Review: Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Revolution 19

Gregg Rosenblum

1/8/13

Harper Teen

Format: ARC

Source: pub

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Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.
Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.
Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed.

I went into Gregg Rosenblum's Revolution 19 expecting some intense Terminator meets I, Robot meets Battlestar Galactica craziness, but what I got was a bit less intense and cinematic and more middle-grade-ish over-the-top (in a good, fun way) sci-fi. Was I a little disappointed with this book? Yes, but I did walk away from it thoroughly entertained and liked it much more than I didn't like it...if that makes any sense at all.

Siblings Nick, Kevin, and Cass have lived their whole lives in a hidden and secluded community in the woods away from the big city and the robots. Robots that man built to fight their wars have turned on their creators and have taken over. When the safe haven in the woods is discovered by the robots, Nick; Kevin; and Cass must travel to the terrifying city and face the robots in order to save the people they love. Along the way, they make new friends, experience new things (some scary, some surprising), and discover that things may not be at all what they seem.

Revolution 19 is a quick, fun read. Is this the “blockbuster epic” that the blurb promises? No, but it does have its thrilling and captivating moments. The story may not have blown my mind or break any new sci-fi ground, but it did keep me entertained and intrigued.

The story has the potential to be grand and complex, but it never quite gets there. Rosenblum has certainly created and offered the inklings of a fascinating and exciting history of his sci-fi/dystopian setting, but the world-building never feels complete or intricate enough. I found the idea of these robot soldiers turned leaders and the rebel revolutions to be super cool and interesting; I just wish the story had something more (more world-building, more oomph, more substance, more action). I had hoped for a more edge-of-your-seat cinematic landscape and experience, but I didn't hate the story offered by any means.

The story isn't wildly unpredictable, but does have some great twists and turns. And the sci-fi elements may not be super original, but they are presented in some enthralling and refreshing ways. The story doesn't lack humor either, which I really liked. I do think the overall story and its characters come off more upper middle-grade than young adult and may have been better off if it were originally conceived with that tween audience in mind. Older readers may find the overall story hard to fall into or believe, and find themselves distracted by a lack of complete world-building or some instances of illogical explanation. But I think MG readers will find the sci-fi elements and dashes of romance and adventure to create the right amount of fun, excitement, and intrigue. As for me, I quickly put my own expectations aside and really just went with the story and once I did, I was able to enjoy it much more.

I found the main characters to be likable enough, but I didn't fall in love with them. I think younger readers will like that each of the main characters offers a unique and likable personality to relate to. The relationship between the three siblings is surprisingly moving. And I actually really enjoyed the very sweet romances and flirtations sprinkled in. I would have liked a more in-depth look at the robotic “villains” though.

The books concludes in a satisfying (if a bit cheesy) cliffhangery way, but definitely left me eager for more.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Revolution 19 may not have turned out how I expected and hoped it would, but that didn't keep it from entertaining me overall and I would definitely read a sequel. Readers looking for a quick, uncomplicated sci-fi read will find much to like about this book. A worthwhile read!

MY RATING

Purchase Revolution 19

Hardcover: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound

ebook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

Gregg Rosenblum 

Goodreads I Twitter I Harper Teen

Gregg Rosenblum works at Harvard, where he wages epic battles against technology as an editor/webmaster/communications/quasi-IT guy. He graduated from UC San Diego and has an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College. He lives in Boston with his wife and daughter.

Review: Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Touch of Death

(Touch of Death #1)

Kelly Hashway

1/15/13

Spencer Hill Press

Format: ARC

Source: from pub

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Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.
After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.
Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

MY REVIEW: A deadly touch, mythology, hot boys...these are awesome things. I like these things. So, it really sucks that I did not like the way these things were used in this book. In fact, there isn't much about this book that I did like.

Touch of Death is about high school junior Jodi Marhsall. Jodi thinks she's normal- she has a great mom, a great BFF, and a perfect boyfriend- but, then she finds out she's not normal at all. First, some hot guy begins to stalk her, then animals who should be dead start to come back to life around her, and even worse, people around her begin to die. Jodi can kill with a kiss or drop of blood and can even restore life with her touch. Jodi's stalker, Alex, is like her, a necromancer descendant of Medusa, born under the 13^th zodiac sign, Ophiuchus. But Jodi isn't just any necromancer (of course!), she's the Chosen One who must save her kind from Hades.

