Review: Good Morning, Midnight

Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Very disappointed in this book. The characters were oddly unlikeable, and I hated the ending. 2 stars because it was well-written. It could be the mood I am in, but probably not based on the mixed reviews.

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Review: The Ask and the Answer

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Patrick Ness, we might have reached the end of the road together. I still haven't forgiven you for Manchee. And I am left caring less and less about Todd and the Mayor and they may have to carry on without me. I am going to blame the audio's narration for Todd. The dialogue and vernacular sucked in a listening format. Viola was good, though.

First of all, I don't love books that have scenes of cruelty. I know I seem like an immovable rock without feelings, but inside I am a marshmallow who loves puppies, sunshine, and all things good. The scenes with Davy, Todd and the Spackle almost lost me. I was pulling for Spackle 1017 to rise up and end this nonsense.

The next book should be interesting, and I admit wanting to know more about Viola's people and the origins, but it will be quite a while before I decide to return. No promises. We'll see. 3 stars because I am weird and most people love this series.

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Review: The Last Girl

The Last Girl by Joe Hart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really torn what to rate this one. On one hand, I thought the premise was interesting. On the other, it was about 100 pages too long. It was a slow read for something that should have been full of action.

Meet Zoey, a woman in a world that isn't having girl babies anymore, and no one knows why. She has spent her life in a compound with other girls who are basically prisoners, but for their own safety. Lots of things happen, then more things happen, then we reach the cliffhanger ending to send us right into book 2's arms. Book 2 may be waiting quite a while (no offense).

My main beef may sound strange. Actually, I have two main beefs--one on the writing, one on the plot. 1) The writing. Zoey (and the rest of the girls) are written like young teens. I had to keep reminding myself that she was turning 21 in a few weeks. She seemed 14 at most. 2) The plot. Seriously, has everyone in America lost their minds at that point? Females do not determine gender, males do. So unless I misunderstood that they were (view spoiler)[killing the women if they did not produce a female, and they had to have been because there was only one girl there (hide spoiler)], then this book makes no sense from top to bottom. Now that I'm thinking more about it, there are more threads to unravel and I may end up with no sweater, so I will stop this review and go drink coffee instead.

2.5 stars. I reserve the right to read book 2 at some point if it fits a challenge. Otherwise I will pretend they all lived happily ever after.

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Review: Unwind

Unwind by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, I needed a while to recover from the end of this book. Still not sure what I want to say.

It's an interesting storyline. Scary to think that the government would allow an atrocity like unwinding, but we have allowed plenty of other awful things to happen that look abhorrent in hindsight. Good, likable characters, with baddies you love to hate. And a really memorable scene towards the end that I want to talk about once you finish, so get reading.

Off to track down book 2.

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Review: Thicker Than Blood

Thicker Than Blood by Madeline Sheehan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, I must be weird. I have never had a friendship like these two. Always holding hands, and embracing, and kissing each other "hard" on the lips. It makes me think I haven't had a true friend. Their depth of commitment to each other made the story not ring true for me. Or maybe I'm a robot.

I know, I know. It's a zombie book. It's the apocalypse. No one knows because we haven't been there. But the strangeness of the relationship kept pulling me out of the story. I don't think I would have reacted like either of them at any step of the story.

Anyway, I wanted to love you but I think you are just ok. It's not you, it's me. 2 1/2 stars.

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Review: The Soulkeepers

The Soulkeepers by G.P. Ching
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

So this book. Yeah. It pretends it is a dystopian YA, but it really became more of a religious Christian faith book. Which is all well and good, but it really should be one of the main page genres, Goodreads. While I will read anything, there wasn't much indication from the genre list or book blurb.

Anyway, it was an ok story. Some romance, a little danger, and teen angst. 2.5 stars, but I won't round up to 3 because it might mislead readers.

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Review: The First Days

The First Days by Rhiannon Frater
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book was not good. I mean, it started out ok, then fell apart like paper in a rainstorm.

