Monthly Archives: October 2018

Around The Internet #6

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It feels like forever since I’ve done one of these!  It’s probably been around a month or so, but it feels like a lot has happened since then.

That’s all for today, and I hope you have a great week!

Book Review: Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

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Book: Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

Published October 2014 by Algonquin Young Readers|304 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

High-school junior Leila has made it most of the way through Armstead Academy without having a crush on anyone, which is something of a relief. Her Persian heritage already makes her different from her classmates; if word got out that she liked girls, life would be twice as hard. But when a sophisticated, beautiful new girl, Saskia, shows up, Leila starts to take risks she never thought she would, especially when it looks as if the attraction between them is mutual. Struggling to sort out her growing feelings and Saskia’s confusing signals, Leila confides in her old friend, Lisa, and grows closer to her fellow drama tech-crew members, especially Tomas, whose comments about his own sexuality are frank, funny, wise, and sometimes painful. Gradually, Leila begins to see that almost all her classmates are more complicated than they first appear to be, and many are keeping fascinating secrets of their own.

Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel was just okay.  I wanted to like it more, and there were some things I liked, but it wasn’t enough to actually get me to like it.

I did like seeing Leila get involved with the school play, and that her classmates aren’t who Leila thought they were.  I was glad she got to know some of them, and that she started to find her place at school.  I liked seeing her struggle with fitting in, and how different she felt from her other classmates.  It made it easy to relate to Leila, and I could picture it really well.  I also get why

I didn’t care for Saskia, who was cruel and manipulative.  I can’t say I’m surprised by how she acted, especially with everything that happened towards the end of the book.  And I don’t know if it’s just me, but it felt like something out of Mean Girls.  Why, I don’t know, but that was the vibe I got from that one scene in particular.

I didn’t get why she had so many issues with her sister- it seemed like it was the fact that her sister was doing everything she was supposed to and Leila wasn’t.  Her sister turned out to be pretty cool, and I wish there was more depth with why Leila didn’t care for her sister.  Also, I’m an only child, so I don’t completely get the sibling dynamic.

It was pretty short, and I feel like it could have been a little bit longer.  It was a little bit younger than I thought it would be.  At the very least, it read young, and I thought it would have worked pretty well as a middle grade novel.

2 stars.  This book wasn’t for me, but I can see why people love it.

Book Review: Grace And Fury by Tracy Banghart

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Book: Grace And Fury by Tracy Banghart

Published July 2018 by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers|320 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Grace And Fury #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.

Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace – someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir’s eye, it’s Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.

Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything.

I really liked this one!  In some ways, it’s really predictable, but in other ways, it was really cool.

It’s predictable in the sense that the sister who’s been training to be a Grace doesn’t become one, and the sister who doesn’t want it is the one who becomes a Grace.  There were a couple of other things that were predictable as well, particularly with the heir, but I didn’t mind, for some reason.

When I was reading Grace And Fury, I was very much reminded of The Handmaid’s Tale.  The way women have no choices, aren’t allowed to read or write, and how they get sent to an island prison if they do anything deemed unacceptable.  How the prison was set up was different- all of them are divided into different groups, though I can’t say I’m surprised by how they’re treated once there.

I really liked the bond the two sisters had, and how willing they were to protect each other.  All they could think about, especially after Serina goes to prison for Nomi, was making sure the other one was okay.  I liked the relationship they had, and I liked seeing how both of them changed throughout the book.  They were both so determined to fight and make things better for all of the women in…wherever it is they live.  I, for the life of me, cannot remember where it is, but at any rate, they do want to make things better.

I did want a little more with the world- I wish we knew how they got to this point.  I’m not convinced that we’ll get more in the next one, and I’d be surprised at we did.  I am curious, especially since it’s mentioned that women were in power at one point, and that the history Nomi knew isn’t the one that actually happened.  I get why that history was erased, but I still wish we had more of it.  I just want to know how we got to that point.

