BOOK REVIEW: Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

Book: Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing #2)

Genre: YA Fiction, Dystopian

Independent Study continues the story about Cia Vale that began when she was selected to participate in the Testing of the United Commonwealth–the annual exams that determine who will go on to become leaders and politicians in the colonies. The Testing itself happened in the first book, (somewhat obviously) called The Testing. You can read my review of it here.

Independent Study picks up where The Testing left off. Cia is commencing her education at the University. She isn’t supposed to remember anything that happened during The Testing, but she found a way to warn herself about all that had happened. When she tries to expose the truth, she may be putting herself and everybody she loves in danger, but it is the only way to save the next generation.

If you read my review of The Testing, you’ll know that while I enjoyed it, I was a little lackluster about it. Some parts of it seemed like a knockoff of other popular YA dystopian reads, and I was just a little bored. Not bored enough to quit reading, just slightly unenthused. Well, I am pleased to report that the action really picked up in Independent Study.
I could really see the series beginning to take on it’s own distinct shape–not hugging the shadow of other books, just out there, with an interesting, unique story.
Cia is a good character. She’s a good mix of brilliance and weakness, and even though her indecision about whether to trust people (especially Tomas–again) is a little annoying, it’s at least believable. Nobody is strong and decisive all the time.

Once again, Tomas annoys me. I really don’t know why I can’t like this character. He’s supposed to be the dashing love interest, but I like almost every other man in the book more than him. He just always seems like he’s either too good to be true, or he’s hiding something. Both of which could be true. I don’t know. I’m still of the opinion that he could turn out to be betrayer. That would at least make me feel better about disliking him so much.

There’s a really ominous feeling throughout this book. Theoretically, Cia and her friends are all in a much safer place–or at least not an openly malicious environment, but you definitely get the sense of foreboding about what is beyond the bend in the road.

This was a great addition to the series. Moves the story along, doesn’t get bogged down.

I really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars.

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Ruins by Dan Wells (Partials #3)

Book: Ruins by Dan Wells (Third and Final book in the Partials series

Genre: Scifi, Dystopian, YA

Since this is the third and final book in the series, if you haven’t read the series yet, but plan to, you’ll probably want to skip this review, unless you really have a thing for spoilers 🙂

You can read my reviews of the first book Partials, and the second book, Fragments by clicking on the underlined names.

When we left Kira and Samm in the end of Fragments, they had both given themselves up as sacrifices of sorts, to two different causes.  A great war is looming on the horizon, with both humans and partials risking everything and on the verge of extinction.  Kira believes she can stop both the war and the extinction, but she is running out of time.

I really hope somebody makes this series into movies.  It would be great.  It’s different enough from series like The Hunger Games or Divergent that it would be bringing something new to the movie entertainment scene, but it has a really fantastic plot, and follows the undeniably popular teenagers-saving-the-world theme.  Throughout all three books, there’s a recurring question of what exactly constitutes humanity.  Can the partials really be considered humans?  If they can’t be considered humans, do humans have the right to eliminate them all on a whim?  I think it’s a really interesting question, and one that was solved in this book by (possible SPOILER) the realization that the survival of both species is dependent on their peaceful coexistence.

After raving earlier about how thrilled I was that Dan Wells skipped the cliche teenage love triangle, I’m a little disappointed to admit that there is a little of that drama in Ruins.  I don’t understand why it’s so popular.  It drives me nuts.  That said, it wasn’t overdone and overdramatic in Ruins.  They all talked about it, resolved their differences, and moved on.  Now, WHY it even had to be an issue in the first place is beyond me.  I think it would have been perfectly within the realm of reason to just let the whole relationship with Marcus and Kira remain dropped, and actually let him move on without the drama of a “Will she pick Samm or Marcus?” conundrum.   That’s just my two bits.

Overall, this was a great ending to a great trilogy.  If you like YA, dystopian, or scifi type books, I would definitely give this series a go!

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Partials by Dan Wells

Book: Partials by Dan Wells

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

I’m not sure if it’s just my particular reading habits, or if there really is such a lack of books written by men in the YA genre, but one way or another, this book illuminated the void–whether in the genre or in my own reading habits.

It’s no secret that books in the dystopian genre have all but taken over the YA genre.  From the Hunger Games to Divergent to The Selection and on…  Now, I’ve enjoyed all those books, but they all have elements that are the same and that wears on you after a while.  The Teenage Love Triangle for example.  I don’t know how many times I can say it, but Dear God in Heaven I am TIRED of love triangles.  Just make up your minds already!  Seriously!  Nobody has time for all that!  Ha!

I promise, that whole tirade was related to this book.  Notably, because there wasn’t a love triangle in Partials.  In fact, even though there were some obviously romantic connections, it really focused more on the action and the plot than the relationships. If you’ve read a lot of YA fiction, you know that is a pretty noticeable difference.  Kira is a really strong female character, and she’s surrounded by a great supporting cast.

The whole idea behind Partials was a unique story idea to me too.  Oddly enough, it made me think of a twist on the zombie stories.  Kind of strange, but definitely unique.

As a general rule, if a book is part of a trilogy, I try to read the entire trilogy before reviewing it, but I’ve made an exception for this series.  Currently reading the second book, but I thought Partials was so notable that it was really worth mentioning early.

If you’ve enjoyed other dystopian YA books, I recommend giving this series a try! I’ve really enjoyed it.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Partials by Dan Wells

Book: Partials by Dan Wells

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

I’m not sure if it’s just my particular reading habits, or if there really is such a lack of books written by men in the YA genre, but one way or another, this book illuminated the void–whether in the genre or in my own reading habits.

It’s no secret that books in the dystopian genre have all but taken over the YA genre.  From the Hunger Games to Divergent to The Selection and on…  Now, I’ve enjoyed all those books, but they all have elements that are the same and that wears on you after a while.  The Teenage Love Triangle for example.  I don’t know how many times I can say it, but Dear God in Heaven I am TIRED of love triangles.  Just make up your minds already!  Seriously!  Nobody has time for all that!  Ha!

I promise, that whole tirade was related to this book.  Notably, because there wasn’t a love triangle in Partials.  In fact, even though there were some obviously romantic connections, it really focused more on the action and the plot than the relationships. If you’ve read a lot of YA fiction, you know that is a pretty noticeable difference.  Kira is a really strong female character, and she’s surrounded by a great supporting cast.

The whole idea behind Partials was a unique story idea to me too.  Oddly enough, it made me think of a twist on the zombie stories.  Kind of strange, but definitely unique.

As a general rule, if a book is part of a trilogy, I try to read the entire trilogy before reviewing it, but I’ve made an exception for this series.  Currently reading the second book, but I thought Partials was so notable that it was really worth mentioning early.

If you’ve enjoyed other dystopian YA books, I recommend giving this series a try! I’ve really enjoyed it.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Book: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe (read my review of the first book in the series here)

Genre: Sci-fi, YA

Synopsis: It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceshipGodspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He’s finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

A Million Suns picks up almost right where Across The Universe left off.  Three months later, Amy is still coming to grips with the reality of her new life.  Meanwhile,the ship is rapidly descending towards Anarchy.  Elder is struggling to keep control in an environment that seems to be on the brink of crumbling.  On top of everything else, Orion has left a rambling assortment of clues, indicating that there are even more secrets about the Godspeed that could change everything.

I was really impressed by the way the story picked up and carried on from Across the Universe.  Stories can tend to peter off or wander mindlessly through the second book in a trilogy, in my reading experience, but this one did not.  The intensity that picked up in the end of Across The Universe carried through seamlessly into A Million Suns, and I felt like the characters all actually evolved and grew.  Amy most noticeably.  In Across the Universe, she tended to annoy me for the first half of the book–not in a bad way, just the believably annoying tendencies of a modern sixteen-year-old.  In A Million Suns, she transitioned from a whiny teenager to a functional human who could cope with the bizarre circumstances forced on her.

Beth Revis is rapidly gaining my respect as a writer, as she passed the milestone of having two novels in a series that were gripping, perfectly linked, and building off of each other. Not meaning any disrespect if she’s been around for longer, but these are the first two books I’ve read that were authored by her and I am VERY impressed.  Definitely going to be looking up more of her books.  The suspense was just fantastic, the story was well written… it was great.

My rating 4 out of 5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Book: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe (read my review of the first book in the series here)

Genre: Sci-fi, YA

Synopsis: It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceshipGodspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He’s finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

A Million Suns picks up almost right where Across The Universe left off.  Three months later, Amy is still coming to grips with the reality of her new life.  Meanwhile,the ship is rapidly descending towards Anarchy.  Elder is struggling to keep control in an environment that seems to be on the brink of crumbling.  On top of everything else, Orion has left a rambling assortment of clues, indicating that there are even more secrets about the Godspeed that could change everything.

I was really impressed by the way the story picked up and carried on from Across the Universe.  Stories can tend to peter off or wander mindlessly through the second book in a trilogy, in my reading experience, but this one did not.  The intensity that picked up in the end of Across The Universe carried through seamlessly into A Million Suns, and I felt like the characters all actually evolved and grew.  Amy most noticeably.  In Across the Universe, she tended to annoy me for the first half of the book–not in a bad way, just the believably annoying tendencies of a modern sixteen-year-old.  In A Million Suns, she transitioned from a whiny teenager to a functional human who could cope with the bizarre circumstances forced on her.

Beth Revis is rapidly gaining my respect as a writer, as she passed the milestone of having two novels in a series that were gripping, perfectly linked, and building off of each other. Not meaning any disrespect if she’s been around for longer, but these are the first two books I’ve read that were authored by her and I am VERY impressed.  Definitely going to be looking up more of her books.  The suspense was just fantastic, the story was well written… it was great.

My rating 4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful Chaos By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Book: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Popular

Beautiful Chaos is the 3rd book in the Caster Chronicles series. I have also reviewed Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness.

 

What can I say?  When I decide I’m into a series, I’m into it for the long haul.  Beautiful Chaos picks up where Beautiful Darkness left off.  Ethan and Lena are reunited in Gatlin, NC and it seems like things should be settling down, but they aren’t.  The Casters’ abilities are beginning to go wild, the Mortal’s Gatlin is plunged into the worst drought and heat wave they’ve ever experienced, and Ethan is still having visions.  His visions no longer involve Lena, but they are equally confusing, and he is losing memories for no apparent reason.  Lena’s choice, at her second Claiming, upset the order of things, and something–or Someone–must be sacrificed to save Gatlin, and Ethan.

This book made up for the irritation I experienced with the last book.  If you read my review of Beautiful Darkness you’ll know that I was pretty annoyed with the juvenility (is that even a word?  You know what I mean…) of the relationships.  In Beautiful Chaos, thankfully, the relationship drama was back down to a minimum (more or less) and we got to move on with the story.  Yay!  I was so happy to see the characters back to working together to try and solve the mystery of why things have gone so haywire.  There was some definite growth within the characters, especially Lena, which given the last book, is frankly, a marvelous and miraculous event.  I had almost given up hope on her as a character.  She learns more about her mother, Seraphine, and the events that forced her mother to turn Dark, but deals with the surprises and heartbreak much more maturely.  Again, Link is probably my favorite character in the series.  He’s funny, smart, and since he became an Incubus, it’s nice to see him catching a bit of a break!  Most of the drama in this book centers around Ethan, his mysterious visions, and memory loss.

Beautiful Chaos ended smashingly.  I won’t say exactly what happened, just in case y’all are still planning to read the book, but trust me!  It’s a doozy of an ending.  It made me super excited to read Beautiful Redemption, although I have to admit I am skeptical about what they’ll do with the plot in Beautiful Redemption.  It doesn’t really seem like there’s anywhere to go from here, but I could be wrong.  I hope I’m wrong.

My main criticism for this book would probably be it’s length.  It is still an easy read, simply written, but as the third book in the series, some of it seems very repetitive.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: Beautiful Chaos By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Book: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Popular

Beautiful Chaos is the 3rd book in the Caster Chronicles series. I have also reviewed Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness.

 

What can I say?  When I decide I’m into a series, I’m into it for the long haul.  Beautiful Chaos picks up where Beautiful Darkness left off.  Ethan and Lena are reunited in Gatlin, NC and it seems like things should be settling down, but they aren’t.  The Casters’ abilities are beginning to go wild, the Mortal’s Gatlin is plunged into the worst drought and heat wave they’ve ever experienced, and Ethan is still having visions.  His visions no longer involve Lena, but they are equally confusing, and he is losing memories for no apparent reason.  Lena’s choice, at her second Claiming, upset the order of things, and something–or Someone–must be sacrificed to save Gatlin, and Ethan.

This book made up for the irritation I experienced with the last book.  If you read my review of Beautiful Darkness you’ll know that I was pretty annoyed with the juvenility (is that even a word?  You know what I mean…) of the relationships.  In Beautiful Chaos, thankfully, the relationship drama was back down to a minimum (more or less) and we got to move on with the story.  Yay!  I was so happy to see the characters back to working together to try and solve the mystery of why things have gone so haywire.  There was some definite growth within the characters, especially Lena, which given the last book, is frankly, a marvelous and miraculous event.  I had almost given up hope on her as a character.  She learns more about her mother, Seraphine, and the events that forced her mother to turn Dark, but deals with the surprises and heartbreak much more maturely.  Again, Link is probably my favorite character in the series.  He’s funny, smart, and since he became an Incubus, it’s nice to see him catching a bit of a break!  Most of the drama in this book centers around Ethan, his mysterious visions, and memory loss.

Beautiful Chaos ended smashingly.  I won’t say exactly what happened, just in case y’all are still planning to read the book, but trust me!  It’s a doozy of an ending.  It made me super excited to read Beautiful Redemption, although I have to admit I am skeptical about what they’ll do with the plot in Beautiful Redemption.  It doesn’t really seem like there’s anywhere to go from here, but I could be wrong.  I hope I’m wrong.

My main criticism for this book would probably be it’s length.  It is still an easy read, simply written, but as the third book in the series, some of it seems very repetitive.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars