Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Hourglass by Pauline C. Harris

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Hourglass by Pauline C. Harris

A YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books (03/11/15)

 

Summary:

“A planet isn’t big enough for me. I need space and stars and nothing for light-years around.” (Kindle Locations 312-313).
“You know, it’s a shame. Growing up. I bet you regret it now.” (Kindle Location 1632).

Jude “Judy” Sprocket hates planets. She has to get off Earth. When her dad dies and wills her his ship “Hourglass” she decides to take it and get out of there. There is only one problem. She’s only 17 and without an adult present cannot legally take off. Her crew is full of underage and excited kids. Jacob Holden is her chief engineer at 16. Angelica Rivers is the Assistant Engineer and Salvager. Gregory Miller is a Salvager. Jacobson Keith is a salvager. Sylvia Smith is the medic. Judy is the Captain.

Nothing will stand in the way of the stubborn captain, they are pirates after all, and they don’t exactly follow the rules. Not far from Earth, though, they encounter an uncharted planet. There is no way a planet this close to Earth would remain unknown, but the crew disregards any common sense they might have regarding an unmarked planet, and set down to investigate. Then all nightmares break loose.

 

Keywords:

 Space, travel, teens, kids in charge, Captain, exploration, nightmares, unknown past, sinister planet, leadership, friendship, loyalty, pirates, salvagers, dangerous, haunting past, vague memories

 

My Review:

I loved the concept of this book. Harris cleverly disguised the connection of the book to a well-known children’s story, but brought this connection to light in her before chapter quotes. Her usage of elements of the well-known story was intriguing and kept me hooked and searching for more similarities. But, this story was unique and all its own, even with the comparison story and similarities present.

The idea that there are space pirates who steal unwanted floating space junk is cool, especially when it is considered illegal. Harris took the hilarity of regulation and ridiculous government rules into space. Harris basically extrapolated what we know about travel and Earth and regulations and applied it to space.

Harris kept up the tension and intrigue throughout the novel and kept her twists and turns within the realm of possibility. The story was exciting and the descriptions were great. Judy was a good, solid main character with her own set of flaws and fears, but she had backbone when it counted.

The book also had an uncanny ability to translate the sense of creepiness, horror and dread the characters felt at times.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books March 11th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: Foul is Fair (Fair Folk Chronicles) (Volume 1) by Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins

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Foul is Fair (Fair Folk Chronicles) (Volume 1) by Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins

A YA Fantasy Novel published through Amazon Digital Services (05/15/15)

 

Summary:

“You Hawaiian lawn gnome people are very strange.” (Kindle Location 2314).

Megan has known Lani for quite some time, but she never knew Lani was different. In fact, Megan never knew that she herself was different. Both girls are only half human. While Lani lives with both her parents, Megan’s dad has been absent for most of her life. When she finds out her dad is in trouble, though, she jumps at the chance to help save him. Aided by the pixie Ashling and her Crow, Cassia, and eventually a real live almost-knight, the girls set off on their quest – only to be interrupted by the politics in faerie land. They must first appease the faerie leader before saving Megan’s dad, but they find out that he didn’t just accidentally get himself into the mess he’s in, he was set up! A full on political war with all sorts of odd creatures rages and Megan must figure out what to do and in the process figure out who she is and what she wants to be.

 

Keywords:

 Faerie, politics, high fantasy, world building, mis-appearances, war, strangeness, magic, distinctions, evil, pixie, butterflies, knight, quest, heroines, queens, dancing, music

 

My Review:

 Megan has ADHD. The whole book is one big batch of ADHD and to someone who has never had anything like ADHD it is very peculiar. The books that mimic the thing they are talking about are rare and sometimes hard to follow. In Foul is Fair, the writing style, dialogue, and descriptions are written in the style of ADHD. The feeling one gets while reading this book is that thoughts are somewhat scattered and random. Many of the plot points and motivations seem random. Even from the beginning you are plunged into the story without too much of a foothold before the action ramps up and takes away running with you. It is very different to be reading a book like this. If this is how Megan and others with ADHD feel and interpret the world, boy do I get it now.

This book, as it is the first in a fantasy series, takes a lot of time to build up the world and the political scene. Faerie land is complex and so are the creatures. If fantasy with lots of different creatures and different types of relationships and a complex other-universe with its own laws and guidelines is your thing, you will love the Fae Chronicles. I’m more of a character lover than a complex fantasy world lover.

