Book Review: Max by James Patterson

Title: Max
Author: James Patterson
Series/Standalone: Maximum Ride (Book #5)
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 309
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Year Published: 2009
Format: Audiobook

"James Patterson's bestselling Maximum Ride series is back, with Max and the gang as The Protectors. Someone-- or something-- is decimating ships and sea life off Hawaii's coast and Max and her flock find themselves sucked into the Navy's top-secret investigation of the catastrophe. Their objective: Rescue Max's activist mom from a wicked subterranean enemy. The hitch: They must dive deep into dark waters, where gruesome evil dwells... and for high-flying Maximum Ride, could there be anything more terrifying than being trapped in the great abyss? This soaring new adventure takes Maximum Ride and the Flock into terrifying new territory-- fans, hold your breath."

My Rating: 3/5

I took a break from this series for a few months and now being back it was enjoyable. It's not going in the direction that I hoped the story would go, but after the last book, it was at least a bit of an improvement. Easy to listen to and follow, I look forward to listening to the next book in the series and finishing it out.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Title: The Last Olympian
Author: Rick Riordan
Series/Standalone: Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Book #5)
Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Fantasy
Pages: 381
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Year Published: 2009
Format: Audiobook

"All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Krono's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows.

While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. An as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate."

My Rating: 4/5

I finally made it. I reread all these books before the end of 2017. I'm so freaking proud of myself. Not that they were even a struggle to get through. This series is amazing to read and the story-telling is fun and humorous while handling hard-hitting ideas. I loved the way the characters grew and learned throughout their own experiences. I also plan to continue reading The Heroes of Olympus series for the first time. Either through audiobook or physical reading, I'm sure I'll enjoy them just as much.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

I'm very proud of my reading this year. Not only did I read over the number of books I had planned to read, I read so many books that became new favourites. I also had the opportunity to reread some of my old favourites. For example, The Percy Jackson Series. The first time I read this series I was when I was 14 or 15 years old so little. Needless to say some of my opinions of changed. For example, I wasn't rooting for all the romances in this book this time around (possibly because I also remembered who ended up with who). There were still some aspects that surprised me even though this was a reread (ex. the spy).

Characters:
Percy: He has grown up so much as a character. To see him change from a preteen boy to a 16 year old in the course of 5 books was such an interesting reading experience. That being said, I'm looking forward to continuing in this world through different characters perspectives.

Annabeth: I love that she is tough and loyal, but also says it how it is. She's honest, maybe even to a fault. I can't wait to see if she makes a surprise appearance in any of the other series.

Rachel: I liked her, but not for Percy, which I knew didn't pan out in the end anyway. I was also fine with her becoming the oracle. That being said, I'm not sure how she's supposed to live a normal life if there is a chance she'll be spouting out prophecies.

Grover: Someone tell me he's in the next book because he's a crowd favourite. Let's be honest here, we all love Grover.

Nico: His powers are going to be so much stronger than ever imagined which makes me wonder about the newest great prophecy.

Tyson: I love this big guy. Peanut butter is a great war cry.

Luke: Would anyone else be interested in a Luke prequel story? Or is there one and I just don't know about it. Anyone know?

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Austere Academy
Author: Lemony Snicket
Series/Standalone: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Book #5)
Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 221
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year Published: 2000
First Line: "If you were going to give a gold medal to the least delightful person on Earth, you would have to give that medal to a person named Carmelita Spats, and if you didn't give it to her, Carmelita Spats was the sort of person who would snatch it from your hands anyway."


"Dear Reader,
If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don't. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives.
Truth be told, within the chapters that make up this dreadful story, the children will face snapping crabs, strict punishments, dripping fungus, comprehensive exams, violin recitals, S.O.R.E., and the metric system.
It is my solemn duty to stay up all night researching and writing the history of these three hapless youngsters, but you may be more comfortable getting a good night's sleep. In that case, you should probably choose some other book.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket."

My Rating: 4.5/5

So when I read these when I was younger, this is where I left off. I thought that this book was kind of strange the first time I read it, but as an adult, I think that it was an opening point to see where the series is going. I enjoyed the ending and the research that was put into Count Olaf's character. The way that the author thought through the story so far amazes me. The foreshadowing and planning is incredible to me. The way it's written gives the reader so much more than the story of the Baudelaire orphans and I can honestly say I've never read any series quite like this one. I can't wait to venture into unfamiliar territory with this series and see where it goes.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Crown by Kiera Cass

Title: The Crown
Author: Kiera Cass
Series/Novel: The Selection Series (Book #4)
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance
Pages: 278
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2016
First Line: "'I'm sorry,' I said, bracing myself for the inevitable backlash."

