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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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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The Elite (The Selection #2)

The Elite by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Continuing from book 1, but now with 50% more love triangle. Seriously...glad I'm interested in the journey here, folks. The constant waffling about the two boys just about made me lose my mind.

America is still in the Selection. Maxon is convinced she is the girl for him. I'm not entirely sure why. She is a bit ridiculous at times and strings him along. Anyway. I won't spoil anything but a lot of political drama happens and we are mainly as in the dark about it as America. But we get more insights into Maxon and his way of thinking, and that is enough for me to read the next book. 2 1/2 stars for the selfish love triangle nonsense, but I'm in it until the end now.

I need more time with the Queen. Crossing my fingers that happens in book 3.



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The Selection (The Selection #1)

The Selection by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dystopian future meets The Bachelor, and it's not all bad.

Flash forward to Illéa, the America of the future. A world where you are born into a caste, and your number determines your life. The higher your number, the lower your caste. America Singer is a 5, the caste of artists and performers. She sings (get it, America SINGER?), and has the misfortune of falling in love with a 6. Her secret love is interrupted by her invitation to the selection, the contest hosted by the royal family to determine Prince Maxon's bride.

Will America make it to the finals? Well, it's a series, so you can do the math for yourself. But the path to getting there is fun, and I like both her and the Prince. And most especially I like the Queen, and I hope we see more of her in the next books. Light romance, catty women, and a strong female lead. Not particularly life-changing or swoon-worthy, but an interesting take on YA dystopia. 3 stars.



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The King of Attolia (The Queen's Thief #3)

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Eugenides is an oddly likable character. You know he's a scoundrel, but you still want to love him. He's a bit like Han Solo to me, one of my very first crushes.

Eugenides, the infamous Thief of Eddis, is now the King of Attolia. He married the Queen, who he loves in some unexplainable way that still has me scratching my head from book 2 in the series. The Attolians do not respect him, or their union, and do their best to thwart him at every step--including those who should be protecting him, his King's Guard.

Lots of good political intrigue in this one. These books go much deeper than you would think from the cover. Another enjoyable installment in the series.




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Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera #1)

Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I can't believe I have never reviewed this book, as it is my favorite series of all time and I recommend it to people constantly. Jim Butcher is an absolute master at world building. Jim, if you are reading this, please know how many hours of enjoyment your books have brought me. You are awesome.

Furies of Calderon is set in the world of Alera, where, as people mature, develop a bond with at least one of the elemental furies of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal and use those talents throughout their lives. We journey with Tavi, who is fifteen and is considered a freak because he hasn't developed any furies. It's a story about how he overcomes this obstacle and learns to live on his wits without furies. But it is also a story about politics, war, and loyalties. Good vs. evil, treachery and deception, all in an epic fantasy setting.

In book 1, Tavi stumbles upon the sneak invasion of the Marat, a savage enemy whose last battles in Alera ended with the death of the Princeps. As chaos breaks out over the Calderon Valley, he has to find a way to survive on his own. Meanwhile, the First Lord is surrounded by betrayal and loyalties to the Realm are called into question, reaching from the far steadholts of Garrison to Alera Imperia.

If you love sword fighting, magical creatures, political intrigue, strong family bonds and a little bit of romance, check out the Codex Alera series. It's fantasy at its best.



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Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Manhunt follows the events surrounding the days before Lincoln's assassination and the 12-day search that followed for John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators. It is a fascinating true story of how the plot was hatched, how each piece fell into place (and the ones that didn't) on that tragic night in April 1865, and how Booth ultimately evaded capture until his luck ran out.

As I was reading, I kept reflecting on how much our world has changed with technology. Part of Booth's luck in escaping Washington was due to people not hearing about the assassination yet. Now we hear almost instantly when something happens, good or bad. I don't think Booth or any of his cronies would have made it 1 hour if they attempted their scheme today. I also thought about how, due to events like this, our presidents would not be able to freely ride about town with their spouse in an open carriage. Thanks a lot, John Wilkes Booth. Jerk. Crazy zealots like you ruining it for everyone.

