Thursday, May 23, 2013

Book Review: Override (Glitch #2)

Book being reviewed: Override
I give this book:
4 out of 5 owls.

Override

Zoe is free. She has escaped the enslavement of the Community, disconnected from the hardware that had controlled her every thought and emotion, and evaded capture by the Chancellor intent on killing her. She is finally free, but she is far from safe.

Zoe and Adrien hide themselves from detection at the Foundation, an academy that trains teen glitchers to fight in the Resistance movement. Together, Zoe and her new team of superhuman fighters must risk their lives to rescue other glitchers and humans from the Chancellor's control. Challenges abound at every turn, and Adrien, who has become silent, distant, and tormented by his visions of the future, only adds to the growing certainty of defeat. But worst of all, as Zoe's team fights against impossible odds, distrust and betrayal leads to the terrible discovery that their greatest threat could already be lurking behind the safe walls of the Foundation.

Full of high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Heather Anastasiu's Override is an exciting continuation of this popular young adult trilogy.

Wow!  Wow!  Wow!  I was pleasantly surprised with this one!  After having read Glitch and not liking it as much as I had hoped,  Override made up for everything that the first book was lacking.  

The story did start off a little slow, but eventually picked up after awhile and I couldn't put the book down.  One part of the book I really liked is Zoe's character and the role that she plays.  She's such a strong female, even in the times when she think thinks of herself as weak.  She lives through half of the book thinking that she can't live up to the image of this heroine that every sees her as being, mostly because she had no control over her telekinesis powers because they terrified her.  Finally, halfway through the book, she learns to control her telek powers by reigning in her fear.  I really enjoyed reading that part of the book where Zoe is mentally challenging herself to gain control over her power and let go of the fear that has control over her. 

One aspect I could never quite understand is how with all the amazing technology that's been developed, how could Chancellor Bright never exactly pinpoint the location of the Foundation?  I understand that anyone who has visited the place could never remember anything about it due to Simin's unintentional power of making people forget everything when they're around him, but it seemed like there could have been a way outside of the Foundation.  With all the immense technology and endless amenities that the Chancellor had control over, it seemed like she could have found a way to locate the Foundation and ultimately Zoe.  Maybe it's just me, but I felt that because there was so much intrigue detail to all the technology, there could possibly have been a lot room for gaps within the story.  And Zoe being Linked when she went to sleep every night, wouldn't that have been a way to track her down?  That question might have been addressed in Glitch and I just don't remember, but it's something I asked myself often while reading Override.  This is probably just me being critical and looking too deep into it.  I've always been the person who constantly looks for holes in the story and questions the what-if's and whatnot, but that didn't make me enjoy the book any less!

The part when Max switches himself with Adrien after the task force's first mission, I wouldn't exactly call it predictable, but I knew immediately Max was using his power to pretend to be Adrien the night of their date.  I could tell by Max-pretending-to-be-Adrien's reaction (wow, isn't that a mouthful?) that his conscience was weighing on him.  He couldn't bring himself to do anything sexually with Zoe because he knew it was wrong.  This is the point where I actually do believe Max when he told Zoe he was truly sorry for what he had done.  As Zoe always wanted to believe in the good in Max during the first part of the book, I will continue to believe in that good now.  Zoe has every right to be angry with Max's betrayal, but I believe that if Max were truly evil he wouldn't have stopped Zoe and would have continued doing "the deed".  I really do think that Max loves Zoe, and I also believe he's going to play a bigger and better part in the next book.  I hope, anyways.

I think I've covered all the points I wanted to bring up in my review.  I will say that I am now excited for Shutdown, the third book in the series.  And I would recommend this series to any dystopian fan who enjoys a little sci-fi kick thrown in the mix.

Until next time,
happy reading, fellow book nerds,

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic hosted
by The Broke and the Bookish is
about the top ten favorite book covers
of books you've read.

I love this topic.
I'm a sucker for an eye-catching
cover, even if I didn't necessarily
enjoy the book.

