Going into this book, I was expecting a pretty epic self discovery novel. And I wasn't really disappointed. There wasn't as much adventure as I had originally anticipated, but I think there was enough to keep it interesting and keep the story moving along. And plus, any story with dragons and other mythical creatures attacking humans is bound to be pretty awesome!
I really enjoyed that this world has creatures that don't exist in our world. At least in the same capacity. Dragons and centaur roam the wilds, and sylphs are always waiting to attack. Apparently, sylph have no mythological background, and I think it was really nice how Meadows took a relatively unknown, unexplained creature and made it her own. I am curious as to why the dragons attack Heart, and why they seem to hate the temple so much
Speaking of which, I think the temple is ridiculously creepy. I completely agree with Ana on that one. I would not want to go near it, and if I ended up inside of it I would freak out. So kudos to Meadows for describing the temple like that. And the outer walls of everything too. Stone should NOT have a heartbeat...
I thought Ana was written very well, and I liked that (as terrible as this might sound) she didn't have a purpose and was a mistake of no consequence. What does that mean for her future? Will Janan reincarnate her? I'm excited for the rest of the book to find out if these and other questions will be answered.
I also loved Sam. I saw that romance coming, but I was very glad that it wasn't forced. It almost reminded me a little bit of the romance between Amy and Elder in Across the Universe, only Ana was not against loving Sam like Amy was Elder.
I think my favorite scene in the book though was the ball. I would love to go to something like that in my lifetime. Meadows' description of it was outstanding, and I almost felt like I was there.
I would recommend this novel to YA readers looking for something totally different. A new world with a little action/adventure and a little romance and a lot of mystery and self discovery. 5/5 for sure.
--Ashley
My Pre-Reading
Paul's Review
Dark Eden 2 was very much like Dark Eden - same characters, similar set up, and same villain. However, I enjoyed this one better than the first one. I thought the whole battling death to defeat am immortal being was interesting, and I kind of liked how Will was forced to watch everything from afar - like he had chosen to do in the first book.
The only thing I was kind of concerned about was that the kids trusted Mrs. Goring in any capacity. She had done nothing in Dark Eden to earn their trust, and Will should have known that she would force him to tell everyone what he knew. And that Marissa would be angry with him. Also, shouldn't he have known who Mrs. Goring had trapped in the underground silo? I mean, how did he really plan on catching him anyway?
Ok, so Will wasn't exactly my favorite character. But he is a 15 year old boy, and I think all of his flaws and annoying tendencies made his character seem more real.
I thought Carman did a great job with the suspense throughout the novel. As soon as you get comfortable with what's happening, he throws another wrench into the mix and everything gets all screwed up again. And eventually, the kids have to get out of it on their own.
I think my favorite part was the play on words with the title, Eve of Destruction. I really liked how he fit it into the book, and I thought it was clever how he kind of just dropped it without making it too obvious.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who read Dark Eden, and to anyone who like middle-grade psychological thrillers. I thought both were an easy read, and if you're looking for something you can finish in a day and still be intrigued, I would suggest this duology. I give this book a pretty solid 3/5.
--Ashley
Titles: Dark Eden and Dark Eden 2: Eve of Destruction
Author: Patrick Carman
Year Published: 2011 and 2012
Ashley picked these books, or rather she won the sequel on twitter, and as usual they have creepy covers. I didn't like the cover of Dark Eden with the two attractive "teens". They didn't look anything like the characters to me.
Do you remember school book fairs? The ones at my school usually were in the library and there were stacks, bins, and shelves full of paperback books on sale. These books had that feeling to them. They weren't epic stories, but they were entertaining. There wasn't anything edgy about the series. The fears were interesting, but the most controversial bit was one line in the first few chapters that wasn't expanded upon questioning Alex's sexuality. I was just waiting for that to be brought back up, but it wasn't other than Alex not pursuing a love interest.
Both books used a similar formula of Will being outside the main action as an observer until he had to rush in and try and save the day.
I could not get into the first book. Will wasn't likable or relatable. Throughout both books he went into great lengths of his theories. Can't I as the reader come to conclusions on my own? I did like the Keith character, though. All of the twists at the end made the beginning worth reading.
The sequel reminded me of a horror movie sequel. Let's bring back the same cast. Different situation, but same formula. Even the Amy character was in the same style as the first book.
An aspect of the sequel that I thought was interesting, although I didn't take advantage of it, was the website. There were little references at the bottom of some pages with passwords to use to view certain things. I bet middle grade readers would love this.
Overall, these were entertaining books. I recommend them to someone looking for a light read or for middle grade readers looking for something a little scary. I give this duology a 3/5.
-PAUL
Title: Bitterblue
Author: Kristin Cashore
Publication Year: 2012
It has been a while since I read Graceling and Fire. I really liked them. Cashore created a very interesting world with even more interesting people. Her writing is beautiful. In Bitterblue, her writing was even better.
It was evident that Cashore took her time in making this novel. I enjoyed reading from Bitterblue's perspective more than both Katsa and Fire's.
This was a completely different book. Many sequels today in series, like Hunger Games and Harry Potter, have a very similar formula from book to book. Bitterblue had a completely different structure than Graceling. The whole story took place within one city! Most of the action occurred offscreen.
Since Katsa was in this novel, it was really interesting to see her through Bitterblue's eyes. She didn't seem as rash when the narrative was from her perspective.
Bitterblue really brought together Graceling and Fire. It bridged the two worlds on each side of the mountains.
Every single character had depth. I especially enjoyed the characters brought back from Graceling. I liked all the new characters too. So many new and really interesting graces were introduced. Also, I think Cashore portrays same sex relationships very well.
The messages in this novel are endless. It really brings up thoughts and discussions of morality and how to rule. King Leck left lasting scars on his people.
I LOVED this book! I think it is the best of the three. I want more! Bitterblue works excellently as both a sequel and companion novel. In a sequel I want to see the same maybe Saf or Skye exploring The Dells. This novel definitely gets a 5/5.
-PAUL
I can't believe I forgot to write this. I finished this book before I even came out onto this boat. This review may be vague, but I really liked this sequel!
Veronica Roth created a really interesting world in Divergent. She expands it even more in Insurgent. I enjoyed seeing into the lives of the other factions as well as the factionless. All the characters continued to grow with the world around them.
The part that interested me the most was when they began to discuss what is beyond the wall. I really enjoyed when the creation of this system was discussed.
I give this a 5/5 and will definitely be reading the next installment the week it comes out! Detergent, right?
-PAUL
Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publication Year: 2012
I first saw this book at the book store and it intrigued me. I hadn't seen it on Amazon before. After looking into it, it seems than it bridges the gap between middle grade and young adult fiction. I purchased it nonetheless.
This book took me some time to get into, although I read it in less than 24 hours. I didn't really get into this book until the big reveal, which took place in a very confusing way. It might have been that I was reading this in the wee hours of the morning, but the point of view changed for about a chapter. I understand why Nielsen did it, but it didn't flow to me.
Once I got past the reveal, the story really drew me in. All the characters had depth. There was no absolute good or bad. Everyone was an inbeteeen grey. I like when you are unsure whether someone is a villian or a hero.
I look forward to reading the sequel now that I know these characters and the world they live in. I give this book a 3/5.
-PAUL
I am once again on a boat. I have even more time to read on this job than my last. I'm going to try and post some reviews as I finish them using the Blogger app, but I can't do as much with it.
I will try and catch up the next few days as I continue to breeze through books.
-PAUL
