Review: Rebel Born

Rebel Born by Amy A. Bartol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roselle is a strong warrior and the crowds are eagerly awaiting the Secondborn Trials in order to see her in action. That is until she is kidnapped during the opening ceremonies in order to give her an implant and make her a mind-controlled assassin. But there are other plans in the works and one of the scientists implants her with a different technology that makes her faster, more powerful and possibly immortal. Roselle is now helping the resistance group, but who can she really trust? Will she lose her humanity along the way?

Rebel Born is the third book in the Secondborn series. Bartol has taken the world she built in the first book and has exponentially expanded on the characters (and brought in a few more). Emotions are high and the intrigue is at maximum as Roselle and other characters fight against the social machine that wishes to control everything. Although I can’t find anything about a fourth book, Goodreads has it listed as a series and not a trilogy. Readers will be happy with the ending, but if you are like me … you want a little more.


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Review: Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Life and Work

Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Life and Work by Victoria Ortiz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dissenter on the Bench is the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg that is a must-listen for people of all ages. Ortiz chronicles RBG’s childhood, education, marriage, and career over several decades while also including details about some of her more life-changing cases as a lawyer and a judge. Larsen’s narration is dramatic yet not distracting which enables the listener to lose themselves in the larger story even if they are not normally fans of legal stories or non-fiction. This book shows that the future that was changed by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life has been felt by all American’s, even if they are not aware of it. I recommend Dissenter on the Bench to everyone, no matter what genres you normally enjoy.

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Review: Wilder Girls

Wilder Girls by Rory Power
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hetty has not left the Raxter School for Girls in over eighteen months. They have been under a quarantine that started with the teachers dying first. When the students became infected, it didn’t seem to kill them, but turn them. These girls have been cut off from all communications with the outside world and they can’t even go outside of the fence because the Tox has infected the local wildlife. Hetty was a rule follower until Byatt went missing. Now she is questioning everything about the quarantine, including what lies on the other side of the fence. What will Hetty learn about this mysterious disease?

Wilder Girls is a stand-alone science fiction story that was a fun escape read with just a little bit of science fiction thrown in. Even if readers are not very familiar with quarantines and diseases, most will be able to enjoy the bigger story that is included here. Power has created a few different characters for readers to explore and overall the ending was satisfactory. With that being said, it was not a drop everything and finish the book experience. I’m glad I read it and recommend others who like this type of book to add it to their TBR list.


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Review: Heartwood Box

Heartwood Box by Ann Aguirre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Araceli’s parents have decided that she needs to spend her senior year with her great-aunt Ottilie in a small New York town. They thought it would be a safe and quiet place for her to get ready for college, but they didn’t know that people have been going missing for over twenty years and there are mysterious lights in the woods that Araceli is explicitly told to NOT follow. After Araceli begins receiving letters from a GI during the First World War, she wonders whether it is all one big prank or is there really a mystery that needs to be solved.

Heartwood Box is a stand-alone science fiction mystery where the characters are easy to relate to and the story was very easy to fall in to. Aguirre has taken many mysterious storylines and has blended them into a superb novel. When I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about the events and what might happen next. I also really liked that it was not part of a series and I was able to unravel all the mysteries in a short amount of time. I recommend Heartwood Box to all fans of mysteries, even if you don’t normally like science fiction.


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Review: Teen Titans: Raven

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After Raven and her foster mom are in a tragic auto accident, Raven loses both the only mother she has ever known and her memories. She moves to New Orleans with her foster mother’s sister in order to finish her senior year of high school. Raven quickly remembers anything related to school knowledge, but can’t remember the personal things. When she starts hearing weird things and some other unexplained issues arise, Raven begins to wonder if it is actually a good thing that she doesn’t remember her past. What secrets is Raven’s subconscious trying to protect her from?

Teen Titans: Raven is the first graphic novel in the Teen Titans series. Those readers who are looking for the group will need to hold off for another book because this volume is all about Raven. It really doesn’t matter if readers are knowledgeable about any other stories that include Raven because this book is intended to give a starting point for this character. Unfortunately, if you are a really big fan you might find flaws, but as a reader who just enjoys good stories, this book fits the bill. I will be looking for future stories about the other Teen Titans and hopefully Raven herself.


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