Hit Or Miss?

Wildcard

(Warcross #2)

by Marie Lu

Hardcover, 341 pages

Published September 18th 2018 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Original TitleWildcard

ISBN: 9780399547997

Library

About:

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a bounty on Emika's head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn't all that he seems—and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves? (Goodreads)

Rating:4 Stars

Review:

I loved book number one (Warcross). Wildcard was still good but I felt like it was rushed and didn’t really have many surprises. There was something special from the first book that book two was just missing. There was a lot of I love him, I hate him going on in Wildcard which got to be a bit annoying. The end of the book also had issues. I don’t understand how there wasn’t more punishment dealt out. There was also a point where I was almost positive that there was going to be a book three, but then something changes within the last few pages to put a quick end to that.

Wildcard was still a decent read though. All the characters are back from book one to stop the NeuroLink. New characters are also brought in. There’s adventures and bounty hunters. There’s more Warcross games and Zero. There’s betrayal and a bit of forgiveness. I enjoyed most of the book and read it very quickly. It definitely lost a star from me due to the ending though.

Overall, if you read Warcross and enjoyed it, you have to read Wildcard to find out what happens. If you haven’t read Wildcard, what are you waiting for? Go and pick it up! It’s a fun read.

Hunter or Pawn?

Warcross (Warcross #1)

by Marie Lu

Hardcover, 353 pages

Published September 12th 2017 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 9780399547966

Book Box/Autographed

About:

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life.

The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. (Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

This is an exciting fast past first volume in Marie Lu’s new (2017 release) Sci –Fi series. It’s not completely original. It kind of reminded me of Ready Player One, but it was still a great read. The story line is awesome. A mix of video game tournaments, virtual reality, bounty hunting, and a touch of romance (it’s YA so what do you expect?). The characters were all likable. I was rooting for Emika the whole way through. I even like Hideo…. At first anyway. One problem I had with the story is that once a certain secret is reveled in the book, it wasn’t too hard to figure out who the “bad” guy is. That being said though, the twist at the end of the book leaves me wondering…. Who is Emika going to help in book 2? And who is really the bad guy in the end? I can’t wait for book 2 “Wildcard” coming out in September of this year! I’ve already ordered it for our library and placed my hold on it. Weather you’re a Sci-Fi fan or not, pick up this book and give it a read. I think you’ll like it! 

Not Everything Is Black And White....

Renegades (Renegades #1)

by Marissa Meyer 

Hardcover, 556 pages

Published November 7th 2017 by Feiwel & Friends

ISBN: 9781250044662

Received in Shelflove Crate (Book Box)

About:

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both. (Goodreads)

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: 

I loved Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series, but I wasn’t sure how this one was going to be. I love super heroes and villains but YA versions that are good are hard to come by. I had semi high hopes for Renegades going in and it didn’t disappoint. Despite it being pretty long (it’s over 550 pages) it was a fast read. It was refreshing getting to see a “villains” backstory and have it resemble something that could be the beginning of a superheroes. Nova has a good reason for hating the “good” guys and in her eyes the “bad” guys did more good than the superheroes. Having the good guys make mistakes and possibly not be as good as they think they are was refreshing too. Throwing in alternate views between Anarchist Nova and Renegade Adrian (a good guy who has a secret mission of his own) created a great balance between “good” and “bad”. It reminded me of the conundrum that is the x-men and how good and bad aren’t black and white, and everyone has their own opinion on the matter. Is Magneto bad for wanting to protect mutants and give them freedom? Are the X-Men good because they have a different vision for the same goal? It’s all your point of view on the matter. Renegade definitely leaves the reader rooting for both Nova and Adrian. I also loved the costumes for all of the characters. It reminded me of old school DC comics. The fact that the Puppet Master had a blimp that is his vehicle of choice was priceless for me as a old Batman movie fan. This book ends with a huge cliff hanger leaving us readers wanting more…. RIGHT NOW! I really don’t want to have to wait! Like the Lunar Chronicles, this book can easily be read and enjoyed by any teen young or old.  It’s going to be one of my book talk books at the Junior Highs for summer reading this year.  

A Wild Ride!

Gunslinger Girl

by Lyndsay Ely

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published January 2nd 2018 by jimmy patterson

ISBN: 9780316555104

Checked Out From Library

About:

Seventeen-year-old Serendipity "Pity" Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She's been offered a life of fame and fortune in Cessation, a glittering city where lawlessness is a way of life. But the price she pays for her freedom may be too great....

