Book Review: Defy by Sara B. Larson

Title: Defy
Author: Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 236
Genre: Romance, Adventure, Young Adult
Rating: 4.5/5
Source Netgalley

Alexa Hollen is not an ordinary girl. In fact, for all her friends know, she isn’t a girl.

When Alexa and her twin brother, Marcel’s parents were murdered, the two were forced into lying about their identity, and that “Alex” was actually a girl. Now the twins live in Antion and guard the spoilt Prince Damian. But even though Alex is the best of the guards, she is no match for the powerful sorcerer who kidnaps her, fellow guard Rylan, and Damian, and takes them to Blevon, an enemy country.

The longer they’re held in Blevon, the more secrets are revealed, and Alexa’s is at risk of being divulged. It is only a matter of time before everyone else figures out what she has been hiding for the past 3 years. But there is a bigger problem; King Hector, Damian’s father, has been ruling his land with a cruel heart. An end needs to be put to his reign, but it won’t be an easy task. Alexa will need all the help she can get, but will she be strong enough to protect everyone she loves?

Alexa is an amazing character to read about. I found myself completely captivated as I read about her adventures throughout this book. One thing that I really liked about this heroine is how caring, loyal and brave she is. Not only is she loyal to her friends and family, but Alexa will sacrifice everything she has to save them.

Although the author did a good job presenting Alexa, Damian and Rylan’s characters seem inconsistent. Larson portrays Rylan as a nice, kind and thoughtful boy in the beginning of the book. But after that, it feels as if Larson couldn’t have cared what Rylan did; through the middle and end, Rylan began to fade out of the story and loses importance. Again, in the beginning Larson makes Damian seem as if a spoilt brat, but in the span of a page he becomes a sympathetic and righteous figure. Let me say, this was incredibly hard to believe. How could someone’s whole character change in just a few pages?

‘Defy’ is a splendid book. The relationships between the characters were well thought out, the plot was full of mystery.  There was some interest-piquing suspense, and throughout the story there was always one secret that was hinted at. But my favorite part of the plot is Alexa’s secret. I found it quite exciting reading about how Alexa tried to keep the truth of her gender from her coworkers.

The romance plot in this book was stunning as well. It wasn’t overpowering, but it wasn’t a minor part of the story either. The feelings that Damian and Rylan have for Alexa are clearly portrayed. And then, of course, there is Alexa’s confusion on who she should pick of the two. But even though the love triangle worked exceeding well in ‘Defy’, there was still a part of me that was annoyed Larson had to use such a cliché to bring some romance to this book. Everything else in this book creatively portrayed, yet the structure of the romance is ordinary.

Altogether, ‘Defy’ is an excellent book about a girl who must strive to protect the kingdom she loves. If you love romance, adventure or young adult books this is a book you must read. People younger than 13 won’t want to read this book because of language coupled with the breeding houses and violence that occurs. The next book in this series is to be released in 2015.

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

Title: These Broken Stars
Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Pages: 374
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult
Rating: 4/5
Source: Netgalley

Lilac LaRoux has never learned what it truly means to work. Why should she? After all, she is the daughter of the richest man in the galaxy. Everybody knows her name. She’s a princess; one of a kind. And then, there was Tarver Merendsen. He was worth nothing, until he became a famous war hero. But even as popular as he has become, he knows that girls like Lilac are not worth the trouble. However, everything changes when the luxurious spaceship Lilac and Tarver are on is pulled off its course and crashes into the nearby planet. And the only two survivors are Lilac and Tarver.  

Now the two must band together to go seek help, and venture across the land that separates them from safety. But when their last chance of rescue is destroyed, Lilac and Tarver begin to realize that staying on this planet may not be a bad thing after all. Yet, there is something eerie about their new world. Voices, mirages, hallucinations – there is life here, and it’s haunting the two of them. The two survivors might find a way out, but the price of escaping might be too high to risk.

Out of Lilac and Tarver, I have to say that Tarver is my favorite character. Lilac is haughty, spoilt and selfish. Yet somewhere deep insider her, there is a girl who wants to break free of the chains her father has set around her, and it is amazing reading about her struggle to overcome these boundaries . On the other hand, Tarver is kind, calm and collected. Yet through his quiet demeanor, he also does not agree with Lilac’s father, the one who is controlling everything. But besides the first impressions, it is  easier to connect with Tarver than Lilac. Throughout the book, Lilac’s emotions aren’t clearly portrayed and it is hard to see at times what she is thinking. I didn’t have that problem at all with Tarver. Throughout the book his emotions are easy to connect with. And even beyond that, it’s easier to connect with his lifestyle than Lilac’s. He lives a more practical life, while she could have the whole universe if she so desired.

