Review: Road Tripped

Road Tripped by Pete Hautman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stiggy’s life seems to be in a downward spiral and he just feels the need to get out town. His father committed suicide a few months before, his mother is walking around in a fog and his girlfriend has left to stay with a friend. Stiggy takes his mom’s credit card and his father’s Mustang and decides to drive the Great River Road. He quickly finds out that life on his own is not any better than life at home and his road trip changes in ways he never expected.

Road Tripped is a stand-alone coming of age novel with a little bit of humor included. Stiggy runs into a variety of characters that challenge his way of thinking and encourages him to reassess why he isn’t at home. Hautman has taken the classic road trip story and given readers a new spin on teen issues. Road Tripped is a fun escape read that doesn’t take too long to finish.


View all my reviews

Review: Aurora Rising

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tyler Jones is in the top of the class and is looking forward to draft day. That is when he will be able to pick his dream squad and start a great career. Unfortunately, his inner heroism gets in his way and because he takes the time to save a girl who has been in cryo-sleep for over two hundred years, he is now stuck with the leftovers from the academy. Having a crappy team isn’t his only issue, though. It turns out that the girl he saved, Aurora, could be the very person to start a war that has been in process before humans were even started. Is this group of misfits the team that will save the galaxy? Is there a connection between Tyler and Aurora that runs deeper than usual?

Aurora Rising is the first book in the Aurora Cycle and is a wonderful science fiction adventure with a dash of comedy. Overall the story is serious and great, yet the characters have a comedic side that will have readers chuckling throughout the book. Kristoff has created a variety of characters that I truly enjoyed spending time with and the ending of this book left many future books available for publication. I highly recommend Aurora Rising and will personally be looking for the next book when it is released.


View all my reviews

Review: Finale

Finale by Stephanie Garber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two months have passed since the final Caraval was completed. Legend has claimed the empire’s throne and the Fates have been freed from the cards. Tella does not believe that Legend is the rightful heir to the throne and will risk more than she imagined to see her plans through. Scarlett has not gotten over Julian and is ready to meet with her former fiancé or is she? Scarlett has decided to have her own game where the winner gets to marry her. Is Scarlett in control of her destiny or are larger powers at work? Will Tella be able to stop Legend or is his fate part of her destiny?

Finale is the third and final book in the Caraval trilogy. The sisters have learned a lot about love and magic over these last few months and now they must determine what their own hearts desires are. Garber’s world is a wonderful place to escape into and readers who invested time in Scarlett and Tella during the first two books will not be disappointed to learn their fate. I am glad I was able to read all three books in a short amount of time because this trilogy is definitely devour worthy.


View all my reviews

Review: The Lovely and the Lost

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kira doesn’t remember much about her childhood, but she does recall being lost in the woods and being found by Cady Bennett and her search-and-rescue dog. Although she was adopted by Cady, she still has trouble feeling like she belongs in a family. She has no difficulties interacting with the canines used with the search-and-rescue business and she hopes to continue with this endeavor into her adult years. When Cady and her team are asked to help search for a missing child in the Sierra Glades National Park, Kira can’t stop thinking about this missing girl and her own experience being lost in the wilderness.

The Lovely and the Lost is a stand-alone mystery that leaves a lot to be desired. Even though there were some twists and turns as the pages were turned, overall there was just something lacking in the novel. Barnes usually has dynamic characters that make readers want to know more, yet these characters were a little flat and didn’t make me want to stay with the story. Overall I liked the ending and decided I liked the book, so I encourage those who want to read it to stick it out till the end because it is worth it.


View all my reviews