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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated IA: The Origin Novels (Books 1-3) in Books
Nov 15, 2019
The IA novels are one of the strongest 'young adult' science fiction series I've read, and this edition combines the trilogy so far plus a novella. Since the reader will want to keep reading from the first page though all 3.5 books this seems like an opportunity that's hard to pass up.
The origin story involves Naz, a teenage boy who lives with his sister and aunt in the Exclave, a ghetto suburb of a large city. Naz is unusual in two ways - he can't remember anything before two years ago and he sometimes hears voices in his head. He doesn't like to draw attention though so keeps his head down and looks after his sister.
After an incident on the way to school, things start to change. He grows as a person and also begins to discover his past, and his potential for the future. Just perhaps one person can make a difference. As he continues on his journey it becomes clear that he may not be entirely on his own.
The stories are set in a near future, with the Exclave being a rather grim backdrop for a tale that concentrates on character. There are light touches of what could be termed science fiction throughout, both with Naz's backstory and in the world around him. The hero shows very real weaknesses and flaws as well as strengths as he battles through bullying, fitting in to new environments, love and loss.
Winston is an extremely talented author and these stories demonstrate why novels termed 'young adult' are frequently worthy of being read by an older audience. The character development shows a strong arc for all the main players - and even the bit parts are memorable.
If you are looking for a strong series of books that will keep you thinking and entertained long after you have finished the last page, this fits the bill to a tee.
The origin story involves Naz, a teenage boy who lives with his sister and aunt in the Exclave, a ghetto suburb of a large city. Naz is unusual in two ways - he can't remember anything before two years ago and he sometimes hears voices in his head. He doesn't like to draw attention though so keeps his head down and looks after his sister.
After an incident on the way to school, things start to change. He grows as a person and also begins to discover his past, and his potential for the future. Just perhaps one person can make a difference. As he continues on his journey it becomes clear that he may not be entirely on his own.
The stories are set in a near future, with the Exclave being a rather grim backdrop for a tale that concentrates on character. There are light touches of what could be termed science fiction throughout, both with Naz's backstory and in the world around him. The hero shows very real weaknesses and flaws as well as strengths as he battles through bullying, fitting in to new environments, love and loss.
Winston is an extremely talented author and these stories demonstrate why novels termed 'young adult' are frequently worthy of being read by an older audience. The character development shows a strong arc for all the main players - and even the bit parts are memorable.
If you are looking for a strong series of books that will keep you thinking and entertained long after you have finished the last page, this fits the bill to a tee.
I received a digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Hotel Transylvania 2 is a new animated family film from Columbia Films, produced by Sony.
It has a huge voice cast, including stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Dresher, Molly Shannon, Megan Mullally, Dana Carvey, Mel Brooks & Jon Lovitz.
This movie was super cute. The adult audience, myself included, laughed out loud, a lot. The kids thought it was hilarious, too.
One thing I liked a lot is that NOT all the good parts are in the commercials and previews, which means there is still “movie left to see” when you get to actually see the film, which is frequently not the case with highly advertised films.
The movie picks up where the first one left off, showing the wedding of Drac’s daughter Mavis to human Jonathan, and quickly jumping from there to the birth of a child (a son! (Named Dennis)) and then to the boys fourth birthday.
When Dennis doesn’t show any signs of his vamp heritage, Drac feels he must step in and try to help the boy “find his fangs”. Jonathan’s parents are none too thrilled with this turn of events and protest in words and actions.
The overall tone of the movie is happy, and teaches a lesson of acceptance.
The chemistry that showed up in the first film, is back in force between Dracula and his hotel buddies, and causes the movie to flow along without any major hiccups.
The jokes are cute, and play to both the kids and to adult humor.
There wasn’t anything that I found to be so inappropriate that it made my grind my teeth, which was a nice change in a children’s film.
If I had to make a complaint, it would honestly be that the movie seemed to almost move TOO quickly and I could have sat through another 20 minutes at least. Even though it’s run time is 90 minutes, it doesn’t “feel like” it lasts that long, and even my 7 year old son said it was ‘a quick movie’.
It has a huge voice cast, including stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Dresher, Molly Shannon, Megan Mullally, Dana Carvey, Mel Brooks & Jon Lovitz.
This movie was super cute. The adult audience, myself included, laughed out loud, a lot. The kids thought it was hilarious, too.
One thing I liked a lot is that NOT all the good parts are in the commercials and previews, which means there is still “movie left to see” when you get to actually see the film, which is frequently not the case with highly advertised films.
