REVIEW - Hunger (Gone #2) by Michael Grant

TITLE: Hunger (Gone #2)
AUTHOR: Michael Grant
GENRE: dystopia, post-apocalyptic, paranormal

PUBLICATION DATE: May 26th 2009

BLURB:

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.
Three months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.
Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers. Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.
But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.
The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

REVIEW:

I’ve read Gone, which is the first book in Michael Grant’s Gone series, quite a while ago. It left a deep impression on me and I was excited to read the second book!

Hunger picks up almost three months after the events presented in the first book. The kids, trapped in a big dome called FAYZ, are running out of food and it pushes them into decisions they would normally regret. But the hunger is bigger. Sam, who is assigned as a ‘mayor’ of the FAYZ, is falling apart just as everyone else. Can he bear the responsibility of starving 300 kids to death?

What I love the most about Gone series are the characters. As one of the characters, Quinn, noticed, FAYZ changes them for better or worse. Their true colors show, changing the good kids into cowards and the thugs into people everyone run to when in trouble, because they are so reliable.

My absolute favorite character is still Sam – he’s so human he almost feels real. He’s failing his friends, he makes a ton of mistakes but… but inside of that tough, responsible interior of a guy in charge is a 15 years old boy, as scared as everyone else.

Hunger didn’t keep me on the edge of the seat just as Gone did; I’ve grown used to terrible things happening to the kids, which felt disturbing and new in the first book, but not anymore. After some time, you just become accustomed to monstrosities. Even though Michael grant surprised me a few times in this book too.

I am still a little bit iffy about some generic, non-describable ‘darkness’ being the big bad villain. I love every other aspect of the series, but I still can’t accept something like this as the plot device. Maybe the later books in the series will persuade me otherwise.

Because I am definitely picking up ‘Lies’ later!

Overall:

3.5 stars out of 5.

REVIEW - Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

TITLE: Endless Summer
AUTHOR:  Jennifer Echols
GENRE: contemporary, romance

PUBLICATION DATE: May 25th 2010

 

BLURB:

Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.  Lori can’t wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends—including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she’s turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that’s not going to happen—not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori’s romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

REVIEW:

Endless Summer consists of two parts – The Boys Next Door and Endless Summer, and it’s a quick, entertaining read. An absolute ‘must-read’ for summer!

Lori is a girl who grew up surrounded by men – her father, her brother and the boys who live next door. She’s tougher, rougher and less girly than any of her female friends. Whom she doesn’t have that many. It’s only a matter of time she falls for one of the boys next door, though. Which one will that be? Sean, the boy she believes her mother picked for her or Adam, the boy she is friends with since forever?

The characters Jennifer Echols created are extremely likable and alive. And, above all – Lori and Adam are barely sixteen years old and they act like it. I was quite tired of the books with very mature teenagers that are filling YA books nowadays. I wanted something silly but adorable, and Jennifer Echols gave me that.

Adventures that Lori and Adam are a part of are completely ridiculous. Their plans to get together or mischievous plots to outsmart their parents make you literally face-palm and laugh out loud, because – yes, because they are so adorable while doing so.

I absolutely adored Adam – he makes mistakes (many of them – he can’t probably spend five minutes without making one) but his heart is made of gold. Even though he’s the scapegoat of his older brother’s wrongdoings, the reader knows who is the real villain here. And it’s definitely not Adam.

All in all, I can recommend Endless Summer to everyone needing some entertainment, hot guys, characters that make you fall for them in a blink of an eye and teenagers that don’t have the whole world to worry about, just their tiny, serious teen problems. It was my first – and definitely not last – book by Jennifer Echols.

Overall rating:

4.5 stars out of 5

 

REVIEW - The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

 TITLE: The Hunt
AUTHOR:  Andrew Fukuda
GENRE: paranormal, dystopia,

PUBLICATION DATE: May 8th 2012

SOURCE: NetGalley

BLURB:

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

REVIEW:

The world that Andrew Fukuda paints for us is terrifying. Humans (called ‘hepers’) are extinct and vampires rule the countries. And every time the support for the Ruler drops, an event is organized, called the Hunt. In the Hunt a few of the hepers, that were kept in captivity and safety, away from the vampires, are released. A few lucky vampires chosen in a lottery have to hunt them down and… eat.

Let me gush for a second over the cover. It's stunning! Everything I could have asked for when it comes to a dystopian book.

Our main hero, whose name we only learn in the later part of the book, is a human hiding among the vampires, a sheep among the wolves. He’s resourceful and sneaky, and paired up with Ashley June – his schoolmate – he’s almost invincible, having her brains and cool logic and his smarts.

I absolutely loved the hepers and their community. Sissy is one butt-kicking leader, and her group is an interesting mix of characters. I’d gladly read more about them in the later books.  

There’s a slow process of preparation for the Hunt itself; we get to see how the whole event is supposed to help the Ruler gain popularity and how the outcome is already known to some of the vampires, but not to the masses. It was carefully written and explained, so the reader didn’t feel left behind on some matters.

The author did a good job describing the vampire's customs and habits and making them totally different from us. It made the book (and the main character's task) all more believable, how hard it was for him to give up his own (sometimes involuntary) habits to fit in.

Although, I had a major issue with the book. I’m not a fan of black and white world, and that’s how the story is presented in The Hunt. Vampires are bad, humans are good (but not every one of them, because the ones kept by the vampires were no more intelligent than cattle, in the narrator’s opinion). As much as I liked the whole hepers idea, I didn’t really enjoy the fact that all the vampires were vile, animal-like creatures and even though Fukuda was making a point there, showing us a contrast between real animals and people, what really is humanity and how thin is the line… it didn’t really hit me.

Other than that, it’s a really good read. It keeps you at the edge of your seat almost the entire time. We are scared for our human character, who is so close to being discovered all the time, we cheer for him. And as I always say – a book that makes you care for the characters is a good book.

Not to mention a HUGE cliffhanger at the end of The Hunt – so big it will make you scream in frustration. Definitely reading the sequel!

Overall rating: 

3.5 stars out of 5

Guest post - Jim Bronyaur, author of IF ERRANDS COULD KILL

Let's welcome Jim Bronyaur, the author of IF ERRANDS COULD KILL on A Nook Full of Books! I'm really happy to have him here. Jim is here to talk about his newest book, as well as to answer the big question - where does the inspiration come from?

GUEST POST by Jim Bronyaur

As writers, we are faced with questions all the time. One of the most common questions involves inspiration… what makes us write? What keeps us going? What gets out of writers block? Where do we get ideas from?
Each time I see these questions, it’s hard for me to answer because most of the time, I just write. It’s my job, so I do it. I’ve come to learn that as writers we view the world and the things within the world a little differently. We pay attention to details and small events
that help shape a much bigger picture in life.

What does that exactly mean?

In my latest mystery release, If Errands Could Kill (Minivan Mom Mystery Series #1), I wrote some pivotal scenes where my lead character, Eve Bailey, interacts with her kids. I fully believe that it’s these small scenes (along with the gossipy grocery store scenes) that actually make the book entertaining. Within the book, we have a stay-at-home mom who is in the middle of a murder investigation, trying to prove that the police are wrong, and track down a murderer. She also has to be a mom and a wife too… which builds the conflict internally for Eve and externally as the outside events start to threaten herself and her family. There’s a scene with Eve when she’s talking to Cody, her only son, about skipping school. There’s a scene where she talks to her oldest daughter about soccer. There’s a scene where she talks to her youngest daughter, Penny, who claims she’s learning how to speak in a ‘bubbles language’ to understand her goldfish better.
What these scenes do is create the family life at home, but also protect the innocence of the story. It’s these small events that I see within the world that inspire me to write. Personally, no matter how bad my day is, when I done with work, my two boys are right there, ready to hug and kiss me, and tell me about their day. They’re ready to set up train tracks and play, they’re ready with their WWE action figures and wrestling rings, ready for a battle royal. That’s the innocence balance I need in my life, and as people, we all
need. It keeps us real, and alive.

I’m a horror writer by heart, because I love horror. As a kid though, I loved to read mysteries. I loved seeing something happen but not knowing why. It only seemed natural for me to move towards mystery when I needed a break from horror. I always wanted to create my own mystery series, but I wanted something fun, original, and fast. So I can up with a concept of a woman who helps to solve murders. A female Batman… no, not Catwoman – haha. But it didn’t work in my mind. I didn’t like the idea of some woman running around catching bad guys. It wasn’t exciting enough for me. Then one morning I heard the kids running around upstairs and stopped to listen. My inspiration came from the world and events around me. I listened to my wife with the kids, and thought about what she does on a daily basis as a stay-at-home mom. As the wheels started to turn, my wife was the one who finalized it all for me… she told me to write the mystery books with a soccer mom as the lead character. Then I pictured a woman in a green minivan, trying around town, trying to catch a murderer. It was too perfect to pass up.
And that’s when Eve Bailey came to life, and that’s when the Minivan Mom Mystery Series was born.

