REVIEW: Slide

Book: Slide by Jill Hathaway  
Release Date:  March 27th, 2012 by Balzer + Bray   
Pages: 250 pages  
Source: Library Copy

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth--her sister's friend Sophie didn't kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn't actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else's mind and experiences the world through that person's eyes. She's slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed "friend" when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie's slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can't bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting distant lately, especially now that she's been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Slide was actually pretty good. Its narration was easy to follow and it was a quick read. Vee's thoughts were (mostly) reasonable, which I enjoyed.

The few problems I had with Vee were minor. At one scene, I questioned her responsibility because she had bribed her own younger sister with alcohol. I felt like this set a bad example for some readers, but that could just be my opinion. Other readers might not view it as such big mistake.

Also, there was Vee's relationship with Zane. It was too insta-love and I didn't like it at all. The two barely talk throughout the book yet they "love" each other. After about a month or so, the two declare that they are in love, which I think is quite a stretch. I personally think that Vee would have been a better couple with Rollins, her guy best friend.

In addition to that, Slide is a mystery book, but I also felt like the ending (where Sophie's murderer was revealed) was a stretch as well. With the way things played out, this could have been a soap opera. It wasn't realistic and I personally didn't like it.

Overall, Slide was an entertaining read. Vee had her own flaws, but she wasn't an annoying character. The insta-love with Zane was the biggest problem, as he was a really flat character. The mystery could have also played out better with more subtle hints in the story. I really like the type of mystery book that drop hints within the story so subtly that if you look back, you would notice it, but if you read quickly, you wouldn't see it all. Sadly, Slide wasn't one of those books. It was just a quick, fun read with some mystery into it.

Final Rank

1     2     3    3.5    4     5

Slide was good, but it wasn't amazing. It was an enjoyable read but there wasn't anything special to it. I'm keeping my eyes out for the sequel, but it's not one of those books that would be very memorable. I would, however, recommend it if you're looking for a quick easy read.

REVIEW: Surviving Antartica Reality TV 2083

Book: Surviving Antartica: Reality TV 2083

Published: November 7th 2006 by HarperTeen

Pages: 448

Source: Library

The wind and snow blow so hard, you can't see your hand in front of your face. Your heating fuel is nearly gone, and so is your food. How do you survive?

Five fourteen-year-olds face this desperate situation on a deadly journey in Antarctica. It is 2083. They are contes-tants on a reality TV show, Antarctic Survivor, which is set up to re-create Robert F. Scott's 1912 doomed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.

But in 2083 reality TV is not just an act. Contestants literally relive - or die during - the simulations of events. Robert Scott and his team were experienced explorers and scientists, but their attempt to reach the Pole proved fatal. What chance does the Antarctic Survivor team have?

This action-packed, riveting adventure - full of fascinating direct quotes from Scott's journals and other accounts of the expedition - is both a heart-wrenching drama from the past and a disquieting glimpse into the future.

Sarah's Review:

 This book was kind of an ehhhh. This book was entertaining because it provided me with an idea of what the future would/might look like in 2083. What I like a lot is how they actually give a specific year. Most dystopian books are like: Oh, its happening somewhere in the future. But I am just like: BUT WHEN. 

This book was really interesting, but I wish there was more action. And it lasted longer. The people were in Antarctica for quite a while, but they didn't even make it to the first safe zone. /:

REVIEW: The Angel Experiment

Book: Maximum Ride by James Patterson
Release Date:  May 1st 2006 by Warner Vision Books
Pages: 413 Pages
Source: Library

From the bestselling author James Patterson comes the stunning, breathtaking start to the blockbuster series! Six unforgettable kids—with no families, no homes—are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. But they don't know where they come from, who's hunting them, why they are different from all other humans... and if they're meant to save mankind—or destroy it.

Sarah's Review:

This is a humorous, action-filled, adventurous, dramatic, super geeky, not-that-lovey book. Its a lot of things, and its definitely the type of book that I love reading. But make no mistake, I was still disappointed by this book. 

I hate to say this but this reminds me a lot of Percy Jackson... maybe I'll do a COMPARE someday. They have a "crew" of kids on a mission. They are both action-filled and have characters who both have humorous voices. They both have special powers. And a little "twist" at the end.

The point of view is from a GIRL named Max. I have to say, I did enjoy the sarcastic remarks but then I soon found them kind of... redundant. They still made me laugh but I soon found myself to guess what the next joke was going to be. Its still a very enjoyable book though!

