Shades of Earth (Beth Revis)

**

         Amy and Elder have finally landed on Centauri Earth and are ready to create their new lives there.  Upon arrival, they realize that their new home isn't all it was cracked up to be.  The shipborns don't get along with the frozens (who are now essentially in charge of the operation), and Amy is torn between the two groups.  It is essential that they find common ground, however, because the colony is under attack by strange aliens.  In a new world where it isn't safe to walk anywhere alone, Amy and Elder are determined to discover the secrets that are threatening their lives - including secrets that Amy's father may be keeping from them.

         I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but Shades of Earth just didn't live up to my expectations.  It was super freaky, the kind of book I prefer to read during the daylight hours.  What with the creepy aliens, mysterious weapons, and sinister powers, the whole thing was pretty hard-core sci-fi.  I didn't mind the sci-fi elements of the first two books, but this was just too much.  Also, I found the ending upsetting.  Very upsetting.  Like I said, too much all at once.  Someone who was more into sci-fi might like this book, but I couldn't handle it.  I was so excited to find out what happened to everyone once the Godspeed landed.  In the end, though, I'm not sure that finding out was worth it.

Rating: 2/5
Completed: January 25, 2013

Vortex (Julie Cross)

****

Sequel to Tempest.  

         Now that Jackson Meyer (sort of) understands the dangers of time travel, he is ready to do whatever it takes to protect the world - and his ex-girlfriend, Holly - from getting caught in the crossfire.  He joins Tempest, an offshoot of the CIA that fights a mysterious group of evil time travelers.  The trouble is that the other Tempest agents don't know that Jackson is a time traveler himself.  Meanwhile, Tempest is being attacked by Eyewall, an opposing branch of the CIA with possible connections to the other time travelers.  After a run-in with Holly on a Tempest mission, Jackson realizes that Holly is being sucked back into his life all over again.

         I enjoyed this book quite a lot, but it wasn't as easy of a read as Tempest was.  When I read Tempest, I had a pretty good grip on Jackson's jumps.  The time traveling gets seriously confusing in Vortex.  It definitely doesn't help that none of the characters understand it, either.  On the other hand, it was a really cool action story.  Jackson makes a pretty good agent, and I enjoyed his interactions with the other agents in his team.  Jenni Stewart returns from Tempest, although of course she doesn't know Jackson in this time zone.  She and Jackson get along really badly at first, but by the end they've reached an understanding and have become friends.  I also loved Lily Kendrick, Jackson's new partner at work.  She seems to be softer than most of the agents at first, but once Jackson gets to know her, it turns out she can be pretty feisty and tough.  Despite the fact that Vortex was pretty confusing, the plot and characters were good enough that I'll be on the lookout for the next book in this series.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 21, 2013

The Crown of Embers (Rae Carson)

****

Sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns - spoiler alert!

         Elisa is now the hero of Joya d'Arena, but that doesn't mean that her life is any easier.  She has to deal with the discontent of her people, threats to her life, and grief for the loss of two people she loved.  On top of that, her advisors are distracting her from the threat of the Inviernos by trying to force her to marry.  Under the guise of visiting a suitor, Elisa goes to the south to find magic so she can defeat the Inviernos and fulfill her destiny as bearer of the Godstone.

         This book was SO GOOD - holistically, I'd say 4.5 stars.  Like The Girl of Fire and Thorns, it sped by.  One minute I was only a few chapters in, and then all of a sudden I had less than a hundred pages left.  Rae Carson kept me in suspense the whole time, too.  I did notice that in both of these books, it was obvious who Elisa would end up with from the second they started talking.  That being said, it didn't actually bother me at all.  Instead, I got the sort of smug feeling you get when two friends get together and you've known all along that they would.  The Crown of Embers was full of action and excitement.  If you read The Girl of Fire and Thorns and liked it, you will not be disappointed by this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 20, 2013

Sorry I've neglected the blog for so long!  I've still been reading (there are a few more reviews on the way), but I've been too busy with school to post anything.  The sequel to Tempest is up next.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Rae Carson)

****

         On her sixteenth birthday, Elisa is married to Alejandro, king of a neighboring country, to seal the deal on a treaty.  This would be difficult enough without the fact that she bears the Godstone, a sign that she will perform a service for God, and is targeted by enemies everywhere.  Elisa may be one of God's chosen, but she doesn't seem fit to take on any kind of divine task.  She is an overweight, coddled princess without any of the power or commanding air of her older sister.  Once she arrives in Joya d'Arena, Elisa is faced with even more danger and mystery than she had faced at home.  She knows why she must keep her Godstone a secret, but doesn't understand why Alejandro wants to keep their marriage under wraps as well.  Worse still, Elisa is being hunted down by unknown forces who will go to any lengths to get her Godstone.

