The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds book 1)

The Darkest Minds book 1

“When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.” taken from Goodreads.com

This is one of those books that has been on my TBR list for the past five years. I knew that I wanted to start this series over the summer since book four as well as the movie is coming out later this summer. I picked this book up on a whim because I was without a new book when I just finished the last one but I had my phone with me. My question is, why did I wait so long to start this series? I was quickly sucked in.

The author was born and raised in Arizona but attended the College of William and Mary here in Virginia. I was fascinated by the fact that our main character Ruby is from Salem. I loved when Ruby and her companions traveled down I-81 from Harrisonburg to Roanoke before heading east, especially since it's in our backyard. I was mesmerized by Ruby's journey of self-discovery and attempting to overcome her fears about her psi ability. While the ending may be a be a bit cliched, of course, this is an older book so others probably used her idea, I still loved the book and I cannot wait to start the next book or to see the movie.

SPOILER ALERT! Stop! Don’t read any further if you don’t want the story ruined.

Never Fade book 2

“Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. 

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. 

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?” - taken from Goodreads.com

So much happened in this book after Liam and Ruby parted ways when she joined the League. New characters are introduced and old favorites are pulled back into Ruby story. Jaw-dropping revelations occur leaving readers waiting for the next book.

In the Afterlight book 3

“Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. 

They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids.

Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Ruby is reeling from the events that occurred at the end of book 2. Without spoiling what turned out to be an incredible and satisfying ending, I'm glad that I finally picked the series up off my TBR pile, just in time for the movie.

Through the Dark books 1.5, 2.5 & 3.5

This collection contains three novellas: In Time, Sparks Rise, and Beyond the Night.

IN TIME 

Gabe's life has been devastated in the wake of the economic crash. The only option left for someone like him to escape his tragic past is to leave his small town behind and to attempt to become a skiptracer. This already almost-impossible task is made all the more difficult by his first "score,"a young girl who won't speak, but who changes his life in ways he could never imagine. 

SPARKS RISE 

Sam didn't think things could get worse at Thurmand rehabilitation camp. Then the Reds arrive. Everyone assumed the kids with firepower had been killed years ago. Instead they were taken away, brainwashed, and returned as terrifyingly effective guards. To her horror, Sam recognizes one of them: Lucas, the one spark of light in Sam's dark childhood. Lucas has a deadly secret--he beat the brutal training that turned his fellow Reds into mindless drones. When Sam defends herself against an attack by a vile PSF guard and faces a harrowing punishment, Lucas must risk everything to save her. 

BEYOND THE NIGHT 

The government-run "rehabilitation camps" have been shut down, but kids with Psi powers are anything but free. Sam would rather be on her own than put in the care of a foster family and given the "cure"--a dangerous procedure that unclaimed kids across the country are being forced to undergo. But there's more at stake than just her own safety. Sam once made someone a promise, and the time has come to fulfill it. Now that she's out of her camp, Mia only has one thought in her head: finding Lucas, her beloved older brother. - taken from Goodreads.com

Visit Alexandra Bracken’s website.Visit The Darkest Minds website.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen 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.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first three books.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first three books.

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

“VICTORY COMES AT A PRICE.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive. “ - taken from Goodreads.com

I'm not really sure what to say about the enormous ending to Mare Barrow’s story without giving anything away. The majority of the 657 pages are told from Mare’s point of view but Evangeline Samos and Iris Cygnet also provide glimpses into the story as well. By the middle of the book, both Calore brothers, Cal and Maven and their thoughts chime in. I enjoyed the story even though it took me a while to find time to read it. At first, I was disappointed by the lack of closure. After thinking about one particular scene, my questions about our characters have doubled.

Although Goodreads lists a forthcoming short story collection, no other information is given. True fans will be hoping that Aveyard will wrap up a few of the loose ends and maybe provide a couple of backstories.