Somehow, this book got me bored. If I start reading a Percy Jackson book, I will sit down for HOURS and just read until later when I try to stand up and my entire body is asleep with only my hands and eyes moving. This book made me set it down a lot. It just wasn't as action-filled as I had hoped it to be. 

All those romance people out there~, you shall be disappointed. There was I think only one scene where its a tiny hug or so?

This book (in my opinion) has some extra stories that are not needed. This book just kind of jumps around randomly and has too many false ideas.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and was excited about it but soon became a bit "tired" of it. I still like it a lot though!

Rank:

1     2     3   3.5   4     5 

*Side Note:
DO NOT READ THE REST OF THE SERIES. THEY ARE JUST PLAIN WEIRD AND BORING.

REVIEW: Room

Book: Room by Emma Donoghue
Release Date: September 13th 2010 by Little, Brown and Company
Pages:  321
Source: Friend

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

First word that comes to mind when I think about this: innocent.

If you read the description of the book, you'll know its from the point of a five year old. The way he narrated the book was very cutesy and creative but mostly innocent. He used many words that are very creative (meaning cute but not real words). His sentences have very bad grammar in that innocent way when you don't know any better. Not like those annoying people who think they are all that and purposely talk like a kindergartener. I think that the author was pretty good at making it sound like a five year old if you can ignore the spots where it gets frustratingly overboard with the lack of grammar. WARNING: NOT FOR A GRAMMAR NAZI.

This book has some interesting 5-year old wisdom in it.

What I dislike about this book is how it has a lot of unnecessary parts (in my opinion). The last 1/4 of the book made me feel like the author was just dragging the story. It wasn't bad, it was just unnecessary. Sometimes making it boring.

What I like about this book is how it is really sweet. The mom is a bit confusing at times but its obvious that she loves her kid. It gets sad in some parts and happy in others. Since this is from a 5-year-old point of view, it does get frustrating at times when Jack acts bratty towards his mom.

The end, was pretty good. It ends like one of these types of books should. What I was kind of hoping for was *SPOILER ALERT* that when his mom got ill, she would pass away or have to be taken away from him and then 10 or so years later he reflects on those moments. Something like that. But *YOU CAN LOOK AGAIN* it doesn't include that. I think that would have ended better but the original ending fits well with the character.

Final Rank:

1     2     3   3.5  4     5

REVIEW: Hourglass

Book: Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Release Date: June 14th, 201 by Egmont USA
Pages: 390 Pages
Source: Library Copy

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

It's pretty hard to rate Hourglass. There's a part of me that loves the idea of time travel and the fresh supernatural element, but there's also the harsh critic side that doesn't completely love everything about this book. In the end, I took both sides into account, weighted it on my rating scale and gave it a 3 stars. What that means is: Hourglass is a pretty good read, but it's almost ordinary, should I say. The 3 stars give credit to its plot and main character (which I loved), but the missing 2 stars reflect on the secondary characters, the love interest Michael, and the boring-ness of the last half of the book.

Nicole's Review:

Before I jump into all the flaws of Hourglass, there were a lot of things I liked about this book. The main character, Emerson, was witty and funny in her own sense of humor. A lot of times, she made me smile. I also found her realistic, in the way that she deals with the "rips" (ghosts from the past/future). She had told her legal guardian, which is her brother, about these rips. I thought that telling her brother was an incredibly smart way to deal with it. It's completely reasonable too.

It's much more refreshing this way. I've read books where the main character just complains on and on about her magical powers and the pressure of keeping it a secret, so she wouldn't seem like "a freak" when she clearly could tell someone she trusts about it. Like seriously. Get help if you need. Ahem.

Anyways, that wasn't the case in Hourglass and I'm grateful for it.

Next, I also liked the plot. In most paranormal books, they usually are about vampires, werewolves, and angels, so the time-traveling ghost thing was a surprise. I also liked the aspect of how Emerson could travel to the past, Michael can travel to the future, and together, they can travel anywhere in time. I don't know about you, but silly details like these just makes me grin really wide and marvel at the cleverness.

So basically, the first half of the story was absolutely fantastic, along with many great details. I though it was very stunning the way McEntire weaved all of Emerson's family in.

But then I reach the second half. And that is when things begin to fall apart.
 
