Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Published March 22, 2011 by Philomel Books
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Review:  Between Shades of Gray is an important book for people to read because it brings awareness to a side of World War II that doesn't get a lot of attention.  The atrocities that were committed in concentrations camps, as terrible as they were, were not the only crimes committed during the war and those victims weren't the only victims. 

I honestly had no idea what was happening in Lithuania and other eastern European countries until I read Between Shades of Gray.  The work camps in Russia were just as horrible as the concentration camps but their history is nowhere near as well know.  I think Between Shades of Gray tells the stories of the victims of tyrannical government gracefully and with care.  It doesn't exploit their pain but it doesn't sugar coat it either. 

I really loved all of the characters, but in particular I greatly admired Lina's mother.  She is so strong and sacrifices literally everything she has to try and make things a little bit easier for her children.  She is amazingly strong and I admired her bravery.

Between Shades of Gray is a book that needs to be taught in schools.  It's the kind of book that will open your eyes to the horrors that don't make it into history courses.  These are the kinds of stories that need to be heard so we can remember the victims and so we can prevent things like this from happening in the future. 

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

#2 in the Infernal Devices series
Published December 6, 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
In magical Victorian London, orphan Tessa found safety with the Shadowhunters, until traitors betray her to the Magister. He wants to marry her, but so do self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem. Mage Magnus Bane returns to help them. Secrets to her parentage lie with the mist-shrouded Yorkshire Institute's aged manager Alyosius Starkweather.

Review:  I can't believe I actually liked a Cassandra Clare novel. I never thought I would see the day.  This is my fifth Cassandra Clare book and the first one I can say I honestly enjoyed.  Even though the main plot didn't really go anywhere (much like Clare's other middle books City of Ashes and City of Lost Souls) I wasn't bored, unlike the other middle books.    

Honestly, the character development in the Infernal Devices is so much stronger than in The Moral Instruments it feels like two different authors.  I don't understand how engaging the characters of The Infernal Devices can be and how flat and dull the characters are in The Mortal Instruments.  There are a lot of writing faults in The Infernal Devices.  The word "startlingly" is used way too much!  It's like Cassandra Clare thinks that everyone in Victorian England walked around jumping at literally everything they see "ooh your eyes are blue!",  "ooh you are handsome!", "ooh your skin is pale!".  Just stop, seriously, it's so bad.  I also feel that Will is incredibly anachronistic.  I know he's supposed to be a rapscallion, but the way he talks is just too modern. 

I thought the romance was really well done.  I mean, this is of course the over used love triangle trope, but The Infernal Devices is actually successful because we don't know who Tessa will choose.  Both Will and Jem are viable options and we as readers actually have to read the rest of the series to see what will unfold.  So even though Will was a huge idiot (seriously, didn't he ever think to I dunno, talk to someone about his issues?  Why would he just take everything he was told as the truth and believe it blindly?  I don't understand) and I don't thing Jem (my boo) has a snowballs chance in hell, I'm excited for clockwork princess.

Overall The Infernal Devices series is turning out to be leaps and bounds better than the Mortal Instruments.  If I may be completely truthful I would recommend just skipping the Moral Instruments all together and starting with Clockwork Angel.  You get the same characters and plot, but more interesting versions.

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

#1 in the Georgia Kincaid series
Published in 2007 by Kensington

3 stars

Goodreads Review
When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny. . .

Review:  Richelle Mead's writing is so fun and charming in The Vampire Academy series, and the same can be said for Succubus Blues.  I liked this, but it wasn't as awesome as Vampire Academy. My intuition about certain characters were correct but I was still surprised by the (depressing) ending. 

I do want to continue the story because I really do like Seth and I want to find out what happens to him. I tend to root for the beta males (I don't do that whole macho man thing, it's annoying and not sexy!) and I thought he was a compelling and charming character.  I'm not so sure I really like Georgina though, she could really use a backbone. No means NO!  However, I really liked that she's a flawed character.  So often the heroines of paranormal romance are sweet and innocent.  I liked that Georgina has a history but also tries to make the most of who she is and her situation.  She accepts herself, which is refreshing because so many paranormal main characters can't come to terms with their moral conflicts of their nature.