The movie picks up where the first one left off, showing the wedding of Drac’s daughter Mavis to human Jonathan, and quickly jumping from there to the birth of a child (a son! (Named Dennis)) and then to the boys fourth birthday.
When Dennis doesn’t show any signs of his vamp heritage, Drac feels he must step in and try to help the boy “find his fangs”. Jonathan’s parents are none too thrilled with this turn of events and protest in words and actions.
The overall tone of the movie is happy, and teaches a lesson of acceptance.
The chemistry that showed up in the first film, is back in force between Dracula and his hotel buddies, and causes the movie to flow along without any major hiccups.
The jokes are cute, and play to both the kids and to adult humor.
There wasn’t anything that I found to be so inappropriate that it made my grind my teeth, which was a nice change in a children’s film.
If I had to make a complaint, it would honestly be that the movie seemed to almost move TOO quickly and I could have sat through another 20 minutes at least. Even though it’s run time is 90 minutes, it doesn’t “feel like” it lasts that long, and even my 7 year old son said it was ‘a quick movie’.
Becs (244 KP) rated A Wrinkle in Time in Books
Oct 2, 2019
Genre: Fiction, literary classic, children’s, young adult, science fiction.
Audience: children – young adult.
Reading level: middle school.
Interests: science fiction, fantasy, mythical creatures
Style: Fantasy Sci-Fi
Point of view: Third Person with a mix of first person.
Difficulty reading: Not at all! As easy as eating a piece of cake.
Promise: Ground-breaking science fiction.
Quality: Like a banana split with extra sprinkles and a cherry on top on a hot day. 🙂
Insights: I absolutely kick myself in the a** for the not reading this sooner. I think everybody should read it, no matter how old you are. And I didn’t know it was part of a 5 book series until today! SAY WHATTTT!!!??? I’m definitely purchasing the complete series brand new (the copy I have is my mother’s and it’s old and ragedy).
Ah-Ha Moment: THE ENTIRE BOOK. No joke. Like I wasn’t expecting the main character to be a girl, let alone so young and to have such an ordinary family. You don’t see that typically!
Favorite Quotes: “Like and equal are not the same thing at all.” – This is great, especially with our history as human beings. We need to be seen as equals not just ‘like’.
“Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.” – Be true to yourself, for there is nobody like you in the entire universe.
“Experiment is the mother of knowledge.” – You can’t just go into life expecting to know everything and how it’s all going to end. You have to experiment because then you gain the knowledge that others may have not known.
Aesthetics: My old first edition copy has a really neat cover, it’s what drew me in originally. I loved the take on the story and how in my mind, I can actually imagine the different characters and their surroundings. It’s a weird yet interesting book.
“People are more than just the way they look.”
Audience: children – young adult.
Reading level: middle school.
Interests: science fiction, fantasy, mythical creatures
Style: Fantasy Sci-Fi
Point of view: Third Person with a mix of first person.
Difficulty reading: Not at all! As easy as eating a piece of cake.
Promise: Ground-breaking science fiction.
Quality: Like a banana split with extra sprinkles and a cherry on top on a hot day. 🙂
Insights: I absolutely kick myself in the a** for the not reading this sooner. I think everybody should read it, no matter how old you are. And I didn’t know it was part of a 5 book series until today! SAY WHATTTT!!!??? I’m definitely purchasing the complete series brand new (the copy I have is my mother’s and it’s old and ragedy).
Ah-Ha Moment: THE ENTIRE BOOK. No joke. Like I wasn’t expecting the main character to be a girl, let alone so young and to have such an ordinary family. You don’t see that typically!
Favorite Quotes: “Like and equal are not the same thing at all.” – This is great, especially with our history as human beings. We need to be seen as equals not just ‘like’.
“Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.” – Be true to yourself, for there is nobody like you in the entire universe.
“Experiment is the mother of knowledge.” – You can’t just go into life expecting to know everything and how it’s all going to end. You have to experiment because then you gain the knowledge that others may have not known.
Aesthetics: My old first edition copy has a really neat cover, it’s what drew me in originally. I loved the take on the story and how in my mind, I can actually imagine the different characters and their surroundings. It’s a weird yet interesting book.
“People are more than just the way they look.”
Hazel (1853 KP) rated We are All Made of Molecules in Books
May 26, 2017
Contrasting Characters
We Are All Made of Molecules is a heart-rending contemporary young adult novel by the Canadian author, Susin Nielsen. Stewart is a gifted thirteen-year-old who lost his mother to cancer two years ago. Now his father has found a new love and they are moving in with her and her fourteen-year old daughter, Ashley. Stewart is excited at the prospect of having a sister, however Ashley is his polar opposite and is horrified at the idea.
