I liked this book even though I didn’t love it. This is one of those books that leaves This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I liked this book even though I didn’t love it. This is one of those books that leaves you questioning what is real and I would recommend trying to go into this story as blindly as possible. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I would realize that I didn’t understand a thing. Unfortunatly, this often left me feeling confused but that may not be such a bad thing because the story definitely was able to keep me guessing.
Proctor Bennett is a ferryman which means that he helps people on their final journey or retirement. When he is assigned to do this for his own father things take a turn when his father tells him something that leaves him questioning everything. I did not see coming and I was kind of amazed by the direction that the story went and I liked the fact that this book was able to completely surprise me.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that both of the narrators did a great job with their vocal performances. I thought that both of their voices fit the story well and I liked the fact that they were both able to add just the right amount of emotion to their reading. I thought that both of their voices were very pleasant and I had no problem listening for hours at a time.
I do think that a lot of readers will enjoy this one even more than I did. This was a well-done science fiction tale that kept me questioning everything until the very end. I do hope to read more of this author’s work sometime soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Ballantine Books and Penguin Random House Audio....more
I thought that this book was really well done! It is a shorter book at 240 pages but I This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I thought that this book was really well done! It is a shorter book at 240 pages but I felt that it told a big story. I was very curious about what might be causing the disappearances of the mothers in this strange little town. Vera was a great character and I enjoyed seeing her experiences as she navigated life in her community. I am glad that I gave this one a try.
In the town that Vera has always lived in many of the mothers have a mysterious affliction in which they disappear. This doesn’t happen to all the mothers and nobody knows why it happens at all. Did they love their children too much? not enough? After they are gone, the townspeople gather up all of their belongings to be passed on to other community members, and all of their photos will be burned leaving no sign of them after they are gone. Vera’s own mother disappeared when she was a child and she fears that it will happen to her as she becomes a mother.
This story grabbed my attention quickly. The story took a few turns that I did not expect which is always a plus. The story covers a lot of years and I enjoyed seeing Vera change and grow over the years. Vera was a great character and I really wanted to see good things happen in her life. I thought that the story was well written and I liked the dystopian setting. I will definitely be recommending this one to others and look forward to reading more of this author’s work.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Celadon Books.
Initial Thoughts This was really well done. I was drawn into the story almost immediately and was soon captivated by Vera's story. This strange little town with its disappearing mothers proved to be very interesting. I must say that I was quite taken by Vera's story. ...more
I thought that this book was slow, although slow-moving at times. If you have been follThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I thought that this book was slow, although slow-moving at times. If you have been following my reviews for very long, you probably already know that I just can’t seem to pass up a good end of the world story so I jumped at the chance to listen to this novella. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of this future world that has been forever impacted by climate change.
Reid lives in a community where everyone works to contribute to the group’s survival. She has just received a letter that she has been accepted to a university which she feels is a huge honor. Her mother is not convinced and thinks that Reid needs to stay and do her part for the community. Living is hard and resources are scarce. Electricity is a thing that only a few remember. Reid and her mother also deal with the challenge of an infection that can not only take but have an influence on their lives.
For the most part, this was a slower character-driven story. I enjoyed spending time in Reid’s head as she works to make the decision that will set the course of her life. She wants to take the chance but she also wants to make her mother happy. There was a little bit of action before the book drew to a close and those scenes really helped to illustrate just how difficult life can be.
I thought that the narrator did a great job with this story. I believe that this is the first time that I have listened to her work but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up more of her work in the future. I liked her voice and thought that did a great job with the characters.
I would recommend this book to others. This was a wonderful shorter listen set in a very interesting dystopian world. I would not hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this audiobook from ECW Press via Libro.fm.