Megan and Lani were characters I enjoyed. They were both very different from each other and somewhat unique as characters. Megan personified ADHD, but she was also artistic and musically inclined. Lani was some interesting ethnic mix and her family, being openly (to each other) faerie inclined, were super odd and fascinating.

This novel was published through Amazon Digital Services May 5th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.50

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

Jeffrey Cook on FreeValley Publishing

Jeffrey Cook’s Facebook

Book Review: Fantasy of Flight (The Tainted Accords Book 2) by Kelly St. Clare

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Fantasy of Flight (The Tainted Accords Book 2) by Kelly St. Clare

A Fantasy Novel published by Kelly St Clare (05/24/15)

 

Summary:

“The fight was exhilarating. It was a rush, a shock, an overload of my senses. It was survival. It was seeing your life as a tiny speck in the palm of a giant. All of that could make a woman tired.” (Page 22).

Olina the Tatuma has run away to the outer rings of Glacium. She wants to find Kedrick’s killer and the source of the special arrow. She wants to get away from king Jovan. She meant to stay away for several days and solve the mystery of the arrow and murder, but was attacked and her veil destroyed. The people of Glacium are not as nice as the people of Osolis, where she is from. There is hope, however, as she is rescued by Alzona and her fighting crew. The only way back to being Tatuma is to fight in the Outer Rings’ competitions. As days turn into weeks, Olina discovers a new home, and potentially a compromise to her sticky situation as a blue-eyed Tatuma, but will she stay in the Outer Rings with her newfound friends, fighting for her every meal?

 

Keywords:

Fighting, adventure, action, fantasy, sexual themes, heartbreak, spontaneity, friendship, cliff-hanger, fantasy, love, loyalty, brothers, fear, rulers, power, intimidation, training, female main character, kick butt female

 

My Review:

St. Clare introduces an entire new spectrum of characters in this book two of the Tainted Accords Series. Each one has his or her own personality, and they all have some influence on Olina’s new life as Frost, Alzon’s new prized fighter. There is Alzona herself, another strong woman who built up what she has from nothing. “By accepting help, she has created a stronger business. If anything, her willingness to put aside her pride and study the bigger picture makes her even scarier – if that were possible.” (Page 54). There is Alzona’s administrative aid Crystal, whose mystery is unveiled by Frost. The crew of Flurry, Blizzard, Avalanche, Shard, and Ice are, at first, wary of the small woman who claims to be a fighter, but when she kicks their butts she earns their respect. Each of these men has their own identifying personality traits.

The majority of this book takes place in Alzona’s training ground and in the fighting arena. Much of the plot and character development is between the winter-named crew and Frost, gradually developing relationships until the sudden fast-moving change as Olina moves on back to the plot started in book one. Most of the plots that were unresolved from book one remain unresolved and are hardly touched upon in Fantasy of Flight, except the relationship that was hinted at between the Tatuma and Jovan in book one is given much more time and space in book two. This book two almost felt like a standalone in the middle of a trilogy, where some of the back-story had been talked about in another book and it ended with the same kind of cliffhanger in the end, where nothing in the main plot is resolved.

This book was amazingly captivating. The dialogue was realistic and the fighting will bring you to the edge of your seat. Olina displays intelligence and loyalty that keeps you sympathizing with her side and wanting her to reach her goals, but she is also pouty and emotional and relatable. Many times you think she is untouchable and perfect, but then she will do something entirely childish or human and she is brought to life with her actions and thoughts. Sometimes her spontaneity is baffling, but she addresses it herself in the latter part of the book. Everyone has their flaws, Olina’s is to run away from emotionally charged personal problems.
Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was published by Kelly St Clare on May 24th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

 

Links for more information:

Kelly St. Clare’s Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Book Review: Lex Talonis by S.A. Huchton

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Lex Talonis by S.A. Huchton

A Contemporary/Fiction Novel published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (04/27/15)

 

Summary:

“I’m the girl who likes her cars fast and her boys even faster.” (Page 2).

Alexandria Ross once gave a guy a bj at a party to distract him and keep him from giving a date rape drug to her best friend Miranda. That’s just the kind of girl she is. Loyal to her best friend, always trying to keep Mandy safe. But Lexi can’t always look out for Mandy, especially when they are separated by thousands of miles going to different colleges. When the worst happens and Lexi is left with the clues, she is compelled to unravel the story of how Mandy got involved with an abusive boyfriend and a manipulative married therapist, and ultimately, to exact revenge in Mandy’s stead.

 

Keywords:

 Powerful Female, strength, resiliency, victims, emotional abuse, physical abuse, gangs, academics, plots, plans, biding time, feminine wiles, cheating, murder, friendship, loyalty, revenge, love, pursuit

My Review:

This story speaks to me for so many reasons. As someone who has been in a similar situation – in an abusive relationship – it was extremely gratifying to see the cause taken up by someone in a position of power, someone who knew how to use every available resource to her to not only exact revenge, but also to protect any future victims. Lexi is the bad girl we all want to be at times. She doesn’t put up with bull crap, unless it gets her closer to her ulterior goals. She is solid and strong. She is enviable in all different ways. She grew up with means and comforts and a safety net, yet she is still motivated and extremely intelligent and stubborn. She goes for what she wants and nothing can stand in her way.

It’s amazing how endearing and life-like Mandy was in the story. She was no longer present, yet she is always a part of the action. Her story is very much Lexi’s story. Huchton makes Mandi’s story come alive even more by interspersing memories of Lexi and Mandy within the chapters of the book. Some of these memories are beautiful and poignant, showing each of the girls as they were, carefree and young and full of future promise. Then the memories show more and more the darker side of what was going on, hinting at what was to come and what already took place. Huchton was quite clever in including these various flashbacks.

The level of involvement Lexi had in Mandy’s life and Mandy in Lexi’s life was astounding. It was as if Huchton took a crazy over-the-top romantic relationship, shaved off the romance, and left us with this emotionally heartbreaking and awe-inspiring relationship between two best friends. I’m jealous of the relationship those two girls had with one another. Although Lexi’s overly emotional attachment to Mandy is mildly disturbing, it also shows how far she will go for her best friend.

The characters and the story were so very alive and imaginable in my mind.

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services, Inc. on April 27th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

 

Links for more information:

Starla Huchton’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Don’t Call Me Kit Kat by K.J. Farnham

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Don’t Call Me Kit Kat by K.J. Farnham

A YA Teen Drama Novel published on amazon.com (05/15/2015)

 

Summary:

‘I’m the “kind of sick” that makes you not want to go to school and fake being happy every day. The “kind of sick” that is caused by having your best friends practically disappear from your life—sort of like the way dad up and disappeared when I was little. The “kind of sick” that results from hearing your mother say that your dad never wanted you in the first place. The “kind of sick” that Orchard Hills types of girls with perfect families, clothes and bodies don’t get.’ (Kindle Locations 1538-1541).

Does anybody remember middle school fondly? Certainly Katie Mills aka “Kit Kat” won’t. Unfortunately her problems at school aren’t forgotten when she gets home. Katie has another whole set of personal issues that have nothing to do with school. If only she can be like the OH girls. If only she can be like her older sister Kelsie. If only she could have new clothes, better dance moves, a thinner body, a dad who is there for her, a mom who won’t criticize, and on and on.

Katie is stuck in the middle of her problems with no way to get herself out of them. And then she discovers a way to fix some of her problems, but what will it ultimately cost her?

 

Keywords:

 Teen drama, middle grade, 8th grade, girl problems, bullying, bulimia, eating disorders, hiding problems, evading issues, getting help, friendships, family, body image, recovery

 

My Review:

I like to read books that I can take something away when I’m done. Don’t Call me Kit Kat is more than a story about a girl working through her problems. It is more than plot and structure. This book delves deep into what it means to have an eating disorder. What does it feel like to want to binge and purge? What does it feel like to be so unhappy with yourself that you’ll go to extreme and unhealthy measures to change? What is day to day life like for a bulimic? How can one get better with an eating disorder? K.J. Farnham answers all these questions and more in her book. I got a lot out of reading this novel.

Though it has been some years since I’ve been a teenager, I believe Farnham captures the moodiness and insecurity of being a teenager in a world full of unrealistic expectations. Katie felt very real and the character seemed more than plausible. Her reality was very realistic.

I never thought about food the way Kit Kat does and it opened up my eyes a bit more to a different person’s experience growing up. “The funny thing about food, though, is that I love it as much as I hate it. I love that I can choose what to eat and how much to eat, or even not to eat anything at all. It’s the guilt I feel after a binge that I can’t stand. Because of the guilt, I sometimes find myself wondering if I control the food or if the food controls me.” (Kindle Locations 1516-1518).

The gradual downhill slide Katie fell into was told so well and captured the essence of how any of it could happen in a way someone without any experience with an eating disorder could understand. This book will really make you empathize and understand a world you may not and never be privy to.

