Title: The False Prince Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen # of Pages: 342 (paperback) Genres: YA, Middle Grade, Adventure Rating: ★★★★☆ Synopsis: In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
Review: This review is based off the second reading through the book.
I didn't realize it the first time I read it, but The False Prince is written at about the same level as Tuesdays at the Castle.
Part of the reason why I rated this book four stars instead of five (like I did previously) is because I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first time. Of course, this may be the result of already knowing the plot, but I did notice a few imperfections I didn't notice before.
Conner's plan seemed incredibly flawed. I'm not sure how he expected to make a convincing prince in two weeks. Plus, the training that Sage/Jaron received did not seem sufficient for him to pretend to be a prince.
The way the background to how Jaron became Sage seemed a bit weak. A whole bunch of information was just awkwardly thrown at the reader at once, and the chapters it took to explain it all disrupted the flow of the story.
Overall, still a very good book! Although the writing style is appropriate for a middle-grade reading level, it is still entertaining for all ages.
Title: The Forsaken Author: Lisa M. Stasse # of Pages: 375 (paperback) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Romance Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Synopsis:As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the US, and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet - having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can't help standing out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to the wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up. The life expectancy of prisoners on the wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and a charismatic warrior named Liam concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway. Review: For Stasse's first book, it wasn't that bad.
However, it was compared to other YA novels. The romance was undeveloped, and the reader's connection with the characters was nonexistent.
Below are the notes that I have taken while reading The Forsaken.
"'Look, I'm just trying to learn the ropes here. Don't get mad at me.'"
Actually, Alenna is in the wrong. She should understand that on this island, safety precautions may be taken. When Alenna was complaining about the tribe treating David like a full-fledged drone, Gadya has every right to yell at her. David had been hanging around with the enemy; who knows what his relationship is with them? Plus, Alenna doesn't even know this guy very well. This scene in which Gadya yells at Alenna is just a poor transition to Gadya's backstory. It stood out way too much to me because Alenna was acting irrationally.
I wish there was more than 30 pages of dystopia development before Alenna entered the wheel. The characters keep talking about the UNA and providing little snippets of information, but I would have rather experienced it first-hand through Alenna.
I don't like Liam and Alenna's relationship. They don't even know each other very well, yet they're both attracted to each other. And then Alenna gives him a stupid excuse of why she shouldn't date him, but ends up kissing him anyway later. Doesn't make any sense, and the chemistry is practically non-existent.
The big reveal of who was behind the mask was a bit predictable. It was either going to be Alenna's father or Minister Harka since Alenna recognized his voice. So that was disappointing.
The ending kiss really needed more detail. I mean, "We kissed passionately"? That's not going to cut it. It's no wonder why I couldn't feel the chemistry between the two!
You should probably use your time to read a better book than this one.
Title: The One Author: Kiera Cass # of Pages: 323 (hardcover) Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Fantasy Rating: ★★★☆☆ Synopsis: The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants. Review: I'm going to give this book an extra star since it's the last book. Compared to Splintered, this book is golden! Pretty entertaining! And a nice happy ending.
Of course the book isn't perfect. I'm still annoyed with America's and Maxon's personalities. But I suppose they're good together (based on what I've read in this book, since I don't remember much from the other ones, I'm more of an Aspen fan).
This book, or the series as a whole, is a bit shallow.It's just the nature of the story; it can't be helped that I don't like it as much as others do.
"'Please America, you've said and done so many foolish things, I'm surprised you can even be embarrassed anymore" (27).
And she doesn't even fight back. Maxon tries to apologize by saying he didn't mean it like that, but what else would he mean?
"'I can't say it,' I whispered. [The king] responded calmly, 'Then you cannot marry my son...If she cannot follow through with the simplest of tasks, my only conclusion is that she doesn't love you'" (208).
First off, the king is stupid. I don't see how the king came to the conclusion that America not submitting to his will leads to her non-existent love for Maxon. It's not like she would be doing it out of her love for Maxon; she would be doing it for the king and to save her own skin. And I can't believe Maxon and America believed the king's way of thinking either!
I wanted America to fight back in this scene. She could be a sign of rebellion for the lower castes, similarly to Katniss being the Mockingjay for the Districts. The book doesn't need to end in a full-fledged war - I'm not trying to change the book so it's like a copy of The Hunger Games series - but she can use her supporters to her advantage. Obviously, some people agree with America's views, and America is one of the few who speaks out about removing the caste system, self-denfense, etcetera. If the king were to kick America out of the competition, she could indirectly begin a revolution amongst her fans/followers. Even if America were to be charged with treason and were to be executed, there would be an uproar. The king would come off as a tyrant...and the people may start a civil war.
What America could have told the king to solidify her position in the competition was mentioned that, while she was in the castle, the king still has a certain power over her. He could stop doing live broadcasts with her and edit her words (she shouldn't tell him this though). It is easier to control someone who is guarded by people in his command that someone surrounded by her own followers. People are willing to have her as a queen (as shown by the results of the popular polls) and are more likely to be loyal to royalty if she appears to be approved of by the current king and queen.
Could have been better, but if you've liked the series so far, you'll like the last one.
Title: Splintered Author: A.G. Howard # of Pages: 377 (paperback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Synopsis:Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. Review: This book took a really, really long time to read.
I was very disappointed. The cover looks so pretty, and the story line sounded interesting. But it seemed all over the place. My first thoughts were than it needed more detail. The "wonderland" could have been more in-depth. The love triangle was very cheesy...
The one aspect of the book that I did like, other than the cover, was the ending. It was sweet (and I was happy that I finally finished the book).
Overall, Splintered was very uninteresting - it didn't capture my attention at all! Not recommended.
Title: Shiver Author: Maggie Stiefvater # of Pages: 390 (paperback) Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal-Romance Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Synopsis:the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.
the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.
the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future. Review: This book makes Twilight look like the best book on Earth.
The POV switching sucked, the romance was cheesy, and the story line was boring.
Much worse than Twilight. Maybe if Shiver had a movie, I would enjoy the story better (because my interpretation of it isn't very good). Not recommended.
