous about this at first. I tend to despise time jumps just because I feel so disconnected from characters ten years after I last saw them. I'm not sure if it's the unique format of this series or if Neuvel is a magician, but he totally pulled it off and managed to suck me back in immediately.

Kara and Vincent have been living their version of happily ever after since the conclusion of Sleeping Giants and it's exactly what you'd expect from these characters. Kara is happily childfree, Vincent does what he can to make her happy, and both continue to travel around the world showcasing their robot. But when a new threat comes to Earth, they jump right back into the action, ready to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the human race. The mysterious man at the center of everything is also back and I was thrilled that there was much more to him this time! Even a bit of backstory. Although the format of this series could make it difficult to connect with these people, there is no shortage of character development.

Thankfully, Waking Gods isn't short on conspiracy or action either. While the first book revolved around the worlds' shock of finding an alien robot, book two is about the panic that follows when several more of them show up - this time in tact, in major cities, and with alien pilots. No one knows what they're capable of and good people of Planet Earth are intent on testing their boundaries (as they do), inciting chaos at every turn. Sleeping Giants was exciting in its own right although there were lags, but Waking Gods is fast and sometimes feels like an action movie. I was never bored with this book!

The format of the Themis Files was something I really wasn't sure about when I finished the first book. While it worked well in audio, I said in my review that I didn't know if I would've been as intrigued if I'd read it in book form. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong! The interview and log format of Waking Gods ended up being incredibly immersive and made me feel like I was in the middle of the action right alongside the characters.

I also loved that, while science was a big part of this book, it wasn't over my head to the point where I couldn't understand what was happening. There are also philosophical issues brought up in Waking Gods that you may not expect. Certain characters have to contend with some huge, life altering questions, but I always felt able to identify instead of being overwhelmed. Neuvel has written this in a way that it's understandable without being dumbed down or spoon fed to the reader.

Waking Gods is an incredibly intense sequel that did not let me go until the last page (and not really then). So often sequels suffer from second book syndrome but that definitely didn't happen here. I laughed, I cried, and I was absolutely on the edge of my seat! If you haven't started this series yet, you really need to give it a try! I cannot wait to get my hands on book three!

Audiobook review: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Title: Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1)
Author: Sylvain Neuvel
Narrator: Full Cast
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Del Rey
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Reviews for book 2 & book 3

A page-turning debut in the tradition of Michael Crichton, World War Z, and The Martian, Sleeping Giants is a thriller fueled by an earthshaking mystery—and a fight to control a gargantuan power.

A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.

Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected.

But some can never stop searching for answers.

Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand’s code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What’s clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history’s most perplexing discovery—and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction?

I decided to read Sleeping Giants on a whim when a friend mentioned that it sounded interesting. I'd never heard of this book, being outside of my normal circle of YA, and I wasn't a fan of World War Z or The Martian. However... I am a huge fan of conspiracy theories as well as Ancient Aliens (which I had a hunch this might be related to), so I decided to grab the audiobook when I had the chance!

Sleeping Giants is told in the form of interviews and journal entries, which makes for a really unique reading experience. Listening to the audiobook was a fantastic idea because I got to hear this as if I was sitting in on the actual interviews as they happened. Many, many characters make appearances in this book. Some become important and some fade into the background quickly, but each one has something relevant to add. It's honestly such a weirdly written book that it's hard to connect with any one character, but at the same time I felt incredibly invested in each of their stories and outcomes. The one person who ties them all together is the man conducting the interviews, who we never do learn much about. He reminded me a lot of the Smoking Man from The X-Files, only even more mysterious.

There isn't much in the way of filler in this book because of the format and I really loved that! I wouldn't say the pace is necessarily fast, but there isn't much time wasted either. I loved following along as each new piece of the robot was uncovered and assembled and found myself on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen when it was complete!

