Review: The Project

The Project by Courtney Summers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lo has been alone ever since her parents died and her sister joined The Unity Project.  The Unity Project does a lot of good things for the communities it serves, but Lo believes some secrets need to be revealed.  She has spent six years trying to uncover these secrets.  After a man comes to Lo’s job and claims The Unity Project was responsible for his son’s death, Lo decides that now is the time to expose the group and get her sister back.  What secrets will Lo uncover?  Will she stay a skeptic or become a believer?

 

The Project is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that explores the turmoil of a family member isolating themselves after joining a cult.  The description of the book piqued my interest, but the execution of the storyline was lackluster.  There was a constant change to alternate time periods and I found my attention needing to be pulled back in constantly.  Overall it was enjoyable, but I don’t consider it as a must-read choice. 

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Review: We Free the Stars

We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The battle is finally over and Altair is in captivity.  Those who fought him know that he already had a plan in place and that it still needs to be stopped.  Nasir is trying to learn to use his magic as a weapon and Zafira hears voices in her head that threaten to take away her sanity.  They both know that the darkness is growing ever closer and they must prepare for battle, even if it costs them a newfound love.  What sacrifices will need to be made to save their world?

 

We Free the Stars in the second book in the Sands of Arawiya series.  We once again find ourselves in a world full of magic where good must overcome evil and readers won’t discover the answer until the end.  Faizal has taken the world she created in We Hunt the Flame and completed the story we didn’t know we wanted to read.  We have magic, adventure, and romance all rolled into a good read.  We Free the Stars is the conclusion to this duology, so readers will know the fate of everyone after this book.

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Review: Trickster

Trickster by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aldred has a new plan.  He plans to open a portal to a world called the Primeval to release an arbor.  All he needs to do is kill a tree.  But this isn’t any tree; it is the Contagion (an evil wizard).  Now that the wizard is loose, he travels through the portal and steals the life force of children.  Someone needs to go after him.  This is where Lincoln and Myla enter the story.  This duo is used to fighting together, but neither knows anything about the Primeval.  Peli may be willing to help them along the way, but since he is a trickster monkey, the fun is just beginning.  What new forces will this couple need to face in this latest fight?

 

Trickster is the third book in the Angelbound Lincoln series.  Bauer explains before the story begins that this book happens before many of the books already released, but she was able to write it without spoilers if you are reading it out of order (or as a standalone).  This adventure is told in the alternating voices of Lincoln and Myla, so readers will know more about what is occurring then either character separately.  This story is full of fighting and backstabbing.  Also, since Myla and Lincoln are still dating, they have a lot of physical tension they are dealing with.  Although you can read this as a standalone, I suggest all readers at least start with the first Angelbound Lincoln book.

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Review: Mack

Mack by Christina Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mack may be human, but he also runs a league of vampire hunters.  It has been a regular part of his life until recently.  A magical city is about to reopen and Roman wants to use what is inside El Dorado to make an army of vampires.  These vampires do more than just kill people; they look like the last person they killed.  Roman wants to take over the world and fill it with vampires and he knows that Mack is looking for him; so he goes after Kaps, the woman Mack loves.  Mack tries to protect Kaps by breaking up with her, but since Kaps is a dragon shifter, she isn’t one to stay on the sidelines.

 

Mack is the sixth book in the Angelbound Offspring series.  Each new book takes readers deeper into a character in the Angelbound world.  One may think that there isn’t anything new to explore, but then a new book comes out and we are surprised.  There is action and romance and these characters continue to fight for the greater good and protect humans and non-humans alike.  Mack is a great continuation of the series and we have at least one more book destined to be written.

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Review: Crank Palace

Crank Palace by James Dashner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Newt has survived a lot.  He’s been in the Glade, the Maze, the Scorch, and even inside WICKED!  Now Newt has the Flare and he doesn’t want his friends to watch him lose his mind.  While the Gladers are in Denver, Newt leaves with only a note telling them goodbye.  Newt soon discovers that life on the street isn’t much better than what he has already been through.  While on the run he meets Keisha and her son.  Will Newt risk helping them out of their troubles?  How will Keisha and Dante change how Newt faces the world?

 

Crank Palace is a novella in The Maze Runner universe.  The events that take place in this story would have taken place towards the end of The Death Cure (book 3).  Dashner takes us into the mind of Newt and helps us understand what the Flare was like.  Newt may not want his friends to see his decline, but he also knows that he can’t just let things happen.  This novella is a quick read that will leave readers thinking long after it is finished, especially since we are in the middle of Covid-19 when it is released.

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Review: Concrete Rose

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maverick thinks he has everything under control.  He has a great girlfriend, he is about to start his senior year of high school, and he does a little side dealing to make some extra cash.  His life begins to unravel when he finds out that a one-time hookup has made him a father.  Now that Mav has a baby that depends on him, he decides to stop selling drugs, finish school, and raise his son.  He quickly finds out that it isn’t easy to do any of those things, but he wants to prove everyone wrong.  It isn’t easy being a young black man in Garden Heights and Mav must determine who he wants to be.

 

Concrete Rose is the prequel story to The Hate U Give.  Thomas has taken readers back seventeen years before the events of the first book to give background and insight into the father we later see supporting his daughter.  Even though this is a prequel book, it can be read before or after The Hate U Give.  The family drama and hard choices portrayed make this coming of age story a great read for all readers.  I’m sure everyone who loved The Hate U Give will quickly devour Concrete Rose.

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Review: The Ever After

The Ever After by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ulla finds herself returning home on a plane with a month’s worth of memories missing.  She remembers finding her father, but everything after that is surrounded by a haze.  She quickly learns that her friends have also lost this time when they returned from the same trip separately.  When Ulla thinks she has found a sister, a new adventure is begun, but will she find any answers this time?  As the few truths she has are turned on their head, what else will Ulla discover about her past?

 

The Ever After is the third and final book in The Omte Origins trilogy.  This spin-off of the Trylle series gave a lot of closure, but also makes me sad to have no more adventures in this fantastic world.  Hocking’s world-building gave her access to unlimited storylines and these adventures were fun and exciting.  The Omte Origins can be enjoyed on its own, but this third installment must be read after the first two books.  The Ever After is a great fantasy adventure that was well worth the wait.

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