Tag Archives: YA Sci-Fi

ARC Book Review: An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew

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The Basics:

The Book: An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew

How long is it? 352 Pages

Will Be Published: October 14, 2025 wherever you buy books (bookshop.org is a great place for books- clicking on the link will take you to my affiliate link)

The Genre: YA Dystopia (Standalone)

I got an advanced reader copy from netgalley!

What It’s About (Via Goodreads):

An electrifying dystopian novel packed with a tantalizing love triangle, gripping political intrigue, and a Bachelor-style competition from the critically acclaimed author of The Dividing Sky, Jill Tew.

Eden Lowell has plenty to be frustrated about. In the flooded Marshes of former Miami, each day is about survival. Even her feelings for her best friend Henry are more complicated than they should be. Luckily, Eden knows exactly who to the Cruisers, corporate elite who sail the world on massive ships instead of facing the environmental crimes they’ve committed on land.

When Eden learns that a Cruiser family is hosting a dating competition for their heir, Theo Desjardins, she seizes an opportunity. Aided by a political agitator known as the Ringmaster, she’ll infiltrate the competition, break Theo’s heart, and then steal his money for the Marshes. A perfect plan…

Until she gets to know Theo, who’s not only handsome but surprisingly kind…

As Eden drifts deeper down into the Cruisers’ world, the line separating truth and lies becomes murky. Torn between two identities, two loves, and two futures, will she choose the mission, or her heart?

What I Thought:

I wanted to start off my review with the fact I had an advanced reader copy.  I saw the author at a panel at YALLWEST back in May and was intrigued by this book.  I was glad I got approved for it, because I ended up loving it!

It is action-paced and fast-paced, and I think part of it is because the book is pretty short.  Well, it seemed short to me, but maybe that’s because I really enjoyed it and because there is a lot that happens.  It’s a stand-alone, which is actually refreshing for dystopian novels, but there is part of me that wishes we had another book.  I kind of wish we had a little more time to sit with some of the things going on in Eden’s world, but overall, it works well as a stand-alone.

The book reminded me of The Selection and The Hunger Games but on a cruise ship in a world ravaged by climate change.  You definitely see the differences between the wealthy (or cruisers) and those living in the Marshes (the ruins of Miami) after a pretty destructive hurricane.  Eden warms up to the cruisers pretty fast, realizing they’re not all bad.  Especially Theo, one of the love interests we see in the book.  I’m not sure how I feel about the love triangle and I thought her choice was pretty obvious.  I admit that I have mixed feelings about love triangles, so I am not necessarily the best person to talk about that.  If you’re a fan of love triangles, I think you’ll love this one!  Theo and Henry represent two very different futures for Eden, not just romantically, but for life in general.

This world is not too different than the one we’re currently living in.  We’re in a world where the gap between the wealthy and poor is growing wider and wider, the things we’ll do for money, and how much social media can control our lives.  There’s a lot about the environment in this book too, and I liked seeing how those elements came together.

I loved Eden, and I was rooting for her the whole time.  I found it interesting that she saw that not all of the Cruisers were terrible, though she warmed up to them pretty quickly, considering the huge differences between Eden and everyone around her.  At the same time, I also understood why she joined the competition.  She really was just trying to survive and take care of her loved ones, while taking her revenge on those responsible.

My Rating:

This is a 5 star read!  Eden’s world reminded me of the our world so much, and it’s a fast-paced, thought-provoking read.

January 2025 Book Roundup

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Hello there!  It’s been ages since I’ve posted, and by ages, I mean it’s been almost four years. What I thought was going to be a short break turned out to be much, much longer. It’s good to be back, and while I don’t want to promise that I’ll be back to posting full-length reviews the way I used to, I am going to see how doing a monthly round-up works out.

Last month, I read 12 books, everything from YA contemporaries to adult horror to middle grade graphic novels.  You can check out all 12 books below!