Initial Thoughts This was good although a little slow moving at times. Reid lives in the future where the world looks quite different due to climate change. When she receives the opportunity she must decide if she should take it or stay with her mother and the rest of the community who need every hand available. The narration was very well done....more
I thought that this was very well done. I had heard some good things about Franklin HorThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I thought that this was very well done. I had heard some good things about Franklin Horton's writing and was in the mood for a post-apocalyptic story so I was thrilled to get the chance to listen to the first book in the Mad Mick series. This was a pretty quick read for me but I think that one of the things that made it feel like such a quick read was the fact that I didn't want to stop listening once I started. I was completely entertained by this story.
This book is set in a place where everyone is on their own after a terrorist attack takes down the United States. Conor and his daughter, Barb, are doing okay and can deal with most situations. That is until Barb is kidnapped by a group that uses women as slave labor among other things. Barb is outnumbered and must think of the other women in the group that were also taken. Barb knows that her dad will come for her and just tries to hold out until then.
I thought that the set up of this book was really well done. It was very clear who the bad guys were in this story but I liked that fact that we are given some background for them so that we can understand their motivation. Conor is a great character and I love the fact that he is willing to work in some grey areas when that is what is necessary. Barb was tough and smart and more than able to handle herself. I also thought that Ragus really stood out to me and I think that his character had the most growth over the course of the story. He was really the hero of the story in so many ways.
This was the first time that I have had the chance to Kevin Pierce's narration but I really enjoyed his work. I think that he did a fantastic job with a wide range of characters and I thought that the dialogue sounded quite natural. This was an exciting story and I thought that his presentation really added to the tone of the book. He has a very pleasant voice that was really easy to listen to for hours at a time.
I would recommend this series to others. I thought that this was an exciting book set in a world where surviving can be a struggle and neighbors can prove to be deadly. I can't wait to read more of Franklin Horton's work!
I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom.
Initial Thoughts I thought that this was well done. The world has changed after terror attacks crippled the United States. There is no government and there are no rules. Most people are just trying to survive while others are brutally taking advantage of the situation. Conor, known as the Mad Mick, refuses to let any harm come to those he loves. Conor is like a one-man army and his focus is not only on protecting those under his protection but revenge on those who would cause them harm. I thought that this book was exciting and the narrator did a great job with the story....more
I didn't like this book at all. I thought about abandoning the book pretty early on andThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I didn't like this book at all. I thought about abandoning the book pretty early on and those thoughts seemed to pop up over and over with increased frequency. I don't know why I just didn't give up on this book and move on to something that I would enjoy more but for some reason, I kept pushing myself to keep listening for just a little bit more. I do think that this is a book that some readers will really enjoy but it wasn't the book for me and I should have stopped as soon as I started considering it.
I found this book to be rather confusing at times. As I was trying to get into the book, I often found myself having to back up the audio to listen to sections again in an attempt to make sense of the story. Things happen that really make little to no sense and the story shifts time and place without a lot of explanation. There were times that multiple versions of the same character were in a scene which just added to the confusion. I had a hard time following the storyline at times.
I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. Freddy, Mel, and Roland were the most likable characters in the book but I never really felt any kind of connection to them. Mel and Roland play large roles in parts of the book but are absent in a large portion of the story. Josiah and Cuerva Lachance were incredibly strange. Cuerva Lachance may win the prize for the strangest character that I have read in all of her various forms. Josiah was hard to trust and it always seemed that he was hiding important things from Freddy. Freddy was the main character of the story and while we spend a lot of time in her head I still didn't feel like I truly understood her at the close of the book.
I did enjoy the narration. This was the first time that I have listened to Eileen Stevens and I thought she did a good job with the book. Honestly, her narration is probably the reason that I continued to listen to the book even when I realized it wasn't going to work for me. She did an excellent job with all of the character voices and her voice was very pleasant to listen to. I would not hesitate to listen to her narration again in the future.
I will not be recommending this book to others. There were parts of the book that I did like a lot more than others. I thought that the opening scene was well done and I generally liked all of the scenes with Freddy, Mel, and Roland a lot more than the parts of the book where the characters were twisting around in time. I do think that other readers may have a very different reaction to this book and may really enjoy it. I would say to give it a try if you think the concept sounds like something you would enjoy.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Blackstone Audio, Inc. via Audiobook Jukebox.