I'm not really sure where to start with this one. I can fully appreciate what author Kelly Hashway has tried to do with Touch of Death, but I found the overall execution extremely lacking. The story is boring and contrived, the characters are flat, and the writing is unremarkable.

Touch of Death ambitiously combines Greek mythological lore with the supernatural aspects of necromancers and the newly popular intrigue of the 13^th zodiac sign Ophiuchus, but it doesn't really do this particularly well. All of these elements have been explored and done before and they've been done better. I'm a huge mythology fan and the way these elements were used and laid out in this book just did nothing for me. Hashway does provide some much needed history of Jodi's kind, but overall, the world-building is non-existent. I don't feel like I ever got a clear picture of these people, their abilities, their purpose, or community. The whole book is one big example of “telling” and not “showing”.

The writing lacks a memorable spark and, in some places, I just found it plan bad, cringe-worthy even. The plot lacks any suspense of any kind; things are just blurted out or presented in an in-your-face kind of way. Like the whole Jodi being the Chosen One is just casually thrown into a conversation between she and Alex: “blah blah blah the prophecy about your birth blah blah the Chosen One blahblahblah...”. The book is 235 pages, but nothing remotely substantial happens. And everything that does happen feels incredibly contrived and forced.

One of the things I hate most in books, is being hit over the head with something repeatedly. In this case, Jodi is repeatedly and accidentally getting cut or nicked and bleeding on (or crying on or kissing, etc) something/someone and either killing them or bringing them back to life. This happens SO MANY TIMES, yet Jodi didn't realize what was happening until like the 5^th time, but readers can figure it all out by like the 2^nd incident. After the third or fourth incident I was just like “OMG! I get it already! She can kill and can she heal! Sheesh!”. The sheer amount of these unnecessary “incidents” made me feel like the book was terribly underestimating my intelligence as a reader >.<

And let's talk about the many times Jodi cuts/scratches/nicks herself. We're given no indication that Jodi has, up to this point, been a clumsy or unobservant person, yet she can't go an hour without injuring herself accidentally? Which brings me to the characterization and character development of these characters, or lack of. Jodi is a frustrating, flat, boring, conflicting “heroine”. One minute she's describing her boyfriend by saying “But it was Matt. He could do no wrong in my eyes” (pg 13), and this is the moment I knew I wouldn't like this girl. Then later, she says “I'm not that shallow. I don't need to have a boyfriend." (pg 74). If your character has to verbally acknowledge this, then the girl power sentiment behind it turns to bullshit.

She, and all the rest of the characters, are also insufferably stereotypical. Alex is meant to be the cocky bad boy with a secret heart of gold, Abby is the bitchy gorgeous girl jealous of Jodi and in love with Alex, and Alex's parents are the “mysterious” leaders of their group who we, the readers, are suppose to be conflicted about (do I trust them? Are they evil?)...and these are the roles they are stuffed into and play. There is no depth or complexity to them at all.

By the end of the book, I cared very little for the characters or the story itself, and I wasn't sad to see it end. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Touch of Death certainly killed me with its lacking execution, flat characters, and boring pacing . The story just didn't work for me and I won't be continuing with the series.

MY RATING

Purchase: Amazon / B&N

Kelly Hashway: Site / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I write for children of all ages from picture books up to young adult. I am proudly represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. My debut YA, TOUCH OF DEATH, releases January 15, 2013 through Spencer Hill Press. Also look for my other upcoming YA novels: STALKED BY DEATH (Spencer Hill Press, July 23, 2013), THE MONSTER WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, April 2014), THE DARKNESS WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, TBA), and INTO THE FIRE (Month9Books, spring 2014). My debut MG series CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE releases in 2016 through Month9Books.