This is a pretty good book. It is unique, has a great plot and has fantastic characters. This story is exceptional because of how smoothly the genres change in the middle of the plot. In the beginning this book seems like an outer space-love fantasy, but towards the middle, it becomes a, haunting sci-fi-romance. I loved how they were stuck on this new planet that nobody had explored. Sure, the fact that only Lilac and Tarver survived was kind of clichéd. But, it was nifty how the whole plot tied together as the mystery of the planet was solved.

One thing I liked about this book was the adventurous plot it had. The mysterious life forms are my favorite part of the book. The details that describe the strange happenings are mesmerizing and as the book progresses that’s the main thing that I’m thinking about. And when you take into account how Lilac and Tarver also have to escape the mysterious forces, this book was full of suspense that had me hooked. Throughout the book, I was anxious to figure out what was going to happen. There are so many possibilities, but in the end, only one can actually occur.

The one thing I didn’t like about this book was the romance plot. In the beginning it was good; you can see the feelings they have for each other. But towards the end in the book the romance plot takes over the whole story. As the book progressed the time spent discussing how Lilac and Tarver would reach their goal decreased, and was just replaced with the feelings the two have for each other. It’s okay to have some romance, but there’s a line which the author crosses, between having a good amount of romance and having so much romance that it takes over the whole book.

For the most part, ‘These Broken Stars’ was an above average read. It had a delightful design and simply splendid characters. This book is probably for people ages 12/13+ mainly because of the death, violence and romance that happens throughout the story. If you like science fiction or love stories, this is a book you will definitely want to try. Don’t miss the second book in this series, ‘This Shattered World’ coming out later this year.

Book Review: All Our Yesterdays

Title: All Our Yesterdays

Author: Cristin Terrill

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 368

Source: Netgalley/Publisher ARC

Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Adventure, Action, Time Travelling, Young Adult

Rating: 4.5/5

The world was changed forever, 4 years ago.

Em and Finn, two teenage time travellers, have been held captive in a secret military base for the past 4 months. The only thing keeping them alive is a piece of information their captor, a deranged scientist, desperately needs, a piece of information only these two teenagers know. But everything changes when Em finds a note hidden in her cell. The note says:

“You have to kill him,”

There is no doubt that “him” is their captor, who has created the time machine that has torn the world apart. And Em has to do what the note says. Em and Finn now have a chance to change the terrible world they are living in. Now she and Finn will have to go back in time to the moment when the world’s fate was sealed. Otherwise she will have failed, like the others who were sent back in time before her.

James Shaw, the brother of a famous politician, has always been, well, a tad bit eccentric. A genius in academics, this teen is capable of many things that can change the world. But just when things were going well, James’s life is irreparably damaged when his brother is shot. James isn’t who he was before. He’s changed, and no one knows how to help him. His brother wasn’t the only one who was being hunted, though. Someone is trying to kill James, and his friend Marina will do anything to protect him. She just doesn’t expect that her attackers will reveal a secret that could change the world – a few years too early.

Even though James wasn’t the character who was explained the most, he is my favorite character in this book. After suffering through the traumatizing death of his brother, James has changed and not in a good way. This science prodigy will stop at nothing to find a way to get his brother back, even if it includes flirting with death. But the reason I liked him so much is because his one goal was to make the world a better place. Throughout the whole book, his heart was in the right place, even though some of his actions might speak against that.

This book is just, wow. It is definitely one of my favorite books I have read this year. So to start off with, this isn’t a book I would typically read. I mean, yeah its science fiction, but I’m not always too excited about time traveling. It’s just been done way too many times – in books and movies. But wow, I definitely don’t feel that way about this book. Told from Marina’s and Em’s perspectives, this book is amazing, has lots of action, and is beautifully constructed.

My favorite part – to my surprise – of this book would be the time travelling. And I know I’ve already said this, but WOW. ‘All Our Yesterdays’ definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. The whole time travelling explanation – just amazing. It was written in a captivating way, that I could literally just read over and over again. It made perfect sense, but still was a little confusing. And yes, the explanation I gave is also a bit crazy/confusing, but the time travelling and the theory of the world were just so interesting to read about. That itself made reading this book worth it.

But on the other end of the spectrum, this book did have a couple of faults, one of them being the pace of the book. At times I just felt that some events could go by a lot faster, while at others I felt that there should be more of an explanation. Another thing I didn’t like about this book was how at times the adventure, action and suspense could have been built up a bit more. Sometimes, I knew that what was going on in the book was blood chillingly dangerous, but it didn’t always seem that way when I read it. But otherwise this book is absolutely perfect.

