Book Review: Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

Book: Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

Published June 2015 by Arthur Levine Books|392 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra’s near-comatose abuelo begins to say “No importa” over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep…. Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on.

Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once shared the order’s secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one. With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must dodge Wick’s supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping abilities, and save her family’s past, present, and future.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I really liked Shadowshaper! It’s really different than a lot of other books I’ve read, and I like that Caribbean myths are a really strong focus. I feel like any time you see a story that re-tells myths or mythology or legends, it tends to be Greek, maybe Egyptian or Indian, if you’re lucky- though if it’s not Greek, it’s probably going to be Egyptian or Indian.

Back to Shadowshaper. I really liked the Caribbean legends we see throughout the book, and that really makes the book stand out, in a good way. It really makes me want to read more about them, particularly the shadowshapers. I did feel a little confused at times, but I think it’s because I wasn’t paying a lot of attention during those parts, because I found myself having to re-read certain parts again because I felt like I missed something. There’s a lot going on, and it’s really action-packed, but there’s always something going on, and it made me want to keep reading to see what would happen next.

There is something about Shadowshaper that was very ordinary- we see Sierra living her life, and that was really refreshing, because it felt accessible, like I could see the people in Sierra’s neighborhood on any corner. It’s an especially nice contrast to art coming alive, and it’s also nice to see considering the genre. It was also nice to see that Shadowshaping was relatively normal, and that it wasn’t seen as something different or unusual. It would be really easy for Older to portray Sierra and her community as Other, and yet you see things some mild racism that Sierra experiences, and a comment from her aunt about her hair really add something to the book. Her community really comes to life, and it really felt like it was both a fantasy setting and a real place that was appreciated for being a completely awesome place.

I also really liked seeing Wick get what he deserved, and how protective Sierra is of her heritage, especially when someone tried to take it away from her. She is such an amazing character, and I loved her so, so much! I love that she’s happy with how she looks, and I love that she’s willing to stand up to people who try to tell her otherwise. I don’t throw out strong female character, but that phrase describes her very, very well.

4 stars. I didn’t love it, but I really, really liked it. If you’re looking for a YA urban fantasy that’s different, this is a great book to read. Actually, it’s a great book to read no matter what you’re looking for.

16Feb2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten More Songs That Make Me Think Of Books

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week. You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

Ten More Songs That Make Me Think Of Books

I first did Ten Songs That Make Me Think Of Books a couple of years ago, and since the topic for this week is all about music and books, I knew I had to re-visit it! I have a lot of new favorite songs and I’ve read a lot of books since then, and I’ve wanted to do another post like it, so this week was the perfect time for it. Here are ten more songs that make me think of books!

1- Renegades by X Ambassadors makes me think of…Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. The song totally fits what happens in the book!

2- Hello by Adele makes me think of…This Much Is True by Katherine Owen. I have no explanation for this one, but for some reason, Adele in general makes me think of this book, but this song especially.

3- Walking On A Dream by Empire Of The Sun makes me think of…The Martian by Andy Weir. I think Mark Watney would love this song.

4- Heartbeat by Carrie Underwood makes me think of…Winter by Marissa Meyer. Country is a slightly odd choice for such a futuristic book, but it’s sort of perfect for all of the romances in the book, and for some reason, it sums up how I feel about the book.

5- Stressed Out by twenty one pilots makes me think of…How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford. I feel like this is a song that Bea would love!

6- Cups from Pitch Perfect makes me think of…Dangerous Deception by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. This song really makes me think of Ridley and Link.

7- 1901 by Phoenix makes me think of…Ink And Bone by Rachel Caine. This one is another one I don’t have an explanation for, but for some reason, these two seem like a good combination.

8- Wait For Me by Moby makes me think of…Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. The music itself totally fits the collapse of society that we see in the book.

9- Seeing Stars by Borns makes me think of…Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. I feel like it describes Isla and Josh’s relationship so well.

10- Weathered by Jack Garratt makes me think of…Breaker by Emma Raveling. This song goes with this book so well. I feel like it describes Kendra’s journey throughout the series really well but particularly this book.

