Book Blog #149: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne

Title: Sky on Fire
Author: Emmy Laybourne
# of  Pages:
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Trapped in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope.

Knowing that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has already been breached once. . . .

Meanwhile, Alex, determined to find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But the outside world is even worse than they expected. . . .
Review: I'm as surprised as you are that I actually got to reading the second book so quickly (especially since the first book wasn't exactly what I would call "stellar").

I wanted to read at least one more book this year, and I felt that this would be the best choice. I was not disappointed it. It's a short, fast-paced read (I finished it in a matter of hours). And the ending bit was suspenseful.

However, I was shocking and discouraged when I realized there was POV switching. It wasn't as bad since most of the events did not overlap in the chapters...but I still didn't like it. And, although I wasn't paying as much attention to the writing style as I should have been since I was in a rush, I did notice in the beginning (during Alex's chapter) that there was some redundancy...

Another aspect of the POV switching that bothered me was certain parts of one POV would affect the other POV. For example: How could Dean possibly suspect there was a "rubber shortage outside?" (80). The reader knows that there's some weird white substance eating away at the tires, but would Dean immediately assume something was happening to rubber specifically? It would be more likely for him to suspect that so of the tires were deflated and that people were (for some reason) unable to re-inflate them.

If you enjoyed the first book, then yes, read this one. I might read the third book, but I am still unsure since I am quite satisfied with the ending in this book.

Book Blog #148: Partials by Dan Wells

Title: Partials
Author: Dan Wells
# of Pages: 528 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis: Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask.
Review: I almost threw this book out of a window.

I wanted to quit reading this book so bad...but I was determined to finish it so I wouldn't have to pick it up ever again. Seriously...it was torture. I had to force myself to read even ONE page and then I would become preoccupied with some other task. The world was not developed enough and there is WAY too much fluff (which is probably why this book is longer than it should be!). For example:

"She bathed, brushed out her hair, and chose a bright-colored outfit from her 'flirty' section: a silk shirt with Chinese embroidery, a pair of high-heeled sandals, and a pair of jeans just short enough that she paused to worry about the weather. It was summer, but a cold one, and another rainstorm could really make her wish she'd gone with something heavier. She killed over the decision, comparing the jeans with a longer pair, and finally decided to go with the shorts. They looked better with the shirt, and better on her, and she needed the boost. She could risk cold legs to feel like a normal person again for a while." (Wells 82). 

Yes, I did just re-type that whole paragraph. It's fine if you didn't read it all; I just need you to understand how much unnecessary description is in this book. I'm SURROUNDED by preppy teenage mind in real life, and I've heard this thought processes way too many times. The reader DOES NOT need a full description of the character's outfit; it's not an important part of the plot AT ALL. No wonder why this book is so long.

Not recommended.

Book Blog #147: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Title: Monument 14
Author: Emmy Laybourne
# of Pages: 352 (paperback)
Genre:  YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel Monument 14, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.
Review: And I had such high hopes for this book too.

I almost gave this book three stars, but I didn't think that would be fair to group Monument 14 with other books that were just that much better. Laybourne tries to make her book more interesting by throwing in every possible natural disaster she can. True, some of it was interesting, but very overdone.

The beginning was sloppy (and confusing for me; I hate it when a whole bunch of characters are thrown at me at once, and I'm expected to remember them all), and I felt a lack of a connection with Dean until the middle-end of the book. He's more of an observer than a do-er.

The romance is not interesting at all.. This might be at the fault of our "exciting" protagonist....

But, nevertheless, it could have been so much worse. I am actually considering reading the second book. Do I recommend it? Perhaps not.

Book Blog #146: I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Title: I am the Messenger
Author: Markus Zusak
# of Pages: 360 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.

That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?
Review: I'm still confused.

I'm not exactly sure what I just read. The whole book seemed quite ridiculous. This guy thinks  he's a messenger and HAS to interfere with people's lives? How does he know this by receiving the ace in the mail?

The following are notes I've taken while reading:

- How does Ed know that he's suppose to involve himself with these people? What if he was just suppose to observe...?

- How can Ed even see into these houses? Don't people have blinds?

- "It strikes me that without the man there, they might not have enough money coming in to pay the bills. On the other hand, he probably drank a lot of the money away, and I'm fairly certain she'd prefer being a little poorer in return for his absence." (167). EXACTLY! If this whole ordeal wasn't planned out, and he interfered with a random person's life, he could be screwing them over.

- The way he describes Angie Carusso eating the ice cream (and the way he seems to be intently watching her) is really creepy.

"Then her tongue rescues the steams on the side of the cone." "She works her mouth around the peppermint and onto the passion fruit now, nice and slow."

Maybe my mind's in the gutter....but those descriptions are really detailed in the wrong ways.

- Why is Angie Carusso accepting ice cream from strangers? Everyone's so trusting.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as The Book Thief, but I do think you should give it a shot if you've read Zusak's books  before...

Book Blog #145: A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage

Title: A History of the World in 6 Glasses
Author: Tom Standage
# of pages: 311 (paperback)
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Synopsis: Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola.

For Tom Standage, each drink is a kind of technology, a catalyst for advancing culture by which he demonstrates the intricate interplay of different civilizations. You may never look at your favorite drink the same way again.
Review: This isn't a book I would read for fun.

Someone had told me that I would enjoy the book because it had a plot line. When she said that, I thought she meant that there would be a protagonist and somehow learn about these six glasses through his or her story. But it's purely informational.

I only realized it after I read a discussion question, but it this book is very European centered. For tea, there could have been more focus on the Asian countries for the tea section other than how to related to Europe.

It's not the hardest book to read, and it shouldn't have taken as long to read as it did. But it fails to engage the reader. Standage could have done better. Not recommended for recreational reading.