Review of The Books of Eva: Relic by Heather Terrell

Review of Heather Terrell's The Books of Eva: Relic

Release Date: October 29th, 2013

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

The truth will test you...

For fans of Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games: high fantasy and dystopia meet in this high-stakes tale of a civilization built on lies and the girl who single-handedly brings it down.

When Eva’s twin brother, Eamon, falls to his death just a few months before he is due to participate in The Testing, no one expects Eva to take his place. She’s a Maiden, slated for embroidery classes, curtseys, and soon a prestigious marriage befitting the daughter of an Aerie ruler. But Eva insists on honoring her brother by becoming a Testor. After all, she wouldn’t be the first Maiden to Test, just the first in 150 years.

Eva knows the Testing is no dance class. Gallant Testors train for their entire lives to search icy wastelands for Relics: artifacts of the corrupt civilization that existed before The Healing drowned the world. Out in the Boundary Lands, Eva must rely on every moment of the lightning-quick training she received from Lukas—her servant, a Boundary native, and her closest friend now that Eamon is gone.

But there are threats in The Testing beyond what Lukas could have prepared her for. And no one could have imagined the danger Eva unleashes when she discovers a Relic that shakes the Aerie to its core.

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So when reading the synopsis, I got really excited about this book... everytime I have read a book lately that said "For fans of the Hunger Games", I have actually enjoyed the book a great deal. And it is not as if I did not enjoy this book, but it was not as incredible as I was hoping. I actually only decided to read this book next, even though I have a slew of new books that have just come out that I am DYING to read, because I just received the ARC for the sequel, Boundary.

I was hoping for an epic battle, a la The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and when the Test began in Relic, it seemed as if there would be some form of conflict, but alas, the conflict was minor. In almost all of the dystopian tales I have read (And I've read a lot of them!), there is a major antagonist, but there really wasn't in this story. Because of that, I feel it was really lacking.

I am not saying Relic was bad, because I liked the back story. It is a tale about a colony in the "New North" 200 years after the polar ice caps have melted, flooding most of the Earth's land mass. This colony has an edict they follow called the Lex. It is a future version of the Bible, but much more strict in the ways that humans are supposed to act.

So the story had/has potential, I just think the author didn't round it out very well... but there is always the sequel, right? I guess I will see where she takes it next.

Review of The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Review of Rick Yancey's The Infinite Sea

Release Date: September 16th, 2014

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

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Excerpt from The Infinite Sea:

We're here, then we're gone, and that was true before they came. That's always been true. The Others didn't invent death; they just perfected it. Gave death a face to put back in our face, because they knew that was the only way to crush us. It won't end on any continent or ocean, no mountain or plain, jungle or desert. It will end where it began, where it had been from the beginning, on the battlefield of the last beating human heart.

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I am by far blown away by this book! I love a lot of books. That is just me. I love to read. I love to escape into a world that is so different from my own that it will just take me away... but there are just some books that top all others. The Fifth Wave series, it seems, will be one of those series.

I remember racing through the Fifth Wave, because I so badly wanted to know what happened next. Does my favorite character make it to the end? Will Cassie save her brother? Then when I got to the end, I remember thinking: Why do writers end books on cliffhangers? It might not have been a huge one, but why can't I know what happened to Evan Walker?

So when The Infinite Sea was released, I couldn't wait to pick it up. Of course I was on my 3 Advance Reader Copy set, so I couldn't start until I finished those first. Just picking this book up, I knew I would love it. I could barely put it down. Now, I'm left with ANOTHER year of waiting to find out what happens next... WAH!

I am not a huge alien takeover book series kind of person, but reading this series has made me find a whole new respect for them. Among the series that I have read that I liked (in case you are looking for a series similar to this one), check out: Gregg Rosenblum's Fugitive X, Demitria Lunetta's In The After, Kimberly Derting's The Taking, & Stephanie Meyer's The Host. Just to name a few.

Thanks for checking out my blog! Make sure to follow me to keep up with all of my upcoming reviews.

Review of The Unhappening of Genesis Lee by Shallee McArthur

Advance Review of Shallee McArthur's The Unhappening of Genesis Lee

Release Date: November 4th, 2014

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Seventeen-year-old Genesis Lee has never forgotten anything. As one of the Mementi—a small group of genetically-enhanced humans—Gena remembers everything with the help of her Link bracelets, which preserve memories perfectly. But Links can be stolen, and six people have already lost their lives to a memory thief, including Gena’s best friend.