15Feb2016

Book Review: The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Posted in Books by wingedcreature

Book: The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Published February 2015 by Orion|383 pages

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

Series: The Red Queen #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Blog Graphic-What It's About

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart…

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I really liked The Red Queen! I can’t believe it took me so long to read, but I was glad to finally have picked up a copy from the library, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

There were quite a few twists and turns, and some of them took me by surprise…but looking back, they probably shouldn’t have. I like the idea of people thinking Mare is fake because she has red blood but the ability of silvers…and that she’s not the only one with the ability…or that horrible things happen to people like Mare. I feel like she has a little bit of the chosen one thing going on (which isn’t that surprising, considering it’s fantasy), and something about the plot reminds of more than a few sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal/dystopic novels out there. I don’t read enough fantasy to know how the plot stacks up against other fantasy novels. As for the other genres, I try to mix things up enough that it was noticeable but not too noticeable.

I wish we saw more of this world, and everything that happened before the start of the book, because it seems like there’s a lot going on that we don’t see. Maybe we’ll get more in the books to come. I really hope so because I want to know more!

Still, it was a pretty cool book to read, and the ending really took me by surprise! I liked Mare, and I liked seeing her change and become such an awesome character. There is the teensiest bit of a love triangle in this book, with two brothers, but I honestly didn’t particularly care for either one…although, to be honest, I can’t remember which brother is which at this point (since it’s taken me over a week to write a review), but if I had to pick a brother, it would be the one who didn’t do the horrible thing towards the end of book. I don’t know if that will make much sense, because I don’t want to spoil the ending for anyone who hasn’t read it, but one of them really made me hate him. And even though I understand why he did it, I also felt like it was a horrible thing to do, and he made me like him, and it seemed like he was cool and then he wasn’t. It’s weird, because now that I think about it, I don’t think I liked either of them at the same time.

And it seemed like there is potentially something with the one friend, but I just didn’t like him, and I hope he’s not a love interest in any of the other books, but he might be, and I don’t want that! Actually, I kind of wished there was a little more romance, because I felt like it was hinted at, which is weird, considering she gets engaged. But at the same time, I get why the book is more about her new-found abilities, and some of the stuff going on in the country.

It’s interesting, too, because it’s such an interesting combination of past and future in the book. It’s not contemporary, but there are times where it felt like the distant past, and other times where it felt like the distant future.

4 stars. I really liked it, and it’s a really cool premise! It definitely had its twists and turns.

14Feb2016

Book Talk: Harry Potter And Pride And Prejudice And Zombies

Posted in Book Talk, Books, Harry Potter by wingedcreature

Book Talk is an occasional feature where I talk about non-book review bookish things!

Book Talk

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but it also seems like a good time for one, because there are things I want to talk about!

First, Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, because I also want to talk about some Harry Potter news, and I’ll probably ramble on about that for a while.

So, I saw Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, and it was a lot of fun! I haven’t read the book…well, I’ve read Pride And Prejudice, but not P & P & Zombies, but it was basically Pride And Prejudice with some zombies thrown in, so you’re not missing anything if you haven’t read Zombies. I will say that Lily James was a good choice for Elizabeth Bennett, and Matt Smith was the perfect choice for Mr. Collins. Seriously, I can’t think of anyone better for that role, especially in a zombie-fied version of Pride And Prejudice. And now, I really want to re-read Pride And Prejudice.

On a random book-to-movie adaptation note: I still want to see The 5th Wave, but it looks like it’s on it’s way out of theaters, if movie times are indication. I don’t know if I want to see it in theaters badly enough to try to see it tomorrow, or sometime this week, or if I just want to wait until it’s on DVD.

And HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m sure by now everyone’s heard the news that the script for The Cursed Child is going to be published as a book. I first saw the news on The Broke And The Bookish, and I was jumping up and down screaming because I was so excited. I took me a while to calm down down, and it still makes me really happy every single time I think about it. I’ve pre-ordered my copy, of course, and I can’t wait to read it. I know it’s not the same as actually seeing it, but still.

WE GET TO READ THE SCRIPT!!!

I’m very, very excited, and it’s very fitting that it’s going to be released on Harry’s birthday.

Pottermore also brought back the Sorting Hat quiz and the Wand quiz. I’m not kidding when I say that I was having massive anxiety over the possibility that I might not be sorted into Hufflepuff again, because that’s a strong part of my Harry Potter identity.

Thankfully, I was sorted into Hufflepuff again, so I was worrying about nothing, but I do feel for all the people who were sorted into different houses.