Initial Thoughts Let's just say that I didn't like the book. At all. The narrator was good and there were some parts that were more interesting that others but as a whole this was not an enjoyable experience. The book was confusing to the point that I had to keep going back over parts to try to make sense of them. I found sections of the book to be incredibly boring and I never cared about any of the characters. Pretty early on in the book, I did consider abandoning the book but pushed myself on. I think I thought about marking the book as one I couldn't finish about once every 15 minutes of listening but for some reason I forced myself to continue. (Note to self - if you are thinking about marking a book dnf just too it and save yourself some pain.) I am honestly just glad that I finished it right now so that I can move on to a book that I will actually enjoy....more
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were things that I liked and some that didThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were things that I liked and some that didn’t do a whole lot for me. I thought that the world that this was set in and the premise was incredibly interesting and well-done. I do wonder why there was such a big focus on goats during parts of the story. I like goats but it was weird how much there were talked about in this book. I was not a fan of some of the decisions the characters made which took me out of the story a bit.
Greta lives with other kids like her at the Precepture school. In a world controlled by Artificial Intelligence, each of the world leaders must send their children to this school. All is well if there is peace but if war breaks out the children of the leaders involved are killed. I thought that this was a pretty original set-up and was curious how things might change when a new student, Elián, arrives. As it looks like Greta and Elián may be at risk, they have some big decisions to make.
Madeleine Maby did a wonderful job with this book. I thought that she did a great job bringing this group of characters to life. She added enough emotion to her voice to really take the story to the next level. I have not listened to her work before but hope to again in the future.
I have a feeling that many readers will enjoy this one quite a bit. It didn’t completely click with me but I still found a lot to appreciate in the story. I don’t think that I will continue with this series but am glad that I gave this one a try.
I received a review copy of this book from Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
Initial Thoughts This was okay. There were things that I liked and some that didn't do a whole lot for me. I thought that the world that this was set in was incredibly interesting and well-done. I am not sure why there was so much talk of goats at the start of the story. It was kind of weird. I liked the characters but wasn't a fan of Greta's decision. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a great job with the story. I doubt that I will read the second book....more
I liked this book. I didn't love it but I found it to be rather entertaining. When I firThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
3 Stars!
I liked this book. I didn't love it but I found it to be rather entertaining. When I first saw the description for this book, I couldn't wait to read it. I immediately thought of the movie "Top Gun" but with a dystopian twist. After reading the book, I really have a lot of mixed feelings about it.
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I think that there were some things that were done really well in this book. The story was incredibly fast paced with a lot of action. The characters in this book fly jets - they don't have time to sit around. I liked the flying scenes - the descriptions made it so easy to visualize these planes flying at unimaginable speeds. I liked most of the characters in the story. I actually liked almost all of the characters more than I liked the main character, Chase.
There was quite a few things that I didn't like about this book. I thought it was too much like the movie "Top Gun". Way too much. I have seen that movie many times since it was first released and I know the story pretty well. It was really very disappointing to see so much of the book mirroring that movie. I felt the need to go watch the movie as soon as I finished the book to be honest.
I also found it a bit strange that this group of teenagers are who the United States plans to rely upon to save our country. The manner in which Chase, or Nyx, flys is oftentimes reckless and almost always lacks sound judgement. I wouldn't let her drive my car and I certainly wouldn't let her do some of the stunts she pulls in a plane that could be the country's last hope. I would have liked to know a little bit more about how the world became what it is in this story as well.
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I didn't like Chase very much. I understand that things have not always been easy for her but she treats everyone terribly. She does open up to Tristan as the book progresses but it seemed to me to be too little and too late. I didn't understand how all the boys seemed to fall all over her - it just doesn't make sense to me. Chase's character did evolve some and became more likable towards the end of the book.
The parts of the book that I didn't care for as much didn't completely overwhelm the excitement of the story. There are a whole lot of scenes that are simply based on being in the air at the control of these powerful jets. I do think that this book will widely appeal to a teen audience. I realize that I am not the target audience for this book and I do think that teens will find the story quite exciting.
