Book Review: Blood For Blood by Ryan Graudin

Title: Blood For Blood

Author: Ryan Graudin

Series/Standalone: Wolf by Wolf (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Alternate Reality

Pages: 484

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2016

Format: Audiobook

"There would be blood. Blood for blood. Blood to pay. An entire world of it.

For the resistance in the Third Reich, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun. Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skin shift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against Hiter's army, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.

But in the midst of chaos, Yael's past and future collide when she comes face to face with a ghost from her past, and a spark with a fellow rider begins to grow into something more. Dark secrets reveal dark truths and one question hangs over them all- how far can you go for the ones you love?

My Rating: 4.75/5

This book was such a great wrap up to a duology. I think that Ryan Graudin did a great job of getting the reader invested in the world and completing a full story arch throughout two books. I loved the main characters and felt like all the characters were complex. The motivation that each character had was logical. The plot itself was thrilling, and fast-paced, while the twists and turns were great. I really enjoyed the story overall and would recommend it to anyone interested in alternative reality historical fiction.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Title: Wolf by Wolf

Author: Ryan Graudin

Series/Standalone: Wolf by Wolf Duology (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Pages: 388

Publisher: 2015

Year Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Format: Audiobook & Library Copy

"Her story begins on a train.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler, and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's Ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arms are a constant reminds of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele's twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move.

But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

From the author of THE WALLED CITY comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless."

My Rating: 4/5

This book has so much going for it. Alternate reality, assassin teen who doesn't have the whole "chosen one"/"pick me" character vibe, and a thrilling plot. I enjoyed the fact that the author chose to feed us pieces of the past little by little so we could understand where the story was going, but not every aspect of Yael's past. I also liked having her start to further explore the shades of grey between good and evil. Not that there aren't obvious villains, but there are people who are surviving through this terrible time by any means necessary even if it just means protecting their own family (not saying it's right, just saying that it's understandable). I also loved the changing atmosphere that came with the race. I am so curious to see where this duology goes and hope to pick up the sequel soon.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Title: Invictus
Author: Ryan Graudin
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Time Travel
Pages: 464 
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2017
Format: Audiobook

"Time Flies when you're plundering history.

Farway Gauis McCarthy was born outside of time. The sone of time-travelling Recorder from 2354 AD and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 Ad, Far's birth defies the laws of nature. Exploring history himself is all he's ever wanted, and after failing his final time-travelling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuable from the past. 

But during a heist on the sinking Titanic, Far meets a mysterious girl who always seems to be one step ahead of him. Armed with the knowledge that will bring Far's very existence into question, she will lead Far and his team on a race through time to discover a frightening truth: History is not as steady as it seems."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This book was something I was very interested in after reading The Walled City and the title drew me in for the audiobook. I think that audiobook is definitely the way to go for this book. I really enjoyed the narration as well the ideas explored throughout the book. I would have to say that the first half of the book was my favourite, but after a certain reveal, I didn't enjoy the second half of the book as much. I'm looking forward to reading more of the author's works and will likely borrow more on audiobook. 

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

So this book was one that drew me in by the cover and once I realized who the author was I was super interested in reading it. I loved the storyline and the characters overall. What really interested me though, was the idea of time travel and being born outside of time. That really kept me interested throughout the story. I will say that the twist of having different universes really wasn't what I expected and I had trouble getting behind that idea. That is the reason that my rating was on the lower side.

Character:
Farway: I think that his character impressed me. He was able to move on from defeat, with the help of someone fudging with his past and present, but he was able to find a way to follow his dreams. I also appreciated his willingness to sacrifice himself for his friends and the future. I do wonder what the future will hold for him and Priya.

Priya: Priya was probably my favourite character. She just had a fire that the others lacked to a point. She pushed for what she believed in and stood by Far no matter what but pushed him to be the best him. I think she stood apart from him enough though that she wasn't just Far's girlfriend. She was important in her own right.

Eliot: I don't know how I feel about her. I think that she was doing the best that she could but she annoyed me to no end if we're being honest. Even when she came back in the epilogue I was just annoyed.

Imogen: I think that she is the more like me than I'd care to admit. Her love for the fuzzy creatures was so sweet and really expanded her as a character. I also loved that she was able to keep fun logs, she gave the events of the book touches of humour in times of stress.

Gram: I'd be lying if I said I understood the logic of his brain, but I did appreciate his character for being able to fix problems with numbers and logic. Otherwise Far probably would have died and the fade still would have existed.


Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Title: The Walled City
Author: Ryan Graudin
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, 
Pages: 424
Publisher: Little, Brown
Year Published: 2014
Format: Audiobook

"730. That's how many days I've been trapped.
18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out.

DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible...

JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister...

MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window...

In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This story was certainly entertaining, and I'm curious about the setting, to say the least. Due to the author note, I was able to better understand the setting and the use of names. I was happy to see that the author did her research and portrayed a story that was similar to some historical events. I enjoyed the characters overall but found that the romance seemed to take over a book that didn't particularly need romance. I really enjoyed the writing style and the dark ideas throughout and would read work from the author again. 

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

When I started to listen to this audiobook I was really enjoying the dark twists and turns in the setting as well as the characters lives. Unfortunately, after renewing my audiobook I found the last 3 hours to be less entertaining than the first half of this story. I was a little disappointed in the development of the romance, especially with the love at first sight into that the two characters get.
I was happy to hear that the author did research on the original "Walled City" and the way people lived within its borders. I was grateful that she had done research so she could tell a story that was similar to the original while taking creative license to make her own story.

Characters:
Jin Ling: I thought that her devotion to her sister was so beautiful and well written. I could clearly understand her motivation and her needs to find her sister. I also liked that while she has had to grow a thick skin, she still has adopted a cat to take in. I also enjoyed her blossoming friendship with Dai and her stubbornness.

Dai: I loved his character more before we knew why he thought he was a bad guy. I know it's wrong to hope that someone who says they are not good, to actually not be good, but I just like a good evil character who has done wrong but changes. I also loved his ability to stick up for himself with the Brotherhood.

Mei Yee: I think that she might be the strongest out of all our characters. She stays strong even though she is expected to take men to her bed regardless. And yes she's "lucky" that she only has to take one, but at the same point, it's not consented by her for him to touch her.

Sing: Her death hit me hard, but in the real walled city she would have been one of many. 

Mama Son: I understand her fear of moving on, and not believing that she belonged anywhere but her cage. I wonder about her backstory.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny