Firefight (The Reckoners Book 2) by Brandon Sanderson

Firefight is the second book in the fantasy and sci-fi YA trilogy The Reckoners. 12 years ago, Calamity appeared in the sky, a bright red star or comet. It gave regular people superpowers, and they were called Epics. When they use their powers, their personality changes for the worse. David has a fascination with Epics, and has kept notes and journals about each one, landing him a position with The Reckoners.

Ending Steelheart was supposed to make David feel better. Instead it made him feel worse, and have more questions than ever. On top of that, Megan left him heartbroken, and David is determined to find her, and prove that not all Epics have to be bad.

One thing I liked was that the places they went to are actually places that exist today, but they called them different names. For example, Babylar, which we know today as Manhattan. 

I really liked that David still used crazy metaphors. For example, a potato in a minefield. I also liked the self-conflict with David. He was sworn to ending Epics, but Megan has changed that, and he finds himself challenging his beliefs which becomes an issue when he has to end more Epics.  

I highly recommend that you read this book and this series!

Read my review of the first book in this trilogy, Steelheart.

Title: Firefight (The Reckoners Book 2)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 416

Series: Yes, book 2

Rating: 5 Stars

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Reality Boy by A.S. King

When Gerald was five, his mom had the TV show Network Nanny come into their house and try to fix their family, especially Gerald, who his mother called retarded all the time. She always defended Tasha (his older sister) who does things way worse than he would ever do. The whole world saw his family, and they never forgot about him. The thing is, the show only showed a little bit of what really happened, and made Gerald look like the bad one.

It doesn't help that 12 years later, Lisi (his other sister) is away at college, and Tasha lives in the basement, being very loud in her life. Gerald is close to his dad, but his mom is a different story. Everyone is scared when he will lose control and his anger will take over, and he feels very close to doing that.

Reality Boy had an angry tone, but it faded through the book a little bit. I really liked this book because he was angry for a reason, not just angry to be angry. I think he deserved to be angry about Network Nanny, however I think sometimes he went a little far. Hannah was a complex character. I liked that she did not really care about Gerald's history on the show, but she was really hard to figure out.

I really liked the ending. I think that it wrapped things up really nicely and even though it was not happily ever after, it was pretty close to it! Although the reading level is middle grade, due to some of the language used and some of the content, I feel this book is young adult.

I highly recommend that you read this book!

Title: Reality Boy
Author: A.S. King
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 353
Series: No
Rating: 4 Stars
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Cured (Stung Book 2) by Bethany Wiggins

Cured is the sequel to the YA dystopian book Stung. Since Jacqui and her mother were not allowed to live inside the wall, she has lived most of her life as a boy named Jack. A few years ago, her brother Dean left with Fiona's mother to help her find somewhere to live, but never came back. When she hears the news of a cure, she decides to figure out what happened to them. She runs away to Fiona and her fiance Bowen for help for finding out where they are, and they set out to find them. Along the way they must fight to keep the cure out of the wrong hands and fix their shattered world.

In Stung, Jacqui was briefly featured in the first few chapters. I was happily surprised to see her again in Cured, this time as the main protagonist. I really liked her determination and medical skills, which really came in handy. I also liked that there was a lot of action and not a lot of sitting around and doing nothing.

The one thing I do not get and do not like is the fact that she told them she was 12, when in reality she is near 16. I also did not like that almost half the book was flashbacks to her previous years in life. Doing flashbacks is fine, but most of the time they were a couple pages, and I found myself wanting to skip them to just get to the story. 

I recommend that you read the two books in this series!

Read my review of the first book, Stung.

Title: Cured (Stung Book 2)

Author: Bethany Wiggins

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Pages: 320

Series: Yes, Book 2 of 2

Rating: 3 Stars

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Adrift by Paul Griffin

Adrift is a realistic fiction book about being stranded in the ocean. The whole thing was started by a Klondike Bar. That simple, just selling slightly melted Klondike Bars on a hot day in Montauk. Well, selling the bar led to meeting Driana, which led to going to a party with the end result of brothers Matt and John getting stranded in sea with JoJo, Stef and Driana. 

On the boat, Matt and John discover that a tragic event that happened a long time ago still has harsh emotions and tensions rise. Huge mistakes can happen when you are tired and not thinking clearly. Not everyone comes back, and the ones that do are forever changed.

