Review: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada (2017)
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Length: 425 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: The Library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
My Rating: 

Goodreads Synopsis: Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius. That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own. When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race. Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

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My Review

Review in a Tweet: This Mortal Coil is a page-turning, science heavy, zombiesque-level apocalypse novel. Catarina is an intelligent hacker. When her father dies he takes the cure to the plague, where the infected explode and infect everyone in its path, with him. Catarina is the world's last hope.

Opening Line: "It's sunset, and the sky is aflame, not with clouds or dust, but with the iridescent feathers of a million genehacked passenger pigeons."

I am a sucker for any kind of survival story so I just knew I had to give this book a try. I was fortunate enough to meet the author last year, and she was very sweet, further cementing my need to read this book. Although there is A LOT of science talk in this book, making it more science-fiction than survival story and not always my cup of tea, I really enjoyed it. However, I am going to have to keep this review short to be able to keep it spoiler free.

Catarina is a very complex main character. After her father is forced to work for Cartaxus to help end the plague, Catarina must survive for two years all on her own. Cole, the soldier sent to protect her while she finds the cure, is just an okay character. I didn't love him and I didn't hate him, but I did find him interesting. Although Catarina doesn't trust him, she can't help but feel something for the guy helping her with her mission.

Let me give a quick run-down of what I thought of the plot. The details of the plague are unique, and since it is rapidly evolving, I felt the same rush/need the characters had to find the cure, making for a quick read. Although at times predictable, there were still a few twists I didn't see coming!

The Bottom Line: Give This Mortal Coil a read the next time you are in the mood for a sci-fi/survival/dystopian/romance fast-paced read.

If you liked This Mortal Coil then try:

ARC Review: Gemina by Kaufman & Kristoff

Gemina (#2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Oct. 18, 2016)
659 pages
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: I received an ARC at BEA. A big huge thanks to the publisher!
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

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My Review

OH. MY. GOD. Gemina was just as good as Illuminea. It was just as epic. It was just as amazing. 

I honestly don't know how to review this book without revealing too much. I will say that the unique formatting worked so well again and was a lot of fun to read. The new characters are just as interesting and charming as the ones from the first book. There is a lot of action, some horror, a little bit of romance, and some great surprises! I felt like the basic plot of the book was a little too similar to the first book, but that is my only complaint. So here is a look at my reading progress from goodreads. 

The Verdict: This book gave me all the feels. Go forth and read it! You don't have to wait long anymore. Gemina hits shelves tomorrow!

Review: Alienated by: Melissa Landers

Alienated (#1) by: Melissa Landers (Feb. 2014)

344 Pages

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi/Romance

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

My Review

Alienated isn’t a hardcore science fiction novel, it’s a full blown absolutely adorable romance novel.

What I Liked

• Dual POVs – I love getting the main male and female point of views in romance novels.

• The Giggles – I giggled so much throughout this novel, and no not laugh, giggle.

• It’s New – The idea of an alien exchange student seems pretty original to me, sure it’s a forbidden love which isn’t so original, but it has a good enough spin on it to make it worth your while. It isn't just light and fluffy it also touches on some tough subjects.

• The Hottest Kissing Scene Ever – I have never read a better makeout scene in my life, not even in adult book I don’t think. This one made me blush and cheer. Swoon.

• I was never bored and I actually liked the flurry of action near the end of the novel.

• The Characters – Cara, very fierece blogger, and Aelyx, the very confused alien, are great characters. Don’t worry the minor characters are good too, although kind of annoying stereotypical ones.

• The Feelings – I had so many feelings while reading from love to hatred (seriously, the prejudice these people have against aliens make me very pissed off).

What I Didn’t Like

• The Ending – That escalated quickly. The ending seemed very typical for a young adult novel. When I thought it would end differently, or I guess I should say hoped, it ended up taking a turn for the unoriginal. 

• It's a little too cheesy at times.