Anyone could be next. Which is why Gena is less than pleased to meet a strange but charming boy named Kalan who claims that they’ve not only met, but that Gena knows who the thief is.

The problem is, Gena doesn’t remember Kalan, she doesn’t remember seeing the thief, and she doesn’t know why she’s forgetting things— or how much else she might forget. As growing tensions between Mementi and ordinary humans drive the city of Havendale into chaos, Gena and Kalan team up to search for the thief. And as Gena loses more memories, they realize they have to solve the mystery fast.

Because Gena’s life is unhappening around her.

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All my life, I have wished that I had been born with an Eidetic Memory. The ability to remember everything. It seems like the perfect life, right? I would ace every test in school, always have the perfect come back to someone's snarky comment... in my mind, it seems like the perfect life.

Shallee McArthur has shown us what it would be like to have that perfect memory, but be unable to remember something. The knowledge that you can remember every moment of your whole life & yet one minor memory plagues you. It would probably send you to the crazy house, right? I already feel twitchy when I am trying to remember a word & it's on the tip of my tongue, but it just wont come to me. Imagine that times a thousand!

This story is imaginative & believable, which is sometimes hard to find in Fiction. Do you believe that this could really happen? I know that scientists are working on cures for PTSD & Alzheimer's every day, so in the future, something like this could happen. I enjoyed the unfolding of this story quite a lot & am definitely planning on picking up McArthur's next book.

Review of Story Thieves by James Riley

Advance Review of James Riley's Story Thieves

Release Date: January 20th, 2015

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Life is boring when you live in the real world, instead of starring in your own book series. Owen knows that better than anyone, what with the real world’s homework and chores.

But everything changes the day Owen sees the impossible happen—his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the library. It turns out Bethany’s half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character.

Bethany can’t let anyone else learn her secret, so Owen makes her a deal: All she has to do is take him into a book in Owen’s favorite Kiel Gnomenfoot series, and he’ll never say a word. Besides, visiting the book might help Bethany find her father…

…Or it might just destroy the Kiel Gnomenfoot series, reveal Bethany’s secret to the entire world, and force Owen to live out Kiel Gnomenfoot’s final (very final) adventure.

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When reading the synopsis for this book, I was a little hesitant in starting it. It sounds an awful lot like the premise of Inkheart. Well, in Inkheart, the main character can read characters into or out of a book, where as in Story Thieves, the main character can pull people or characters into or out of the book with her. Seeing as how I am a huge fan of Inkheart, I didn't want to be comparing the two stories the entire time I was reading. Sometimes I find that when I see a similarity, comparing is the only thing I can do. For this review, I will attempt to not compare as much as possible.

To middle schooler, Owen, nothing is more exciting than opening up one of his favorite books & imagining himself a part of the story... but it isn't until he discovers his classmate Bethany can go in to the stories she is reading that his dreams actually start seeming like they may come true. All he has to do is trick her into bringing him into his favorite series, Kiel Gnomenfoot, so he can save the day and become the hero he knows he is. While all Bethany is trying to do is find her missing father.

But little does he know, nothing ever happens exactly like you imagine. In a serious of accidental events, the characters from the story are released into the real world & the only way to make sure that the story goes on is for him to disguise himself as the main character, Kiel. His every dream is coming true... adventure is on the horizon. But adventure is NOT all its cracked up to be.

While Owen is off gallivanting at being a hero, Bethany is stuck trying to round up fictional characters in the real world before someone finds out her secret. 

One part Inkheart, One part Harry Potter, & One part Steampunk, Story Thieves is sure to appeal to the middle schoolers and older who are looking for a good release into action & adventure. If you have ever dreamed of being a part of the stories you have read & love, then this is a great book for you to pick up.

Review of Zodiac by Romina Russell

Advance Review of Romina Russell's Zodiac

Release Date: December 9th, 2014

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:


At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancrian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Embark on a dazzling journey with ZODIAC, the first novel in an epic sci-fi-meets-high-fantasy series set in a galaxy inspired by the astrological signs.

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So, it is pretty late & I only just got home from seeing The Maze Runner in theaters... so I am still buzzing from that. I am happy I am finally getting to write my review for Zodiac, because I have been reading it now for a few days & have really been dying to let everyone know what I think.

