Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (Arc of the Scythe book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Scythe, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite stories for you.

“Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the second novel of the chilling New York Times bestselling series from Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?” - taken from Goodreads.com

I held off reading/listening to Scythe for several months after it came out, but I was glad that I did. The wait for Thunderhead was only a couple of months off and the title of this book really foreshadowed the storyline. What wicked plot twists did the story man, aka Neal Schusterman himself weave. With the introduction of Grayson Tolliver, the reader is able to experience more aspects of society under the Thunderhead.

Citra is now Junior Scythe Anastasia under Scythe Marie Curie while Rowan is on the run as Scythe Lucifer. With enemies both known and a mystery, neither is safe from death. I will say no more so as not to spoil all the greatness that Thunderhead is. There were several  jaw dropping moments in the final chapters of the book. Our story ends in a definite cliffhanger.

Rowan and Citra’s story will conclude with book three, The Toll (more ominous foreshadowing) is expected in 2019.

Visit Neal Shusterman’s website.

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me book 4)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three books in the series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first two books.

Check out Epic Reads if you need a recap of the series.

“Juliette Ferrars thought she'd won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she's still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she's got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Sixteen days have passed since the events in Ignite Me. Juliet killed Anderson and has named herself Supreme Commander. She is trying to come to grips with her new position and all of the responsibilities that come with it. She is anxiously waiting to see who will come forward to challenge, but so far no one has. Everyone seems to be playing along and it has Juliette on edge.

Juliette and Warner have been in a relationship just two days longer than Anderson's death. Juliette has never asked Warner about his past and he has never found the right time to talk with her. Honestly, he is afraid that exposing his past and the history of The Reestablishment will cause her to leave and he doesn't want to lose her love. Even though his father was cruel, Warner is still grief-stricken and struggling to come to grips that he now has two half-brothers.

When the first visitor from another continent arrives, Juliette is determined to handle everything on her own despite Castle’s pleas to include Warner. Warner stays out of it and Juliette handles things on her own. Castle realizes that Warner's father never told him the truth about Juliette. Secrets that Warner knew and lots more that he didn't are revealed to Juliette. Her world is turned upside down at the exact moment she doesn't need the upheaval.

What does Juliet learn about her past? What secrets did Warner keep from her? Will she find a way to get past his betrayal? Can she survive as a supreme commander? Why are the children of the other Supreme Commanders coming to Sector 45?

Book four is expected to be published in 2019.

Visit Tahereh Mafi’s website.

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (The Illuminae Files book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Illuminae and Gemina, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.
Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the second book.

“Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? 

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.” taken from Goodreads.com

When I found the first book in The Illuminae Files I didn’t think I would like the book. I am a straight up prose reader and at first, I didn’t think I could get into the dossier format of the book. But the initial exchange of the Kerenza attack by Kady Grant sucked me in. In Obsidio, two more main characters are introduced, Asha Grant and Rhys Lindstrom, bringing the total to seven. Even though we don’t get to know these two new figures as well as the others, they still play an integral part of the overall story. 

As we learned at the end of Gemina who is behind the files and why here we see how everything comes together. With an impressing and satisfying conclusion, this series ranks as one of my all-time favorites. In the acknowledgments, the authors announce their next joint series, The Andromeda Cycle!

I also keep hearing how entertaining the audio versions of the books are that I have already bought the first one to listen to. 

Visit Amie Kaufman’s website.

Visit Jay Kristoff’s website.

Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

“Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

This is the first in a set of three standalone books with crossover characters.” - taken from Goodreads.com 

Abby Turner's plans are turned upside down when two of her friend foursome will be gone for the summer. She is left with her best friend Cooper, who happens to be her unrequited crush. When Cooper gets a new girlfriend, her mom's anxiety disorder worsens, and her artwork is turned down for a show, Abby decided to take matters into her own hands. She makes a list of things to do to emotionally grow so that it will show in her paintings and hopefully get her into the show.

Coercing Cooper into helping her with her list, Abby decides that maybe she can find the courage to admit her feelings for him. The romance was incredibly slow as a Bee grows emotionally not my normal a quick Kasie West read but the ending of this book really paid off.

With this book the first in a trio of crossover stories, I cannot wait to see who pops up in the next title.

Visit Kasie West’s website.

A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole (Faloiv book 1)

“Octavia has only ever had one goal: to follow in the footsteps of her parents and become a prestigious whitecoat, one of the scientists who study the natural wonders of Faloiv. The secrets of the jungle’s exotic plants and animals are protected fiercely in the labs by the Council of N’Terra, so when the rules suddenly change, allowing students inside, Octavia should be overjoyed.

But something isn’t right. The newly elected leader of the Council has some extremist views about the way he believes N’Terra should be run, and he’s influencing others to follow him. When Octavia witnesses one of the Faloii—the indigenous people of Faloiv—attacked in front of her in the dark of night, she knows the Council is hiding something. They are living in separate worlds on a shared planet, and their fragile peace may soon turn into an all-out war.

With the help of Rondo, a quiet boy in class with a skill for hacking, and her inquisitive best friend, Alma, Octavia is set on a collision course to discover the secrets behind the history she’s been taught, the science she’s lived by, and the truth about her family.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Octavia English is the daughter of two zoologists living on the planet of N’Terra. Before she was born, her family and others were forced to leave their dying origin plant. The group had to land early because of mechanical problems with their ship. The natives called the Falovi have allowed the settlers to stay but no one has seen them since. With the election of Dr. Albatur as the head of the council, Octavia’s parents are at odds with each other. Not only are secrets being kept between her parents but Octavia has no idea what is really going on.

While visiting the Beak (Aviary), a philax a large red bird escapes but is quickly recaptured. After making eye contact with the philax, Octavia somehow connects with it and passes out when the bird is tranquilized. Here is just the beginning of a mystery that only goes deeper, not only about N.Terra but about Octavia herself as she experiences and knows things about the planet that she shouldn't. It's not long before Octavia realizes that her mother is hiding something very important about her daughter.

With the help of her internship friends at the Zoo, Octavia slowly begins to unravel the secrets that surround her and the planet. That last sentence was a killer. A second book is expected to follow.

Visit Olivia Cole’s website.