One aspect of Adrift that I really liked is that every couple of chapters there would be a little letter or email about the police trying to find them and their investigation, which I think was a really cool idea.

I also enjoyed the sequence of events. Everything that happened led to something else happening. That was helpful in keeping the story relevant and not going off topic, like some stories do. Another thing is that there were stories within the story. While in the boat, the feelings between Matt and John are shown through dialogue between the boys and Diana, which was helpful to understand without further narration.

I highly recommend that you read this book!

Title: Adrift
Author: Paul Griffin
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 240 pages
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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True Legend by Mike Lupica

True Legend is an inspirational realistic fiction book about being a team player, on the court and in life. Drew Robinson is a famous basketball player at his high school. His teammates call him True, for true talent. He gets passing grades he doesn't deserve so he can play, and his mom's job was given to her because of his skills. Pretty soon, the whole "true" thing starts to go to his head, and gets him in trouble, in school and out.

One night on the playground basketball court, Drew sees someone playing who is amazing. He turns out to be Urban Donald Sellers, a famous basketball player. He is a guy who knows about being a legend and the game of basketball. He teaches Drew how to get back on track, and what it really means to be a legend.

One thing I really liked was that the book taught about basketball terms without flat out saying them. The words used would imply what it meant very easily, which is good for someone who is not familiar with all the terms. I also liked that the book is more than just basketball. True Legend teaches about how to handle jealousy and being a team player and the consequences of not being one.

Drew was a very interesting character. He got easily distracted from real life and often lost himself. Drew did not know who he was, and he let everyone take care of him, so he didn't really take care of himself. Donald helped him come out of his shell, and I really liked to watch how Drew changed and progressed, good and bad, throughout the story.

I highly recommend that you read this book!

Title: True Legend
Author: Mike Lupica
Publisher: Philomel Books

Pages: 304

Series: No

Rating: 5 Stars

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Dead Batteries Tell No Tales by Ian Thomas Malone

When Ian Thomas Malone contacted me to review the prequel to his YA realistic fiction book Five High School Dialogues, I was very excited! In Dead Batteries Tell No Tales, Amber's phone has died, and she has to take the bus, both of which are things she has never had to deal with until now. Lucky for her, her classmate Jason reaches out to her. Amber and Jason learn that how they view life and social rankings are very different and try to figure out how to view people, as well as social status.

I enjoyed reading this funny new release! It is a quick, refreshing read for middle grade and young adult readers. It is not necessary to read this one before Five High School Dialogues, however it helps with background knowledge of Jason and Amber. The book is written in the same format as Five High School Dialogues, however I do not feel that there is a need for separate scenes due to the fact that it is one story. This book can help people change their thinking and views of the people around them.

I liked how their personalities and lifestyles were so different. Amber is rich and helps with cheerleading, while Jason is middle class and is in a money club. Jason is so nice and wants to help out, while Amber is so shocked that he doesn't have a phone! It was very funny!

I highly recommend that you read this book!

Title: Dead Batteries Tell No Tales

Author: Ian Thomas Malone

Publisher: European Geeks Publishing, LLC

Pages: 120 Pages

Series: Prequel to Five High School Dialogues

Rating: 4 Stars

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Graduation Day (The Testing Book 3) by Joelle Charbonneau

Graduation Day is the third and final book in the YA dystopian trilogy series The Testing. As if the Seven Stages War wasn't enough, the world is once again going to war, this time, a civil war. The rebel resistance that wants The Testing to end is going to tear apart the government. Cia wants to fight, but the assignment the president gives her is too big to do alone, and she is not sure if she can do it. Cia must decide once and for all who to trust and who to not. The fate of the world depends on it.

Overall, I feel this book is not as great as the other two. Graduation Day had more violence than I thought was necessary. Overall, too many people's lives were taken in the series. It didn't help that the government just lets all the teenagers to the dirty work! (That was funny, though.)

However, I really liked that Cia's brother, Zeen, was back in the story, and he really helped in the end. I also really liked that she lost herself a little bit. She was always a super strong character and the assignment knocks her over. The book showed the element of friendship and how it helps to have someone to count on in situations like this one. The series ended well. It was all wrapped up in the last few pages and was satisfying.

I highly recommend that you read this series!

Read my review of the first book in this series, The Testing.

Read my review of the second book in this series, Independent Study.

Title: Graduation Day (The Testing Book 3)
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Series: Yes, Book 3
Rating: 4 Stars
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Independent Study (The Testing Book 2) by Joelle Charbonneau

Independent Study is the second book in in the YA dystopian trilogy series The Testing. The world was divided and disastrous after the Seven Stages War. The government of the Commonwealth created The Testing to find the best leaders for the next generations. Cia was very happy to be chosen for The Testing from her colony of Five Lakes, but that happiness did not last long. Cia had to watch her friends be literally eliminated from making a mistake.

She is one of the few that passed The Testing. The government erased all memories of The Testing experience so the horrors would be kept secret. However, the tests are not over, and she is still not safe. Thank goodness, Cia left herself a recording of her testing, and she has dreams of what happened. She remembers things. Her attempt to stop the ways of The Testing will put her in a lot of trouble, but the future of her world depends on her trying.

I really loved the amnesia of it. All these people have no idea what they went through and the people they lost except Cia and her boyfriend Tomas. When faced with the next tasks, Cia was so smart and ahead of everyone due to remembering and the fact that she is a great leader who cares about the lives of people, unlike her government. However, the fact that Cia is so amazing and special makes the other characters look kind of bad, but that makes the story more interesting!

I also really liked that the tests that the Commonwealth made them go through were less dangerous than the ones in the first book. I also liked the tension between Cia and Tomas due to what they remembered.

I highly recommend that you read this book, and I cannot wait to read the last book in the trilogy, Graduation Day.

Read my review of the first book in the series, The Testing.

Title: Independent Study (The Testing Book 2)
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Pages: 310
Series: Yes, Book 2
Rating: 5 Stars
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The Fallout (The Compound Book 2) by S.A. Bodeen

The Fallout is the sequel to the sci-fi mystery The Compound, an excellent young adult book to read and review. After escaping the compound and their father, Eli's family reunites with his twin brother Eddy and their grandmother, and try to get back to a normal life. Of course that is nearly impossible after being underground for six years. Also, his father's company is being transferred over to Phil, one of Rex's co-workers, and Eli is less than thrilled about it.

Also, it seems like everywhere they go someone is following them. Eli tries to figure out what is happening, while at the same time getting used to having Eddy around again. It seems like his father is not dead like they thought, and wants his family back. The members of the family must once again stick together to end this once and for all even if they don't like it.

I felt like there didn't even need to be a sequel due to how the author wrapped up The Compound, but I'm glad that there was one! This book really showcases how hard it really is to blend in. They had a hard time adjusting to going outside with all these people looking at them in a different way. I also liked that the book became better and better as the story progressed, developing more action like the first book. The ending of The Fallout was great. I love books that have epilogues, or at least some of what happens after the huge solution.

I highly recommend that you read this book!

Read my review of the first book, The Compound.

Title: The Fallout (The Compound #2)
Author: S.A. Bodeen
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 336
Series: Yes, Book 2 of 2
Rating: 5 Stars
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The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing is the first book in the YA dystopian trilogy series The Testing. After the Seven Stages War, parts of the world are destroyed. The problems now rest on the next generation. In order to make sure that the next leaders don't make the same mistakes, the government created The Testing to evaluate what leaders they can become. Cia is very excited when she finds out she is one of the four Testing candidates from her small colony of Five Lakes.

Then her dad tells her some news about it. He tells her that he has dreams of memories about what happened during the testing, as they erased them. He advises Cia to not trust anyone, and to be very careful. After arriving, Cia realizes that she is in more trouble than she thought. Cia must be very careful of how she acts. One mistake and she could be eliminated- literally.

Cia is so strong and brave. She has to see and go through things that nobody should have to, but she keeps her head up. I know I wouldn't be able to do so in those situations! I love that she is attentive to detail, which helps her greatly, and scores bonus points with some of the authoritative figures. I loved that she thought about what to do. Every action she did, Cia thought first. While she was worried and self-conscious, that was a very good thing.

The sense of imagery and detail was incredible in The Testing. It was the little things, the little joke here or there that really made the book great. The setting was also very insightful. It felt so real, and it was like I could see the world through Cia's eyes. In part of the written test they took, the book listed the questions and answers, so you got to see more of what happened and gain background knowledge without just rambling on about that stuff.

I highly recommend this book! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, Independence Day!

Title: The Testing
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 325 Pages
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
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