1. Switched
I just recently read this one.
I picked it up while grocery shopping one day.
The cover really caught my eye on the shelves
as I walked by.  Great book!

2.  The Storyteller
Another book I just recently read.
I picked this one up at the library simply
because I liked the cover art.  The rose
and the frost seemed like a beautiful
image to me. 

3. Incarnate
Impressive, no?
I thought this cover was absolutely stunning.

4. Everneath
The combination of red and black really POP
on this one.  I think this particular shade of
red is a beautiful color. 

5. Entwined
The dress, I want that dress!
Even though I'd never wear it,
but still....

6. Die for Me
I think it's obvious that I love the
color red.  Or maybe red dresses.
Maybe both.  
I can never make up my mind.

7. Hourglass
I thought the way the girl was depicted
on this cover was quite interesting.
She seems to be standing upright, but
her dress and hair make you want to 
turn the book to the side and
view it that way.  Then you
realize she's walking on the wall.
Makes you want to read the
book to find out more, doesn't it?

8. Wither
This cover is really pretty,
even if the book wasn't that great.

9. The Body Finder
Simple, yet stunning.

10. Hush, Hush
This one is obviously eye-catching.
So are the other covers to the books that
follow in the series.

Until next week,

Thursday, May 16, 2013

When I love a book....

The other day I got to thinking, after having read book
 #1298047555478927895 at this point in my 
life, what criteria must a book have in order for me to personally
give a rating of 5 owls for a review here or 5 stars on Goodreads? 
 I know most literary hot-shots wouldn't agree with me, but
here's a list of clues that tell me if I LOVE a book or not:

1. 24 hours or less!
Basically.  And I also have a minor obsession with e-cards.
If I pick up a flippin' book at the beginning and I'm so consumed by the story that I'm done reading within 24 hours or less, I know I loved the book.  I'll miss sleep, miss meals, forget about whatever chores need to be done in the house, all because I cannot stop thinking about this book and the need to finish it.  I know all of you bookworms have been there, and I also know that at least one of those books that have had a similar impact on you has just popped into your head.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but that book is probably considered one of your favorites.  

2. The Book Hangover
The beloved and equally dreaded Book Hangover.  This one goes right along with the first.  It's that empty yet full feeling you get once you finish a book. You feel full because you've taken in everything that was written from cover to cover and you feel like your life was forever changed by the book.  Then there's the empty feeling of wishing you could take it all back and read the book over again just to experience all those emotions that you felt.
I know I've clutched a book while having that same look on my face.

3. I become demanding
I immediately demand that my book buddies read the same book I loved so we can swap thoughts.
This is me while waiting for a friend to read a book I loved.  Creepy?  Yes.  But they still love me.


I'm always ready to gush about whatever book I fell in love with, and I can be such a whiner when no one else has read it.  Plus, I can also be a fairly impatient person when waiting for a friend to finish a book I loved.  Are these negative qualities to have?  Negatron, my friend.

 4. Must. Read. The. Sequel.
I need to read the sequel.  NOW.
 If there is a sequel to the book, I'll forget about whatever book I had next on my reading list and place the sequel on hold at the library to read next.  For example: the Twilight books, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, The Bronze Horseman, The Moral Instruments, these are all books I greedily devoured once I started reading the first book in the series.  I know there's more, those were just the ones that popped into my mah head first.  

5. Was the connection there?
One of the most important aspects of any book that every reader looks for is that connection you feel with the characters and the story.  You know the one, the connection that makes you feel as if you've literally jumped into the pages of the book and you're living out the story yourself.  Call me crazy, but when I feel that super connection I almost believe the characters are real because you want them to BE real.   
Exactly my point.

There are probably more that could be added to my list, these are
just the first examples that came to me when I decided
 to write this post.  I'm sure I'll be kicking meself in the
arse later because I forgot to add one.
Whatevs.

So, what do you do when you read a book you love?
How do you feel?
How does a book make the cut for your favorites list?
Comment below and share them with me!