I really love Richelle Mead's writing.   The dialogue is snappy and fun and we get the added bonus of fun sex scenes!  Succubus Blues felt a lot lighter than some of her other books.  There was still a good plot and well developed characters, but overall things were more light hearted, fun, and sexy! 

Overall Succubus Blues is a fun adult urban fantasy.  I would recommend it for anyone who wants a quick paranormal romance with some snark and sass.  Succubus Blues is a great vacation or summer read!

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

 #3 in the Across the Universe Series
Published January 15, 2013 by Razorbill
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Review:  Shades of Earth is the best of the three in the series, especially the first half.  We start off with the shuttle crash landing on Centauri-Earth and tensions mount as the people break into two groups, Earthborn and Shipborn.  I thought the racism was really well done and I could totally understand Amy's frustration at being caught in the middle.  I did enjoy their first impressions of the planet. My mind was coming up with all kinds of theories about what was going on with this planet and what kind of dangers they would face. Unfortunately I felt like my imagination was bigger than the planet because I felt like what actually happened on the planet was a bit of a let down.

The twists weren't all the surprising, I pretty much called everything that was going to happen.  I didn't appreciate Amy's parents as much as I wanted.  Her dad was all military all the time, and was set up as an antagonist which I thought was a step back in terms of plotting and the character development of Amy.  Her mom had no personality and was there basically to just be the scientist so new plot elements could be revealed easily.  That too felt like a cop out.  I honestly found the plot to be really confusing.  I literally just finished the book and I was trying to explain it to a co-worker and I couldn't summarize it.  Something about corporate greed and slavery?  It felt like Beth Revis was trying to get allegorical but also trying to do it subtly and it just didn't come out in a clear way.

Also I thought the love triangle was ridiculous and completely unnecessary. I hated how jealous Elder got, your girlfriend is allowed to be friends with other guys, though I thought Amy handled the whole situation pretty well.  Amy and Elder's relationship as a whole didn't really work for me, and honestly I would have rather Amy choose herself and learn to live as her own independent person. Alas, what YA heroine ever gets to do that?

Overall the Across the Universe series improved with each book.  I really appreciated that Revis stepped away from the sexual assault and intimidation in the second book.  That was a plot device that I really hated, as well as the general sense of sex is scary and bad that was in Across the Universe.  I appreciated the different allegorical themes throughout the series, but I did think some were more successful than others.  I think Across the Universe addressed racism very well throughout the whole series, whether it was the shipborns not trusting Amy because she looked different or the earthborns thinking they were better than the shipborns.  I thought the theme of government control were well explored at the beginning of the series, but fell flat later on.  Finally I don't think the evils of corporate greed were written about in great depth.  That portion of the story felt rushed and very surface level.

I would recommend the Across the Universe series to people who are looking for a science fiction with a lot of parallels to our current society.  While the series didn't really work for me, I know that many will find it compelling and surprising.

The Last of Us Video Game Review

Released June 14, 2013
Rated M for Mature
Genre Action/Adventure, Survival Horror
Developed by Naughty Dog
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Playstation 3 exclusive

The Last of Us was one of the most hyped games of 2013 and after a solid week of playing at every free moment, I can report that the hype was most certainly deserved.  I actually bought a PS3 just so I could play The Last of Us and it is well worth it.  Even though I finished the game yesterday I already started a second play through, which I don't think I've ever done with a game.

Game Play

The game play of The Last of Us is simple yet efficient, with every weapon and skill usable throughout the entirety of the game.  I never found myself only using one weapon or tactic (which I often do as I get further into a game); I was constantly switching it up to best fit the situation.  There are many different ways of approaching a situation, and while the game is linear it still feels expansive. I also really appreciated the NPCs in this game.  They never were a burden and I never felt like I was doing a painful escort mission.  Much like Elizabeth in Bioshock Infinite, they were an asset, alerting me to danger and hidden supplies.

