Review: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Nobody
By Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published Published January 22nd, 2013 
Publisher: EgmontUSA 

Hardcover, 393 pages

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them. -Goodreads

Review

What if you were nobody? Someone without any friends or other relationships, and you're always forgotten it's almost like you aren't even there. That is the case for two teenagers, Claire and Nix. They grew up differently, but they are the same, they're Nobodies, invisible. Claire has parents, but they need sticky notes to remind themselves about her, so she does what she can to get by, emerging herself in imaginary situations. Nix grew up in a bare, blank room, raised by a group called the Society. His job is to assassinate Nulls, people who are the exact opposites of Nobodies, Nulls don't have feelings and can easily manipulate normal people, which is why they can be very dangerous and need to be killed. That's why Nix is sent to kill Claire, he is led to believe that she is a Null, but somehow, she can see him. That totally shocks him, and eventually he realizes that they are both Nobodies. What else has the Society hidden from him?

 I really pity both Claire and Nix, but more Nix. Both of them are very lonely, but Nix has definitely had it harder, after all he was trained to become an assassin (and a very harsh training at that). The characters of Claire and Nix are a bit meh, I mean they're lonely and unloved, but they need a bit more depth. Nix also had a much better background story that really showed you his pain and suffering, and all the wounds (literally and figuratively) that he has.

I love the idea of Nobodies, Nulls, and Sensors (people who can detect Nobodies and Nulls), and the concept of energy (or lack of) that gives them their powers. I think that it is a very unique idea, which is why I decided to give this book a try. I also like the alternating viewpoints of Claire and Nix, that way you can see how similar yet different they are from each other. The ending was just adorable (the epilogue) and so lovely. I am a bit sentimental, and I love happy endings, and this does not disappoint. After the last major battle scene, everything wraps up quite nicely, and Nix finds redemption.

The first third was kinda slow and boring, it seems to take Nix the longest time to realize that Claire is also a Null (I got kinda frustrated at how obvious it was). Finally, once that happened, they fell instantly in love. What is this folks? Yes, insta-love, that dreaded curse. I guess it may be more understandable as they are the only two Nobodies around (or are they?) and they've never met someone like them, but really. You think that maybe it would take a little bit more time for them to fall in love. Anyway, the book really picks up after the realization, and the rest is quite interesting and action packed. I also wish the Society was explained better and more in depth. 

Overall I would recommend this to anyone who likes a unique science fiction romance, with mysteries abound. 

Purchase this book at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble /  The Book Depository

Review: Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day 

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published December 27th, 2011

Publisher: Egmont USA

Paperback, 336 pages

Every other day, Kali D’Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She argues with her father. She’s human.

And then every day in between . . . she’s something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her, and unfortunately she’ll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive . . . and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.--Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review

  

I really loved this book. The title, cover, and description intrigued me, and the entire story just sucked me in.

Kali is torn between two different sides of herself. One is a boring, social outcast who endures the rigors of high school, while the other is a night hunter, someone with supernatural abilities. She doesn't know the cause of these changes, only that they happen, and there is no avoiding it. Normally, the two sides never conflict with each other, that is until Kali sees the mark of an ourborus on one of the most popular girls in school, Bethany. The mark of an ourborus means that there is a chupracabra in you, which is certain death, and suddenly Kali's two worlds collide. She is faced with a monumental decision. Should she risk herself in her weak human body to save someone she doesn't even like? Well, the answer is yes, and it turns out that the chupracabra is just the beginning.

I loved all of the female characters. Kali is a smart, brave (in a kind of stupidly endearing way), and funny.  She's been pretty much alone all of her life (her dad doesn't really see her), and it is weird for her to open herself up and make friends. I have to admit, her ability to change every other day was the thing that most intrigued me. I can't give any spoilers, but I found the reason behind Kali's transformation very clever, and quite a different take on it than most other books. 

Skylar is just adorablely quirky and persistent. She is another social outcast, and completely changes Kali's life by offeering her a special friendship. Not only is she couageous, but she never stops to question her desicions; she puts everyone before herself.  At first, Bethany seemed like the atypical b**chy cheerleader, who eventually completely does a turn around and befriends Kali and Skylar. No, there is more to Bethany than we think, she has a deeper story. I'm curious to learn more about Bethany and her family's history in Kali's past.

The best part of this book was the original plot. I loved the crossing of paranormal creatures combined with scientific research. This book kind of balances between the two, leaning more to the paranormal side. It is also kind of like a mystery novel too. What is the reason for Kali's transformation? Who is Zev? How are Kali and Bethany connected? Most of these questions were answered, but the ending just brought up even more questions. What a cliffhanger. The end is just chaos, and there just has to be a second book to continue things.

Overall I would reccomend this to anyone looking for a fresh and exciting new take on things. Not only is it enjoyable for paranormal readers, but also for ones who enjoy science fiction. Barnes does a wonderful job of weaving them together, and produces a amazingly written book. This book is highly reccomended. I can't wait 'till the sequel!!

Purchase this book at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

 

   

Review: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
Published: July 10, 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books
Hardcover, 444 pages

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom's drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone's been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he's offered the incredible--a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom's instincts for combat will be put to the test and if he passes, he'll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War III. Finally, he'll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom's always wanted--friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters--but what will it cost him?

Gripping and provocative, S. J. Kincaid's futuristic thrill ride of a debut crackles with memorable characters, tremendous wit, and a vision of the future that asks startling, timely questions about the melding of humanity and technology. --GoodReads

4 and a Half Stars

Review

Insignia truly brought out my inner geek. A mish-mash of sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, and government, Insignia  may seem quite daunting: 444 pages is definitely NOT something you want to joke about. But since it was so fun to read, it went by in a flash. The only thing that reminded me of its sheer size was the fact that I had to lug it around everywhere I went because I couldn't put it down!

Now, if you look around at all the other Gals here at YAN, you'll find that only a few of us are patient enough to endure books this long with a plot focused on a male POV, let alone one set in a futuristic, yet somewhat plausible society.  I really enjoy these types of novels because they're so utterly unique that they create their own genre; these days, there's a better chance that you'll end up picking up a vampire/werewolf/faerie/dragon/dystopian-hullabaloo story that's been retold a bajillion times over. When I first picked up Insignia, I have to admit, there were a few shreds of doubt. Once I got in about 40-50 pages, I was entranced! I absolutely HAD TO finish this story- it was that good. 

Hypnotized......

Plot/Story/Style: So special, and very creative. As you advance through the story, you watch Tom, the main character, worm and weasel his way out of tough situations, always lightening the worst scenarios with his self-depreciating humor. Tom is no ordinary high school kid: he's a gamer, an online gaming god. Tom is recruited by the government to train as a teenage war combatant - with a computer chip in his head! I really enjoyed this plot because it follows this "loser" of a kid as he blossoms and transforms into his someone he never dreamed he could become. As a techno-geek, I loved reading about different tidbits and ideas about "futuristic" technology. It was a no-brainer that I'd fall in love with this story immediately.

Although Insignia does explain a few of the main problems, the way it started definitely could've improved. I felt like it left enough "la-la" fuzzy time in the beginning for some readers to want to drop out. If you do choose to read this book, I warn you to not be disappointed/frustrated with the ending! It's SUPPOSED to be a cliff-hanger! That's what they do. They lead you on and make you want/itch/NEED to read the sequel. So, yes, there will be a sequel. Other than that, I really enjoyed the plot, story, and style.