My favorite part about this book is obviously the conspiracy! I love, love reading about conspiracy theories no matter how good or bad they actually are and Sleeping Giants has a good one! I'm honestly not sure why this was marketed as World War Z meets The Martian, to be honest. If I was the publisher I'd probably have thrown X-Files in there somewhere, although maybe that's just not what's "in" right now. Regardless, that's the vibe I got from this one. Although the pace isn't breakneck, I always wanted to know a little bit more. I wanted to know what the robot was, where it came from, what it was intended for, and I had a hard time turning the audiobook off when I needed to. This story is fascinating! Sleeping Giants is also loaded with twists, turns, and revelations!

Sleeping Giants was wrapped up well enough without a huge cliffhanger, then there was the epilogue which completely blew my mind and now I'm trying (and failing) to wait patiently for Waking Gods, which comes out in like a million years April 2017. Like I said, the pace was very steady and I'm not sure I would've made it through this book if I'd read the physical copy, but the cast who performed the audiobook made it come to life! Sylvain Neuvel has done an incredible job of putting together a story that's entirely unique and may produce mildly obsessive behavior. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of sci-fi or conspiracy theories!

Book Review: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 432
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Reviews for book 1 & book 2

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

Over the last year I have been amazed by the epicness of the Starbound series. I started with These Broken Stars at the beginning of the year and was just blown away. I laughed, I cried, and I didn't think any other book in the series could live up to it. I was kind of right. Book two, while also amazing, wasn't quite -as- good as the first. Still, I really loved the story and characters. Now it's on to book three and I was really hopeful for an amazing ending to an amazing series!

Their Fractured Light was kind of a unique book in the series. While both of the first two books were mostly focused on one couple, this one was very evenly split between a new romance and the two old ones. While this does appear to be Sofia and Gideon's story on the surface, it wasn't quite. Sofia and Gideon are the primary focus of about the first half of Their Fractured Light. Sofia is a con artist and Gideon is a hacker and they are honestly adorable together. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with them on the same level as I did Lilac and Tarver, or even Jubilee and Flynn.

I think my primary issue with Sofia and Gideon is that they didn't have nearly as much time to grow to love each other. It seemed that they went very quickly from completely distrusting each other and never planning to see each other again to being in love. It just wasn't quite believable enough for me. That being said, they both had very interesting backstories and were very sympathetic characters. I also enjoyed how their stories connected to the other books in the series.

The final installment of the Starbound series nicely wraps up the mystery of the whispers. I really enjoyed reliving certain aspects of the first two books in the series from the whispers' perspective. I hadn't anticipated coming to care very much about the whispers as characters, but that's exactly what ended up happening.

Obviously all four characters from the earlier books were present in the last half of this book and I loved ever second of having them back! My biggest disappointment after reading These Broken Stars was not having Tarver and Lilac in the books, but they were a huge part of this one, and it was amazing! Lilac's relationship to the whispers is a major plot point in this one and it was super interesting to see how that all played out.

This book is action start to finish (so basically like the other two). There were a few lags that really slowed down the reading for me, but the abundance of action made up for those. The mission to destroy LaRoux Industries and the man at the helm was a big part of the story and the main point that brings Sofia and Gideon together. LaRoux has been such a villain from the beginning of the series, so it was obviously great to see someone go after him with a vengeance!

One of the things I really liked was getting to explore the amazing city on the planet of Corinth. I honestly can't quite picture it in my head, but it sounds incredible! There's an upper city and a lower city and it kind of reminds me of The Fifth Element, but I wish I had a picture! Fan art, anyone?

Overall, I thought this was a great end to the series and it wrapped everything up in such an amazing, interconnected way! My main complain is the way the relationship between Sofia and Gideon was sped up to the point of not being believable. Although neither of the subsequent books lived up to These Broken Stars, this was a completely amazing, incredibly unique series! I'm not normally a huge fan of sci-fi, but these books made me a believer! The Starbound trilogy is definitely a must-read and I recommend it to basically every reader I know!

Audiobook Review: The Cage by Megan Shepherd

Title: The Cage (The Cage #1)
Author: Megan Shepherd
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik 
Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
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Reviews for book 2 & book 3

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy.

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

When I first saw the cover and read the synopsis for The Cage, I almost came out of my seat with excitement! The main reason is that I was raised on old Twilight Zone episodes. Does anyone besides me remember the episode where the astronaut lands on a strange planet, is greeted warmly and given a place to live, only to discover he's in a human zoo?!

Okay, well... that was my favorite episode of all time! Because it's completely insane and twisted and amazing and, well, that's what I was really hoping for with The Cage. Not to mention Megan Shepherd is one of my favorite authors! I absolutely LOVED The Madman's Daughter and Her Dark Curiosity (I still haven't read book 3)! All that to say I was super excited about The Cage. Unfortunately, this book was kind of a total let down.

At the very beginning of The Cage we meet Cora, our heroine. She's blonde and pretty and she just got out of juvie for a crime she didn't commit. She's also really freaking stupid. I wanted to like Cora so much. Mostly because she's the main character. But I just couldn't like her. Every time she opened her dumb mouth I had to roll my eyes. Seriously, by the end of the book, every time she said "could it have been..." (or any variation) I'd respond to her aloud with "Gee, you think so, Cora?" Her biggest dumb moment(s) was her escape plan. From the moment she discovers she's in a "cage" she can think of nothing else besides escape. Does she ever consider where she might escape to? Hmm... I doubt it.

Which brings me to the other characters. Almost every single one of them is also really stupid in his or her own way. The only ones who weren't total morons were probably Leon and Mali. Rolf and Nok are living in a fantasy world where everything is lovely. Rolf is a moron and can't see the blatant EVERYTHING going on in front of him, Nok does nothing but stuff her face with candy and treat everyone like crap, and both Rolf and Nok are assholes.

(Let me just completely divert here for a moment with a question for my UK friends: do people in London really say "yeah?" after EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE?! Because I listened to this as an audiobook and I was ready to punch Nok in the face halfway through.)

Lucky, love interest #1, is completely delusional and thinks it's cool and fun to have sex with someone when it's super clear they're not into it. Mali is a little weird, but at least she's not blind like the rest of them.

And then there's Cassian, love interest #2. He was super stiff and weird, which was a result of his being an alien and all. Which made the whole romance thing seem a little forced. Because when exactly did they fall in love? I get that he's beautiful (how many times did she say he looked like an angel?) but other than that he really isn't anything super special.

But enough about characters. The world building was, by far, where The Cage excelled. As soon as Cora arrived in her enclosure and the surroundings started being described, I was totally hooked! The eight different biomes all within sight just sounds so insane! It's something I'd kind of love to see... And the description of the town left chills going up my spine. How creepy would it be to walk into a ghost town that had buildings from multiple different cultures down the street? The reference to Disney World (Epcot) didn't hurt either!

The amazing world Megan Shepherd created made me really, REALLY wish she had done a lot more with the story. Because it had the potential to be amazing.

There were plot holes everywhere. For example, if the Kindred (aliens) were watching them, why did it matter if they could "shield their thoughts" via pinching while having the conversations out loud? Wouldn't they just hear them? I refuse to believe these super intelligent aliens built a cage this high tech and didn't install a speaker system to hear the humans inside. Come on.

Cora's backstory was also extremely unbelievable.

(Highlight for spoilers.)

Okay, so her dad drunkenly kills someone and she takes the blame because... what? Because he's a politician with a career that's super important? Are these people all high?? What about Cora's career? How do her parents expect her to get into a decent school or get a decent job with MANSLAUGHTER on her record? I understand her being dumb enough to think that would work out, but her parents? At one point Cora tells Lucky "it's what anyone would have done" because it was for her dad. Um... no, Cora. It isn't what anyone would have done. Maybe I'm just a cold-hearted bitch, but if my drunk dad KILLED SOMEONE I wouldn't take the blame for it. Sorry. Seriously, these people shouldn't be allowed to breed.