Great book! I enjoyed it more than "Killing Lincoln". A definite recommendation for history buffs.

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Graduation Day (The Testing #3)

Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The final installment of The Testing series left me a little let-down. We wrap up the conspiracies, double-crosses, triple-crosses, and rebellions we found in Independent Study, and get a small glimpse of the new future. I can't quite put my finger on why I'm disappointed, though. There was a lot of telling us what Cia was doing, her gathering things for her magical bag of holding, and thinking through her plans. But action? Not a ton until the end.

And Tomas? After the build up in book one about their love, we left it behind in books 2 and 3. He was barely a footnote in either book. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking for heartfelt declarations of love or constant mooning, but Cia struck me a robotic at times. I swear, she took a page out of Katniss's book and took it to a new level. I liked Tomas, and wanted more page time with him.

Overall, I still recommend the series, and I did like the ending. It felt true to character. But I expected a bit more from what could have been a dramatic conclusion. I would love to read a novella 10 years in the future letting us know how the rebuilding is going and what has happened with each character. Joelle, are you listening?

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Social Science Week

Social Science

This week we each read a social science book from one of the subtopics we laid out for Reading University.  Our subtopics needed to fit one of the following criteria:

Anthropology - fiction or non-fiction book set in a culture or country different from yours
Religion - fiction or non-fiction book about a religion, sect, or cult, or about a religious figure
Psychology - fiction or non-fiction book about psychology, a psychological disorder, a psychiatrist, or where the main character has a mental disorder
Education - fiction or non-fiction book about education, an educator, or set in a school
Political Science - fiction or non-fiction book about a political movement, government, politicians, or spies


Books Selected:

Zach (Political Science - Politics and Governments)

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 1/2 of 5 stars

A Game of Thrones is an epic series by George R.R. Martin (aka the American Tolkien). In the first book, Ned Stark becomes the hand of the King, not by choice. What happens next is full of political intrigue, violence, and drama. If you enjoy medieval settings, adventure, politics, or high fantasy books, you should definitely check out this series.




Michelle (Psychology - Addiction and Recovery)

Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out in America by Jennifer Storm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pull out your powdered wigs and gavels, everyone, because judgments are incoming!

Blackout Girl is a book about one woman's journey into addiction at age 12 to her recovery 10 years later. Along the way, terrible, terrible things happen because of her poor decisions, the company she keeps, and her family. Yes, her family. I place partial blame on her parents. Jennifer Storm has a lot of love for her father and disdain for her mother. It's clear she doesn't blame her father for his poor parenting skills or lack of involvement, but there is a lot of blame for her mother along the way. I blame all three equally for the route Jennifer's life took. This book hits all of the qualifications for addiction: traumatic emotional event? Parental divorce? Siblings involved with a "bad crowd"? No parental rules, supervision, or involvement? Between the cutting, the drugs, and the staying out all night, I wanted to stage an intervention with the entire family.

I believe some people do have a genetic disposition for addiction, and Jennifer Storm also lived in an environment that created the perfect storm for her life's journey. Kudos to her for finding her way out before she killed herself, and she seems to have come to terms with who she is and has a relatively normal adult life.

You will want to shake her and her parents along the way, but stick with the story until the end to hear what she learned and how she made a commitment to change her life one day at a time. Then go hug your kids and tell them to never, ever touch drugs, and ground them for a week just to be safe. Just kidding! Mostly.


Maddie (Political Science - Politics and Government)

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Divergent is set in future Chicago, and the government has split society into 5 factions: Dauntless for the brave, Candor for the honest, Abnegation for the selfless, Erudite for the intelligent, and Amity for the happy. When each kid turns 16, they go to a sorting ceremony and choose which faction they will join. That faction becomes their family. The story is about Tris, the choices she makes, and how she becomes her own person.  It is also about the government and how it impacts their lives with rules and regulations.