‘All Our Yesterdays’ by Cristin Terrill is a must read. Full of romance, adventure, action and time travelling, this book is definitely one you don’t want to miss if you love reading sci-fi books. Join Em, Marina and the rest of their friends on an adventure that will change the future – that is, if they succeed. Other books in this series includes the sequel, yet unnamed, releasing 2014.

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Pages: 404

Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Mystery, Young Adult

Rating: 4.5/5

After slaving in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, young assassin Celaena Sardothien is offered an opportunity she can’t resist. She will have to fight as the Crown Prince’s champion in a competition to determine who will be the King’s assassin, the person who will handle all of the King’s dirty work. If she wins the competition, and serves as assassin for 4 years, she will be free. If she fails, she will be sent to Endovier – with no hope of living through another year.

She will be competing against thieves, murderers, assassins and warriors from across the country – 24 in all, and only one can win. As she assumes a new identity – a lady in the King’s court – she is practically in a new dimension. But things are not what they seem when a competitor is found dead, his innards ripped from his body. And then another competitor followed days later. Celaena will have to figure out who this murderer is, before she is the next one to go.

Celaena is a very fun character to read about. She is fun, witty, and brave, not to mention extremely talented. Facing a situation she would never have thought possible, she is very entertaining and funny. And this heroine is definitely not too ladylike to engage in activities other women would find improper, like sword-fighting and archery. As the story progresses, Celaena is described as a good friend and companion as well as a witty and interesting competitor. This character definitely shows that all men and women should be put at the same level – no matter what they look like.

I loved the idea of this story. First of all, the whole ‘King & Queen’ is a cool medieval look at things – brilliant, and isn’t being used that often nowadays. Now, the competition? Loved it!! The importance this competition had to Celaena’s life – to live or to die, is a common plot but was expressed in a way that it didn’t seem too cliché.

But my favorite part would be that the author didn’t stick with what would have been a predictable plot line – sticking with the competition. Instead, the author went above and beyond and introduced a whole other problem: a murder mystery!!! I really enjoyed that. Now, there were two things to look forward to – the competition and information about the murders.

The part I would have to say was my least favorite would be the love triangle. It just wasn’t portrayed clearly and just flopped. Also, to me it seemed as if it dictated some of the character’s decisions and they acted a bit odd.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and wholeheartedly recommend it to lovers of young adult magical books. This book is simply amazing. The second book of this series, Crown of Midnight just recently published, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

Book Review: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

Title: Outpost

Author: Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 317

Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 5/5

Deuce, along with her friends Fade, Stalker and Tegan have reached Salvation. They are safe. For now, anyways. But things are very different from how they were in the enclave, especially the way she is being treated by others.

Once thought of as an adult in the underground Enclave, here she is considered as  just another kid who needs to grow up. And it isn’t as if she’s going to fit in anytime soon with her unladylike manners. If that isn’t enough, things between her and Fade have changed. He’s more aloof and distant now, and Deuce just doesn’t know what happened between the two of them.

The only thing Deuce can do to make herself feel at home again is to sign up for the summer patrols, to make sure the planters can grow crops without being attacked by the Freaks. But to everyone’s dismay, the Freaks have grown smarter and are changing their ways of life. Their goal of killing humans hasn’t changed though, and Salvation is on the brink of destruction. The town has almost given up hope, but a girl like Deuce may just reverse the tide of hopelessness.

My favorite thing about Deuce is that she isn’t some helpless damsel in distress. Instead, she’s a kick-butt Huntress who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She’s strong, courageous, and selfless. Another thing I like about Deuce is that she isn’t one to let men/boys put her down because she’s a girl. She’s got a backbone, something that made it even more interesting to learn about things from her point of view.

I just want to point one thing out. I don’t usually rate books 5 out of 5 stars. And I have never rated both a book and its sequel 5 out of 5 stars. In my mind this book has made history. So just from that, you should be able to tell that this series is simply amazing.

I liked how the book was written. It wasn’t all what was happening right then and there. Instead, there were some flashbacks that helped express the emotions Deuce was feeling. It was an interesting way to convey emotions, one that isn’t seen often.

Now, to the other great thing about this book: the action. This book definitely isn’t one to just put in half of the details and just ignore the rest. No, this book gives all the details:  a 100%. And just from that, you are Deuce. Not that whole, you feel like you’re with Deuce or you feel like Deuce. This is the real thing, and is definitely something that most other books don’t have.

