Tag: Science Fiction (Page 29 of 38)

BOOK REVIEW – Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

August 19, 2014 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)
by Cassandra Clare
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

An excellent installment to a surprisingly addictive series. I came upon Infernal Devices in a discussion for another book entirely. It too had a love triangle in it, and some of the girls happened to mention TID and it’s apparently happy ever after for all characters involved. Seeing as how I am becoming increasingly aware of how much I love drama, to an extent, in novels, I had to hop on over and see what TID was all about. Upon reading the synopsis and seeing the cover of Clockwork Angel, I realized that I had passed it up months before. Boy do I ever see the error in my ways.

After the last novel, Tessa is now a permanent fixture in the Institute after Charlotte asked her to stay. We get to see how Tessa is affected after Will’s unforgiveable actions and remarks, and how close her and Jem become because of it. With less time being spent daydreaming about Will(hardly), Tessa finds herself spending more and more time with Jem, thus forming a bond between them. I like both guys a lot. Will has hurt Tessa quite a bit, but underneath it all, I love him because he has a sweet side to him that can’t be entirely hidden, and a passion for his work and also for Tessa. Jem is always there for Tessa, and it becomes increasingly clear he has strong feelings for her. Everyone around him (aside from Will) can see his feelings for her as clear as day, for he wears his heart on a sleeve.

I enjoyed every adventure and could hardly put the book down. I always seemed to be on the edge of my seat and reading at the speed of light-and I still wasn’t reading fast enough. I also adore how each character has such raw passion for who they love and what they believe in. It is hard not to be attracted to each guy when they so obviously are attracted to and care for Tessa. Don’t even get me started on Henry and Charlotte; they definitely add some adorable scenes to the story and make you smile when you least expect it.

So all in all, I really don’t have many words. It is just one of those stories where you feel compelled to tell people about it and insist they read it. I found myself goofily smiling at the pages from Will’s snarky remarks and funny scenarios he found himself in. He always seems to have the funniest facial expressions, and with Jem egging him on, it only fuels the fire. Now I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I can’t wait to see how it all ends and ultimately who ends up with whom.

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

BOOK REVIEW – Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

August 19, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
by Cassandra Clare
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Oooh how this book unraveled me. As with all love triangles, I was skeptical as to how it could be accomplished tastefully. Was I completely satisfied with the conclusion of this beautiful trilogy? Yes and no: it depends if I count the epilogue. If I were to count the epilogue as the ending, then no….I really don’t know how I feel, but it’s not 100% satisfied. On the one hand, it was sweet how “the wheel came full turn”. On the other hand, I felt a tad….what’s the word? Unsettled. That’s it-unsettled. Now, without the epilogue, I felt it was tied up nicely and she was with who she should have always been with. I loved both guys, certainly, but one was always the favorite in my heart.

A tearjerker at it’s finest, Clockwork Princess made me bawl like a baby. I loved how both boys were willing to sacrifice everything to help/save/court Tessa. They were both adorable and made me want to jump into this story and solve their little love triangle problem by inserting myself promptly within the pages.

The love and passion that drove Will on his mission to save Tessa was so endearing and I fell more in love with him with each mile he traveled. And Jem, poor Jem. His struggles are so trying and you feel yourself rooting for that impossible cure to be found. His love for Tessa is pure, unrelenting, and undying. His loyalty to Will as his other half is beautiful.

Then there’s the bittersweet, happy ending. As heartbreaking as it is sweet, tears of both happiness and sadness were pouring from my tearducts. I don’t know when I fell so in love with this trilogy, but it knocked me off my feet hard and fast, and I am so sad it’s over. I truly do wish there was another way for the epilogue to have unfolded, because I felt that it took the validity of her love for one particular man and kind of laughed at it’s memory. Not completely..but enough that it left a sour taste in my mouth. You’ll see..it is both beautiful and heartbreaking-all depends on how the reader looks at it. And no-the “memory of his love” is not a spoiler-so many things happen in this book that it couldn’t possibly be explained/ruined by that particular comment. No worries.

Finally, I end this review with a shout out to Cecily. I absolutely adored her character, while at the end of the last book I didn’t want her to necessarily be a part of the story. I LOVE her. I love Gabriel and Gideon and Charlotte and Henry and Magnus-I love them ALL. It is a sad day when I end a series and have to say goodbye to each new character I have fallen in love with, but that time has come, and I am happy to say this is a new favorite series of mine. The journey from book one where Tessa smashed a vase upon Will’s head to the bittersweet epilogue has been a tremulous one, but I couldn’t be happier to have been a part of these amazing stories-I will most definitely re read them one day, hopefully soon, if my poor heart can handle it.

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BOOK REVIEW – Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

August 19, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Divergent (Divergent #1)
by Veronica Roth
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*Re-read with my buddies Kristin (KC), Jennifer, Sarah, Maythavee, and Annie :)-my rating obviously stays 5 amazing stars*

It has been a long time since I have read a book where the romance takes a backseat to action and suspense and I have actually enjoyed it. It seems with these types of books that the author tends to write with a simplistic nature that, at first, is hard to get used to, but then ultimately becomes addicting and adds to the tone of the story. I found I was trying to immerse myself into the story on page one, but was having difficulty getting back into the simplistic writing style. But once I plunged head first into the story and embraced what was happening, I could not put Divergent down.

Tris is such a likeable female lead. She is hard and she gets gritty, but she ultimately loves. She doesn’t think so, but as the story progesses, we see her difficulties with the decision she chose and that crack in the armour that makes her human. She wanted to separate from a boring, selfless lifestyle where she was just another grey shirt that blended in, but never really belonged. But throughout her journey she shows guilt, anger, selflessness, betrayal-all the emotions possible-things she never thought she should be allowed to feel and things she never thought she’d feel again. Who can she trust? Who should she trust? All questions she must face daily if she wants to become initiated.

Four…ooohhh Four. I loved him! He was a great addition to the story and he was woven in perfectly. Not too much and not too little…just enough for me to flip through the pages (or in my case, SLIDE the pages)hastily. My next point-it has been such a long time since I have read every. single. page. without skimming. None. NO skimming. I skim even on my all-time favorite books, so this is quite a feat. Honestly.

This was a fun, gripping read that had me on the edge of my seat 90% of the time. I do wish some things had turned out differently, and I can’t say what-but in the end, I discovered everything I could ask for: suspense littered all throughout the pages, romance, betrayal, a few if-I-don’t-get-my-ass-outta-this-I-WILL-die moments, and a good family backstory. Yes, I loved her family. In other books like this I didn’t necessarily care what happened to the family. But in Divergent her family was solid and strong, and I found myself terribly addicted to what happens with her mother, brother, and father. So now I can’t wait to read Insurgent. I just hope it’s as good as the first.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Divergent #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Insurgent #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	Allegiant #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Four: A Divergent Collection #0.1 - 0.4 *Four's Story*

BOOK REVIEW – Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre

August 19, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Enclave (Razorland #1)
by Ann Aguirre
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

While I am apparently on a dystopian kick, I found this book and decided it was the perfect solution as to what I should read next. As I read it got increasingly clear that while I was enjoying the premise, the writing wasn’t pulling me in. I liked the idea of Fade, of Deuce, of Stalker, but the author didn’t write in such a way that built the intensity of a scene or the passionate embrace we were supposed to connect with.

That is honestly the reason Enclave didn’t receive more than 3.5 stars.

More than once I would think, “Finally! The scene is going to be so grotesque I can barely stand it!” or “Kiss her you fool!”. Two totally different ends of the spectrum, I realize, but that is what the story provoked in me. But, as I said before, the author merely scratched the surface of the story. In situations where she could have really reached some emotional depth that would have made the story spectacular, she left the scene almost cold or unemotional-she barely scratched the surface of what was going on and it dramatically affected the story for me. There was so much more she could have done. I knew how I was going to write that statement, but now that I am almost 90% done with Outpost and it’s been 2 days since I finished the first installment, Enclave, my feelings for the series have changed drastically because of how much I love Outpost(#2).

All in all, this read had a lot of potential, but didn’t fully deliver for me. The characters were underdone and I didn’t care much for the Enclave itself. Once the characters broke free from the boring, restraining college, things started to get interesting-albeit not written to its full potential. Even when they were in the tunnels it was more exciting. Outpost (which I will have a review for VERY soon) has proven to be written with more heart and has turned out to be an altogether better story; I can’t wait to finish it.

BOOK REVIEW – The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

August 19, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1)
by Rick Yancey
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Does humanity fade when the will to survive kicks in?

This was an underlying tone to literally every scene that happens in this story. The human race is dwindling and only the strong survive. Who is human? Who is a human in disguise? And finally, who has turned against their own kind or gone rogue? There are so many rules one must abide by if they wish to live, and so many rules that must be broken. How can someone truly survive alone, both mentally and physically, without going crazy?

Cassie is on the run and on her own. She knows she must trust no one and not think twice about what must be done to survive and save her brother. In the beginning we see mostly flashbacks of her former life where her family was still alive.

This wasn’t my favorite part of the book-I’m not one to like past tense situations in a book if they aren’t essential, so, for me, this book was slow during those parts. I did like seeing why she “loved Ben Parish”-the flashbacks were funny and totally relatable. Everyone has a high school crush, and I think these tidbits made the story somewhat lighthearted.

When it does finally become wholly present, we start seeing a constant switch of POVs with each new part. At first I found it a little confusing, but when the story started growing more intense I started to look forward to seeing from even the soldier’s POV as well as Cassie’s. You could see how these two people were living at the same time and how different their situations were-how quickly they were figuring things out, how close they were getting to coming to the same conclusion, and ultimately, if they would ever cross paths. It started becoming essential that I get to the next page, the next chapter-I couldn’t get through the pages fast enough! I don’t know what part because there were just so many, but after we got through the introductions to each person in each part, the story started to go by so fast with so much happening that the thought of putting the book down became unbearable.

The only thing, aside from a few lagging areas, I didn’t like was Sammy’s POV. I didn’t really care to delve into his story too far, and I think that many chapters for him was too much. He talked like everyone else but he was only 5? This was really the biggest problem for me.

So overall, this was a very intriguing read and different from anything else I have read lately. It was creepy, intense, and heartbreaking. He did manage to throw some hope and desperation in there, but more often than not, we felt like nothing could ever get better, and what were they going to do when(if) they got what they wanted anyway? I liked all the main characters and never really knew who to root for. I have so many thoughts and so many overwhelming emotions that I couldn’t possibly get them all into this review. I hate that I want the second book right now, because lord only knows when THAT is coming out. So to sum up-an intense but good story, characters that you want to hear more about, and a plot that thickens with each coming chapter. While not for everyone, anyone who wants a new story with a twist, this is the book for them.

Oh, and Cassie? Grow your hair out…for EVERYONE’s sake lol.