The Red Rover: Origins by C.E. Whitaker III

The Red Rover: Origins is the first YA scifi book in a futuristic series where the remaining humans live on a gigantic space station. When global warming and nuclear fallout made the Earth uninhabitable, humans from around the globe escaped on the Rover Base Alpha in search of a new home. When their current star system appears to be nearing a violent end of its life, seven teens are thrust into the role of hopefully finding a new planet to colonize.

One thing I enjoyed was the very wide range of characters that showed all aspects of society- from corrupt businessmen to complaining children, even throwing in mental health conditions and a touch of heartbreak. I loved watching the development of these teens and their growth in emotional maturity. They went from selfish, spoiled children to young adults who truly cared about their teammates and the greater good of their society. It was super fun to watch them in their action-packed challenges. I also loved how the book accurately depicted a star's life cycle and conditions in outer space.

I highly recommend this book! The author is currently finishing the next book in this series, Clash of the Celestials, and I cannot wait to read it! That cliffhanger was crazy!

Title: The Red Rover: Origins
Author: C.E. Whitaker III
Publisher: C.E. Whitaker III
Pages: 286
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

The Viperob Files by Alister Hodge

The Viperob Files is a YA dystopian book about a group of teens who discover a conspiracy and race to prevent it. This book was sent to me by the author. Fast forward to an island off the coast of Australia in 2194. The misuse of fossil fuels led to a global warming catastrophe with sea level rise over 30 meters and ocean acidity so high that trilobites proliferate. Ethan, Jaego, and Gwen live on an island fiercely controlled by the Viperob company. Its citizens are nothing more than slaves. When the three teens come across a secret project where the Viperob are planning to invade the country, they must leave the island and get to the mainland to warn the Australian military before it's too late.   

The cruelties of the Viperob honestly remind me of the BEIC in India or King Leopold II of Belgium and what he did to the Congolese. Lieutenant Harris disgusts me and angers me. He is extremely violent and has no empathy for others. He is a manifestation of humanity at its worst- and he's just a mindless robot following the orders of someone even crueler. I don't think I've been this angry reading a book in a long time. I love it!! Creating powerful protagonists and making the reader care about their success is just as important as creating terrorizing antagonists and making the reader hope for them to fail. I did!

I am amazed at the courage and bravery of these three teens. My mouth dropped in awe at some of the major close calls. These kids are surviving by the skin of their teeth. The Viperob Files was absolutely thrilling and terrifyingly realistic. Having the trilobites come back to life was a humorous twist that I, being the science nerd that I am, found completely fascinating!

Hodge has told me that he is in the process of writing the sequel. I cannot wait to find out what happens next! I highly recommend this book!

Title: The Viperob Files
Author: Alister Hodge
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Pages: 217
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten YA New Releases in Late 2019

One of the most exciting things is discovering new books to read! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by That Artsy Reader Girl. If you want to participate, click here. The theme for this week is Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2019. The following releases I look forward to the most are in order of release date.

1. The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair

Expected Publication: July 2nd 2019

Vesper Montgomery has the power to make somebody's worst fear come to life. She is terrified of her ability, but is forced to use it when she enters a fierce competition for the chance to rewrite the past.

2. Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Expected Publication: July 9th 2019

A bizarre and deadly plague called the Tox has infected Hetty's boarding schools. After all the teachers died, the students were left to fend for themselves in quarantine. 

3. Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé

Expected publication: August 1st 2019

Skye always knew that her younger sister was strange, but she never thought that the imaginary creatures she plays with in the woods would ever come to life.

4. I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Expected publication: August 6th 2019

When what was supposed to be a normal football game suddenly turns into a city-wide riot, two girls have to stick together and help each other survive the night and get home safe.

5. A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth

Expected publication: September 10th, 2019
Violet's house has magical powers and kept everything beautiful and happy, until her father is killed and Violet is forced into fleeing. When she returns to the house years later, she finds it has become dark and twisted, poisoning nature. Violet will do everything she can to make her house happy again.

6. Suggested Reading by Dave Connis

Expected publication: September 17th 2019 

When Clara's school principal starts banning dozens of meaningful books, she starts a secret library in her locker to fight back.

7. Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker

Expected publication: September 24th 2019 

Morgan is an African American teen struggling with depression. She feels too much pressure to be the "right kind" of black, but will now decide to not let her skin color define her.

8. The Memory Thief  by Lauren Mansy
Expected publication: October 1st, 2019
In this city, memories are money, and sold to the highest bidder. Ones with magical gifts can simply steal a memory with a slight touch. When Seventeen-year-old Etta's mother's memories are up for grabs, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her.

9. War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
Expected publication: October 15th, 2019
In 2172, global warming and nuclear war has decimated the majority of Earth. The only way to even go outside is to wear bionic body parts and artifical organs to protect themselves from the deadly climate. In Nigeria, two sisters will sacrifice everything to try to restore peace.


10. I'm a Gay Wizard by V.S. Santoni
Expected publication: October 29th, 2019
When Johnny and Alison accidentally unleash an earthquake while practicing their magic, they get recuirted to the Marduk Institute and must use their magic to defend their new world.