By now, we know of the mysterious Michael, who sees ghosts, like Emerson. We also know that he flirts with her even though he knows he's not supposed to. He also made it pretty clear he wouldn't date her.

So why does he date her later?

The romance between Michael and Emerson didn't really radiate sparks. I mean, it wasn't like they were bad together; they just didn't have that kind of chemistry. Michael was kind of a dull love interest. I didn't like him a lot. And like I mentioned earlier, he made it pretty clear he can't date her, yet they have a relationship later on in the book. 

We also get tricked into believing that Michael has a girlfriend named Ava. But that turns out to be a misunderstanding. So there was some unnecessary minor drama there.

To be honest, things fell from there. I didn't like any of the new characters (Ava, Kaleb, etc..) and the adventure got really boring. I started skimming pages. Later on, as I reach the supposedly climax of the story (traveling back into time), it didn't even seem interesting.

So yup, I skimmed through the last half, feeling oddly like doing a chore. When I got to the ending, the book seemed like a boring blur. I sincerely enjoyed the first half; I only wished the last was as good.

 

The Summary:

The Good Points: Emerson's personality, Emerson's family

The Bad Points: Boring last half of the story, Michael, undeveloped secondary characters

Final Rank:

 1     2     3     4     5

On my rating scale, a three stars mean that a book is average. In this case, Hourglass was pretty average for me. The first half was fantastic, amazing, and all those awesome synonyms but then the last half was horrible. I didn't enjoy it at all. To average it up, I'd give it a score of 3, five stars for the first half and 1 star for the last half. And the last half technically isn't "horrible." It just bored me out and wasn't my cup of tea. So I would recommend to this book to people who have more patience.

 

  

 

REVIEW: Second Chance Summer

Book: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Release Date: Published May 8th, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages:  468 Pages
Source: Library Copy

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

  The Romance:

1     2     3     4     5

This scale is different than most. 1 means that there is no romance at all. 5 means this book was a very, very romantic based book. A 3 will be the most common, as YA books surround another plot while dealing with romance too. Below are my thoughts on the romance.

Like most aspects of this book, the romance was average. It could be bordering between fantastic or a little above average, depending on who you are. However, for me, it was okay. I didn't hate on the romance; Henry was actually okay. It was just we didn't really get to know him. He was a slightly undeveloped character who seemed really bitter in the beginning.

But in the end, he was understanding and grew to be a more likeable person. His chemistry with Taylor didn't actually seem like anything special to me, but it did work out between them.

In other words, the romance was average but okay.

The Action/ The Adventure:

1     2     3     4     5

The action scale is pretty obvious and it is just like the romance scale. 1 means there was no action. 5 means there was a lot of action. Whether or not the action was good, I'll tell you below.

There wasn't a lot of action/adventure. For a contemporary book, this could be normal, but the speed of this book was also really slow (see the speed section underneath).

Some things in this book was entertaining; however, there was a lot of unneccesary stuff. Most of it interested me though. I enjoyed the parts about Taylor and her dad spending time together. I also liked the way Taylor's friendship with Lucy healed.

But in a way, there wasn't really that intense-omg-what-will-happen-next action. If you're someone who really likes slow, background information providing and calm books, I think you'll like Second Chance Summer though. But to warn you: there are some increasingly sad parts in this book. So don't expect it to be too calm.

The Speed:

1     2     3     4     5

The speed scale tells how fast the story goes. For example, if the introduction is boring and the whole book is going at snail pace, it'll probably be a ranking of 1.

This book was slow. But not neccesarily in a bad way. For people who have a short attention span, then yes, this book will be slightly boring. But for me, the most part, I could tell it was slow, yet I thought it was okay at the same time.

Things happened in a pretty neat tidy order and I could see Taylor's character developement as the story progresses.

The Plot/ The Perspective/ The Storytelling:

1     2     3    3.5     4     5

This isn't based on how much action shows up as the book progresses. It is based on the quality of the plot. Sometimes the plot is just unentertaining while others are the on-the-end-of-your-seat suspenseful. This is probably the scale that you should pay the most attention to.

Taylor takes some time to get used to. In the beginning, she was this girl who always ran away from her troubles. In the end, she was a stronger person who grew from her experiences. So before you read this book and complain about how she is in the beginning, she gets a lot better, I promise.

I liked her a lot, even though there were some parts of the storytelling that fell flat just a bit. I didn't think it was a big problem, because overall, the plot was great. There was something so serene and beautiful this book that made me want to hug Taylor's family.