  • Six Stunning Sirens by Lynn Cahoon.  I really like this series, and this was a good addition to the Kitchen Witch books.  If you like cozy mysteries, this series is a good read.  You can’t go wrong with a kitchen witch living in a small town who’s helping out with a beauty pageant that goes terribly wrong.
  • The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling.  I saw this one when I was at Meet Cute, a romance bookstore in San Diego.  The staff recommendation card is what sold me: angry sapphics in space caves.  And the book definitely lived up to that!  It’s creepy and unsettling and there is something suffocating about the setting.  It’s not surprising, considering we’re in a cave for most of the book.
  • The September House by Carissa Orlando.  This one is an adult horror and I thought it was okay.  It’s definitely creepy, and I liked seeing the mystery unravel.  I love the concept of a haunted house that comes to life only in September, but it wasn’t for me.  
  • A Banh Mi For Two by Trinity Nguyen was so good, and I absolutely loved it!  It’s a super-cute YA contemporary, and one of my favorites from January.  It’s a really cute romance set in Vietnam that’s also about family, history and the trauma that’s a result of history.  All of the food sounded so good, and if you’re a foodie, this is an especially good book to read!
  • The Electric Heir by Victoria Lee, which is okay for me.  It’s a YA sci-fi that has some fantasy elements.  I honestly couldn’t tell you much about this book, even though it’s only been a couple weeks since I’ve read it.  If you’re (understandably) trying to avoid dystopia and overthrowing the government, this series is definitely one to skip, at least for the foreseeable future.  On the hand, if that’s what you’re looking for, definitely check it out.  
  • The Lumbering Giants Of Windy Pines by Mo Netz is a super cute middle grade contemporary.  It has Gravity Falls vibes, and I love the mystery in the book.  Plus, it’s set in a creepy motel on the edge of the woods, and we see how motels are really accessible for Jerry (a wheelchair user) and her mom, which is why they move from motel to motel.  

  • Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe is my other favorite book from January.  It’s an adult romance featuring a believer in all things paranormal and weird and a non-believer in the paranormal.  Hallie and Hayden work on a web series for a Buzzfeed type company, and I loved seeing them fall in love.
  • I read Ex Marks The Spot by Gloria Chao, which is another YA contemporary.  It’s pretty similar to A Banh Mi For Two, in terms of family history and adventure in another country.  I wanted to like Chao’s book more, and I really think that if I hadn’t read the two so close together, I would have like Ex Marks The Spot More.  
  • Next is Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic by C.M. Nacosta.  I don’t normally read monster romances, but I really like this book, and the series it’s a part of.  I may have to do another post about this series, because each book focuses on a different couple.  This one is a werewolf and human romance (the first one featured a minotaur and the second had mothman), and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.  
  • House Of Hunger by Alexis Henderson was okay.  It’s adult horror, and very creepy and very gothic.  I love the idea of bloodmaids, and I wanted a little bit more of the world, since we’re confined to Lisabet’s house.  It’s would have been nice to see the world outside of that house.
  • Somewhere In The Deep by Tanvi Berwah.  I liked this YA fantasy.  It’s underwater, which you don’t see a lot of, and it has the same creepy claustrophobia that you get in House Of Hunger and The Luminous Dead.  There are legendary creatures, clashes between people who work in the mines and the people who live on land, and a teen left to deal with the terrible legacy of her parents.  Clearly, family history has been a running theme for January, which wasn’t intentional, but still interesting.  I would definitely recommend this one.
  • Sea Sirens by written by Amy Chu, illustrated by Janet K. Lee.  This was a cute middle grade graphic novel about a Vietnamese-American surfer, her cat Bill, and her grandpa.  I love seeing grandparent-grandchild relationships, because I was close to my own grandparents, and this book was no exception.  I loved that her grandpa was so prominent (though he needs a lot of care since he has dementia), because I feel like we see a lot of grandmas.  Listen, grandma are awesome, but I think we could see a few more grandpas.  They definitely go on an adventure, and I have the sequel next to me, so I’m looking forward to reading that one.  

That’s all for today.  I hope you enjoyed this reading round-up, and I’ll for sure be back next month with another one!  See you around!

Audio Book Review: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer, Narrated by Reba Buhr

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Book: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer, Narrated by Reba Buhr

Published September 2020 by HarperAudio|Run Time: 8 hours, 48 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Crownchasers #1

Genre: YA

A deadly race across 1,001 planets will determine more than just the fate of the empire. This explosive first book in a duology jam-packed with tension and thrills is perfect for fans of ‘The Hunger Games, ‘Aurora Rising’, and ‘Three Dark Crowns’.

Alyssa Farshot has spent her whole life trying to outrun her family legacy, even leaving behind the Kingship and her uncle, the emperor, for a life of exploring.

