Review: Saga #1

Title: Saga #1
Author: Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples
Published: October 23rd 2012
Series: Saga #1
Source: Paperback
Pages: 160

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When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

From New York Times bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, North 40), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

The art by Fiona Staples is really amazing! Without being overwhelming, there were a lot of great details in the background, expressions etc. The storyline in this first instalment focuses on the journey that the narrator's parents were on in order to save their family. It also introduced the various species and politics as part of its world building. It was a little overwhelming and I had to pause periodically to get everything straight. However, I can see how this first book would be a great set up to an amazing series! The world sounds huge and has so much potential, I am going to enjoy travelling through the universe with the characters. :)

Speaking of characters, I can't wait to find out more about all the characters, especially The Will. It seems like he would be an important character as the series progresses. I love how we saw so many sides to him in a short few pages, I was very impressed with Vaughan's storytelling skills. Character development was done pretty well despite the short length of the novel, most of them were pretty multi-dimensional and I am so excited to get to know them better. 

I also enjoyed the humour and it didn't feel forced/awkward even though the main characters were in the middle of a crisis. Great writing overall!

VERDICT:

I was in a bit of a reading slump and this amazing sci-fi fantasy graphic novel pulled me right out of it!  You have to give this a go if you enjoy sci-fi, space adventures or aliens! It is a very easy series to get into. Needless to say, I am continuing with this series! :)

Do note that this has adult content in it and I would not recommend this to anyone that is uncomfortable with nudity.

My rating: 
Recommended for anyone looking for a good graphic novel/comic series!

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Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: January 4th 2014
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2
Source: Paperback
Pages: 452

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Summary: Cinder is back and trying to break out of prison—even though she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive if she does—in this second installment from Marissa Meyer. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana.

I read this right after I finished Cinder so I had really high hopes for this!

Things I liked:

1) It was pretty exciting following the different journeys of Cinder and Scarlet. The dual POV throughout the book was pretty interesting and not all too confusing but I found myself more excited to read about Cinder than Scarlet.

2) I loved the retelling of Red Riding Hood! I felt that Scarlet followed more closely to its original fairytale compared to Cinder so it was a little more predictable but at the same time I was pretty impress with how Meyer made it work.

Things I did not like:

1) We already knew about the whole Princess Selene thing from Cinder so it was kinda annoying that we had to follow the whole painful and drawn out process of Thorne, Scarlet and Wolf figuring out who the princess is. Also I didn't find the additional backstory for Cinder all that interesting, we already knew about most of the stuff they were talking about.

2) I felt that this book's sole purpose was to give Cinder a stronger motivation to over throw the queen and nothing else. There was very little progress in the main storyline which it quite boring

3) Wolf was a really flat character which made the whole romance thing so bizarre. I can usually overlook insta-love in YAs (because apparently that's what YAs are all about these days?), but Wolf was lying nearly the entire time he was with Scarlet and yet she falls in love with him. Is this what teenagers do these days? :P

Conclusion:

This book did not seem that significant in terms of moving the main plot along, I feel like if I skipped this book and read the next, I wouldn't really be missing out on much. It was still an enjoyable and exciting read but Cinder was a much better book. I hope Cress is better! :)

My rating: 
Let me know what you thought about the book in the comments below!

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Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: January 8th 2013
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Source: Paperback
Pages: 390

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Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review: This was such an exciting read! I loved how well the retelling of Cinderella interwove with Cinder, it did not feel restrictive at all. I was also pleasantly surprised by the romance parts of the book, it did not follow the typical YA formula. There was also less focus on it which is a breath of fresh air. I was so glad that Cinder, unlike many other YA female characters, knew what was important and her goals did not change just because of a boy. Girl power!!

I figured out a few plot twists in the beginning but it just made me want to get through the book more quickly! 'When will she find out? Will he ever know?' More surprises and details were provided when I reached the actual plot twists that it did not seem predictable at all! This is how amazing Cinder is! 

The only issue I had with the book was the lack of Chinese culture considering that this was set in New Beijing, which I am assuming is in Beijing, China? Other than the Chinese names, there really wasn't anything else. This story could have been set anywhere else in the world and it wouldn't have affected the story at all. This wasn't a huge problem for me but I could see how it could irk some people.

Other than that, I absolutely loved the world that Meyer built and the characters were downright amazing! The characters were all surprisingly well-developed, right down to the androids and the evil queen! Pacing was also really well done, nothing felt too rushed and at the same time I did not get bored with the fillers (there were great!).  I absolutely can't wait to start on Scarlet, book 2 in The Lunar Chronicles series.

My rating:
Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good retelling and loves robots!

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Review: These Broken Stars

Title: These Broken Stars
Author: Amie Kaufman
Published: December 10th 2013
Series: Starbound #1
Source: ebook
Pages: 384

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Summary: Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

Review: This book is basically a cross between Interstellar and Lost (TV series) or if Lost was set in space. There were two POVs alternating between chapters and an interrogation at the end of every chapter, which happened after they were rescued. The first half of the book focused mainly on Tarver and Lilac trying to survive on the strange planet while the second had a heavier focus on their relationship. I found this transition/change of pace a little off-putting at first because I really enjoyed the more survival-oriented portion of the story. I guess this is where the YA aspect of the book really stood out. Also, I didn’t get how Lilac could forgive her dad for what he had done and continue to have so much faith in him. He obviously has some serious issues.

Its premise is very intriguing and I wished that there was more world building, we hardly know anything about Tarver's background (this was addressed in the novella) and more about the whole galaxy/ship systems etc. Tarver and Lilac seem to think that they have figured everything out which I found a bit strange as there were still many unanswered questions and Lilac did not even think to ask her dad when she had the chance to.

With all that being said, I really enjoyed the book and I loved how the interrogation weaved so well and gave me a sneak peak at what is to come. Despite knowing that Tarver would survive and they would reach certain destinations, I still found myself worrying for them and rooting for them. Also, the dual POV worked really well and it definitely added to character building. The humour was also spot on and the writing gave me chills throughout the entire 'paranomal' chapters. I will definitely check out This Shattered World, the second in the series! :)

My rating:
Recommended for anyone who loved Across the Universe and the Lost TV series!

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Review: Lock In by John Scalzi

Title: Lock In
Author: John Scalzi
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: August 26th 2014
Series: Lock In #1
Source: ebook

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Summary: A novel of our near future, from one of the most popular authors in modern SF

Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four percent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselves “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.

Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore the ability to control their own bodies to the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.

This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse.... 

Review: As many have mentioned in their reviews, it was really confusing for a good first 20% of the book. But I managed to figure out everything as the book went on so it wasn't a really huge problem, I am glad I stuck to it. I am not a huge fan of mystery so it was a little boring for me during the build-up towards the climax of the book but I really enjoyed the world that Scalzi built, it does seem pretty plausible in the future with humans' obsession to live forever.

The characters were okay. Chris was basically flushing money down the toilet throughout the second half of the book, which kind of annoyed me because it made things too convenient. I had the same issue with Vann, she suddenly decided that she would tell Chris everything about her past/personal life despite being resistant to it at first. (To lead into the climax of the story?) Also, it did not really add much to the story, other than her being extra angry about the situation? I wished that the other roommates were featured more, they seem really interesting! But I guess that would probably be in the subsequent books in the series.

To be honest, I feel like this book would be perfectly fine as a standalone. Lock In was wrapped up pretty nicely and I guess my indifference towards the characters means that I would most likely not be reading the rest of the series.

My rating:
Recommended for anyone who enjoys sci-fi or is a fan of John Scalzi.

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Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: January 11th 2011
Series: Across the Universe #1
Source: hardcover (borrowed)

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Summary: A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Review:  This book is similar to the recent movie Prometheus, there are so many similarities! I loved the movie so I had such high hopes for Across the Universe. I am so glad I read this! I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book other than the romance which was a little too slow for my taste. :P And probably the length of the book, it was a bit too long.

The characters were all amazing! Can't imagine what the rest of the series would be like since this was Beth Revis's debut novel. I loved, Amy, Elder, Harley etc. I found myself relating to all the characters, I could imagine myself in their shoes and understand why they did what they did. It was really amazing because I am only usually able to relate to one or two characters in the book. Amy was such a realistic character, I think Beth Revis really did a great job for this one. Elder took a little more to understand and I was so so so glad that he came clean to Amy in the end. I would really hate it if he kept that secret forever. :/

The pacing was also done really well. I didn't feel bored, although the setting did get a little boring after awhile since they were in a spaceship... It really added to the whole tone of the book though. Really makes you think about how crazy it is to live your entire life in a metal container, going to the same old places over and over again until you die. There is also a dystopian element to Across the Universe and I am really hoping that it doesn't play such a huge part in the sequel: A Million Suns. I guess I am getting really sick of the whole cookie cutter dystopian books.

