Rebels

Rebels by Sarah Noffke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh man so much to say.... most of my reasons for a 3 star rating are spoilers....

Defects was so amazing, and it's not so much that Rebels wasn't amazing as that Em didn't seem as strong and independent as she was in Defects. Em as a character felt younger and more naive' to me. I find the title very fitting and this book was a lot like LOTR II where there is a massively long movie gearing up for war, but it just is a LOT longer than it needed to be.

Rebels felt as if it was trying to fill space for me without really much foreground action. I can appreciate what will come and I am honestly very excited to see the culmination of all that has happened come to fruition in Book 3-Warriors.

Overall the biggest issue I had while reading this was the slower pace and the logistics. I didn't feel as though there was a lot of care being taken with the planning and moving around with just Vider's senses they would have been detected and thwarted long ago. Also why has Em never leached Zack? Why is Em so naive when she admits things and then goes on like she didn't. All the screaming and no one does anything about it. Not very convincing. We have more Ren though at least, so it would be interesting to see what he has been up to this whole time.

Overall I have to leave this book with a 3.5 stars... Given the ending... which I am not happy about Sarah.... you know why... it was just so wrong to pull that one on us, especially after you even sent me those photos to feed my obsession. I can't wait to move on to Book 3 and see where all this planning led. PS. Why is there a horse on the cover ;) It's beautiful, but why?

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Girl, Interrupted

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having first seen the movie, I have been interested in checking this book out for years. I was very excited to randomly come across it as one of my library's staff picks.

I didn't realize that Susanna had written this book about herself prior to reading it It definitely adds a new dimension to the story, that is an added benefit.

Overall it is well written and an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the way that Susanna was able to assess herself and the world around her, making her intelligence apparent even through the pages.

The most complicated part of reading the story was the timeline shifts between chapters. Sometimes she would mention an event (such as a death) and then a couple of chapters later that person would be talked about in a present tense.

Definitely worth the read. 4.5 stars for me.

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Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I must say that I went into this book expecting it to be maybe a 3 star read. I would have never picked this book up on my own, but my group voted on it for this month's read and I am very happy that they did.

I love how REAL the characters were in this book. Cather (Cath) and Wren are identical twins who have just entered into their Freshman year of college and Wren wants to break away from having to do everything together. She wants to meet new friends and be more independent. Cath is an introverted girl with a bit of social anxiety disorder. The twins have a lot of opposition between their personalities.

Although this story is written about twins, I could see a lot of the difference in personalities between my sister and myself. There were so many relateable parts of Cath's personality to me. There were time in the book where I laugh and even a time when I had tears run down my face for Cather.

Many realistic issues are faced in this book to include familiar upset, and disorders throughout each family member. The whole book revolves around Cath's fanfic writing for another created story that is interwoven within the book. You get to know the characters within this story and within the canon and Fanfic of Simon Snow's world.

I left this book wanting more of a wrap up ending, but hoping instead that it means we will see more of these beautifully written characters. Superb job, I definitely connected with this book. 5 Stars for me.

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Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well I actually picked this up because when I went to begin Six of Crows, I felt like I needed the back story. Life got very busy and I actually had to check it out twice from the library before I can fit it in. I finally allowed myself to take a short break from my many obligations in life and sit down and at least get started on it. So I did... And then I read the entire thing.

I just couldn't seem to stop reading it. I was completely wrapped up in the story and the characters and it grabbed me. It was a welcome relief from real life and I couldn't believe it was over so quickly. Now I need to pick up book two.

In the first half I was kind of apprehensive because it was starting to feel like a multitude of other books, but then BAM! Leigh Bardugo said "I tell my OWN story." And then the end came far too soon. I must say that I am now a new fan of hers and can't wait to read more. I hope she upholds this high standard int he rest of her novels.

********************SPOILER ALERT************************

Thank goodness this wasn't another stupid love triangle that made "forgetting" about someone when you are away from them okay blach! Thank you for letting Alina find her confidence and truth of her heart quickly before too much damage was done. Also I feel personally betrayed by Genya. I REALLY want her to NOT be a "bad guy"! 

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Intercrossed

Intercrossed by Milly Ly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There were a lot of elements to enjoy about this book. I loved the characters and Milly has definitely mastered a lot in terms of dialogue. She was able to convey a lot with the dialogue.
Unfortunately this led to my main complaint about the book. Other than the dialogue, there are quick snippets to let the reader know the timing of events and that things have happened. There were a lot of unanswered questions for me.