The narrative is shared between Stewart and Ashley, providing two points of view to the story. Stewart, who is most likely somewhere on the Autism spectrum, provides a fairly factual account of the story – moving to a new house, starting a new school etc. Ashley, on the other hand, is a stuck up, drama queen, therefore her side of the story is based upon her feelings – which also reveals how unintelligent she is.
Stewart and Ashley’s relationship is rather strained, with Stewart regularly being called a “midget-egghead-freakazoid” no matter how nice he tries to be. As the story develops, so do both of their characters. Stewart learns how to speak up for himself and Ashley eventually becomes less of a brat.
Ashley gives lots of the characters horrible names that are often hurtful and inaccurate, but although she is embarrassed about the nature of her parents’ divorce – her father is gay – she is shocked about some of the names she hears homosexuals called. We Are All Made of Molecules deals with homophobia in a truthful manner. Nielsen does not try to hide the fact that some people can be cruel and hurtful, but she also shows that although people can be different, there is no reason to treat them badly.
Stewart is a loveable character that makes the book pleasant to read, however Ashley is annoying and makes the story less enjoyable. It is, nevertheless, a humourous yet beautiful story that many teenage readers will enjoy.
The narrative is shared between Stewart and Ashley, providing two points of view to the story. Stewart, who is most likely somewhere on the Autism spectrum, provides a fairly factual account of the story – moving to a new house, starting a new school etc. Ashley, on the other hand, is a stuck up, drama queen, therefore her side of the story is based upon her feelings – which also reveals how unintelligent she is.
Stewart and Ashley’s relationship is rather strained, with Stewart regularly being called a “midget-egghead-freakazoid” no matter how nice he tries to be. As the story develops, so do both of their characters. Stewart learns how to speak up for himself and Ashley eventually becomes less of a brat.
Ashley gives lots of the characters horrible names that are often hurtful and inaccurate, but although she is embarrassed about the nature of her parents’ divorce – her father is gay – she is shocked about some of the names she hears homosexuals called. We Are All Made of Molecules deals with homophobia in a truthful manner. Nielsen does not try to hide the fact that some people can be cruel and hurtful, but she also shows that although people can be different, there is no reason to treat them badly.
Stewart is a loveable character that makes the book pleasant to read, however Ashley is annoying and makes the story less enjoyable. It is, nevertheless, a humourous yet beautiful story that many teenage readers will enjoy.
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Merissa (13283 KP) rated Riven (Reflections, #8) in Books
Apr 4, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
I started this series and thought that it would be nothing new apart from a slight twist on the tale as in it was two wolf packs with a girl in the middle, rather than a vampire and a werewolf. However, there is so much more than this. Each story takes you further and further in and, trust me, when I say that that is a very good thing.
In this story, Adri is once again at Alec's side but things are in no way easy. Everyone has their own problems and trying to integrate other people into one pack is always going to be troublesome but Alec has his own way of sorting out the pack hierarchy. We meet characters from the other books that we know and love and watch them struggle with their own issues. We meet new characters and see how they interact with everyone. We say goodbye to characters old and new as the story climaxes. This series is so much more than a love triangle, although love does play a big part in the story. Alec is only half the man (wolf?!) without Adri. All of the characters continue to grow and change and you are left wanting more, with stories that still need telling.
Dean Murray is a wonderful author and I am looking forward to more from him in this series however, there are other books by him that I have on my t-b-r list which I am positive will not disappoint.
Reflections is definitely a wonderful series that just gets better with every book. I have no hesitation in recommending it to all Young Adult or Paranormal fans.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 9, 2016
In this story, Adri is once again at Alec's side but things are in no way easy. Everyone has their own problems and trying to integrate other people into one pack is always going to be troublesome but Alec has his own way of sorting out the pack hierarchy. We meet characters from the other books that we know and love and watch them struggle with their own issues. We meet new characters and see how they interact with everyone. We say goodbye to characters old and new as the story climaxes. This series is so much more than a love triangle, although love does play a big part in the story. Alec is only half the man (wolf?!) without Adri. All of the characters continue to grow and change and you are left wanting more, with stories that still need telling.
Dean Murray is a wonderful author and I am looking forward to more from him in this series however, there are other books by him that I have on my t-b-r list which I am positive will not disappoint.
Reflections is definitely a wonderful series that just gets better with every book. I have no hesitation in recommending it to all Young Adult or Paranormal fans.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 9, 2016