Review – Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Illuminae
By: Amie Kaufman; Jay Kristoff
Website: http://amiekaufman.com/ ; https://jaykristoff.com/
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Award: Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance (2016), Aurealis Award Nominee for Best Science Fiction Novel (2015), Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) (2015), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015)
Rating:


Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is a sci-fi novel with unique formatting, a rogue AI, a little romance, and giant space ships. This is the story of Kady and Ezra, two teens whose day goes from a terrible morning as they end a year long romance to cataclysmic by lunch time when a rogue ship opens fire on their city. Sure, the mining colony might not be entirely legal, but wiping it off the face of the map is a pretty big overreaction. And their attackers don’t want witnesses. Crammed into three ships, the survivors struggle to outrun their adversaries, all while dealing with an outbreak of an unknown plague and a secret the higher ups are willing to kill in order to cover up.

Review: The Crown

The Crown (The Selection #5)
By: Kiera Cass
Website: http://www.kieracass.com/
Release Date: May 6th, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection Series
Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)
Rating:


This may be the end of the Selection series (at the time of this review I have not seen any previews or hints at another book in the series). As far as endings go this is the way to do it. When Eadalyn feels everything closing in around her she knows she must take control of the country and her fate. 

#ThrowbackThursday Review – Slayers: The Ruby Eye by Hajime Kanzaka

Slayers: The Ruby Eye
By: Hajime Kanzaka
Release Date: (Original) January 1st 1996; (Translation) September 7th 2004
Publisher: Tokyopop
Series: Slayers #1
Rating:


Slayers: The Ruby Eye is the first book in the Slayers series by Hajime Kanzaka. Originally published in Japan in 1996, the translation was published eight years later in 2004 by Tokyopop. The story is centered on fifteen year old sorceress Lina Inverse and her newfound traveling companion Gourry Gabriev, a swordsman. A simple plundering of a bandit’s hideout for some loot has unforeseen and far reaching consequences for Lina, including a whole lot of people that would really rather see her dead.

Review: The Heir

The Heir (The Selection #4)
By: Kiera Cass
Website: http://www.kieracass.com/
Release Date: May 5th, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection Series
Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015)
Rating:


If you have returned to the Selection Series to find out more about the future of Illéa after America Singer, Aspen Leger and Prince Maxon had their chance to stir things up in the first three books, welcome back. If you haven’t read the first three books I suggest you go back and read them before reading this review or this book. Warning, major spoilers for the first three books and this book ahead.

#MangaMonday Review – No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular, Vol 1 by Nico Tanigawa

No Matter How I look at It, It’s You Guys' Fault I’m not Popular, Vol 1
By: Nico Tanigawa
Release Date: (Original) January 21, 2012; (English Translation) October 29, 2013
Publisher: Yen Press
Series: No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! #1
Rating:


You know how sometimes you stumble on something that hits so close to home it makes you a little uneasy? This manga does that. Over and over again. No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular, Vol 1 by Nico Tanigawa is a story about an awkward teenage girl who loves video games and manga, has trouble making new friends and talking to boys, and isn’t as close to her brother as she used to be.

Review: The One

The One (The Selection #3)
By: Kiera Cass
Website: http://www.kieracass.com/
Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection Series
Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2014)
Rating:


In this third installment we see that America has finally decided where her heart lies, decided what she wants and made the decision to fight for Maxon’s heart. With rebel attacks increasing and everything, the entire country, on the line, we see how the choices of America and Maxon will change not only their relationship but also the fate of the country.

Review: The Elite

The Elite (The Selection #2)
By: Kiera Cass
Website: http://www.kieracass.com/
Release Date: April 23rd 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection Series
Rating:


The second book in this series, like the first, didn’t disappoint me. We continue with America Singer and the remaining contestants of the Selection as the women work to win the heart of Prince Maxon. America meanwhile is stuck between a rock and a hard place as her heart still pulls her to her first love, and palace guard, Aspen. Who will she choose? And, when she’s ready, will the one she chooses still be hers to claim?

Review: The Selection

The Selection
By: Kiera Cass
Website: http://www.kieracass.com/
Release Date: April 24th 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: The Selection Series
Award: Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2015)
Rating:


The Selection is one of the books I looked at with curiosity but hesitation. I’m not one for girls in pretty ballgowns, I prefer heroines battling their own enemies while wearing pants and having swords clash around them. Still, America Singer’s story pulled me in. I am well aware this is not everyone’s cup of tea (reviews on Goodreads will show that) but let me explain why I give this a high rating and why you should at least give it a shot.

Review: Survive the Night

Survive the Night
By: Danielle Vega
Website: http://www.daniellerollins.com/
Release Date: July 7th 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Rating:


High hopes for this book were, unfortunately, dashed. The cover was intriguing and I had hoped for a great story. I don’t normally read what could be considered horror and so, given that I’d heard of the success of Vega’s other book The Merciless (which I have yet to read)  I took a chance. I sort of which I hadn’t.

Review: Nearly Found

Nearly Found
By: Elle Cosimano
Website: http://nearlygonebooks.com/
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books
Series: Nearly Gone #2
Rating:


Nearly Boswell cannot catch a break! After the murder mystery in Book #1 of the series we see Nearly try, yet again, to keep herself focused on her future but trouble always finds her and this time it’s dragging her classmates and her family into it. 

In all seriousness this book was a good follow-up to book #1 Nearly Found and it helps give us some answers we didn’t get in the first book. Aside from a few questions I have that I’ll admit are me nitpicking at things that bothered me on such a minor level that I’ve decided that I need to get over it. Still, with more murders and more questions in her life it takes a huge effort by Nearly and her friends to once again help solve murders and get answers.