Science Fiction

And All the Stars

Published by Paola on June 12, 2013 | 4 Responses

I’m extremely excited to spotlight one of my favorite authors this week as part of the Indie & Self-Published Author Event: the awesome A.K. HÃ¶st! Please forgive me if the following review is borderline incoherent; I’m writing it directly after turning the last page and all the emotions are still punching me in the face…

AUTHOR: Andrea K. HÃ¶st

GENRE: Science Fiction

FORMAT: eBook, 204 Pages

Come for the apocalypse.
Stay for cupcakes.
Die for love.

Madeleine Cost is working to become the youngest person ever to win the Archibald Prize for portraiture. Her elusive cousin Tyler is the perfect subject: androgynous, beautiful, and famous. All she needs to do is pin him down for the sittings.

None of her plans factored in the Spires: featureless, impossible, spearing into the hearts of cities across the world â and spraying clouds of sparkling dust into the wind.

Is it an alien invasion? Germ warfare? They are questions everyone on Earth would like answered, but Madeleine has a more immediate problem. At Ground Zero of the Sydney Spire, beneath the collapsed ruin of St James Station, she must make it to the surface before she can hope to find out if the world is ending.

So, I don’t read very much science fiction. I’m more of a high fantasy, embarking-on-perilous-quests, swinging-enchanted-swords kind of girl. I think it’s because the first sci fi books I ever tried felt so cold and clinical in comparison to the fantasy books I loved, with all these technical details and a lingering air of so much math (??!). I realize that sounds more than a bit ridiculous BUT I can’t think of any other way to describe my lack of affinity with the genre. That being said, And All the Stars completely overturned every expectation I had. I love this book. It is so far from my usual fare, and yet managed to insinuate itself so close to my heart that I’m honestly still in shock right now as I write this review. There have been very few science fiction books I can say this about. I feel like if I wasn’t already a huge fan of the author, this one would’ve won me over for sure. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, you need to. Trust me.

(more…)

Cinder

Published by Paola on June 9, 2013 | 12 Responses

TITLE: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)

AUTHOR: Marissa Meyer

GENRE: YA Science Fiction

FORMAT: Hardcover, 387 Pages

Cinder has a reputation for being one of the best mechanics in New Beijing. She has a gift for fixing what’s broken, even if that talent doesn’t seem to extend to her personal life. Being cyborg means limited rights and high tensions with the only family she has left, not to mention disdain from the majority of the population. But there is more to Cinder than being part human and part machine, and the mystery of her past might just be the key to securing Earth’s future…

… FIGHTING EVIL BY MOONLIGHT! WINNING LOVE BY DAYLIGHT! NEVER RUNNING FROM A REAL FIGHT — oh, we’re NOT singing the Sailor Moon theme song right now? Well, boo. I guess I’ll go back to writing this review then…

I absolutely loved Cinder, and not just because it brought back fond memories of watching Sailor Moon every morning when I was a kid. It’s a refreshing, original take on the Cinderella fairy tale that effortlessly incorporates new twists with familiar details. Besides, there are cyborgs. And a Prince. And diabolical mind manipulation powers…! What more do you need in life??

(more…)

Shatter Me

Published by Paola on May 30, 2013 | 7 Responses

#2PersonBookClub is pretty simple: every month weâre picking out one book for both of us to read. There will be a post at the beginning of the month announcing what this book will be, and then a post at the end of the month with our opinions and commentary on what we read. One book + 2 different perspectives = everybody wins!

TITLE: Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)

AUTHOR: Tahereh Mafi

GENRE: YA Science Fiction

Â (From Goodreads) No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first timeâand to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.

Okay people, here’s how this works: Alix and I both weighed in with our opinions on this book by sharing our first impressions and then answering a few discussion questions. We are using adorable little thought bubbles to denote which of us is talking. Please note that this post is pretty long since we’re both offering responses to the questions and also because we were pretty much dying of the lolz the entire time we were writing this on Google Drive earlier in the week… you have been warned.

First Impressions

My first thought was âoh no this book is in 1st person narrative and this particular first person is pretty annoyingâ. I want to understand and sympathize with Juliette but her emoness is just too much! If sheâs not having a mental breakdown for the millionth time, sheâs emoing about everything. I had to take a break about 50 pages in Â because she was exhausting to be in the head of. Plus side, I hope there are more pages where the text is completely struck out.

Juliette is officially FULL OF FEELS. She is ALL FEELS, ALL THE TIME. Â Itâs kind of exhausting already. I kind of canât believe the number of meltdowns sheâs already experienced and Iâm only on page 65. I feel like I need a nap now.

(more…)

The Eternity Cure

Published by Nina on May 16, 2013 | 4 Responses

TITLE: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden, #2)

AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa

GENRE: YA Paranormal

RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2013 (Harlequin Teen)

FORMAT: Digital ARC via NetGalley

The sequel to The Immortal Rules and the second piece of Julie Kagawaâs Blood of Eden series, The Eternity Cure opens with a bar fight and ends much the same way: with a punch. Thereâs sexual tension, thereâs action, thereâs an extremely fat serving of drama. I wasnât bored or psyched about the first book and feel more or less the same about its sequel, but I will say that this novel was an improvement.

Eternity Cureâs entire foundation is based on Allison, the protagonist, looking for her âfatherâ, or Sire, Kanin. Vampires within the same âfamilyâ (brothers and sisters, same Sire) can sort of sense each other and sometimes feel what their relatives are feeling, and Allison uses this link as a compass throughout her journey. She travels throughout the wasted United States from Lake Erie to Washington D.C. and then back to New Covington, where it all began and, appropriately, where it all ends. Along the way she makes several unexpected alliances, meets several unexpected people in unexpected situations, and has to suffer a very unexpected conclusion.

(more…)