Category Archives: romance

2014, aliens, Book Review, dystopian, romance, series, YA

[Review] The Infinite Sea – Rick Yancey

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Book Title:                    The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave, #2)
Author:                            Rick Yancey
Number of pages:     320

Synopsis:

the infinite sea- rick yanceyHow do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

(re: Goodreads @ The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:

– Honestly, this is like a giant novella—95% of the main storyline remains unchanged.
– Ringer’s perspective is the main plot driver and the layers to her character are explored and fleshed out better than other protagonists.
– Romance involving instalove/love triangles is introduced for dramatic flare. Really, that’s the only reason I can ascertain.
– The prose continues to be a strong asset to this story if fluffy, thought-provoking, metaphorical writing is what you enjoy. The action is fun and worthwhile to read into even though the bulk happens closer to the end.

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Initial Thoughts

You ate the cake. It was of the ice cream variety. You devoured it quickly and it was delicious. But now you feel pain. A pain which cannot be easily remedied unless its origin is known and where the means of a cure can be applied. Food poisoning? Lactose intolerance? Perhaps your best guess will be enough (or maybe not). So you sit still and wait for the answer to come to you because it should come. Eventually.

Incoming: a whole lot of rambling because I don’t know what to make of this sequel that was superficially delicious in writing but after I om nom nom’d it all…there is this feeling that something is off about this read.

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] The Infinite Sea – Rick Yancey →

2014, ARC review, contemporary, cultural, korea, romance, standalone, YA

[Review] In Real Life – Lawrence Tabak

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Book Title:                   In Real Life (Standalone)
Author:                           Lawrence Tabak
Number of pages:    288

Synopsis:

lawrence tabak - in real life (cover)While Seth mopes about his tournament results and mixed signals from Hannah, Team Anaconda, one of the leading Korean pro squads, sees something special. Before he knows it, it’s goodbye Kansas, goodbye Hannah, and hello to the strange new world of Korea. But the reality is more complicated than the fantasy, as he faces cultural shock, disgruntled teammates, and giant pots of sour-smelling kimchi.

What happens next surprises Seth. Slowly, he comes to make new friends, and discovers what might be a breakthrough, mathematical solution to the challenges of Starcraft. Delving deeper into the formulas takes him in an unexpected direction, one that might just give him a new focus—and reunite him with Hannah.

(re: Goodreads @ In Real Life by Lawrence Tabak)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:

– Presented like a character case-study on the average gamer hoping to turn a dream into reality.
– The less you know about the gaming community or the eSports industry, the more enjoyment you may find with this read.
– Protagonist is presented like a Marty Stu (the male version of a Mary Sue character; basically flawless) and there is limited consequence to his actions that propel him to achieve [almost] everything on his road map.
– Relationship with the primary love interest is fleshed out over time despite the possibility of it actually being instalove.
– Discrepancy in experienced culture shock considering Seth’s willingness and assumed knowledge of the environment prior to endeavoring into the Korean environment versus a regular Westerner venturing into the unknown. Also utilizes stereotypes to sell some narrative elements without making social commentary to change the way of thinking.

Initial Thoughts

I was so stoked to read this book because of the nature of content this story delves into is near and dear to me. That being said, I’ve been sitting on writing this review for a while because the wording was difficult to get right—and I’m not even sure I even scratched the surface with some of these discussions I’ve made below (despite it being almost 3k words too long lololol).

Full disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of In Real Life through Netgalley for an honest review. I extend thanks to Tuttle Publishing for providing me the opportunity to review this book.

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] In Real Life – Lawrence Tabak →

adventure, ARC review, Book Review, dystopian, lgbt, post-apocalyptic, romance, series, sexuality, status & class, Uncategorized, YA

[Review] The Young World – Chris Weitz

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Book Title:                    The Young World (Young World Trilogy, #01)
Author:                            Chris Weitz
Number of pages:     384

Synopsis:

theyoungworld_coverAfter a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population, the young survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. Jefferson, the reluctant leader of the Washington Square tribe, and Donna, the girl he’s secretly in love with, have carved out a precarious existence among the chaos. But when another tribe member discovers a clue that may hold the cure to the Sickness, five teens set out on a life-altering road trip to save humankind.

The tribe exchanges gunfire with enemy gangs, escapes cults and militias, braves the wilds of the subway and Central Park…and discovers truths they could never have imagined.

(re: Goodreads @ The Young World by Chris Weitz)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:

– Diversity in character casting despite continual stereotyping (Asian, Caucasian, African-American, LGBTQ, nerds, martial-artists, homelessness, and many more) and discrimination (skin-colour privileges, gender and racial inequality)
– Alternating POV between male/female protagonist with a variance in written portrayal (one reads like a default first-person account and the other feels script-like)
– Overbearing pop-culture references that may or may not add value depending on the reader’s propensity to understanding them
– All-inclusive action sequences which incorporate harsh, graphical moments which may not be fit for the younger YA audience (cannibalism, animal harming, blood work, and death)

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Initial Thoughts

This is Weitz’ debut novel so take that information with a grain of salt. I feel like readers may be able to distinguish his film background through the writing but I wouldn’t necessarily pigeon-hole him into that category. It is indeed almost as if it was written to be translated onto screen; which in my opinion, would be better presented than on paper—but that’s just how I felt after this read. There is also the possibility that this whole novel could seriously be just a giant marketing ploy. More details on this under the cut.

But I was definitely too transfixed with finding pop-culture references than to earnestly read into some meaningful quotes/excerpts. So I have decided not to include any. And yes, this is a late ARC review soooooo oops.

Full disclosure: I received an advanced reader copy of The Young World through Netgalley for an honest review. I extend thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me the opportunity to review this book.

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] The Young World – Chris Weitz →