Warning to those who read this book: As the narrator of her own story Katie’s experiences may be so close to reality that they cause their own type of trauma. Katie is very body negative, especially in the first half of the book where she gets no help or support. She is very down on herself and quite pessimistic and her feelings are very hard hitting.

 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 05/15/2015 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

K.J. Farnham’s Website

Book Review: Moon Shades: Crack the ice (The Greatest Sin Book 3) by Lee French & Erik Kort

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Moon Shades: Crack the ice (The Greatest Sin Book 3) by Lee French & Erik Kort

A Fantasy Novel published by Tangled Sky Press (05/16/15)

 

Summary:

 Chavali is back. The greater evil is still out there, but Moon Shades focusses on Chavali’s conflict with a fellow Fallen who is intent on learning her clan secrets. Chavali is so upset with him, Sean, that she starts a fight in the cafeteria. Within hours she is sent on a mission with him and Eliot so they can learn to get along. Nobody is happy with this arrangement, especially Eliot. The Courier Circuit is their mission, just making the rounds, but it is not surprising that what they find is a thickening plot surrounded in death and mystery that they must solve. The small village of Eagle Falls needs their help and it would be a routine investigation if not for the unwanted character that shows up, bringing the greater plot to their front doors yet again.

 

Keywords:

 Fantasy, Clan, Family, Loyalty, Prophesy, Seer, Close-Knit, Sacrifice, Strength, Evil, Friendship, Mystery, Thriller, werewolves, small town, hiding in plain sight, healing, leadership

 

My Review:

The opening scenes with the muffin is hilarious. Chavali is in no way a humorous character, but her situation is entirely laughable, even while you sympathize with what is going on. Who hasn’t been so angry that every little bad thing makes you fume even more, yet everybody she bumps into is willing to give her a hand (or a muffin). Despite being only close knit with her clan, Chavali has been accepted into the Fallen and their community and slowly has been accepting them back. She even wants to induct new members into her Blaukenev clan. This was surprising. I didn’t know Chavali would be willing to open up her clan to outsiders. I thought she meant for the clan to die with her and the three children she rescued in the previous books.

Chavali is shown, again and again, to be wondrously wise and extremely logical in the way she works through problems and solves mysteries. She has that Sherlock Holmes utterly unreal sense of logic and people-reading skills of using what’s in front of her from slight changes to human behavior (subtle posture shifts/facial tics) to figure out the truth.

Chavali’s take on life is fascinating. She’s logical and wise, but she still loves and grieves. She is a mystery to me and I want to figure her out. I want to understand her.

I liked how more was revealed about Eliot’s character. His story is becoming more and more complex, just like Chavali’s.

I’m a bit reticent to read books involving mages, magic, teleportation-like transportation, werewolves, etc., because I like books grounded in reality. However, Lee French’s fantasy elements are a part of her books and not the reason for them. I like this type of fantasy, where the book’s plot is not all about the fantastical elements, but more about the story and the characters.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this story in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was published by Tangled Sky Press on May 16th, 20145 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Lee French on Facebook

Lee French on Twitter

Goodreads

Book Review: The Star Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 2) by David Estes

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The Star Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 2) by David Estes

A YA Sci-fi/Dystopian Novel published by David Estes (09/24/2012)

 

Summary:

The Star Dwellers continues Adele’s and Tristan’s stories within the impending uprising against the Sun Dwellers. Adele rescued both her sister and father in the first book (The Moon Dwellers) and now must find and rescue her mother in the Star Realm below. With the help of the friend she made while in the Moon Dweller prison, Tawni, Adele ventures down into the deepest depths of the Tri-Realms. Meanwhile, Tristan and his trusty best friend Roc must convince the Moon Dwellers to unite with the Star Dwellers against the Sun Dwellers. The Star Dwellers continues revealing secrets about the rebellion and war as well as the unique romantic relationship developing between Tristan and Adele.

 

Keywords:

Post-apocalyptic, underground, uninhabitable earth, romance, segregated society, class system, unequal power, dictatorship, in the dark, secrets, power-hungry leaders, corrupt government, fight the power, resistance, escape, kick-butt female, friendship, survival

 

My Review:

This second book in the series, like most seconds, was not quite as exciting as the first book, but I loved it just the same! It had all of the great elements I saw in the first book and continued the story I fell in love with in Moon Dwellers.