4 stars.  I really liked it, and though it was predictable at times, I still want to know what happens next.

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

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Book: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Published May 2013 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers|457 pages

Where I Got It: I own the library

Series: The 5th Wave #1

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I didn’t like this one as much as I thought I would.  It’s a cool idea, and had a lot of potential, but it didn’t quite work for me.

I wanted to know more about the first 4 waves.  It wasn’t really explained, at least in a way I wanted.  You do see glimpses of what happened before, and I think I just wanted it more clearly explained.  Not only that, but I didn’t like how it was done either- it seemed like it randomly jumped around between past and present, and while I don’t mind flashbacks, I thought they weren’t integrated well into the story.  It made things seem more confusing, and I had a hard time telling the difference between past and present at first.

I also had a hard time with the different POV’s at first.  It’s not clearly obvious who’s narrating, and even though it was initially confusing, I did manage to figure out who was narrating.  It wasn’t until close to the end of the book when I managed to figure out all of the perspectives, because most of them weren’t obvious.

I definitely feel like I had to put in too much effort to figure out what was going on and who narrating, and I just wasn’t in a mood for having to figure everything out.  It’s just a boring, confusing alien invasion.  Alien invasions should not be boring or confusing, but this one was.

The fact that the aliens blended in so well, and that you couldn’t tell who was human and who was Other/Alien, was cool.  I really wish we had more about that, because it is a cool idea.

Overall, I wish this book were for me.  Clearly, there’s a lot I didn’t like, and I really did want to like it more.

2 stars.  Even though there’s a lot I didn’t like, and I found the book to be confusing and boring, I don’t actively dislike it either.

Book Review: Tower Of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

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Book: Tower Of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

Published September 2017 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens|664 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Throne Of Glass #6

Genre: YA Fantasy

In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent’s mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

As much as I like this series, Tower Of Dawn was just okay for me.  It’s been a while since I’ve read the series, so I was a bit fuzzy on the details.  Which was fine enough, since this one seemed like more of a stand-alone than the other books.  But I still wish I had re-read the series, because I spent the entire book trying to remember who Nesryn was.

At least I remembered who Chaol was, though I’m not a huge of Chaol.  Not to the point where I wish I didn’t remember who he was, but I just wanted to get back to what was going on with Aelin.

Anyway, back to this book.  It really dragged for me, and it was both ridiculously slow and boring.  I found myself skimming a lot, because for some reason, I was determined to get through this book and I have no idea why.  It was too long and drawn out, and honestly…as much as I like this series, I would have been fine if this book were a novella instead.  I’m just so confused as to why this book is over 600 pages.

I think the only thing I truly liked was the backstory of Maeve.  That was interesting but it’s the only thing that did get my attention/interest.  For pretty much everything else, I could have cared less.

And Chaol being magically healed?  That really bothered me.  To me, it felt like it was there solely so he could meet Yrene and get his HEA with her.  Also, I’m not a fan of their relationship, mostly because I can’t get it out of my head that she married a former patient.  I just…I can’t with that.  I really can’t, and it crosses a line for me.

Overall, it’s my least favorite in the series.  I mean, at this point, I’m pretty invested, so I’ll keep reading, but this one didn’t work for me.

2 stars.  Clearly, this book was not for me.  It was too drawn out, and could have worked well as either a novella, or part of the previous book, or the next.

Book Review: Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

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Book: Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

Published September 2018 by Scholastic Press|407 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Uglies #5

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Dystopia

Frey and Rafi are inseparable . . . but very few people have ever seen them together. This is because Frey is Rafi’s double, raised in the shadows of their rich father’s fortress. While Rafi has been taught to charm, Frey has been taught to kill. Frey only exists to protect her sister. There is no other part of her life. Frey has never been out in the world on her own – until her father sends her in Rafi’s place to act as collateral for a dangerous deal. Everyone thinks she’s her sister – but Col, the son of a rival leader, is starting to get close enough to tell the difference. As the stakes grow higher and higher, Frey must decide whether she can trust him – or anyone in her life.

