Review: ROOK by @jcandrijeski 5 Star psychic read!

The world is dying. Everyone feels it, and yet, no one knows.

They said that when the end was near, a Bridge would come, and lead them out of the darkness of that dying world.

Allie Taylor's life was relatively normal...

Until Revik showed up.

And told her she was that Bridge.

ROOK: Allie's War Episodes 1-4

"You are the Bridge..."

Like most humans, Allie spent her life distancing herself from Seers, a race of human-like beings discovered on Earth in the early 1900s. Then she catches her boyfriend in the arms of a hot band groupie, and Allie goes from San Francisco artist slacker to the girl wearing the GPS anklet.

That's the least of her problems, though, compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.

Yanked out of her life by the mysterious Revik, Allie finds out that her blood may not be as "human" as she always thought. Through Revik she learns the truth: that Seers are nothing like she thought, that the world is nothing like it appears to be...and she has far more in common with Seers than she ever wanted to believe.

  

This book is so different from what I normally read, but damn, I was glad I picked it up! I started reading it on a Friday night, and could barely put it down long enough to sleep. The story has a metaphysical bent, making it different than other urban fantasy books, almost giving it a sci-fi feel. The psychics are not exactly human. The world-building is rich and beautifully complicated. Must have taken the author forever to flesh it all out.  

I grew to really love Allie. Everything Allie knew about herself and the world was shattered over night. But Allie handled it well, I thought. You could see her mature into a woman over the course of the book.

I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Allie and Revik. There is no insta-love here. Revik kind of treated her like crap by not explaining things well to her and having too high of expectations for her. I struggled between wanting to both strangle and kiss him at the same time. The chemistry grows to a slow burn over the course of the four episodes. In fact, even by the end of Rook, they still are not 100% solid. I love that because their relationship feels more realistic to me. You can’t expect people to fall madly in love while the world is crumbling around you.

Overall, I give Rook...

Plot - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Originality - 12 bookmarks (I don’t care if it is only a 1-5 scale. This was so inventive!)

Character development - 5 bookmarks

Romance - 4 bookmarks (only because it is still growing)

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Goran Visnjic (Revik), Rooney Mara (Allie), Olivia Munn (Cass), Dave Franco (Jon), Aaron Eckhart (President Caine)

Review: MEATWORKS by Jordan Castillo Price @JordanCPrice #SciFi #Amreading

Desmond Poole is damaged in more ways than one. If he was an underachiever before, he’s entirely useless now that he’s lost his right hand. He spends his time drowning his sorrows in vodka while he deliberately blows off the training that would help him master his new prosthetic. Social Services seems determined to try and stop him from wallowing in his own filth, so he’s forced to attend an amputee support group. He expects nothing more than stale cookies, tepid decaf and a bunch of self-pitying sob stories, so he’s blindsided when a fellow amputee catches his eye.

Corey Steiner is a hot young rudeboy who works his robotic limb like an extension of his own body, and he’s smitten by Desmond’s crusty punk rock charm from the get-go. Unfortunately, Desmond hasn’t quite severed ties with his ex-boyfriend, and Corey isn’t known for his maturity or patience.

Meatworks is set in a bleak near-future where cell phone and personal computer technologies never developed. In their place, robotics flourished. Now robots run everything from cars to coffee pots. Taking the guesswork out of menial tasks was intended to create leisure time, but instead robots have made society dependent and passive.

Desmond loathes robots and goes out of his way to avoid them. But can he survive without the robotic arm strapped to the end of his stump?

Wow. Just wow. Once I started reading Meatworks, I couldn’t put it down. That’s not to say the novel was always comfortable. There were times when I felt like I was watching a speeding train headed for the edge of a cliff. But dang, it was worth the ride. Let me just start by saying this is not a romance. If you are a reader who likes weddings and puppies, you’ll have to look for them somewhere else. The closest you’ll get here are some re-hydrated sea monkeys.

Desmond Poole is a beautifully written anti-hero. More than just flawed, this guy is a hot mess! While he’s not the most likeable character I’ve ever read, his vulnerability really shines through--even when he doesn’t want anyone to see it, or admit it to himself. I do believe this is the first science fiction novel I’ve read where the main character is a total Luddite when it comes to technology, and that was one of Desmond’s most endearing traits. He lost his dominant hand, and has a robotic prosthetic that, because of his aversion to robotics, he doesn’t know how to use. But just when you start to feel sorry for him, he does something completely despicable.