The twists and lies really worked and they were done so well, this was definitely a page-turner! I highly recommend everyone to read this!!! :D This is a new favourite, can't wait to get my hands on  A Million Suns!

My rating: 
Recommended for anyone who enjoys space sci-fi or just a good book!!

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Review: Starters by Lissa Price

Title: Starters
Author: Lissa Price
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Published:  March 13th 2012
Series: Starters #1
Source: hardcover (borrowed)

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Summary: Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Review: First off, I thought this cover was ugly. The girl is creepy and it just didn't look enticing enough, which explains why it took me so long to read this. I know, I know, never judge a book by its cover. I saw the hardcover in the library and it was so SHINY! That made up for the weird looking girl on the cover.

The premise reminded me so much of Dollhouse and I loved that show so much. Another huge reason why I liked it was because it was a breath of fresh air in the dystopian genre. In all the recent dystopia books I have read ie. Insurgent, Bumped, The Hunger Games, The Killables, Uglies etc. it is all about the government body being in control and forcing its citizens to do things. Starters on the other hand shows that even in a dystopian world, one still has choices and could still lead his/her own life. I guess I was just sick of reading about how things had to be done in a certain way because the government says so or something to that effect. I liked how Callie could make her own decision to become a part of Prime Destinations although things with the government starts to change towards the end of the book.

The pacing of Starters was to-die-for! As I mentioned in my review of The Killables, I was getting really sick of dystopian books and was planning to take a break from them but I had to return this book. So for me to have finished Starters in 2 days really speaks a lot for itself. There were so many twists, some shocking, some predictable and it was a good balance. World building was average, there were missing details here and there but I felt that Starters was more Sci-Fi than dystopian so that didn't really bother me all that much. (I think this was one of the problems many people had when reading this book.)

The ending seemed a bit rushed and nothing was explained well. (From the part where everyone came to plan/help, it was wayyy too chaotic and felt forced.) Another major problem I had with Starters was the weak character development, I just didn't really care about anyone. I was more focused on what was happening. Overall, I felt that this book would have done so much better as Science Fiction rather than Dystopian.

My rating: 

Recommended for sci-fi and Dollhouse lovers!

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Review: Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Title: Timepiece

Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: Egmont USA
Published: June 12th 2012
Series: Hourglass #2
Source: ebook (provided by Egmont USA via Netgalley for review)

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Summary: A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

Review: :( I was so so so disappointed. Everything was just meh.

Emerson and Kaleb sounded the same argh! Even though I knew even before I started reading that it was going to be in Kaleb's POV, I kept forgetting even up till chapter 15 and I got really confused when it sounded like Emerson was in love with Lily. Emerson and Kaleb were 2 very different characters but they had the same narrative style. It was done poorly especially since I read Hourglass recently.

There was very little actual time traveling other than baddies popping in and out at random moments. Which was confusing, I still don't really get how it works. I felt like I was reading material for school because I had to remember all the rules and all the ways in which things work. Like rips, portals, different abilities, different characters that rarely contribute, funky technology etc. There was a lot of information dumping because Em and gang were trying to piece things together.

I couldn't relate to anyone except Lily. I honestly didn't care for anyone. Kaleb kept talking about how others felt which meant that there was close to no progress in terms of character development since all we got were one-word emotions from everyone. Kaleb didn't even talk about his own feelings. :/ 

The ending was the worst out of all the problems in the book. 
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
So that evil lady (forgot her name) is supposed to wholeheartedly believe in someone (Lily) who stole her cool device? And she didn't notice her precious device was missing all this time??? Wasn't she trying really hard to open it? And cool-headed Lily didn't know that she could just lie to baddie until her hot-headed boyfriend told her to?
*END OF SPOILER*

Initially I was going to give Timepiece 3.5 stars but after listing all these down, it only deserves a 2.5.
So what gave it the 2.5 stars? Timepiece was exactly like Hourglass, there really wasn't that much of a progress. The only real progress that took 300 pages is the thing about why Jack wants to go back in time (which was stupid and I couldn't relate to since he is supposedly 'rotten to his core') and the Infinityglass. I guess if you really really liked Hourglass you would probably enjoy Timepiece since its the same thing, just with a different couple. The pacing was also as good as in Hourglass. I kept turning the pages even though I wasn't really into the story. Myra McEntire just has a way with words. 

Overall it was just really boring and forgettable. I don't think I would be reading the sequel.

My rating:  
Recommended for anyone who gave Hourglass 5 stars. No point reading this esp if you were on the fence for Hourglass.

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