Zodiac is a very complex story about many things. It is about strength, courage, building your world back after losing everything you once knew & loved. It is about making new alliances with people you do not know... it is about so many things that I find it hard to believe that anyone reading it would not be able to find something about it they loved.

Each of the 12 houses of the Zodiac have a quality that they personify.

Aries: Military
Virgo: Sustenance
Scorpio: Innovation
Capricorn: Wisdom
Gemini: Imagination
Pisces: Spirituality
Taurus: Industry
Libra: Justice
Aquarius: Philosophy
Sagittarius: Curiosity
Leo: Passion
Cancer: Nurture

Every human living on 1 of the 12 planets in this solar system (which are named for each of the signs of the zodiac) live by that one word or belief. 

I have loved & enjoyed this book thoroughly. I find that many great YA books that I end up remembering or loving the most have that Love Triangle going where you are always rooting for one person to come out on top. At certain times I was rooting for one love interest and at other times the other. That does not happen unless there is really great story telling happening.

I normally enjoy leaving more information on the actual substance of a book, but there is so much to the plot that I do not think I could do it justice by telling you exactly what happened. Therefore, I am just going to say that I really enjoyed reading Zodiac. I really hope I have given you enough information to pick up a copy of this book when it is released, because I want everyone to love it as much as I have.

Review of Ever After High: A Wonderlandiful World by Shannon Hale

Review of Shannon Hale's Ever After High: A Wonderlandiful World

Release Date: August 26th, 2014

Synopsis as found on Amazon.com:

At Ever After High, everyone is expected to sign the Storybook of Legends, pledging to follow in their fairytale parent's footsteps. But when Raven Queen came along, things became fairy, fairy confusing. Now no one's destiny is certain, not even for the most royal of them all, Apple White.

When a mysterious being from Wonderland begins to infect Ever After High with a strange magic, everything goes topsy-turvy. The students transform into animals and objects, palace mice talk, and the beautiful green grounds on campus fade to black-and-white. Lizzie Hearts, Wonderland's future queen, Cedar Wood, daughter of Pinocchio, and Madeline Hatter, heir to the Mad Hatter's Hat and Tea Shoppe, seem to be the only ones who haven't completely lost their heads. It's up to them to save their best friends forever after from a curse that threatens to give their school-and their lives-a very unhappy ending.

Don't miss Book #1, Ever After High: Storybook of Legends and Book #2, Ever After High: The Unfairest of Them All!

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As an adult male, I sometimes get a funny look when I tell people that I only read Young Adult & Juvie books. In all honesty, I enjoy them far more than many Adult books. Even though they may be written for a younger demographic, they are written by Adults & the subject matter is still very adult (in most cases). I am a huge fan of Monster High & Ever After High (the animated shorts & the dolls), so when the first Ever After High book came out, I read it. I ended up loving it... so in turn I read the sequel & now the third in the series.

This is the first book in the series where Raven Queen was not the main character & the story was not centered around her. In A Wonderlandiful World, the story is based around all the characters who originated in Wonderland (Maddie Hatter, Lizzie Hearts, & Kitty Cheshire), as well as Cedar Wood (Pinocchio's daughter). In the events of Unfairest of Them All, Wonderland's greatest foe, the Jabberwocky, was released from its Uni-Cairn prison, lost to wreak havoc on Ever After. It is believed that is will spend its time sleeping & recuperating its strength. Little did the characters know, it would be back so soon.

The Jabberwocky is not able to get back to Wonderland like it wants, so instead, it begins transforming Ever After into a place more like Wonderland. The Furniture come to life, all the characters start transforming into something more fitting their names (Raven into a Raven, Apple into an Apple, Briar into a Rose Bush, Goldie into a Golden Lock, etc), and Cedar becomes a real girl... only the Wonderlandians are spared, seeing as how the magic originates from Wonderland.

The girls must find a way to defeat the Jabberwocky, before it can get to Book End, because if it succeeds in changing Ever After all the way there... the spell will be unbreakable & their stories will end!

This book, like the previous 2, is a happy uplifting quick read. I quite enjoy the language used & the great morals written into it. Other series you may like if you are a fan of this one is Soman Chainani's The School for Good & Evil or Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson.

