Review: You'll Be the Death of Me

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ivy lost the election yesterday and will not be the senior class president.  She doesn’t want to go to school and face the class clown … the new president.  Mateo feels overwhelmed since he is working two jobs to help support his family and Cal feels alone since he was stood up.  When these three seniors randomly meet up outside of school, they decide to skip school and go to the city.  They were friends years ago, after all.  They quickly learn they don’t have much in common anymore, but when they spot another student ditching school, they decide to follow him and stumble across his murdered body.  They flee the scene, but what should they do next?

You’ll Be the Death of Me is a stand-alone mystery that promises to be exciting but doesn’t fully pull it off.  I enjoyed the premise of the story and was turning pages to see how it was going to end, but the overall storyline felt like it was trying too hard to be Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.   If you want a fun and quick mystery to read, this is the book.  If you are looking for McManus’ next masterpiece, you might be waiting a little longer. 

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Review: Towers And Tithes

Towers And Tithes by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grayson has a Rapunzel life template, but she is not a Rapunzel.  She is destined to be a Tower Tithe and be magically assigned to a Rapunzel to clean and do other duties no one else wants to do.  Since she is an elf, that means she may have to do this job for hundreds or thousands of years.  Enter Dex … he is looking for his one true love.  The problem is that it has been generations since someone in his life template has found theirs.  When Grayson and Dex suddenly meet, Dex’s wolf is sure that Grayson is the one, but others don’t see it that way.  Will Grayson be able to work against her Rapunzel life template to be with Dex?  How will this story tie in with the other stories in the series?

 Towers and Tithes is the eighth book in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series.  With that being said, it is the first book in a mini-series about Grayson and Dex.  The author’s note at the beginning of the book tells us that she not only is pulling from fairytales for this story, but she is also basing the larger story on the book Jane Eyre.  How exciting!  There are cameo appearances of some other beloved characters and I noticed the addition of a few others that might be future storylines.  I enjoyed this story and am sad I have to wait a few months for the next … but I will!

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Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Katsa is a Graceling and the niece of the king.  Being a Lady should give her a life of privilege, but since her Grace is the ability to fight and kill with her bare hands, she has become the king’s enforcer; she is sent out to threaten and kill anyone the king believes is a threat.  After meeting Po, a prince who is also Graced, she discovers additional information about his missing grandfather.  She agrees to help Po learn the why behind the disappearance.  What truths will Katsa learn about her Grace as she pursues facts about Po’s family?

Graceling is a graphic novel adaptation of the book with the same name.  I loved the original series and this book brought back all the feels as I explored this adaptation.  Hinds is a wonderful illustrator and he has taken the original story and has breathed new depths into the storyline.  Since graphic novels are a quicker read and not everything is included, I feel like some things were left out, but since I read the original twelve years ago, I can’t say what it may be.  This interpretation was wonderful and I expect many new readers will go find the original novels and explore this wonderful world.

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Review: Aurora's End

Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Squad 312 has been working together to stop Earth from being destroyed.  Nothing goes as planned, which is good because they aren’t good at making plans anyway.  Through a series of unlikely events, this group of misfits travels back in time to fix the future.  They are unsuccessful, but that is OK because they are in a time loop and they get to do it all over again!  Will they be able to make friends with the enemy to save the future?  What sacrifices will need to be made along the way?

 Aurora’s End is the third book in The Aurora Cycle.  When I hear time loop I think of the Groundhog’s Day movie, but this is nothing like that.  Kaufman and Kristoff work together to fill this sci-fi adventure with everything fans would want.  They even have just a bit of romance sprinkled throughout.  The action was continuous and I kept thinking I was reaching the conclusion, but then I would look and see I had a lot more book to get through.  This is supposed to be the final book and if it is, it was a strong finish.

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Review: Roxy

Roxy by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Everyone has heard of Roxy and Addison, even if you didn’t know that was their name.  Roxy, AKA Oxycontin, is good at her job.  She catches people while they are down and keeps them in her grip.  Addison, AKA Adderall, is a smart overachiever who would like to update her image from a helpful friend to a dangerous one.  Roxy and Addison make a bet.  They each believe they can bring a person to “the Party” first without the person switching to a new player.  Who are the marks?  Ivy and Isaac Rameys.  Will these siblings be able to fight the pull of these experts?  With their lives on the line, what choices will they make?

Roxy is a stand-alone novel that is hard to pigeonhole into one genre.  The premise of the story is set in the real world, yet Roxy, Addison and the other vices explored are not really interacting with humans in this way.  The Shusterman’s have taken a very real and devastating topic and brought it to an audience that needs to understand what is happening in people’s lives.  I have close family members that have been addicted to various substances and know the cycle is hard to break.  With the personification of these chemical compounds, readers may be able to empathize with those who are suffering from addiction.  Once this book got its grip on me, I couldn’t put it down!

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Review: 1984: The Graphic Novel

1984: The Graphic Novel by Matyáš Namai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Winston is a step up from a Prole.  He is a member of the ruling Party in Oceania but has no power of his own.  He is mindful that the Party watches everything he does, including things in his subconscious and while he is sleeping.  He is fully aware that thoughtcrimes are the worst crimes you can commit, but he can’t control himself, let alone his thoughts.  Winston is tempted and encouraged to rebel against the Party, but what is he willing to endure for freedom of thought?

1984: The Graphic Novel is a new adaptation to the 1949 classic.  Although the graphics are disturbing and engaging, somehow this version of the story was not any easier to get through.  I will admit I read the original over 30 years ago and remember loving it, but this version was not a quick and easy read like most graphic novel adaptations.  With that being said, it was done well and I am actually planning to re-read the original now to see if I still enjoy the full story.

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Review: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Lost Stories Collection

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Lost Stories Collection by Michael Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Flamels are famous, at least for those who have read The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.  Beyond the larger stories that can be explored in the primary series, there are “secret” stories that give additional information about the Flamels and some of the people they interacted with throughout history.  The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: The Lost Stories Collection is a book that gives readers access to these side stories.  Two of the novellas were published many years ago, the rest are newer works.  I was disappointed that not all of the “lost stories” are included with this volume.  Goodreads says it is #1-9, yet there are only 7 to 8 stories, depending on if you group the first two together (like Goodreads does).  I enjoyed the stories and visiting these beloved characters and it could have only been better if all the stories were included.

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