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via Net Galley for the purpose of providing an honest review....more
This book was amazing! I am a bit disappointed in myself right now for not readinThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
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5 Stars!
This book was amazing! I am a bit disappointed in myself right now for not reading this book sooner. This book came onto my radar shortly after it was released. I spend a lot of time on Goodreads so I saw how much my friends were loving it but I didn't bother to pick it up. I actually bought a copy of this book back in April but I didn't bother to actually read it. Only after I was approved for the sequel, Golden Son, did I actually take the time to read this book....and I was completely blown away. When I think of all the mediocre books that I picked up to read instead of this book while it sat on my kindle, I realize how much of an idiot I can sometimes be. At least now I know the awesomeness that is this book.
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Even though I had this book on my radar, I didn't read too much about it. I like to go into a book without a lot of prior knowledge. I did see that a lot of my friends were giving it 5 stars and encouraging other to read it but that it really about all I knew. I saw that this book was being classified as a dystopian book with a lot of comparisons to The Hunger Games. I loved The Hunger Games but to be honest the comparisons scared me a little bit because all too often when something becomes wildly popular and makes someone a ton a money everything else starts being compared to it. I have fallen for this type of comparison before and I have been very disappointed in most cases. With this book, I completely understand and actually agree with that comparison even though this book is a very different book.
Man cannot be freed by the same injustice that enslaved it.
I loved this book for so many reasons. The world building was phenomenal. I don't read a lot of science fiction and can't remember reading a book that was set in space. I could feel the world taking shape a little more clearly with every page I turned. The social structure of this world impacted the life of everyone at every level.
The characters in the book are wonderful. The changes that Darrow goes through during the course of this book are astounding. He is a leader. Eo saw that in Darrow. Darrow finds it in himself as the book moves forward but never loses sight of where he came from and the love he hold in his heart for Eo. Servo is just awesome. He is the kind of friend that everyone wants to have around and he is fiercely loyal to Darrow. All of the characters were just so completely vivid.
Another thing that I loved about this book was that I never seemed to be able to guess where it was going. I was constantly surprised because just when I thought I knew what was going on, I found out how clueless I really was. Any book that keeps me guessing is a book that I want to read and this book was filled with jaw dropping moments for me.
I have a feeling that I will become one of the people pushing this book like I saw last year. I tweeted about this book and look what happened: [image] The author, Pierce Brown, actually took the time to favorite my tweet. Such a little thing, but I still squealed like a teenager when it happened. Pierce Brown is definitely an author to watch. After writing such an amazing debut, his follow up to this book, Golden Son is actually equally impressive based on the first third of the book which I have already devoured. I highly recommend this book to others. ...more
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Group and Net Galley for the purpoThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Group and Net Galley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
4 Stars
What an exciting book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I went into the book seeing lots of comparisons to The Hunger Games. I loved The Hunger Games but was worried that any book drawing so many comparisons would be too similar. I have found that many times the books that I like the best are completely different from anything else that I have read so I was a bit hesitant regarding the comparisons. I hoped to see the excitement of that book in a unique way. I think that this book was able to deliver.
Evalyn is on her way to the Compass Room as the book begins. The Compass Room is a new part of the justice system that analyzes a person's thoughts while in the room. Each person will either make it out and be released or will be terminated within the game. Evalyn enters the Compass Room with quite a few other young adults and teens. They must face multiple obstacles as time goes on as the number of participants continues to drop. The characters of Evalyn, Chase, Tanner, Valerie, and Jace really stood out in this book. I found myself rooting for this unlikely group of heroes.