But when her dying uncle announces a crownchase – a search for the royal seal hidden in the empire that will determine the next ruler – Alyssa is thrust into her greatest, most dangerous adventure yet.

I really liked Crownchasers!  It was really interesting, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

This is a story that’s pretty familiar- a race across the galaxy to see who will rule the empire.  Still, it’s in space!  We get to see the galaxy and the people living in it!  There’s a lot of adventure and outrunning the past!  It was exciting and I always wanted to know what happened next.

I also liked seeing Alyssa’s memories, and they were pretty important in how we see the present, and the other people involved in the crownchase.  I get why she doesn’t want to be empress, but at the end of the book, I felt like that might be in her future.  It might not be, but with everything that happened at the end of the book, I feel like it’s an option for her.

So, for the life of me, I cannot remember what happened to her parents that she had to live with her uncle.  I believe they died, but obviously, any details that might have been mentioned did not stick with me.  Her mom did come up a little bit, and it seems like her mom wanted to change things, but we don’t get a lot of detail.  And I’m really curious about her dad, because I feel like we don’t hear about him at all.  I really shouldn’t assume he was around, because maybe he wasn’t, and that is perfectly fine.  I’m just really curious, that’s all.

I just want to know what’s going on!  Who are the cloaked people, and what are they up to?  What on earth do they really want?  I hope we find out in the next book, because otherwise, what’s the point in bringing them up?  Anyway, they are very suspicious, clearly up to no good, and I want to know why.

I liked Alyssa.  She certainly likes to run into danger and has no sense of self-preservation.  She also wants to do her own thing, even though being her uncle’s heir would make a lot of sense.  It makes me wonder if he knew that she wouldn’t want to be forced into it, and I doubt he could have known everything that would end up happening during the chase.

It seemed to me that she was only involved in the chase because of her connection to the former emperor, but I can’t help but wonder if he thought that maybe she want it, but had to choose that role on her own.  Or not, and it’s just protocol or whatever that she’s involved.  She clearly didn’t want it, considering she makes an alliance with one of her competitors, but I am looking forward to see if that changes, and it does (or doesn’t) change.

I also liked Hell Monkey, and I’m glad he’s sticking around.  I’m glad Alyssa has someone she can trust and rely on, because it seems like the number of people she cares about is shrinking really fast.  She can’t do this alone, and she’s going to need all the help she can get.  I don’t know if things will become more romantic between them- it would be weird, because I didn’t particularly notice or care about a romance for Alyssa, much less with Hell Monkey.

I don’t know that I’m necessarily hoping they’ll get together, because Alyssa has a lot going on.  I honestly like them as friends, and I think they have a pretty good working relationship.  I’m really glad they made it through the book relatively unscathed, though it didn’t always look that way.

This was a book that I was glad I did on audio.  I don’t know if I would have gotten through it had I read it in print, but I enjoyed listening to it.  Buhr did a great job narrating and I hope she’ll narrate the next book.  I mean, she probably will because series usually stick with the same narrator, but still.  I enjoyed her narration.

4 stars.  I really liked Crownchasers, and I really, really hope some of my questions from this book get answered in the book.

Book Review: The First 7 by Laura Pohl

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Book: The First 7 by Laura Pohl

Published March 2020 by Sourcebooks Fire|384 pages

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

Series: The Last 8 #2

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

The thrilling conclusion to The Last 8 duology that follows the Last Teenagers on Earth as they head home to a now-hostile planet.

Clover Martinez and The Last Teenagers on Earth are busy exploring the galaxy after leaving earth behind…even if they can’t help but be a little homesick.

So when their ship receives a distress signal from their former planet, they hope against hope that it means other survivors. But as soon as they arrive, they realize something’s deeply wrong: strange crystal formations have popped up everywhere and there’s some sort of barrier keeping them from leaving.

Seeking the origin of the formations and the reason for the barrier, the group discovers a colony of survivors hidden in the mountains. But the survivors aren’t who they seem…

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I really liked The First 7, and thought it was much better than the first book!  It’s a great sequel, and I’m glad I read it.

I liked the first book, enough to pick up the sequel.  This book picks up several months after the last book, and we see our young survivors travelling across space.  Because of Andy, they get this warning that they are not safe anywhere, and find themselves back on earth because of a distress signal.  Earth is not the same place it was when they left it.

