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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Review: Lore

Lore by Alexandra Bracken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Agon is a punishment that occurs on a seven-year cycle.  This is when nine Greek gods are forced to return to earth as mortals and be hunted.  If they are killed, the person will take the divine power and the immortality that comes with it.  Lore decided not to participate in the ritual because her family had been brutally murdered by another bloodline.  As the next cycle begins, though, Caster (a childhood friend) and Athena (one of the last original gods) both ask Lore for help.  Will Lore take the chance to leave the Agon for good?  What costs will Lore need to pay to reenter the contest?

 

Lore is a stand-alone fantasy novel that is full of action and backstabbing.   Readers who are not familiar with the Greek gods can still enjoy this story because Bracken gives all the basic information needed to enjoy the storyline.  Events transpire primarily across New York City and those who have visited or watched movies about NYC will recognize many locations.  It is nice to read a good fantasy that isn’t part of a series.  I recommend Lore to all fans of Riordan and Hamilton.

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Review: Admission

Admission by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chloe thought she had a perfect life.  She is getting ready to go to college, she finally has a boyfriend and her best friend is always there for her.  But this perfect life comes crashing down when she answers the door and the FBI is there to arrest her mother.  Her mother is charged as part of a country-wide college admissions scandal and Chloe might end up facing charges too.  The public outcry is fierce and Chloe begins to lose everything she thought was hers.  Why couldn’t her mom just accept that she wasn’t destined for big things?  How much of the scandal was Chloe a part of?

 

Admission is a stand-alone novel that comes on the heels of a real-life scandal that rocked the United States.  Buxbaum takes a topic that we heard about in the news and lets readers delve into the lives of the people who participated in the deception.  Although there is no reason to ever cheat, this story does a good job of laying out the thoughts of the participants before, during, and after the events.  Admission is a good read that also will leave the reader with points to think about later.

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Review: The Cousins

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah have never met their grandmother and barely know each other.  She cut off their parents years before they were born with just a cryptic letter.  It is now the summer and they have been invited to work at the island resort their grandmother owns.  They don’t know why she invited them, but they are curious.  None of them jumped at the opportunity to give up their summer to work at the resort, but each of their parents talked them into it with the hope that whatever happened would be forgiven.  As the three teens explore the island and learn about their family, they wonder if they will be able to discover why their parents were disinherited.

 

The Cousins is a standalone mystery that is full of family drama.  There are a few side stories that are woven together within the larger story and it is also told from multiple points of view.  The changing viewpoints were not a problem, but occasionally the story would jump back to the previous generation and it would take my brain a moment to catch up.  This book is a great one-n-done and I believe most readers will be happy with the way it ended.  The big questions are all answered and just like in the real world, some things stayed a mystery.  Those who enjoyed McManus’ other novels will not be disappointed in this newest endeavor.

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