I’ll admit, I was both really nervous and really excited about this book.  Excited, because we get to revisit the world of the Uglies, and way after the end of Specials.  But I was also nervous, because I wasn’t too enthused with Extras, which felt tacked on when I originally read.  I was nervous it would be the same with Impostors.

I’m glad I read it, though, because I ended up being nervous for no reason.  One thing I really appreciated is the fact that you don’t need to read the first 4 books in order to know what’s going on with this one.  Even though it’s the 5th book in the Uglies series, it also felt like a sequel or spin-off series.  You get an idea of what happened before, and it was worked into the book really well but it’s also a completely different story, and you can follow what’s going on pretty well.  I’d still recommend the previous books because they are really good, and the 4th might feel like less of an afterthought now that the series is continuing.

I really liked the characters, and part of me wishes we saw more of Rafi.  We get a good sense of who she is, especially by the end of the book, but I have the feeling there’s more going on with her than what we get in the book.

I liked Frey too, and I liked that she wasn’t always sure what to do, or how to act.  It’s understandable, considering she didn’t get the education Rafi did.  That was something that took me out of it a little, though.  I mean, I know she’s a body double and all, she’s just a stand-in for when they need to make an appearance in front of a crowd, but what if something were to happen to Rafi?  Eventually, it might become obvious that there’s something going on, and I feel like she should have had the same education Rafi did for it to really work.  It seemed like Frey really needed but her father obviously had other plans.

There is a lot of action, and it does move pretty fast, which is good.  There’s also a lot of twists and turns, and it was fun to go along for the ride.

4 stars.  I didn’t love it, and Frey not having the complete education Rafi did took me out of the story a little bit.  Still, it’s worth reading, especially if you liked the original series.

Book Review: Kiss Of Snow by Nalini Singh

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Book: Kiss Of Snow by Nalini Singh

Published May 2011 by Berkley|415 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #10

Genre: Adult Romance/ Paranormal Romance

The hardcover debut of New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh and her highly acclaimed Psy/Changeling novels. 

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness. 

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf. 

Then Sienna changes the rules-and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight… 

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home-and the alpha who is its heartbeat.

This is one of my favorite couples in the series!  I’m glad we finally got to see Sienna and Hawke, and I feel like some of the last few books were leading up to this one.  It was only a matter of time before we got Sienna and Hawke’s story, and I’m glad we did!

One thing that intrigued me was the X-Psy.  It’s something that’s been mentioned in some of the other books, and I knew we’d be learning more about them soon.  I also knew we’d be getting more about Alice Eldridge, who was researching X-Psy, and this happened to be the book where we learn more about Alice and the X-Psy.  As much as we can learn about a rare ability, anyway.

That’s the thing, though.  I wanted to know more about Sienna’s ability.  So, we do get the basic idea of what she can do, and what she was trained to do as a child.  But…I don’t know.  I know what she can do is really rare, and to be as strong and powerful as Sienna is is even more rare.  I just wish it was explained a little bit better, because for me, it wasn’t completely clear what she could do.  I’m hoping we’ll learn more about it in the books to come.

Something I really liked was seeing that the Psy (at least, some of them) are more of a threat than I originally thought.  There’s been a lot going on, and I knew things would not go well, but for some reason, I didn’t think they’d be a huge threat.  I certainly wasn’t expecting what actually happened in this book, but it did make things more interesting.  The stakes keep getting higher and higher, and while I’ve always been curious to see how things are going to end, things are really starting to come together.  It’ll be interesting to see how she wraps things up.

4 stars.  I really liked this one, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.  Also, I loved Sienna and Hawke, and I’m glad they finally got their book!

