Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Publisher: Knopf Books

Publication Date: October 20th, 2015

Edition: ARC Pages: 599

Purchase: Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 stars)

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Summary

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. 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 enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. (goodreads)

What I Thought

I am blown away! This book was a glorious start to a new trilogy of epic space adventures. This book is relatively unique for a young adult novel because we start with a present day letter explaining that the information we are about to read has been gathered by the Illuminae group for an Executive Director Frobisher and all pertain to the events that occurred within the last year aboard the Alexander battle carrier and the other ships in its fleet. The story opens with interviews from our two main characters after the planet they lived on was attacked and they had to escape or be killed. Kady and Ezra are some sassy, intelligent teenagers and handle every thing that comes at them as well as you would expect. I love their relationship and that even though they have recently ended their romantic relationship they still care deeply for each other.

What sets this book apart from others in the sci-fi genre is that it isn't told in a narrative writing style. The whole story of the events on the Alexander fleet is told through a compilation of documents that the Illuminae group has collected in a dossier. There are medical files, interviews, chat room transcripts, forms, diary entries, emails, schematics, military fiiles, surveillance summaries, and information from the ship's computer system AIDAN. The battle sequences have beautifully designed typography and  are so fun to read. This book may be almost 600 pages but it flies by! So much goes on in this book and it is such a fantastic ride!

Finally, that ending though?! So awesome! There is a great twist, that isn't quite a cliff hanger (in my eyes) as much as it is a promise of more shenanigans and good times to come! You should definitely keep this book on your radar and pick it up when it comes out in October!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Genre: Adult Epic Fantasy

Publisher: Penguin Group/DAW

Publication Date: March 27, 2007

Edition: Audio Book/eBook Pages: 662

Purchase: Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 stars)

Summary

My name is Kvothe, pronounced nearly the same as "quothe." Names are important as they tell you a great deal about a person. I've had more names than anyone has a right to. The Adem call me Maedre. Which, depending on how it's spoken, can mean The Flame, The Thunder, or The Broken Tree.

"The Flame" is obvious if you've ever seen me. I have red hair, bright. If I had been born a couple of hundred years ago I would probably have been burned as a demon. I keep it short but it's unruly. When left to its own devices, it sticks up and makes me look as if I have been set afire.

"The Thunder" I attribute to a strong baritone and a great deal of stage training at an early age.

I've never thought of "The Broken Tree" as very significant. Although in retrospect, I suppose it could be considered at least partially prophetic (Patrick Rothfuss).

What I Thought

I am blown away by this book! I had heard so many interesting things and people saying they loved this book but I just couldn't commit to the time it would take to read it and be able to keep up with it (during the school year and being my first year teaching I had minimal time to read during the week). So I decided that I would preview the audio book and see if I would enjoy that, spoiler: I did! Now I did get the kindle copy and audible book combo so I could switch back and forth and I am really glad I did because with an epic fantasy there are interesting names, vocabulary, and places that the audio book were great for helping with pronunciations but being able to see them in print was wonderful as well. I mainly listened to this book on the ride to and from work (about an hour a day) and where ever else I needed to go. It took a while to get through but I LOVED it!

This story is so rich in it's world building and unbelievably well crafted. Kvothe is a fascinating character and the way the story is crafted it feels like you are listening right along with Chronicler, reading over his shoulder as he pens the story that Kvothe now tells. The book is mainly Kvothe recounting the events of his life and how he came to study at the University to become an arcanist, basically a wizard to the average layperson in the story. The magic system in this book isn't as simple as waving a wand though, it is an art of different disciplines known as Sympathy, Sygaldry, Alchemy, and Naming. This makes the magic system complex but so very interesting! The Name of the Wind is a beautiful coming of age story about a traveling troupe kid that wants to go to the University so he can learn the name of the wind and be able to control the wind like Taborlin the Great from the legends. Kvothe's story is one of happiness, heart break, survival, friendship, and competition. There is humor and shenanigans but also a lot of serious events too. I was drawn in by this story and have seriously loved every second of it! Kvothe has had an interesting life and The Name of the Wind is just the first day in his first full recounting of the actual events that he has faced and overcome in his life. Kvothe has heard the rumors about him and has even started a few of them, but now he is going to set the record straight.

It was really hard to put into words what makes this book special and wonderful. I am sure you can find more articulate reviews out there on this book on YouTube but hopefully you are able to get a better idea of the story from my thoughts above. I think this is a book everyone should give a go because it is an EPIC book. I can't even begin to fathom, or help someone else fathom, the enormity of this world but I can tell you I will read any book published about it. The glimpses of the history, culture, and politics that this book gives for the world are astounding and elaborate and I would read about the history of the world in this book alone all day long. Oh, and did I mention that there is a huge library in this book? Like Library of Alexandria huge! I appreciate that The Name of the Wind doesn't have a mile long cast of characters like most epics and I think that if you enjoy the fantasy genre that this should definitely be a contender for your TBR.

If you have any specific questions about the book that I haven't addressed please comment below and I will try to answer it!

Graphic Novel Wrap Up | #1

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona is a wonderfully fun and hilarious graphic novel about a villain and his new shapeshifter side-kick who starts to shake up the morals of Lord Ballister Blackheart so he can win for once. This graphic novel is a wonderful mix of sass, superhero/villain tropes, science, and symbolism. It is a great read for young and old because the art and writing is awesome and you can't help but to fall in love with the characters and fly through the book! I want more!







Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi 

The Stonekeeper is book one of the Amulet series and it is full of gorgeous art and a fantastic introduction to a story of Em and Navin who are drawn into another world in a quest to save their mother from creatures they never knew existed. In their quest they meet some interesting characters and are faced with a power bigger than themselves and the choices that power will force them to make. This is a solid start to an amazing story with an emphasis on the importance of family and I am pumped to find out what comes next!