The End:

1     2     3     4     5

This is going to be a limited scale as I don't want to spoil the ending. I promise I won't reveal any secrets, but if you want it to be a complete surprise,  STOP READING.

To be honest, the ending killed me. I'll try not to spoil much but it did get tears in my eyes. It was the type of ending that you get in real life, but that didn't stop my sympathy.

This ending will move your heart.

The Summary:

The Good Points:

Second Chance Summer has a bittersweet tone to the writing. It fits in perfectly with Taylor and her family, which was the main focus of this story. I loved how Taylor's personality grew as the story progresses. Her relationship with her dad was very realistic and I could tell how much his cancer affected their family.

Taylor's family is by far, not the most perfect family there is. Yet there's that warm feeling to them that allows everyone to connect with each other. Warren and his obsession with weird historical facts. Gelsey and her love for ballet.

I really enjoyed this family story.

The Bad Points:

Henry was slightly undeveloped and there was no chemistry in his relationship with Taylor. I know they dated when they were twelve though, but they just seem more of "good friends" than anything else.

However, like I mentioned before, it wasn't like bad or anything. It was just average. And ordinary.

The second problem for some people could be the speed. It was slow, though it turned out okay for me. It just depends on who you are.

Overall Thoughts:

Pros ---

- Taylor's family
- Taylor's character development
-  The realistic ending that will produce lots of tears and kill you through sadness

Cons ---

- Speed (for some people)
- Taylor's personality in the beginning
- Henry (for some people)

Final Rank: 

1     2     3   3.5     4     5

This book was a little above average (an average for me is a three). There were good things about it, yet there could be some flaws that stick out to you. It's one of those books where you either love it so so so much, or find it to be a little under average. Everyone's opinions on this might differ, but I liked the ending the most. It really got to the depths of my heart and even though it was sad, I understood why it happened. However, if you hate slow books, you might not like this one.

 



REVIEW: Glitch

Book: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Release Date: Published August 7th 2012 by St. Martin's Press

Pages: 308

Source: Library

Goodreads page: Click here

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

The Romance:

1     2     3     4     5

This scale is different than most. 1 means that there is no romance at all. 5 means this book was a very, very romantic based book. A 3 will be the most common, as YA books surround another plot while dealing with romance too. Below are my thoughts on the romance.

I guess its supposed to be entertaining and it is an important part of the plot, but the romance didn't really help me out here. It just made me annoyed. I'm not a fan of romance, so I might be a bit biased about this but this book has around 1/4 of the pages about romance and love and all the other annoying stuff. Don't get me wrong, the love was very important to the story, but I think its correct for me to say: its annoying and obvious. You know, it just doesn't help that there is a love triangle involved too...

The Action/ The Adventure:

1     2    2.9 3     4     5

The action scale is pretty obvious and it is just like the romance scale. 1 means there was no action. 5 means there was a lot of action. Whether or not the action was good, I'll tell you below.

The action and adventure was okay-ish. And I have to say the okay because its not good, its not bad. I have to say the ish because its slightly below the okay. Its just not that entertaining. Reading this book wasn't that bad of an experience, and I did manage the accomplishment of actually reading the entire story, but it is just-plain-obvious.

The Speed:

1     2     3     4     5

The speed scale tells how fast the story goes. For example, if the introduction is boring and the whole book is going at snail pace, it'll probably be a ranking of 1.

Its so darn AVERAGE. I finally found the word for this story. Its average. The speed is average, the action/adventure is average, and the romance is average-ish. Its not bad, but its not good enough to be called good. The speed is, guess what, average. Its not slow enough to make me rage quit the book, but its not fast enough to make me reading and make me wonder what will happen next. As I was reading this, I kept looking up occasionally, just because it came to a particularly boring part.

 The Plot/ The Perspective/ The Storytelling:

1     2     3     4     5

This isn't based on how much action shows up as the book progresses. It is based on the quality of the plot. Sometimes the plot is just unentertaining while others are the on-the-end-of-your-seat suspenseful. This is probably the scale that you should pay the most attention to.

The plot is actually pretty good. If not clishe. Its average as well. This is the basic dystopian novel, and reminds me of Match, Divergent, and etc. Its taking bits and pieces from each story and blending them all into this. But the thing is that instead of making it spectacular, its just made it a blur of a story. Plain. Dull. Clishe. This is probably a really good story if you haven't read those books that I listed before. Once you start reading dystopian, they all start to blend together. The perspective is forgetful. Its not good, not bad, but I have to say its more towards the good. The storytelling is fine. Just fine.

