Reading Right Now! (#41)

I'm trying a crazy thing this week, crazy for me at least, and reading two books at once. For those of you that don't know, I have a severe library addiction. This month, I realized how severe it really was and decided I needed to read more than one book at a time in order to try to get my book pile under control. I don't know if that will work out, but I'm gonna try it.
So anyway, here's what I'm Reading Right Now!

 

Willowgrove (Hemlock #3) by Kathleen Peacock: This is the last book in the Hemlock trilogy and it's a little bit of a bittersweet feeling for me. I really, really like this series. This series is also massively under-hyped. More people need to pick this up and love it too. Maybe people are turned off because they think this is just another paranormal werewolf series, but it's a lot more than that. I'm only about 100 pages in, but I'm definitely enjoying this. I'm hoping that I'm going to be happy with the overall ending. This series is a lot darker in tone and feeling than most of the other paranormal creatures books out there. 

Also, does anyone know if Kathleen Peacock has anything else in the works? I've visited her website and it seems like it hasn't been updated in a while. I really want her to have other projects in the works because I would definitely read them and be excited for them.

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody: I've just started this one, about 30 pages in, so my opinion of it isn't concrete yet. This will be my first book by Jessica Brody. It looks like it could be funny. Like it could almost have a Clueless feel to it. It's about a rich girl who is constantly causing trouble for her family. She feels like her father is absent and doesn't really care for her, so she acts out. After her latest expensive escapade, her father tells her she won't get her trust fund until she can prove herself to be a responsible adult. She'll have to get a new minimum wage job every week for 52 weeks. Her father also hires a guy to keep an eye on her. 

I've heard that this book is going to be made into a movie, which was probably a big reason I wanted to read it.

So far, I've just gotten to the part where Lexie is complaining about her life and her family. She's unhappy, a bit bratty, and acting like a spoiled rich girl. I can definitely feel the hurt coming from her. I'm definitely interested to see where this goes.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! Tell me what you're Reading Right Now! because I'm always curious.

Review: Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Title: Battle Royale

Author: Koushun Takami

Translated by: Yuji Oniki

Published by: VIZ Media, LLC

Released: 1999

Summary: Every year or so, a second year junior high school class is chosen at random to fight to the death. Out of 42 students, only one walks out alive. Stranded on an island, not able to trust your former classmates, and constantly being scared of a horrible death; surviving is the only thing that matters. Who lives and who dies? Want the answers? Then jump in to the wild, violent ride that is Battle Royale.

My Thoughts: I'd been interested in Battle Royale ever since I found out it was the predecessor to the Hunger Games. I haven't read The Hunger Games yet, it's on a list of things I plan to do, but I do love the movies. So, I decided to read Battle Royale first to maybe compare and contrast from The Hunger Games. I was also interested in the story just by itself.

I won't say I was disappointed by the story, but it didn't live up to my expectations. I was expecting an intense, violent, and enthralling story, but I got something that just seemed to drag along. This was a slow read for me. I almost at times forced myself to pick it up and read it. I was thinking I was going to get a book I couldn't put down, but instead it was a book I had to read in small increments.

I didn't really get the world, why everything was the way it was. What the overall point of the game was. Was it an experiment? A way to control the population? Or something else that just went completely over my head?

I also had a problem really connecting to any of the students. There were a couple that I recognized as main players, but overall, there were just too many names to remember. 42 kids is a lot of names to remember, and I ended up forgetting a lot of them.

My last reason as to why being slightly disappointed, was just the way the story dragged along. It was very slow going and slow moving, and just not as exciting as I thought it would be.

All in all, just an ehh read for me. I'm glad I read it and experienced it, but it's just not as awesome as I thought it was going to be. This could have been because it is a translated work and some sentences and phrases were a little choppy. I do plan on watching the movie though. I imagine it makes a much more exciting and disturbing movie than a book.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

Not what I thought I was gonna get.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Halloween Reads

Mwahahahaa Happy Halloween! Or almost Halloween. Happy week of Halloween. Probably one of the most fun holidays of the year. What other day can you dress up like whatever you want and then get free candy? Although, the free candy part seems to stop once you grow up. Then you have to buy your own candy. Anyway Halloween is great and a lot of fun. And this week's Top 5 Wednesday topic is a lot of fun too, your Top 5 Halloween Reads. I decided to pick from books that definitely frightened me and ones that included classic scary subjects. So here are my picks for this week's Top 5 Wednesday!

 

  

1. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga: This book genuinely scared me. I would read it at night (bad idea) and then be unable to go to sleep, because I heard noises that made me think someone was coming for me or hiding in the house. I got very paranoid. This story is about a kid named Jazz who is afraid that he's going to take after his serial killer father. So there's a lot of dark thoughts in this one and then some murders start to take place. Jasper Dent's father is terrifying. Read this one in full sunlight with the lights on.

2. The Merciless by Danielle Vega: I read this one just this month and really thought it was the perfect Halloween read. This story involves crazy girls who kidnap one of their schoolmates and try to exorcise a demon from her. This story is gory, crazy, shocking, and kind of fun. The ending is pretty crazy too. I won't say it is the best book ever, but if you're looking for a shockingly gory and fun Halloween read, this might just be the one.

3. I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells: This book or series has probably been mentioned before in another Top 5 Wednesday, but I love it, so I'm going to mention it again. This is another serial killer tale about a boy who's a sociopath and is convinced he's going to grow up to become a serial killer. The story takes a turn about half way through that made some people angry, but I still enjoyed it. The main character in this story makes me so uncomfortable, but I love him just the same. This is a great series for Halloween because it's one of those books that makes you uneasy, but you can't stop reading.

4. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake: Gory and Ghostly, this book just screams Halloween. I mean, look at that cover! So this is about a boy named Cas who is a ghost hunter. He's called to get rid of a deadly ghost named Anna who kills anyone who enters her house. If you're a fan of the tv show Supernatural, then this book just might be for you.

5. The First Days by Rhiannon Frater: Of course I have to include a zombie book because I love them. This is an awesome zombie series! One of the first zombie books I ever really read. I still need to finish this series. This is your classic tale where the zombie infection takes over the world and survivors struggle to keep surviving. Maybe not the scariest thing ever, but you can't have Halloween without some zombies. Braaaiiiiinnssss.

So those are my Top 5 Halloween Reads. What are yours? I'm always on the lookout for a good horror tale, so maybe next year, my list will be even more frightening. If you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. Each Wednesday is a new and fun topic to think about and enjoy. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers here!

Review: Rook by Sharon Cameron

Title: Rook

Author: Sharon Cameron

Published by: Scholastic Press

Released: 2015

Summary: In the world of Sophia Bellamy, Paris is now the Sunken City and the guillotine is back in service. Everyone who opposes the reign of Allemande is put to the blade. Off with their heads has become a literal phrase. A mysterious figure is roaming the prison, spiriting away prisoners from their cells before they can meet the blade. In their empty cells lies a Rook feather died red. Sophia Bellamy has been put into an arranged marriage with the mysterious Rene Hasard. She knows he's hiding secrets and she's determined to find them out.

My Thoughts: Oh boy. This was the book that wouldn't end. Yes, it went on and on my friend. I was disappointed in this story and very, very bored. This was pretty much a random pick from my library and I had remembered hearing a little about it on either goodreads or booktube. Then I learned that Rook was the first pick for the perustopia bookclub. That made me more interested in reading it. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book. It was such a struggle for me to get through. I almost considered DNFing it, which I never do with books. Rook and I just never got along.

Part of my problem was the world this was set in. I never understood it. It's a future world, but they live like they're in the distant past. Some event happened that caused many deaths and technology to literally fall from the sky. So in this world technology is illegal and residents will sometimes find "ancient" artifacts, which were just items from the readers' world. I just didn't get it. I didn't get the strange religion. I didn't get what caused Paris to sink in the first place. Maybe that's because I don't know anything about science or history, but a little explanation or backstory could have helped me greatly.