I wanted to like The Cage so much. I wanted to LOVE it! It had everything I could ever want! My favorite Twilight Zone episode written by an amazing author! Okay, maybe that's not everything I could ever want... Either way, it wasn't good. I've been going back and forth between one and two stars all day, but I'm settling on two because the world was really good! I just wish everything else had been.

DNF Reviews: The Martian by Andy Weir & Nil by Lynne Matson

Title: The Martian

Author: Andy Weir
Publication Date: February 11, 2014
Publisher: Crown
Pages: 384
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Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

The Martian has a premise that really caught my attention when I first read the description! I'm not huge into sci-fi, but I am a HUGE fan of the Twilight Zone and half those episodes are related to astronauts being stuck on Mars. How could I resist?!

I started this audiobook for the first time last year and only made it through maybe thirty minutes of audio before I had to shut it off and go to something else. I feel bad every time I stop that quickly, but not quite so bad when it's an audiobook... In any case, when I found out it was being made into a movie I gave it another shot. This time I made it several hours in before calling it quits.

While I feel like there is probably a really good story in The Martian, the writing style just wasn't what I prefer. I have a hard time when humor is mixed into another genre and it really didn't work in this situation. The main character was really unrealistic and unlikable, in my opinion. He seemed like the kind of person who would get on my nerves very quickly. Not to mention, he felt the need to constantly throw in his botany jargon, which I obviously don't get any use from as a non-botanist.

The setting of Mars really didn't seem all that terrifying either, which is really unfortunate. It had really great potential and maybe it got better as it went on! I'm assuming there were aliens later?

I'm really sorry that I didn't get further into this book because I really wanted to love it! I will definitely go see the movie and I honestly feel like it will translate better in that medium, at least for me.

---

Title: Nil
Author: Lynne Matson
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 374
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On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly.

Nil is the kind of book that should be right up my alley. I am totally in love with the survival genre (is that a genre?) in general and when I read that blurb and saw the bit about the island that didn't exist, I knew this was the book for me! When I saw a copy at a great price on BookOutlet.com I grabbed it up immediately and dug in when it got here.

The main characters on Nil are Charlie and Thad. Thad has been there for quite awhile with not much time left and Charlie is the noob. Both characters were likable and their romance seemed believable, if a little rushed. Thad was a fantastic leader and Charlie really jumped right into the island dynamic and made herself immediately useful. I also really enjoyed the rest of the cast of characters (except for Bart - what a jerk)!

The action begins at the beginning of the book and continues while these two get to know each other. There is constantly something going on, whether it's crazy animal attacks or crazy conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, this book just didn't hold my attention.

I think my problem with Nil was that it dragged on and on and on. While the idea was interesting, I just don't think it was executed well - or at least well enough to keep me reading. I really did try! I trudged through this book for two whole weeks before I finally gave up with 100 pages left (yes, it took me two weeks to make it just over 250 pages). While there is always something happening in the book, it really gets repetitive quickly: new people come, old people search for escape, they eat pineapple, Thad and Charlie kiss, repeat.

I feel like if I'd stuck it out I might have liked the ending - maybe. But there comes a point when you just have to cut your losses and move on. Better luck next time!

Audiobook Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: This Shattered World (Starbound #2)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner 
Publication Date: December 23, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 390
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Reviews for book 1 & book 3

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

It took me a really long time to finally get around to reading This Shattered World. I absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with These Broken Stars, so I was a little devastated when I found out that book two centered around two new characters. So... I protested it for awhile, but I couldn't hold out forever. Especially not when everyone was telling me how fantastic it was! I took the plunge.