I really thought it would be my jam. Survival, zombies, and what should have been kick-ass heroines. Alas, it was not.

I wanted to love you, book, I really did. It's probably not you based on the other glowing reviews, it's me.

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Review: The Girl with All the Gifts

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Totally not what I was expecting! I don't want to spoil you, because the book blurb is deliciously vague. Just enjoy your journey with Melanie, said Girl with All the Gifts, and let the story unfold.

It hits all of the good ingredients for me. Dystopian / post apocalyptic tale of survival, with a mysterious build-up and a VERY satisfying ending. I know some of you will disagree, but I liked it. 3 1/2 stars, and I think it would make a cool movie.



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Review: Rise of the Wraiths: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale

Rise of the Wraiths: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale by Matthew Eliot
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Call me a masochist, because here I am reading book 2 after giving book 1 one star. You can yell at me later.

A charlatan comes to town claiming to heal the wraiths affected by the meteor storm. But can he? Probably not, otherwise we wouldn't have a book three (which I will not be reading). And we still have the dude stuck in NORAD-lite. And the dumb kids, and the faithless priest. It's very predictable and I have nothing good to say about it or myself for reading it.

The end. Here's to hoping another storm comes and finishes the whole lot off.

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Review: IMPACT: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale

IMPACT: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale by Matthew Eliot
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

When will I learn to not get book 2 until I have read book 1? Never, apparently.

Continuing my post-apocalyptic, survival story jam I have going, I picked up books 1 and 2 in the IMPACT series. You see, a meteor storm has pummeled the earth and now there are wraiths roaming around, causing havoc. It's like they are zombies, but they aren't. It's a little confusing and the world building isn't the best. Anyway...

We have three distinct storylines happening. We have our friends in a NORAD type installation. We have a priest struggling to retain his faith in a world gone out of control, and we have two young kids who are really written poorly. In some scenes they act like they are 25 and in others they act like they are 10. Uneven writing all-around, really, but Alice and Adrian drove me nuts the most.

Not so much survival as doom and gloom. Not worth the time. Unless you are a dummy like me and get book 2 when you get book one and are a glutton for punishment.

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Review: The Heir (The Selection #4)

The Heir by Kiera Cass
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Back to the world of the Selection. Flash-forward 20 years, with America and Maxon still going strong.

I thought it was an interesting twist on the traditional 'boy chooses girl' version of The Bachelor. Now we get The Bachelorette! Unfortunately, Eadlyn was a brat, and started the book as fairly unlikeable. But she was somewhat redeemed by the end, which is a cliffhanger, by the way, so be prepared for a book 5.

Not super great, but I'm going to give it 3 stars because I didn't hate Eadlyn by the end.

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Review: The Program (The Program #1)

The Program by Suzanne Young

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I've had this one on my shelf for a while, and I'm glad I finally read it. Good start to the series.

The pros: I didn't hate any of the characters. I'm weird about things like this, and I liked Sloan, I liked James, and I liked Realm. I liked how the plot unfolded and we got little pieces along with Sloan. Mystery, dystopian, with a dash of romance and teen angst. All good things.

The cons: Well, if you go in knowing it's a young adult dystopian series, there aren't a lot of cons. Maybe the insta-love, but again, you know that will be a thing in young adult.

I'm excited to read book 2. 3 1/2 stars. Can't bring myself to give it 4 stars, but it's close.



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Review: The Shade of the Moon (The Last Survivors #4)

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jon was insufferable. Just really the worst.

I would like to think that someone who had been through as much as he has would be a better person. Lisa, too. But the two of them were terrible people, and therefore I couldn't bring myself to care about either one of them. Plus, the writing in this one fell flat. The dialogue was stilted and it seemed like the author just wanted to crank out another book in the series. Stick with Miranda and Alex if you write future installments. A disappointment all-around.



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Review: Bird Box

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow. Let me unscrew my mind for a minute. I still don't have a clue what was happening in this book.

If you like creepy psychological horror/mystery/dystopia, you should give this book a try. I refuse to tell you beyond what you can get from the book description, because you should go in blind (see what I did there?)

Just do it. But don't read the part in the bar at night. Or read it and don't cry to me later. You've been warned.



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Station Eleven

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Dystopian, but different. No zombies. Nothing weird. Just a terrible flu that wipes out life as we knew it. Be prepared to fight urges to run to the store and stock up in case something happens.

I liked the alternating timelines. I enjoyed the characters. But in the end I was left wanting more. So many unanswered questions! I wanted a resolution.

This is not one to listen to on audio. The narrator is terrible. I believe it is the same person who read If I Stay and she made me hate every single line of that book. Read the book, and skip the audio. I had to switch to fall into the world of Station Eleven.

I'm wavering between 3 1/2 stars and 4, but I'll leave it at 4 for now.




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Red Queen (Red Queen #1)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Torn on what to rate this...landing on a solid three stars.

Meet Mare. She's a Red, living in a world where the Silvers have all of the power. After a slow start, the action starts to pick up. She's thrust into the spotlight and fights to hide her true identity and survive. Vague description, yes, but I don't want to spoil you, friends. You will have to read it for yourself.

Gorgeous cover art, rather generic characters inside, the entire book feels like an homage to all of the other young adult dystopian novels that came before it. But there's enough there for me to read book 2.



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Emma: Part One (Outpost Nine #1)

Emma: Part One by Lolita Lopez

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Hmmm. I saw this was on someone else's list and it was highly rated. Romance plus zombies? Sounds good to me.

This book (really the first segment in a serial) is ok. Some sex, (2 boys--simply shocking *eye roll) but even with that added flavor it's very tame. I like Emma, mostly. I mean, I want to like her. She has been living all alone in her stockade surviving the zombies. Plus there are cyborgs, and I have never ventured down the cyborg / human romance path. But something was missing, and it kept it from getting to the "3 star good book" rating for me. I think it was because of the serialized format. We don't get enough insight into Emma, her life, really any of it.

Small taste of what could be good with lots of interesting pieces to it. Overall, underwhelmed. 2 stars, but since I am a masochist I will read the second installment.



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Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1)

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Finally getting around to reading this. It's one of my daughter's favorite books and she has been hounding me to read the series. Good start.

Luke is a shadow child--a third born in a world where only two are allowed. He lives his lit hidden in his family's attic, until he sees another child in a window. Add in a scary government, young angst, and the universal desire to fight the power and live free and you've got the formula for an interesting young adult series. It definitely skews younger adult, but it's still a good story and a fast read. I'm excited to discuss with my daughter and will be tracking down book two.



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The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1)

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


We enter a world where the youth either die at puberty or develop amazing powers. Once you develop powers, the government is coming to get you and put you in a camp. To rehabilitate you. Right? Trust your government. But no! You are now too dangerous, and you must either be locked up, or die. The choice is yours.

Ruby develops her power at the age of 10, and off to the camp she goes. How it happened and what she can do with her power will be unfolded along the way. We also get a prison break, road trip, and buddy comedy. Plus love. Because it wouldn't be young adult dystopian without it. The side characters are decent and you might find you are more attached to them than fearless Ruby, but I'll leave that to you to decide.

So much here that I wanted to love! But in the end, I rated it 3 stars. I liked it, but didn't fall in love with it. I will continue to the next book to see where this is all going.



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The One (The Selection #3)

The One by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Somewhat surprised at the resolution to the series, but I liked it.

We are in the finals for the Selection, and you just know America will become "The One". But the road along the way actually surprised me. There were some frustrating parts, some sad parts, and some overall really good parts. I would say I ended up liking it enough to give it a solid three stars. Maxon was my high point. I didn't hate Celeste by the end, and America grew up, mostly. If you read the first two you will read this one to learn how it all resolves.



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