Review || More Than This by Patrick Ness

More Than This by Patrick Ness ★★☆☆☆

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? The street seems familiar, but everything is abandoned, overgrown, covered in dust.

What's going on? Is it real? Or has he woken up in his own personal hell? Seth begins to search for answers, hoping desperately that there must be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife...

I am so torn. I really have no idea how to rate this book.

This entire review contains spoilers for this book. 
Turn back now if you haven't read it!

The first 160 pages of this book were so good. It was everything I wanted. Seth coming to grips with what had happened to him, us discovering what had lead him to this point. The bleakness, the loneliness.

And then the story twists. And at first, I was willing to play along. Because the first part had been so good.

But in the end, I mostly just feel betrayed.

I've seen people complain about the open-ended-ness of the conclusion. Which, I understand, but honestly, if you didn't see that coming from fifty pages away, I don't really know what to tell you.

Ness plays this game with you in the narrative. Is it real? Not real? Does it matter? (I want to make a Peeta Mellark joke here, I am restraining myself.) And while I can understand what he was going for, it's not a choice I respected. It started to feel like we were trying just a bit too hard.

Which is a real shame. Because there are moments of sheer brilliance hidden away in here. The first 160 pages, as I mentioned, but also the slow unraveling of what had happened. The dynamics and interplay between characters was so strong, so real. I would literally read an entire book about Tomasz.

And that's part of why I think I'm so torn. Because I am so disappointed. Even as we hit the weird Twilight Zone-esque happenings, I was still prepared to go along for the ride. But it just continued to devolve.

I was genuinely frustrated by this book as I finished it. Unsatisfied, not because of the open ending, but because of the wasted potential. This was not a book with answers. Which I get. But instead of being a poignant tale about a young boy coming to terms with his life and death, it ended up as a overwrought cliched mess.

Review || Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes ★★★☆☆

AURANOS - Privileged Princess Cleo is forced to confront violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse.

LIMEROS - The king’s son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father’s trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything.

PAELSIA - Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.

I don't know if it was the hype or that my expectations were too high, but this fell short for me.

Not that short, as you'll notice from the 3 star rating. But this book was just average for me. I liked it well enough but it never was amazing.

Maybe I'm comparing it harshly to its adult fantasy counterparts, but this felt overly simplistic to me. Things were very easy and convenient. I don't mean that as though the characters had it easy, because oh boy, that's the opposite of true. But for a book that set the stage to have a broad scope the whole thing felt very narrowly focused. Does that make any sense?

There were hints of the sweeping grandeur that you'd expect from fantasy, but it was never fully realized. Now, that said, this is the first of a planned series. It is very clearly the set up book for something more. And I don't mind that. I knew that going in.

And I liked this book well enough to want to know where this all goes. But I still had issues with it.

There were some really predictable plot points and deaths. On the flip side there were a few deaths that were very shocking. I'll be honest, the body count in this book is way higher than I expected! Which is something I really enjoyed (and also makes me sound like a psychopath).

The characters seem to lack depth. They're very reactionary. The plot happens to them instead of having them drive the plot. Now, you can argue that means there's room for growth, which I'm totally in for. And also that they're kids in the world of kings. Which is also true. But holy man, is every adult leader in this book super messed up or is that just me? I just found myself baffled by some of the choices made here.

There's also this weird pseudo-incest plot that I'm struggling with the necessity of. I mean, I get that A Song of Ice and Fire did it. But that never made any allusions that it was anything other than super messed up. Here it's sort of played of as (SPOILER) "She's not really your sister so.... that's okay."

Wait. What.

I just didn't find it necessary? (Though, admittedly, Magnus is not much as as a character if you take that away. Back to the lack of depth thing.)

And the ladies in this book. Ugh. Just. Why. I need Lucia to become a character in her own right. With her own complex motives. Right now, she's a walking plot device that occasionally talks. It's frustrating because I think she has so much potential. And Cleo... well, I understand her, but I don't particularly like her. I think given all the strife she's gone through at the end of this book, the set up is there for her to become very interesting. But for the most part she just wasn't doing it for me.

The other problem is that Rhodes has obviously tried to make everyone flawed and blur the lines between good and bad, it makes most of the main group of 4 hard to like. The girls suffer from being walking plot devices most of the time. I want to like Jonas but he keeps being stupid. And I have no idea why everyone has their knickers in a twist for Magnus.