It turns out that they were gone for years, instead of months, so clearly, time moved differently for them than it did in space.  That part got my interest, and I wanted to know more about that.  They have more pressing things to deal with, like the fact that there are survivors hidden in the mountains, crystals everywhere, and Andy not being the same Universal that she was in the first book.  Once they land on Earth, and come across the crystals, she changes drastically, but in the end, she’s the same Andy that we knew from The Last 8 and the beginning of this book.

It turns out that Andy is not the last Universal, and there was a time when I thought it was Violet.  It’s not, but the thought crossed my mind, considering what Andy did to bring Violet back from the dead.  I actually wish we saw more of Andy.  This is Clover’s story, through and through, but that’s not going to stop me from wanting more with Andy.

Speaking of Clover, I really liked her.  She’s still struggling, which is understandable.  She’s been through a lot, and there are some surprises for her in this book.  I wasn’t expecting one particular surprise, but I’m glad she’s not alone.  She never was, of course, and she has some great friends.  But this surprise…I think it will be good for her.  It won’t bring back her grandparents, Adam or Noah but I think, in time, she’ll open up and start to heal.  That’s what I hope happens for her.  This book doesn’t shy away from her struggles, and I love that there’s a content warning at the beginning of the book and some resources at the end of the book.

I’m just glad they were able to go back to earth, and that they were able to make sure things were okay.  Not everyone wanted to come back, of course, but I think, in the end, they were glad they did.  Space isn’t for everyone, but this book really shows that earth, and the life that inhabits it are strong and refuse to die in the face of really terrible aliens with crystals that could change the planet and destroy everything on it.

I also want everyone to be okay.  I’ve already talked about how I want Clover to be okay, and I want that for everyone else too.  They deserve after thinking they were the only ones left on earth, and what they had to do to save it.  I’m sure they’ll settle into a slightly more normal life.  As normal as it can be on a planet that survived an alien invasion, and I hope they are able to find other survivors.  This little pocket of survivors can’t be the only ones left, and I hope, over time, earth is at least a semblance of the place they knew before everything happened.

4 stars.  I really liked The First 7, and it’s a great sequel.  I kind of want another book, just to see how things turn out for everyone, but I also think it ended on a really good note, so I’m also okay with it ending how it did.

Book Review: Rebelwing by Andrea Tang

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Book: Rebelwing by Andrea Tang

Published February 2020 by Razorbill|355 pages

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

Series: Rebelwing #1

Genre: YA Sci-fi/Dystopia

Business is booming for Prudence Wu.

A black-market-media smuggler and scholarship student at the prestigious New Columbia Preparatory Academy, Pru is lucky to live in the Barricade Coalition where she is free to study, read, watch, and listen to whatever she wants. But between essays and exams, she chooses to spend her breaks sweet-talking border patrol with her best friend, Anabel, in order to sell banned media to the less fortunate citizens of the United Continental Confederacy, Inc.

When a drop-off goes awry, Pru narrowly escapes UCC enforcers to find that her rescuer is, of all things, a sentient cybernetic dragon. On the one hand, Pru is lucky not to be in prison, or worse. On the other, the dragon seems to have imprinted on her permanently, which means she has no choice but to be its pilot.

Drawn into a revolution she has no real interest in leading, Pru, Anabel, and friends Alex and Cat become key players in a brewing conflict with the UCC as the corporate government develops advanced weaponry more terrifying and grotesque than Pru could have ever imagined.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first!  It took me a while to get into, and at one point, I was pretty close to not finishing it at all.  But I’m glad I kept reading and I ended up really liking it!

This is a future I can easily imagine- the U.S. is split up into different territories, and not everyone can access banned media.  It’s a scary future, and the world was frighteningly familiar.  Mechanical wyverns and dragons are pretty cool, I have to admit, and the weaponry is pretty horrifying.  Pru, of course, gets drawn into this revolution that she had no idea was even happening, and with how the book ended, she has a lot to deal with.  I’m curious to see how things go, and how she’ll deal with a corporate government and the terrifying things they can come up with.

I’m not sure how I feel about Pru.  Or anyone else that we see.  I get why Anabel kept things from Pru, but I also get why Pru didn’t take it well.  They work through it, of course, and they’re really going to need each other.  Especially with everything that Pru went through in this book…particularly towards the end.  I feel like Alex gets it, since he went through the same thing she did.  I know they’ll be fine, but it will be hard, especially for Alex.  With what he learned about his family…I can’t imagine learning that.  I felt for both of them, because no one should have to go through what they did.  In all honesty, there’s not a lot I remember about them, other than the basics.