Another big problem for me was I was so bored reading this. It was such a struggle for me to push through. It was just so dull. And it was a long book too. I was just kind of begging for it to be over.

I never really felt anything for the characters either. I ended up kind of disappointed in the Red Rook's overall reasoning for rescuing people. Sophia Bellamy, for all her talk of wanting adventure and action, bored me quite a lot. I didn't fall madly in love with Rene Hasard either. I got so tired of hearing about his blue-fire eyes and powdered, flaming hair. They all just bored me so much. Even though they did stuff, they just weren't exciting to read about.

So bottom line: I was bored bored bored. I really didn't care what was happening to the characters and really had to push myself to finish the story. I wanted to like Rook, but just ended up disappointed. This book was just not for me.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 2.5/5

What a Bore.

Review: Thornhill (Hemlock #2) by Kathleen Peacock

Title: Thornhill (Hemlock #2)

Author: Kathleen Peacock

Published by: Katherine Tegen Books

Released: 2013

Summary: Another action-packed book in the Hemlock trilogy. Picking up right after the events in Hemlock, Mac and Jason journey to Denver, Colorado to find their friend and bring him home. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Kyle and Mac are captured and taken to one of the werewolf camps. At Camp Thornhill, they discover not is all as it seems. Werewolves are mysteriously disappearing and the warden is hiding dangerous secrets. Mack and Kyle must escape before it's too late.

My Thoughts: I loved Hemlock when I read it, so I was eagerly anticipating getting my hands on the sequel. And I am pleased to say that Thornhill was just as good. Full of action, romance, and danger. I really enjoyed this sequel. At times, I was thrown for loops by the twists, kept on the edge of my seat by the danger, and rooting for Mac and her friends. The short of it is that Kathleen Peacock has created a very enjoyable werewolf series that I really recommend.

I loved how Thornhill picks up right where Hemlock ended. I was able to get right back into the story and world without the feeling of missing anything.

I also really enjoyed the darkness and danger of the camp. In a way, it reminded me of one of Hitler's concentration camps. No one cars about these people infected by lupine syndrome, and because of that, they are easily disposable. Mac's scenes of entering the camp were frightening because it brought to mind how a whole race of people could be thought of as less than human.

I also really enjoyed all the action, it made for quick, enjoyable reading. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how Mac, Kyle and Jason were going to escape. Sometimes it did feel almost impossible for a 17 year old girl to get herself out of the situations Mac seemed to find herself in though.

As far as love triangles go, I'm torn. I like both Jason and Kyle, and don't know who should get her heart in the end. They both have aspects that would make them right for Mac.

So, I really enjoyed this book! Great sequel and I can't wait to see where the third one goes. This is just a fun werewolf series and I'm glad I found it.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

A Howling Good Time (see what I did there ;) )

Review: Y The Last Man: Volume 2: Cycles by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and Jose Marzan Jr.

Title: Y The Last Man: Volume 2: Cycles

Created by: Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, and Jose Marzan, Jr. 

Published by: VERTIGO DC Comics

Released: 2003

Summary: Yorick, Agent 355, Dr. Allison Mann, and the monkey Ampersand are trying to get to California. They are on a mission to find Dr. Mann's back up lab and figure out a way to save mankind. As the last man alive, Yorick has to be careful. There are people out searching for him. The man hating Amazon women want him dead, and a group of secret Israeli military personnel are on his tail too. Master escape artist Yorick has a tough time dodging these groups. Yorick is also still determined to find his girlfriend, who was last in Australia. Yorick is finding out that being the last man on Earth isn't all fun and games.

My Thoughts: Another enjoyable volume in this series. I think I enjoyed the first volume a little more, but this one was fun too.

When I first saw the little summary/what happened previously, I thought, man that's long. It almost had more words than the whole first volume. But as I read it, I appreciated it, because it answered some of the questions I had from the first volume. I was a little critical as to why the world would have fallen into such post apocalyptic proportions without men, when there were women that could have done those jobs, but the little summary at the beginning helped to answer those questions satisfactorily.