We learn about the events that brought Evalyn to the Compass Room through flashbacks spread throughout the book. Each flashback added a piece of the puzzle regarding her crime and made me empathize with her more and more. As the book progressed, I found that many of the prisoners within the Compass Room were there because of their reaction to horrible events. This book shows the main characters working together to make the best of a bad situation.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes an exciting read. One point that I feel that I should mention is that this book does contain sex. With all the comparisons being made between this book and The Hunger Games, I feel it is important to remind everyone that the audience for this book is a little different. I think my daughter would love to read this book but she is probably a bit young right now. I am sure that parents out there will make the decision regarding this book that is right for their family. I plan to continue with this series and look for other works by this author. ...more
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Algonquin Books and Net Galley for the purThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Algonquin Books and Net Galley for the purpose of providing an honest review.
4 Stars
I enjoyed this book and found the story intriguing. This book has a middle grade audience but I found it quite appealing even as an adult. The story pulls you in right away and keeps you interested until the very end.
This book is set in a future world that is quite hot. Devin has lived on the farm with his grandfather but when his grandfather suddenly dies, Devin must take care of the entire farm alone. When he realizes that the task is more than he can handle, Devin decides to head to the city to find help. City life turns out to be much harder than he expected. Devin is quickly robbed of all of his possessions and must make his way with nothing more than the clothes on his back.
Devin soon meets a young girl, Kit, who has learned how to navigate the cruel city. When the rains come, Devin and Kit seek refuge at an old school with other kids where they meet Roman. Roman invites Devin to come with him to a place where he will be taken care of, a home for children. Devin agrees to go but only if Kit can come as well. On the surface the children's home is more than they could have ever wished for but soon they learn that not everything is quite as it seems.
I found the world building in this book to be well done. I could completely envision the cruel city where children are left to fend for themselves in a world with too little food. The children's home was a world of its own even though it was largely a facade. I thought that the book was well written with believable characters.
I do have to admit that I am still a bit confused by Devin's special abilities and found that it added nothing to the story. I also thought that is was strange that Devin wanted to go to the children's home when his goal was to get help for his farm.
I would recommend this book. This is the first book by Tania Unsworth that I have had a chance to read. I plan to look for other works by this author in the future. ...more
I liked this book the least out of the trilogy. I am not sure really why that is the case. This book had a lot of action. In some ways though, I thinkI liked this book the least out of the trilogy. I am not sure really why that is the case. This book had a lot of action. In some ways though, I think it had too much action. There were so many battles being fought in this book that one bled into the next for me.
The book was definitely enjoyable. I am especially glad to see a promised trilogy actually wrap up nicely in three books. This book had the main characters roaming all over the place and I never really had a good feel or felt connected to any one of the towns or really most of the characters.
(view spoiler)[ I must admit that I am a little disappointed in the explanation regarding the freaks or muties in this book...I can not help it...I wanted ZOMBIES. A strange species that was the result of chemical weapons gone wild is less interesting, although more likely. The fact that the younger freaks evolved to the point of joining the fight against the older horde members was surprising but less entertaining to me. I wanted to see Deuce raise her army and battle the horde with her friends by her side on her own. (hide spoiler)]...more
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of this book at no cost from the publisher for the purpose of review.
I am a huge fan of the DownIn the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of this book at no cost from the publisher for the purpose of review.
I am a huge fan of the Downside Ghosts series. I love the world that Stacia Kane has created for Chess, Terrible and all of the other characters. Chess is deeply flawed drug user. Terrible is a great character that has been well developed within the series.
This short story is extremely well written. I did wish that it were longer but that is just because I am greedy and want to read the next book in this series now! This story takes place within a junk yard and includes both Chess and Terrible (because a short story without Terrible would not be nearly as good!). They get into some trouble with the woman who lives in the house there. I loved Kane's description of the home. I could see the filth from my own living room. Chess and Terrible work together and after some exciting moments are able to safely go home.
Even in this short piece, I could see that Chess and Terrible are both willing to sacrifice everything to protect each other. Both of these characters are quite flawed but their love for each other is very real and it feels real on the page.
I think that fans of the series will definitely enjoy this newest story even though it is probably not central to the overall plot line. It is more of a short self contained episode in their lives that we don't get to see between books. ...more
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