This is probably the first time I haven't been able to say that book two picks up where book one left off and it's kind of a weird feeling. I still haven't gotten over it! Anyway... This Shattered World tells the story of Jubilee and Flynn, two people on the planet Avon, but on very different sides. It's made clear from the get go that Jubilee is a big ball of badass. Everyone respects here and many fear her. Flynn, on the other hand, is an unknown on her side of the tracks, which is why it's so easy for him to capture the big bad Jubilee Chase. Almost from the beginning these two are going at it in a not great way.

Both the main characters of This Shattered World really intrigued me. It's almost immediately clear that there's something not quite right about Jubilee and I was really interested to find out what the heck it was. Flynn, on the other hand, just didn't seem as ruthless as he tried to act in the beginning. My point is that I wanted to know more about them from the very beginning and I was not disappointed. If there's one thing Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner know how to do, it's create great characters! I loved watching them bicker and grow closer, although I have to admit the romance seemed a little strange in the beginning, though it worked itself out.

Of course, my favorite part of the book was how Tarver and Lilac were incorporated! Everyone told me it would happen and that it would be great. They didn't disappoint! My only complaint is that they didn't hang around longer.

The world of Avon, while totally different than what was created for These Broken Stars, was almost as fascinating (almost). I loved the uncharted feeling of the world in book one, but this one still had its own mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed! The descriptions certainly made me feel like I could clearly see the different locations of the base and the swamps. I especially loved the caves that the rebels hid out in! Ahhh, the rebels...

Plot is something else these authors do amazingly well. The tension between the rebels and the military force was tangible and kept me on the edge of my seat. The atmosphere felt real (as cheesy as that sounds) and I never got bored for a second. Something I enjoyed here was that there was more than one "big bad" and that made it even better! When all the pieces began to fall into place I wasn't totally surprised, but it still made for a fantastic story and left it wide open for book three! The one thing that was really weird for me (and maybe it's because I listened to this on audiobook) was the "voice" in between chapters that told the story of the little girl. I really didn't get it and the voice actor was a little annoying and weird.

While I initially boycotted this book, I'm really glad I gave it a chance because it ended up being almost as awesome as its predecessor (almost). I can't wait for book three since it seems like it's supposed to focus on all four characters from the first two books! I'm so excited to see where they go from here!

Notes on the Audiobook

Like I've already said, the thing I didn't like about this book was the person they chose to do the flashbacks in between chapters. It was weird and annoying. Other than that, I loved both the actors that played Jubilee and Flynn! I'd definitely listen to them again!

Book Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: These Broken Stars (Starbound #1)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publication Date: December 10, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 374
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Reviews for book 2 & book 3

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.

The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

A few days ago I was sitting on my couch and realizing that everything I'd read recently was really kind of... dark. When did I stop reading good old fashion love stories? Oh yeah, that's right. I don't really care much for those. But I did want to read something a little happier than normal. I looked through a few options and ended up settling on These Broken Stars. I mean, the cover is so gorgeous, how could I not be drawn to it?) So I ran out to Barnes & Noble (under the pretense of gift shopping) and promptly purchased a copy for myself!

I'm honestly not one for sci-fi, which might come as a shock since I love dystopian novels! When this first started on board a huge spaceliner, I wasn't really positive how I'd feel about it. But then the action started and I had a really, REALLY hard time putting it down! I've seen mixed opinions on the world building in These Broken Stars, but I have to say that I was totally enchanted by what the authors have done with this future universe. The Icarus itself (seriously, who thought that name was a good idea?) was really amazing. Each separate part of the ship was described perfectly! And the planet they land on is equally well-done - maybe even better. The terrain seemed believable, if a little odd. The sign of a well written book, in my opinion, is whether or not I can fully picture it in my head, and I could picture myself on this planet as the characters made their journey.

Oh, the characters... I wasn't sure about Lilac from the beginning. While I sympathized with her situation, I still felt that she was being a little ridiculous in the way she handled herself. Maybe even a little bratty. But as the book progressed I came to really like her and her spunk! Tarver, well there's a no-brainer. He was a fantastic character! I always feel like I'm able to identify with characters who have been to war and back and that was no different here. I was able to see where he was coming from in many of his actions and even his fears. And the romance between Lilac and Tarver seemed natural! It's about time that I got another YA book without the instalove that everyone seems to enjoy so much. The struggle between them and ultimate acceptance of their situation and each other made me love them even more.

