Book Review: The Breaker's Code by Conner Kressley

The Breaker's Code (Fixed Points #1) by Conner Kressley


SUMMARY
Where were you when the world ended?

Three weeks shy of her seventeenth birthday, Cresta Karr wakes to find her world is falling apart. The necklace her father left her is mysteriously missing, a black sedan is stalking her and her friends, and her house is minutes away from exploding. To top it off, she finds out that Owen, the enigmatic, if slightly off-kilter guy of her dreams, is both not interested in going out with her and a superspy sent by a clandestine organization to keep tabs on her.

Turns out Cresta is the subject of a 500 year old prophecy, and if Owen and the other “Breakers” can't find a way to circumvent the future before the sun comes up on her birthday, Cresta is destined to bring about the end of the world -- something she'd rather not have on her college applications. That is, of course, if the gun-toting cult members piling onto her front porch don't get to her first.

The countdown is on. Secrets will be revealed, relationships will be tested, prophecies will be fulfilled, and fate will fight free will in a battle so intense that it won't end until the world itself does.

Happy birthday, Cresta.

REVIEW
I bought this book as part of a larger box set collection, but am reviewing each book individually.

Cresta lives in a small town and is frustrated from having to move there from Chicago after her father died. She has two friends, Casper and Owen. As it turns out, Cresta is part of a larger prophesy, as well as an ancient and paranormal sect in society.

I had some issues with this book, the first of which was the editing. There were many typing mistakes, and while I don't want to sound picky, these pull the reader out of the story and really are a big deal. I can forgive a few, but this book was riddled with them.

The concept of the book was fun and I like the themes about fate versus free will, and it was this that kept me reading. However, I wanted Cresta to be a bit stronger in the end. Maybe she will get there in the next books. I felt like she was floundering around and being fed a lot of solutions at times. The romance between her and Owen was fine, if forced at times.

Simon, her non paranormal friend, was probably my favourite character. I liked how goofy and loyal he was, kind of like a big puppy.

I am always sensitive when there are adoption issues in a book, and the one's in Breaker's Code were actually handled fairly well. It showed people being insensitive, which they can be, but ultimately, Cresta's parents are her parents, the one's who raised her. I hope that doesn't change in the next book.

This could be the beginning of an interesting series, but I hope the author gets some help with the editing. The book is pretty fast paced and I like how it began, talking about it being two days before Cresta's house blew up, then the day before, then the day of.

Book Review: American Gods

Book: American Gods by Neil Gaiman, 2005 by Headline Review, 635 pages.

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Days before his release from prison, Shadow's wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm or preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, AMERICAN GODS takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what and who it finds there...

My Thoughts:
I want to start off by saying that I loved this book. It captured my interest right away and kept it all the way through. I've been telling everyone about it and can't wait to get my hands on another book by Gaiman. The storyline is unique and off the wall and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Then there is the writing. Gaiman is a master of language. There are even passages I marked because I loved them so much and want to reread them again later. All that being said, I did not race through this book, but savored it. It took me a while to read because I didn't want to rush it..

It is not only the writing that's intriguing, but the subject matter.  Gaiman explores interesting issues and philosophies, the way our culture has changed since people started coming to North America, and even what has happened since. This all revolves around the gods - the ancient ones from the old country and the new one's of technology and money.

Shadow is in jail for a bank robbery and, after three years, is going to be released. He has everything to live for, until he finds out that his wife and best friend (also his future employer) have been killed in a car accident. Shadow leaves jail and goes home, unsure of what he will do. Along the way he meets Mr. Wednesday, who offers him a job. It turns out that Wednesday is an old world god, trying to rally up other gods to fight the new world gods for survival.

I don't want to say too much about this book because I don't want to give it away. There are so many twists and turns, rich explorations of ideas, and stunning writing, that it will keep you turning the pages.

One of my favorite quotes (because I love books so much):  

“What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore it knows it's not fooling a soul.”

(Audio) Book Review: Poison Princess

Book: Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 369 pages (11 CDs).

Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

My Thoughts:
I want to start off by saying that the audiobook version of this book was presented amazingly well. Emma Galvin was fantastic as the main narrator and conveyed a real sense of Evie's character. Keith Nobbs did his part so well it was scary - he embodied creepiness itself.

I love the premise of this book and how tarot cards are used to hold it all together - it is brilliant. Evie has hallucinations and her mom thinks she's crazy, just like her grandmother. However, it turns out that Evie is one of the Major Arcana, the power cards, of a tarot deck. 

When the apocalypse comes, Evie and her mother realize that the hallucinations were actually visions. There are voices in Evie's had that speak to her. Then Jack comes along, a poor, rough, Cajun boy. Evie and Jack have to work together to try to find Evie's grandmother in the craziness that is left of the world - bagmen (zombies), soldiers, cannibals, plague, no vegetation,...

I alternately liked and disliked both Evie and Jack. There were many times I found them extremely frustrating. Evie spent a lot of time being weak and confused and even whiny. I can see why this was, and I appreciate her growth (and anticipate she will be a much stronger character in the next book), but felt it did go on a bit.