         This was a really good book, the kind that you don't want to stop reading.  It was a nice change of pace to read about a heroine who really isn't all that heroic to start out with.  Elisa doesn't slip into her role as the leader of an underground resistance group easily - she's too busy trying to walk fast enough to stay with the group and keep the pangs of hunger at bay for that.  I enjoyed seeing her go from a pampered princess to a hardened warrior.  It was a fairly smooth, believable shift: Elisa wasn't so tough by the end of the book that she was unrecognizable.  Instead, it felt like she had just grown up.  Plus, the story kept me hooked the whole time.  There weren't any parts that were slow or boring.  If you're looking for a book that you can't put down, give this one a go.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 10, 2013

Finals are over!  I survived!
Hopefully this weekend I will have plenty of time to get reading.  I've already got three books lined up. It's a relief to have a few days completely to myself . . . except studying for the SAT.  Whoops.
What about you?  Are you working hard this weekend or getting a little time off?

Happy New Year!

Hi, everyone!

I can't believe 2012 is over.  Thanks to everyone who checked in to read my posts and follow my progress!  Sadly, I didn't even come close to my goal this year: I clocked in at 49 books.  On the bright side, now I have a clean slate and a whole 365 days to shoot for a new goal.

I've decided that my 2013 goal will be 75 books.  That seems a little more reasonable, even if it's sad to lower the goal.  I figure that with standardized testing, two AP exams, and college applications ahead of me, I'm not going to have tons of free time on my hands.  My plan is to go at it until the end of June.  Then, I'll reassess the situation and decide if I should bring the goal back up.

This year, I've also decided to count books that I reread towards my goal.  Several people have told me that I should do it, and far be it from me to argue against something that makes my life easier (and allows me to read more Harry Potter).  As long as I read the book from cover to cover, not just skipping around to my favorite parts, it counts.

Hopefully everyone will stick around and keep reading the blog this year!  If you want to be notified when I post something new, try following Books on the Bluff.  Also, don't forget to comment on any of my posts if you have something to say.  You don't need to be a follower to do it.  I would love to get to know some of the people who read the blog this year!

I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith)

****

         Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain lives with her family in a run-down castle in the English countryside.  Her father was once a famous writer, but he hasn't published anything in years and spends the majority of his time reading detective novels.  Cassandra, a bit of a writer herself, decides to "capture the castle" and all of the people in it to develop her writing skills.  Her notebooks tell the story of life at the castle and the turn of events that makes everything infinitely more exciting.

         This was a great book!  It was a little slow at first, but before long I was picking it up to read any chance I got.  Cassandra is a charming narrator who does a good job of describing the castle and the eccentric people who live in it.  The characters are interesting and well-developed, although some (like Topaz, Cassandra's stepmother) are quite shallow.  This wasn't an action novel by any means, but the story was funny and there were some unexpected twists.  If you don't mind older books (think 1940s), you should definitely give this one a go.  

Rating: 4/5

Completed: December 21, 2012

My Name Is Asher Lev (Chaim Potok)

****

         Hasidic Jew Asher Lev comes from a long line of very important religious people.  From his father, who establishes yeshivas (schools) in Europe, all the way back to his great-grandfather, Asher's family members have put religion before self.  But Asher Lev is different.  He is a Jew, but he is also an artist.  In such a strict religious community, Asher's attempts to capture an emotion can easily be interpreted as blasphemy.  Asher wants to embrace both aspects of his identity, but his family cannot do this.  He is forced to choose which side of his identity is most important to him.

         This was one of the best books I've ever read in school, and a great book in its own right.  There were so many likable characters.  No surprise here, but I've found that the more you like the characters, the more you like the book.  Asher is a really good person in a tough situation.  He loves his family and wants to be a devoted Jew, but also loves art and needs it to express himself.  Hard as he tries, Asher's father, Aryeh, can't understand his son.  From the outside, Asher and Aryeh would both seem terribly stubborn.  As the book goes on, however, you realize that neither one is at fault for their tense relationship.  They are both trying to do what they believe they're called to do, and their paths just don't line up.  Asher's mother, Rivkeh, desperately wants to bring the two together.  She sacrifices everything for her husband and son so they both can do the things that are important to them. Despite this, she can't force them to reconcile.  Amid this family tension, Asher struggles to find balance between his Jewish beliefs and artistic expression.  On one hand, My Name is Asher Lev is a great "literary" book and makes for some serious discussion.  But it's also a really enjoyable story without the analysis.  No matter what you're looking for, I'd recommend reading this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: November 21, 2012