• The Lack of Sci-Fi Stuff – I’m not even a big fan of science fiction, but they could have went into a little more detail about the aliens and their planet, but on the other hand I’m pretty sure a good chunk of the sequel will focus on that. Also, I kind of liked that it was simple. It made for a pretty quick read.

• It Was Missing the IT Factor – Even though I obviously adored this novel, it was still missing something that would have made it a five star read for me. Maybe not enough action? I’m not sure. It could have totally just been the ending, but since I can’t put my finger on it I guess I will never truly know.

Bottom Line: Alienated is the prefect book to choose if you want to sit back and enjoy an adorable non-insta-love relationship between an alien and a human this summer.

Review: Control by: Lydia Kang

Control (#1) by: Lydia Kang Dec. 2013)

400 pages

Genre: YA/Sci-Fi/Dystopian

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: An un-putdownable thriller for fans of Uglies

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

My Review

Control is unique, fun, at times intense and funny, and definitely weird. Now hold tight and try to follow my somewhat rambling review of Control's quirks.

Zel is a main character that may be a little frustrating, but not only grows on you but grows up a lot and really starts becoming more brave and strong and confident throughout the novel. I still hate that at times Zel is so down on how she looks and she is overly cruel about her sister's beauty with a little bit of slut-shaming, but I also think this shows how important it is to love yourself in its own backwards way. Her sister, Dyl, is her opposite in many ways although the reader doesn't get a lot of time with Dyl since she was kidnapped. The other very weird characters (the other teens with unique qualities such as extra arms and other different things) are complex are not ones to be easily forgotten. Although they come off cold at first they grow on you and are very interesting. I was worried that reading about these teens with  the very bizarre attributes would be too weird for me, but it wasn’t and actually shines light on the fact that no matter how different we may be we are all still just human beings and all still deserve to be treated as such.

The story takes place in 2150 and shines a very interesting light on what the world would be like in the future, and is somewhat believable as well. The story is unique, but there are also a good amount of basic plot devises that were used making it predictable at times. The main thing I didn’t enjoy about Control was that for a small chunk of the book I thought the plot didn’t really move forward, and I got just a tiny bit bored, answers were not being given and I was getting frustrated. Luckily it didn't last long. I did enjoy the science stuff in this book, the DNA mutations, the automatic riding pods, the crazy drugs, and all the other crazy stuff.

I’m thinking those of you who like X-Men would like Control. It was a solid book and I plan on reading the sequel.

The Bookish Report

Here are all of the top bookish stories, blog posts, pictures, and videos I found this past week. I put this post up every Sunday so come back again next week for more bookish awesomeness. 

Click away and enjoy your Sunday!

News

These Broken Stars is going to be hitting the small screen.  This book just came out last month and I haven't even read it yet, and already it is being made into a television show. I feel like everything lately is based off of books. I love it and yet it makes me nervous.

As an English major myself I found this list of 16 signs that you were an English major spot on. 

I'm not a big science fiction fan when it comes to books and I'm not sure why. I have no problem watching science fiction movies or television shows (although I only watch a select few). I guess I'm just nervous because sometimes things are just a little too weird for me in science fiction books. Either way, instead of continuing to read my ramblings, you should read this post Your'e a Sci-Fan and You Don't Even Know It.

What if Voldemort had defeated Harry Potter in their climatic battle?

Blog Posts

If you are a writer or know someone that is then you really should read The Sweet Bookshelf's post about how to properly be a writer's friend. It has some good advice on there.

I have the perfect post for you to read if you are in the mood for a laugh. Stop by Book Love so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy her Funny Friday post.

The Novel Hermit has started a new feature on her blog all about different types of fonts. It is interesting and worth a peek.

Video

The first look of Outlander is here! (I know another book to t.v. adaptation, but I guess I'm a sucker.)

Review: 3:59 by: Gretchen McNeil

3:59 by: Gretchen McNeil (Sept. 2013)

368 pages

Genre: YA/Sci-Fi

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her
boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.

Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.
Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo.

Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.

By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

From master of suspense Gretchen McNeil comes a riveting and deliciously eerie story about the lives we wish we had – and how they just might kill you.

My Review

     

I picked up this book because I enjoyed Gretchen McNeil’s book Ten and because I like parallel universes. Although I didn’t enjoy 3:59 as much as her other book it was still an interesting, creepy, and cute read. To make this review easier to follow I’m going to break down what I did and didn’t like about it.

What I Liked

• The very scary shadowy creatures that should only be in your nightmares that McNeil did an amazing job at describing to make your skin crawl.
• The main character Josie does grow and change throughout the story. Not to mention that all the minor characters are pretty interesting as well.
• The ending may not be the most surprising or the best, but I liked that it was unique.
• A few small tidbits dealing with the parallel universes were very interesting.
• I enjoyed the comic relief since it was a kind of dark story.

What I Didn't Like

• This book seemed a little too high school for me. There was a lot of drama.
• It was a little too easy to predict. There were not any real surprises making me somewhat bored at times.
• It seemed a little repetitive to me, when dealing with the drama, and the science and what not.

Should You Read It?

Sure, why not? The book was still engrossing for the most part despite its small flaws. If you like Gretchen McNeil then you will probably enjoy this book from her as well. 

RATING 3.5/5 

Review: The Contaminants by: Devin K. Smyth

The Contaminants (#1) by: Devin K. Smyth (2013)

155 pages

Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi

Source: I received a free copy from the author for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: When America attempts to "purify" earth to maintain its own dominance, it sparks a worldwide nuclear holocaust. Teen friends Jessil and Soraj are among the few survivors. They escaped on a cruiser that now orbits the planet and is designed to help regenerate the earth's ecosystem. Soraj’s father leads the regeneration process and is hopeful that he can salvage a region in North America for the cruiser’s return.

But when Jessil discovers a message indicating her own father may have survived the holocaust back on earth, she’s determined to rescue him immediately with Soraj's aid. Can they succeed even though the planet they return to is very different from the one they left—and that their success could mean failure for the regeneration process?

My Review

I was finding it hard to write a review for The Contaminants and I’m not sure why. It was a pretty good book but I’m thinking it was just a little too crazy for me. So here is a breakdown of the different parts of the book and what I thought of them.

Setting: Part of the story takes place on a cruiser in space and the other part takes place back on Earth after a worldwide nuclear holocaust. The descriptions in this book were very well done. The setting was unique and complex. I loved reading about the space cruiser where the few people that escaped Earth resided and how it was falling apart and yet was originally built to be something amazing. The descriptions of the desolate Earth were also great. Smyth did a good job at painting the reader a vivid picture of what the new barely inhabited, except for some strange and crazy creatures, Earth looked like.

Characters: There are two POVs in this book. One is from Jessil, a teenage girl who boards the cruiser at the last minute while her father gets left behind on earth, and Soraj, a young man who is a geek and has an overly strict father. I enjoyed reading the story from Jessil’s point of view the most. She had the perfect female teenage voice and it just worked. When Soraj was narrating I felt more disconnected and didn’t really like his tone. It just seemed off. I wasn't a fan.

Plot: I would say that The Contaminants is a hard core science fiction novel for young adults. The plot was fast paced and well thought out. There were a couple of minor plot holes/unanswered questions that I picked up on while reading but nothing major. The main problem I have with the plot is how crazy it is and just way too unbelievable for my tastes. I know it is science fiction but I just couldn’t grasp the whole idea of the worldwide nuclear holocaust and the idea that one scientist could come up with a way to regenerate earth’s plants and animals and ecosystem and pretty much everything. It was just too far-fetched for me. I guess for me to enjoy a book more I need there to be just a tiny chance that this could actually happen in the future when Earth is the setting. I hope that made sense. Also a quick heads up, pay attention to the date/time stamp at the beginning of each chapter or you are going to get confused.

Overall I think that The Contanimants is a pretty good science fiction novel for young adults. It just was a little too crazy/far-fetched for my tastes, although I will say that it is pretty unique. It was a quick read and full of great descriptions. I think readers that are more into science fiction than me will enjoy this.

Side Note: I think the cover doesn't do this book justice. It could have been better executed.

**Thanks to the author for a fee copy of this book for an honest review.

My Rating: 2.5-3/5 

Review: Ready Player One by: Ernest Cline

Ready Player One by: Ernest Cline (2011)

Publisher: Crown

374 pages

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Source: This book was given to me by a family member.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.
And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

My Review

Ready Player One rocked my world. It took me on an epic adventure that I wish would have never ended. I continually wanted to hit myself over the head for waiting so long to read this. I know this book centers around video games, but I’m telling you right now that you don’t have to be a die-hard gamer to enjoy Ready Player One. It actually made me want to play video games. My husband is a big gamer and I know he will love this book. Also, the book made me realize that video games to Wade, the main character, are like books to me, a chance to escape the real world, and my husband is ever grateful that I understand that connection better now. 

I will do the best I can to give this book the amount of praise it deserves, but I'm telling you it's going to be hard, because this book was geek heaven, and I never wanted to put it down. If this review starts to become a jumbled mess of excitedness I apologize. I did my best. I suggest you read the synopsis above before the review in case you skipped it, there is way too much going on in this novel and it is way too complex for me to explain it all well, but the synopsis can give you a brief idea of what you need to know.

Wade, a teenager who got a bad hand in life and does the best he can with what he has, was and will forever be one of my favorite literary characters. I rooted for him to win Halliday’s game.  I mean I think I actually cheered for him out loud a couple of times. I never once gave up hope. Ernest also did an amazing job at creating a life-like character that is not only easy to relate to, but that actually has realistic and interesting character development throughout the novel.

Are you seeking action, adventure, a few laughs, and a good puzzle? Ready Player One has it all, filled with such great descriptions that sometimes I actually felt like I too was in the OASIS, the video game that has pretty much taken over society. (I pictured OASIS as a bigger and better real-life version of SIMS. You really have to read the book to really understand how cool it is.) Ernest did an outstanding job all around with this novel, and his world building of the OASIS and beyond was way outside the realm of anything I could have imagined, it was pretty much done with perfection. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.  Reading this book was a roller coaster ride. There were quite a few twist and turns that I never saw coming, moments that had me screaming in rage at the book, always cheering on the good guys and not the horrible corporation, yes of course there is one of those. Not to mention that behind all the awesomeness this book has to offer, there is an important message about the internet and technology and how they are taking over and pushing people to be disconnected from the real world to a crazy degree. Surprisingly and yet not so surprisingly I could see this actually happening sometime in the near-ish future. 

I had only two tiny problems with this book and this is why I only gave Ready Player One 4.5/5 stars. There was a slight lull in the novel where I was bored, but don’t worry that only lasted about 30 pages toward the middle, I easily climbed that hurtle. Second, there were times where I felt like some things were described too much, such as pounding an 80’s reference over your head to make sure you understood exactly what Wade was talking about, or the couple of times that described a video game technique/idea a little too in depth. Other than that this book was golden.

Do you still need more reasons to read this book? If you are a fan of anything to do with the 80s, whether it be the music, movies, video games or television shows, then this book is for you. There are so many amazing references that had me laughing and that I had to share them with my husband immediately. I just really loved relishing in the geekyness of it all.

This book is for everyone, but especially gamers. Your inner or outer geekyness will enjoy every aspect of Ready Player One. This book will get your palms sweating, your heart racing, and your competitiveness gene will be kicked into high gear. So basically I’m saying that if you haven’t read this book yet then you need to. So let the games begin. Are you ready player one?

RATING 4.5/5 

This book counts towards my TBR pile challenge. Check it out HERE.