The main thing that I came away with from this volume is that the Amazon women are insane. Their red-headed leader is a nut job that has managed to brainwash all these women, including Yorick's sister. I'm sure there are probably women in the world who have some of her views, but how does she think killing the Last Man is going to do any good for the human race as a whole? I can't believe how many ladies bought in to her craziness and I hope Yorick's sister snaps out of it.

I enjoyed this second volume and can't wait to continue with this series. I'm interested to see how things progress. This is a comic series that I would definitely recommend for those interested in jumping into comics.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Being the last man on Earth is challenging.

Review: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Title: House of Leaves

Author: Mark Z. Danielewski

Published by: Pantheon Books

Released: 2000

Summary: (In which I try to explain as much as possible without taking up half a page.) Johnny Truant and his friend Lude discover the corpse of an old man named Zampano. While searching through his house and getting rid of things for the next tenant, Johnny discovers a chest containing Zampano's work on the House of Leaves. Johnny decides to put all his notes together and publish Zampano's book. House of Leaves deals with the Navidson family, who live in a house that is bigger on the inside than on the outside. Rooms appear with no warning, leading into dark, cold, never-ending passageways. The Navidson's discover that something lives in their house, something that's the opposite of a good and gentle spirit.

Through Johnny, the reader witnesses the Horror of House of Leaves and just what it does to all who dare to peruse the pages.

My Thoughts: I'd been interested in this book for quite awhile. So many people love this book, there is even a cult following around it. The story sounded cool and the style of the book really interested me. I decided to request it from my library and wah lah, there it was in my hands. I just want to stress that all my reviews are 100% my honest opinion. Just because my thoughts differ from yours, doesn't mean you shouldn't give every book a chance. My thoughts on House of Leaves...what a disappointment. I didn't like it.

The style of the book was not fun to read. It was almost set up like a scholarly research book that had lots and lots of footnotes. The order to read those footnotes could sometimes get confusing. The style was also aggravating in writing words backwards, upside down, or in swirls. It was a chore to read this book.

I also didn't like the scholarly feel to the work. I don't read scholarly articles for fun, because I don't enjoy reading them. Also the amount of tangents and straying from the real story was ridiculous, not fun. Sometimes I almost forgot the real story I was reading after reading pages and pages on echoes or architecture. I also didn't understand Johnny Truant's descent into madness. He seemed pretty messed up from the beginning, so I never really got his train of thought, or how in the end he was that different then how he was in the beginning.

I also didn't enjoy some of the author's overly hard vocabulary. He would use words that no one ever says or hears, and not provide the sentence context to figure it out for yourself. And I didn't feel like turning to a dictionary.

As a possible pro, I found the overall story and idea of the Navidson house very interesting. If it had been just a novel of the Navidson's first hand exploration of the house, or Johnny discovering and reading Navidson's journal, it would have been a much more entertaining read.

In the end House of Leaves was not for me. Although it had a cool premise; the aggravating style, tangents to nowhere, no real clear ending for Johnny, just left me with no real love for the book. There were even times where I felt like banging my head against the book and feeling like it was never going to end. I didn't enjoy the experience of reading this book at all.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 2.5/5

Aggravated and Unimpressed.

Review: The Vault of Dreamers (The Vault of Dreamers #1) by Caragh M. O'Brien

Title: The Vault of Dreamers (The Vault of Dreamers #1)

Author: Caragh M O'Brien

Published by: Roaring Brook Press

Released: 2014

Summary: Rosie Sinclair is so excited to be attending the Forge Academy. A school centered around art and creativity. A perfect place for her to focus on her passion of filmmaking. The Forge Academy is also home to The Forge Show. Cameras follow the students around all day and based on how many people tune in to their feeds, they are ranked on the blip board. Forge Academy also stresses the importance of keeping the students as creative as possible by resting their minds. Each student is given a sleeping pill and they rest for 12 hours each night. One night, Rosie skips her sleeping pill and sees something weird. Something strange happens during the night at Forge and Rosie's determined to find out what it is.