There’s a lot of action, adventure and politics, and the further I got into the book, the more I wanted to know what would happen next.  I was interested to see what was really going on in this world, and how we even got to this point.  Pru’s pretty lucky, but still trying to figure out her place in the world.  And of course, she’s doing it while bonding to a mechanical dragon she has to pilot because it imprinted on her, instead of Alex, the person it was supposed to bond with.  I am pretty interested to see how she changes in the next book and to see her really decide what she wants in life.

Rebelwing gets 4 stars- I really liked this one.  It took me some time to get into the book, but I’m glad I kept reading and didn’t give up on it.

Book Review: The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne

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Book: The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne

Published February 2020 by Houghton Mifflin|400 pages

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

Series: None

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

The Bachelorette goes to space in this gripping story about a young girl caught in a world of royal intrigue and lost love in her quest to save her family from ruin. Perfect for fans of Katharine McGee, Melissa de la Cruz, and Kiera Cass.

Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, has only one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?

But when Leo’s childhood friend and first love, Elliot, returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one who got away, the boy Leo’s family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now he’s the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo’s life miserable. But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.

Fans of Katharine McGee and Kiera Cass will be dazzled by this world of lost love and royal intrigue.

I liked The Stars We Steal!  After reading (and really liking) Brightly Burning a couple of years ago, I was pretty excited about this book, and I wish I liked this book as much as her first one.

I thought Leo was interesting.  I completely get why she wants to help her family, and is hesitant to get married to do it.  I admire that she came up with a way to help not just them, but others.  But…when it came to her love life, she was so frustrating.  I mean, her first love comes back, and she loves him one minute, and hates him the next.  She flirts with him and gets jealous when he turns his attention to both her cousin and her sister.  She makes a half-hearted effort at the Valg Season, and when she does, she ends up breaking Daniel’s heart.  I really felt for Daniel.  Don’t get me wrong, I get that it was always Elliot, but it was just so horrible that she agreed to marry Daniel, knowing full well she wasn’t over Elliot.  Even after everything that happened with Elliot, she had the hardest time letting him go, and unfortunately, Daniel got hurt in the process.

Hopefully, everything works out for Leo, and it really seems like it wil at the end of the book.  Things are fine with her family and with Daniel, and I really hope they stay that way.

One thing I could never work out is if it’s set in the same world as Brightly Burning.  I mean, it was been a while since I’ve read it, but all of the ships made me feel like they are two very different stories set in the same world.  I could be completely wrong on that, but that was the impression I got.  Either way, it is pretty interesting to see a story entirely contained on the ship.

And Leo’s family.  I’m not a fan.  Her dad’s a mess, and her aunt is cruel.  If killing her own sister isn’t horrible, I don’t know what is.  Even though her cousin and sister come around, they have their moments too.  They were there for Leo when it counts, but there were a lot of obstacles along the way.

3 stars.  I liked The Stars We Steal, but I didn’t love it.

Book Review: Gemina by Amie Kaufman And Jay Kristoff

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Book: Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published January 2018 by Ember|659 pages

Where I Got It: I own the paperback

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Series: The Illuminae Files #2

The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that critics are calling “out-of-this-world awesome.”

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED GEMINA!  How is it possible to love the sequel even more than the original?  I don’t know but somehow, I did.

I just loved the story and how it’s going on both at the same time as- and right after- the events of Illuminae.  I loved Hanna a lot, and she reminded me of Kady in a lot of ways.  I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t sure about this book.  Sequels always make me a little nervous, and I wasn’t sure if it was going to live up to the expectations set by Illuminae.  But it really exceeded expectations!

I was also a little hesitant because I got attached to Kady and Ezra (but I was particularly attached to Kady) and I wasn’t sure about a book focusing on two new characters.  Again, I had nothing to worry about because I loved Hanna and Nik, and I was glad to see both Kady and Ezra show up.

And Aidan too!  How I managed to be fond of a crazy A.I. system, I don’t know, but I was glad that Aidan is back.  Granted, it’s in a slightly different form, but it was nice to see Aidan.