Review: Through The Ever Night (UtNS #2) by Veronica Rossi

Through The Ever Night

(Under the Never Sky #2)

Veronica Rossi

1/8/13

Harper Collins

Format: ARC

Source: pub

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It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.
Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?
In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

*there may be slight spoilers for Under the Never Sky*

THREE WORDS:  

MY REVIEW: Guys! People! Yeah, all you readerly and bookish people, listen up...guysguyguys, this book! This. Book. I'm having so many feels and thinking so many thoughts right now and I can't even. Veronica Rossi gets all the claps and awards. I just want to hug her and bake her cupcakes and fangirl over her and grill her on book three all day! *sigh*

I lurved Under the Never Sky and as a sequel, Through The Ever Night does not disappoint and I love it so much! So. Much...book two picks up a few months after book one and we're dropped right back into Perry and Aria's world, as they are reunited once again. But Perry's tribe, the Tides, don't accept Aria and some are even hostile towards her. Aria must make some difficult choices in order to find the Still Blue and save Talon, while Perry struggles with being Blood Lord and taking care of his people. Aether storms, cunning enemies, unexpected enemies, and heartache may just tear them a part.

There was so much I loved about Under the Never Sky- the characters, the writing, the romance, the setting- and all of these awesome things are effortlessly and seamlessly carried over into Through The Ever Night. Rossi is a fabulous storyteller and she once again had me spellbound and enthralled from the first page to well after the last.

The fresh, fascinating dystopian and sci-fi world in this series is one of my absolute favorites, and it is furthered explored in book two. There is something so exhilarating and darkly beautiful about the harsh, unpredictable, and wild world; you never know what new and exciting things this world will bring. Rossi paints her world with electric, vivid hues that explode off the page. In this book, we get to delve deeper into the inner-workings and structure of several of the tribes, including the Tides, which I found captivating. The world-building is very layered and consistent.

This sequel doesn't seem to suffer from any lagging or repetitiveness like many other sequels often do. The story set out in book one continues to move along deftly in Through The Ever Night with purpose and excellent pacing. And while there is a great deal of action and continued world-building in this book, it is the continued character growth that I found most intriguing and impressive.

Both Aria and Perry have naturally matured and really come into their own. Aria has developed a very organic, necessary strength and survival instinct that feels believable, while Perry feels like a more fully emotionally accessible character. I've enjoyed connecting with them as individuals and rooting for them as a couple, and I love that although they make for an addicting and enticing pair, they are first fully developed individuals. But, I do lurve me some of the addicting and enticing aspects of this couple, of course! The romance between these two in this book is less steamy than in book one, but I didn't mind because it also feels deeper and more profound.

We finally meet Liv, Perry's sister, who is just as complex, feisty, and stubborn as I hoped she would be. But the character who really shines in Through The Ever Night is funny, loyal, swoon-worthy Roar *swoons*. I want to marry him and have little Roaries and hold hands with him and have telepathic conversations...it's clearly my destiny ;) These two broke my heart in Roar and Liv and they completely crushed my heart and soul n this book. I won't say why or spoil it for you, which is a good thing because I'm just not ready to talk about it yet...why, Rossi? WHY?!

The ending is wonderfully satisfying and made me feel all warm and rainbowy, but it definitely left me wanting so much more and needing (NEEDING) book three!

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: As far as sequels go, you couldn't ask for anything better than Through The Ever Night (except may Roar cuddles). Veronica Rossi has definitely earned her place among my top fave YA authors and I can't wait to read much more of her work. A MUST read sequel in a MUST read series!

MY RATING

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

Veronica Rossi: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Veronica Rossi is the author of Under the Never Sky, the first book in a post-apocalyptic trilogy for young adults. She completed undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons. When not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and counting down the minutes until she can get back to making up stories about imaginary people. 

Foreign rights to the UNDER THE NEVER SKY trilogy have sold in over twenty-five territories to date and film rights have been optioned by Warner Bros.

ARC Review: You Only Die Twice (The Genius Files #3) by Dan Gutman

You Only Die Twice

(The Genius Files #3)

Dan Gutman

1/22/13

Harper Collins

Format: ARC

Source: from pub

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The most dangerous road trip in history continues for thirteen-year-old twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald. 
Just when they thought they were safe, the twins will be 
chased by an evil Elvis impersonator, 
trapped in a pool of flesh-eating soda pop, nearly 
pulverized in a giant shredder, and 
crushed in a turbo-charged carnival ride. 
worst of all, no one believes them! 
Will they make it out alive? Will they ever find out who’s really after them? All bets are off in this explosive third book in the Genius Files series! 