Stop lurky lurkin' and comment!
Please.
From one book lover to another,

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Book Review: Everbound (Everneath #2)

Book being reviewed: Everbound (Everneath #2)
Author: Brodi Ashton

I give this book:
4 out of 5 owls.

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

After I read the first book, Everneath, I wasn't all that impressed.  I decided to give Everbound a shot anyway.  I'm glad I did because I liked the 2nd book so much more.  The plot flowed easier and it was more fun to follow.  The story seemed like a roller coaster of high points and low points stacked with plenty of drama.

Like Nikki, I'm still completely entranced by Cole.  Maybe it's the bad-boy persona he lets off, or maybe it's the fact that we're still left with so many unknown facts about Cole.  Although, in Everbound, we do learn more about Cole and how he became an Everling, but it is still quite obvious that he is withholding many more dark secrets.  Cole truly seemed like he wanted to help Nikki find Jack simply because he loved her and doesn't wish to see her waste away in her own pain and guilt.  As the book ends, however, we find out that once again Cole has tricked Nikki for his own selfish reasons.  This is where I'm on the same level as Nikki, because throughout the book I also felt like Cole could be trusted and there was a good side to him that would win over the bad side.  I still have a small glimmer of hope that he'll change and for once actually put Nikki's needs above his own.  Will this happen?  My more rational side is telling me no.

As for Jack, the other lover boy, the entire book was based around saving him.  Poor, sweet Jack.  This kid is hopelessly in love with a girl who seems will only unintentionally break his heart.  He sacrificed himself in order to save Nikki, and I don't know many teenage boys who would act so selflessly.  Jack is the good boy while Cole is the bad boy, both of which you find yourself caring about at different times.

Maybe it's because I'm a my parent myself, but I became irritated with Nikki when she would continue to act so carelessly where her father was concerned.  Doesn't she realize she's going to give that poor man a heart attack?  I understand that teenagers are going to do what teenagers want to do, and we really only understood just how Nikki felt, but I couldn't help but think about how her dad must feel after all he's been through.  First losing his wife and then thinking he had also lost his daughter.  In my opinion, Nikki's dad deserves an extended vacation.

Overall the book was good.  As for the paranormal romance factor, this series is up there with the all the good ones.  And the simple fact that I was introduced to a new and refreshing world that's filled with fictional characters like the immortal Everlings, and a different take on Greek mythology, both of which were different from most paranormal romance novels that are out there today.  I can always appreciate new reading material that introduces me to an entirely different magical world.

Spreading the bookish love,

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday!

 
This week's Top Ten Tuesday list hosted by
is all about the books to read
when you're in the need for something
light and fun.  

I usually read books with darker settings,
but I've got a few light and fun reads that
I can definitely add to my list. 

  1. There You'll Find Me - My very first book that I reviewed after my return back to blogging was this little gem.  It is a super cute read.  
  2. Anna and the French Kiss - You can't have a list compiled of fun reads without including this book.  It is so sweet, and it's one of my faves!
  3. Lock and Key - This is the first of a few Sarah Dessen novels that I'll be adding to the list.  Lock and Key is one of my favorite books written by Sarah Dessen.
  4. The Truth About Forever - Book #2 by Sarah Dessen.  If you haven't read this one, go read it.  Dessen is a very talented writer who's books leave you feeling happy and giddy once you're finished.
  5. Along for the Ride - Book #3!  One tough call, but this one might be my favorite Sarah Dessen novel.  I fell in love with the beach setting in the book.
  6. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour - Shame on you if you haven't read this book by now!  I immediately reread this book after finishing it the first time.  One of my all time faves!
  7. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart - Not one of my favorites, but it was definitely a light and fun read. 
After looking at my list, I've decided that
I need to dedicate more time to reading
lighter and happier novels.
I'm ashamed to say I could only
add 7 to this week's list.

Any good light and fun book
recommendations?  It is obvious
that I could definitely use them.
*wink*

Until next time,
read on, Bookworms,