David Estes has a way with dialogue and describing action and setting the scene. His second book, much like his first in the series, is full of lovely quotable passages and great lines in the dialogue. The book is full of uplifting quotes, such as “Speak from your heart, and everything else will work itself out.” (Page 209) and “The only way to make things better is to fix the bigger problem.” (Page 219).

We are given a little more information on the overall plot regarding the inequality between the Tri-Realms as well as more intrigue into the now blossoming romance between Tristan and Adele. Roc and Tawni also continue with the story and we are given a few new characters. At this point in the series, Elsey, Adele’s younger sister, shows how wise she is.

Estes continues alternating Adele’s and Tristan’s point of views each chapter, which is done amazing well and adds so much to the complexity of the story as we get both the main characters’ inner thoughts.

I think it is still amazing how equivalent Adele’s and Tristan’s roles are in the importance of the fight for freedom and justice from the oppression of the Sun Realm and President Nailin. I love series like Hunger Games and Divergent for giving me a kick butt female character, but Estes goes a step further and gives us both a male and female kick butt characters at the same time! This series is great for both males and females alike, not just creating a role model for one gender or the other. The characters are also physically diverse and personality-wise diverse. I love them! After finishing up the Dweller Series, I will look into other books by David Estes as I think he is a fantastically gifted writer with amazing books.

 

This novel was published by David Estes 09/24/2012 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 5.0

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

David Estes’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 1) by David Estes

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The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers Saga Book 1) by David Estes

A YA Sci-fi/Dystopian Novel published on amazon.com (06/27/2012)

 

Summary:

“Like I said before, you have no control over what situation you’re born into.” (Location 2151).

When a meteor is about to wipe out humanity as we know it on Earth, a select number are gifted the chance to live underground and continue the human race as natural disasters destroy everything aboveground. Decades after this decision, and the lottery to get a chance to survive below, there is a distinct segregation of class between the Tri-Realms: Sun Dwellers have all the power and most of the electricity and resources, Moon Dwellers live further down while the Star Dwellers live the furthest from the surface and suffer the most at the hands of those above.
The Moon Dwellers centers on two main characters, Adele from the Moon Dwellers and Tristan, the son of the ‘President’ from the Sun Dwellers. Adele is thrown into juvie after her parents are accused of treason against the government. Tristan is next in line to inherit the power to control the Tri-Realms, but he is disgusted by the inequality and finds his chance to rebel against his father when he first sees Adele. There is something that draws them to each other and for Tristan, finding out who she is brings him out of his comfort zone and into the plot of something much more sinister. For Adele, she is focused on escaping her prison and then reuniting with her sister and parents.

 

Keywords:

Post-apocalyptic, underground, uninhabitable earth, romance, segregated society, class system, unequal power, dictatorship, in the dark, secrets, power-hungry leaders, corrupt government, fight the power, resistance, escape, kick-butt female, friendship, survival

 

My Review:

I loved this book. It had a kickbutt girl character, a romance that wasn’t in the forefront of the plot, some dystopia and post-apocalyptic living, a corrupt government, the underdogs fighting for justice, POV change done well, subplots and characters with their own stories intertwined in the main plot, a good ending with a lot left open for the next book in the series, emotional highs, a good blend of action and story, excellent descriptions, etc.

I find it fascinating the reason for the apocalypse was a natural disaster (meteor). Humanity was saved by going underground, but not all of them could fit, therefore the world started over at Year Zero. The concept for the Lottery was well developed. The beginning of the book featured a brief history that was highly useful in getting an understanding of what was going on in the post-apocalyptic world. I really appreciated Estes putting this info in the very beginning of the first novel of the series.

Throughout the book Estes blended his action with his story to have a very well-spaced plot that moved along at a good pace. The descriptions the author used were excellent and stayed in character in the post-apocalyptic world Estes has created. The POV switching from Tristan to Adele from chapter to chapter was an excellent addition to the story and worked well. I thought it was excellent to make the two main characters have equal parts and equal abilities. It was a very balanced romance and I can’t say enough how much I wish more authors would make their main female and main male characters as equal as Estes has done.

This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 06/27/2012 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TLDR Star Rating: 5.0

 

Links for more information:

Goodreads

David Estes’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: The Non-Zombie Apocalypse by Sechin Tower

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The Non-Zombie Apocalypse by Sechin Tower

A YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel published by Siege Tower Entertainment (07/16/14)

 

Summary:

“So zombies just remind me that you only have to be afraid of what you don’t understand.” (Page 49).

