Book: Shine by Lauren Myracle, Narrated by Elizabeth Evans

Published January 2012 by Brilliance Audio|Run Time: 8 hours, 59 minutes

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find Shine on Goodreads|You can also find Lauren Myracle on Twitter and Facebook

Goodreads Summary: When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

While the premise of Shine was interesting, I wasn’t sure of it at first, because I’m not the biggest fan of someone trying to discover why their (former) best friend died.  But I liked Shine more than I was expecting, because the story is more than just Cat trying to figure out who attacked Patrick severely enough to put him in a coma.

Shine really gets into this very small, closely knit town,  I loved seeing what life was like in this small town, and what it was like for people living in this town.  It definitely felt realistic, and sadly, Shine is a book that I can see happening- mostly because it does.  There are so many different issues in Shine, and they are what takes center stage.  Patrick’s attack is what puts everything in motion for Cat’s change over the course of the book.

I wasn’t crazy about Cat’s secret.  It is why she’s no longer friends with her friends, and why she keeps to herself.  I certainly understand why she acted the way she did after it happened, but other than showing that we all have our secrets and that people can change, I’m not really sure why it was important to introduce it into the book.

I think my favorite moment of Shine was when Beef (which is a nickname, in case you’re wondering) wanted to know why Cat cared about what happened to Patrick, even though she hasn’t been friends with him in years.  Which is a good point, and I felt like we didn’t really get to see why she cared.  She can care about why someone would hurt Patrick, and while it didn’t same fake or anything, I also wish we saw why she cared.  Considering that there are so many other things going on, I felt like Cat’s investigation wasn’t a big part of the novel, even though we did see her poking around and asking people questions.

Robert really grew on me by the end of the book, and I’m not sure how I feel about the rest of the characters.  There certainly is a cast of characters, and there is certainly an assortment of them.  They’re all pretty distinct, but for some reason, I’m feeling really neutral about most of them.  They did come to life throughout the book, and really added to the overall character of a small Southern town.

Speaking of the setting: for some reason, it didn’t feel like the book was set in North Carolina.  I got more of a rural Tennessee or rural Kentucky, or maybe even a rural West Virginia vibe from the book.  But considering my traveling adventures are limited (and limited to the West Coast), I could be totally off on this.

I also liked that the mystery wasn’t obvious, and that you’re not completely sure what happened until you find it out.  Looking back, there were parts of it that weren’t a big surprise, but overall, the mystery of Patrick’s attack was really well-done.

I actually liked the narration, and something about Shine worked really well as an audio book.  One part was hard to listen to, but other than that, I thought Elizabeth Evans did a great job narrating.

Final Thoughts:

I really liked Shine, and was pleasantly surprised that the book was more about life in a small town, rather than a story of a girl who wants to know who hurt her childhood best friend.  I didn’t completely love it, but it is a great story.  Shine gets 4 stars.

Book: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Narrated by Kevin Collins

Published October 2011 by Hachette Audio|Run Time: 16 hours, 15 minutes

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Series: Caster Chronicles #3

Genre: YA Paranormal

Goodreads|Kami Garcia’s Website|Margaret Stohl’s Website|Series Website

Goodreads Summary: Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, “strange” and “impossible “have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena’s Claiming. Even Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals is affected – and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What – or who – will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin? 

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He’s being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn’t by Lena – and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself – forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn’t know why, and most days he’s too afraid to ask. 

Sometimes there isn’t just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there’s no going back. And this time there won’t be a happy ending.

Beautiful Chaos is easily my favorite book in the series, and it’s because the story is so much more interesting than the first couple.  The series really has improved since Beautiful Creatures, but Beautiful Chaos really exceeded my expectations!