The story itself was creative and original and I loved it. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the main premise behind the planet itself is absolutely nothing like your average dystopian. And then there was that thing that happens that everyone but me seems to already be aware of... My heart stopped. I thought I was going to lose it right there. But I pushed on and breathed a sigh of relief and, as you can see from the rating, I loved the way These Broken Stars was wrapped up in the end.

My only complaint about this book is that it isn't a series. When I saw book two before even starting this one, I just assumed it was going to be a trilogy. Well, apparently it is, but they're completely separate stories. So, while I loved this one, I was really hoping to read more about Lilac and Tarver! But I suppose I'll be alright and I will definitely be picking up book two soon!

Audiobook Review: Broken Skies by Theresa Kay

Title: Broken Skies
Author: Theresa Kay
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Publisher: Skyscape
Pages: 372
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I received this book from the author 

in exchange for an honest review. 

In seventeen-year-old Jax Mitchell's world, humans are nearly extinct and alien settlers have arrived.

Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them… but now they have taken Jax’s brother. To rescue him, she forms an uneasy alliance with a teenage E’rikon left stranded in the woods. She agrees to guide him to the city if he sneaks her past the human-proof barrier. Too bad it’s not that simple.

Jax, who cannot stand to be touched, finds that she’s drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales down his back. And he’s equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn’t know the alien’s true motives and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.

In this world where alien and human are at odds, the connection forming between the two has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.

I haven't read many books about aliens. I found the Lux series disappointing and have generally steered clear from anything remotely similar. But I was offered an audiobook copy of this dystopian romance and couldn't turn it down. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with Broken Skies.

Jax Mitchell has had it rough. Her brother, Jace, is the only person she has left and the only one who can help her keep it together. When he's suddenly taken by the E'rikon, she knows she must do whatever she can to get him back. Her means to get there are questionable, but she doesn't really have any other choice but to trust Lir, who should be her enemy.

The characters in Broken Skies were well developed and surprising at times. Lir was a complex and interesting romantic partner for Jax. Even if their romance did seem slightly rushed, it worked within the story and I found myself rooting for them despite the odds against them. The other, more unexpected romance in the book seemed totally natural in comparison. I really wish we had learned more about Jace and his love interest, but maybe that is being saved for the next book.

The world of Broken Skies is one that is profoundly interesting and I really hope I get to hear more about it at some point. I am a sucker for a good post-apocalyptic world and this one did not disappoint. I wish there had been more description of the alien city, but what was there was really exciting, as were the things revealed about the relationship between the aliens and humans.

Alien and human wars are definitely not entirely original, but there were several unique concepts in this book that I enjoyed learning about. For example, the issue of the alien children on earth was one that I look forward to discovering a solution to in later chapters of the Broken Skies series. There were some things that I was a little confused about, though, and maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention. I'm still not quite sure why Jax is able to use her alien powers without assistance while the others are not. I don't understand exactly how the dream communications work either, but maybe that will be further explained later.

While I was left with a lot of questions at the end of Broken Skies, there was enough of a wrap-up to the story that I wasn't left totally hanging. I didn't particularly enjoy the way Jax and Lir left things, but I know it's not the end of them and I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series to find out what happens next.

Notes on the Audiobook

Andrea Emmes was a decent narrator, but certainly not my favorite. The voices provided for some of the characters were a little ridiculous. For example, I seriously had to look to make sure she wasn't Moaning Myrtle when Lir's little sister came on the scene, and the voice used for Jax made him sound like a whiney girl. The accents used for the E'rikon were really weird and I wasn't sure why she chose to make them sound British, especially when they commented on their British relatives having the best slang... I didn't hate her voice acting, but I certainly wouldn't seek out her other work.

