Review: The Becoming of Noah Shaw

Read if you like: superheroes and slow burning mysteries with slight thriller elements

The Becoming of Noah Shaw | Michelle Hodkin

Series: The Shaw Confessions

Genre: Mystery
Release Date: November 7th
Pages: 384
Format: EBook
Source: Publisher, via Edelweiss

In the first book of the Shaw Confessions, the companion series to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer novels, old skeletons are laid bare and new promises prove deadly. This is what happens after happily ever after.

Everyone thinks seventeen-year-old Noah Shaw has the world on a string.

They’re wrong.

Mara Dyer is the only one he trusts with his secrets and his future.

He shouldn’t.

And both are scared that uncovering the truth about themselves will force them apart.

They’re right.

Did I seriously go through the whole Mara Dyer trilogy for my ship to sink so spectacularly? Are you KIDDING me? I was looking forward to them being strong, sorting shit out together. And I wish this was the only thing I'm disappointed about.

This is way more contemporary mystery than the creepy paranormal thriller Mara Dyer was, which I didn't expect. Not to say I don't like that genre because I do but... It's pretty slow paced too, despite the awesome beginning. I still love the characters, and Noah, and the history behind the origins of their powers. But the missing Gifted? I literally did not care what happened to them. I'm not sure how I feel about the new character Leo either, even if I like Goose (great name.) There are parts of this that are really good but overall I just did not love it. And for a book I've been dying to get my hands on for over a YEAR, a book I literally squealed to get approved for on Edelweiss ... the disappointment hit me hard.

3 stars

Review: Suicide Squad, Vol. 3

Suicide Squad: Burning Down The House | Rob Williams

Published by: DC Comics, September 12th 2017

Genre: Comics, Superheroes, Supervillains

Pages: 160

Format: Ebook

Source: DC, via Netgalley

Amanda Waller is used to getting what she wants—but this time, what Waller wants is something only Lex Luthor has. Striking a deal won’t be easy—or cheap! It’s a war on two fronts as Waller leads a smoldering charm offensive in Luthor’s penthouse while her Suicide Squad tries to open the most heavily guarded safe in all of LexCorp.

In SUICIDE SQUAD VOL. 3, writer Rob Williams is joined by superstar, and new series artist, Tony S. Daniel (BATMAN, JUSTICE LEAGUE)! Collects SUICIDE SQUAD #16-20.

This volume was basically Suicide Squad but with all my favourite bits removed. No cameraderie, barely any Killer Croc and June (why??), and they did something pretty awesome (killed someone off but I won't spoil) but then went back on it by bringing her back to life (meh.) It's not that I didn't like this, because I really enjoyed parts (mostly Harley and Flag) but ... it felt lacking for me. Didn't enjoy it half as much as I expected to.

Characters ★★☆☆☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★☆☆☆

Review: The Changer's Key

A Riddle in Ruby: The Changer's Key | Kent Davis

Published by: Greenwillow Books, September 27th 2016

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Pages: 384

Format: Ebook

Source: Greenwillow Books, via Edelweiss

The second book in the fantasy-adventure trilogy. In an alternate colonial America, young thief Ruby Teach trains to become the greatest weapon in the coming war.

To save her friends and family, apprentice thief Ruby Teach bargained with the man who chased her across the sea and through an alternate version of colonial Philadelphia. Now she’s training to become a soldier in the war he foresees and being experimented on by the army’s scientists. Ruby’s blood holds a secret, if only someone can unlock it.

Meanwhile, Captain Teach and Ruby’s friends—a motley crew made up of a young aristocrat, a servant, an alchemist, and mysterious woodswoman—are racing against time to find and liberate Ruby.

Kent Davis’s imagining of a colonial America powered by alchemy is fascinating and wholly original. The heroes are swept through cities and unsettled territories with imagination, humor, and magic.