This book feels like it is a really amazing start to something, that is just not quite finished yet. I love this creation of the world and that characters are great, but I want more depth to the world, more background information, more descriptions of locations and a better grasp of the timeline of events, because the dialogue of the story had it feeling very unrealistic in the romance of the book. I'd love to have this added in, and to have the ending action not feel quite so rushed, and have a bit more development as it was the start of a good action scene. I do enjoy the world that has been created and would like to continue along with the characters.

Overall I have to leave it with a 3 star in it's current state.

**I received a copy of this book from  For Love of a Book

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The Cannibal's Daughter

 The Cannibal's Daughter by Mitchell Nelson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Cannibal's Daughter was an unexpected delight. I mean that in the sense that it excelled at it's B rate horror/thriller category and witty side bar thoughts in Caroline's head.

The book starts out with The Cannibal killer being executed in prison.... only to show up to antagonize his daughter, Caroline in a search for $11 million daughters that have been hid along a treasure hunt of clues.

Caroline is just your average every day person, bored and unfulfilled in her life post high school and working at a coffee shop, so even though her she is scared by this man who is supposed to be dead and a serial killer, she can't help thinking a cut of the money would be worth the trouble.

The book carries you on a wild goose chase and a lot of action with b-movie type gun/shovel battles. There are some unexpected twists and I loved the double thoughts that trailed Caroline and her actions.

Worth the read if you have ever had an affinity for B movies. 4 stars

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The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not even sure what to write in a review about this book.... Let me just say that this book IS AMAZING! It deserves, 5, no 10, no ALL the stars.

I loved this book. I loved the characters, it was beautifully written. I love the way the Book was broken up into parts for different experiences and points of view . Cassiopeia is easy to love as a badass dystopian character.

Although the ages of this book make it young adult, if you are into thriller or sci-fi, it has none of the cutesy young adult themes that may make you think twice about it. Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK!

I can't wait to read more in the series, one of the best alien novels I've read EVER. Heck, one of the best novels I've read ALL year!

I had many theories and thoughts, many of which were correct, but some that weren't but it was not predictable. The 5th Waves takes you on a ride and you don't ever want to get off! 5 Stars easily!

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5th Wave:The Movie......

WTF.  Seriously.  Did whoever wrote the script even READ this book?  The movie was akin to a REALLY Long trailer and lost all essence and emotion of the story.  You destroyed this story.  What a waste.  The characters weren't badly cast, but they truncated every scene and changed intricate details, and WHY?  WHY oh Why?  Please do not just this story based on this horrible rendition that was portrayed in the movie.  This book is SO MUCH MORE!   

Dark Matters

Dark Matters by Michael Dow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dark Matters is a brilliant start to a new trilogy. In a book that began as a kickstarter project I had a keen interest in it and had heard good things from others, leaving me with high expectations.

I am happy to say that my expectations were certainly met. Dark matters is a spectacular new science-fiction thriller that captures the future of our world from three distinct and vastly different view points. This book hits the ground running and never lets up!

The three main characters that he reader follows are Rudy, Monique and Jonas. Rudy is a newly promoted CEO or the world's first trillion dollar company and become privy to the nefarious existence of a group known as the Consortium. Monique was left with an extremely large inheritance that causes her to want to give back and be charitable in life, and also to have the means to pursue the urging of her ever present visions. Jonas is a scientist who funds his dark matter research efforts with grants from his companies efforts to locate asteroids worth the effort of mining for resources from Earth bound companies. Three vastly different individuals, who cast three vastly different lights to the events going on in around the world.

It was hard to put this book down and not know what was coming next. I can't wait to continue on with this trilogy and hope that subsequent books bring as much action and intensity. An easy 5 stars for me.

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The Amber Project

The Amber Project by J.N. Chaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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The Amber Project opens us up to a futuristic world, about 200 years after the spread of a toxic gas known as the Variant (which spread in 2157). The gas steadily spread across the globe killing all living things it came into contact with and drastically changing the atmosphere. The sky is now purple, the grass is now blue and there are some predators who managed to adapt and change, but little is known about them.

An underground city was established and cordoned off and sealed from the Variant. The population is controlled by 3 main sections, the military/education, scientific and the matron. The three bodies must act together in order for there to be any order in this new world. The matron is in charge of all of the mothers that birth the population. Children are made through contacts and a mother must have the right genetic coding in order to be eligible to be a mother. Women see mothering as a sign of honor and stability and began having children as early as 14.