The Non-Zombie Apocalypse picks up just weeks after the Mad Scientist’s Institute leaves off with Sophie continuing her education at the Mechanical Science Institute and learning how to be a college student at just 16 years old. Though this book could stand alone, it features many of the same characters as the first book.

The Professor is at it again, but with a different sort of doomsday device, a zombie-like ‘non-zombie’ infection that will control the minds of everyone it comes into contact with. It is up to Sophie and her gang of misfit scientists at the Institute, along with her firefighter turned dean uncle ‘Dean Squared,’ to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it and save everyone (again).

 

Keywords:

 Robot, zombies, non-zombies, DNA, Tesla, scientist, scientist heroine, Teslapunk, save the world, University, Mad Scientists, explosions, bad guys, misunderstood, danger

 

My Review:

I adore Sophie. She’s like the young adult version of Don in The Rosie Project by Graeme Simson. She is quirky and logical to a fault and in many social situations she misinterprets or misunderstands or can’t see social cues at all! Her interpretation of social interactions is adorable and hilarious at times. She is a character that everyone has met at one point or another in their lives and her perspective is fascinating.

Again, just like in Mad Scientist’s Institute, Soap displays her naïve/trusting behavior when she signs away her patent rights without a second thought to the consequences or ulterior motives from the same University president who tried to get her expelled just a month prior. Soap follows Creeper McCreeper into a dark and abandoned garage without too much suspicion. Even though now she’s seen some consequences of being trusting and naïve, she’s still unheeding of potential negative consequences.

It was quite clever of Tower to reintroduce all the characters and the setting in the first few chapters of this novel so that the reader didn’t have to read The Mad Scientist’s Institute before the Non-Zombie Apocalypse (I still recommend reading book one before book two). Tower used the same technique employed in the Animorphs series of describing the current characters and the current environment as a continuation of the story. This was done in a clever manner and I really liked how Tower handled making the second book in a series a complete standalone. Each book in this series is and will be conclusive and each subsequent book takes the same characters you’ve built a relationship with and continues with them on a different adventure.

This novel was published by Siege Tower Entertainment on July 16th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Sechin Tower’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Book Review: Mad Science Institute by Sechin Tower

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Mad Science Institute by Sechin Tower

A YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel published by Siege Tower Entertainment (12/09/11)

 

Summary:

“that’s the fun part about science: there are always mysteries to unravel.” (Page 123).

Sophie grew up in a world where electronics were readily available and her failed science experiments were continuously cleaned up by her father. After destroying the science fair and her chances of getting into a top school like MIT, Soap accepts her application to the Mechanical Science Institute in small town Bugswallow, Minnesota. Her cousin, Dean is waiting to meet her there, as he just accepted a position as dean of the Institute, even though he’s really only a fireman. There’s more than simply hidden labs and secret inventions afoot at the Institute, there are thugs and evil scientists who want to take the Institute’s secrets and use them for nefarious and evil purposes. It is up to Soap and Dean to stop the unknown ‘Professor’ from stopping the world as we know it.

 

Keywords:

 Robot, college, creatures, Tesla, EMP, bad guys, Teslapunk, Doomsday, save the world, danger, Scientist Heroine, clueless

 

My Review:

Soap was so naïve it was cute. It was only through her ineptitude with the real world that the plot was able to proceed as it did. She allowed the bad guys to implicate her father, to get inside the Institute, and almost shut down the security systems for the entire building. Thankfully, her stupidity stopped her there. Tower almost took her naivety too far, but it is still barely believable. She’s only 16, though she is a genius, she has never really been involved in something nefarious and has no reason not to trust others. Soap is also adorably ignorant of social norms and her thought processes as she attempts to mimic normal interactions is hilarious. She creates charts to help her fit in, but of course, they don’t. Soap is like the girl version of a super nerd boy who can’t talk to boys. Or girls. She only fits in with other super science geniuses like those at the Mechanical Science Institute.

The villain and thugs were just short of being too stereotypical. Though it was easy to guess who the mysterious “professor” was behind the evil plans, I enjoyed how the plot thickened and the pacing quickened toward the end.

I really ejoyed Tower’s writing style. It was concise and witty and I loved Soap’s POV. I didn’t mind Dean’s POV and enjoyed the intertwining of the action between their two viewpoints.

This novel was published by Siege Tower Entertainment on December 9th, 2011 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

 

Links for more information:

Sechin Tower’s Website

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