I remember really liking the first book, but I just did connect with this at all. The Ruby plot, I liked but I didn't really care about it, and the other plot didn't interest me at all. But I still like Athena a whole lot, and kinda wish the book was all from her POV. By the end of this, I was just reading so I could finish it, and I'm not sure why because I really loved the first book.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: Blight

Blight | Alexandra Duncan

Published by: Greenwillow Books, May 30th 2017

Genre: YA, Dystopia, Science Fiction

Pages: 528

Format: Ebook

Source: Greenwillow, via Edelweiss

Seventeen-year-old Tempest Torres has lived on the AgraStar farm north of Atlanta since she was found outside the gates at the age of five. Now she’s part of the security force guarding the fence and watching for scavengers—people who would rather steal genetically engineered food from the company than work for it. When a group of such rebels accidentally sets off an explosion in the research compound, it releases into the air a blight that kills every living thing in its path—including humans. With blight-resistant seeds in her pocket, Tempest teams up with a scavenger boy named Alder and runs for help. But when they finally arrive at AgraStar headquarters, they discover that there’s an even bigger plot behind the blight—and it’s up to them to stop it from happening again. A fast-paced action-adventure story that is Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake meets Nancy Farmer’s House of the Scorpion.

I thought I would love this more. As it was, I did like it, and there were parts that really drew me in, but overall I just didn't have that holycrapthisisawesome moment I did in Salvage. Which makes me kinda sad. But there's still some awesome bits:

- AgraCorp is SO COOL. In a totalitarian, never wanting to get involved with them kinda way. They are such a compelling, dynamic threat, and I wanted to delve deeper into their gritty agriculture, army world. Which was why I was a bit frustrated to detour into the shiny, glitzy bits of the world.

- I liked the main characters, their utter differences in upbringing and personality.

- No romance, if you're into that thing!!!

- There's so much to this world that works, from the soldiers to the farming to the blight which was quite frankly horrifying (but I REALLY REALLY wish we'd seen more of that in the second half because it just kinda ... vanished.)

- There's so many secrets in this, especially revolving around Tempest's family, and those actually managed to shock me. I'd JUST started to suspect when the huge plot twist was thrown down but I only saw a tiny part of it coming not the Giant Shock. This worked so well.

-The first half was SO GOOD, the second half ... meh. I lost a bit of interest, to be honest, and there's so many bits of the world I wanted to explore that I was disappointed when the book just didn't go there

-I wanted a big showdown with AgraCorp in the end, that final battle between the old Tempest and the new, but instead it was a fight with a gang which ... eh, it was cool but I still wanted her to fight AgraCorp.

Overall: a really unique, interesting take on the future.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: Suicide Squad, Volume Two

Suicide Squad: Volume Two: Going Sane  | Rob Williams, Jim Lee, Stephen Byrne

Published by: DC Comics, June 13th 2017

Genre: Comics, Science Fiction, Superheroes

Pages: 144

Format: Ebook

Source: DC Comics, via Netgalley

From writer Rob Williams, superstar artist Jim Lee and Philip Tan comes the new Suicide Squad! 

The government has once again handpicked the worst of the worst for its Task Force X: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Katana and Killer Croc. Following their clash with the Justice League, the team faces a new challenge as the dark energy of the Black Vault starts to drive the prisoners of Belle Reve insane--except for Harley Quinn, who seems to be more rational and level-headed than...well, ever. 

Collecting: Suicide Squad 5-9

This was confusing. Awesome ... but confusing. I got lost so many times as to whether something was happening now or in the past, if it was real or not, and sometimes that mind trip is pretty cool, but with this comic I got frustrated. The story was just ... okay. And while Harley being suddenly sane was a cool plot device, super problematic handling of mental health there.

BUT the characters continue to be strong as hell. We got to see Harley in a less sexualised, more human-being light. It gives more backstories for the gang (which I loved) and cleverly uses this format to introduce a new character. My favourite part has to be June and Killer Croc though. O-T-fricking-P. They're so cute and wholesome and pure and I want them to stay together forever, which probably means one of them will die in the next volume... But I just loved this sweet little romance between a murderous monster and a girl possessed by a nightmare of a witch. In the middle of the crazy, the action, the confusion, I really needed that.