Characters: I can't say that these players of the plot aren't a bit cliche, but Kincaid manages to work out the knots and details and adds pizzazz so much so that you barely even notice the slight predictability of the characters.  Insignia, through all its crazy concepts and ideas, manages to create realistic friendships and relationships between different characters. As their back-stories unravel you begin to see why they tick the way they do. Just putting this out here now: if you're looking for some cheesy never-gonna-happen, lip-smacking, on-the-edge-of-the-seat-love-pentagon romances, please do not read this book. Need I remind you that the main character of interest is only 14. Yes, only 14.

My favorite character would probably be Tom. I enjoyed his transformation, and his boyish sense of humor! I've read waaaaaay too many YA books on girls, that this one really conked me on the head with its boyishness. Tom is not hot, he is not swoony, he is not sexy. He is a real boy. You know, that annoying guy that teases the girl he likes, the one that needs to prove everyone wrong, the one that makes a fool of himself, the one you can't help but smack your head against the wall 20 bajillion times every time he opens his mouth?   You know: it's that guy. 

Movie Possibility- ??? This book really has the potential to become a pretty decent movie. I'd probably go see it, if it means anything to you.

Overall, Insignia was a wonderful read, full of laughs, reminders of why you hated boys in elementary school, and technology. Kincaid really is a writing genius; kudos to you Kincaid! To anyone out there, I recommend this technology infested story, whether you may love or hate electronics. It's a guarantee that you'll get "plugged" into the story right away.

Order Insignia at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ Book Depository

Review: Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram

Being Jamie Baker 

by Kelly Oram

Published: June 14th 2010 

Publisher: Bluefields

Paperback, 353 pages

An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities. To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special. Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat? More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him? --Goodreads

4 Stars

Review:

Jamie Baker is a really cool gal! I want her to be my friend, who cares if she's fictional! Jamie did not  have any friends at her new school, but she wants it that way. Jamie has superpowers and for the most part she can't control them, so isolating herself from people will keep her secret safe and it will keep people safe. So when Ryan tries to be her friends, things get complicated.

This was totally a girly book, but I like girl books, so that's ok. For most of the book, it was all about Ryan trying to be friends/date Jamie and Jamie shutting him out and then Ryan's friends' drama, but towards the end of the book it got action-y, but of course since Jamie has superpowers, so naturally she will use them. Fun fact: Jamie Baker has green hair and yellow eyes! When I read this I thought I thought she was being sarcastic, but I guess not.

Like a lot of other YA novels out there, the main male character is a nice guy who is cocky, charming, and smart, who is also popular and has not-so-nice friends. There's nothing that really stands out about Ryan Miller that is different from other novels, but he was a good character. Here is Ryan's POV, if you guys want to check that out!

Overall this book was awesome! With the only complaint being that Jamie got a tad bit annoying from time to time, but I seem to have that complaint with a bunch of other books...

Purchase this book at: Amazon / B&N (There only seems to be a NOOK book of it.) / TBD (unavailable?)

Sorry guys... I guess you can only get this book through Amazon and as a Nook Book.

Review: Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Eve and Adam (Eve and Adam #1)

By Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Hardcover, 304 pages

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely. --Goodreads

3 Stars

Review

I picked up Eve and Adam mostly because of the first line on the back of the book was “It all started with an apple”. Of all the corny lines in all the world, that one probably takes the cake, especially when used in a novel called Eve and Adam. However, the plot of the book has almost nothing to do with the Biblical story. It could just have easily been titled Juliet and Romeo and the novel would have worked just fine.

The book starts out with Evening, or Eve for short, looking at an apple while crossing the street and then being hit by a car (There you go, ladies and gentlemen. That was the entire role of the apple). Eve loses a leg but it’s regrown at the medical company founded by her mother, Terra Spiker.

But, of course, no young adult novel is ever complete without a boy. In this case, his name is Solo (say it with a Spanish accent, it sounds so much cooler). Solo is Terra Spiker’s ward, who she took in after his parents, her colleagues, died. He wants revenge on Terra Spiker because he blames her for his parents death. Eve has never heard of this really hot teenage boy and naturally is interested. To keep her away from Solo, her mother gives her the task of creating the perfect boy, Adam, on a computer program being used at Spiker Industries and even allows her friend Aislin to help her with it. However, Eve, along with Solo and Aislin, begin to uncover some strange (and illegal) experiments going on at Spiker Industries and Eve is faced with the fact that her mother may be really evil, not just a little mean as she had previously supposed.