The End:

1     2     3     4     5

This is going to be a limited scale as I don't want to spoil the ending. I promise I won't reveal any secrets, but if you want it to be a complete surprise,  STOP READING.

ITS MY WORST ENEMY. A CLIFF-HANGER. Now I get a cliffhanger, but in my head, it doesn't really make sense to leave off at a really huge cliff-hanger when the next book comes out in a YEAR. Its wraps things up pretty well, and despite it being annoying along with many other things in the book, I have to say its not bad.

The Summary:

Pros ---

-Speed is pretty good

-Ending wraps things up

-Plot is a lot like other dystopian books, can be good or bad depending if you read dystopian books before

Cons ---

- Once you read other dystopian books, they all tend to blur together, not really making any new ideas

- Its a cliffhanger!!! X(

- Too much romance. I usually ignore the romance, but this bothers me. :/

Final Rank: 

1     2     3     4     5

REVIEW: Of Poseidon

Book: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Release Date: Published May 22nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 336 pages
Source: The power of my awesome library

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . 

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

The Romance:

1     2  2.5   3     4     5

This scale is different than most. 1 means that there is no romance at all. 5 means this book was a very, very romantic based book. A 3 will be the most common, as YA books surround another plot while dealing with romance too. Below are my thoughts on the romance.

There wasn't that much romance, and I appreciated that. But it would be wrong to say that there isn't any. I guess there is some romance and drama, but its not a romance novel.

The Action/ The Adventure:

1     2     3     4     5

The action scale is pretty obvious and it is just like the romance scale. 1 means there was no action. 5 means there was a lot of action. Whether or not the action was good, I'll tell you below.

The action was pretty good. There wasn't that much to be honest and the adventure wasn't as adventurous as it could have been. It was an average action/adventure book.

The Speed:

1     2     3  3.5   4     5

The speed scale tells how fast the story goes. For example, if the introduction is boring and the whole book is going at snail pace, it'll probably be a ranking of 1.

The speed was surprisingly pretty fast. The beginning was a bit slow but later on in the book I found myself being tempted to read more and more. Its a pretty good book if your patient enough to wait a bit but I think its worth the wait.

 The Plot/ The Perspective/ The Storytelling:

1     2     3     4     5

This isn't based on how much action shows up as the book progresses. It is based on the quality of the plot. Sometimes the plot is just unentertaining while others are the on-the-end-of-your-seat suspenseful. This is probably the scale that you should pay the most attention to.

T
he perspective is in 2 points of views: Emma and Galen. Emma is in first person while Galen is in third and I feel like that really wasn't necessary. That part bothered me quite a bit, but its not enough to make me write a RANT about it. The plot however was actually a pretty good one though I feel like the storytelling of it could have been better. The idea of mermaids and the origin of gifts was a fantastic idea to write a book about but to be honest, the author could have wrote it better. And if any new author writes the same story, no matter how good the storytelling is, it would be considered clishe. I'm a bit disappointed in the perspective and storytelling but the main idea of the story was pretty good.

The End:

1     2     3     4     5

This is going to be a limited scale as I don't want to spoil the ending. I promise I won't reveal any secrets, but if you want it to be a complete surprise,  STOP READING.

The end was the most hateful ending ever. It is the one type of ending that I love and yet hate at the same time. Its a cliffhanger and a surprise. I love surprises and those moments when the entire story pieces together and you are in that moment of awe for around five minutes or so. I actually did find myself surprised, though I feel like that was my fault because I probably would have known the cliffhanger if I wasn't so ignorant while I was reading the book. The book did make me bored, but the ending is in one of my Top 5 Best/Worst Cliffhanger Endings.

The Summary:

Pros ---
-The plot was actually a really good idea.
-The ending is one of the best and worst I have ever read.
-The speed wasn't as slow as I expected it to be.

Cons ---
-The storytelling was quite disappointing.
-The first and third person transaction bugged me.
-It could have been better.

Final Rank: 

1     2     3     4     5

P.S

Sorry for being vague in this book review. I had a time limit, so I did a kind of short review. But to be honest, I can't really review this book in a way. I am pretty speechless on this book, but there are 5 words I have to say about this book: It could have been better.