I'm the most interested in Alexius, to be honest. For all the screen time he doesn't have. The whole Watchers thing is immensely intriguing.

Anyway. A decent enough start that I'll be reading book 2. I've heard it gets better and I'm hoping that holds true. We'll see.

Review || It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini ★★★☆☆

Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life--which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job--Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy.

At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He starts earning mediocre grades and sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping--until, one night, he nearly kills himself.

Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new roommate is an Egyptian schoolteacher who refuses to get out of bed. His neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.

General spoilers for the book in this review. 

Read at your own risk!

I liked this book.

But that's about as far as it goes. Just "like". 3 stars.

What starts off as a raw and honest look at depression gets a little derailed by romantic entanglements by the end.

Craig is relateable. Overwhelmed by academic pressures and spiraling into suicidal thoughts. I understand the pressures he is experiencing, because I too was concerned about my grades--though not nearly to the same extent. I saw a bit of myself in Craig, and at times it made my gut churn.

The book offers a relatively realistic look at therapy and hospitalization. (I say this given my limited experience with both, but having seen some of the process because my mother deals with both anxiety and depression.) However, despite Craig's understanding that this is only the beginning upon his discharge, five days seemed like an unrealistic turn around time. Though, I did appreciate the open endedness.

Craig's family is another one of the high points for me in this book. Wonderfully supportive and doing the best they can to help. It was nice to see.

Still, the book is not without flaws. The treatment of a trans* character in this book was deplorable and made me very uncomfortable. What's worse was that it didn't really seem to do anything to further the story. It was just a throwaway moment for... what? Comedy? Supremely unfunny.

And I think the whole thing would've been stronger without any of the romance. Sure, including Craig getting over Nia is an important step in his recovery, but I don't think he needed to make out with her in the hospital.

Noelle seemed to be a last minute love interest thrown in for the sake of Craig having some prize to obtain at the end of his struggle. She shows a lot of potential during her few short appearances, but is generally done a disservice by the narrative.

So. 3 stars. I liked it. I'd encourage others to give it a try and see for themselves.

Review || Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart (Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson ★★★★☆

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

Sanderson knocks it out of the park again for me. Though very different from The Rithmatist this book has a lot going for it.

Some people will find this book more accessible, because even though Sanderson still builds his world, it's much subtler. The book is fast paced and full of pulse pounding action. In fact, I ended up finishing it by accident. I had only intended to read the next section, but got caught up in everything.

This twist on "superheroes" reminded me a lot of Vicious in places. Yes, the Epics are evil, but the Reckoners aren't exactly good either. David is obsessed with revenge. Some of the team has questionable morality. At least two of them are hiding massive secrets...

Steelheart ends up being more of a mystery book than you'd expect. The central plot is trying to take Steelheart down. But in order to do that, the Reckoners must find his weakness--every Epic has them, and they're often bizarre. As the plot unspools, you start to construct your own theories about what's going on and how Steelheart might finally be defeated. And I have to admit, I guessed wrong!

Still, being wrong didn't detract from the enjoyment of that final epic showdown at the end of the book. There were several plot twists that were incredibly shocking. I didn't see them coming at all!

That said, not a perfect book for me. This is very plot driven instead of character driven. Which is fine, since the plot is awesome, but David in particular didn't really do anything for me. I mean, I certainly understood him as a character, but I never connected with him. And his ridiculous insta-crush on one of the female Reckoners was obnoxious.

But the same goes for most of the main Reckoners cast. They all definitely had implied Pasts, capital P necessary, but they were all still relatively two-dimensional.

I like to have some investment in my cast of characters. I want to feel like I know them. There was a major character death near the end of the book that didn't make me tear up even a little bit. I felt fairly detached from everyone.

Still. This was a great book. I'm fast becoming a Sanderson fan. And if you're looking to jump into his work but are intimidated by the thought of his complex worldbuilding, I'd start here. (I love complex worldbuilding myself, so I feel like if I had to rank them, I liked The Rithmatist better than Steelheart, but I'm definitely in for book 2.)

Series Review || Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi ★★★☆☆

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

When I decided on a whim to try marathoning another series, I'm glad I picked this one. It was quick, fun and action-packed.

I made an impromptu library run with my sister during the Bout of Books 10.0 readathon and saw that book Through the Ever Night and Into the Still Blue were in. With book 1 sitting at home on my shelf, I decided to stray from my TBR and do another trilogy marathon.