My Thoughts: This was awesome! It took me on quite a ride that I very much enjoyed. This book starts off with a premise of boarding school meets Big Brother. The students are filmed all day and their popularity rank is determined by how many people view their feeds. Rosie's first challenge is to survive the first 50 cuts, so she can stay at the school. That whole idea of being filmed 24/7 is interesting to consider. That whole feeling of never being truly alone.

Then the story morphs into exactly what is happening at the Forge School. By skipping her mandatory sleeping pill, Rosie observes something strange and it makes her question what is going on at the school. It then leads the reader through twists and turns, and many midnight escapades. There even comes a point where I as a reader wasn't exactly sure what to believe. It almost had a bit of a Shutter Island feel there. It was just very interesting and sort of fun to experience.

As a character, Rosie is put in quite a pickle. How can she take her sleeping pill every night, be out to the world and unaware, when she knows there is something strange going on to her and her classmates? Then at the same time, there's the question of what can she really do? I felt that conundrum the entire time I was reading. I liked going on this search for discovery with Rosie, even though I was unsure of how it would end.

This book really made for a fun thriller, where the reader is constantly questioning what's going to happen next. The atmosphere of The Forge Academy added another interesting layer. This didn't end the way I wanted it to. It kind of left me hanging. I'm very interested to read the second book in the series when it comes out. This book also makes you look at how good intentions can sometimes morph into bad, questionable actions.

Bottom line, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone else who enjoys a good thriller. This book takes the reader on quite a ride and it's fun being on that ride. It's fast paced with a lot of twists and turns. The ending will leave you wanting the next book. 

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

So many fun twists and turns. I now have a need for the second book.

Reading Right Now! (#40)

Yep, I took a bit of a break from this. It wasn't intentional. I think I just got too lazy to keep up with posting. Most of my other posts are scheduled posts, which means I can type them up, set a date, and then not worry about it. I can't really do a good scheduled post for Reading Right Now! because I want to feature my current read, and my current read on a Monday is not the same as my current read on a Friday. So I want to keep my Reading Right Now!'s accurate and then I get too lazy to type and post it on the right day. So here's to trying to do better. I might take another hiatus from it again, because I'm being honest with myself and I know I'm lazy, but I'm going to try to post more of these. Anyway, on to the book I'm Reading Right Now! and have been reading pretty much this whole week.

Title: Undead (Undead #1)

Author: Kirsty McKay

I'm on page 188 of 263 which makes me 68% finished.

It's no secret that I love zombie books. I love them so much. So, I was pretty excited to pick this one up and give it a read. I figured it would be perfect as a Halloween read this October. This story is about some kids that go on a school trip to Scotland. On their way back home, they stop at a cafe. Everyone gets off the bus except for two kids, Bobby and Smitty. Something happens in the cafe and everybody turns into flesh eating zombies. Bobby, Smitty, and a few other survivors are now on the run from the hungry horde struggling to survive. 

My current thoughts are essentially meh. It's not bad, but it's not great either. Maybe because I've read so many zombie books and have so many that I've loved, that I've come to have a feel or a type of what kind I want. And Undead is not the kind that I just automatically love. It has the zombie elements that I do like in my zombie books, but there's just something about it that's not clicking with me. I'm also not sure if this is trying to be a funny zombie book or a serious zombie book, and I'm not sure it's really excelling at either. I don't know. I'm not the biggest fan of the characters and so maybe that's why I'm not really invested with this book. It's just a meh read for me at the moment.

Once I finish this one, I plan on picking up a graphic novel that I will hopefully fly through. I read the first one and was a fan, so I'm betting I'll like the second one too. And that graphic novel is...

Title: Saga: Volume 2

Creators: Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

I'm pretty excited for this one. The hype machine for this series is strong. I've read the first one and did really enjoy it. This series is for more mature readers because of some of the content.

So yes. That is what I'm Reading Right Now! and what I plan to read next. If you've read any on these books, tell me what you thought of them? Also, let me know what you're Reading Right Now!