REVIEW: The Forsaken

Book: The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse
Release Date: July 10th, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 375 Pages
Source: Library copy

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

I read The Forsaken in one night. It was one of those books that you desperately wanted to finish, even though flaws were evident in it. Nonetheless, I went to bed late in the end, too caught up with finishing this book. Continue reading this review to find out what I liked and disliked about this story.

The Romance:

1     2     3     4     5

This scale is different than most. 1 means that there is no romance at all. 5 means this book was a very, very romantic based book. A 3 will be the most common, as YA books surround another plot while dealing with romance too. Below are my thoughts on the romance.

Though in the cover flap, there is a mention of a boy, this book doesn't have that much romance in it. It has some, however, and the chemistry seemed force. At first, when we get a glimpse into Alenna's life in the UNA (United Northern Alliance, made up of USA, Canada, and Mexico), we see her on a field trip to the museum, where she sees a boy on one of the movie screens. From there, she kept thinking about him as she got to The Wheel (the island). She didn't even know him until the next few chapters, yet she had instantly felt a connection to this strange boy. After she met him, she found out his name was Liam and he was the best hunter in the wheel. Not to mention strong. And handsome. And perfect. Cliche yet? If not, Gadya, Alenna's friend, is also Liam's ex-girlfriend... and she still likes him.

Gadya is a hard character to describe. For one, she has some personality issues that I didn't like. She gets jealous easily and also produces an arrogrant aura. But along those lines, she also commands Alenna to stay away from Liam. Which is stupid if you think about it, because she was the one who broke up with him. Anyways, ignoring all of that, Alenna stays away from Liam. For awhile. Yet she still thinks about him and out of nowhere, Liam declares his love for her.

Normally, I'd be rooting for the courageous people. But this time, it's seriously ridiculous. Liam and Alenna have even barely talked before his confession. It seemed out of nowhere and just plain old awkward. And that's not even it. Liam's declaration was weak. He somehow went from seeing Alenna for the third/fourth time in his entire life and went to falling for her hard.

And Alenna. Why did she even like him? I know that Liam is "the greatest warrior" and everything, but she hadn't even known any of this when she saw him in the museum screens. He was a stranger on a TV screen, trying to communicate with the UNA. But apparently, his good looks wiped out the fact she didn't know his name. And then she felt all fluttery around him on the Wheel for no apparent reason; she didn't even know what his personality was like!  

And like I said before, Liam's declaration was weak. Here's basically what happened.

1. He confesses to Alenna.
2. He kisses her.
3. She freaks out.
4. They agree to be friends.
5. Like estimating about three days later, Liam decides to make her a guitar.
6. She is overjoyed and kisses him.
7. They are kind of dating in secret while Alenna doesn't know what to tell Gadya.

Because seriously? A guitar? If some guy I barely knew made me a guitar, I'd probably awkwardly say thanks and hand it back. She doesn't even think while accepting the gift. And then she kisses him. After she basically promised Gadya she wouldn't like Liam.

I hated this romance. And to sum it up, Liam and Alenna's attraction was pretty much insta-love without meaning.

The Action/ The Adventure:

 1     2     3     4     5

The action scale is pretty obvious and it is just like the romance scale. 1 means there was no action. 5 means there was a lot of action. Whether or not the action was good, I'll tell you below.

But besides me hating the romance, I found myself really enjoying the action part. Alenna ended up on a journey to find out her past and her parents, an admirable adventure. She learns a lot about survival in the process. And then she spends more time thinking of the structure of The Wheel.

To go more into detail of this, The Wheel is an island where the UNA sends kids who will be future criminals based on a high school test they take. Alenna is sent here somehow and she doesn't know much of this new civilization. The Wheel is also divided into 6 sections, with The Monk's tribe owning 4 of them and Alenna's friends owning 1. The other remaining one is the Gray Sector, where there is possibly a way to get off The Wheel...

The adventure truly begins when a group of people from Alenna's tribe passes into the Orange Sector, where the Monk is waiting.

And the Monk. What a character you love to hate but can't hate. The twist that came in the end made me sympathize with him. He wasn't a villain I disliked in the end. In fact, he was horrible in a way, but you will soon learn that there is a reason behind it all...

The Speed:

1     2     3     4     5

The speed scale tells how fast the story goes. For example, if the introduction is boring and the whole book is going at snail pace, it'll probably be a ranking of 1.