I did enjoy this, but I didn't 100% love it. Still gonna read the next volume though, because I'm a sucker for this team.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: The Darkest Lie

The Darkest Lie | Pintip Dunn

Published by: Kensington Books, June 28th 2016

Genre: YA, Mystery, Contemporary

Pages: 256

Format: Ebook

Source: Kensington Books, via Netgalley

“The mother I knew would never do those things.
But maybe I never knew her after all.”

Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student, and CeCe’s been the subject of whispers and taunts ever since. Now, at the start of her high school senior year, between dealing with her grieving, distracted father, and the social nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline—the same place her mother worked.

As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s lingering suspicions about her mom’s death surface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives—including CeCe’s own…

Wow this book seems way longer than 250 pages. Partly because by the midway point I got SO CONFUSED by the amount of victims (were there just two? or four? Is Lil from 20 years ago, or recent?) and suspects, but partly because it's kinda slow. I wasn't interested in the romance with Sam, who screamed dodgy from the beginning in every kind of way (but turned out to not be?) and the actual killer seemed pretty nice. I liked him. I guess that was the point - master manipulator and all that, but by the end with the big reveal it seemed so ... unlikely. Too unlikely. The explanation of his motive was just weird and not believable. I don't GET IT. But hey, people do murdery things for any reason.

I'm just disappointed, I guess. I really liked this in the beginning, and there's still a lot about it I do like, but it's overshadowed by confusion about the victims, the murder, the sexual predator-ness, and EVERYTHING. I still don't know why the MC's mum's hair was all cut off, and how the crime in the past led to all this. But it's a different mystery, and it's unique in its story.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: Green Arrow , Volume 1: The Death & Life of Oliver Queen

Green Arrow: The Death & Life of Oliver Queen | Benjamin Percy, Otto Scmidt, Juan Ferreyra

Published by: DC Comics, January 4th 2017

Genre: Graphic Novels, Superheroes

Pages: 160

Format: Ebook

Source: DC Comics,  via Netgalley

Green Arrow's life will be forever changed as he is betrayed by those closest to him! A budding relationship with Black Canary forces Ollie to confront the fact that he can't fight "the man" if he is "the man." And one by one, his friends desert him-and all the money in the world won't bring them back when he needs them most.

Collecting: Green Arrow 1-5, Rebirth

I enjoyed the story and how character's lives blended easily with action. I also liked the fast pace. Not sure about Dinah, or how she's so sexualised (and does a skimpy outfit really make sense when dealing with dangerous situations? How protective are fishnets really?) but I liked Oliver and his character development. I do feel like having disfigured villains is a little boring and expected though, and has some pretty shitty underlying messages. But still - a really decent Green Arrow story.

Characters ★★★☆☆
Setting/World ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: Split The Sun

Inherit The Stars: Split The Sun | Tessa Elwood

Published by: Running Press Kids, December 6th 2016

Genre: YA, Science Fiction

Pages: 288

Format: Ebook

Source: Running Press Kids,  via Netgalley

The Ruling Lord of the House of Galton is dead, and the nation is in shock—or celebrating, depending on the district. Kit Franks would be more than happy to join him.

Kit’s mother bombed the digital core of the House, killing several and upending the nation’s information structure. No one wants the daughter of a terrorist. Kit lost her job, her aunt wants her evicted, her father is using her as a shield against a drug lord, a group of political rebels need Kit to ignite an interplanetary war, and the boy two floors down keeps jacking up her suicide attempts—as if she has a life worth saving.

When Mom-the-terrorist starts showing up on feeds and causing planet-wide blackouts, everyone looks to Kit for an answer. The rebels want Mom on their side. The government needs to stop Mom’s digital virus from spreading before there’s no record of government left. Both sides will do anything, destroy anyone, to make Kit crack. They believe she’s the key to Mom’s agenda and the House’s future. Worst of all, they may be right.