It ended up being a good choice. Under the Never Sky suffers a bit from being book 1 in a tentative trilogy. And by that I mean, some of the super important resolution stuff near the end felt like I was going through it with the remote on fast-forward. Like Rossi was trying to cram in a bunch of resolution and denouement into as few pages a possible, to tease at a sequel but without having to commit to one necessarily.

Book 2 picks right up where book 1 sort of vaguely left you hanging. But by this point, it's clear there's going to be more, because book 2 is all about the set up. Not that important things don't happen here, but it's obvious there's a larger goal, a larger scope to the conflict here.

Book 3 then takes you through that conflict. And though I felt parts of Into the Still Blue were not quite as smooth narratively as they could've been, it was still a darned good conclusion to the trilogy.

All right. But at 4 stars, I did enjoy the series, but I never really loved it. I never got quite as invested in the characters and the world as I did in marathoning another series. I felt a lot of the time that I was sitting above everything, skimming the surface, instead of being as fully immersed as I could've been.

Part of this, I think, is that I didn't actually really like Perry that much. And with dual perspectives, half of the trilogy is in his voice. I've had a hard time pinning down exactly what it was I didn't like about him. And I will admit, that as the trilogy progresses, he grew on me. But he was never a swoon worthy love interest for me. All the more power to you, Aria, you go get him...

I'll just be over here with Roar.

I almost think that's the problem there. You can either be a Perry-person or a Roar-person. And I am definitely Team Roar. Now, I don't want to imply that there's a love triangle here, because that is the furthest thing from the truth with this series (thank god). Aria and Roar's friendship was one of the highlights of the series for me. But there was something about Roar as a character that I clicked with better than with Perry.

Regardless, I did truly enjoy Aria as a character, though. She was interesting, flawed, strong and stubborn. She was smart and very capable as the series progressed. She was a solid female lead and I appreciated her as a character.

The series also does a great job at portraying complex friendships and relationships. There were a lot of varied dynamics between the many characters. And spread out over the course of a whole trilogy, it was very interesting to see how those characters and their relationships changed.

The worldbuilding here is also interesting. It's a different mix. Aria's world is highly technological. Perry's world is not. The contrast was striking. That combined with the ever-present threat of the Aether meant there was bit of mental adjusting that needed to go on to get used to all the terms and realities of this complex world. That said, there was still some stuff that I think only barely scratched the surface. There were parts of the world and mythos and culture that was hinted at in places, but never fully explored. And things that were brought up when convenient to the plot and then dropped when not.

Lastly, despite all the build up and then desperate desire to find the Still Blue, I never really felt that the stakes were high. Or, at least, certainly not as high as they should've been.

People die in this trilogy, don't get me wrong, but those who do aren't really main characters. They are side characters that you've grown attached to, but the emotional impact of their deaths wasn't really there. It was a weak spot in the narrative, I think. There could have been more major casualties.

But even as I was racing through the second half of Into the Still Blue, I never really expected to get anything other than a happy ending. Even as Perry was lost and Sable was inflicting his brutality, I still knew it would all get nicely and neatly tied up with a bow by the end. And I wasn't wrong.

But that expectation, set by the narrative, sort of weakened some of the final dramatic moments of the trilogy. Because it didn't do anything to surprise me. Not really.

Regardless, it was still immensely fun and completely worth it. I'm really glad to have read the series. I'd definitely recommend giving it a go, especially if you like your dystopians fast-paced.

Review || 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad ★★★☆☆

It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever.

Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.

I'm still a little torn about this book. Because I liked it--parts of it, anyway. But it never really quite delivered in the ways I thought it was going to.

I'd heard a lot of good things about this book going in. Most of all that it was terrifying and creepy. I was ready to be thoroughly scared. But those terrifying moments never really came. The atmosphere was never developed the way it would've needed to be to really scare me. The writing was awkward at times, but I'm willing to let that go with a "lost in translation" explanation.

I'll be honest, the concept here is fabulous. And Harstad drops enough ominous hints, like breadcrumbs, throughout the set up of the plot. Especially as things started happening on the moon, I was ready to know what the heck was up there and what was going on.

When the big reveal happens though, it's sort of disappointing. Again, the concept here is great (and terrifying!) but the execution just didn't deliver. A lot of the explanation for things was really awkwardly hand waved away, which lead to the appearance of some glaring plot holes. And more than that, it was just genuinely disappointing.