We see the impact of Lena’s claiming and what a broken Order really means.  We also see the fall-out of Liv’s actions in Beautiful Darkness, with everything going back to Marion for not doing anything to stop Liv.  We learn of the Far Keep, and who they are, and what they do. And we learn that there is a book called the Caster Chronicles, which has a record of all casters.  The series name makes much more sense now.  I always thought it was because of Lena being a caster and the books being her story, so the book adds another layer of that.  At least, it does for me.

The not-so-happy ending wasn’t that big of a surprise, and I had a really vague idea of what was going on with Ethan.  What I didn’t know was how we’d get to the ending, or why Ethan was acting the way he was.  It was interesting and unexpected enough that I didn’t care that I figured parts of it out.  There was a lot of mystery, and I liked that the mystery (for the most part) wasn’t obvious, because I was left guessing by so much!

I just loved Ethan’s aunts, and I just love their appearances throughout the book.  I also have such a soft spot for Amma and Marion in this book.  Liv is still around (which surprised me a little) and I really liked Ethan.  I’m still not sure how I feel about Liv, since we didn’t see a lot of her in this book, and while Lena was more bearable/likeable in Beautiful Chaos than she was in Beautiful Darkness, I’m feeling pretty neutral about her.

There was a point where I couldn’t help but get a little teary-eyed.  Even though I knew it was coming, actually listening to it is completely different than just knowing it was going to happen.  I’m really liking Kevin Collins as the narrator, and he really brings Ethan to life.

Final Thoughts:

I like that the Caster mythology gets more and more interesting as the series goes on, and that there’s always something new to learn about the Caster world.  Beautiful Chaos, for me, has the most interesting storyline, and it will be interesting to see how everything ties up in the last book.  Beautiful Chaos gets 5 stars.

Book: Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder|Narrated by Gabra Zackman

Published February 2008 by Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd.|Run Time: 11 hours, 20 minutes

Where I Got It: audible.com

Series: Study #3

Genre: YA Fantasy

Goodreads|You can find Maria V. Snyder on Facebook

Goodreads Summary: The apprenticeship is over—now the real test has begun.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena’s unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before….

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

Fire Study is a great end to the Study series!  I loved seeing a little of the history of magic, and that people are not what they seem.  I really don’t want to give anything away, but I can’t say I’m surprised by certain…revelations about certain characters. One in particular would be much more correct, but at the same time, I brushed it off because I thought it would be too obvious.

I liked that Yelena finally figured out her true path as a Soulfinder and learned more about it.  Also: I think it was this book where we saw Opal make her glass animals, but I started listening to Fire Study, like, right after finishing Magic Study, so there’s a good chance I may talk about things that happened in Magic Study.  Although, Magic Study and Fire Study are pretty similar, and Fire Study felt like a continuation of Magic Study, so…I don’t think it’ll matter too much.

The thing with the Fire Warper…goodness!  I’m glad Yelena found a way to defeat him, and trap the souls of those who did seem really horrible things to Sitia.  I do have to say that there are some things in Snyder’s Glass series that make so much more sense now that I’ve listened to Fire Study.  They made sense before reading this series, but knowing the full story makes so much more sense!

As for characters…I loved Kiki and Moon Man.  They are such great characters, and I think they’re great for Yelena.  Speaking of Yelena, I actually don’t have a lot of thoughts about her.  I liked her journey to figuring out this whole Soulfinder thing, and how she is capable enough to be a Master Magician, but she turned it down to focus on being a Soulfinder and liaison between Ixia and Sitia.

Things were wrapped up really well, but it also felt like there’s more to the story. Almost like Snyder wanted to leave things just open enough that she could revisit Yelena’s story if she wanted to.  I have no clue if Snyder had her Glass series in mind when she was working on Fire Study, but that could be one possibility for why the ending of Fire Study felt pretty open.

As for the other characters, I don’t have a whole lot of thoughts on them.  I will say that Zackman did a great job with the different voices, and did a great job narrating.