Book Review: Gabriel's Sacrifice by Noah Fregger

Title: Gabriel's Sacrifice (The Scrapman Trilogy #2)
Author: Noah Fregger
Publication Date: September 19, 2014
Publisher: T-16 Publishing
Pages: 236
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I received this book from the author 

in exchange for an honest review.

It's been only weeks since the war ended, since those things came down to offer humanity a second chance in the aftermath. But as the remaining survivors begin to hunt down the new species left behind, the rifleman stays tucked within the safety of his home, content to keep the chaos on the outside--until the hunt comes straight to his back door. And there, coming face to face with a member of this new race, the rifleman must decide whether to take part in this genocide, or to aid that which is hunted ... even if he becomes hunted in the process. 

The author of Gabriel's Sacrifice first contacted me whenever he released his first novel, Gabriel's Watch. I enjoyed that one and now he's back with Gabriel's Watch, a prequel to the first installment. It's kind of strange to see a second book in a trilogy as a prequel, but it was an interesting read, nonetheless. I don't read a lot in the sci-fi genre, so I can't really speak with too much confidence here, but I believe the concept is original and well executed.

Gabriel's Sacrifice begins when Mohammad meets Radia, the lone survivor of an alien race sent to earth. Radia is being hunted by Maddox, one of the humans who has holed up in a store to defend their own personal stockpile. Maddox has a posse of badasses, which really seems like the three stooges at times, who are responsible for his security. Unfortunately, after a bad move on their part, Mohammad comes at them with a vengeance and this is where the action begins.

The character development in this book was well done. Following Mohammad's journey from the guy who was holed up in his own fortress and hoping to stay out of view to a total badass out for blood was pretty awesome. It was unfortunate to see Radia go so soon - I would've liked to have seen more from her. I do understand why she had to leave for the sake of the story, though. Maddox was evil from start to finish, as were his cronies. It would've been nice to see more growth on the villain side of things. My number one problem with the characters was that I often got confused about who was talking at any given time. Some characters are given multiple titles - for example, Mohammad is called "the Fijian" and Maddox is called "the hunter." Honestly, I was halfway through the book before I realized that Maddox and "the hunter" were the same person!

One side note on characters: One character in particular was really weird for me to read. The son of "the hunter" is named Coda, which is my husband's name (Noah asked my husband for permission to use it). As you can imagine, this is a very rare name - Coda, not short for anything - and I've never met anyone else with it or read the name anywhere unless it was referring to music. I was so thrown off! I kept comparing the character to my husband and thinking, "no..." Of course, this has no bearing on the way anyone else will experience the book, I just thought it was funny.

Back to the point: The world of Gabriel's Sacrifice was interesting enough, though I do wish that the author had gone into more detail about the state of the world and how it came to be this way. I know this is touched on in both books, but I still wanted more. That being said, I felt like I could see the layout of the town and its buildings in my mind, which says something for quality of writing. In true Fregger fashion, little mythological tidbits were thrown in, which is always fun!

Connections to Gabriel's Watch were few, but it was just enough to make sense within the world the author has created. While it does fit with the first book, Gabriel's Sacrifice could definitely be read as a stand-alone novel or even before the first book in the series. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of adult sci-fi and post-apocalyptic fiction.

Before I Blogged Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian (Lux #1)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 335
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Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

This book has been sitting on my Kindle unread for quite sometime. It's a book I've browsed past at least a dozen times, but never actually read. I've even opened it, skimmed the first couple of pages, and given up. But with nothing I was dying to read, I decided to give it a go. I finished it in just four days, but I've found that a quick read doesn't always imply a good book... 

Obsidian was more of a soap opera than Downton Abbey. Honestly. And this is coming from a girl who actually (mostly) enjoyed the Twilight books.

