Hypocrisy
Written by: D.M Annechino
# of pages: 278
Average Rating: 3.76/5
My Rating: 5/5
Read in May 2014
Summary according to goodreads
Dr. Lauren Crawford is a brilliant research scientist who discovers a revolutionary treatment for cancer that not only extends life, but much improves the quality of life for terminal cancer patients. The treatment, in some instances, can even cure certain cancers. On the evening before Dr. Crawford holds a press conference to announce that the FDA has given preliminary approval of her new cancer treatment, somebody follows her to her car and puts three bullets in her head. Was it a planned murder with a motive, a mugging gone badly, or merely a random act of violence? Two New York City homicide detectives, Amaris Dupree and T.J. Brown, are assigned to the investigation. The detectives evaluate the circumstances surrounding Dr. Crawford's death, and follow a trail of clues that exposes a sequence of startling facts. One by one, the detectives carefully examine each suspect and piece together a puzzle with unimaginable implications. As the investigation gets more intense, and the detectives get closer to solving the murder mystery, someone threatens Dupree's life. The detectives now realize that Dr. Crawford's murder was much more than a homicide. And if they don't arrest the murderer soon, Dupree might be the next victim.
My Thoughts
I received a copy of this book to review as part of a blog tour, but that does not influence my opinion.
Right from the beginning this novel sucks you into the story, starting with a short prologue from the victims point of view. Having this prologue opens the readers mind to what the story will unfold and what this doctor was on the verge of uncovering. I considered this to be an under-appreciated aspect, because although this was a character that had died, a reader was still able to get a grasp on who she was.
Reading this book was like watching an episode of CSI (or any other crime scene show) and it was awesome. If it wasn't so dangerous being a homicide detective, I would seriously consider getting a degree in criminology. Reading this novel makes you so interested in the story and trying to figure out who was involved. There were no moments where you wanted to put this book down, and that is so important in a thriller.
Something that I really enjoyed about this novel was that the language was acceptable, and there were no "adults only" content like most of the adult books I've read. Most adult books I have been sent to read branch off into moments of erotica and it catches me off guard, or there is an unnecessary amount of curse words. Considering that this book was written about detectives, it was a good creative move to have this characters act and speak professionally. This was a murder mystery/thriller novel, and that's exactly what the author focused on.
I am really glad that I received a copy of this novel because otherwise I might not have picked it up. This is a book I have not heard people talk about, but I can only hope to influence more people to read it.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Graphic Novel
Written by: Ransom Riggs
Art by: Cassandra Jean
# of pages: 272
Average Rating: 4.13/5
My Rating: 4/5
Read in March 2014
Summary according to goodreads
Ransom Riggs's haunting fantasy bestseller adapted to a graphic novel!
As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive.
My Thoughts
This book is now one of my favourite graphic novels. The art was so well done, it helped me as a reader to better see and understand what the author visualized as he was writing the original novel.
I wasn't the biggest fan of the original book as I was disappointed, but this graphic novel made me really enjoy it and realize how good it was. Having this book to make me reflect on was a positive as it made me even more excited to read the sequel, Hollow City. I chose to pick up the graphic novel before reading Hollow City because it had been over a year since I had picked up this series. I am very glad I did because there were some details that I had forgotten about the original story.
This book was just so well made, both as a hardcover and the pictures inside. The pages were nice and thick, but were also coloured when Jacob was at the house, which I think added a lot to the story. Having the different colours of art helped add life to the story when necessary, and tone it down when called for. Hopefully they do a graphic novel for Hollow City as well, because I think they would also do a good job on that one.
The Lens and the Looker
Written by: Lory S. Kaufman
# of pages: 322
Average Rating: 3.48/5
My Rating: 3/5
Read in May 2014
Summary according to Goodreads
It's the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s), have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth's distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan. In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don't have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities. These three "hard cases" refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It's hardly the ideal environment to fall in love - but that's exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them - or it could change history. The series takes readers along on the life-changing journey of three 24th century teens. While the three protagonists appear quite immature in the first half of The Lens and the Looker, this is not a series aimed exclusively at young teens. Lory Kaufman says he writes for readers 13 to 113, (and precocious 12-year-olds) This is borne out by the fact that about half the readership of the series is adult. What many readers say they love about this series is its wonderful mix of science fiction (the future) and historical fiction (the past). While there's time travel, there are also sword fights, and while there are detailed descriptions of ancient technologies, the story also includes many colorful characters who just happen to be artificial intelligences. There's allusions to a Romeo and Juliet love story and also characters who have murderous intentions toward the lovers. And the setting? Many readers are praising the accurately described historical setting of 14th century Verona Italy, where much of the story takes place.
My Thoughts
I received a copy of this book to review as part of a blog tour, but that does not influence my opinion.
This novel is the first in a triology, but it was not a series I was interested in reading back to back. It is nothing against the story, but at the beginning of this novel there was such an info dump, and so much to wrap your head around, that I felt like I needed to write something light afterward. This trilogy is a post-dystopian fiction in the young adult genre, but it also has aspects of time travel.
I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this novel, as they take these teenagers back to old life in Verona. Reading about life and culture back then was an interesting addition to the novel, and added dimension to the plot. Another good choice the author made while writing this novel was having the story be told from third person. I enjoyed this because you got a deeper look into all of the characters thoughts, and how they reacted to the changes.
Hansum by far was my favourite character, and I am not usually one to choose a male protagonist over a female. I felt that Hansum had more character development, could be seen as more relatable, and also was just fun to read.
Overally I thought this book was very interesting and had a unique concept, and I would recommend it to readers that are looking for something different. Although I did not marathon-read the trilogy, I do plan on reading them this summer.
The Treatment
Written by: Susanne Young
# of pages: 340
My Rating: 5/5
Read in January 2014
Summary according to goodreads
How do you stop an epidemic?
Sloane and James are on the run after barely surviving the suicide epidemic and The Program. But they’re not out of danger. Huge pieces of their memories are still missing, and although Sloane and James have found their way back to each other, The Program isn’t ready to let them go.
Escaping with a group of troubled rebels, Sloane and James will have to figure out who they can trust, and how to take down The Program. But for as far as they’ve come, there’s still a lot Sloane and James can’t remember. The key to unlocking their past lies with the Treatment—a pill that can bring back forgotten memories, but at a high cost. And there’s only one dose.
Ultimately when the stakes are at their highest, can Sloane and James survive the many lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end?
My Thoughts
I received a copy of this book for review, but that does not influence my opinion.
To put it briefly: AMAZING. One of the best sequels I have ever read. The Program was in the top 3 of the books I read in 2013, and The Treatment was one of most anticipated reads of 2014! So happy to say that this did not disappoint! As much as I loved this series, I liked the way it ended and don't feel that it needed another book (meaning making it a trilogy). Everything that I wanted to happen, happened and all of my questions got answered.
There were so many things that I wasn't expecting, but I did have an idea that one event would happen. Luckily, I was still surprised because it didn't happen the way that I though it would!
And another thing: James. That should speak for itself. He is one of my favourite "love interest" characters because he is funny, charming, but incredibly supportive and strong-willed.
To talk about a physical detail of the book, I loved that when you take of the dust jacket, there is a design on the actually book. This is consistent with the first novel in this series, so I appreciated that aspect. This book left me speechless, so it is hard for me to form sentences to review it. If you haven't read this duology I recommend you do, as they are fast paced novels that grab your attention and keep it the whole time.
PS, big thanks to the author for retweeting and favouriting my fangirl tweets after I finished the book.