Book Review: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

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Book: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Published September 2015 by Tor.com|90 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Binti #1

Genre: Adult Sci-Fi

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti’s stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself – but first she has to make it there, alive.

I really liked Binti!  Okorafor also has really interesting sci-fi, and Binti was no exception.

So, Binti gets accepted into a university, which means she’s at odds with her family, since they believe in staying at home, and not going away for school.  Something about that seemed very familiar and it was easy to relate to Binti as she had to deal with what people thought she was like because of where she was from.  I really liked the message of accepting people’s differences, and that differences are something that we should celebrate and be more accepting of.

I really wish we saw more of Binti’s Harmonizer abilities.  It came up, of course, but not in a lot of detail.  That isn’t surprising, considering it’s a novella.  I would have liked more of how great at math she is.

As much as I liked Binti, I thought it could have been longer and expanded on.  It looks like there are two more books after this one, so there’s more to read (and I will be reading them) in this series.  Maybe those are a little bit longer, but it was too short for me to really get into it.  Looking back, it felt like a rough outline that needed to be filled in with more detail and world-building.

You get enough to have a general idea of what the world is like, but I think I just wanted more.  Okorafor creates these very vivid worlds, and while Binti is no exception, it wasn’t to the level I usually expect with her books.  The quality is there, but it’s the length that hurt it a little.

4 stars.  I really liked the world and the characters, but I wish it was a little bit longer.

Book Review: Play Of Passion by Nalini Singh

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Book: Play Of Passion by Nalini Singh

Published November 2010 by Berkley Books|321 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #9

Genre: Adult Romance/Paranormal Romance

In his position as tracker for the SnowDancer pack, it’s up to Drew Kincaid to rein in rogue changelings who have lost control of their animal halves- even if it means killing those who have gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite… and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

Lieutenant Indigo Riviere doesn’t easily allow skin privileges, especially of the sensual kind- and the last person she expects to find herself craving is the most wickedly playful male in the den. Everything she knows tells her to pull back before the flames burn them both to ash… but she hasn’t counted on Drew’s will. 

Now, two of SnowDancer’s most stubborn wolves find themselves playing a hot, sexy game even as lethal danger stalks the very place they call home.

I really liked the romance in this one.  Play Of Passion was more about the romance, which was actually nice.  As much as I love the world, it was nice to take a break from all of the things going on with the Psy.  We do get that in this one, and there are some very interesting developments, but it was nice to have a book that focused more on the romance.

I really liked Indigo and Drew together.  They had an interesting dynamic, though I found myself irritated with Indigo when she wouldn’t give him a chance because of his age.  It took her until almost the end of the book to admit he was her mate, and I thought Drew was amazing since she did not make things easy.  That being said, I still like them together, and I was glad she figured out she wanted Drew.  Or at least, admitted he was the one she wanted.  I did like seeing the pack hierarchy, and it was nice to spend more time in the changeling world.

Honestly, this is going to be a short review!  I’m struggling to add more, and in a couple of paragraphs, I feel like I’ve said all I’ve needed to say.  I guess there isn’t a lot for me to talk about as far as Play Of Passion goes.  It’s not that it’s filler, since it does move things along, but it’s like…the calm before the storm, maybe?  At any rate, I think I’ve said all I need to say about this book.

4 stars.  I really liked it, and it was nice to have a book more centered on the romance and the changeling world.

Book Review: Blaze Of Memory and Bonds Of Justice by Nalini Singh

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Book: Blaze Of Memory by Nalini Singh

Published November 2009 by Berkley|373 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #7

Genre: Adult Romance/Paranormal Romance

A woman without a past becomes the pawn of the man who controls her future…

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might prove to be the enemy’s most insidious weapon yet.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

I’ve really enjoyed this series, and this book is no exception.  I’m actually kind of in the middle for this one- I liked it a lot but I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it.