Then there is Jack, the ultimate bad boy. He and Evie clearly love each other, even if they can't stand each other. He is rude, rough, tough, can fight and survive on the land, drinks, rides a motorcycle. You get the picture. Again, I found that maybe this stereotype went a bit far.

However, I loved the parts about the visions and the tarot deck, the voices and the Arcana. And Cole's writing is beautiful. Her use of language is stunning and completely drew me in. Her descriptions are vivid and engaging.  

I think those who like dystopian novels will enjoy this different, almost paranormal, take. Despite my frustrations with the two main characters, I did like them and the book enough to eagerly anticipate the next installment.

Book Review: Alice in Zombieland

Book: Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter, 2012 by Harlequin Teen, 404 pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

My Thoughts:
I found Alice in Zombieland to be a unique take on zombies, a way to make them into an urban fantasy myth and not a dystopian future novel. This was clever and innovative. That, combined with the Alice in Wonderland nuances made for an interesting read.

Ali grew up sheltered by her parents, believing her father was crazy because he saw monsters that no one else saw. He wouldn't let them go out at night, they had to learn to defend themselves, he patrolled the house, and drank himself into oblivion. Then, an accident changes everything for Ali. She learns that her father was right, that the monsters are real and she becomes determined to fight them.

The book combined Ali's new reality with knowing that zombies exist, trying to fit into a new high school and life, her new best friend, and falling for the badder than bad boy in the school. There is lots of drama around who likes who and social cliques. I felt the voice was probably pretty true to teenaged life, but, at times, it was also a bit much. Maybe it's just me, but I get tired of the gorgeous, uncommunicative, moody, irresistible love interest and the girl who puts up with it.

I am honestly torn with this book. I liked the paranormal aspects and how the zombies were portrayed, how Ali was determined to be strong and fight for herself, the relationship between Ali and her friend Kat, and the realism of Ali's devastation. However, I found Ali's relationship with Cole (the bad boy) predictable (except there was no real triangle, maybe that will be in the next book), and I wanted more Alice in Wonderland-y aspects to the book.

Overall, I think teens, especially girls, will like this book, but those looking for a meaty zombie book may be disappointed. It will be interesting to see where the author takes this series.

Here is the book trailer from YouTube:

Book Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Book:  Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers, April 3rd 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcour, 549 pages.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

My Thoughts:
I have to admit, I was intrigued when I read the tag line for this book:  Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?  And then to see the book was about assassin nuns... well, I knew I had to see what this was about.  

The book has an explosive start and certainly captures the attention.  The setting is the late fourteen hundreds and there is huge amounts of political intrigue and rules about how people act at court.  It is a time when women don't have much power over their own lives and Ismae takes the only option available to her that would lead her from her traditional, expected life.  It is obvious the author has done a lot of research because the politics and backstabbing at court was so crazy and convoluted, it is nearly impossible to keep track of it.

For the most part, I really liked Ismae.  She had a certain realism to her.  She was tough and ready to take action, passionate in her beliefs.  But she was also conflicted and imperfect, which is something I love.  I also like how she grew in the book to make decisions for herself rather than always following orders.  However, I did find her a bit repetitive in some of her concerns.

The romance part of the book isn't bad, though it is pretty obvious.  I am happy that she got to stay strong and didn't have to give up who she was through the romance.  It is a big part of the book, but there are also so many other parts, which all add to the richness of the book - the mystery, adventure, history and the paranormal aspects.  I have to admit, I really liked the paranormal part and all of the parts about the god of Death.

Disclosure:  I received an egalley of this book for review from NetGalley.

Here is the book trailer from YouTube:

  

Book Review: A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle

Book:  A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle, Marion Lloyd Books, 2011.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Mary O'Hara is a sharp and cheeky 12-year-old Dublin schoolgirl who is bravely facing the fact that her beloved Granny is dying. But Granny can't let go of life, and when a mysterious young woman turns up in Mary's street with a message for her Granny, Mary gets pulled into an unlikely adventure. The woman is the ghost of Granny's own mother, who has come to help her daughter say good-bye to her loved ones and guide her safely out of this world. She needs the help of Mary and her mother, Scarlett, who embark on a road trip to the past. Four generations of women travel on a midnight car journey. One of them is dead, one of them is dying, one of them is driving, and one of them is just starting out.

Guest Post: Emlyn Chan, Farsighted

Today is Black Friday in the US and also the celebration for the print release of the exciting new novel Farsighted by Emlyn Chan (read my review here).

Today I'd like to share an excerpt from Emlyn Chand's hot new paranormal novel, Farsighted (it just released on 10/24). Before diving in, check out this teaser for the book:

Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider.

Book Review: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

Book:  Farsighted (Farsighted Series) by Emlyn Chand, Blue Crown Press, Nov. 24, 2011, 218 pages.  Young Adult paranormal.

Source:  from the author via Bewitching Book Tours.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he's blind. Just when he thinks he'll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.