We also have the video surveillance guy back, and though we don’t know anything about him, I’m glad he’s back, watching surveillance videos and giving random commentary about what’s going on.

Like Illuminae, this is a really visual book!  While the placement of some of the text was still annoying to read, it wasn’t as annoying, and I think it’s because I was expecting it with this book.  Also, the multiverse stuff was really cool, and I liked seeing Universe A and Universe B side by side.  I liked seeing the comparison between the two, and how different but similar they are.

I also liked that instead of a deadly, PTSD-appearing virus, we have this parasitic alien-like creature.  It was creepy and horrifying but also really different and really cool.  I love that there was basically a Wikipedia-type page about it.  Obviously, not Wikipedia but a fictional version of it.  I just like how familiar the documents are- and yet, some of them are just so completely random.  I also love how they come together to tell the story, and I really can’t imagine this series being told any other way.  This is definitely a book you want to read in print!

5 stars.  I loved Gemina, and if for some reason, you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend it!  It’s a great story!

Book Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman And Jay Kristoff

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Book: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published April 2017 by Ember|608 pages

Where I Got It: I own the paperback

Series: The Illuminae Files #1

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the worst thing she’d ever been through. That was before her planet was invaded. Now, with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating craft, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But the warship could be the least of their problems. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their biggest threat; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady plunges into a web of data hacking to get to the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: Ezra.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

I really liked Illuminae and I’m glad I gave it another chance!  I tried reading it a few years ago, and had trouble getting through it because of the format.  I mostly gave it another chance because I had to read an epistolary novel of my choice for my final English essay, and of course, none of the books on the list given caught my interest.  I’m really glad we could pick a novel of our choice, and for some reason, I had my heart set on Illuminae.

I had an easier time with it this time around, and I don’t know if maybe I was in the mood for it, or if it was because I had to finish it in order to write my essay and do a video about it.

Random side note: based on the videos I watched (and I didn’t watch all of them), I was apparently the only one who didn’t pick a book from the list.

Back to the book, though.  I really liked it!  So much that I immediately bought Gemina and Obsidio, because I need to know what happens next.

It was interesting, because there are things we know that Kady doesn’t, and I was glad for her when she finds out that Ezra is alive.  I liked seeing all of the documents, and something I mentioned in both my essay and presentation was how the different documents came together to tell a much larger story, and how we were able to take a step back and see things more objectively because the type of documents used didn’t necessarily allow us to know what the characters were thinking at all times.

Kady’s interactions with Aidan really got to me though, and was easily the most beautifully written parts of the book.  I really loved Aidan, and I never would have expected that A.I. would be one of my favorite parts of the book!

I also liked how visual the book was!  Granted, trying to read some of the text was really frustrating because I had to turn the book into some really strange positions.  But we have Starry Night!  A heart!  Kady and Ezra together!  Kady by herself!  That was really cool to see.  So while some of the text placement was really frustrating to read, it also drew your attention to the page.  It is was like, what’s going on here?  What do they want us to draw our attention to?

This is a book that I think is best read in print, and it’s because of how visual it is.  I mean, you could go with the audio book, but I feel like you’re going to lose a lot by doing that.  I can’t begin to imagine the amount of work that went into designing each page, especially with all of the blueprints and schematics.  I commend not just Kaufman and Kristoff, but everyone who worked on the book for writing both a cool story and making it look really cool.

4 stars.  I didn’t love it, and I don’t know why, but I still really liked Illuminae.  I am really glad I gave it another chance!

Book Review: The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

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Book: The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

Published March 2020 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers|432 pages

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

Series: None

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn’t food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister’s life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn’t a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn’t want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn’t commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents’ death and mend their broken bond. But they’re pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea’s time is up–and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.

I liked this one!  After reading Four Dead Queens last year, and really liking it, I knew I had to read this one.

Even though I didn’t like The Vanishing Deep as much as Four Dead Queens, it was still an enjoyable read.  This book was told over a very short period of time, so if you’re not a fan of books told in the span of one day, this might not be the book for you.  I liked seeing Tempe race against time, trying to figure everything out.

I completely get why she’d want to revive her sister.  After they lost their parents, I get why she would want answers.  I think I would want answers too.  Tempe gets answers, but I don’t think they were the ones she was looking for.  Looking back, it wasn’t that surprising, but when I was reading the book, I just wanted to know more.  I liked seeing how things unraveled.