Final Thoughts:

I felt like I haven’t really talked a lot about Fire Study!  I think part of it is because Magic Study and Fire Study are running together, but there’s a lot of action in Fire Study that kept things interesting, and I did like Yelena make quite a bit of progress with her Soulfinder abilities.  Fire Study gets 4 stars.

Book: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder|Narrated by Gabra Zackman

Published September 2006 by Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd|Run Time: 11 hours, 35 minutes

Where I Got It: Audiobook via audible.com

Series: Study #2

Genre: YA Fantasy

Goodreads|You can find Maria V. Snyder on Facebook

Goodreads.com Summary: With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she’d been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can’t help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways—and her new-found friends and relatives don’t think it’s for the better.

Despite the turmoil, she’s eager to start her magic training—especially as she’s been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia’s throne for a lost prince—and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn’t bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies.

I really liked Magic Study.  So, Yelena certainly has a lot to deal with in Magic Study. Like her older brother, who’s all hostile, because he thinks she’s a spy for Ixia.  And she doesn’t remember anything about her time in Sitia, which seems to disappoint her family, but eventually, she does get those memories back.

So, I totally love Kiki, Yelena’s horse!  I couldn’t help but smile every single time Kiki came up.  I also have a soft spot for Valek, Ari, and Janco, who, thankfully, make an appearance in the book.  I found Valek much more likeable and swoon-worthy in Magic Study.  I liked them together in Poison Study, but I think the separation between them in Magic Study made me like him a lot more.

I also liked Moon Man, and thought his addition to the book was a great one, especially with Yelena’s relationship with her brother.  They definitely have an interesting but complicated relationship, and I really look forward to seeing their relationship develop.

In Magic Study, we meet Opal from Snyder’s Glass series!  I knew that series was a spin-off of this one, so it was nice to see some of the things mentioned in that series. Granted, they happen a little differently than I was expecting, but we meet her sister Tulla, and it was nice to see her before some of the craziness takes over.  Although it could have been due to the fact that you’re seeing it from a different perspective.

I liked seeing Sitia!  It’s such a different place than Ixia, and I liked seeing Yelena adjust to a completely different world where many people are not trusting of her because of where she grew up.  I also liked Yelena’s magical training and how she had different offers to help guide and train her.  I also liked how she discovered different abilities and how she discovered she had them.

Magic Study is really engrossing and I just couldn’t stop listening because I needed to know what was going to happen!  I also liked Gabra Zackman as the narrator, and I thought she did really well with the different voices…especially Kiki’s!

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Magic Study.  It didn’t have the same charm to it that Poison Study did, and I didn’t like it as much as Poison Study, but it was still a fun listen.  Magic Study gets 4 stars.

Book: This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers, narrated by Stephanie Cannon

Published December 2012 by AudioGO Ltd|Run Time: 6 hours, 58 minutes

Where I Got: Audible!

Series: None

Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic/Zombies

Goodreads|You Can Follow Courtney Summers On Twitter or Facebook

Goodreads Summary: It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. 

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

This Is Not A Test is one of the more interesting post-apocalyptic books I’ve read. There is some pretty typical zombie apocalypse stuff, but there are also a few elements that I wasn’t expecting.

For one thing, there are 6 students who are holed up in their high school.  Not a lot of time has passed since their arrival at the school and when things started happening, so they’re good on supplies for a while.  They have water and shelter, and they’re actually pretty safe at the school.  There’s no need for them to leave the relative safety of the school, so they’re not going out on supply runs or anything like that. They’re waiting to be rescued, and eventually decide to go to the closest safe zone. The only thing they can do is run, and they use whatever they can as weapons.  Their only gun is a last resort.  They don’t always get along, and there are major trust issues. Also, they spend a lot of time just wandering around the school or hanging out.  As weird as the hanging out seems, there really isn’t a lot for them to do once they were set up with things.