The supporting cast isn’t much better. Corey is a hot little guy Desmond meets at the amputee support group. He’s fun and a bit wild, but also moody and immature. Then there is Desmond’s ex-boyfriend, Jim, who on the surface appears to be a well-adjusted, productive member of society, but under his veneer is just as flawed as the others. While Desmond and Jim broke up before the accident, Jim, a social worker, has made it his do-gooder mission of the year to “help” Desmond and assuage some of his residual guilt from the break-up. I know this sounds like the makings of a love-triangle, but really, it’s nothing that sappy. Like I said, this is not a romance. Even if there is some boy drama and a couple hot sex scenes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the quality of the writing. Jordan Castillo-Price writes prose the way some writing poetry, each sentence carefully constructed for maximum impact. Her setting details were so gritty, I could see the story like a film in my head. She also used action to convey character brilliantly. My favorite example of this is the hamburger wrapper. Each day, Desmond stops by a burger joint and eats the sandwich on the way home. He then tosses the greasy wrapped over his neighbor’s fence, so his lawn-bot will have to come out to clean it up. This small action of tossing the wrapped in his neighbor’s yard says so much about Desmond’s contempt for the robotic helpers as well as for other people.

Meatworks is a dark and gritty story that sucked me right in. Desmond is the perfect anti-hero, masking his vulnerability in a tough façade, ten inches thick. His bent toward self-destruction is, at times, disturbing, but you won’t want to put this book down.

Overall, I give Meatworks...

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character development - 5 bookmarks

Writing quality - 5 bookmarks

Love story - PSYCH!!!! How many times do I have to tell you this is not a romance?

Dream cast (Otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - A really punked out and dirty Channing Tatum (Desmond), Jake Bass (Corey), William Levy (Jim), Cate Blanchett (Pam)

Find Meatworks here:

Smashwords

Amazon

Best rest + #Amreading = 7 books in 5 days & micro-reviews!

So I had surgery last week and not able to work for a few weeks. While I have certainly been better, it's kind of nice to catch up on my reading. Unfortunately, I don’t have the energy to write full reviews right now, but I thought I’d post some micro-reviews on the few books I’ve read in the last few days.  (I'm not including the summaries, so for more info, click the cover art.)  If you have read any of these books, feel free to let me know what you thought of them in the comments.  Enjoy!

Broken Pieces by Rachel Thompson

Not my normal read.  This is a collection of personal essays and poems where the normally comedic author gets serious about tragedies in her own life.  Honest and sad.  Not what you might want if looking for a pick-me-up, but still an important, emotional read.  Sometimes it’s good to know that you are not the only one who has experienced pain.  The weightiness of the subjects might be tough, but this is a book that is easy to read a little at a time between other things.

* I don't do dream casts for non-fiction. It's a little weird.

The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton

Ooh, a YA ghost story with kissing! I loved the paranormal aspects of the story.  It was a bit insta-love, but it’s a short book, so you’ll have that.  The evil spirit was super creepy.  The only part that felt off to me was the whole cutting thing.  It felt disconnected from the rest of the story.  It could have been left out without losing any of the emotion.  I also think the title and cover art should have focused more on the creepy paranormal plot line. 

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Britt Robertson (Riley), Brant Daugherty (Ian)

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

I would read Julie Kagawa’s shopping list.  She has never disappointed me with anything she has ever written. The Eternity Cure is a perfect follow up to The Immortal Rules.  The characters all had a chance to grow and come into their own.  Allie is getting super bad-ass.  Jackal provided some much needed comic relief in this dark and serious novel.  Seeing him, Allie and Zeke have to work together was fabulous. 

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) -  Brenda Song (Allie), Armie Hammer (Zeke), Chris Pine (Jackal), J.D. Pardo (Vampire Prince dude...forgot his name)

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

It’s no secret that I’m in love with Richelle Mead. But when you add together Richelle Mead + sci-fi world + kick-ass heroine + brainy hero + ancient gods + a murder mystery, that equals up to a whole lot of AWESOME!  I took me a few chapters to get into the book because there is so much world-building that needs to be set up and a lot of characters to introduce, but stick with it.  I can already tell I am going to love this series!

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) -  Anna Torv (Mae), A younger Dean Cain (Justin), India Eisley (Tessa)

For Everly by Raine Thomas

Excellent new adult read!  The characters were fun; I liked the awkwardness between Everly and Cole at their first business lunch; there was some great family drama; the love story was exciting.  My only problem--and this is a major pet peeve of mine and is no way isolated to this book alone--but I am so f’ing sick of the virginal heroine.  Twenty-two years old, looks like a super model, and never been kissed? Really??? Why can’t women and men meet on a more level playing field in the bedroom?  We're all about having empowered heroines in every area except when it comes to sex.  There still seems to be a stigma around girls who embrace their sexuality.  I’m ready to go on a crusade to champion realistic female sexual power.  Who’s with me?!?!