While the overall plot of this book was really compelling, there were definitely a lot of problems. The biggest problem for me was Solo. Of all the revenge-seeking characters I have ever read about, Solo is the least angry. His entire attitude towards Terra Striker is: “Terra is such a horrible person but I don’t hate her, I simply strongly dislike her and besides, her daughter is so preeeetyyyyyy........”. In short, he is an incredibly ineffective angry character. Another problem was Aislin. Aislin is really, really screwed up. I understand why her character had to be so out there, but I think she could have been toned down just a little. And then there is Terra (SPOILER ALERT): she isn’t actually evil. At the very end of the novel, she turns out to be perfectly not-evil. It was like the authors got to the end and then realized that Terra being in jail really wasn’t going to work for the sequel and so they suddenly shifted the blame onto dead people.

And finally, the name of the sequel is perhaps the dumbest problem of all. It’s called (drumroll please)........Adam and Eve.

Eve and Adam has an interesting and compelling plot but the characters didn’t quite work. They were either too extreme or, in the case of Solo, not extreme enough.

 Pre-order this book: Amazon/ Barnes&Nobles/ The Book Depository

Review: Portal by Imogen Rose

Portal (Portal Chronicles #1) 

by Imogen Rose

Published: January 23, 2010

Self-Published

KOBO, 221 Pages

Come Find Me Two Years Ago... 

Six words that propelled ice hockey playing tomboy, Arizona, into an alternate dimension. 

She suddenly found herself in the past. In one moment she went from being an ice hockey playing teenager in New Jersey to a glamorous cheerleader in California. She found herself transported from a happy life with her dad, Dillard, to a new, strange one living with her mother whom she hates. Apparently it's a life she's always lived in. 

Everyone knows her as Arizona Darley, but she isn't. She is Arizona Stevens. 

As she struggles to find answers she is certain of one thing- that her mother Olivia, a brilliant physicist, is somehow responsible. . 

PORTAL is the story of the repercussions of Olivia Darley's attempt at creating a perfect world for herself and her children. Arizona's quest for answers threatens to undermine the seemingly perfect world that her mother has so carefully constructed. --Goodreads

4 Stars

Review:

I really liked this novel, despite the fact that I was very confused until half-way through the book. It took me a while to figure out everything. I liked how Portal alternates between Olivia's(Arizona's mom) and Arizona's points of view. The Olivia parts really added to the story, instead of me just thinking Oliva was extremely selfish in that she did all of that just so she can get the guy. But it wasn't just that, she cares a lot about her kids as well, and her dog; she went back for her dog! Ahh I thought that was so cute!

Arizona and I kind of got off to a rough start. At first I did not like her because I thought that she was a brat and extremely rude to her mother, but that was the first chapter. After I got more into the book, I really liked Arizona. I love her far-fetched scenarios, although they were very pessimistic, it was true teenage thinking and they were quite entertaining to read. Arizona is very tom-boyish (or should I say was?), so it was a complete surprise to her when she started to develop girly tendencies because "Barbie Arizona" was showing through. Reading about the shocks that she had about that, really made me LOL, so to speak. 

Harry (was he named after Harry Potter because the parents have a HP book that they and Harry read to Ella before bedtime, so I'm inferring that they are HP fans... If Harry was named after J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter that would be so cool!) and Kellan are very protective over Arizona, which was so sweet! But (sadly there's always a but) they were too over-protective. Obviously Arizona can take care of herself, but I guess in this dimension, she can't,  so now when she can Harry and Kellan still protect her because they have never met the Arizona who can take care of herself. (Does this make sense to you guys? Hopefully it does!) Anyway, the guys totally flip out when they find out that Arizona is trying out for the ice hockey team, which was a bit unnecessary. 