The ideal speed for me in a book is 4. That's how fast I would rate this book too. It's not too quick yet provides enough suspense to keep the story going. The beginning, where we get some background info about Alenna, is also nicely done.

The Plot/ The Perspective/ The Storytelling:

1     2     3     4     5

This isn't based on how much action shows up as the book progresses. It is based on the quality of the plot. Sometimes the plot is just unentertaining while others are the on-the-end-of-your-seat suspenseful. This is probably the scale that you should pay the most attention to.

When I first read the summary, I expected something like Uglies by Scott Westerfield.  A girl who ends up in the wild, looking to find her true self. But as I read the beginning, I discover it's a lot like Divergent by Veronica Roth. There's a test..involving a serum...taken when you were in the 16 year old range..supported by the government. But that's where the similarities with Divergent ends. After that, Alenna gets into The Wheel and I find similarities with The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The Blue Sector, where Alenna's tribe is, is set into a forest-like place, which I imagine is like The Hunger Games's setting. There is also fighting and death, likewise in The Hunger Games. But then, more of the story passes, and I find out that The Forsaken is getting more unique...until the last few pages of it. There is an explanation of what happened to the start of The Wheel and why it's there. And I won't spoil it, but then it became Divergent by Veronica Roth and I found myself cringing at how the reason of the Wheel is similar to Divergent.

The End:

1     2     3     4     5

This is going to be a limited scale as I don't want to spoil the ending. I promise I won't reveal any secrets, but if you want it to be a complete surprise,  STOP READING.

I am not satisified with the ending. There was this great, amazing, well-written conflict that had me on the edge of the seat and then it just fell flat.

I'm disappointed by the end.

And I don't know how to write this without spoiling it so I'll try my best but the other characters...I felt like they deserved A LOT better than that. Rika and her kindness. David and his loyalty. Even Gadya, who turned out to be an overall okay character, despite being rough in the beginning.

The ending killed me.

The Summary:

There are a lot of good things in this story, as well as bad things. Here, I'll list them out detailedly to help you decide whether you want to read the book or not. Keep in mind that this is my opinion and my opinion only.

The Good Points:

The action of this story is absolutely amazing. I loved the vivid details and ate up the beautiful descriptions. As the characters get into the Gray Sector, you honestly know they're all growing up and getting more mature. The pain of losing others is a prominent part of this story, as well as loyalty to people. David, one of Alenna's friend, was absolutely so nice to her that I wished he wasn't a paper character. I felt like he was even more realistic than Liam, who was supposedly the love interest of Alenna.

The Bad Points:

Like I mentioned before, I couldn't stand the romance. It was so insta-love and so quick that I found it unbelievable. Liam was also gone a huge chunk of the story, but when he got back, it was all like, "hey, it's good to see you again! So I saved you and now I love you. Let's be together!"

So they barely spent any time together and Alenna loves him too.

Ignoring that and knowing that the ending could have been better, it took awhile to get used to Alenna's voice. In the first two chapters, she was constantly on my nerves while being quite arrogant.

She had said a few times that she was sure of doing good on the test and that it must have been a mistake when she got into The Wheel. Yet, as soon as she saw Liam, none of that ever came up again.

So while that is a minor problem, she eventually grows to be a pretty good main character. She is thoughtful of her parents and adventerous while on the journey to the Gray Sector. It just took some time to get used to her.

That was the same way with Gadya, who was a pretty important character in The Forsaken. At first, she was rough and careless, also arrogrant as well. She had shamelessly demanded that Alenna must stay away from Liam. When Gadya had left for the Gray Sector, she didn't bother saying bye to Rika, who was supposedly a good friend.

So all in all, The Forsaken had a rough beginning, suspenseful middle, and disappointing ending for me.

Overall Thoughts:

Pros ---

- The action
- The minor characters' personality (example: Rika, David, etc..)
- There's a lot of suspense
- The Monk was a villain you loved to hate

Cons ---

- Similarity of other dystopian stories
- The ending
- Liam and the insta-love
- took awhile to get used to Gadya and Alenna's voices

Final Rank: 

1     2     3    4     5

I enjoyed this book. The suspense was what kept me reading and all it took was one night to finish. Alenna was an easy character to like once you got to the middle and past the whole Liam/insta-love thing. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy high-quality action-packed dystopian stories. But overall, I felt like The Forsaken could have been a lot more satisifying and needed more to make it a better story. That's why I thought it deserved a 3/5 stars.