Not surprisingly, things aren’t what they seem, and Tempe and Elysea learn what happened to their parents, and the truth behind the revival process.  I don’t want to give it away, but it was interesting and horrifying at the same time.

The underwater ruins seemed really cool, and I wanted to know more about how things got to the point where the Great Waves destroyed everything.  I’m curious about how they survived on the water for…however long it’s been like that.  I feel like it wasn’t mentioned but maybe I just don’t remember it, if it was mentioned.  When the book takes place over the span of one day, you’re not going to get a lot of details.  And it’s also a stand-alone, so when the book ends, that’s it.

While I’m curious to know more, and I wonder what things are like for the characters after the book ends, I’m also glad there aren’t more.  It is perfectly contained in one book, and like her previous book, there are plenty of stories you could write in this world.  It’s another book I’d love to see as a movie- with 24 hours to get things taken care of, it would make for a fast-paced, action-packed movie.

3 stars.  I liked The Vanishing Deep.  While I wanted to know more about Tempe’s world, I also thought what we learned was horrifying and interesting.

Book Review: A House Of Rage And Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna

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Book: A House Of Rage And Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna

Published September 2019 by Sky Pony Press|336 pages

Where I Got It: I own the hardcover

Series: The Celestial Trilogy #2

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy

One kingdom. One crown. One family.

“Maybe it’s time the great House of Rey came to an end. After all, what are we now? Just a house of rage and sorrow.”

Esmae once wanted nothing more than to help her golden brother win the crown of Kali but that dream died with her best friend. Alexi broke her heart, and she vowed to destroy him for it. And with her sentient warship Titania beside her, how can she possibly fail?

As gods, beasts, and kingdoms choose sides, Alexi seeks out a weapon more devastating than even Titania. Past lives threaten the present. Old enemies claim their due. And Esmae cannot outrun the ghosts and the questions that haunt her. What really happened to her father? What was the third boon her mother asked of Amba? For in the shadows, lurking in wait, are secrets that will swallow her whole.

The House of Rey is at war. And the entire galaxy will bleed before the end.

I LOVED this book so much!  This was the book I didn’t know I was in the mood for but was glad I read it.  I definitely read it at the right time.

Esmae was so easy to relate to, and the grief and rage she felt the entire book was so easy to relate to.  It’s been a couple of year since my grandma died, but I’ve been missing her a lot lately, and this book really hit home right now.  How Esmae felt was so really, and I was a sobbing mess by the end of the book.  I feel like it happens so rarely now, but the rage and grief was there throughout the whole book.  The events of the last book really changed things for Esmae, and she is no longer the person she was in the first book.

I actually loved that we see if throughout the book.  It would have been very easy for it to not be included, but the author didn’t shy away from it.  It was really refreshing to see how present and visible it was.  There were so many different paragraphs and sentences that really resonated with me, and this book is so much better than the first book.

I really liked the first book, but this one really blew me away.  I felt like we really got into the story, and there are so many lies and so much betrayal that I didn’t know what to expect.  You think you know what’s going on, but the more time you spend in this world, the more you realize that you don’t know what’s real and what’s not.  This series is definitely under-rated, and I really wish it got more attention.

I loved that we got a few chapters from Titania’s POV!  I really like the relationship Titania and Esmae have, and Titania is a great character.  I know she’s a sentient ship, but Titania is pretty awesome, and I loved seeing things through her eyes.  That aspect of it made me think of the Binti novellas by Nnedi Okorafor.  Those are great reads, so I definitely recommend them if you haven’t read them.

As much as I loved this book, there are a couple of things I didn’t like.

For one thing, I kept forgetting that the book was set in space, and all of the places mentioned were individual planets, and not neighboring countries or territories.

And two, I couldn’t picture the different planets.  At all.  There’s not a lot of description, and because you’re seeing roughly one place on each planet, there’s a lot that you’re not seeing on the planets.  I think that’s why it felt like the places were neighboring countries instead of planets.

This story is definitely more about the characters and what they’re fighting for, but I would have liked a little more description of the places we see.  Still, it will be interesting to see how things play out in the last book.  There’s a lot going on, but I’m glad we have a list of characters at the beginning, because there are a lot of people to keep track of.  It was easier in this book, and I think it’s because of that cast of characters at the beginning.

5 stars.  I loved A House Of Rage And Sorrow, and this series is worth reading.