This time around, my wand is pear wood, unicorn core, quite bendy, and 10.5 inches, and overall, it fits me pretty well. I wish I had my wand from the original Pottermore quiz to see how how it was different, but I apparently never mentioned it on the blog, and I didn’t print out that certificate in time, so I have no idea how long it was or how flexible (but I do remember that it was on the more flexible side, but not quite as flexible as my current wand). I feel fairly certain I had a unicorn core last time, and I feel like maybe the wood was acacia? Maybe, but I’m not sure. At any rate, it was very exciting to be a Harry Potter fan last week, and while I’m still not in love with the new Pottermore, I’ll probably still check it out sporadically.

I just feel like it’s harder to find the information we saw on Pottermore previously. It seems much more random and disorganized, and I feel like if I see something cool and want to read it again, there isn’t a way to favorite it so that I can read it without having to go looking for it again. But I also haven’t spent a lot of time on it, so maybe I’ll spend some time on there, to see what’s up.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

9Feb2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Valentine’s Day Freebie

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Book Review: Walk On Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson

Posted in Books by wingedcreature

Book: Walk On Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson

Published September 2015 by Greenwillow Books|432 pages

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

Series: The Gold Seer Trilogy #1

Genre: YA Historical Fiction

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I really liked Walk On Earth A Stranger! I am really glad I read it!

I really like that it’s set during the Gold Rush, and that you see Leah on the Oregon Trail. The time period made me think of Under A Painted Sky by Stacy Lee, so chances are, if like one book, you’ll like the other one. But really, why are more books not set during this time period? I want to read more books set during the Gold Rush. Especially Gold Rush-era books that have a hint of the paranormal.

I really liked Leah, and I felt for her, losing her parents becasue of her ability. And if people found out, what would they do to get to Leah? Like her uncle. Oh, how I hated her uncle. He’s just horrible. I did like that that the people she traveled with supported her, and took her in, and stood up to her uncle. They’re definitely a good group of people, and I hope we see more of them in the next book. Even though I didn’t like her uncle, and don’t want to see him again, I’m pretty sure we have not seen the last of him. And I will admit that a lot of the characters could have been a little bit more developed, but I’m hoping that comes later, and I feel like there’s more to them than what we see in the book.

The Oregon Trail really was a dangerous journey, and yet, for people like Leah and the people she traveled with, it was worth it for a different life. If I decided to pack up and move across the country, I probably wouldn’t think anything of it, but for Leah, and others like her, it was a pretty big and dangerous decision and journey, and I can’t imagine the obstacles she had to deal with. Because of all of the traveling, the book moves at a pretty slow pace, but it was something I hadn’t thought of until right now. But in this case, it works well for the book, because of everything that happens on this part of the journey.

And her ability to sense gold! That’s definitely different, and yet it works for the time period. I can’t imagine what it would be like to know where gold is, and how dangerous it would be to have that ability during the gold rush. Or that time period. It could be handy, as long as people don’t figure it out. And really, Leah is just awesome. She is really tough (though I imagine she would have to be) and she is one determined young lady. I want things to work out for so, so much. I like that she wants to be herself, and that she wants to be more than what society expected her to be. Sometimes, characters like Leah frustrate me, but with her, it wasn’t frustrating at all! I think there’s a certain vulnerability to Leah, and that was really nice to see.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

4 stars. For some reason, I didn’t quite love it, even though it is the sort of book I would love, but I still really liked it, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

7Feb2016

Audio Book Review: Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Posted in Audiobooks, Books by wingedcreature

Book: Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin, Narrated by Caitlin Greer

Published August 2007 by Listening Library|6 hours, 40 minutes

Where I Got It: I borrowed the audio book from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Blog Graphic-What It's About

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She’d know about her mom’s new family. She’d know about her dad’s fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn’t have wanted to kiss him back.

But Naomi picked heads.

After her remarkable debut, Gabrielle Zevin has crafted an imaginative second novel all about love and second chances.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I liked Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac! I didn’t love it or anything, but it’s a cute story about a girl re-discovering things after losing her memories from the last few years.

Even though the book had its predictable moments, I also had no idea how things would be resolved or where they were headed. I really liked that, and I think it fit really well with Naomi’s story. I didn’t quite connect with Naomi, because she definitely came across as selfish and spoiled and stupid at times. I did feel for her, though, because I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like to have an accident and lose the last few years of your life. It’s amazing how one moment can change everything, and this book really highlights that.

