Title: Pandemonium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Series: Delirium Series (Book #2)
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, YA
Pages: 375
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2012
Format: Audiobook
"The old life is dead. But the old Lena is dead too. I buried her. I left her beyond a fence, behind a wall of smoke and flame. In this electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller Delirium, Lauren Oliver sets Lena on a dangerous course that hurtles through the unregulated Wilds and into the heart of a growing resistance movement. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of a fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite."
My Rating: 3.25/5
I'm going to start this review by saying, I don't disagree with the negative opinions about this installment. I agree with many points of that argument. That being said, I had an idea that this book wouldn't live up to the first one so my overall expectations were set a little lower than those who read this book as it came out.
This book was what I expected. It just didn't have the elements that I really enjoyed from the first book and had more of the elements that weren't my favourite. I will say the twist at the end made me interested in continuing the series, and that's about it. The main character is selfish and so foolish overall. She is just to naive for my liking, actually in this book she was closer to stupidity.
That being said, I am interested in other characters in this series and that is why I took out the next audiobook as soon as I finished this one.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Illustrator: Jim Kay
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction
Pages: 206
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Year Published: 2011
Format: Hardcover (Library Copy)
First Line: "The monster showed up just after midnight."
"The monster showed up after midnight. As they do. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...
This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth."
My Rating: 4.5/5
This book took me totally off guard. I'm a fairly emotional person and it doesn't take much to make me cry. But this book broke parts of me. Seeing the storyline and the illustrations and the way emotions can just take us over broke me. This story is so important for everyone, to better understand grief is to better understand ourselves. I think it's important to realize that everyone's emotions break them apart sometimes and sometimes they make us do things that even we don't understand. I can't wait to read more works by the author.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: Half Bad
Author: Sally Green
Series/Standalone: The Half Bad Trilogy (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal
Pages: 394
Publisher: Speak
Year Published: 2014
Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)
First Line: "There's these two kids, boys, sitting close together, squished by the big arms of an old chair."
"In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and sixteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan's father is the world's most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his seventeenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch- or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust- not even family, not even the girl he loves?"
My Rating: 3.75/5
This is another book that I carried over through the move. I thought that this story was very interesting especially the paranormal aspect. I was interested in the differences in this setting to our own as well as the timeline. I really enjoyed the idea of magical people living amongst us and I know that the idea of good and evil are always interesting to me.
I think this story did a good job of debating good and evil while still showing signs of struggle on both sides. That being said the middle area of this book seemed to drag for me. The pacing just wasn't quite right for me. I do look forward to continuing the story.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
This story really caught me off guard. I found it interesting to read about the good and evil in this world and then those who have no idea what's going on. The world building in this series was interesting and wonderful for me. A good mix of fantasy and reality. I was also interested in the Black Witches and how their world works. The world of the White Witches is easy enough to understand. I'm looking forward to further exploring the both in the next novel.
Characters:
Nathan: He's seen a lot for his short amount of time on this earth. It seems that neither group is interested enough in him to help him. The white witches want to use him and well the black witches seem to hate Marcus, so why help his child? I also wonder what he will do about Annalise and Gabriel.
Arran: I hope he does have an opportunity to live a happy life and almost that he forgets about Nathan. He was one of the only ones who were kind to Nathan. Maybe they will catch up in the future.
Annalise: I wonder about what will become of her. Will she be left there, sleeping forever? Or will he manage to free her, and then will she ever truly understand him and his life?
Mercury: What will she do with people onto her? Will she continue to hunt down Marcus for her sister? And what is the story behind that?
Marcus: What was his life like and why did he become the way he did? How did he meet Nathan's mother? I have so many questions.
Gabriel: I loved him. To think that he could transform into anything and chose to be just an average person is strange. It's ridiculous that he was stuck like that. But where is he now?
Rose: Her death hit me harder than I expected she was one of a kind, willing to work against her own.
Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "Gabriel."
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Title: The Mark of Athena
Author: Rick Riordan
Series/Standalone: The Heroes of Olympus (Book #3)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology
Pages: 586
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Year Published: 2012
Format: Audiobook
"Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy- after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera- it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can't blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon figurehead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of the praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.
And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket, Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving command: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find- and close- the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?
Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader- but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.
Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across the land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare..."
My Rating: 3.75/5
It's been a busy month for my family. We have moved 6 hours away from our hometown into a new apartment and have gotten new jobs. So needless to say I probably finished this 2 weeks ago, but have just starting to have the time to read and write again. I'm excited to be able to get back to routine and to be able to give it my all once more. This story was not my favourite so far in this series. I found that the storyline both dragged and was rushed at some points. The pacing just wasn't quite right for me. I did appreciate watching the characters come together and seeing what the coming books will have to offer. I look forward to continuing the series.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