Visit Victoria Aveyard’s website.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air book 1)

“Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I haven't picked up a Holly Black book since I finished The Curse Workers trilogy. I don't know why I didn't pick up/listen to The Cruel Prince sooner. This book is fantastic and I enjoyed it even more than Black’s Modern Faerie Tales, a series that I loved. Jude is a mortal living in the Fae world with her identical twin sister. They were brought to Fae with their half-sister, whose father is the Fae King’s General. He killed her parents in front of her because the two of them left Fae behind and took a few secrets along. 

All Jude wants is to be a member of Fae society. She is willing to do almost anything to be accepted. Jude makes an alliance but she quickly finds herself in a dangerous world of deceit where her life is on the line. Without giving away too much, the twists and turns of the ending set up the action for the second book, The Wicked King, due out January 8, 2019.

Visit Holly Black’s website.

Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer (Wires and Nerves book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first books in the Lunar Chronicles, Stop! This graphic novel series takes place after the events in Winter and is the second volume in Iko’s adventures.

“Iko – an audacious android and best friend to the Lunar Queen Cinder – has been tasked with hunting down Alpha Lysander Steele, the leader of a rogue band of bioengineered wolf-soldiers who threaten to undo the tenuous peace agreement between Earth and Luna. Unless Cinder can reverse the mutations that were forced on them years before, Steele and his soldiers plan to satisfy their monstrous appetites with a massacre of the innocent people of Earth.

And to show he’s serious, Steele is taking hostages.

Cinder and Kai, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne, and Winter and Jacin all feature in this epic new battle. But it is Iko who must face her deepest fears when she uncovers the truth about her own unusual programming.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This concluding volume of the graphic novel wrap-up of The Lunar Chronicles was satisfying for fans of the series. Charged with stopping Alpha Steele’s wolf - soldiers from their rampage on Earth, Iko and Kinney are forced to work together. Every beloved major and minor character from the books has their “happily ever after”. I would love to see in the future a possible novella detailing a certain wedding just as a check in on what everyone is up to. Hate to see these characters go.

Visit Marissa Meyer’s website.

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller (Daughter of the Pirate King book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Daughter of the Pirate King, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

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

"Alosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father's justice.

When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen." - taken from Goodreads.com

I loved the Pirate King. It was a quick, witty, slow burn romance about a strong-willed female pirate. When I finally got my hands on the second book, I literally dived right in. Picking up immediately, this book was action packed and the steaks were higher as Alosa raced against her father to find the treasure of the sirens first. Levenseller delivered a heart-breaking but satisfying ending for fans.

Visit Tricia Levenseller’s website.

Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare (Ink, Iron, and Glass book 1)

“Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation by her mother—a noted scriptologist.

But when her home is attacked and her mother abducted, Elsa must cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative 19th-century Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of pazzerellones—young people with a gift for mechanics, alchemy or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and a tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Ink, Iron, and Glass is a unique steampunk story with an alternative history twist. Elsa lives in the “scripted” world of Veldana with her mother Jumi. Both mother and daughter are scriptologists, but they and the world they live in are scripted by a man named Montaigne. When Jumi is kidnapped, Elsa is forced to go to the real world to find her. There she finds that Montaigne is dead, his house is on fire, and the worldbook that contains Veldana is missing.

Elsa discovers a group of young adults who are gifted like herself, scriptologists machinists, or Alchemists, who helped her begin to search for her mother. With a rich world building plot, a slow-burning romance, and shocking reveals, fans will be initially heartbroken but clamoring for the next book in the series.

Book two, Mist, Metal, and Ash, is due out February 19, 2019.

Visit Gwendolyn Clare’s website.

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

“Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.

DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?” - taken from Goodreads.com

I absolutely loved this book. Told in an alternating points-of-view between Kit and David, the narrators in the audio version really brought the anguish, anger, and excitement to life. The author's research into Asperger Syndrome made David's actions and personality come to life. Kit is dealing with the accidental death of her father and its impact on the lives of her and her mother was heartbreakingly portrayed. With a slow building, emotional climax, readers will be rooting for Kit and David. A worthwhile read for most everyone.

Visit Julie Buxbaum’s website.