I like my explanations. I like to know how and why. What little we got was basically just info-dumped on us--with a monologuing character. I guess this was just lighter sci-fi than I'd been expecting.

I could have maybe forgiven the hand waving explanations if there had been a really solid cast of characters. And again, the potential was there. Especially given that we spend a large chunk of the beginning of the book getting to see who these people are. But then the book decides to do some awkward and bizarre time skips. Like, we spend quite a bit of time seeing the three teens and their lives before they win, but then we completely skip over all of their training at NASA. We never see the relationships develop between them, or them getting to know the rest of the crew. They're just thrust into space.

But more than that, I found all the characters flat and underdeveloped. I never really found myself attached or caring about anyone. Not until the very end.

(Here be spoilers!)

Mia's letter on the last page of the book almost reduced me to tears. It was the first time I'd actually felt something for any of the characters and I think it was one of the parts of the book that was just brilliantly executed.

The vagueness of the whole ending sort of aggravated me as well. What actually happened on Earth afterwards? How did they stop the doppelgängers? I need to know more! I'm okay with open endings, but this wasn't even remotely closed as far as I'm concerned.

Though, I will give the book this--I was totally impressed with the body count. I did not expect everyone to die. I thought that was a bold move and I really respected this book because of it. (I felt a little like a psychopath thinking about that though, "Oh, this was a good book--everyone died." Oops.)

One thing I really did enjoy about the book, though, was the mixed media. Throughout the book there were ads, schematics and even real photos from the moon. It was a nice touch and added some atmosphere to the lackluster writing.

At the end of the day, I feel like this was more a 2.5 star book than 3 stars. I liked parts of it, but most of it was just okay. I think it's worth a try, if that means anything, but for me it fell short of my lofty expectations.

Review || The Program by Suzanne Young

The Program (The Program #1) by Suzanne Young ★★☆☆☆

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them

I handed this book off to my sister this afternoon having promised she could read it when I was done with it. And the first thing she asked me was, "How was it?"

My reaction was, "Ehhhhh?" and to shrug.

So, I feel like that conveys my reaction to this. Hence the 2-star "it was okay" rating.

The concept is interesting but the execution for the most part fell really flat for me. I felt like the strongest part of the book was the beginning, for me. Getting to know Sloane and James, who their friends are, what they've been through, how they're not allowed to grieve properly for fear of being flagged by The Program. It was actually rather poignant in places. And the real depth of their sorrow came through.

But as things progressed, I never really felt attached to anyone. A lot of the exposition in the middle ends up being a lot of "telling" instead of "showing"... which I understood as a device for the narrative (Sloane is baring all to her psychologist) but it never drew me in.

I found the boys in this book rather problematic as well. James, in the beginning, was fine, but as the book progressed I was really confused by his behaviour. Realm is a complex character, but does some horrific things (to Sloane in particular) and then because of how the narrative is framed (and how the plot device works) he's still portrayed as one of the "good guys". I had a really hard time with that.

It's clear that there's more going on here than meets the eye. Realm's behaviour midway through the book gives that away. But it's frustrating because, as I suppose I should've expected, nothing is really resolved at the end of this book. Yes, it's a duology, and yes, I know the intent of the ending is to make me want to keep reading. But everything is so vague and unclear. And instead of it being compelling it was annoying.

As is the norm with most YA dystopians, our heroes are off to join a secret rebellion group at the end of the novel. They'll probably take down the government or something in The Treatment. But it all feels so... unrealistic. I can suspend my disbelief, but there's a limit.

To be fair, this book didn't go down the way I expected it to. But if you're looking for complexity, you'll not find it here. This is a typical one-dimensional YA tale with little depth. I'll probably pick up book 2, just to find out what the heck is actually going on, but it certainly won't be at the top of my list.

Review || Arranged by Catherine McKenzie

Arranged by Catherine McKenzie ★★☆☆☆

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.

After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service, and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it-and the company's success rate-the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?

