Annette's Book Spot

Monday, August 10, 2015

Book Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid book cover and review

Never Always Sometimes is cute. I liked it. And for me, that's saying a lot because I'm pretty picky about my contemporary YA novels.

Dave and Julia are best friends. And they are really each other's only friends. They are constantly together. There are only a couple of months left in their senior year of high school and they rediscover a list they made before their freshman year. The list, called the Nevers, contains those things that they vowed to never do during high school to avoid all the typical high school cliches.

So, to make their last couple of months more exciting, they decide to do everything on the list. One of the first things is to attend a beer party. At this party, Dave meets Gretchen and they hit it off. Eventually, as they talk more at school and go on a few dates, they begin a romantic relationship. But everything is weird, because Dave has always secretly been madly in love with Julia. And maybe Julia is in love with Dave.

So you can see where this is going. It's funny and entertaining, and includes the proper amount of teen drama. I'd read several reviews that either didn't like the ending or were surprised. I expected it to end the way it did and I was not disappointed, so don't worry.

Teens are going to love Never Always Sometimes. I enjoyed it, and since I've DNFd several contemporaries recently, this was a pleasant surprise. Not my favorite genre, but a good book within that genre.

Published by Harlequin Teen, August 4, 2015
eARC obtained from Ingram E-Galleys
320 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - Another One-Book Week

I only obtained one book this week, and that's a good thing because I just can't seem to find time to read lately. Some new and exciting things going on in my life (more about that later) and getting ready to go back to school have just got me whipped. Anyway, here's what I got.

For Review:

Need, by Joelle Charbonneau from Edelweiss

I enjoyed The Testing series and she's an Illinois Author so this is a must read!

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be visiting your STS posts, hoping not to find anything to add to my overflowing pile, but we both know how that's going to turn out! Don't forget to visit our hosts, Team Tynga's Reviews. Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Book Review: After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga and Robert DeFranco

After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga and Robert DeFranco book cover and review

After the Red Rain is a dystopian, which we're all familiar with, but I found the premise to be really original -- if a bit weird.

Deedra exists. That's what most people do in this post-apocalyptic version of the earth. Everything has been destroyed. There's almost no sun. She must drag herself to work in a factory every day to receive her rations -- genetically engineered food. She also spends a great deal of time scavenging for things. No one knows much about the past, except everyone believes things now are much better than they used to be before the Red Rain. Huh. It's hard to believe that all traces of human history have been hidden from the general population.

During one of these adventures, she sees a boy trying to swim across a dangerous river. He gets into trouble and Deedra saves him. His name is Rose. He's very different, and Deedra is strangely attracted to him. They get separated when the "take cover" alarm is sounded, and Deedra and her friend must hide. She thinks she will never see Rose again. But that isn't the case.

As Deedra gets to know Rose, she realizes that there's something very different about him. Eventually he tells her his secret, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. It's very unique -- and strange -- and I'm not sure I like it. Rose tries to convince Deedra that the world used to be a much better place, and that it's possible for things to get better. Bad things happen, and Rose is accused of murder. Deedra tries to figure out a way to save him.

There are more elements to the story that add some interest. After the Red Rain just didn't wow me. I found it kind of boring. I think it's because I just didn't buy into the premise. After the Red Rain seems to be a set up for a series. And probably a movie. I haven't decided if I'll continue with it.

After the Red Rain will interest die-hard dystopian fans for sure. I enjoyed the book, but even with some unique elements, I just didn't love it.

Published by Little, Brown, BFYR (August 4, 2015)
eARC obtained from Edelweiss and NetGalley
400 pages

Rating: 3/5

Monday, August 3, 2015

Book Review: Trust No One by Paul Cleave @PaulCleave

Trust No One by Paul Cleave book cover and review

If Trust No One doesn't keep you guessing, I don't think any book will.

Jerry is a crime fiction writer with the pen name Henry Cutter. Jerry has Alzheimer's and his times of clarity are getting farther and farther apart. He confesses to crimes all the time -- crimes that he wrote about in his books.

When Jerry was diagnosed, he began to keep a journal so that when he no longer remembered things, he could read his journal. The story flashes back from the present to Jerry's journal entries.

There are a lot of clues. Something happened at Jerry's daughter's wedding, but we don't know what. Jerry's journal is apparently not available in the present, but we don't know what happened to it. Jerry sneaks out of his care facility once in a while, and no one can figure out how he's doing it. And women are turning up dead on the days he escapes. His wife, who stuck with him through everything, has left and doesn't visit. Why?

Trust No One is well crafted and pulls you in several different directions as you try to figure everything out. Jerry is certainly sympathetic, and the disease he suffers from is devastating.

It did take me a while to really sink into the story. About 1/3 of the way through, Trust No One becomes "unputdownable." Also, I don't think the title is very descriptive. "Trust No One" was never mentioned throughout the entire text that I can recall. I just think the title could be a little more clever, but it is accurate. It was hard to know who to trust.

Trust No One is an adult read appropriate for teens who enjoy thrillers. Cleave is a new author to me, and I hope I get a chance to read some more of his stories.

Published by Atria, August 4, 2015
eARC obtained from NetGalley
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Stacking the Shelves - I Love it When They Say Yes!

I got some approvals this week that made me happy! Here's what I picked up:

For Review:

Calvin, by Martine Leavitt from Library Media Connection Magazine

Fire Walker by Josephine Angelini book cover

Fire Walker, by Josephine Angelini from Library Media Connection Magazine

Dream Strider by Lindsay Smith book cover

Dream Strider by Lindsay Smith, from Library Media Connection Magazine

I Crawl Through It, by A. S. King book cover

I Crawl Through It, by A. S. King from Edelweiss

The Ravine, by Robert Pascuzzi book cover

The Ravine, by Robert Pascuzzi from NetGalley

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid book cover

Never Always Sometimes, by Adi Alsaid from Ingram E-Galleys

I'm pretty excited about all of these. How about you? What are you excited about? Let me know in the comments so I can add to my TBR. Thanks for visiting. Don't forget to visit our hosts, Team Tynga's Reviews. See you soon.

2015 EBook Challenge - Post Your August Reviews Here!

Here's the sign up page for the 2015 EBook Challenge if you are interested.

You can see my progress for the year on my 2015 Reading Challenges page.

You can link up your July reviews HERE.

You can link up your August reviews below:

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Book Review: Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs @KathyReichs

Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs book cover and review

Temperance Brennan has quite the dilemma trying to figure out what's going on in Speaking in Bones.

There isn't even a case. There's no missing person or murder. Tempe is visited by an amateur detective that uses the internet to solve cold cases. She's convinced that Cora Teague has been missing for three years, even though her family hasn't reported her disappearance because they believe she ran off with a boy.

A tape recording device was found by this amateur near the same place some unidentified body parts were previously found. Tempe is the one that examined those parts. On the recording, a woman is obviously in distress and in fear for her life. Is it Cora?

The sleuthing in Speaking in Bones is interesting and convoluted. I really couldn't figure out what was going on -- neither could Brennan. As she deciphers the clues, goes digging for new ones, and ends up in the clutches of a crazy person, we also get to follow the personal aspects of her life. She's contemplating a marriage proposal from Andrew Ryan and visiting her quirky mother who has her own secrets.

If you are a fan of the series, you will certainly enjoy Speaking in Bones. If you are unfamiliar with it and a fan of forensic mysteries, you won't want to miss the Temperance Brennan series.

Published by Bantam, July 21, 2015
eARC obtained from NetGalley
320 pages

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Book Review: Mechanica, by Betsy Cornwell

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell book cover and review

Mechanica is a delightful retelling of Cinderella with magic, steampunk elements, and a feisty heroine who wants more than to be swept off her feet by a prince.

Nicolette lives the typical Cinderella life. She isn't treated well by her stepmother and stepsisters. Actually, she is their slave. But on her sixteenth birthday, everything changes. She finds a letter that her mother has written and somehow delivered from the grave. Her mother was an inventor, and behind a secret door in the cellar, her workshop is still intact. Nicolette begins spending as much time as she can in the workshop reading her mother’s notes and exploring some of her inventions. And the inventions are fascinating -- and magical. Nicolette doesn't understand how these mechanical creatures work, but they seem alive although made of metal and glass. She even gets some magical help with her chores so she can spend more time in the workshop.

