[BOOK REVIEW] Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title:  Illuminae

Authors:  Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre:  Science Fiction

Year Published: 2015

Number of Pages: 599 pages 

Date Read: 7/23/2019 

Series: The Illuminae Files #1 

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Some Gory Violence and Deaths)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

“You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.”

Oh, my goodness! How could I wait so long to finally tackle this book?  I have been hearing nothing but awesome things about this book! And yet, because there were so many other books that I wanted to read, I did not have the time to read this book (until now)!  “Illuminae” which was written by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff was certainly an absolute blast to read!

Kady Grant thought that breaking up with her ex-boyfriend Ezra Mason was the worst thing to happen to her.  Then, her planet ends up getting invaded by a mega corporation called BeiTech and she and Ezra are forced to flee from their planet and go on the spaceship Hypatia to escape from the enemy spaceship Lincoln.  But things start to get worse for the crew of Hypatia when it turns out that there is a deadly virus that is spreading across the ship that is turning the people into hideous monsters.  Not to mention, the fleet’s AI AIDAN has gone berserk and has started killing people on board in order to protect them from Lincoln’s forces.  Now, it is up to Kady and Ezra to save the ship Hypatia from the virus, AIDAN and Lincoln itself.

Wow!  I never would have expected to enjoy this book as much as I did!  Both Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff did a fantastic job at writing this book!  The narrative was highly creative as the story is mostly told through various documents that the commanders of the Hypatia have collected and also through diagrams of the ship and email messages from each of the characters.  I have never read a book where the narrative was mostly comprised of documents and diagrams and it made this book so intriguing to read! I also loved the way that both Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff put in so much intensity into the story as I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat when almost everyone was getting affected by the virus and when AIDAN started going berserk.  It seemed like almost everyone was going to die in this book due to all the deaths that occurred and that just made this book so exciting to read.  I also really loved all of the characters in this book, especially Kady and Ezra as they were extremely well-written.  I loved the fact that Kady Grant was such a strong female protagonist who was able to use her hacking skills to do everything in her power to save the people of Hypatia.  Ezra Mason was another character that I really liked as his sarcastic personality was hilarious to read and I really loved his relationship with Kady as they seem to have a love / hate relationship with each other, but still care about each other deep down.  I especially loved the way that Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff wrote the dialogues in this book, as most of the characters have snarky personalities.  And yet, they all sounded so relatable to me, especially when they are trying to figure out how they will survive this all-out war that they are forcefully thrown into.

For anyone who does not like strong violence and death, there is quite a bit of violent moments in this book, especially during the scenes where the virus breaks out and the infected started attacking people in increasingly brutal ways.  There is also a lot of deaths in this book due to said virus that might upset some people.

Overall, “Illuminae” is easily one of the most creative and exciting books that I have ever read and if you love science fiction books with a bit of romance thrown in, then I would definitely recommend this book!  Now, I am off to read the second book in the series, “Gemina!”

* 2015 Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) for Older Children (ages 8-14)

* 2015 Aurealis Award for Best Science Fiction Novel

* 2015 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

* 2016 Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance

* 2016 The Inky Awards Nominee for Gold Inky

* 2016 The Inky Awards Shortlist for Gold Inky

* 2016 Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Nominee for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga

* 2017 Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee

* 2018 Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee

* 2019 Lincoln Award Nominee

You might also like: 

• The Martian by Andy Weir

• Red Rising by Pierce Brown

• Golden Son by Pierce Brown

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[ARC REVIEW] The Agitated Agenda by Candace N. Ford (@PRbytheBook)

Title:  The Agitated Agenda

Author:  Candace N. Ford

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Interracial Romance

Year Published: 2018

Number of Pages:  260 pages

Date Read: 2/9/2019

Publisher:  Above the Line Press     

Source:  Physical ARC (PR by the Book)

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Some Language, Death and Sex Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

I would like to thank the author Candace N. Ford and PR by the Book for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man! How long has it been since I last read a romance novel?  Since the middle of 2018?  A long time then!  Anyway, when PR by the Book sent me a copy of Candace N. Ford’s latest book “The Agitated Agenda,” I was a bit surprised by this since it is rare that I would receive a copy of a romance novel just as they are being released!  So, I just read this book and I have to say that it was one of the most shocking yet heartwarming stories I have ever read!

Priscilla Richardson was a young African-American woman who was trying to the graduate at the top of her class at Georgetown Law School.  Even though Priscilla had suffered a tragic loss when her mother died in a car accident, Priscilla still tried to move on and make it her goal in life to work in one of the most prestigious law firms and become a partner within five years. When Priscilla finally got into a law firm, she meets up with a young Caucasian man named Tom Ward and the two automatically fell in love with each other.  After staying a year at the law firm and with Tom, Priscilla started feeling sick and her illness got so bad that her best friend Sylvia had to take her to the hospital.  It was then that Priscilla discovers that she is pregnant and she starts panicking due to the fact that she never planned on being a mother and that the pregnancy came out of nowhere.  Now Priscilla has to discover for herself that not everything in her life will go according to plan and that she has to make the best of her situation and restore her faith in God to help her get through this unexpected turn of events.

Wow!  I am beyond amazed with this book!  Candace N. Ford has done a great job at writing this book as all the characters and the events were so relatable to me!  It is rare that I read a romance novel that actually takes a more realistic look at how romance works in the real world and how sometimes life throws curveballs at us that we were not prepared for.  I also loved the way that Candace N. Ford threw in so many twists and turns to the plot as I was not expecting Priscilla to go through so many horrible situations, which included the death of her mother early on in the book.  I really loved Priscilla herself as she is probably one of the most relatable protagonists, I have ever read in a romance novel!  I actually felt bad for Priscilla throughout the story as she had made big plans for herself and was prepared to follow through them.  But there were many unexpected situations that happened to her that prevented her from following her dreams.  I actually related to Priscilla through her ordeals as I myself had also made some plans for myself once I left college, like getting a high paying job from the get go.  But, when the recession hit, my plans ended up being put on the backburner when I could not find a high paying job due to the job market taking a hit during the recession.  But like Priscilla had to do in this story, I had to make the best of the situation and just hope that my life got better from that point forward and have faith in myself during that time.  I especially loved the fact there is an interracial relationship in this book (between Priscilla, a black woman and Tom, a white man) as it is rare that I see interracial romances in romance novels.  Priscilla and Tom’s relationship with each other was the highlight of this book as their relationship felt so genuine and I loved the fact that Priscilla and Tom are always there for each other, especially when Tom was trying to help Priscilla deal with her unexpected pregnancy.

The reason why I took off a few points from the rating was because I felt that the narrative jumped around a bit too much at some points, as there were too many events happening, that it got a bit hard to follow the story at times.   I also felt that the climax was a bit too abrupt since I was getting used to the turn of events that had just happened and then the climax suddenly introduced a new problem for Priscilla that came out of nowhere.

Overall, “The Agitated Agenda” is a truly shocking yet heartwarming story about the importance of true love and keeping your faith, that I think romance fans will enjoy!  Now, let us hope that a sequel gets made soon because that cliffhanger is brutal!

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[BOOK REVIEW] Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: The Crucible Volume 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Title:  Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: The Crucible Volume 1

Author:  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa  

Artist:  Robert Hack 

Genre:  Horror / Drama / Romance / Witches / Family

Year Published: 2016

Year Read:  10/31/2018

Publisher:  Archie Comics

Series: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 15+ (Scary Content and Some Language)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Introduction:

After reading “Afterlife with Archie,” I was definitely looking forward to reading “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and see how this compares to the “Afterlife with Archie” series. I also wanted to read this graphic novel because I wanted to read it before I watch the new Netflix series “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!”  Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the same writer of the “Afterlife with Archie” series, along with artwork by Robert Hack, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Volume One: The Crucible” is definitely worth the read!

What is this story about?

Sabrina Spellman is not your average teenage girl.  She is actually a half witch (her father was a warlock who married a mortal woman).  According to her aunts Zelda and Hilda, Sabrina has to be baptized on her sixteenth birthday in order to become one of the Devil’s handmaidens.  But, there are a couple of things that will complicate Sabrina’s demonic ceremony.  One of them is her love for a mortal teenage boy named Harvey Kinkle, as she cannot tell him that she is really a witch and that she will be celebrating a forbidden ceremony for witches. Another one is that an enemy named Madam Satan is going after Sabrina and is doing everything in her power to make Sabrina’s life miserable, due to Sabrina’s father choosing a mortal woman over her.  With her sixteenth birthday fast approaching, Sabrina must decide about what she really wants in her life and what she is willing to sacrifice to get the life she really wants.

What I loved about this story:

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s writing:  Wow!  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has done it again with his stellar writing on the darker retellings of the characters from the Archie Comics!  When it comes to darker retellings of the characters from the Archie Comics, I believe that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is probably the best suited at writing these characters due to making the characters so intriguing!  I am also usually shocked at how dark Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa can make these characters as I would not believe that these characters from the Archie Comics would do such heinous crimes, if it was not for the fact that these are darker retellings of the characters.  I also really liked the dark and mysterious atmosphere of this story as the witches are shown in a much more menacing and frightening light here than with what you would see in the regular “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” series.  The fact that Satan is the being that the witches worship makes this story even darker in tone.  I also liked the way that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa made the story extremely emotional, especially for Sabrina since I really wanted to see Sabrina and Harvey stay together through all the terrifying events going on in this volume.