I know a lot of people don’t like having romance in the books they read, especially love triangles. Well, I’m here to tell you that if there is any book you have to read that has romance in it, read this one. The whole book isn’t stuffed with romance, which is a definite plus side, but there are parts that let you know there is a love plot.

Overall, I have to say I loved this book. It left me itching for the next book of this series. Outpost is definitely in my top 5 favorite books. This book is for people who love dystopian, young adult, or romance books. I recommend reading Outpost if you are 12+ years old. Other books in this series includes Enclave and Horde, which is releasing October, 2013.

Book Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Title: Enclave

Author: Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 259

Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 5/5

Deuce lives underground, in the enclave  - a community where so few children make it to the age of 15, they are just called a number. It is a world where monsters called Freaks roam the underground tunnels, a place where when a child reaches the age of 15, they must decide if they want to be a Hunter, Breeder or Builder. Deuce always wanted to be a Huntress, and now, she is.

But, being a Huntress isn’t everything Deuce thought it would be. First of all, she’s paired up with a brooding Hunter, a social outcast who lived for years alone in the tunnels where the monsters called Freaks live. And second, she realizes that the people who lead her community might be lying about, well, everything. Deuce has to save her community, but is it too late to try?

I liked learning about the enclave from Deuce’s point of view. She isn’t like the others – hard and cold-hearted. A commendable quality of Deuce’s would be her selflessness: she’s the type of person who will help another, even if it is dangerous to do so. Besides that, Deuce is funny, dangerous and interesting to read about. As she realizes the truth of the twisted world she lives in, this heroine is quick to act and always thinks of others before herself.

To me, this story is definitely unique. Yeah, there are stories of people living underground or secluded from others. And, there are other books that have monstrous creatures that the main characters must fight off. But this one is different, because of how the story progressed.

There was no time to get used to the world in which Deuce lived; instead, the story immediately became action-packed and adventurous, instantly immersing me in the story, something that was a change from a bunch of other books I’ve recently read. But my favorite part would be the action scenes. These parts of the story were poetry. They were beautiful to read and were very entertaining.

And the love triangle was perfect too. Honestly, now days I’ve realized that some books would be absolutely perfect if they didn’t have a love triangle. Perfect. And that’s why this book is so amazing: because the love triangle didn’t make the book drag. In fact, it made the book even more interesting than it would have been without it.

Overall, I have to say I loved this book. Full of spunk, action and lots of danger, this book is definitely one of the all time greats. I definitely recommend this book to people who love dystopian books. Other books in this series include Outpost and the upcoming book Horde which is releasing in October, 2013.

Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 496

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5

Tris Prior lived in a world of five factions: Erudite (the intelligent), Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), and Dauntless (the brave). That world still exists, but is now broken. After the Erudite launched the sudden attack on the Abnegation using the brainwashed Dauntless soldiers, Tris and Tobias, two Divergent (people who know when they are under a simulation, or events that occur in the person’s mind and not in real life), along with the rest of their friends have escaped to find shelter.

Now Dauntless has fallen. Some have followed the Erudite, while others have sought out refuge with the Amity and the Candor. Tris and Tobias have reunited with their friends from their faction, but the Erudite continue to attack to seek out the Divergent that hide amongst their friends and family. After allying themselves with a surprising source, a plan is formed to attack the Erudite. But Tris knows there is something the leader of the Erudite is hiding. With an unlikely source of help, Tris must risk herself to find out what is outside the boundaries of her world.

I honestly can’t say I liked Tris in this book. In Divergent, she seemed kind, helpful, and happy. But in Insurgent, she seemed brash, ignorant, and foolhardy. Her actions were risky and sometimes even pointless, and overall I just couldn’t understand her, much less connect with her. She just seemed to make up her plans on the fly, and basically risked her life at every twist and turn. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t refreshing to read about, it just means that she wasn’t the same person I enjoyed reading about in Divergent.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It had an interesting plot, captivating characters and an overall gripping conclusion. Who knew that such a big secret had been hidden for so long? Definitely one of the highlights of this book for me.

My favorite part of the story would probably be the relationship between Tris and her friend Christina. This might seem like a small thing, but to me it seemed real and heartfelt, one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.

My biggest problem with this book would be that most of Tris’s actions were dictated by her relationship with Tobias. I honestly felt that there was no point to that. She’s her own individual person, and yes, she and Tobias are in a relationship, but that doesn’t mean that he has to watch over her ever move! She should be free to do what she feels is right if it benefits the Dauntless.

Overall, I really did like this book. It isn’t as great as Divergent, but is definitely worthy of being its sequel. I recommend this book to people who liked Divergent and enjoy dystopian books. Look out for the third book of this series Allegiant, releasing October 22^nd, 2013.