Review of Battle Angel by Scott Speer

Review of Scott Speer's Battle Angel
Release Date: August 28th, 2014

Synopsis as found on Amazon.com:

With Maddy torn between two loves, Guardian Jackson and heroic pilot Tom, and Angels and humans on the brink of an epic war, the Immortal City is more vulnerable than ever. And when demons descend upon Angel City with the intent to destroy, the humans don't stand a fighting chance without the Angels on their side.

Will Jacks find the strength and forgiveness to enter the fray and fight the demons as a stronger-than-ever Battle Angel? Or has the damage been so great that the Guardians will set off for the next place, abandoning Angel City in its darkest hour?

It all comes down to love-wrecked half-Angel Maddy and the strength of her bond with Jackson in this game-changing, thrice-as-sultry series finale that blends beautiful themes of redemption and renewal with heart-pounding action scenes and jaw-dropping twists.

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Once again, I am reviewing the final book in a series that I have loved since the minute I read the first chapter 3 years ago. Like I have said before, 2014 is the year for finales on too many of the most incredible book series I have ever read.

Battle Angel is book 3 in Scott Speer's Immortal City series and like the previous 2 books, it does not hold out on action packed fight scenes, suspenseful story-telling, & a love triangle that is worth dying for.

The Dark Angels are coming, but the Immortals of Angel City are retreating & refusing to fight. They feel snubbed by the humans that they have been paid to protect & for this, they are leaving them to fight this fight alone. Maddy has to make a choice: Leave for safety with Jacks. the Angel she has loved since before she knew who she really was, or stay and fight with the Tom, the human fighter pilot who was there for her when she really needed him & is beginning to fall in love with.

This book holds no stops in giving you action packed fight scenes & the death of multiple characters who you will have grown to love (or maybe dislike in some cases). Battle Angel will give you the sense of closure you need in a series finale, but you may not be 100% happy with the outcome. But who can be happy when there is a war with Dark & Light Angels involved... Good vs Evil may have blurred the line, but will the heroes prevail?

This series is great for fans of Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush, Lauren Kate's Fallen, & Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone... to name a few.

If you are looking for any other book or series suggestions, feel free to message me through my blog UtopiaNeverComes.blogspot.com or email me at FooFiFauxPaw@google.com.

Review of Astray by Amy Christine Parker

Review of Amy Christine Parker's Astray

Release Date: August 26th, 2014

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Lyla is caught between two worlds. The isolated Community that she grew up in and the outside world that she’s navigating for the very first time. The outsiders call the Community a cult, but Pioneer miraculously survived a shooting that should have killed him. Are the faithful members right to stay true to his message? Is this just a test of faith? One thing is for sure: the Community will do anything to bring Lyla back to the fold. Trapped in a spider’s web of deception, will Lyla detect the sticky threads tightening around her before it’s too late? She’ll have to unravel the mystery of what Pioneer and the Community are truly up to if she wants to survive.

Suspenseful and chilling, Astray is Amy Christine Parker’s nerve-fraying sequel to Gated. This fast-paced psychological thriller is masterfully plotted and sure to leave goose bumps. Perfect for fans of creepy YA thrillers and contemporary fiction alike.

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I have been dying to read this book ever since I read Gated last summer. You must know the feeling... when you finish a great book that has had you really thinking or feeling some kind of extreme emotions and you just want to know what happens next. I have wanted to know what happened to Lyla and everyone in her "community" for over a year. Finally picking up this book & closing the "chapter" on her life has been a blessing to my inner wondering. For the past 2 days that I have been reading Astray, my heart hasn't stopped pounding. I haven't wanted to put it down. If only I didn't need to sleep or go to work!!!

I will give you my review on how I feel about this book, but I am not giving ANY spoilers away! I am always apprehensive when reading a sequel. I run over a number of questions in mind as I am picking it up... Will it continue the way I hope it will? Will the characters get the ending I wish for them? Will it be as good or better than the first? In the case of Astray, I was extremely happy that my questions were answered. Amy Christine Parker has given us the suspense & cult-creepiness that was rife in Gated, as well as a concrete ending to Lyla's story. What more could I ask for in the final book of a series?

I believe wholeheartedly that everyone who loves YA Literature, Suspense, Mystery, Cult-Thrillers... As well as multiple other corresponding genres should pick this book up (as well as the first book, Gated) and take the chance that I took on it. You will not be disappointed!

Review of Guardians by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan

Advance Review of Wasteland: Guardians by Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan

Release Date: March 24th, 2015

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

This heart-pounding final book in the Wasteland trilogy is filled with dramatic twists and turns!