Robert Hack’s artwork:  Robert Hack’s artwork was just so gorgeous and frightening to look at!  I loved the way that Robert Hack made all the characters look extremely realistic, especially with their facial expressions.  I also loved how detailed the images can be during scenes of horror and violence and I found myself cringing a bit at some of the artwork because of how realistic they looked.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like scary content, this volume has a surprising number of terrifying moments such as a witch ripping off the face off a person or a satanic ritual with the witches. 

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Volume One: The Crucible” is a truly fantastic graphic novel that manages to make a darker retelling of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” worth the read!

You might also like:

• Archie Volume 1: The New Riverdale by Mark Waid

• Jughead Volume 2 by Chip Zdarsky and Ryan North
• Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale Volume 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

[BOOK REVIEW] Saga Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan

Title:  Saga Volume 7

Author:  Brian K. Vaughan

Artist:  Fiona Staples

Genre:  Adventure / Family / Fantasy / Science Fiction

Year Published:  2017

Year Read: 6/30/2018

Series:  Saga #7

Publisher:  Image Comics

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Gory Violence, Strong Language and Nudity)

Trigger Warning: Near Rape Scene

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Introduction:

Oh, my goodness!  How long has it been since I last read “Saga?”  Too long, I say!  TOO LONG!!!  Anyway, I finally got around to reading the seventh volume in Brian K. Vaughan’s and Fiona Staples’ AWESOME and BRILLIANT “Saga” series and oh man, do I DARE say that this volume has gotten me into TEARS in the worst way possible?

What is this story about?

In this volume, Marko, Alana and their daughter Hazel are finally reunited with each other after spending the previous volumes being apart from each other.  When the ship they are using runs out of fuel, Marko, Alana and their new friend Petrichor and Prince Robot have to go to a planet called Phang to get the fuel they need for their ship.  But, Phang is a planet that is ravaged by the war between Wreath and Landfall and they ended up meeting a family of refugees who ended up staying with Alana, Marko and their crew for a while.  Unfortunately, it turns out that the planet Phang is actually about to be destroyed and Alana, Marko, Hazel and their friends have to figure out a way to escape the planet before it is too late!

What I loved about this story:

Brian K. Vaughan’s writing:  Oh, my goodness!  I just can never get enough of this series!!! Brian K. Vaughan has once again done a brilliant job at writing this volume as this volume was full of humor, drama, and tear jerking moments that will make you cry for days!  I loved the way that Brian K. Vaughn wrote the characters as I found myself really caring for the characters’ situations, especially with Alana being pregnant again and trying to keep her baby safe while surviving on a war-torn planet.  I am always amazed at how Alana and Marko managed to survive their dangerous journey in going to a peaceful planet while also having a family at the same time as it shows how strong their family is and I always loved the fact that whenever a new person comes on board their ship, they are automatically considered family.  I really liked the way that Hazel is growing up in each volume as she slowly tries to understand about the world around her, while still being the most innocent character in this series and she is always bringing in some lightheartedness to the story.  I also liked the way that Brian K. Vaughan approached the subject about what refugees have to go through whenever they are stuck in a war-torn city as I found myself sympathizing with the refugees that Alana and Marko took in and how they lost everything due to a war going on in their homeland.  I liked the fact that Brian K. Vaughan pulled no punches in this volume as there were many character deaths and intense situations that had left me shaken and it seems like with each volume, things get even more dangerous and intense for Marko and Alana and I just hope that they along with Hazel survive the dangerous journey.

Fiona Staples’ artwork:  Fiona Staples’ artwork is as usual gorgeous to look at!  I just loved the way that Fiona Staples did the explosions and lasers in certain scene as they are breathtaking to look at and just jump out at you.  I also loved the way that Fiona Staples drew the different creatures that inhabited this universe as they look bizarre yet creative at the same time!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like strong language, there are some usages of the “f” and “s” words that are littered throughout this volume.  Also, there is some nudity in this volume (although not as much as previous volumes, which is saying something). So, if you do not like seeing (pardon my speech) penises or nipples, then you might want to skip over these scenes.  There are some gory scenes in this volume also, such as images of people’s heads getting blown up.  So that might unsettle some people who do not like gory violence in graphic novels.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Saga Volume Seven” is a truly FANTASTIC and TRAGIC volume that everyone who is a fan of Brian K. Vaughan’s famous “Saga” series should definitely check it out!  Now, I am off to check out the eighth volume in this series!

* 2017 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Graphic Novels and Comics

* 2017 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Continuing Series, Best Writer (for Brian K. Vaughan), Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team (for Fiona Staples) and Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers) (Fiona Staples)

You might also like: 

• Saga Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan

• Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan

• Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan

[BOOK REVIEW] This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Title:  This Savage Song

Author:  Victoria Schwab

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Year Published: 2016

Number of Pages:  427 pages

Date Read: 6/27/2018

Series: Monsters of Verity #1

Publisher:  Greenwillow Books

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Strong Language)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

“Monsters, monsters, big and small,
"They're gonna come and eat you all.
Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw,
Shadow and bone will eat you raw.
Malchai, Malchai, sharp and sly,
Smile and bite and drink you dry.
Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal,
Sing you a song and steal your soul.
Monsters, monsters, big and small,
They're gonna come and eat you all!” 

Now, I have been hearing so many good things about Victoria Schwab’s popular “Monsters of Verity” series and I just had to pick this series up as soon as possible!  So, the first book in the series is “This Savage Song” and it was so beautifully written by Victoria Schwab that I just immediately fell in love with this book!

The city of Verity is in the middle of a war between the monsters and the humans, as monsters such as the Corsai, Malchai and the Sunai, are plaguing the city with violence and death.  The humans, on the other hand, are trying to protect themselves against the monsters and are living every day in fear.  Overseeing the city of Verity is a man named Callum Harker, who is the most powerful man in the city and he promises to protect the humans against the monsters if they pay him for his help in taking down the monsters.  On the other side of the city, a man named Henry Flynn rules the part of the city that Harker has no control over and he also tries to protect the people of Verity from the monsters plaguing the city.  But, he is up against Harker and the two are at war with each other to see who will take over the city of Verity.  Kate Harker had just recently been kicked out of her most recent school for trying to set the building on fire and she returns to Verity to prove to her estranged father, Callum Harker, that she can be just as ruthless and merciless as him and has decided to attend Colton Academy to be closer to her father.

However, while at the academy, Kate encounters a shy and awkward boy named August Flynn, who is actually undercover by orders of Henry Flynn, to spy on Kate and see if they need to use her for leverage against Harker.  Also, August harbors a secret that Kate does not know about:  he is actually a Sunai, a monster that can suck out the souls of the people who have sinned and he uses his violin as a way to bring out the people’s souls so he can devour them.  In order to fit in the school, August must keep his true identity a secret from the other students, including Kate, who he slowly starts to develop a bond with.  In a city that is wrecked by war, August and Kate must find a way to survive in this war-torn town while trying to understand each other better.

Wow!  Double, DOUBLE wow!  I never would have thought that I would love this book so much when I read it for the first time!  Victoria Schwab’s writing was so beautiful and intense that I found myself being enthralled by the haunting yet amazing world that the story takes place in!  I loved the way that Victoria Schwab created the world of Verity as it is a truly frightening place, especially with the monsters constantly running amok the city and killing many innocent people without warning.  I liked the fact that this book can be really scary at times, especially during the scenes where August is having trouble controlling his powers and you cannot help but feel a sense of unease as you wonder if he will hurt Kate if his powers get out of control.  I liked the way that Victoria Schwab wrote all the characters in this book as each character is holding a dark secret that the reader does not know about until the very end of the book and Victoria Schwab does a great job at building up the mysteries surrounding each character.  Out of all the characters in this book that I enjoyed the most, they were, of course Kate and August themselves!   I liked the fact that Kate was an anti-hero in this story and that she was acting a bit ruthless throughout the story because it is rare to see the protagonist of the story be so ruthless, even when we found out that it is because she just wanted her father to notice her.  I also loved August as he is the opposite of Kate as he is actually polite and shy, in contrast to Kate’s more aggressive personality and the fact that he is struggling with controlling his monster side makes him into such an interesting character!  I especially loved the relationship between Kate and August as they are more like friends in this book than lovers as it is rare for me to read a book where the main protagonists are just friends and I enjoyed the bonding that Kate and August have once they get to know each other better.

For anyone who does not like strong language, there are a couple of words like the “f” word and the “s” word being thrown around in this book that might offend some readers.  Also, there is some gory violence in this book as characters are stabbed or cut up in a graphic manner that might be disturbing to some readers.

Overall, “This Savage Song” is a truly brilliant book about true friendship, music and horror that fans of these type of books will definitely enjoy!  Now, without a further ado, I am off to read the second book in the series “Our Dark Duet!”

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• Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• Shadow Game by Christine Feehan
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