Review: Altered (Altered #1) by Jennifer Rush

Title: Altered (Altered #1)

Author: Jennifer Rush

Published by: Little, Brown and Company

Released: 2013

Summary: Anna's life isn't exactly normal. On the outside, it might look like it. She lives in a farmhouse with no close neighbors, she's homeschooled, her dad works at home as a scientist. So what makes Anna's life a little different? How about four hot, genetically altered guys living in her basement. Sam, Cas, Trev, and Nick have been trapped in Anna's basement for five years. Her father works at the mysterious Branch, taking care of the boys and monitoring them is his job. Anna sneaks down to see the boys every night and has developed quite a big crush on the quiet and serious Sam. Then the day arrives when the Branch comes to take the boys away. Sam stages an escape and Anna is told by her father to go with them. On the run, fighting for her life, Anna embarks on a journey to help the boys find out who they really are and maybe find out a little about herself in the process.

My Thoughts: Awesome! Loved it! Really enjoyed it from start to finish. I was first drawn to the story by the idea of four genetically altered boys trapped in this girl's basement. Four very attractive and strong boys. This book was just a lot of fun to read. It really felt like a fun action movie where there are mysteries to solve, people to run from, and a whole lot of action.

I liked all the characters. Each boy offered a little something different to the team and the story. Anna was alright as the main girl. She was able to hold her own and was actually pretty tough and good in a fight. Anna's dad was also a cool guy.

If I had to pick my guy crush out of the mix, it might be a tie between Sam and Nick. Sam is of course hero material, which makes him crush worthy. Nick is surly and seems to have a hard shell that will have to be broken, but he's so HOT!! But part of the fun of the book is deciding which boy you like the best.

Also there were so many twist and turns and discoveries that I didn't see coming. Definitely edge of your seat reading.

All in all, I loved this book. Such a fun, fast read. It's an action movie in book form with hot guys. I recommend it to everyone and I will definitely be picking up the sequel soon.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

So much fun! It's an action movie in book form.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Graphic Novels

So I'm finally back with another Top 5 Wednesday. Last month, I just succumbed to laziness which is why I didn't post any T5W.  None of the topics really called out to me either. But here's to hoping I do better in October. So this week's topic is a fun one. I've definitely read a lot of graphic novels that I've liked. The term graphic novel can be a confusing one though. So, in this T5W, I'm going to be combining graphic novels with mangas and comic books, because I feel like they're all related and they should all count for this topic. So here goes my choices.

 

  

1. Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play by Yuu Watase: Before I discovered any graphic novels or series, I first fell in love with manga. I was introduced to Fushigi Yugi through a friend in 7th grade. Her sister was really into anime and manga and owned all the video cassettes of this anime. I know, old school. This manga just brings back memories and is a lot of fun to me. I love Yuu Watase's art style and have read many of her stories. Sure they can be cheesy sometimes, and sometimes the main protagonist can be a ditz, but I just really enjoy this manga series.

2. Marmalade Boy by Wataru Yoshizumi: This series was the first manga series I ever bought for myself and I loved it. It's cute and it just has a cute love story. Some people may be put off by the whole stepbrother and stepsister falling in love with each other, but I was rooting for them the whole time. This series is just cute, funny, and I love it!

3. Chew by John Layman and Rob Guillory: I'm thinking this one falls into the comic series, maybe, but I love this one too. I just kind of discovered it in late 2014 or 2015. The artwork is just so much fun, the stories are really funny and a little gross. This series also holds a special place because the main character and his partner remind me so much of Miles and Sawyer from Lost. When I'm reading Chew, I'm just imagining Miles and Sawyer in place of Tony and John. And I'm not sure if that's what the authors intended or if I'm just delusional. In the second volume, Lost was mentioned in the acknowledgements, so my theory could be spot on. Anyway, this series is just a lot of fun. I've only read the first 2 installments, but I definitely plan on reading a lot more.

4. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore: Of course The Walking Dead had to be on this list. Because of this comic, my greatest addiction television show was born. I've read the first two compendiums of The Walking Dead comic, so I'm in no way caught up. And I think, don't get mad at me for this, that I like the TV show a little more. But this whole Walking Dead world is awesome and I just can't get enough of it.

5. Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez: This one is a weird one, but I do enjoy the storyline. It's interesting. I've read the first 3 volumes and am definitely planning on finishing. Locke & Key makes it on to my list because I'm interested in seeing where the story goes. Sometimes it's a little weird, but it's always interesting to read. Also, the volumes of this are really well put together and beautiful.

So that's my Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Graphic Novels. Tell me what your favorites are. If you want to join in the T5W fun, you totally should. Each Wednesday is a different topic for you to think and about and post your answers. Blogs and Booktube are both welcome, so you should definitely join in on the fun. Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers here!

Review: The Moth in the Mirror (Splintered #1.5) by A.G. Howard

Title: The Moth in the Mirror (Splintered #1.5)

Author: A.G. Howard

Published by: Amulet Books

Released: October 2013

Summary: Morpheus is a little mad he didn't win Alyssa's heart and lost out to Jeb. But, the best way to understand your enemy is to get inside their head. Morpheus decides to view some of Jeb's key memories while he was in Wonderland. In this supplemental novella in the Splintered series, experience was was happening in Jeb's head while he and Alyssa were separated in Wonderland and get a little hint of what Morpheus plans to do next.

My Thoughts: This was alright. I wasn't the biggest fan of Splintered, but because I'm weird, I have this sick urge to push myself through the series. I'm curious to see if it gets better and I guess see the eventual end.

This novella is an added extra that doesn't necessarily need to be read in order to understand the events in the series. It's just an extra that lets the reader experience certain events from Splintered in Jeb's POV.

I'm just kind of ehh on the whole novella. I guess it was nice getting to experience some scenes that were absent from Splintered. And I guess it was fun getting a little of Jeb's thoughts while he was in Wonderland. I'm a bigger fan of Jeb than I am of Morpheus. Morpheus so far has been kind of creepy, a liar, and a jerk. That's further solidified in this novella, with how he delves into Jeb's memories in order to find a way to take him down.

I think one of my issues with this series so far is that Wonderland is too weird. And this novella had that same weirdness. Now I'm not against strange, different worlds, but I think there needs to be a balance. Not everyone we meet or everything we see has to be strange. I just feel like the author constantly tries to one-up herself on how strange she can make it. I'm just not the biggest fan of that.

So in conclusion, this novella was just okay for me. I don't think you need to read it in order to enjoy the series. It was good to hear from Jeb, but questionable as to why we were even viewing his memories. I'm not a Morpheus fan so far, I hope he crashes and burns on his deceitful actions to win Alyssa's heart and his plans to get her to Wonderland for good.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

A little unnecessary extra and Morpheus is a jerk.

Review: Shadowlark (Skylark #2) by Meagan Spooner

Title: Shadowlark (Skylark #2)

Author: Meagan Spooner

Published by: Carolrhoda Lab

Released: 2013

Summary: After escaping the City and finding the Iron Wood, Lark's journey continues. She is still searching for her brother, trying to figure out just who and what she really is, and on the run from the City's minions. Lark stumbles across the City of Lethe, a place where Lark thinks she might find Sanctuary. But Lethe has problems of its own. Renewables must hide themselves, or be imprisoned by the secretive ruler Prometheus. Lark joins the Resistance and decides to use her gifts for good while protecting those that she cares about.

My Thoughts: After my first foray into Lark's world (in Skylark), I didn't really have the highest of hopes for the sequel. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this one much more than I did the first. There was enough action, danger, and twists to keep me reading. Sure, Lark still annoyed me sometimes, but not half as much as she did in the first book.

I was glad to see Oren back because I like him and hope he has a good ending. I was also more interested in this world, this interesting City of Lethe, then I was ever interested in the confusing Wastelands of the first book. Having Lark be part of the Resistance was pretty fun too.

Overall, I enjoyed this book much more then I thought I would. I think it's much better than the first book. I still don't think it will ever get a place in my favorite series list, but it provided an enjoyable, sometimes entertaining journey.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Much better than the first one.