A lot of the other characters were really interesting (like Will and James), and I thought their stories really brought out Naomi’s story. There’s definitely a lot going on, but overall, the book had a really good balance of serious moments and some more light-hearted moments. And I really liked the narrator! Her voice sounded so familiar, and I don’t know why, because I’ve never listened anything narrated by Greer before. But her voice was perfect for Naomi, and she was exactly how I pictured Naomi’s voice to sound.

I don’t really have much else to say about Memoirs. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve forgotten what I wanted to say, or if it’s because not a lot stood out to me.

3 stars. I liked it, and it was really cute, but I also didn’t love it.

6Feb2016

Currently Obsessed With: January 2016

Posted in Currently Obsessed With by wingedcreature

Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month (but sometimes more) feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month.

Currently Obsessed With

I can’t believe it’s February already! I’m doing this a lot later than I usually do but I just haven’t wanted to sit down and write this post until now, so here it is!

Crochet:

I’ve been working on another blanket for myself! It’s going to be a very large granny square when it’s done, and I’ve been randomly working on. I’m also doing a granny square project where I’m doing one granny square every week, and that’s been fun but interesting! I may or may not talk more about it at some random point.

Books:

I got a few books last month! I got When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney, Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris, The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up, The Big Book Of Granny Squares (all from Barnes & Noble or Amazon) and The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie from Audible. I feel like I’m forgetting a book or two, but I’ll mention them next time if I remember what they are!

T.V./Movies:

I finally saw Star Wars last month, and I really liked it! I really need to see The 5th Wave, which reminds me, I really need to read the book too. As for t.v., I was watching Dr. Who until it went off of Netflix (which I’m not happy about, because now I need to find another way to watch it), and I watched the first episode of Making A Murder, which I think any fan of Serial would like. And I’ve re-watched a couple of episodes of Gilmore Girls! I’m starting from the pilot, because I feel like I should, even though I could probably start from where I left off…if I could remember where in season 3 I left off. Or be less lazy and look it up, but that seems like too much effort.

Around The Internet:

Considering the fact that I tend to wear the same few things over and over, a capsule wardrobe might be a good idea for me!

This is super-late and all, but I was so sad to hear about the passing of Alan Rickman.

This is a totally awesome book acknowledgement.

This 11-year-old girl is completely amazing, and she is doing an even more amazing thing.

Someone is doing some really cool self-portraits recreating famous paintings.

You can find these links, and a lot more over on pinterest!

Music:

I’ve been in a music mood the last month! Here are 5 of my favorites from the last month.

1- That’s My Kind Of Night by Luke Bryan

2- Smoke Break by Carrie Underwood

3- Heartbeat by Carrie Underwood

4- Walking On A Dream by Empire Of The Sun

5- Roses by The Chainsmokers

Hope you had a great day!

1Feb2016

Book Review: Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Posted in Books, diverse books by wingedcreature

Book: Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Published September 2008 by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers|248 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Regan’s brother Liam can’t stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only reveals herself at night. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his sister’s clothes and makeup. Now, everything is about to change-Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam’s family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives? Compelling and provocative, this is an unforgettable novel about a transgender teen’s struggle for self-identity and acceptance.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I’ve heard some really good things about Luna, and figured I’d read it. I have mixed feelings about it, though, and it’s mostly because of the characters and (to me) the reliance on stereotypes and lack of nuance.

It was really frustrating to read Luna’s story through Regan’s eyes. Regan came across as really selfish and whiny, and I felt like she was the stereotypical “it’s so hard and it’s such a burden to have a sibling who’s different, woe is me because I have to keep their secret, and if people find out that my brother is transgender, I’ll never have my own identity because I’ll only be seen as the sister of someone who is transgender” sibling.

Instead of feeling for her, and how hard it has to be to be your sister’s confidante and secret keeper, I instead spent most of the book feeling like she needed to get over herself. Considering how close they were supposed to be, all I can tell you about Luna is that she is very stereotypical female. That’s not a bad thing, but we get no insight into Luna as a person and how much Luna is struggling to be accepted for who she is. Luna is going through a lot, and Regan’s selfishness and need to be a martyr really took away from Luna’s story.

I felt very much removed and distanced from what was going on, and even the flashbacks we get are more about Regan than they are about Luna.