But all of that is why it’s so interesting.  They’re just a bunch of teens trying to survive.  They’re not automatically a bunch of weapon-wielding bad-asses who want to kick some zombie butt.  The events of the book take place over a relatively short period of time, and it’s hard for them.  They all have their issues: some ignore them, but it’s something they have to face while holed up in the school.  Personalities clash, and things aren’t peachy just because they’re pretty safe in their school.  They’re dealing with everything that’s happened, and what could happen.

Sloane is another reason why This Is Not A Test is so interesting.  She has no desire to stay alive or survive in a world where things have gone to hell in a handbasket.  Which is a very understandable reaction, considering everything that has happened to her. She did seem to have the teensiest bit of hope at the end, but I felt like her reaction to what was going on was pretty realistic.  I felt for her so much, but I understood completely why she had no will to live.

Zombies do make very random appearances throughout the book.  But This Is Not A Test is about more than the zombie apocalypse.  It’s about surviving and how to deal with it.  It’s more about the characters and how things can change so fast, and not about the event itself. When the zombies did make an appearance, you knew what was going on, and it was always a great reminder of what was going on. Because they don’t venture out very much, you don’t get a picture of what’s going on and if there are other survivors.

Actually, all of their zombie interactions are really unsettling.  Summers doesn’t go overboard with it, and she works them in so well that it’s creepy and a little terrifying.  you know they’re there, hovering in the background, and while it doesn’t seem like they’re a threat, they also remind you of their presence at the right times.  Summers really knew when to bring them in.

I listened to This Is Not A Test, and it felt so much more creepy and intense listening to it.  Also: Stephanie Cannon did an excellent job narrating, and I felt like she was the perfect choice for Sloane.

Final Thoughts: I didn’t love This Is Not A Test, but I really enjoyed it.  Well, as much as you can enjoy a book like this.  It’s definitely different than a lot of zombie books out there, and I liked how different it was.  This Is Not A Test gets 4 stars.

Book: Inferno by Dan Brown|Narrated by Paul Michael

Published May 2013 by Books On Tape|Run Time: 17 Hours, 12 Minutes

Where I Got It: Audiobook via the library

Series: Robert Langdon #4

Genre: Adult Fiction- Mystery/Thriller

Goodreads|Follow Dan Brown On Twitter

Goodreads Summary: In his international blockbusters The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown masterfully fused history, art, codes, and symbols. In this riveting new thriller, Brown returns to his element and has crafted his highest-stakes novel to date.

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces…Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust…before the world is irrevocably altered.

I have to admit that I really enjoyed Inferno.  It was definitely one of the more interesting Robert Langdon novels.

Initially, I didn’t like Inferno, because it started off super-slow for me.  It felt like it took a while for things to really get going, and there is a fair amount of set-up.  A bit more than what I’d expect, but once things got going and you got past the first few chapters, it was a really interesting read, and all I wanted to do was keep listening because I wanted to know what was going on.

While Dan Brown’s books are usually a bit conspiracy theory/super secret society-ish, Inferno seemed a bit more conspiracy theory-ish.  And also a bit less conspiracy theory-ish at the same time.  I think it’s because Inferno focuses on a potential world-wide virus that may or may not be unleashed unto an unsuspecting population.

It definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, in terms of working with WHO and that dang virus.  There are connections to Dante’s Inferno,  but I feel like that went over my head a little, because I only vaguely know what it is and what it’s about.  I did enjoy seeing everything come together.  While his other books are more connected to history, Inferno is the one that’s more inspired by history.  So while enjoyable, I think I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other ones because of it.  There are a lot of interesting details in it, even if I didn’t find the history too interesting (even if it is interesting overall).

As for the audio part of it, I thought Paul Michael did pretty good.  He wasn’t completely amazing, but he wasn’t completely horrible either.

Final Thoughts:

Once I got past the first few chapters, Inferno was a pretty fun and entertaining listen.  It’s also slightly different than his other books, but Brown also managed to keep me interest for a good chunk of the book.  Inferno gets 4 stars.