I think the thing that surprised me the most was how much the romance took a backseat to everything else that was going on.  I didn’t care for Katya and Dev as a couple, and there was a lot we learned about Silence and the Forgotten in this book.  I thought it overshadowed the romance, which made me a little sad because partially why I like this series is the romance.

Okay, I haven’t loved every couple, and Katya and Dev are not one of my favorites.  But I really felt like the romance was secondary to the world-building.  That’s the other thing that keeps me going with the series, and that really stood out in this book.  We learned a lot about Dev’s family, and I liked seeing the letters written by one of his relatives to another relative.

I really liked seeing those letters, because you really see how implementing Silence changed things for all Psy.  You really see how it affected those who didn’t want to be part of it, and how they were cut off from those they loved because they didn’t believe in it.  We also learn a lot about the abilities that died out when the Forgotten defected.  I’m curious to see if we’ll learn more about those long-lost abilities, and if they’ll start popping up again.

I also liked seeing the Sunshine station or whatever you want to call it.  It makes me wonder where Singh is going with it, and if we’ll learn what’s going on there.  I’m sure we will, because I feel like Singh introduces characters and concepts long before we actually learn what’s going on.

Also…I’m starting to wonder if the Ghost is an Arrow.  I was pleasantly surprised by what we see in regards to the Arrows, and I’m curious to see who the Ghost is.  I know I mention in every single review I’ve done for this series, but this is the first time where I’ve really felt like I could even begin to come up with some possibilities.

My Rating: 4 stars.  I really liked what we learned about the Forgotten and Silence, but I wish I liked the romance more.

Book: Bonds Of Justice by Nalini Singh

Published July 2010 by Berkley|348 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #8

Genre: Adult Romance/Adult Paranormal Romance

Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he knows he has little chance of advancement within the Psy-dominated power structure. The last case he expects to be assigned is that of a murderer targeting a Psy Councilor’s closest advisors. And the last woman he expects to compel him in the most sensual of ways is a Psy on the verge of a catastrophic mental fracture…

Sophia Russo is a Justice-Psy, cursed with the ability to retrieve memories from men and women so twisted even veteran cops keep their distance. Appointed as Max’s liaison with the Psy, she finds herself fascinated by this human, her frozen heart threatening to thaw with forbidden emotion. But, her mind filled with other people’s nightmares, other people’s evil, she’s standing on the border between sanity and a silken darkness that urges her to take justice into her own hands, to become judge, jury…and executioner…

I really liked this one!  I particularly liked the romance in this one, which was a nice change after reading Blaze Of Memory, and finding that the romance took a backseat to the world-building.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked the world-building in this book.  We learn about the J-Psy, and that was cool.  I mean, they can retrieve memories from people, and eventually, they’re rehabilitated so much that they go insane or die.  I am curious to see how her abilities are used in the future.  Even though she’s perfectly fine at the end of the book, I still want to know if her continued use of her ability will eventually damage her shields, and if everything going on with PsyNet will do some damage.

As for the romance, I really liked Max and Sophia together.  I think, with her abilities and his work in Enforcement, they really understand what the other has to deal with at work, and they really balance each other out.  I know Enforcement has come up in this series, but even after finishing Bonds Of Justice, I’m still not clear what they do.  Still, I’m hoping we’ll see more of Max and Sophia in some of the other books.

I really liked seeing the Council, and how they split.  I do like seeing them fight for control and power, and with the Council being so divided, it’s going to be very interesting to see how that will tie into everything going on with the PsyNet, and how it’ll affect not just the Psy, but the humans and changelings as well.

This book seemed more grounded in reality than a lot of the other books in the series.  I am particularly fond of the psy-changeling romances we’ve seen, and overall, I prefer those romances to all of the non-psy-changeling romances we’ve seen.  I think I expected more paranormal elements, and this book didn’t really have it.  Paranormal elements or not, I really did like this one.

My Rating: 4 stars.  I really liked Bonds Of Justice, and I liked Max and Sophia together.