Katy is a ridiculous character. As is the relationship between Katy and Daemon. She hates him, she wants to have his babies, she hates him while wanting to have his babies. And he's the same way! He hates her, he likes her. Seriously people, life is not this difficult. He is outright mean to her throughout the book, even in public, telling her to stay away from him and that he can't stand her. And yet she continues to spend time with him.

This is the Katy/Daemon relationship summed up in a few sentences: Katy and Dee hang out, Daemon is a jerk, threatens her constantly, and yet won't leave her alone at school for some reason, constantly poking her with a pen (wink wink nudge nudge) and flirting with her, much to the amazement of her super slutty classmates. You can never be sure from one second to the next how Katy will react to Daemon. Sometimes she's super pissed by his assholery and others she's super turned on because apparently his bright green eyes make the panties drop. At some point, he admits that he likes her (kinda) and wants to be with her because she's attractive.

Girls! This is not normal behavior! If a guy is a jerk to you, move on! And guys, if you like a girl, tell her. Don't be an ass. This is not third grade.

The premise behind the alien species is a breath of fresh air to the YA Paranormal Romance genre, but that's about where it ends. The whole thing seems a little silly, in my opinion. Every single Luxen in existence is super hot? Okay. Why would he give her his best weapon and then tell her to run the other way when he could have just ended things quickly? And who in her right mind runs off to lead the bad guy AWAY from the super strong girl who has a much better chance of winning? And don't even get me started on her decision to go to the bonfire...

The main characters are morons. The "romance" belongs on daytime television. The only reason this book got two stars is because I kept turning the pages to see what happened next - because surely one of the two would get over themselves and just say what they actually felt?!

I know a ton of people love this series and more power to you! I just couldn't deal with these characters. I doubt I'll be reading book two. 

Book Review: Year Zero by Rob Reid

Title: Year Zero

Author: Rob Reid
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 364
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I received this book in a First Reads giveaway on Goodreads .

An alien advance party was suddenly nosing around my planet.
Worse, they were lawyering up. . . . 

In the hilarious tradition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Rob Reid takes you on a headlong journey through the outer reaches of the universe—and the inner workings of our absurdly dysfunctional music industry.

Low-level entertainment lawyer Nick Carter thinks it’s a prank, not an alien encounter, when a redheaded mullah and a curvaceous nun show up at his office. But Frampton and Carly are highly advanced (if bumbling) extraterrestrials. And boy, do they have news.

The entire cosmos, they tell him, has been hopelessly hooked on humanity’s music ever since “Year Zero” (1977 to us), when American pop songs first reached alien ears. This addiction has driven a vast intergalactic society to commit the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang. The resulting fines and penalties have bankrupted the whole universe. We humans suddenly own everything—and the aliens are not amused.

Nick Carter has just been tapped to clean up this mess before things get ugly, and he’s an unlikely galaxy-hopping hero: He’s scared of heights. He’s also about to be fired. And he happens to have the same name as a Backstreet Boy. But he does know a thing or two about copyright law. And he’s packing a couple of other pencil-pushing superpowers that could come in handy.

I really had no idea what to expect when I got Year Zero out of the mailbox. It had an alien wearing headphones on the cover... I read the back and realized that this is totally not my style. Still, I felt an obligation to the author to give it a go (he gave me a free copy of his book, after all).

Right from the start, the reader has to be up to date with every musical performer from the 70s until today. As a child raised in the 90s, I have no idea what most of these references even are. For anyone who doesn't know who the stars of the 90s and early 00s are, keeping up will be quite difficult as well. I cannot imagine this will be on too many shelves in 20 years.

The story itself seemed a little hurried and even sporadic. The characters didn't really keep me interested and the style of writing reminded me of an elementary school student's short story - then this happened, and then that happened, etc. I gave up on the footnotes about halfway through.

I'm giving it more than one star purely because of the shock value. I was constantly like, "what just happened?" The parrot, for instance... Year Zero was somewhat entertaining and I did get through it very quickly just to see what sort of randomness would happen next, but I probably wouldn't read it again.