Okay, done with my rant.  Seriously, For Everly is a really good book.  Don’t let my bitching discourage you from buying it. 

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Channing Tatum (Cole), Karen Gillan (Everly)

Damaged by H.M. Ward

Yeah, I’d say these characters were damaged. Both Sidney and Peter come with serious emotional baggage.  Add to that he is both her professor and boss...yeah, there is no shortage on present drama either.  While I liked the book and thought the characters were interesting, the back stories were a tad bit on the over-dramatic side.  They just felt too contrived and not so believable.  That said, I'm a sucker for a great love story, and there were enough comedic elements to keep the story from getting too bogged down. #CouchSniffer 

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Sarah Hyland (Sidney), Xavier Samuel (Peter)

Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan

This book was really messed up, but I loved it!  Maggie has made one poor decision after another in her young life, but she has the best intention of getting back on track.  The book opens with her as a bridesmaid for her sister who is marrying Maggie’s ex-fiancé, Will.  I immediately did not like Will for this reason alone. Whether Maggie broke up with him or not, how could he move on to her sister?!?  Then, enter Asher, the hot next door neighbor.  While he wasn’t perfect either, he was so much easier to like.  The book started as a train wreck of family drama, but ended up turning into a beautiful love story. 

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Jacqueline Emerson (Maggie), Penn Badgley (Will), Robbie Amell (Asher)

Review: ‘Cinder’ by Marissa Meyer @marissa_meyer

 Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

(Amazon product description)

I don’t read a lot of science fiction, so even though Cinder was getting good buzz, I wasn’t all that drawn to it.  Add to that the retelling of the classic fairy tale that I could recite in my sleep, and it just didn’t seem like it would hold my interest. 

Boy was I wrong!  Now, I have to admit, most “modern day” rehashing of fairy tales end up being cheesy and simplistic.  Okay for a Disney after school special, but not something I seek out.  Cinder is completely different!  While the plot is enough like Cinderella that it was recognizable, Marissa Meyer made it seem completely fresh and new.  Setting the story in a futuristic world with cyborgs, androids and magic was brilliant!  Additional plot lines including a mystery about a lost Lunar princess, a killer plague and political intrigue in the Princes kingdom centered in New Beijing add an unexpected depth to the story.

Cinder as a character was modern and intelligent, nothing like a Disney princess.  I loved that she meets Prince Kai through her mechanic shop.  That he seeks her out for her talent and skills is so much more interesting than him just thinking she’s hot.  Kai was a little bit bland for me.  Oh, I liked him enough, but he wasn’t overly memorable.  You won’t see tween girls walking around the mall with “Team Kai” t-shirts anyway.  I would have liked him to be just a bit more colorful in personality. 

The book did have some great supporting characters.  The Luna Queen was fabulous!  Not only was she evil and bat-shit crazy, but her power was so unique and scary.  I also loved Peony, Cinder’s step-sister, and Iko, her slightly dysfunctional android.  Both added heart to the story. 

While I liked this book much more than I thought I would, it does have some large flaws.  I had a hard time with the romance between Cinder and Prince Kai.  It was too insta-love for my tastes.  I would have liked to have seen some chemistry build between the characters.  My other issue was the predictability in the Princess Selene story line.  Way too obvious! 

Overall, I give Cinder...

Plot - 4 bookmarks

Character development - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Love story - 3 bookmarks

Setting - 5 bookmarks

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Shailene Woodley (Cinder), Luke Bilyk (Prince Kai), Ashley Greene (Luna Queen).  Yes, I know the story is set in China, but I don’t know a lot of asian actors and I can’t help who I see when I read.

P.S.

While I hate photos of myself, I thought I would post this one for you.  It’s me with Cinder author Marissa Meyer, taken a few weeks ago at a book signing.  She really was a fascinating person.  I’m very excited for the sequel Scarlet to release on February 5, 2013!  

(I'm the short one who didn't bother to brush her hair.)