2.5 stars. Which is really disappointing, because the first half of this book was definitely 4 star material for me. Listen, chick-lit is not usually my thing at all. But I had this weird craving and this popped up under the recommendations after I'd read Attachments. So, hey, why not? The premise is interesting and I was especially intrigued because I actually have a cousin who decided to go the arranged marriage route because of cultural tradition. And the first half of this book was everything I wanted it to be. Light, fluffy, adorable. It was exactly what I was in the mood for. I read half of it in one sitting. And then life got in the way and I had to wait several days to pick it back up again. And then I read the rest in another sitting. But instead of all the stupid grinning fluff that I'd been anticipating, the book took a turn. Even before the much touted "plot twist" I was starting to become disillusioned with the whole thing. Spoilers ahead! (Highlight to read) I became very disillusioned with Jack, in particular. Even before his "sinister motives" were uncovered, he was kind of being a douche? Like, he kept pushing Anne into all of these adventures that were really not her style. And instead of it coming off as him trying to help her get outside of her comfort zone, it ended up being coming across as him being really pushy and selfish. Seriously dude, the day of her book release is actually more important than you getting an adrenaline rush white water rafting. I just. What. I had a really hard time with the fact that all this behaviour was played off as "romantic". Because it was really a lot of Jack not caring about Anne's wishes and bullying her into consent. Which. No. And then with his book, I was ready to have him kicked to the curb! Which happened... but only temporarily. And then all of Anne's friends were suddenly like, "Oh, read the finished book, he's changed it." And then they get back together?! No. No no no. Listen, I like my fairy-tale endings as much as everyone else. But Jack was a manipulative, lying jerk. (There's a lot stronger language I'd like to use here, to be honest.) Do we not get the irony of Anne actually saying that the next book she's writing the heroine isn't going to be saved by a guy. And then that's exactly what happens here? UGH. No. It's really too bad that it ended this way. Because the first half was such fun. But I would've much preferred a non-reconciliation ending. Overall, this ends up on my "i-wanted-to-like-this" shelf. So.

Review || These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner ★★★★☆

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

This book completely took me by surprise. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It's sort of been on my radar for a while now, but I'd been putting it off--or, at least, it wasn't very high on my priority list.

A lot of people have been describing this as "Titanic-in-space". And, admittedly, I wasn't really super intrigued by the comparison. Hence, the putting it off.

You guys, if that is the only thing holding you back from reading this, do yourself a favour and forget that comparison immediately. And then go out and acquire a copy of this book.

While "Titanic-in-space" isn't inaccurate per se, it completely fails to capture the essence of this book. Yes, we have two young people from different social castes thrust together by circumstance. Yes, the ship they're on goes down. But that all happens relatively quickly in the book.

What the comparison fails to illustrate is the aftermath of all of this. Lilac and Tarver have to learn to work together, live together, survive together. To trust each other. To become dependent on each other. The writing and the mood of this story is just superb. Completely unlike anything I've read in YA sci-fi. 60 pages in, I was muttering to myself, "I am super into this..."

There's this fascinating balance that evolves between Tarver and Lilac as the story progresses. At first, it seem inequitable, because Tarver is the experienced one and Lilac's high society upbringing does her no good. But they have to lean on each other throughout this novel. As we learn more about them, each of them has their own strengths (and their own weaknesses). It was a really refreshing relationship.

And oh, the slow burn. What develops between them is fragile and precarious, but it's tension done so well. I am definitely more of a drawn-out-romance kind of girl and this book just hit all the right notes for me.

The back and forth narrative between the perspectives was well done as well. But what really stood out for me was Tarver's interrogation scenes that prefaced each chapter. Just those few lines of simple dialogue were so well crafted and intriguing.

That said, it wasn't a perfect book for me. The ending, while really cool, seemed a bit anti-climatic upon reflection. After all the building and all the mystery, it was almost disappointing in its resolution.

And then... there are my thoughts on some super spoilers. (Highlight to read.)

I don't know, I think the book almost would've been more compelling for Lilac to have been dead and stay dead. It was a huge blow to me. I was reading at school on my prep and was like, "You can't do this to me! I can't cry over this book at school!" It was just so good. So unexpected.

Though, admittedly, I also have no idea how you'd get Tarver out of this situation without Lilac. Not only was she instrumental in the distress signal, but in Tarver's motivation too. I really liked seeing Tarver slipping into a haze of depression without Lilac--too often I think grief and mourning get brushed aside in YA.

So, I don't know how it all would've worked out, so I understand the choice the authors' made. But still.

Overall, this book was so good. I had no idea what was going to happen to these characters and how this was all going to get resolved. It was the best kind of tantalizing, all around.

If you're into YA sci-fi, definitely check it out.

Review || Winger by Andrew Smith

Winger by Andrew Smith ★★★★☆

Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

If you're not a teeny bit in love with this book after that cartoon I don't know what else to tell you.