What releases are you looking forward to?

Whispers of Nowhere by Shannon Rohrer

Whispers of Nowhere is the first book in a YA fantasy series sent to me by the author. When Gwen's father brings home magical artifacts from work, Gwen mistakenly touches them, causing their seals to break and open the magical prison gates to Nowhere, allowing demons and criminals to escape into the moral world. Gwen's special ability to sense and wield the artifacts makes her a prime target of demons. Gwen takes off in the middle of the night with guardians Phenex and Forneus to clean up her mess and find the artifacts before the monsters do.

I love how the book combined mythology from different religions and cultures, like Greek, Egyptian, and even aspects of demonology engraved in Japanese folklore. It was very mind-boggling to now see the Gods and Demons of multiple religions and cultures existing in the same realm. The author did a great job building a world that I could envision and comprehend. The fighting scenes were perfectly executed and I loved the vivid imagery describing the almost unfathomable magic. The book felt like a fun treasure hunt, and I very much enjoyed the adventuring aspect of the novel.

I loved the complicated relationship between the three teens and the boys' desire to protect Gwen. The almost love-triangle feel between the three of them was very sweet. Phenex's complicated and traumatizing history leaves a roughness and fear to him, and  I loved it when he showed his true vulnerable self. I will always remember his ultimate fiery display in the final battle.

There were some inconsistencies in the plot that bug me, but will hopefully be resolved in the next book. I wanted Gwen to have more power or unearth a grand evolution which feel a little short. I would have liked to see more character development from her. She mostly remained weak but I am hoping that will change in the next book. My love of Phenex and Forneus, however, overshadowed my irritations with Gwen.

I recommend this book! I'm looking forward to reading the next book that I'm told will come out sometime next year.

Title: Whispers of Nowhere
Author: Shannon Rohrer
Publisher: Shannon Rohrer
Pages: 483
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

Goodbye Days is a YA realistic fiction book about one text message that took three lives. When Carter's friends Eli, Mars, and Blake were running late to pick him up from work, he asks them where they are- but when Mars goes to answer the text, he gets into a car accident, resulting in the boys dead. Carter begins having panic attacks and massive feelings of guilt and shame. To make matters worse, he could potentially be going to jail for negligent homicide or involuntary manslaughter. 

I enjoyed many parts of the book, like the very strong lesson of not texting and driving. Usually something that we can think be so obvious, but in the moment you can just forget and make a mistake, like what happened to Carter. He didn't stop to think before he texted his friends, and while it was Mars' fault that he chose to respond, Carter did have a role. It is one of those books that teaches a major lesson in the worst case scenario. Carter's panic attacks were also extremely realistic. The book overall was written very well, but I had some issues with the characters.

I felt no sadness for Eli, Mars, and Blake. They were extremely irresponsible people with little to no compassion for others. Some of the jokes they made are just plain mean and borderline inappropriate. I’m not happy that they’re dead, but I saw no reason to care for those boys. They were just classic teenage boys and class clowns. I think they were a bad influence on Carter. This is one of the most masculine books I've read. While I felt like there was nothing to connect to and shake my head in exasperation at the boys' ridiculous behavior, it would make a lot more sense to a male reader. I will say that the audience for this book is definitely teenage boys, not girls.

I do recommend that you read the book, but don't get your hopes up on the characters.

Title: Goodbye Days
Author: Jeff Zentner
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 399
Series: No
Rating: 3 Stars
Goodreads

Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

Be More Chill is a YA science fiction book about a boy who swallows a computer. In 2015, it was made into a hit Broadway musical. Jeremy Heere is the opposite of popular and is teased every day. He desperately wants to gain the attention of the girl he likes and be cooler. So, he swallows the Squip, a tiny computer that will instruct him how to be a better, more popular person. However, even a computer might not have all the answers his society wants.

I initially thought it was a funny concept to have a computer in your brain, but the scifi aspect was extremely underdeveloped and downright idiotic at best. I hoped there would be an inspirational feel to it where all the characters learn a big life lesson about how it's best to be yourself, but I was totally wrong and this ended up being one of the worst books I've ever read in my life. I am shocked at how in the world this got made into a musical on Broadway!

First off, it portrayed girls in an incredibly sexist way and basically treated girls like a toy or an object to have fun with. I was appalled and I am extremely proud that I even finished the book. Some pages were extremely uncomfortable to read and made me horrified and outraged. As a woman, I was personally offended by this book's messages of women being nothing more their bodies. There are no moral values of any kind present in any characters. They are extremely hypocritical and homophobic- they treat the idea of gay people as worst than terrorists.

Don't read this book. However, if you do decide to read this book, take it as a lesson who not to be.

Title: Be More Chill
Author: Ned Vizzini
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 287
Series: No
Rating: 1 Star
Goodreads

Secrets of Hawthorne House by Donald Firesmith

Secrets of Hawthorne House is the first book in a middle grade and YA fantasy series about a family of magical Druids. This book was sent to me by the author. After a drunk driver kills his mother, fifteen-year-old Matt, his twin sister, and their father move to a small town in Indiana. It just so happens that they move next door to the famous Hawthorne house, rumored to house a witch. Matt doesn't believe in such fairy tales, but when he becomes best friends with Old Lady Hawthorne's nephew, Gerallt, he finds a whole new world.

I loved this book and never took my eyes off the pages! I've never heard of the Goddess Modron or the Druids before, but I certainly know a lot about them now. Magic intertwining with religion and history is fascinating! How Gerallt used his magic to defend himself from the bullies was hilarious and I found myself frequently laughing out loud! The plotline was extremely creative and I loved how it kept constantly changing and evolving into new issues. Every chapter was a new adventure. This book was like the game Wack-A-Mole but I was surprised at how everything was still blended together evenly.

Mythology aside, I loved the real life message of being friends with people regardless of how they look or the reputation that they have. The theme of acceptance is very clear and the bullying extremely realistic. I'm not typically a fan of male protagonists, but Matt has such a kind heart that he is impossible to dislike. I enjoyed the journey of these two families coming together in the hardest of times.

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

Title: Secrets of Hawthorne House
Author: Donald Firesmith
Publisher: Donald Firesmith
Pages: 411
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

The Scarecrow and the Princess by Maggie Archer

The Scarecrow and the Princess is a middle grade fantasy book about a young prince who is cursed into being a scarecrow. This book was sent to me by the author. After Prince Harvey insults a the witch Bettina's daughter, Bettina turns him into a scarecrow. The curse can only be broken if a girl wishes him to come alive during a full moon. Luckily for Harvey, he's placed in Princess Sasha's orchard. She is longing for a friend, and may have also found the perfect husband.

This review will be short and sweet, just like the book! This magical story is very cute and sweet, teaching the importance of always treating others with kindness. While on the younger side of middle grade, The Scarecrow and the Princess is relevant and inspiring for all ages. This book is guaranteed to make you smile! This book is an extremely quick and short read that will leave you in a better mood. Even for just 67 pages, the author still put in plenty of character development and a lovely storyline that won't disappoint!

I highly recommend this book!

Title: The Scarecrow and the Princess
Author: Maggie Archer
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Pages: 67
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman

From the author of Bruiser comes Dry, a realistic fiction book about what happens when a California area runs out of water. The drought in California has been survivable with major conservation. But when the states of Arizona and Nevada break a treaty agreement and block water from the Colorado River from entering California, claiming they need it more than California does, the taps run totally dry. As neighbors turn on each other and thirst turns to violence, teenagers Alyssa, Jacqui, and Henry must make the tough choices and fend for themselves.

In my mind the book was perfect! The situation was alarming, but still realistic. The desperation and violence was frightening and disturbing but still justifiable and coherent. It was the perfect balance between educational and disturbing. Every scene raised intensity and I couldn't tear my eyes away!

People label this book on Goodreads as science fiction and dystopian, but I completely disagree. 1 in 9 people in the world currently don't have access to clean water and 3-4 million people worldwide die of dehydration and water-related illness a year. Running out of water is a real threat and a real issue that millions currently deal with in this exact situation.

Hopefully books like this can enlighten minds to the dangers of running out of water and encourage people to be grateful for what they have and advocate for water rights around the world. We need the EPA to enforce water quality laws, we need more desalination plants on coastlines, we need farmers to use drip irrigation and cover crops and rotational grazing. We need better wastewater treatment plants and limiting run-off and water pollution, holding industry accountable for toxic waste dumping out back in bodies of water.

I highly recommend this book!

Read my review of Bruiser, another book by Shusterman.

Title: Dry
Author: Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 390
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End is a YA realistic/science fiction book about two boys who decide to make the most of their last day alive. In a futuristic society not too different from our own, people are notified by Death-Cast 24 hours before they die. Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio both screwed up their lives and live in awful situations. Quite frankly, they never thought they'd have much to live for. When these two unhappy souls decide to spend their Last Day together, they aim to live for decades in a single night and accomplish their dreams, falling in love with each other in the midst.

I am very torn about this book for many reasons. One of my issues is the lack of background knowledge about the mysterious Death-Cast system. How does it know when people are going to die? Predictive analytics or a higher power? Plus, I was hoping for an inspirational vibe of trying to change fate, which left me disappointed. I also had major issues with the romance between the boys as it felt way too forced and unnatural.

However, I loved the characters and grew attached to Mateo. I also loved the balancing act between the personalities of Rufus and Mateo and how they changed each other. Rufus made Mateo more fearless and Mateo made Rufus more considerate and careful. They largely benefited from each other and I admired their bravery. They Both Die at the End was a beautiful concept and I personally love Silvera's writing style from More Happy Than Not. I loved the concept and the plotline, but the execution did not turn out as I hoped. That being said, I still enjoyed reading it.

I do recommend this book as it still tells a special story- just be sure to suspend your disbelief!

Click here to read my review of More Happy Than Not, also by Adam Silvera.

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 373
Series: No
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads