Best Book of August 2013

 Many thanks to YA Highway for the idea to post the best book that I read each month.  Last year upon deciding to stop participating it Road Trip Wednesday, I decided that I still wanted to post the best book that I read each month.

Best Book of August 2013

When it comes to deciding the best book of August, I am going to have to name A Million Suns & Shades of Earth. Normally, when I read a book series, I have a favorite, but I honestly cannot pick a favorite when it comes to the Across The Universe trilogy. That is why I have both A Million Suns & Shades of Earth listed here (I read Across the Universe in July). I absolutely love Elder and Amy. They are both very lovable characters. I also love how this series combines science fiction, romance, and mystery all into one epic story. In it Beth Revis was able to create a world and plot that is so unique and completely fascinating. This entire series is downright amazing and I highly recommend it to all YA fans especially if those who like science fiction and/or mystery.

Book Review: Shades of Earth

Shades of Earth 

"Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing. FUELED BY LIES. RULED BY CHAOS. ALMOST HOME."

Author: Beth Revis

Year of Release: 2013

Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: Science Fiction
Sequel(s): none, last in the series

Prequel(s): Across the Universe, A Million Suns, & As They Slip Away (a novella)

What motivated you to read this book?: Well, I had to find out what happens to my beloved Elder & Amy
Book Version: Hardback
Where did you get the book?: The library system I work in
Favorite Character: Elder 

Other noteworthy characters: Amy Martin, Emma Bledsoe, Maria Martin (Amy's mother)

Thoughts on Cover: I definitely prefer the original covers a lot more, but after reading why the publisher changed the covers on Beth Revis's website, I understand that they were trying to appeal to a wider audience. It's interesting to know that they were trying to appeal to SciFi fans considering that I thought the original covers were perfect SciFi covers. This cover reminds me of the Maze Runner series and all SciFi books in a series that all have similar covers but with a different color background. Boring! Oh, well. The story is still the same regardless.

Recommended to: Science Fiction fans & those who enjoyed Inside Out & Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Warning: There are some vague spoilers in this review

Review: Beth Revis has done it again! Shades of Earth ended this phenomenal series with a bang! She was able to keep the same characters who have grown and developed throughout the first two novels and put them in a completely new setting-Centauri-Earth. Not only that, but she has been able to create another wonderful story that ties mystery, science fiction, and my favorite, romance.

As always, I loved Elder in this novel. I liked him since the beginning of Across the Universe and I still love him. I just adore his kindness, selflessness, bravery, and ability to lead others despite being so young. I definitely felt bad for him though during certain parts of the beginning of the book. He will definitely be the character I miss the most now that I have completed the series.

I liked Amy as well. Of course, there were parts where I was annoyed with her. However, I assumed she would do certain things, but she proved me wrong, fortunately. I admire her determination and willingness to help those from Godspeed.

The mystery aspect of this story definitely seemed different from the mystery element of the previous two books. In the previous books, the reader knows that the bad guy is one of the passengers on the ship, but in Shades, the reader doesn't know who or what the monsters on Centauri-Earth are. I made a prediction and it was somewhat correct, but I never would have predicted the details behind my prediction!!

Like in Across the Universe and A Million Suns, Shades of Earth's plot was quite intense and made the book very hard to put down. There was seriously not a dull moment in the entire book. It jumped quickly from one scene to the next. I liked that a lot. There was also quite a surprise at the end of the book that I never thought would happen in this series, but I pretty content with how the series concluded. It could have had a few more chapters, afterwards, but then again, that would probably be unnecessary. I like how it ended focusing on Elder's and Amy's relationship. I also like how Beth concluded it in a way that makes it a satisfying ending, but also in a way that if she ever decided to write more, it wouldn't seem phony or fake.

Overall, I have been very pleased with this entire series!! I would definitely recommend it to any YA readers!! Brilliant read and if Beth Revis ever releases another book/series, I will definitely read it! Now, I'm just upset that it's all over, and that there are no more books or any opportunities to explore the universe with Elder and Amy.

Book Review: A Million Suns

A Million Suns

"Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. 

It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceshipGodspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship."

Author: Beth Revis

Year of Release: 2012
Genre: Science Fiction
Sequel(s): Shades of the Earth

Prequel(s): Across the Universe & As They Slip Away (a novella)

What motivated you to read this book?: I loved Across the Universe, and started reading this book the day I finished reading Across the Universe, because I loved it so much!
Book Version: Hardback
Where did you get the book?: The library I work at
Favorite Character: Elder or Amy

Least Favorite Character: Luther, most likely, although there were other characters I didn't like

Thoughts on Cover: I really like it. It's perfect. The coloring is great with all the stars and planets! Plus, I love how it shows Elder & Amy holding hands without showing their faces! So pretty! This is how a cover should be done!

Recommended to: Science Fiction fans & those who enjoyed Inside Out & Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Warning: There are some spoilers in this review! There are also Across The Universe spoilers in it!

Review: Stunning!! Love it just as much as Across the Universe, maybe even more! It is a fantastic sequel. I absolutely love science fiction and this book did not disappoint in that category. I also found myself loving the mystery aspect as well. I haven't read a mystery book since I was a kid, but now after reading A Million Suns and Across the Universe, I might actually consider reading it again!

The two protagonists, Elder and Amy are great! I love how they were the same people that they were in the first book, but have grown so much. I enjoyed seeing Elder in charge of Godspeed rather than Eldest, but I definitely felt horrible for him when he was having such immense problems with the protests and riots! I really admired him for not giving up and for doing what he thought was best for the ship! I also really liked Amy as well. She definitely has grown and changed a lot. I didn't like though that she kept keeping a few things from Elder that she should have told him about in the last book, but I am glad that she did in the end. I also didn't like how she seemed so stubborn about getting one thing that she wanted at the end, but I guess that's because I sided with Elder on the issue. With my complaints aside, I really do like her. I admire her determination on figuring things out and how she's so smart in doing so!

I also love the romance element in the story. It's not like romance in other novels at all, when two characters meet then they fall in love with each other almost right away. This series is not like that at all. It's much more realistic and not rushed at all. I liked that. It made me enjoy the romance even more once it finally happened. It was nice seeing the growing fondness that Amy had for Elder. Elder obviously liked her immediately, but her feelings for him gradually evolved. I like how their friendship slowly turned into something more. I also like how patient Elder was while waiting for her to figure out how she feels.

The story itself was great! It was very fast paced. I could hardly put it down! One exciting event happens and then almost immediately another exciting event happens! It was great! And although I predicted most of what would happen (no major surprises, at least not for me, but I could just be a lucky guesser. Well, there was one part that kind of surprised me.), but I still enjoyed finding out if my predictions were correct.

Overall, I thought this novel was phenomenal and I would definitely recommend it!

Book Review: Across the Universe

Across The Universe

"Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceshipGodspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense.Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again."

Author: Beth Revis

Year of Release: 2011
Genre: Science Fiction
Sequel(s): A Million Suns & Shades of the Earth

Prequel(s): As They Slip Away (a novella)

What motivated you to read this book?: I honestly cannot remember the first time I saw this book, it's been a long time, but when I read about it, I thought it seemed very interesting. The trailer also looked fascinating! I love science fiction and knew I had to read it. I really wish I had read it sooner though!
Book Version: Paperback
Where did you get the book?: The library I work at
Favorite Character: Elder

Other noteworthy characters: Harley & Amy Martin
Least Favorite Character: Eldest

Thoughts on Cover: This was the cover of the version of the book that I read. I prefer the orginial(?) cover much more than this one. This one would have been better if it didn't look fake. You can tell that the girl in the bubble window obviously isn't really looking out a bubble window. You can tell that it's photoshopped. Again, I almost always hate it when people are on the cover of books and you can see their faces clearly. The original(?) cover is much more fasciniating than this one. I finally understood the two face thing after reading the book!

Recommended to: Science Fiction fans & those who enjoyed Inside Out & Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Review: I loved this book!! This book is the definition of science fiction, and science fiction is my favorite genre! I was truly impressed with the entire idea of freezing people from earth and putting them in chambers in the ship that will keep them frozen and alive for 300 years until they land on the new planet. The concept was very unique and eerie. I was also truly surprised with the world that developed overtime on the ship. All the people on the ship are human, but they are completely different from the humans on earth and their society seems completely out of the ordinary. I was fascinated that the society was an attempt to be a utopia and yet there were so many things completely wrong with it.

The characters were very interesting too. Amy was one of the frozen people on the ship and she was mysteriously awaken approximately 50 years early. Nobody knows who woke her or why. She now has to live on the ship in with a messed up society and she feels as though she does not belong for many different reasons. She is definitely a likable character. I admire her love that she had for her parents, and her willingness to sacrifice her life on earth to be with them. I also pity her. I couldn't imagine giving up my entire life for a whole new world to only be vastly disappointed when woken up early and being told that I couldn't be frozen again and that my parents shouldn't be woken up because they are essential to the mission.

I also liked Elder. He is the youngest person on the ship before Amy wakes and yet he is next in line to rule all the people on the ship. Eldest, the current ruler, is attempting to train and prepare Elder for when he will have to rule, but Elder does not always agree with everything Eldest does, particularly the lying part, and I loved how he was so stubborn and does not always listen to what Eldest tells him to do. Harley was also a likable character. He is several years older than Elder and yet he seems to have an air about him that makes him seem younger than Elder, like a child almost. He was very humorous and likable.

I really, really loved this book! This book is fantastic! The story was a bit slow at first, but not so slow that I got bored, and it definitely seemed as though there was only one thing going on for a bit, but I am not complaining. A few of my guesses of what happened/was going to happen next were correct, but I guess I'm just a good guesser! A lot of it was actually a surprise that I never would have been to guess.  Read it! You won't regret it! I even started reading the sequel just hours after finishing this book.

Stacking the Shelves (#2)

Stacking the Shelves is a book blog meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where book bloggers post about the new books they have acquired throughout the week either digitally or hard copy. It can be books that you have borrowed from a friend, got at a library, purchased online or in a store, etc!

Here are the books I have acquired this week!

Borrowed from Library

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I decided to try out more realistic fiction/contemporary fiction novels after reading & loving The Fault in Our Stars. The author of TFiOS, John Green, even recommended this book himself, so I'm going to try it out. Plus, it occurs in the 1980's! I love the 80's even though it was before my time.

Pulse by Patrick Carman

The cover. People say never judge a book by it's cover, but I'm judging. In a good way. Oh my goodness. It reminds of the Divergent covers with a central image in the sky above a city. Let's hope the story itself is just as amazing as the cover!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I've been meaning to read this book for awhile & it will probably be the next book that I read after I finish the current book that I'm on! The story sounds so unique and original. Plus the cover is very stunning!

If you read any of these, please be considerate and do not post any spoilers in the comments!!! Thanks!!