No one dares leave the District—the towering structure of glass and steel that is their protection against the unruly bands of Outsiders that roam Mundreel and the deadly rain that carries the disease that kills all over the age of nineteen.

This skyscraper stands amid the urban devastation, the city rumored to have once been called “Montreal.” Esther and her allies have created a haven on the rooftop, a garden that flourishes, and a home for her new baby, hidden from all but the very few who know her secret.

But as Gideon’s power grows and factions form, an unlikely leader learns to control every action of the District’s people. As the ultimate darkness is born from greed, Esther must find a way to save the citizens from themselves.

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When I was choosing what ARC to read next, it was a no-brainer to choose this book, because I am a huge fan of the first 2 in this series. I believe that Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan have woven an intricate & breathtakingly sad future in this breakout dystopian series. What I wasn't expecting was the sadness that would follow reading the final book in the Wasteland Trilogy. My sadness has come from not only the finality in which it ended, but also in the series of events that heads up that ending for Esther & her friends.

At some points in the story, I was confused as to why Kim & Klavan were rushing the story along. The central antagonist, Gideon, is trying to take over the district without Esther finding out his plans. He wants absolute power & will stop at nothing to get what he wants... even by killing off Esther's loved ones. She has lost Caleb (he was killed off in Wanderers), is pregnant with his child, & is taking care of the child from Caleb's prior partnering, Kai. Even though they have a roof over their heads, food to eat, & water to drink, not all of their hopes & dreams have been answered.

I felt a little the same way in the second book (Wanderers) that I do in this book... Esther seems to rush back into relationships very quickly. She lost Caleb in book 2, but within weeks of his death, she had already started dating Aras (the blind guide that the citizens of Prim hired to help them get to Mundreel). In a realistic story, it should have taken her much longer to get over losing her first love.

There is also a second Antagonist that comes into this book halfway through named Saith. Esther finds this 8 year old girl among a group of people sick with the killing disease. When she is brought back to the district with her infant younger brother, it is Esther who nurtures the girl back to health, as well as holds the baby even though no one else is willing to touch someone who is sick with the disease that has been killing off everyone over the age of 20. So when Saith becomes one of Esther's biggest nemesis', I was a little taken aback at how an 8 year old could be so vindictive. I can understand temper tantrums from someone that age, but the things she does are a little far fetched.

Even though I was unhappy with some choices that the authors made for their characters & plot, I am happy to have been taken on this journey. Seeing as how Dystopian books are becoming passé, it is nice to have seen Esther's life & story unfold into the ending she deserved.

Check back for my next review on Amy Christine Parker's Astray. I have already begun reading it & am excited to continue. Thank You for following me! 

Review of Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Advance Review of Gordon Korman's Masterminds

Release Date: February 3, 2015

Synopsis as found on HarperCollinsChildrens.com:

Action-packed and full of unexpected twists, this new series from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman is perfect for young fans of James Patterson and John Grisham.

Eli Frieden lives in the most perfect town in the world: Serenity, New Mexico. In this idyllic place, every lawn is perfectly manicured and everyone has a pool and a tree house. Honesty and integrity are valued above all else. The thirty kids who live there never lie—they know it's a short leap from that to the awful problems of other, less fortunate places.

Eli has never left Serenity . . . Why would he ever want to? Then one day he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens, it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known. The kids realize they can trust no one—least of all their own parents.

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I hadn't recalled ever reading a book by Gordon Korman when I got this ARC & had to research his name to find out his other books. He is primarily a writer for Juvenile Readers (kids in Elementary & Middle School) & when scanning his bio list I recalled reading 1 book he had written from the 39 Clues series. I vaguely remember enjoying it quite a bit... although, the storyline stays the same throughout that series, it is written by many different authors.

This book is about a picture perfect town where no violence, poverty, or general unhappiness occurs. Where every one has enough to eat, a job they love, a house to live in, and the population is all of 185 people. The name of the town is called Serenity & like its name, it is the model of serenity & peace... but what happens if you find out that your whole life has been a lie? The history told in school about the rest of the world has been fed to you by the people you have trusted your whole life. What would you do if you found out your town was really the grounds of an undercover Science Experiment?

I can't really say much about this book without giving away the large plot twists that take up a lot of it. I will say that it kept me guessing what was really going on for quite a while. This was a quick read for me & is definitely perfect for younger readers.