So, where does inspiration come from? The easiest answer is this… LIFE.

If you’re a writer and you’re looking for inspiration, don’t stare at the blinking cursor… because if you do, it’ll start to laugh at you. Instead, open your ears and your eyes and find inspiration. Here’s another quick example… six months ago, I was driving home. I turned up my street and a crow came out of a tree, heading towards my vehicle. It turned and started to fly, racing along side me. It stayed there for about ten seconds before it broke away and was gone. In those ten seconds, I had a new horror story already
working.

Remember… inspiration comes from life.

Jim Bronyaur is the author of several horror, thriller, and mystery books. His latest release is If Errands Could Kill, the first book in the Minivan Mom Mystery Series. You can pick up a copy on Amazon HERE!

IF ERRANDS COULD KILL by Jim Bronyaur

Up at sunrise to enjoy the quiet of a sleeping household, Eve Bailey gets her coffee, prepares breakfast for her three children, and has a spare tie ready knowing that her husband, Ben, will definitely spill something on the one he is wearing. Their oldest daughter, Delaney, is one game away from moving onto the soccer championships, their son, Cody, skipped school yesterday, and innocent 7 year old Penny is trying to communicate with her goldfish. Eve’s days are that of a typical stay at home mom.

Her typical day changes drastically after she drives Cody to school as part of his punishment for skipping school. Cody’s creepy science teacher, Mr. Jackson, approaches Eve to let her know that her check
for Cody’s field trip had bounced. Knowing it had to be an error, Eve heads to the bank to figure it out. While in line, she chats with her mother in law who works at the bank. Then she notices Janet, another
bank employee and self-made town outcast, acting very strange at the back counter.

Eve’s concern grows when she is leaving the bank and sees Janet open the gas tank door and then drives away. Against her better judgment, Eve follows Janet. What happens next is something unheard of in quiet
Marysville, Pennsylvania. Janet is murdered in front of Eve’s eyes, and the police find drugs in
her car.

Murder and drugs? It doesn’t make sense. Eve is now a witness and determined to disprove the “drug deal gone wrong” theory. Can she convince the police that she knows who the killer is, save her family, and make it to Delaney’s big soccer game in time?

Follow Jim Bronyaur - twitter || blog || website

IN MY MAILBOX #11

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Three books this week, but they're all pretty awesome! :)

For review:

 Glimpse by Claire Merle
(Thanks to NetGalley)
Dystopia! YAY! Can't wait to read this one!!!

Purchased:

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

In Polish - my cover is definitely prettier. ;)

Freebies:

Earth (Elemental series) by Shauna Granger

Not going to lie, I love elemental powers!

Please link me to your IMM so I can drop by!

Attention! Awesome giveaway

Hi everyone!

I wanted to let you know that Evie over at Bookish is hosting an amazing giveaway to celebrate her first blogoversary. Click the banner to join us and help celebrate this event!

Don't miss this opportunity to win absolutely amazing books. :)

And congrats! One year of blogging, Evie sweetheart! I wish you many more years to come, of course.

FF #8 - movie adaptations

Feature & Follow is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read weekly. You can join me and post the links to your own #FF posts in the comments below.

The question this week is...

Q: What is one book that you would be nervous to see a movie adaption of because you think the movie could never live up to the book?

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, which is a first book in his Chaos Walking trilogy. I know I'm repeating myself telling you how amazing these books are, but they are. And while I admit I'd be nervous if they were to become a movie, I really hope they will! 

I think it would be hard for the movie makers to convey the way the book is narrated; it would be hard for them to "show" the Noise. And the boy who'd play Todd would have to be a truly outstanding actor.

Not sure what I'm talking about? READ THIS SERIES. Because so far I haven't read more gripping, engrossing, heart-wrenching YA books. ;) /end of advertisement/

What is your answer to this question? Link me your FF/answer in the comments, so I can peek. 

You can follow me via GFC, Linky Followers, Networked Blogs, e-mail or/and Twitter.