Pawn Shop by Joey Esposito and Sean Van Gorman 
(I received this book via NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review)

Based on this cover alone I probably never would have picked up this graphic novel, it just doesn't draw my attention. I chose to request this eARC based on the synopsis "Pawn Shop is an original graphic novel about the intertwining lives of four strangers in the ecosystem of New York City, connected by the streets they walk on and the people they touch." I love NYC and stories that are told from different points of view but are all connected. This graphic novel has lovely art by Sean Van Gorman and was a quick read.


They're Not Like Us by Eric Stephenson, Simon Gane, and Jordie Bellaire
(I received this book via NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review)

This graphic novel was kind of confusing to me at the beginning. It feels like it starts in the middle of a scene and you have no background to understand the motivations of the characters. I can understand the merit of starting it that way because it does grab your attention and draws you in but it was kind of confusing to me. I do really like the diversity of the characters and the story is certainly interesting because of the relationships between these characters. This series is basically about a group of people who have various types of telepathy from the ability to read minds to the ability to see the future and how these people cope with being different than the "normals" around them.

June Reading Wrap Up!

I finished a total of 7 books in the month of June! This was a pretty diverse reading month for me. I read a political/historical fiction, a science fiction, a psychological thriller, a horror novel, two high fantasies, and a nonfiction book. Below are the titles and star ratings with links to The Book Depository and my reviews if applicable.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss               ★★★★★  
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas        ★★★★★  
Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs            ★★★★★                        (review)
Damage Done by Amanda Panitch                            ★★★★                             (buy) (review)
Survive the Night by Danielle Vega                           ★★★★★                         (buy) (review)
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera                    ★★★★★                         (review)
'89 Walls by Katie Pierson                                         ★★★                                 (review)

Damage Done by Amanda Panitch

Genre: YA Contemporary/Psychological Thriller

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: July 21st, 2015

Edition: ARC Pages: 292

Purchase: Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

Trigger Warnings: school shooting, incest, violence

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SUMMARY
22 minutes separate Julia Vann’s before and after.

Before: Julia had a twin brother, a boyfriend, and a best friend.

After: She has a new identity, a new hometown, and memories of those twenty-two minutes that refuse to come into focus. At least, that’s what she tells the police. (Goodreads)

WHAT I THOUGHT
This was a very compelling read! The writing was wonderful and the story had some great twists and turns in it that really kept you on the edge of your seat. I read this book in about 4 hours (with small breaks). Once the story got going I really couldn't put it down because I wanted to know if my inklings towards the plot were true.

The story follows Julia Vann, a high school student and her life after a shooting occurs at her high school in northern California. Julia is now Lucy Black and is living in southern California with her parents who have cultivated new identities for themselves to escape the media circus that surrounded their lives after the shooting. Julia is an unreliable narrator from the start and each chapter has your formulating a new explanation for why she is thinking the way she is and pulling apart all of her subtle hints and remarks. Though I found the direction of the story early on I was still blindsided by the ending! I was still guessing about a few things up until the very end.

I don't want to give too much away so I will just say: read it! It was a fun, thrilling read!

Survive the Night by Danielle Vega

Genre: YA Horror/Thriller

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: July 7th, 2015

My Edition: eARC Pages: 272

Purchase: Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 stars)

Trigger warnings: drug use/addiction

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

SUMMARY

Just back from rehab, Casey regrets letting her friends Shana, Julie, and Aya talk her into coming to Survive the Night, an all-night, underground rave in a New York City subway tunnel. Surrounded by frightening drugs and menacing strangers, Casey doesn’t think Survive the Night could get any worse... 

WHAT I THOUGHT

This book was insane! Fantastic dialogue, characters, and a mind blowing plot; Vega sure knows how to craft an epic YA horror novel! This book was seriously trippy and had shivers running down my spine on more than one occasion. Don't be surprised if you fly through this book in one sitting because it is totally worthy of a one sitting read. After Vega sets up the cast of characters and the plot the book starts to fly by and the last 100 pages are a complete blur, but an insanely wonderful blur! I absolutely loved this book!

I am at a loss for words that would adequately describe this book without giving away the finer points of the plot, seriously I didn't even post the full summary from Goodreads because I feel that it is a spoiler. I highly suggest you go into this book without knowing anything more than the above information and know that this book will take you on an insane journey!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publication Date: February 26th 2013

Edition: hardcover Pages: 328

Purchase: Book Depository
Rating: ★★★★★

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. (Goodreads)

What I Thought

I adored this book! The writing style and pacing were perfect. I really liked how the book flips between the perspectives of Eleanor and Park.Honestly, I had no words to describe why I loved this book at first, I just did. Now, it is sinking in that (minus the crazy stepdad and absent mother) I was very much like Eleanor when I was growing up. I didn’t wear the coolest clothes or even worry about the fact that I wasn’t wearing something ‘name brand’. I was always reading or listening to music, off in my own little world. I was bullied about stupid things and I internalized it all and never let it show. We are alike in those respects. Which is probably why this was such a great book for me, I love when I can relate to the characters and connect with them on an emotional level.

I loved the quirky relationship that Eleanor and Park had. It was awkward, it was sweet, it was funny. They had so much in common but still had their moments of conflict which made for hilarious banter. The ending for me was bittersweet. Though it was vague and left you guessing I think the book ended perfectly. It kind of lets you come up with the ending which is something I like. It does infuriate me sometimes that I don’t know what comes next for these characters but I find solace in the fact that they are happy.

Rainbow's writing and characters are to die for! I highly recommend this book!