Review: 'Ultraviolet' by R.J. Anderson

Lets just say straight up, Ultraviolet has some of the most beautiful writing I've ever seen in young adult literature.  I'm not exaggerating.  With each turn of the page, my jealousy grew over the brilliance of R. J. Anderson's prose.  The main character, Allison, has a condition called Synesthesia which mixes up the way she perceives the information coming to her through her five senses.  For example, she can see the color of sounds, feel personalities in words and taste when someone is lying.  The descriptions showing the world from Allison's perspective are fascinating.  Here's the twist, what is metaphor to the reader is real to the character.  Brilliant!

Okay, before you get the idea that this book is nothing but description, I should discuss the plot.  After Allison witnesses a freakish event, the police, her parents and her doctors all believe that she holds the key to her rival, Tori's, disappearance.  But when Allison tries to tell them the truth, that Tori disintegrated in front of her while they were fighting, she is committed to a mental hospital.  Allison has struggled with her perceptions of the world her whole life.  While she desperately wants to go home, even she can't be sure that she is not a danger to others.  Her only hope comes from a young researcher, Dr. Faraday, who is the only person who believes she is innocent in Tori’s disappearance. 

Ultraviolet strikes at the heart of the most frightening things a person can imagine--being trapped in a mental hospital, having your family and friends turn against you, self-doubt, isolation and whether or not you are capable of being a killer.  The book also mixes the genres of paranormal, sci-fi, suspense and romance.  There is truly something for all readers in this book.  Even though the protagonist is female, teen boys will enjoy this book just as much as the girls. 

Be on the lookout for this one!  Ultraviolet releases in the U.K. on 2 June 2011, and September for the U.S. 

Overall, I give Ultraviolet...

Plot - 5 bookmarks

Character Development - 5 bookmarks

Sci-Fi Elements - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Love Story - 4 1/2 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Kay Panabaker (Allison), Penn Badgley (Sebastian Faraday), Leven Rambin (Tori), Logan Lerman (Kirk), Igbal Theba (Dr. Minta)

Review: STRANGE LITTLE BAND by Nancy Brauer & Vanessa Brooks

Both Addison and Shane are doctors leading research teams inside the powerful, Triptych Corporation.  Both are extremely powerful psychics.  They don’t like each other much and Addison is livid when she discovers that the embryo implanted in her by Triptych is her egg fertilized by Shane’s sperm in a lab.  Management apparently want to see what their two most gifted psychics might produce for offspring.  Expecting a baby together brings Addison and Shane closer, but just as they are standing on the threshold of love, Triptych steps in and breaks them apart with deceptions. 

Years pass.  Addison and Shane waffle between insatiable attraction to each other and hatred.  The whole time, the mystery of Tripych and its creepy management fill the story with intrigue.  While there is some serious steamy sex, this is also the story about a family.  Shane, Addison and their kids have very realistic relationships.  The kids are close since there are few other children in Triptych, and both want to see Shane & Addison work things out.  Both Addison and Shane are good parents who do their best by their kids.  I loved how human the characters were.

There were a few areas in this story which could have benefited some further explanation.  Both of my major issues involved world building.  First, this all takes place with a corporation.  I gather they do scientific and psychic research, but the details are sketchy.  What kind of company has the employees live on sight and dictates every aspect of their personal lives, including who they can sleep with and when and with whom they can have children?  The other thing is regarding the aliens.  We know Shane is half-alien and there are a few full aliens in the story, but there is not a lot of explanation about the aliens.  Where did they come from? What is their role on earth? Are they known to humans outside of the corporation?  I felt a bit like I kept missing some fact that would tie all of this together.

Even with these questions, I still really enjoyed this book.  It was very different from most things that I read, yet, I found myself engaged and thinking about it between reading.  That’s the sign of a good book.

Overall, I give Strange Little Band…

Plot – 4 ½ bookmarks

Character Development – 4 bookmarks

Love Story – 5 bookmarks

Sex Scenes – 4 ¾ bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Halle Berry (Addison), Eric Bana (Shane), James Caan (Daniel), Lucy Liu (Joon)

Review: FEED by MT Anderson

Feed is a chilling novel set in the future were computers are hardwired into people’s brains as babies, making them completely dependent on technology.  These people seem to have few original thoughts, are consumed by materialism and are at the complete mercy of corporations.  Children no longer need to learn anything anymore, since the feed in their brains will give them answers instantaneously.  Because of this, the teens in the novel, including the narrator, are inarticulate and immature.  The adults are not much better.  Even so, Anderson makes them sympathetic, tragic in a way. 

I think the scariest thing about this novel is how real it felt.  Imagine how people felt upon reading Orwell’s 1984 when it was first released.  Feed has much the same feeling.  These kids are so dependent on the technology in their brains that the brain forgets how to operate.  When the system goes down, so does the body. 

