Title: Six of Crows Author: Leigh Bardugo Published by: Henry Holt and Co. Publication date: September 29, 2015 Pages: 480 Genres: Fantasy, Adventure Summary from Goodreads: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone... A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?" Here is an author who knows how to write multiple narratives, creating great characterization, and an exciting plot! There are six narratives, which can be so confusing, but Leigh Bardugo beautifully weaves internal dialogue (that also offers outside observations of the other characters) with memories and present conversations for each narrator. On top of characters with unique backgrounds and personalities, Bardugo writes one exciting heist adventure. Think – Oceans 11 meets down and dirty, gritty fantasy. Kaz narrowed his eyes. “I’m not some character out of a children’s story who plays harmless pranks and steals from the rich to give to the poor." Kaz, the leader of the group, was equally difficult for me to like and totally intriguing. A hardened gang leader who’s out for the long journey of revenge, Kaz’s humanity and story is slowly revealed. It’s his humanity that makes him so intriguing. He’s lethal with a limp and a major handicap disguised by monstrous rumors. And just when you think Kaz will never have a trustworthy relationship with anyone, he discovers new desires during the course of their heist. “When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.”
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Title: Legacy of Kings Author: Eleanor Herman Published by: Harlequin Teen Publication date: August 18, 2015 Pages: 432 Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction Summary from Goodreads: Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise. Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer… Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love… Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters. In Legacy of Kings, Eleanor Herman writes about a compelling group of characters all on the brink of becoming who their fated to be. This first book in the series feels like the coming-of-age story, where characters discover themselves and begin to take on their specific roles in fate.
While Alexander stands out as the notable historical figure (think: The Great), the story focused more on the surrounding characters, especially, Katerina. While I anticipated Alexander becoming who he’s famous to be, my interest stayed with Katerina—her mission and mysterious abilities. And while there’s supposed to be a great connection between Katerina and Alex, I never felt the connection, only kept hearing about it by the author’s insistence. Katerina and Jacob’s relationship also fell short for me. Eleanor Herman is better at plot than character development, which is somewhat problematic for a book about multiple characters. Title: The Last of the Firedrakes Author: Farah Oomerbhoy Published by: Wise Ink Creative Publishing Publication date: August 15, 2015 Pages: 488 Genres: Fantasy, Romance Summary from Goodreads: 16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad. Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way. Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear. With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever. I got this book free for Kindle on Amazon.com, because it sounded like a fun fantasy adventure. I like to read these kinds of stories, so I was hopeful. What I discovered is a story with borrowed themes and a winey, immature protagonist. None of the characters were very developed. I wanted to like Aurora, but she was a body of contradictions—capable and powerful one moment, unable to hold her head up against a bully the next. She didn’t make sense to me. I wanted her to be bold and confidant, strong and worthy, but even when she comes into herself she doesn’t take counsel from those around her, but makes rash decisions. I was more interested in Rafe’s Robin Hood-esque adventures than Aurora’s coming-of-queen story. Rafe was not a bad character, but a little cliché. The romance with Rafe was too fast and underdeveloped. They hardly spend any time together, but he’s handsome and rescues her multiple times and makes her heart flutter and smirks…he’s a smirker—UH! And Aurora spends most of the book making assumptions about Rafe’s feelings with little context. How can she know anything about how he’s feeling? They don’t know each other! The world building in the book relied heavily on borrowed ideas from Lord of the Rings about elves, dwarves, and wizards, and their multiple kingdoms. I thought Farah Oomerbhoy’s story could’ve been more unique. The heroine could've been stronger the the characters more developed. Would I let my teen read this book? I’m not giving this book one star, because on the positive side—the book is free on Amazon and it’s totally clean. If you’re young daughter likes fantasy and struggles to find appropriate books, then this is an option. I just can’t promise a lot of substance. Age recommendation: 12 Language – None Drugs & Alcohol— One character had been drinking Sex – One kiss Violence – There is mention of magical, stuns, burnings, and killings, but it’s stated, not depicted. My Goodreads rating: 2 out of 5 stars Order The Last of the Firedrakes on Amazon, currently FREE The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever Author: Jeff Strand Published by: Sourcebooks Fire Publication date: March 1, 2016 Pages: 272 Genres: Contemporary, Horror, Humor *ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* Summary from Goodreads: The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever is so bad, it could wake the dead… After producing three horror films that went mostly ignored on YouTube, Justin and his film-making buddies decide it's time to make something epic. In fact, they're going to make The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever. They may not have money or a script, but they have passion. And, after a rash text message, they also have the beautiful Alicia Howtz as the lead. Hemmed in by a one-month timeline and a cast of uncooperative extras, but aching to fulfill Alicia's dreams, Justin must face the sad, sad truth: he may, in actuality, be producing The Worst Zombie Movie Ever. “The only comment anybody posted about his latest film had been, ‘This twelve-year-old filmmaker sort of shows promise,’ which really frustrated Justin because he was fifteen.” Justin lives movies. If you know anything about ‘90s pop culture, than you know he’s a lot like Dawson Leery from the creek. Justin and his friends Gabe and Bobby have already made several horror movies (their favorite genre). They make a plan to make one more—the greatest zombie movie ever—in one month before Gabe leaves for the summer. This puts them under a tight deadline; morals, standards, and friendships may be compromised. “What I’m saying is that we should be ahead of the curve. We should be making movies that people can’t believe were made by fifteen-year-olds. I want people to be stunned at what we’re making. I want people to accuse us of being genetically enhanced.” A determination to make the greatest zombie movie quickly degrades into creating a final product with a “lack of embarrassment.” Justin won’t call quits for anything, not an infected eyebrow piercing, an interruptive party clown, a broken camera, a house fire, getting hit by a car, or watching his love interest smooch another guy. Honestly, I kept thinking I was going to loose interest in this plot. Not a lot happens. Sure they run into a few speed bumps, but what kept me interested in this story was the writing. Jeff Strand is hilarious. This is probably the funniest YA book I’ve read all year. His fast dialogue and quick wit kept reminding me of the Gilmore Girls, if Lorelai and Rory had been fifteen-year-old boys. And then, I really did want to see if they’d finish their movie and how things would end. Strand’s good characterization and humor drove this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would I let my teen read this book? Besides the humor, there are several things I loved about this book that make it recommendable: 1. Good roll models It’s always nice to read about teenagers with serious interests and drives (though Bobby mostly seems like part of the team by association and willingness to be the guinea pig). The boys may be pulling all-nighters, and Justin might miss a few tests, but it’s not without the realization that school is important, otherwise Justin will be making a “documentary about living in a cardboard box in an alley, scavenging half-eaten lizards for his dinner, and burning his hair to stay warm.” 2. Teens interacting with adults Justin and his parents get along fine. His parents are encouraging, but also realistic about balancing his passions and responsibilities. I appreciated what felt like a respectful, loving relationship. The boys interact with some unreasonable adults, who do not understand them and have no interest in understanding them, even though the boys are being respectful. Justin learns his boss, who he doesn’t like, might have a different side to him. Justin learns that adults are capable of being understanding and gracious, even when he’s done something wrong. I loved these different perspectives; adults in young adult literature can often be one-sided or nonexistent. 3. Squeaky Totally clean. There is little that would offend anyone in this book. They’re making a movie about zombies, but the one graphic scene is littered with humor and a character’s disgust of fake guts: “Gnaw on it! Gnaw, Bobby! Gnaw!” I recommend this book for everyone 12 and older, though some parents might deem it appropriate for their mature young readers. Age recommendation: 12 Language – None Drugs & Alcohol— None Sex – Narrator witnesses a couple kissing Violence – A boom is dropped on a character's infected eyebrow piercing; One scene with theatrical gore interlaced with silliness and humor My Goodreads rating: 4 out of 5 stars Pre-order The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever on Amazon The Scourge Author: A.G. Henley Publication date: November 12, 2013 Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. Pages: 223 Genres: Horror, Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Romance Summary from Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She's never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how the shadows shift when she passes under a canopy of trees. She knows how to hide in the cool, damp caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings' tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be. And she's always known this day would come—the day she faces the Scourge alone. The Sightless, like Fenn, are mysteriously protected from the Scourge, the gruesome creatures roaming the forests, reeking of festering flesh and consuming anything—and anyone—living. A Sightless Groundling must brave the Scourge and bring fresh water to the people of the forest. Today, that task becomes Fenn's. Fenn will have a Lofty Keeper, Peree, as her companion. Everyone knows the Lofties wouldn’t hesitate to shoot an arrow through the back of an unsuspecting Groundling like Fenn, but Peree seems different. A boy with warm, rough hands who smells like summer, he is surprisingly kind and thoughtful. Although Fenn knows his people are treacherous, she finds herself wanting to trust him. As their forest community teeters on the brink of war, Fenn and Peree must learn to work together to survive the Scourge and ensure their people’s survival. But when Fenn uncovers a secret that shatters her truths, she’s forced to decide who and what to protect—her people, her growing love for Peree, or the elusive dream of lasting peace in the forest. I won't spend time on setting up this story, because the summary is FOUR PARAGRAPHS LONG. That just seems a little long for a summary, that's all. It is a nice set up. I read The Scourge several years ago. I believe I got it free for Amazon Kindle and thought I'd give it a go. I remember being surprisingly pleased. You can still read it for free with Amazon Prime or Unlimited, or you can purchase it for $2.99. Fenn's blindness adds to the suspense and storytelling. She's brave in the face of something terrifying, willing to regularly walk through a horde of zombies for the sake of her people, even the Lofties. I also enjoyed the progress of Fenn and Peree's relationship. Though, if you don't like a fair amount of lovely dovey prose and dialogue, this might not be the book for you. Clearly, some sort of disease has spread to create the Scourge (zombies), but Fenn and Peree discover new truths about the pandemic that make this story unique. I don't remember there being a lot of violence. Peree fights off the Scourge with arrows, but the people are not slaughtering zombies. Age Recommendation: 15 Language - mild to none Drugs & Alcohol - none Sex - There's no sex, at least one kiss Violence - There's some mild violence between the two people groups and the Scourge. My Goodreads rating: 3 out of 5 stars Buy The Scourge on Amazon.com for only $2.99 |
Lindsey Learn
I read a lot. I'm a Mom. I'm officially in my 30s, but strangers often don't believe I'm old enough to drink. I love Young Adult fiction, and thought it was worthwhile to help teens and adults find age-appropriate options. Categories
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