Littered with adorable cartoons from the main character (courtesy of Sam Bosma) and the undeniably accurate toilet-humour narrative that comes with having a 14 year old protagonist, Winger is an experience from beginning to end.

Ryan Dean is so multifaceted it's hard to describe him. He's crude, crass and perverted. He's brilliant, nerdy and funny. Loyal. Immature. A great friend. A terrible friend. Confident, yet unsure. He's a well rounded human being. And his narrative is occasionally so laugh out loud funny I actually needed a moment to catch my breath. He draws graphs comparing how much brain power he's spending thinking certain thoughts alternating from 'oh god that girl is touching me' to 'I have to pee'. I'm serious.

Smith has capture the voice of a 14 year old boy with perfection. Ryan Dean's story is one about figuring out not only who you are, but who your friends are. It was a captivating ride.

My only complaint centres around the ending of the book. I'm going to hide a few spoilers here in case you want to know my thoughts (highlight to read).

I get that tragedy is abrupt. It was not so much the abruptness of Joey's death that bothered me. I thought that was done quite well. When I read the mini-chapter in which they find his body, I actually had to set the book down for a moment. It was one of those horrible moments where you knew what was coming but so desperately wanted for it to not be true.

That, I thought, was done well. But what I took issue with was how abruptly the rest of the book tapered off to a close. I would've liked to see more coping. Dealing with tragedy and grief. More details of Ryan Dean's self-imposed silence and of his support network. More of him coming together with Chas and Kevin to form a friendly bond. The rugby team at the funeral. More of the consequences and fallout from closing O-Hall. All that.

I get that the book was pushing 450 pages as it was, but I don't know. I think how you deal with that is just as important.

Part of me wonders if that will be dealt with in the apparent sequel that has been announced in the time since I picked up the book. But given that the synopsis says it'll deal with senior year, that doesn't seem too likely.

Regardless of my quibbles, this was a great book. Not a perfect one, but something fun and different to my usual fare. Definitely enjoyable and definitely recommended.

Review || Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu ★★★☆☆

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

If Legend was 3.5 stars rounded up, I think Prodigy would have to be 3.5 stars rounded down. But still 3.5, don't get me wrong.

There was so much about this book that I really liked. Revolutions! Covert operations! Shades of moral grey! More conspiracies! But the pacing was just not doing it for me. The book never really gripped me until the last 80 pages or so. But because it was so late in the book the whole climax felt a little rushed.

That said this was a book that I did enjoy overall. I marathoned this book all weekend and am really glad I had it on hand to pick up right after I finished Legend. As I mentioned in the Legend review, it was so clear that this was a series. Prodigy almost literally picks up right where Legend left off. If you haven't started this series yet, I'd recommend picking up at least these first two books as a set and reading them back-to-back. It helped the overall flow for me.

But with the way Prodigy ends, I'm not entirely sure what exactly we're going to be left doing in Champion? Sure, the ending is open and ambiguous. And there is one final little twist thrown in right at the very end--but that almost seems like an afterthought? And I'm not entirely convinced that the plot of Champion is going to be centred around it?

Another dislike... or maybe you could call it a squick... Some of the "relationships" that pop up in this book (and are in Legend as well) are just really not doing it for me. Day and June are not even 16. Tess is 13, and while I could buy her thing for Day being written off as puppy love, it's sort of presented as almost a legitimate option in the narrative for a bit? And that's just. No. I can't. The same with June and Thomas. Thomas is implied to be Metias' age, right? He's at least 18 but is probably close to a decade older. He's not really a viable option, but the narrative doesn't play the age thing off as all that creepy. Nope. No. Just don't.

Even Anden's thing for June sort of squicks me a bit. Not as much for whatever reason, but she's fifteen.

That said, a lot of that could be fixed with aging some of these characters up. Have June and Day be 18. I'm not sure exactly why they're 15. It's not really that crucial to the plot? Regardless.

One final thing I need to mention, but this time as a total plus. (Highlight for spoilers)

THE COLONIES. Oh my gosh. The digs at capitalism. AH. It was just so good. I had to pause a few times and slap my hand over my mouth. I cannot even explain. It was just so wonderful. Such a good twist!

Overall, still enjoyable, but it's sort of not really meeting all my expectations? I have to wait a bit for Champion now because I'm third on a hold list at the public library. I'll be happy to have read this series, but it's not really shaping up to be a favourite. Which is slightly disappointing.