Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Review: The Becoming of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin

The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions, #1)

The Becoming of Noah Shaw is the first book in the Shaw Confessions series, which is described as a companion to the Mara Dyer series.  To me, a companion novel or series can be read independently, which is not the case with this book.  The story picks up after the end of The Retribution of Mara Dyer and assumes the reader has a considerable amount of knowledge of events that took place in that series.  Any of the events that were vital to this story were briefly touched upon to refresh the reader, but I would not recommend reading this book if you haven't already read the Mara Dyer series.

I will be the first to admit that Noah Shaw is one of my all time favorite characters, so I was ecstatic when I heard there was going to be another series from his point of view.  He is just as charming as ever, but we get to see first hand how his "gifts" are impacting his life.  He can not only heal himself and others, but he is able to see the pain and suffering of other "gifted" individuals as if he were in their bodies at the time of the incidents.  There is a sudden increase in the number of apparent suicides of "gifted" teens, so Mara, Noah and their friends begin working with some new gifted characters that are introduced in this book to bring the violence to an end.

Noah and Mara's brother Daniel refuse to believe Mara is involved in the deaths, but another character insists she is behind it.  They not only need to stop the deaths, but also clear Mara of these accusations.

Overall, I thought this was a great start to the new series.  I had no idea what to expect and I was shocked by many of the revelations.  There is a major event that takes place at the end of the book, which completely changes the game for the gifted.  Their lives have been irrevocably changed and I can't wait to see how things will unfold in the sequel.


Thursday, January 4, 2018

Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed (Matched, #2)

Review:

I really enjoyed Matched, the first book in the series, and gave it 5 stars.  This book, however, seemed to have a much slower pace.  It took forever for things to really pick up, which could cause some readers to lose interest.  I will tell you, the ending was definitely worth plugging through some of the slower parts.

Ky and Cassia alternate telling the story, so we get to see what is happening to both of them through out the book.  Ky was sent to the Outer Provinces, essentially to die, because he is an "Aberration".  Cassia is sent to a work camp to train for her new job assignment, but escapes to look for Ky.  In the process, she meets Indie and learns more about the rebellion.

Ky is leery of the rebellion because his father was one of the leaders.  It ended up getting both of his parents killed, but he no longer wants to live under the control of the Society. He meets another boy who is interested in the rebellion and they decide to escape, taking a young boy named Eli with them. 

Throughout the journey we learn more about the rebellion and how it has infiltrated all levels of the Society.   Xander even makes a surprise appearance and we learn one of his secrets, thanks to Ky.  He doesn't tell Cassia, because he doesn't believe it is his secret to tell, but it could make a drastic impact on how things turn out in Reached.

Overall, I enjoyed Crossed and look forward to seeing how the series will conclude.  I'm not sure Ky is really the best choice for Cassia, so I hope she keeps her mind open to the possibility of Xander.  

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Bookish Goals 2018



In an effort to help keep myself on track, I am going to post monthly status updates showing where I stand for each of my 2018 Goals.

Anything highlighted in gray is currently in progress, but not yet completed.

  • Read and review at least 36 books 

  • I am participating in the Try Something New challenge hosted by The Herd Presents.  I'm going to aim for level 2 with 11-20 books. Any book over 80 pages qualifies as long as it is new to you.  New author, new genre, new series, etc.

  • Read at least 10 New Adult books (My definition of NA = protagonists are post high school, but under 30)

    • Read three of the books that had been on my TBR list the longest.  I now have 45 books that were all added on September 7, 2010 that would qualify.  


    • Finish reading at least 5 series I have already started.  (I have several trilogies with final books I still need to read. 

    • TBR Challenge.  For this challenge I want to read at least 20 books that were on my TBR list AND were published prior to January 1, 2018. 


    • I joined the New Release Challenge hosted by Unconventional Book Views and Books, Movies, Reviews Oh My! My goal is to reach New Release Newbie level with 12 new releases read/reviewed during 2017.  The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages.