[Review] Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

 Struck
Struck #1
Jennifer Bosworth
May 8th, 2012
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
373 pages

Amazon/Book Depository/B&N

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

This story was way more 'The Stand'ish than I thought it was going to be according to the blurb. There are two sects fighting over the main character. One goes with the voices in their Prophet's head, full of brainwashed purity, preaching the good word, wearing all white. The other side is just as strange, but more rebellious, more druidic in structure. One side wants the main character to bring forth the cleansing apocalyptic light. The other wants her for less devastating, but no less crazy reasons.

Mia is an interesting character, subject to the holdups and confusion of any teenage girl encountering a cute boy or a few cult members bent on making her an addition to their crazy plans. The beginning of the book held a lot of promise for her character, the world building and the supporting characters. It went in a direction I didn't expect, but I feel that while it might not have lived up to the potential originally set forth, it did a good job sustaining and building upon itself.

The religious aspect is a bit overwhelming, I'm not going to lie. I feel like it did a good job depicting how followers would act when confronting a deadline for the end of the world. They are pushy and will do what it takes to get what they want.

Overall, this book wasn't terrible. I'm sure there are aspects of it that can and will turn people away from it. It has a slow build up, some of the characters are one-dementional for both sections of the story and overall. There are some large, gaping holes in explanation and plot. Still, I had a lot of fun reading it and would definitely pick up future books by this author.

[Audiobook Review] Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep

Deadly Sting
Elemental Assassin Series
Jennifer Estep
March 26. 2013
Pocket Books

Amazon/Book Depository/B&N

Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me— Gin Blanco, aka the Spider—it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’s priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

May contain spoilers to other books in series.

With a plot that is something out of Die Hard, Deadly Sting grabbed me up and didn't let go. I love, love, love the Elemental Assassin books and I was curious after Gin killed Mab Monroe in Jennifer Estep could keep the series fresh and exciting. She has proven that with these last couple of books. Mab may be dead, but somehow she is still causing trouble for Gin and friends.

Gin is invited to go to the social event of the season with her step brother Finn. A showing of all the treasures of Mab Monroe's estate at the art museum. Gin gets all gussied up in a fancy red dress and starts to look forward to the party. Of course where Gin goes, trouble is bound to follow. While at the party Gin runs into her lover Owen who is there on a date with a woman in the same exact red dress. After that things go to hell in a hand basket for Gin because a group of terrorist Giants take over the museum to rob the place. The first thing they do is shoot the other girl in the red dress in the face. They just assume they have killed Gin. "Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy."

After mayhem ensues Gin has to save the day and kill the bad guys. She has help in the end, but most of it is on her own. I really liked the action in this book. Some parts while I was listening I was almost biting my nails while I waited for Gin to get out of one scrape after another. What I didn't like was the angsty part of the book with Owen. Owen, Gin's lover, is still upset from the last book where Gin killed his fiance. Sometimes you can't reason with people and something people just need killing. I know it sounds old west but that is one thing I like about these books in Gin's old west style of vengeance, Owen has forgiven by the end of the book but not forgotten and he can't get past it. So this book has excellent action and I liked the plot twist in Mab's will because it will definitely come back to haunt Gin. I felt like it was filler at the same time because nothing was solved in Gin's personal life and things are still the way they were at the end of the last book. With Owen and Gin on a break.

With that said I still found Deadly Sting on enjoyable listen. Lauren Fortgang is a wonderful narrator. I honestly don't know if I would love Gin or the world as much is Lauren Fortgang didn't bring the characters to life in my ears. She brings the drama and emotion that are Gin Blanco and I feel like I am right there in that museum watching Gin kick bad guy butt. I give Deadly Sting four laser pistols and look forward to the next book.

[Short Story Review] Prophet by Jennifer Bosworth

 Prophet
Struck #0.5
Jennifer Bosworth
April 25th, 2012
Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
32 pages

Amazon (Free)

 Some men are born monsters . . . others are made so.  In “Prophet,” Rance Ridley, the teenage son of a cult leader, lives on an isolated compound, disconnected from modern civilization. There is no running water. No electricity. And no law but the Prophet’s. When Rance is caught in an act of flagrant disobedience, his father delivers the ultimate punishment, and Rance is set on a course that will change everything.  ‘Prophet’ is a disturbing glimpse into the past of the villain of Jennifer Bosworth’s debut novel, Struck.

This was another prequel in the Fierce Reads anthology I picked up in order to read the Grisha short. It's compellingly written. I fell in love with Jennifer Bosworth's writing and immediately picked up Struck, the novel set in the same universe that this story is supposed to be a teaser for.

This story is a bit too cultish and preachy, it is meant to be that way. After reading Struck, this story really gave a sense of how Rance Ridley came to be and what his motivations were. Sure, it killed a few of the supposedly 'surprising' reveals later on in the novel, but it gave me more of a sense for the character as a whole.

[Animorphs Reread] The Encounter by K.A. Applegate

Wow. I didn't mean to be so late with this post, but I've had very little time to sit down and write reviews. I have a queue of seven to purge from my head. In any case, onwards!

The EncounterAnimorphs #3
K.A. Applegate
August 1st, 1996
Scholastic Paperbacks
154 pages

Amazon

When Tobias, Jake, Rachel, Marco, and Cassie were given the ability to morph, they were also given one very important warning: Never stay in a morph for more than two hours. It seemed a small price to pay, since the kids know that humans everywhere are being forced to let slimy, spineless creatures creep into their brains. And the only way the kids can fight back is not to be human.

But Tobias stayed in his morph too long. And now he's a hawk -- with a boy's mind -- forever. Tobias knows they can't give up. That they all made a promise. So now it's four kids and a hawk against a force that's determined to destroy them. Or die trying...

I know that I've read this book more than once. I literally could not remember the ending. That being said, this entire novel is so far fetched, that I just purged the ending from my mind. It really is that ridiculous. The entire story is ridiculous.

I understand that the Yeerks probably have human controllers up on the mother ship. I understand that those human controllers probably require oxygen and water. What I don't understand is why they would collect water from a dirty lake and keep it in tanks. Where is the filtration system? If War of the Worlds has taught me anything, it is that aliens can't deal with pathogens. Pair this with the environmentalist actions at the beginning, and some of the things Tobias does as a bird, this book is just way silly.

It's redeeming qualities come from Tobias's inner struggle. He is learning to live in his new state, battling with the instincts that come with being in morph. His friends are there to ground him, but he loses himself for awhile. Inner strength and friendship endures and he eventually rediscovers himself, but not without permanent and lasting sadness.

As long as this series is, they can't all be winners. I feel like I'll be repeating this mantra a lot.

[Review] Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Prophecy Girl
Cecily White
April 2nd, 2013
Entangled Teen

Copy provided by Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for honest review.
Amazon/Book Depository/B&N

Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons.

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Then he shows up.

Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right?

Wrong.

Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.

So, what can U say about Prophecy Girl? Decent, enjoyable in some parts and easy to put down in others. This book is about a girl named Amelie who is part of a guardian league that fights demons. She goes to guardian school to train, and the first day back meets her new instructor and is instantly attracted to him. She feels like she has found the boy she could bond with. There is just one or two minor problems. The boy is supposed to die according to the prophecy and she is supposed to kill him.

Sounds like an amazing plot, tight? That is what I thought so I got the book and began reading. Bondmates, spells, angel blooded guardians, and falling for the instructor. This book felt like for me there was a lot going on and none of it was really new or exciting. It was like Harry Potter meets City of Bones. This book felt confusing. At times even dragged in parts.

There were parts I liked. I thought the mystery aspect of the story was well plotted and I never guessed the real motives that were behind why the chancellor wanted the prophecy to play out so bad. I liked all the surprises at the end I didn't even see it coming when the chancellor's helper was revealed. I liked how the old adage be careful what you wish for was never truer at the end of this book. Ami wants Jack, the boy she loves so much she would die for him, she listens to the words of the Book of Lies. The book had shown Ami a happy future for her and Jack. So while things turned out not bad at the end they didn't turn out quite the way Ami wanted. I will probably read the next book because I am curious to see how Ami handles the changes that are coming her way.

In the end I give Prophecy Girl three laser pistols.

[Audiobook Review} Wasteland by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan

Wasteland
Wasteland Trilogy

Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan

March 26, 2013

HarperTeen                                                         

Amazon/Book Depository/B&N

Esther thinks there's more to life than toiling at the assignments - harvesting, gleaning, excavating - day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day.

She doesn't care that her best friend, a variant, is considered "the enemy". She doesn't care that Levi, who controls the Source, is the real enemy and might send his Taser boys after her if she makes one wrong move.

Then Caleb shows up. Could there be another way to fight for survival?

This week I listened to Wasteland and the best thing I can say about it is meh. It wasn't a bad book, but it was just ok. The book had great premise but I felt like it was lacking. Don't get me wrong, I didn't feel like I wasted my time either. It was just another average run of the mill post-apocalyptic dystopian story.

In this post-apocalyptic "wasteland" the people get partnered at 14 or 15, have babies not long after and most don't live past 19. This book felt like Lord of the Flies meets The Enemy by Charlie Higson. I don't know, it lacked something those books had.

The story wasn't really new, there was one boy in town behind the scenes and everyone looked to him because he controlled the supplies. This boy was manipulative and of course, gets his in the end. There was insta-love between the new boy and the misunderstood girl who doesn't want to follow the rules and be like others. There are mutants, a new race called variants that are hated and mistrusted because they are because they are different. All of it was very interesting, but that I have  multiple times.

I like the world building and the idea that alludes to a planet that has been ravaged by nuclear war. These kids really are growing up and trying to survive in a wasteland. I liked the feeling of hope at the end of the book and that the variants and the norms realize they need each other if they are both going to survive in this new world that is not kind to the weak. I likes that Ester, the main girl, matures and grows into a capable woman. I liked the narrator Laura Knight Keating. Since Wasteland was a decent, not great, read I give it three very solid laser pistols.

[Short Story Review] Dress Your Marines in White by Emmy Laybourne

 Dress Your Marines in White
Monument 14 #0.5
Emmy Laybourne
May 22nd 2012
Tor
32 pages
Amazon (free)

 It was just a test report. Like one of many, many he’d written up in the past. Except this time, several of the test subjects are dead…”

At first, Dr. James Cutlass had thought his new job at NORAD was thrilling and full of opportunities, but that was before the demonstration… “Dress Your Marines in White” is the story of the terrifying choices surrounding a chemical weapons demonstration gone horribly wrong.

This story was pretty gross, honestly. It is full of flashbacks, telling of things that have already happened as a scientist writes an experiment report. The experiment itself went terribly, frighteningly awry. Of course, I haven't read Monument 14, and this is more of a explanation of the chemical weapon released in the book.

It was still engrossing. Sometimes I wonder if these scientists who bring about the end of the world realize that is what they are striving for. In this case, they wanted human experimentation because each blood type reacts differently with the compound. The people they used were former Marines, sent to life in prison for some reason. I would really like to know more on that. While the experiment was somewhat contained, it was still intense.

I picked up Monument 14, even if it is just a bunch of kids trying to survive the Apocalypse. I'm curious.\