BOOK REVIEW: ARMADA

Armada

by Ernest Cline

Published April 12, 2016

MY GOODREADS RATING 4.5/5 STARS

(Thanks to Bloggingforbooks.com, I received a copy of this book to review)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

               

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. 

No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?

At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.

MY THOUGHTS:

This book was so amazing. It met and exceeded all my expectations. The story was fascinating and made my love for this author even larger than after I read Ready Player One. You definitely can’t compare this book to Ready Player One, because it is completely different. I did notice I still love Ernest Cline’s writing style.                                         

This book was very unique. I'm not the largest fan of science fiction books but this book has definitely changed my mind. I’m glad that this is a standalone, since lately I’ve noticed many books are series and sometimes you just want one book to wrap it all up, and this one definitely does just that.

 I would recommend this book to any fans of Science Fiction, or if you just want to give this genre a try.

BOOK REVIEW: SING SWEET NIGHTINGALE BY ERICA CAMERON

Sing Sweet Nightingale (The Dream War Saga #1)

by Erica Cameron

376 pages

Published March 4th 2014 by Spencer Hill Press

MY GOODREADS RATING 4/5 STARS

(Thanks to Spencer Hill Press and NetGalley, I received an ebook copy of this book for free to review.)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Mariella Teagen hasn't spoken a word in four years. 

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever. 

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella's life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.

MY THOUGHTS:

“It’s amazing how fast something that seems like paradise can turn into a nightmare.”

The synopsis of this book is what really intrigued me. This book started off with a bang and a lot of mystery. It really sucked me in. The world building was tremendous. I can only imagine how hard it is to depict a fantasy world, but Erica did an amazing job. She was so descriptive I felt like I was on the sidelines physically watching the story unfold. 

I love when books are narrated from multiple points of view so I was already pretty excited about reading this book. Erica did such an amazing job narrating from multiple points (Mariella and Hudson) that I was blown away. I feel like I got a better sense of each character’s personality. I’m also drawn toward books with time stamps, I feel it really gives you a wonderful sense of when each plot twist was taking place.

Overall I really loved this book and would recommend it to any reader that likes fantasy books. 

BOOK REVIEW: REBEL OF THE SANDS BY ALYWIN HAMILTON

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1)

by Alywin Hamilton

320 Pages

Expected Publication: March 8th, 2016 by Penguin

MY GOODREADS RATING 4/5 STARS

(Thanks to Penguin Random House, [firsttoread.com] I received a copy of this book for free to review.)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him...or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

MY THOUGHTS:

My favorite fantasy books are quick reads. Ones that are fast paced and action packed with realistic world-building. This book was all of the above. The writing style was extremely descriptive, yet easy to follow. The character descriptions were also great. There weren’t too many character lines to follow, which is unusual in fantasy lately, but it worked for the storyline so well. I didn’t find myself getting confused as to which storyline I was following, there was only one. I loved that the main character was a female pretending to be a male for most of the story, I've never read a book with that premise.

I love that the book included small folk tales sprinkled between action packed scenes, it really added to the character of the book. This also helped make you feel like you were part of the story which I loved.

Overall I would say that this book is definitely a must read for lovers of fantasy or even if you just want to start jumping into the fantasy world. 

BOOK REVIEW: HALF BAD BY SALLY GREEN AND GIVEAWAY!!!!

Half Bad (Half Bad Trilogy #1)

by Sally Green

394 pages

Published March 4th 2014 by Viking Books for Young Readers

MY GOODREADS RATING 5/5 STARS

(Thanks to Penguin Random House, I received a copy of this book for free to review.)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Wanted by no one.

Hunted by everyone.

Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan's only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it's too late. But how can Nathan find his father when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Half Bad is an international sensation and the start of a brilliant trilogy: a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive.

MY REVIEW:

I love how the chapters at the very beginning of the story are extremely concise. It leaves a sense of mystery which makes the reader need to know what is going on. It hooks the reader in right from the beginning. I really like how the author explained Nathan’s back story. It was wonderful in my opinion. She gave just the right amount of information so the reader knew what was going on, but also left us questioning some of the finer details.

The character descriptions were great. It gave me a sense of knowing each character on a personal level, at least the main ones in this story. I really enjoyed the way the author described Nathan’s internal struggles with his family members, one in particular. It really helped me to connect and relate to this fictional character whom I had nothing in common. I also really liked the fact that Nathan was close with certain family members, it showed his loyalties, and I loved it.

Overall this book was well written, mysterious, fantasy novel that I found hard to put down. The world building was excellent. I would easily recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of fantasy or is on the verge of giving fantasy a try. 

The second book, HALF WILD, comes out in paperback on February 23rd, and HALF LOST the epic conclusion to the trilogy, comes out on March 21st. Check out complete information HERE on the series website.

THANKS TO MY CONTACT AT PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE YOU CAN ENTER FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN THE WHOLE SERIES:

Giveaway:

Dates: 2/22 – 3/21

US only, ages 13+

Prizes: The complete Half Bad series

(Half Bad, Half Wild, and Half Lost),

and a Penguin Teen totebag

a Rafflecopter giveaway