THREE WORD: Fun, Laughs, Learning

MY REVIEW: I'm officially a fangirl of The Genius File series by Dan Gutman! This wildly fun middle-grade series, which includes Mission Unstoppable, Never Say Genius, and now You Only Die Twice, is the perfect mix of adventure, humor, and educational information. And, I think book three is my favorite one yet.

In You Only Die Twice, thirteen year old twins, Coke and Pepsi McDonald, continue their journey across America with their parents in an RV. The family has made their way to Washington D.C. and Aunt Judy's wedding, and are now traveling back home to California. Along the way, the family stops at unusual and quirky tourist attractions and museums for their mom's website, Amazing but True. And of course, the twins are once again chased down by an evil arch-enemy and must rely on their individual talents and each other to thwart the bad guys and save their lives.

Dan Gutman is a master of pitch perfect middle-grade humor and fun, and this series is proof of that. With The Genius Files, Gutman has crafted a wild adventurous romp across America that is filled to the brim with off the charts laughs, thrills, and fun facts. These books are instantly captivating, impossible to put down, and will have readers of all ages devouring them quickly.

I adore Gutman's middle-grade voice and writing style. He clearly knows and understands his intended audience and this really shines through in this series. Like books one and two, You Only Die Twice is massively entertaining, charming in its quirkiness, smartly funny, and irresistibly engaging. In book three, our hero and heroine, Coke and Pepsi, find themselves up against an Evil Elvis and once again must use their smarts and ingenuity to solve ciphers and escape the bad guys. The action and adventure is fast-paced and never ending; there are no boring moments in this book! And Gutman does a fantastic job of recapping the events of earlier books throughout this book, without being repetitive.

I just love how engaging and interactive this book, and the others, are. Readers can use Google Maps to follow the McDonalds' journey, solve the ciphers and puzzles along side Pep and Coke, and research all the wacky and unusual places the twins visit. Every place the family visits is a very real place in America, and each book contains pictures and real info about these places. Younger readers will learn a great deal without even realizing it because the educational stuff is mixed in with all the fun stuff. In You Only Die Twice the McDonalds visit some pretty outrageous and cool places, such as the birth place of Pepsi-Cola, Luray Caverns, a very big frying pan, South of the Border, a Waffle House museum, Graceland, and a ton of others. The twins also walk through a giant brain, drink zany Coca-Cola flavors, get dunked in flesh-eating soda, get tossed in a giant shredder, and face down an evil Elvis impersonator.

Coke and Pepsi are the kind of middle-grade characters that I love: they're super relatable and likable. Like most younger readers, I too, appreciate characters that are capable, smart, and funny, but not too perfect, and Coke and Pepsi really fit this description. There's a great gaggle of villains in these books that are sinister enough to be compelling, but silly enough to be amusing.

Dan Gutman is a cliff-hanger genius and You Only Die Twice is no exception. This book ends with an explosive bang and a boom and gasp-worthy reveal that I didn't see coming.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: You Only Die Twice is an excellent addition to an already sensational middle-grade series. I always have so much fun reading these books and I'm so looking forward to book four. These books are perfect for middle-grade readers that crave adventure and laughs. And if you have a reluctant younger reader in your life I highly recommend this series to get them excited about books.

MY RATING

Dan Gutman: Site / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

The author of over 80 books in a little over a decade of writing, Dan Gutman has written on topics from computers to baseball. Beginning his freelance career as a nonfiction author dealing mostly with sports for adults and young readers, Gutman has concentrated on juvenile fiction since 1995. His most popular titles include the time-travel sports book Honus and Me and its sequels, and a clutch of baseball books, including The Green Monster from Left Field. From hopeful and very youthful presidential candidates to stunt men, nothing is off limits in Gutman's fertile imagination. As he noted on his author Web site, since writing his first novel, They Came from Centerfield, in 1994, he has been hooked on fiction. "It was fun to write, kids loved it, and I discovered how incredibly rewarding it is to take a blank page and turn it into a WORLD."
Gutman was born in New York City in 1955, but moved to Newark, New Jersey the following year and spent his youth there. 