Kit’s having dreams she can’t explain, remembering conversations that no longer seem innocent, understanding too much coded subtext in Mom’s universal feed messages. Everyone, from Mom to the rebels, has a vision of Kit’s fate—locked, sealed, and ready to roll. The question is, does Kit have a vision for herself?

Tessa Elwood’s final book in the Inherit the Stars series introduces readers to a strong, unique heroine who must chart her own destiny against a minefield of family ambitions and political agendas.

I absolutely adored Inherit The Stars - the world, the characters, the romance, all of it. This book ... not nearly as much. I liked the romance. The story itself was part cool, part strange. I just didn't get why Kit was involved, why she cared at all. And it didn't make sense that she knew nothing about her mum's motive but also knew her secrets at the same time. I just couldn't figure Kit out. BUT I like that she's mean, and unlikeable, and brash. I like that in my ladies - we don't all have to be sweetness and nice.

I liked the romance too. It was pretty sweet, with a layer of angst and drama. And the plot was pretty interesting, even if there were too many people and events to really keep track of and I didn't understand what was driving Kit or what the main storyline really was. But it was decent and interesting and I liked Niles a whole lot. My favourite part was the throwaway reference to the marriage between Fane and Westlet - my babies! - which says a lot about which book I really loved. 

Characters ★★★☆☆
Setting/World ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: Relic

Relic | Gretchen McNeil

Published by: Epic Reads Impulse, March 8th 2016

Genre: YA, Horror, Mystery

Pages: 293

Format: Ebook

Source: Epic Reads Impulse, via Edelweiss

From Gretchen McNeil, the author of Ten and Possess, comes this teen horror novel perfect for young fans of Stephen King, and Lois Duncan's I Know What You Did Last Summer.

For Annie Kramer, the summer before college is bittersweet—both a last hurrah of freedom and the last days she'll spend with her boyfriend, Jack, before they head off to different colleges. So she and her friends plan one final adventure: a houseboating trip on Shasta Lake, complete with booze, romance . . . and an off-limits exploration of the notorious Bull Valley Mine.

The legends of mysterious lights and missing persons on Shasta Lake have been a staple of sleepovers and campouts since Annie was a kid. Full of decrepit bridges that lead to nowhere, railroad tunnels that disappear into the mountains, and terrifying stories of unexplained deaths and bodies that were never recovered, Bull Valley Mine is notorious and frightening—perfect for an epic conclusion to their high school lives.

The trip is fun and light—at first. But when a deranged stranger stumbles upon their campsite, spouting terrifying warnings and pleas for help, it's clear that everyone is in danger. And when their exploration of the mine goes horribly wrong, Annie and her friends quickly discover that the menace of Bull Valley Mine doesn't stay at Shasta Lake—it follows them home.

As one by one her friends fall victim to this mysterious and violent force, Annie must do whatever it takes to discover the ancient secrets of the mine and save her friends . . . if she's not already too late.

I know this is horror, and there's always going to be a layer of mystery, but I have no idea what I just read. I kind of liked Annie, kind of didn't, and the same goes for Jack and the rest of the characters. I kind of liked the threat and creepy murders, kind of tired of them, and the end was just odd. If you love the genre, you'll probably love this. I will say it's a quick read, and I like the element of the mine, but I'm not sure I liked the rest.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/World ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: Walk On Earth A Stranger

The Gold Seer Trilogy: Walk On Earth A Stranger | Rae Carson

Published by: Greenwillow Books, September 22nd 2015

Genre: YA, Historical

Pages: 432

Format: Ebook

Source: Greenwillow, via Edelweiss

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

I liked this, but it was really slow and quiet. Instead of huge story events, they were smaller and the drama was more personal than world-altering. Which isn't a bad thing, but it's not really my thing. I liked Jefferson a lot and I freaking LOVE Lee (my gun-toting bae) but it was slow and I did get a little fed up of the wagon after a while.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★☆☆