Feed is not all doom and gloom.  There are some funny and intelligent moments as well.  The kids’ favorite TV show is called “Oh? Wow! Thing!” and the girls have to sneak off to the restrooms to change their hairstyles every so often in order to keep up with the constantly changing trends.  Pollution is massive in this future world, and people are developing festering skin legions and losing their hair.  Rather than being concerned, they set the sores on display as a new fashion statement. 

Obviously, the main theme of this book is to warn against the growing influence of technology and consumerism in our lives.  While this is heavy stuff, the book remains entertaining.  I would suggest that most teens read it, although there is some bad language used.  If parents are sensitive to that, this might not be something they want their teens reading.  I’m not a parent, but even if I were, I feel the ideas contained in this book outweigh the objectionable language.  This would make a really good discussion book for a book club or classroom. 

Overall, I give Feed…

Plot – 4 bookmarks

Character Development – 3 ½ bookmarks

World Building – 4 bookmarks

Intellectual Stimulation – 5 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Hunter Parrish (Titus), Portia Doubleday (Violet)

Review: “The Host” by Stephanie Meyer

They say the first step in confronting addiction is to admit you have a problem.  So, I am going to be complete honest with myself and anyone else who might be reading this blog.  Not only am I a reading addict, but Stephanie Meyer is like my own personal gateway drug.  Seriously.  I used to be a lit snob in the worst way.  Last summer when I was laid off, someone suggested I read the Twilight books.  Other than a brief stint with Ann Rice as a teenager, I had no experience reading vampires, YA or romance.  Twilight changed me.  I became a new person… someone I didn’t recognize.  Suddenly, I couldn’t get enough of the blood sucking vamps.  I started perusing the YA sections of the local book stores.  I even went to started attending RWA meetings and went to the Romantic Times Convention.  This I blame on Stephanie Meyer. 

Now, about The Host – I first picked up a used copy about a year ago when I was getting into her vamp books, but knowing that it is a sci-fi, I wasn’t too motivated to read it.  I don’t read sci-fi.  Honestly. However, given my recent experience with The Passage, I gave The Host a shot.  And the result?  I’m falling back in love with fictional characters!!!!  Ian makes me feel like Edward did.  I couldn’t put the book down, and I never wanted it to end. 

One of my fears with reading sci-fi is that I was afraid it would be hard for me to get into, but Meyer sucked me right in to The Host world.  In summary, this is the story of Earth after a group of parasitic aliens take over the human race.  These centipede like parasites are implanted into the brains of a host human and they take the body over.  Most human “souls” just fade away, leaving their memories for the parasite.  However, when an alien named Wanderer is implanted into a host named Melanie, something goes wrong.  Melanie doesn’t fade away.  Her strength of character and love for her boyfriend and little brother urges her to hold on.  Now, there are two souls in one body.  Wanderer has the gut wrenching decision of whether to switch bodies, thus killing Melanie, or helping Melanie find her lost human family. 

This might sound confusing… and as a writer, I can’t imagine taking on the task of two separate souls in one body while showing both thought processes… but Meyer pulls it off brilliantly.  She uses different fonts to keep the reader from being confused and it all flows really well.  Perhaps Meyer’s biggest talent comes in her ability to handle complex and confusing emotions.  Melanie’s love her Jared and Jamie bleeds over into Wanderer and causes her to feel the same things.  At the same time, when Wanderer gets close with Ian, Melanie begins to feel close with him also.  These feelings cause the women to be jealous of each other, while at the same time, they form a bond of love themselves.  It is all really much easier to understand when you read the book.  Don’t let me two minute summary scare you off from this book.  I strongly recommend it.

Overall, I give The Host…

Plot – 4 bookmarks (Very original and complex.)

Character Development – 5 bookmarks (I can’t express enough how well these characters were written.)

Love Story – 4 ½ bookmarks.  (Again, very complex.)

Age Appropriateness – This is not supposed to be YA, but lots of teens will want to read it because of Meyer’s other books.  I don’t think there is a lot in it that would be objectionable to parents.  There are some intense make-out scenes, but no real sex to speak of.  There is some violence, but the context excuses some of that.  Keep in mind though, this is meant for adults, so teens might not like it as much as they might hope to. 

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Rachel Bilson (Melanie/Wanderer), Ian Somerhalder (Ian O’Shea), Kellan Lutz (Kyle O’Shea), Jared Leto (Jared), Mariska Hargitay (The Seeker)