Review: Endangered by Eliot Schrefer

Endangered

Eliot Schrefer

10/1/12

Scholastic

Format: eARC

Source: Netgalley

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The Congo is a dangerous place, even for people who are trying to do good.  When one girl has to follow her mother to her sanctuary for bonobos, she's not thrilled to be there. It's her mother's passion, and she'd rather have nothing to do with it. But when revolution breaks out and their sanctuary is attacked, she must rescue the bonobos and hide in the jungle. Together, they will fight to keep safe, to eat, and to survive.   Eliot Schrefer asks readers what safety means, how one sacrifices to help others, and what it means to be human in this new compelling adventure.

THREE WORDS: Powerful & Heart-Wrenching

MY REVIEW: Eliot Schrefer's Endangered was one of those books that I went into with absolutely no expectations and walked away from with so much--so many feelings, thoughts, ideas, new information, and inspiration. I'm only sad that I didn't discover this book sooner.

Endangered follows fourteen year old Sophie, as she spends the summer in the Congo with her mother who runs a sanctuary for bonobos. Sophie buys a neglected young bonobo, she names Otto, from a man on the street and takes him to the sanctuary where she nurses him back to health and forges an unbreakable bond with. When her mother must leave to release bonobos back into the wild and a revolution breaks out in war stricken Congo, Sophie must seek refuge in the unforgiving jungle, saving herself and a group of bonobos. She and her furry friends must contend with deadly rebels, near starvation, and harsh weather and journey to meet her mother before it's too late for all of them.

Endangered is a powerfully moving exploration of love, family, friendship, war, and courage. Schrefer has crafted a truly compelling and captivating story about a place and situation that is given very little attention, but he has definitely opened my eyes.

This is not a sweet and sunny story, it is raw, honest, intense and heavy, and entirely impossible to ignore. Schrefer deftly, yet unassumingly, explores the plight of the Congo and its people, not shying away from the dark, painful, and, at times, gory realities of a war stricken country. And he does so on both a very big picture scale and a very intimate, personal level. This is book is a work of fiction and not based on a true story or real people, but the author has fictionalized Congo's very real issues with a great deal of authenticity, respect, and sensitivity.

The world Schrefer has built-the bonobo sanctuary nestled on the edges of the jungle, the harsh, dangerous jungle itself, the bleak countryside dotted with various villages and communities- all feels very real and concrete, and layered. I feel like I learned so much about the Congo, its history, people, and culture, and, of course, I learned a great deal about bonobos and have a whole new appreciation for this amazing animal.

Through Sophie's relationship with her parents, her relationship with Otto, the relationship and interaction between the bonobos, and the behaviors and actions of all the characters, the author has managed to capture so much about the essence of family, love, and humanity, and has done so with such finesse. The heart of this book is the relationship between Sophie and Otto; a relationship that is heart-achingly beautiful and awe-inspiring. The bond and pure love between these two touched me greatly and moved me to tears. This is one friendship that will never truly leave readers.

Sophie's journey is a harrowing, yet inspiring one that had me on the edge of my seat. Her adventure through the jungle is one of suspense, survival, and courage, and I found it equal parts heart-stopping, enthralling, and terrifying.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Endangered left me breathless, inspired, and thoughtful. This book, its characters; story; and message are unforgettable and powerful. Readers will walk away from this book inspired and changed. A fantastic read for older MG readers and up.

MY RATING

Connect with the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

ARC Review: Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Prophecy

(The Dragon King Chronicles #1)

Jan. 2, 2013

Harper Teen

Format: pb ARC

Source: sent from pub for review

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The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.  Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.  Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

THREE FIVE WORDS: Dragons & Demons & Imoogi, Oh My!

MY REVIEW: I was excited to learn that Ellen Oh's Prophecy is set in an Ancient Korean setting because I happen to be part Korean, my grandma grew up in Seoul and my mother was born there, and I love Korean culture and history. So a Korean infused fantasy sounded just like my kind of thang...and, for the most part, this book was my kind of thing and I definitely enjoyed. But, I didn't end up loving it the way I hoped I would.

Prophecy centers around Kira, a young warrior and Demon Slayer, who is feared and hated by people, and who has been tasked with protecting her young cousin, the prince. When an evil Demon Lord rises to power, Kira, the prince, and a ragtag group of soldiers, monks, and new friends set out for the safety of Kira's uncle's kingdom. And when the monks reveal that the young prince may be the savior talked about in the Dragon King's Prophecy, this group journey to find the lost treasures of the prophecy that could help them defeat the darkness and save the kingdoms. Along the way, Kira must contend with demons, dragons, and imoogi, oh my!