Once children reach the age of 7 they are taken from their homes (only run and managed by their mother and any possible siblings) and placed into the education system. Mara is one of the mothers with almost perfect genetic coding which causes her to be chosen for a specific scientific program, allowing her to fuse new experiments with her eggs to produce a possible child that can exist on the surface of the Earth with the Variant. This child is named Terry.

If you want to know more, than you must read the book. Suffice to say that the book is loaded with a devastating new world, political intrigue and power struggles as well as the troubles of growing into one self with the added side effects of being a scientific experiment.

The story is told through multiple points of view to give a brilliant all-around look into the world. In addition, there are answered questions through the release of past and current audio files and text to help the reader understand what has happened and is happening in the futuristic Earth.

Chaney has managed to brilliantly fortify a place within a genre rife with half-hearted attempts of literature and created a gripping new series! I can't wait to read on. This was an easy 5 stars and hard to put down.

** I received a copy of this book for free with the For Love of a Book Advanced Reader Opportunity Program

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Unseemly

Unseemly by Jason Parent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unseemly is a short story/novella written by Jason Parent featuring a legend about an obscure Scottish Island. Peter is here for a black market payday, and another grave robbing experience. Although his true passion is archeology, he learned long ago that honest money didn't pay his bills.

He has come to the island to meet up with past unsavory partners that have teamed up on other undesirable jobs. This one features an academically researched legend into the sidhe. Against all of his intuition and instincts he continues along with the job.

This was a quick read and very exciting. An enticing fantastical horror story that ended abruptly. Made me feel like I was reading a more in depth "Are You Afraid of the Dark" tale. 4 Stars!

** I received a copy of this book for free with the For Love of a Book Read & Review Opportunity Program

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The Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are a parent in any sense of the word, I find it safe to assume that you would be hard pressed to read this book without being swept up in some kind of emotion.

Stedman has beautifully articulated the Light Between Oceans, but it's a rather painful read. The topics are extremely sensitive and it's hard to determine whose side you are on. This book deals with VERY real issues that have no right or wrong answers.

The Light Between Oceans lives on in the grey of life, in between the white and the black of the decisions that may be right or wrong. I felt tears roll down my face a number of times, for a child, for a mother, for a father in many different capacities and through the eyes of several characters.

Worth a read for the realism and the way that the tale is told. I wish the end would have told more of what came to pass in between, but I suppose it decided to just tell what needed to be told. A solid 4 stars for me.

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Review: The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Girl on the Train starts out in a painful rendition of the mind of a blackout alcoholic. I can't say that this first section of the book is easy or enjoyable to read, but I must commend Paula Hawkins or her chilling rendition of the realities of the disease known as Alcoholism.

Once Rachel is established, you travel through the minds of 2 other women to get a more complete telling of the story. This psychological thriller is chilling in it's regard to human emotion and mentality.

It will keep you guessing and hoping for and against certain information to be exposed or outcomes to be revealed. This is a book the exposes aspects of sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies. It does such a good job that I was personally affected due to experiences with both in my own life. It was very chilling to say the least to see how something can so easily spin out of control in life.

Amazing job creating this environment to make the reader feel such, and makes me highly suspicious that she has experienced many of these personalities in person. 5 Stars for a brilliant creation.

This book is currently being made into a major motion picture as well!

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Girl Through Glass

Girl Through Glass by Sari Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is hard to classify this book as anything other than about dance and about life and as they merge into one. Sari has woven a tapestry that blends with reality and had me wondering what parts of this book were truly fictitious. The raw emotion and passion of the young girl can be felt through t the pages, just as the loss of self can be felt in the woman.

There are events that you can feel unfolding, and yet they still shock you in a way you were perhaps not prepared for. Beautifully written, and well presented.

For any lovers of coming of age, of finding and losing yourself, of soul searching, of dance, of new York, of teaching and of looking outside yourself to find fulfillment in something more. It was painful at times and yet hard to put down. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for it's raw emotion bursting through the pages.

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Girls on Fire

Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I sped through this book and had a hard time putting it down. The events were kind like watching 48 hours or a crime scene, unsolved mystery, 60 minutes about teenagers all rolled into one. Robin Wasserman wove a tale of dark reality was that was to believe was non-fiction while I as immersed within the pages.

Hannah Dexter aka Dex, and Lacey both live on the fringes of the high school social scene. Did I say fringes... what I meant was that they don't fit in for vastly different reasons. Hannah, because she harbors a lot of feelings of injustice and just doesn't have the right look, and Lacey because she is the new girl in a small town, who brings big city Grunge attire and an extreme obsession with Kurt Cobain (the book is set in the early 90s). Lacey takes Hannah and gives her new confidence as she becomes Dex, the trusty sidekick. A hatred of the ultimate mean girl Nikki bonds them together in a girlhood crush on life and hating anything the "plebs" may deign to do or like.