She begins creating her own devices and dreams of someday leaving her stepmother and supporting herself. Then she wants to make enough money to buy the place from her, because she must have the workshop. Although Nicolette does end up making some friends who secretly help her, there is no fairy godmother. Nicolette gets herself to the ball and, more importantly, to the exposition where she hopes to find someone to finance her magical inventions. She must be very careful because fairy magic has been outlawed by the king. She has some setbacks, but in the end prevails.

It's pretty obvious who the prince is, but hey, we all know the story so watching Nicolette figure it out is still fun. The ending is a "happily ever after" but not in the traditional sense. Those who are fans of Cinderella, middle school or older, will certainly enjoy this enchanting retelling. Readers will love Nicolette’s strength and determination and are sure to get lost in this engaging story. Girl Power!

Published by Clarion Books, August 4, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss and Library Media Connection Magazine
298 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, July 27, 2015

Book Review: Armada by Ernest Cline

Armada by Ernest Cline book cover and review

Cline has captured the science fiction fan in me again with Armada.

Zach loves to play video games. In particular, Armada, a flight simulation game where aliens are invading the earth. He's become very good at the game, and is ranked sixth among all players.

Everything changes when Zach sees a flying saucer out the school window. He believes he is going crazy. He's starting to think like his deceased father, who left notebooks about how he believed aliens ARE coming to earth to destroy us and that video games and science fiction stories are being created to prepare humans for the attack.

The following day, an aircraft, right out of Armada, comes to Zach's school to recruit him to be in the Earth Defense Alliance, a secret army that has designed video games to ferret out people who can actually pilot the drones that must defend the earth from a very real threat from an alien life form.

Comparisons to Ender's Game are inevitable and correct. But Armada strands on its own as well. Also, comparisons to Ready Player One must be considered. There are just as many references to cultural icons, although not necessarily from the 80s, and most of them are science fiction related.

I won't say too much more about the plot. Zach and his friends are thrown into the fire, and their daunting task turns out to be pretty exciting. Suspension of disbelief is necessary, but given the premise that's expected. I did think the beginning took a while to get exciting -- LOTS of technical talks about gaming that at times had me skimming.

While I didn't like Armada as much as Ready Player One, I would still recommend it to fans of the genre. The tension builds nicely, and the ending is satisfying. The characters are a bit thin, but the action is what's important.

Published by Crown, July 14, 2015
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
368 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Book Review: Boy Nobody (I Am the Weapon) by Allen Zadoff

Boy Nobody (I Am the Weapon) by Allen Zadoff book cover and review

To clarify first: This book was originally published as Boy Nobody, which is the version I have in my library. Then the name was changed to I Am the Weapon and a new version was published. I hate that. It's so confusing.

After Boy Nobody's parents were killed, he was taken in by The Program (who his parents also worked for) and trained to be an assassin. After years of training, he is unemotional and very good at his job. He's never had any problems fulfilling his mission until he becomes emotionally involved with one of his targets.

While Boy Nobody is a familiar story, it is exciting and fascinating. To see the way this boy thinks because of his brainwashing is stunning. Yes, you have to suspend some (much) disbelief, but that's expected in any book where a 16 year old is an assassin. Boy Nobody is a page turner for sure. And as a bonus, I was totally surprised by the ending. I didn't expect him to do that. And that's all I'll say about it.

Boy Nobody (I Am the Weapon) has a tidy resolution, but it's the first book in a series, and I'm looking forward to continuing. The next two books have been released and are I Am the Mission and I Am the Traitor.

Boy Nobody is a very quick read with a lot of half pages and would be great for reluctant readers. This one has been nominated for our Abe Lincoln High School Book Award for 2016, and I'm excited to push it at school this year.

Published by Little, Brown BFYR, 2014
Copy obtained from the library
337 pages

Rating: 4/5