Review: The Island

The Island by Natasha Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Six teen influencers have been invited to a private island for a preview of an exclusive amusement park for the very rich.  They have millions of followers, yet each has a different niche.  The plan: to make posts and videos on their platforms to work up hype about the park.  The weekend starts out perfect.  The rooms are better than expected, the rides are more intense, and everyone is having a blast … until the first person goes missing.  Now they are trying to stay alive.  Who will get off the island?

The Island is a stand-alone mystery that is a very short read and many will want to set aside time to read it in a weekend.  The action moves quickly from scene to scene and the quirks of the characters are revealed just before that quirk is relevant.  Readers will deduce alongside the characters, but be aware that not everything is as it seems and there are many twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.  A great mystery that fans of the genre will enjoy.

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Review: Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy sends a text while drunk and it is received by a stranger.  He decides a stranger will do and they text back and forth.  When he is at school a few days later, his wallet is returned by the new girl, Shelbi.  She tells him she found it at the crash site and wanted to return it.  Shelbi has a few secrets.  One, she has episodes of depression, and two, she is the stranger Andy has been texting.  When these truths are discovered, a friendship is established … with rules.  Will these two teens with their own problems help or hinder each other?

Chaos Theory is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that hits some hard topics with grace.  There is a trigger warning at the beginning for those who may suffer from a psychological disorder and as someone who doesn’t deal with these issues, I can’t say much on that aspect.  Both teens are running away from things, even if they don’t want to admit it to others and readers may see themselves or people they love in the characters portrayed.  A very serious read that is worth the time spent.

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Review: The Cradle of Ice

The Cradle of Ice by James Rollins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story continues with an apocalypse destined to occur.    An unlikely group has been thrown together and they don’t know what awaits them in this constantly changing world.  There are new forces as well as old foes causing trouble from all sides.  What losses will they need to overcome?  Will they be able to continue their quest once they are forced to separate?

The Cradle of Ice is the second book in the Moonfall series.    This fantasy adventure was long and rambling and I found myself wondering why I was still in the pages.  I didn’t see an easy dividing section, but this book would have been better if it was split into two.  Goodreads doesn’t have a third book listed (yet), but the ending leaves readers knowing that there is more to come.  I don’t recommend everyone rush to this book; probably wait and see what the next volume holds.

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Review: Hex You

Hex You by P.C. Cast
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mercy and Hunter are now the protectors of the Gates since their mother was murdered by a demon. These gates lead to different underworlds where creatures of legend and mythology are real. When Mercy and Khenti get trapped in the Ancient Egyptian Underworld, Hunter must determine what needs to be done to get them out. Of course, one catastrophe is not enough. Amphitrite has not been completely defeated and she plans to get revenge on Hunter. Since Hunter is stretched thin with too many magical attacks, the Gates are no longer keeping the creatures at bay. Will Hunter save her twin and the residents of Goodeville? What sacrifices will need to be made along the way?

Hex You is the third book in the Sisters of Salem series. This supernatural novel takes off quickly and does not spend a lot of time rehashing events from the previous books (thank goodness), yet I had no problem following along and quickly remembered who everyone was. This is not a very long book so the twists and turns came regularly and the characters were varied, yet relatable. I believe this is supposed to be a trilogy (and this part of the story is complete), but I can see Cast and Cast creating more stories in this world they created.

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Review: Going Dark

Going Dark by Melissa de la Cruz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Josh is at the airport ready to head home after a wonderful trip to Rome with his girlfriend.  The problem is she has disappeared.  They were having lunch before going to the airport when she suddenly got angry and left.  When he gets home he doesn’t know what to do.  He decides to do nothing … until people begin to wonder if he did something to her.  How do you prove you are innocent when there is no body?  What really happened?

Going Dark is a stand-alone mystery that had me thinking I knew where it was going and left me surprised with the truth.  This is not a jaw-dropping surprise, but it didn’t end with what I was thinking during the first half of the book.  Cruz has stepped out of her normal fantasy genre and has hit a home run with a great escape read that is also a quick read.  I recommend Going Dark to all mystery fans.

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Review: Queen Among the Dead

Queen Among the Dead by Lesley Livingston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Magic has been banned in the kingdom of Eire but the Druid priests are keeping it alive in secret.  Neve is the youngest princess and Ronan is on the path to be a Druid priest.  Their roles may be against each other, but when Eire is threatened they work together in an attempt to have Neve on the throne.  What will Neve learn about magic and herself?  Will the kingdom of Eire survive?

Queen Among the Dead is a stand-alone fantasy adventure that will bring Irish legends to a new set of readers.  I love retold fairytales and legends and was looking forward to this novel, but the final result left me feeling unimpressed.  I’m not sure what was missing, but my mind kept wandering and I had to stop often and try to think about the story to help it make sense to me.  A good read, but shouldn’t be rushed to the top of a TBR list.

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Review: The Stranded

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Forty years after an apocalyptic war, the decedents of the passengers of Arcadia are still on the ship.  Some have a plan to get off the ship and onto the mainland, but many know that they are stuck until their last breath because the residents of Arcadia are not allowed to leave.  Esther is working hard to better herself, but life is not fair and many obstacles are in her way.  Nik wants to liberate the Arcadia and is willing to do anything to break free.  When these two lives cross, the lives of everyone around them are also changed.

The Stranded is the first book in the Stranded series and it isn’t really in one genre.  I would almost say it is a sci-fi adventure, but that doesn’t do it justice either.  The entire time I was reading this book I was thinking about how I would react … how would I behave … what would I do to survive?  This is a series, so there isn’t a clean ending, but readers are not left with a cliffhanger.  I will definitely be looking for book number two next summer.

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