"A selection can only have one winner.
A princess only has one heart.
When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illea to hold her own Selection, she didn't expect to fall in love the way her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you... and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible- and more important- than she ever imagined."

My Rating: 4/5

This is the final book in the Selection series and reading it was bittersweet. It was nice to see the story come to a close. Seeing how the characters had all grown up as well as the countries change over 2 generations was interesting to me. That being said I'm glad that it's over. I'm not the biggest fan of the main character and found that by the end of this book it was just a little rushed. This being said, Kiera Cass made many twists and turns in this last book that left me hooked until the end. The addition of newer characters and changes of the people in Illea made this book far more enjoyable than the Heir. I hope to read Happily Ever After (a collection of novellas) before putting this series down for a while. 
All of the above being said, I'm grateful that I picked up The Selection when I did as it helped me get out of a reading slump and had very important messages beyond becoming a princess.
I would suggest this book for anyone who enjoyed the Hunger Games or Divergent as long as they can handle slightly more drama and romance. 

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Crown by Kiera Cass

So this is a conclusion of the Selection series. And I'm grateful that I took the journey to reading these book but also a little sad that it's done. That being said, I also purchased Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass (the companion novel) and hope to read that before moving on to another book series. This story really evolved from America's and although I did not enjoy The Heir, I did enjoy The Crown a bit more. I found that Eadlyn was less whiny and more understanding. I definitely saw her in a different light in this final instalment. The country has also grown throughout the series. From being labelled by a number and told what you can do. To having say in the government with a constitutional monarchy. I found that the world was the most gripping part of the series as a whole and would suggest it to anyone interest in dystopia or romance as well as those who enjoy drama. 

Characters:
Eadlyn: She has grown as a character but this being said, I didn't connect with her as much as I had with America in the past books. I found that because she wasn't really fighting through something I was annoyed. That being said she starts to show love for her family by taking on the throne early and letting her parents be a happy couple. I also found that when she opened up she wasn't so cold which was good lessen in what you see isn't always what you get. This being said, I did find that she was still whiny sometimes and that bothered me to no end.

America: She lived so that's awesome and she's by far my favorite character in this whole series. She has always been a fighters and fights what is right whether it will get backlash or not. I'm happy to see her out of the lime light. 

Maxon: What a strong father character he played. I found that his character evolved best between book 3 and book 4. As you could see he had matured but still remained in many aspects the Maxon we remember from the first 3 books in the series. I also found thought that with him still being so in love with America, it held me captivated to find what would happy to their children. 

Kile: I think that they could have worked out and I was pulling for him. But he had other dreams and I think that Eadlyn did the right thing letting him loose with his future. As much as it upset his mother it was the right thing to do.

Henri: It broke my heart when he found out about Erik and Eadlyn because I thought he would be angry. But he's so fantastic that he encouraged it. That was an incredible character and I wish I knew more about his country of Swendway. 

Erik: Ok, it became increasingly obvious that he was in love with her but I kind of suspected that it would just pass through as other love interests did in the first three books (you should all know who I'm talking about). I think that they will make a good couple, although their relationship near the end seemed to rushed for my liking.

Hale: I was surprised by what happened between him and Ean but alot of things make more sense to me now. I'm glad that he came clean.

Ean: This makes way more sense now that we know he just wasn't interested in any women. I get that he was trying to make the best of a situation but I'm happy that he found Hale.

Marid: This freaking loser. I hope that his parents had nothing to do with his plotting, but he's a piece of garbage. To take advantage of someone in such a way is inexcusable.

Josie: She's growing up. Thank goodness.


Momemnts to Remember:
Final Line: "Or a window as narrow as seven minute."

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Review: Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi

Title: Prince of Elves

Author: Kazu Kibuishi

Series/Standalone: Amulet Series (Book #5)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle

Pages: 208

Publisher: GRAPHIX

Year Published: 2012

"The enemy grows stronger...

Emily survived the chaos of the Guardian Academy, but Max Griffin has stolen the Mother Stone. With it, the Elf King forges new Amulets that will give him the power to invade and destroy the nation of Windsor. Emily and her friends lead the soldiers of the Cielis Guard in a fight to stop him, but Max stands in their way. And when she seeks information from the Voice of her Amulet, she discovers that the Voice is much more sinister than she ever could have imagined."

My Rating: 5/5

I made the choice to continue reading tonight and I'm glad that I did. After doing more research on this series I've found out that book 7/9 have been published. My library has the first 6 copies and am planning to pick up the 7th in a few months. I can't wait to read them all. This series is taking further dark turns which is what I really love about it. The dark and sinister plot thickening is amazing. The writing is well thoughout and the plot is marvelous. I'm anxious to see how the series draws to a close over the coming years.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny