Book Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Title: The Power of Six

Series: Lorien Legacies #2

Author: Pittacus Lore

Published August 23rd 2011 by HarperCollins

Age: Young Adult

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

The Power of Six is the second book of the Lorien Legacies and follows the story exactly where I Am Number Four left us, with Four, Six and Sam escaping. Basically it's just them escaping and trying not to get caught by the police or the Mogadorians, while they discover more about their past and powers.

But this time it's not only Four the protagonist, but also Seven. She has a totally different life, but she's sure John Smith is one of them...the problem is convincing her cepan. Her only choice might be escaping before the Mogadorians find her...but what if other allies found her?

I really enjoyed reading Seven (Marina). Her life was much more interesting, or maybe I thought so because the only thing Four, Six and Sam where doing was running and getting caught in a love triangle-quartet that didn't seem to be important for the story and bored me.

But I still liked to discover more about Lorien, their past, their powers, Sam's father and even number Ten. It was a book full of action, fast paced, and the ending left me kind of surprised in a good way and wanting to read The Rise of Nine soon.

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Title: A Million Suns

Author: Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe #2

Release Date: January 10th 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Age: Young Adult

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.

Why did I wait so long to read A Million Suns!? It was on my bookshelf for months, and one day I was out of electricity for a few hours and decided to pick a book.

Wow! If I liked Across the Universe, I absolutely loved A Million Suns. It starts right at the middle of the mess, the people is getting crazy, revolution, lies, murder, and Amy and Elder trying to discover what's really wrong with Godspeed.

Desperation! That's the feeling of the book. I just wanted to punch a lot of the characters, even Elder sometimes. Amy seemed to be the only one sane, but of course she's a freak from the Earth, what does she knows?!

The amazing about this book is that I think people acted exactly like they would do in this situation. People tend to turn situations worse because of fear, instead of trying to think for a solution. Nobody was really into finding a way to get somewhere, only Amy and Elder. I enjoyed to see them working together and discovering the huge secrets from Godspeed.

Overall, if you are looking for an interesting and original series, Across the Universe if you for. And if you read Across the Universe and liked it, don't wait like me, read A Million Suns ASAP. And have Shades of Earth ready at your nightstand  because the end if a major cliffhanger!! I can't wait to read it but it will take me some time to get it from USA... ;(

More about this book at acrosstheuniversebook.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian

Series: Lux #1

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published: November 23rd 2011

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Obsidian has been on my radar for a while, and after so many good recommendations and a fantastic sale at Amazon, I couldn't resist.

Now I know why almost everyone liked this book. Katy, the protagonist, is a book blogger, which of course made me kind of like her from the start, but she's not the typical dumb girl (of course not, she's a reader!), and Daemon, even when he is the typical sexy mysterious boy next door, he's irresistible.

But in a way is very similar with other YA books: sexy paranormal boy, his family is also beautiful, her mom is never home and the protagonist is new at school. Also, she's pretty normal but of course the sexy boy thinks she's stunning.

Ignoring that details, I really liked the writing. It was what got me from the beginning. It was easy to read, and it turned interesting very fast. There were some hot scenes, but for me it just made the relationship more realistic. Also, the Aliens haven't been really explored yet, so it was fresh, the Lux are very interesting. I really liked their story besides Katy and Daemon's romance.

Overall, I read Obsidian very fast, it was fun and sexy, it was interesting from the beginning and I literally couldn't sleep until I finished it. Although it has many 'cliches', I still enjoyed it very much and recommend it.

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Across The Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across The Universe

Author: Beth Revis

Series: Across The Universe #1

Release Date: January 11th 2011

Publisher: Razorbill

Age: Young Adult

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Across the Universe was on my wishlist since I discovered last year. The cover is amazing and the summary interesting. I was so glad I finally read it. Not even in my wildest dreams I imagined this book would be so original.

Amy is seventeen years old and frozen for 300 years in a spaceship, until they reach the new planet in Godspeed. But suddenly, she's unfrozen and wakes up in a totally different spaceship. One full of weird people.

Elder is the future leader of Godspeed. Since the Plague, that almost killed everyone in the space, there is a leader who decide everything that happens in the ship. He's young, naive, and believe everything the present Eldest teaches him until he discovers Amy and the rest of the frozen people.

Can you imagine living at a spaceship? Could you do it, knowing that you'll die without seeing the sky, the stars, and whatever it's waiting at the new planet? People at Godspeed have been living that way since they were born inside the spaceship, but how can they do it? How they don't feel desperate?

Amy, who lived in Earth, can't believe how people is living inside this spaceship. But soon she discovers that things aren't as they should be. There are new rules, and nobody seems to think those rules are wrong.

Across the Universe is definitely an original story. I'm not a fan of sci-fi but I'm totally starting to like this genre. And I absolutely loved the author's writing. I really felt as Amy, trapped in this spaceship. It helped that I'm kind of claustrophobic and I read the book while flying for 8 hours at a plane, but least I could see the sky...

I always like romance in my books. Across the Universe has a little bit of romance, but I was fine with that. I don't like instant love and the characters were having a bad time at the spaceship. It wouldn't have been realistic.

Overall, I really loved this book. I'm not a reader of science fiction, and I thought it was amazing and original. You should read it, specially if you're looking for something different as sci-fi. I can't wait until the next book, A Million Suns, which comes out next year.

More about this book at acrosstheuniversebook.com, bethrevis.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Title: I Am Number Four

Author: Pittacus Lore

Series: Lorien Legacies #1

Release Date: August 3rd, 2010

Publisher: HarperCollins

Age: Young Adult

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.

I AM NEXT.

I Am Number Four is one of those books that I've read so much about it that I didn't want to read it, specially because of the author thing. But anyway, I was curious and decided to read it, and here is my review...

Number Four is an alien. His planet was destroyed and he was sent to Earth. But, the same people who destroyed his planet are here on earth, and they are looking for him.

Four is a 15 years old boy, who is used to live hidden and running. Every time something weird happens, he and his guardian escapes. It's a boring life until they reach Paradise, a small town.  

I Am Number Four is a interesting story. The aliens from Lorien are practically extinct, and the few who reached earth are lost or dead. Everyone of them has a power, and just now number four is developing his first.

Number Four, or John, is a pretty common boy...except that he's an alien. He's the typical 15 years old guy, bored and without any interest until he met Sarah, the beautiful girl, and Sam, the geek/aliens lover guy.

At the beginning the writing was slow, because John explains everything about Lorien, their powers, etc. But at the middle of the book there is more action, because the bad aliens found John, and everything turns into chaos.

I liked the characters and though the story was original, but the book didn't grab me as others. I liked it and read it pretty fast, but I think the characters could have been deeper and the story had more to tell. Although, I accept that my perception of the book is tainted with everything I read before about the author. For example, my mother read it and loved it, and she doesn't even like young adult books!

Overall, I Am Number Four is a book I liked enough to read the next one, called The Power of Six, which is going to be released August 23, 2011. I recommend it to everyone who likes sci/fi, it's an interesting book and a story that promise more action.

More about this book at iamnumberfourfans.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Release Date: May 6th, 2008

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Pages: 619

Age: Young Adult

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOSTis a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

I think I was the last person in the planet to read The Host, hehe. The truth is: I wasn't going to read it. When it was first published I was interested in the book, but with all the Twilight stuff, I decided not to read it. It was a good choice, because just a couple of weeks ago my boyfriend surprised me with the book and I could read it without hearing the other people's opinions. I heard thousand of times that it was bad, but I did like it and a lot.

Wanderer is a "soul", an alien who came to the earth to use a human body. Melanie's human body, one of the last survivors. Wanderer has lived many lives, but Melanie is strong and young, and she's isn't going to surrender.

At first I thought it was going to be Melanie's story, but it was Wanderer's story. She's old, but at the same time young. She didn't have much of a personality, but while she spent more time at earth, and Melanie starts to make her life impossible, she began to change, to become someone.

It's worse for Melanie. She's trapped, can't use her body, and has to protect her biggest secret, the life of her lover and brother. But Wanderer discovers it, and she's so confused, that she doesn't know if she should tell the other aliens or help Melanie.

After a long trip and almost dying, Wanderer and Melanie discover that not all the humans have disappear.

I don't want to give spoilers in case some of you haven't read it, but I can tell you that it's impossible to ignore Stephenie Meyer's writing. She created an interesting science fiction story that trapped me.

It's a long book, and the first chapters were very slow, only explaining about the aliens and the new earth, but they were interesting enough so I kept reading. It's not a book full of action or fast, it's more about character's feeling and of course, romance.

Wanderer's stories, and the universe Stephenie Meyer created, was what I liked more. Very original, I felt very fast under Wanderer's charm. But it made me think about how awful would it be if aliens invaded earth (specially for me since I'm afraid of them) and how horrible it's not to be the owner of your own body.

Overall, I was very surprised about The Host. Sometimes it was too slow for me, but I was very curious so I kept reading it. At the end, I can't believe I waited so long to read it and I can't wait to read "The Soul", the next one in the series.

PS: The only thing I didn't like was Jared. He was too voilent for my taste. I prefer Ian.

More about this book at www.stepheniemeyer.com, www.thehostnovel.com, Goodreads, Amazon.

Review: Out of Time by Monique Martin

Title: Out of Time

Author: Monique Martin

Release Date: February 2nd, 2010

New York in the 1920's is the world of Prohibition, speakeasies and an underground run by the underworld. Vampires and mobsters vie for power in the seedy underbelly of Manhattan.

A mysterious accident sends Professor Simon Cross and his assistant, Elizabeth West back in time to face demons real and imagined.

Simon Cross has spent his life searching for vampires and now that he’s found one, it just might take from him the only woman he’s ever loved. Simon’s life has been a ritual of research into the occult and stoic solitude. He prefers it that way. Until he meets Elizabeth West.

A gambler’s daughter, Elizabeth knows a bluff when she sees one. Behind Simon’s icy glares and nearly impenetrable armor beats the heart of a man in desperate need of love.

Trials of murder, intrigue and danger push Simon and Elizabeth to the edge of sanity.

Out of Time is an award-winning tale of love and redemption.

Out of Time is the story about Professor Cross and his assistant, Elizabeth. Both of them are interested in the other, but their work is between them. One day, when Simon receives an old watch from his grandfather, everything change. Suddenly, they aren't at his house, but an alley that looks strangely from the past.

When they find themselves alone in the past, where society is very different and without any money, the have to create a plan to survive until they can come back.

Elizabeth is a strong but also naive young woman. She is Professor Cross' assistant, and she's secretly in love with him. She's spontaneous and fun, very different from Simon. Simon is very serious and solitary. He likes Elizabeth, but she's young and his student, so he can't have her.

The characters of this book were beautifully created. Not only the protagonists, but their friends and enemies, have their own personalities and all of them are described until you know every important detail about their lives.

Also, it's difficult to find a book with so much plot on it, without becoming excessive. Maybe it was because as I read it, I felt as if I could divide this book in two. The first part is mainly focused on Elizabeth and Simon's relationship. The sexual tension between them is so strong and tangible, I felt as if I was in the same room with them. Their looks, expressions, words...everything they did was because/for the other. Having them share a room and a bed wasn't easy, specially when they wanted to keep their barriers so much.

The second part of the book is more focused on the paranormal. The vampires starts to show, and the time travel issue became more important.. It's strange to combine these two, but the author manages to make it work.

Sometimes I felt as if the story was moving a little bit slow, but still liked it. Specially at the last chapters, because I wasn't expecting some of the things that happened and I always like turns in the stories.

Overall, it's a great book. I recommend it if you are looking for a sweet romance story combined with paranormal and science-fiction.

More about this book at moniquemartin.weebly.com, Goodreads, Amazon UK, Amazon.