Ella was the best supporting character! She's eight and she's a ball of delight! I want a little sister now! She was a really good sibling and overall she was a good, nice kid.

The sci-fi time-traveling aspect to this book was the best. I wish Portal went a little more into detail about the actual time-traveling, but Portal the way it is now, was a very good read and I would recommend it.

After finishing this book I had some unanswered questions. What did Larry gain from this portal time traveling thing? I understood what Olivia had to gain, a perfect family and an overall amazing life, but what did Larry, the brains behind the whole portal have to gain? What happened to Simla and Justin? Are Justin's parents involved in the portal business like everyone elses? The epilogue, oh the epilogue! That just made a few more questions. Well this is only book one, so I NEED to read book two. I need to find answers to these questions! Well I think it's official to say that I am pumped to read book two!

Purchase Portal at: Amazon / Barnes&Noble / The Book Depository 

Review: Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal

Mothership (Ever-Expanding Universe #1)

by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal

Published: July 10, 2012

Publisher: Simon&Schuster Books for Young Readers

Hardcover, 320 Pages

Teen pregnancy is never easy—especially not when extraterrestrials are involved. The first in a new trilogy.

Elvie Nara was doing just fine in the year 2074. She had a great best friend, a dad she adored, and bright future working on the Ares Project on Mars. But then she had to get involved with sweet, gorgeous, dumb-as-a-brick Cole—and now she’s pregnant.

Getting shipped off to the Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers was not how Elvie imagined spending her junior year, but she can go with the flow. That is, until a team of hot commandos hijacks the ship—and one of them turns out to be Cole. She hasn’t seen him since she told him she’s pregnant, and now he’s bursting into her new home to tell her that her teachers are aliens and want to use her unborn baby to repopulate their species? Nice try, buddy. You could have just called.

So fine, finding a way off this ship is priority number one, but first Elvie has to figure out how Cole ended up as a commando, work together with her arch-nemesis, and figure out if she even wants to be a mother—assuming they get back to Earth in one piece. --Goodreads

4.5 Stars

Review

I would have never read this book if I hadn't won this in a giveaway because I honestly think that I would've never picked up this book for myself otherwise. When I read the Goodreads summary of Mothership, it sounded like The Secret Life of the American Teenager, a TV show about a pregnant teen and her life, a show I dislike so very much, in space, but I decided to give this book a chance anyway and boy am I glad that I did. 

In no way are Secret Life and Mothership similar. First, the protagonist saved people from evil alien invaders and in my book that makes said person a kick-butt protagonist. Elvie, the only thing I didn't like about her was her name, is hilarious. From the beginning of the book her sarcasm had me laughing. Also she is really smart, but what do you except from someone who fixed a toaster when she was six? One of my favorite scenes of Elvie is when she hijacks a vending machine into giving her ice-cream. 

Aside from the protagonist, I think my favorite character would have to be Ducky. He's Elvie's best friend who is always there for her no matter what. He's also a total nerd, but I found his nerdiness so endearing. 

As the Goodreads summary says, Cole is "dumb-as-a-brick." My first impression of him was that he's just your average, clueless jock. I never really cared for Cole as a character, but the more I read, the more he grew on me. Due to Cole's stupidity, he had some really funny lines. 

Ever thought that your teachers were aliens? Well at the Hanover School, they really are. But like all the alien books I've read so far, there are good aliens and there are bad aliens. The teachers are the bad aliens (of course) and Cole and Captain Bob, the people trying to save Elvie and the other girls, are the good aliens. As always the good and the bad fight, giving this book a lot more action and fighting than I had expected from this book. 

I liked this book much more than I thought I would :)

Purchase this book here: Amazon / Barnes&Noble / The Book Depository