Prophecy is an enjoyable and entertaining fantasy, with a likable heroine and excellent world-building, yet I found some parts of it lacking. I found it to be a quick read and easy to fall into, and it certainly held my interest from beginning to end.

The Ancient Korean fantasy world Oh has crafted is developed very well. This is an intricate world with great historical, political, and cultural layers. Prophecy's world is obviously only based on ancient Korea and not a strict interpretation, but Oh has clearly done her homework and adds a wonderful and rich sense of authenticity to this fantasy world. And the fantasy aspects, while not overly original, are imaginative and exciting and infused with fascinating mythical elements. I'm a sucker for demons and dragons, and this book has both (plus, the wicked cool Korean imoogi!) and I was pleasantly surprised to find that both were not quite like I expected them to be (but in good ways).

The story is a bit predictable and follows a formulaic storyline, but I liked it nonetheless. But the book certainly has its weaknesses. The overall writing isn't bad, but it isn't mesmerizing or unforgettable. The dialogue feels awkward and stilted at times, and I noticed the author uses A LOT of unnecessary exclamation points (!!!). There's less action than I thought there would be, but the fighting that is present is fun and descriptive. As the first book in a series, Prophecy seemed to focus a lot on setting the scene for the entire series and packing in a great deal of need to know info, history, and story building, and I think this left little room for actual action or character development.

The characters are likable enough, but not truly memorable. While I don't dislike any of the characters, I don't feel like I got to know any of them enough to really love them or connect with them. Kira definitely has a lot going for her- she's strong, feisty, brave, funny (she has a few laugh-out-loud lines), and smart- but, she didn't blow me a way as a heroine. There's an inkling of a possible love triangle in future books, but, for the most part, the story is romance lite.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Prophecy didn't wow me as much as I hoped it would, but it did keep me entertained and I did really like its fantasy world. Its conclusion left me satisfied and wanting more. I think it has the potential to get better and better and I look forward to continuing the series. Definitely a worthwhile read!

MY RATING

Connect with the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

Ellen Oh is an adjunct college instructor and former entertainment lawyer who one day picked up a Genghis Khan biography and was never quite the same again. It was the start of an obsessive fascination with ancient Asian history that led to years of researching, which culminated in writing Prophecy, her first novel. She also loves martial arts films, K-pop, K-dramas, and cooking shows, and she thinks the Last Airbender series was the best animated show ever created. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and three daughters and is always on the hunt for a decent bagel.

Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

TITLE: Alice in Zombieland     SERIES: White Rabbit Chronicles #1 AUTHOR: Gena Showalter PUB: Harlequin Teen                              PUB DATE: 9/25/12 FORMAT: pb ARC SOURCE: from pub for review

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.

THREE WORDS: Such A Disappointment

MY REVIEW: From the moment I saw the cover and read the premise of Gena Showalter's Alice in Zombieland I knew I had to read it! Unfortunately, the book failed to live up to my expectations and is one of the biggest reading disappointments I've experienced this year :(

Alice Bell thinks her father is crazy and with his paronoia, refusal to allow the family out after dark and his belief in monsters, he certainly sounds crazy. But after a tragic accident that takes the lives of her parents and beloved baby sister, Alice thinks maybe he wasn't crazy at all. Maybe the monsters Alice saw the night of the accident and has been seeing outside her window at night are real. And when Alice starts a new school and locks eyes with a gorgeous boy everything changes. Cole, the gorgeous boy, is the leader of a pack of trouble-making tough kids; a group with secrets of their own. Suddenly Alice finds herself not only completely enamored and captivated by bad boy Cole, but trusting him with her own secrets and life. Together they set out to destroy the zombies that destroyed Alice's world.

I love a good zombie story- scary, cheesy, somewhere in the middle-it doesn't matter, and I love when authors thread fairytale elements throughout their modern stories in fresh, unique ways, so Alice in Zombieland seemed like it would be a mish-mash of awesomeness...it isn't. What I had hoped would be an exhilarating and fantastically dark infused paranormal story turned out to be 400 pages of a confusing and overly complex storyline, a nauseating teenage romance that boderlines on insta-love, a gaggle of cliché characters and misleading execution.