In this extraordinary debut from Lyndsay Ely, the West is once again wild after a Second Civil War fractures the U.S. into a broken, dangerous land. Pity's struggle against the dark and twisted underbelly of a corrupt city will haunt you long after the final bullet is shot. (Goodreads)

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

So much more than it’s advertised as! This is not just a Western. In fact the Western scenery only last through a small part of the being of the book. After that the book takes a huge dystopian turn and our main character ends up in an almost Vegas like building where she joins a “trick” show. There is a ton of action and political backstabbing to keep the reader interested and on their toes. This book was well written and fast paced, I finished it easily in two days. I loved the characters, both the good guys and bad (even when you weren’t sure who was on which side… so much backstabbing!). I cared what happened to Pitty, Max and their friends and by the end of the book was hoping they’d all get to stay together and live happily ever after…. spoiler….. they don’t. I really hope that there will be a second book. The author definitely leaves it open for one with kind of a cliff hanger. Though nothing is too descriptive, there is prostitution, sex, and violence that younger teens might find to be to mature. However dystopian lovers who are ok with that stuff will gobble this amazing gem up!   

Indiana Jones Read Alike?

Unearthed (Unearthed #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner 

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: January 9th 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

ISBN 9781484758052

ARC From Publisher

About:

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race… 

(Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

Not what I expected, but in a good way. It was kind of a repetitive Indiana Jones knock off throughout the middle of the book. Don’t get me wrong. I do love me some Indy, but it would have been nice to do something different or make this area of the book shorter. The book switches it up and gets really exciting and fast paced towards the end. Space ships. Uninvited “guests”.  A WTF moment. All this and more helps redeem the slowness in the middle. 

The characters evolved got more and more interesting throughout the book. I usually don’t enjoy shifting view points from chapter to chapter but this book surprisingly got it right. Our two main characters are so different, yet so alike, that getting to see what each one was thinking and why really added to the story. 

The new planet that they’re on and the search for alien technology made this story similar to other sci-fi books out there and yet different at the same time. There was a certain charm that came from the writing that other books don’t have. The “romance” was definitely YA like. “I love you. I hate you.” kind of stuff. But it was still kind of cute and didn’t hurt the story too much. 

That ending though! WOW! I’d really like to know what's going to happen next! It was a pretty “clean” read so teens of any age who enjoy sci-fi and adventure will gobble this one up and be begging you for the next book! 

Yuck!

Landscape with Invisible Hand

by M.T. Anderson

Hardcover, 149 pages

Published September 12th 2017 by Candlewick Press

ISBN: 9780763687892

Received ARC From Publisher

About: 

National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson returns to future Earth in a sharply wrought satire of art and truth in the midst of colonization.

When the vuvv first landed, it came as a surprise to aspiring artist Adam and the rest of planet Earth - but not necessarily an unwelcome one. Can it really be called an invasion when the vuvv generously offered free advanced technology and cures for every illness imaginable? As it turns out, yes. With his parents' jobs replaced by alien tech and no money for food, clean water, or the vuvv's miraculous medicine, Adam and his girlfriend, Chloe, have to get creative to survive. And since the vuvv crave anything they deem "classic" Earth culture (doo-wop music, still-life paintings of fruit, true love), recording 1950s-style dates for the vuvv to watch in a pay-per-minute format seems like a brilliant idea. But it's hard for Adam and Chloe to sell true love when they hate each other more with every passing episode. Soon enough, Adam must decide how far he's willing to go - and what he's willing to sacrifice - to give the vuvv what they want. (Goodreads)

Rating: 2 Stars

Review:

I’ve read other things by Anderson in the past and enjoyed them, so I was expecting so much more from this book. I know a lot of other people out there love this one, but I just couldn’t get into it. The only reason I finished it was because it was short and I was hoping something would happen at the end, which it didn’t and left me very unsatisfied. I did not care about the characters at all. I had no feelings except for annoyance and hate for all of them. I didn’t care what happened to them. I didn’t care about the new Earth the Vuvv had created. If anything I wish we would have gotten to learn more about the Vuvv as a species instead of the whinny humans. Yes the book is written well. Anderson always seems to do good with his descriptions and wording.  I just wasn’t hooked by any of it this time. This book might interest older teens who are really into sci-fi, but for the most part I don’t see to many of them picking this title up. Recommend Anderson’s book “Feed” to them instead.