I can honestly say that on the outside look in, that EVERY one of these characters is despicable in some way. Probably Lacey's mom the most for me, with the small glances we get into her selfish thoughts towards motherhood that made me want to beat the crap out of her. Nikki was a CLOSE CLOSE second, especially with the "sleepover" incident.

There is a lot of harsh realities of small town, overly religion, teenage life on these pages. A lot of topics that parents don't ever want to think about happening to their child or have their child out doing. Unfortunately, we can all hide under the blanket of suburbanite life or we can face the fact that things like this will happen to some kids. I wanted to smother my child and home-school him after reading this.

**Sensitive topics such as drug use, underage drinking, "satanic" rituals, rape, emotional abuse and death do occur in this book so be prepared.

With all of the horrors found within, this is also a book that feels so real it is scary. Such as the author either personally experienced these horrors from some point or was privy to someone who did. The book is written that fantastically that to give it anything less would be a travesty... 5 stars for me.

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The Assassin's Blade

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Integral back story into the humanization of the legend that is Celaena Sardothien. These 5 novellas delve into some of the adventures before the Throne of Glass Book 1 and before Endovian mines.
I loved being able to get to know Sam on a more intimate novel. I previously read Books 1 and 2, and it helped explain SO much of the thoughts and feelings that Celaena has had and dealt with. If you didn't hate Arobynn before with slight references you will be hard pressed not to after this and yelling at Celaena to connect the dots!

My 2 favorites were 0.3 The Silent Assassins and 0.4 the Underworld. If you are into the Throne of Glass or thinking about getting started, I HIGHLY recommend this book. the order of the books DO matter and should be read in their designated order for maximum enjoyment. as they build upon and reference points within other stories at time. You will have an even more intense love for Celaena and the intricate world that Sarah J. Maas has so brilliantly created. 5 stars as a combined novella book for me.

My reviews of each individual short stories:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass, #0.1) by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord is a delightful short story that occurs before we first encounter Celaena in Throne of Glass. It gives the reader a bit of a backstory for her when she worked in the Assassin's guild and let's us get to know the character of Sam. It was a nice short story and my main complaint is that it ended too quickly. I loved the way that we got to see how Celaena's character shows through even at the height of her cockiness. 4 stars

The Assassin and the Healer (Throne of Glass, #0.2) by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Assasin and the Healer was another great gem to this collection.  It was a fairly short installment that showed the readers a possible character that could pop up later in the series with the Healer.  (I have not read past Crown of Midnight as of yet).  It was a great woman empowering and having Celaena teach self defense.  Very short but sweet.  4 Stars

The Assassin and the Desert (Throne of Glass, #0.3) by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
 
The Assassin and the Desert really stood out to me after reading the first two novellas.  My favorite one so far!  The trials and determination that come through on Celaena were inspiring.  It was nice to see a softer side of her with Ansel and to get to know more about the beautiful horses.  I loved the Silent Assassins and the constant comparison with her own guild.  In another life Celaena would have easily led a very happy life among them.  The fighting movements were spectacularly written. 5 stars!

The Assassin and the Underworld (Throne of Glass, #0.4)  by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Assassin and the Underworld truly opened up the past of Celaena, explanations for many of her emotions abound. I just felt sick about where it was heading and can't believe Celaena hasn't yet figured out who her final betrayer is. I don't want to give up any juicy details, suffice to say that this was a splendid read. 5 stars! 

The Assassin and the Empire (Throne of Glass, #0.5)  by Sarah J. Maas  
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book disgusted me. In a beautifully written way. it disgusted me in the despicable actions and decisions that can be made from greedy human nature. Celaena still shone brilliantly throughout it. And she makes you want to stand with her and by her side and fight for her. Don't miss out! 

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Salt to the Sea

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tears, there will be tears, hope, nail biting, all of these things. For this is a book beautifully written by the talented Ruta Sepetys. She follows the journey of 4 main characters in the winter of 1945, Joanna, Emmilia, Florian, and Alfred... Refugees are traveling in the midst of WWII to avoid a Soviet advance.

I experienced this book through audio book. I am not a fan of audio book, but I don't think this book could have been more beautifully told than with the 4 amazing voices that took on the souls of these main characters and brought them to life with immense skill. So in praising this book I must also praise the readers: Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and Michael Crouch.