The actual writing and storytelling are not horrible; Showalter is clearly a talented and imaginative writing. The book has a solid premise and some original ideas with great potential; this potential is just never lived up to. The prologue and chapter one pulled me in quickly and had me engrossed, but then the story just fell apart, and for several reasons. At over 400 pages, this is a semi-long book, but it felt much l o n g e r, and not in a good way. So much of the story is drawn out and there are so many unecessary scenes and so much unecessary dialogue. I found myself merely skimming some of the pages, especially when specific characters spoke or interacted (more on that below).

The actual zombies are very different than your usual decaying, arms-sticking-out, limping and mumbling “Braiiiiinnnns” zombies, which I was okay with through-out most of the book. Showalter did something different with her zombies and that's totally cool, but the whole supernatural elements surrounding the zombies (their origins, abilities, weaknesses, strengths, etc), and the zombie slayers are way too overly complicated and complex. There's just too much story and world-building shoved into one book. And what's worse, is that much of this information is delivered through boring sections of mass info-dump. Too many times I found myself just skipping over paragraphs of these info-dump conversations after several pages.

There's also a certain level of religious preachiness that felt out of place, in my opinion. I have no issues with religious themes or morals being placed in a story, of course, but the supernatural elements and the religious elements just never meshed well in this book because they were never given a connection. Alice's character often prays and speaks of angels and demons being real things, but not once does she contemplate why zombies exist in a world her God created or discuss what effect or impact, if any, their existence and her abilities have on her faith. And another thing that bugged me is the fact that zombies, angels, demons, and spiritual planes are all believed in, but ghosts are deemed as not real. Seriously?

The disappointing and hot mess of a story are bad enough, but I think the characters are even worse. I found Alice to be unremarkable, immature and her character development to be conflicting and all over the place. Everything about her, from her humor to her tough-chick attitude, just feels contrived and unbelievable. Then there's bad-boy, oh so hot and swoony Cole. This dude is just one big cliché- from his gorgeous good looks to his tattoos, hot bod, bad boy clothes to his bossy attitude and inner sweet, sensitive guy. I've met hundreds of other Coles in hundreds of other books.

The relationship between Alice and Cole is definitely hot and steamy, but I never felt invested in it or honestly cared whether they were together or not. And there are slight elements of insta-love, which is always a turn off for me. Oh, and there's kind of a love triangle, or actually more like a love square, between Alice, Cole, Cole's ex Mackenzie and a guy named Justin. So, yeah....

I want to mention two signifcant characters because I had big issues with them. First, Alice's eight year old sister Emma. Emma talks and acts like she's 38 not 8. Second, Alice's new BFF, Kat. Ohmygawd guys, this girl is EXHAUSTING! She talks SO MUCH! And I think she's meant to be witty, but I found her downright annoying and kind of mean. After awhile, every time she opened her mouth I just skipped ahead.

One of the things I hate in books is when an author makes it a point to clarify that this character is black or this character is Latino or this character is gay and then just throws them all together to make some big diverse group...this happens frequently in this book. At one point, Alice officially meets Cole's friends and this is how some are described “...There was Lucas, who was gorgeous and black...Derek, also black...and Haun, an Asian boy...and Cruz, a Hispanic boy...”. Seriously, is all that really necessary? I love culturally diverse characters, but not when they're thrown together for no other reason than being able to say that the book has culturally diverse characters.

But, the thing that REALLY bothers me about this book is the fact that the title is totally misleading. I was expecting and hoping for some kind of Alice' Adventures in Wonderland parallel, whether it be in the symbolism or setting, but other than the title, Alice's name, a cloud shaped like a rabbit and some chapters that reference Carroll's work, this book has NOTHING to do with that other Alice's story. Now, I get that, really, this shouldn't be a big deal, maybe the title is just suppose to be clever and the story itself is what matters. I suppose I just feel gypped in this regard.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Obviously, I did not enjoy Alice in Zombieland. The cliche characters, trite romance and overly complicated supernatural elements just didn't work for me. I so wanted to love this book, but walked away not even liking it. I will not be continuing with the series. 

MY RATING

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Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.
Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in all over the world. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.