The pacing of the game was great.  There would be a scene of intense action or drama followed by a more mellow scene that allowed you to appreciate the beautiful world building and connect with Ellie.  I loved exploring the world because there was no compass showing you which way to go, I had to just pick a direction and start walking.  This type of free form exploration lead me to discovering a lot of wonderful hidden details in the game.  The collectibles are also really well done, they aren't just hidden items throughout the game, they are little bits of story that add to the ambiance. 

Another aspect that really adds to the overall feel of the game is the sound and music.  They knew exactly when to use background music to add emotional effect and when to strip it away.  Also the sounds the infected made were absolutely terrifying.  More so than the infected that were screaming and moaning, it was the infected standing in a corner just sobbing that would really get to me.

Story

To put it simply, the story of The Last of Us is amazing.  I won't post any spoilers, don't worry, but all I can say is wow.  I don't think a video game has ever made me question my own morals and ethics as much as The Last of Us.  None of the characters are all good or all evil, they're a mix of the two and that makes it feel so real. Ellie and Joel are great characters and I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow. 

In addition to the more personal relationships of the game I really enjoyed the apocalyptic scenario.  I thought it was a very interesting play on the zombie genre.  In The Last of Us the zombies are actually people infected with a parasite-like spore that takes over all motor functions (which is based on a real life fungus which is terrifying).  So the idea that the zombies you are fighting still have some amount of human consciousness is pretty horrific.  I also really liked how the government reacted to the infection and the resulting rebellion against the marshal law.  Whenever I read apocalyptic fiction I really want a firm world building, even if the focus is on the personal relationships between a few people, and The Last of Us really delivers on both fronts.

In conclusion, The Last of Us is one of the strongest video games to come out in the past five years.  The story, graphics, and game play all lend to an immersive and emotionally impacting experience.  The characters are all relatable, the world building on point, and an overall message that will stick with you long after you put the controller down.

10/10 - A standout game that will last the test of time.

October 2013 New Releases

Hi guys!  Sorry I'm a little late posting this, I got super sick (strep throat is no fun!).  But without further delay, let's discuss some of the October new releases!

October 1

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
#1 in the Legion series

Why I'm Excited:  Unbreakable is described as "Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code".  Um, yes!  A secret society of demon hunters?  Cool.











October 8

Emerald Green Kerstin Gier
#3 in the Ruby Red trilogy

Why I'm Excited:  First this cover is gorgeous!  But also this series as a whole is one of the most praised YA series out there.  Everyone I know who has read it just raves about how good it is.  Now that the series is complete I can marathon it!  There's also a movie of the first book that supposed to be really good (it's German because this series was originally written in German and I am waiting for the English release, obviously).






October 15

 Neverfade by Alexandra Bracken
#2 in The Darkest Minds series

Why I'm Excited:  Another YA series that has been getting a lot of hype and praise.  I never would have picked these books up based on cover appeal, but so many of my friends have loved these books that I am really interested in the series.









October 22

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
#3 in the Divergent series

Why I'm Excited:  Let's face it, this is probably the biggest release of October and probably one of the biggest releases of 2013.  Even though Insurgent was less than inspired for me, I am still excited to see how this series will play out.  I think I'll have to do a re-read of the whole series and marathon them back to back.  Maybe this will happen next year since the movie for Divergent will be coming out in March.







October 29

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa
#2 in The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten series

Why I'm Excited:  You all know I'm a big fan of Julie Kagawa's writing, whether it be about Fairies or Vampries.  I really enjoyed the Iron Fey series and this spin off sounds really great.  I'll have to dive into it soon.










Other Notable Releases

October 1 - The Enchanter Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
                     Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles
                     Blackout by Robison Wells
                     How to Love by Katie Cotungo
                     Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

October 8 - The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
                     The Eye of Minds by James Dasher
                     Tandem by Anna Jarzab
                      Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein

October 10  - Just One Year by Gayle Forman

October 15 - Across the Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

October 22 - Reality Boy by A.S. King

October 29 - Horde by Ann Aguirre

                      Altered by Gennifer Albin