This subject matter is heavy but the story is worth knowing and experiencing. Experience the war through the eyes of Teens. 5++ Stars.
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Hell On Heels

Hell On Heels by J.A. Coffey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 3 in the Southern Seduction Series and finalizes out the trilogy of the main 6 characters of Coffey's story and I must say that she has "nailed" it again... Slight pun intended.

Jess & Matteo will forever be my reigning couple, but the passion between Stan and Caroline was steaming up my kindle... Although I loved the men in the other books, I felt an affinity to Stan the most. Having learned to harbor somewhat of feelings of disgust for the pain he caused Jess and his rumored affairs, Coffey did an amazing job of humanizing him.

Stan seemed the most complex of all of the men and his character was well developed and his internal battle of emotions came across the page beautifully. Caroline is second only to Jess for me, and I loved her fiery personality. This book had more humor than the others and I enjoyed the ride immensely.

Another entertaining and delightful read from the Southern Seduction series, I hope to revisit these characters again in the future. Don't miss out on an easy 5 star read.

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House of Leaves

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
     

I'm truly not even sure what to say about this book. Never before have I read ANYTHING like this, and in a way I hope I never do again. But do not take that as my regret at having read it in the first place. The amount of work that went into the creation of this book was immense.



I found myself constantly blurring the lines of fiction/non-fiction, going back to read what it was classified as and not sure if it was real or imagines.



This book is so many things: Crazy, witty, horrific, imaginative, intellectual, a mash of so many things, I really don't even know what to classify it as.





It touches upon the paranormal, the mythological, architecture, math, science, spirituality, abuse in all forms, good and bad passions, the imagination and what can come from it and a house that attunes to all who enter to find the darkness which knows no light.



There are 3 stories and more within this tome. The story of Navidson's Documentary and how it was made and those involved. Zapano, a blind man who worked up until his death to compile this story of the completion of Navidson, and then the unlikely Johnny Truant whose footnotes cause loads if entertainment and unrelated adventures during his own compilation of the works of those before him.


This is one of those books that could never be recreated and should be read once for the sheer curiosity of it, but it's not one you are likely to want to keep close to you in life, for it must travel on to others, and be shared as a contemplative genius of being put together. Those prone to fright from a simple horror/psychological thriller may want to shy away from this one... or let their curiosity get the better of them. 5 stars for originality alone
     

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Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had started this book years ago and could not male it through to the end. That was long before the movies came out. I ended up revisiting this book after a "blind date with a library book" in which the book was wrapped in paper with a short blurb on the cover so I decided to give it another go.

Just the beginning reminded me why I had put it down in the first place, it just was a lot of mean people and young kids as main characters, not really my cup of tea

I forced myself to press through and by the time that Hogwarts comes around it does luckily pick up. Overall tough I must say that 3.5 is the most that I can award it. The ideas are original but not necessarily ones that I like. The audience is very obviously the middle grade reading crow 11-17ish. The chants and songs are original but also annoying, not really anything I would want to be repeated. The ideas are what pushes me through this book.

I do like the mystery woven throughout but wish there was less immature squabbling between the characters to get through to rally get to the meat of the story. Even on the "good" side there is a lot of wishes to carry out harm and even death to other barely known characters, which seems a bit extreme to me for this age.

I have repeatedly heard that this series does get better with each book, so one day in the future I will find myself int he 2nd book, because I do feel that this series ha potential if it can get more lively. Lots of great ideas here though.

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Review: IA: Initiate

IA: Initiate by John Darryl Winston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of Naz, but it is also more than just about one single character. John Winston has created an almost dystopian-type world, that doesn't seem to be so different than a poor neighborhood. If that neighborhood were to be somehow cut off from the rest of society. As I read this book, I couldn't help feeling that there was a vortex around the area that was not escapable.

Naz is an underrated hidden kind of smart, but also has immense dreams that seem to come true in his sleep... without his control. His sister, Meri has soaring intelligence that pushes Naz to live his life for her and push for he to have a better life outside of their neighborhood.

The opening of the book leaves many intriguing questions for the reader, especially in terms of Naz's parentage, and what sort of experimentation may have been going on while he was still in the womb.
Naz faces many challenging issues such as gangs, and foster care and new schools, but he also finds solace in his sister and in chess, and learning how to be a better person and keep himself away from negative peer pressure.

Overall this was a great read, I was left with a lot of questions and would have liked a bit more character development outside of Naz, but perhaps that was intentional. I really wanted to know more about the place they live and why they were there, I hope this will be revealed in later novels. Solid 4 stars for me. A great debut novel!

I received a copy of this book from the author for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.


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