I also thought that Luna needed a lot more development, and she wasn’t very nuanced to me. I did mention that Luna was a little too stereotypical- very into make-up and clothes and shopping, but not all females are. I’m not sure if the lack of nuance is because of the filter in which we see Luna, or if there’s just a lack of character development. Maybe both. Either way, this book is not about Luna and her transition, it’s about how Luna is ruining Regan’s life and how much better Regan’s life would be if Luna were “normal.”

Looking back at what I just wrote, it’s definitely clear to me that my feelings aren’t as mixed as I thought. I wanted to read more about Luna, not Luna’s spoiled brat of a sister, and I wish we saw more of Luna. Both Luna and Regan narrating could have been interesting, but given how stereotypical the characters were, I don’t know if Luna narrating even a few chapters would have made a difference. Luna felt more like an object than an actual person, which was really disappointing because Luna’s story seemed much more interesting than Regan’s.

1 star. Regan was too frustrating and hard to care about, and her selfishness really took away from Lu0a’s story.

31Jan2016

Book Review: Evolution by Kelly Carrero

Posted in Books by wingedcreature

Book: Evolution by Kelly Carrero

Self-Published by Kelly Carrero in October 2012|138 pages

Where I Got It: I own the e-book

Series: Evolution #1

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Paranormal

Blog Graphic-What It's About

Seventeen year old Jade Sommers’ life is turned upside down the moment she sees the inch long cut across her face heal right before her eyes.

Jade thinks she is going insane, but her boyfriend, Aiden Scott, knows better. He knows what she is. And like him, she was born this way.

Now if finding out that people like her shouldn’t exist isn’t bad enough, Jade’s best friend is kidnapped by the psycho who terrorises her dreams. With the help of Aiden, Jade has to figure out how to save her before it’s to late.

But what Jade doesn’t know is not everything is what it seems. She is merely a puppet in a sadistic game to find out what she is truly capable of, and that game has only just begun.

Blog Graphic- What I Thought

I’ve had Evolution for a while, and finally started reading it, but I also wasn’t a big fan of the book. It had the potential to be really interesting, but it also fell short.

The book is sort of based on that idea that we only use a certain percentage of our brains, only in this book, there are people who have evolved to the point that they have special abilities because they can use a larger percentage of their brain. Sort of like that movie that came out a couple of years ago with Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson, Lucy? That’s what I was reminded of, but without the whole drug-trafficking story line.

So, there were things about this book that didn’t make sense to me. She was told she had all of these abilities, but her boyfriend, the only person she knows who has the same abilities as her, doesn’t really explain what’s going on, and why some people can do what they can, and others can’t. The part in the summary where it mentions someone terrorizing her dreams, and that she’s a puppet in this huge game? That didn’t really happen in the book. At all. I finished this book (which was a lot shorter than I thought it would be) with more questions than I did when I started. Did her boyfriend know the entire time that Jade has supernatural abilities? Because the summary made it seem like he knew, and hung around in Australia for that reason.

I was also left wondering why someone kidnapped her best friend, why a select few have this ability, and what sort of “game” is going on? Considering everything the summary says this book is about, I really expected a lot more to be going on. I want more of an explanation than the idea that some people are born really advanced. This first book makes it seem like it’s this very select group of people…and yet it also seems like it’ might be somewhat common.

And Jade’s mom is super-absent, but has no problem with her teenage daughter constantly staying at her boyfriend’s house. That seemed a little weird to me, and it makes me wonder what was going on with her mom, because her mom constantly blew her off. And it seemed like the mom was hiding something.

There’s just no backstory, and while the idea was interesting, I just didn’t like how it was told. It was too rushed, too short, and really hard to believe. And I know I have said that there are no explanations for anything, but it was really frustrating. Things happened for no reason, and the book didn’t make a lot of sense because of that.

The characters were a little too…boring. Aiden was too perfect, and Jade was not memorable. Actually, Aiden wasn’t very memorable either, and I could not tell you a single thing about them. I really couldn’t.

1 star. The idea was sort of interesting, but the lack of explanation about pretty much anything makes me not want to keep reading the series.

Reading Books With Coffee

Where My Love Of Coffee And My Love Of YA Intersect

Book Review: Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten More Songs That Make Me Think Of Books

Ten More Songs That Make Me Think Of Books

Book Review: The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard