Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows

Title: Asunder
Author: Jodi Meadows
Page Count: 406
Rating: B
Keywords: Fantasy, True Love, Reincarnation, Rights
Genre: Young Adult
Younger Readers: This one is pretty safe. The main character actually doesn't even know what sex is. It is alluded to as this mysterious thing that everyone else knows about, but she is left in the dark. So no steamy scenes that move past a couple of lines of kissing. I also do not recall in harsh language.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Newsoul trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

My Review:

Asunder is the second instalment in the Newsoul trilogy by Jodi Meadows. Incarnate is the first book that I read about a year ago. I absolutely LOVED that book. Sam and Ana are great together and the action in the book is fast paced. And do I even need to mention the covers? This series is gorgeous. From the dust jacket to the interior illustrations at the tops of chapters I love the attention to detail. Even the bright colors of the hardcovers is fantastic. Needless to say, I love having these in my book collection.

Meadows creates a rich and intriguing world that is unique and can easily draw a reader in, devouring the pages to discover Range and Heart. Sylph are fascinating, creatures of heat that everyone fears. And I love the developments that Meadows makes in this second installment. Their odd attraction to Ana and their history revealed in this book were probably my favorite aspects of the story.

I did not like this book as much as the first one but I still enjoyed it. The action is less obvious in this installment and there is more of a focus on the mystery of how newsouls are being created and the politics of Heart.

Ana, our newsoul, is the only main character that has not been reincarnated for thousands of years. This causes fear in the residents of Heart, which is the main contention in this book. The fear of more newsouls and darksouls leads many people to abusive actions that could bring up the question of human rights for readers. Ana grows up somewhat and begins to take on the role of revolutionary. I am excited to see where her journey takes her next.

My feelings on Sam were somewhat conflicted. I used to absolutely adore his character without question. He was the knight in shining armor that protected Ana, helped her gain some degree of acceptance in Heart, and played piano. He was sort of dreamy. After reading this one though, I am not quite so enchanted with the young man. While he is still protective of Ana, there is more tension between them. He does not trust her and his opinion is too easily swayed by others. Hopefully he can redeem himself later on.

Not a bad follow up to Incarnate, but not my favorite of the two. I can't wait to see where the series goes with Infinite.

A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) by Brittany Cavallaro

Title: A Study in Charlotte
Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Page Count: 321
Rating: B
Keywords: Boarding School, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mystery, Drama
Genre: Young Adult
Younger Readers: This is a book about teenagers at a boarding school so there is a degree of sex, drugs, and language. One character is also raped before the beginning of the novel but this is addressed throughout. Young children may not be ready for this or require guidance.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy

My Review:

I love the original Sherlock stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC Sherlock, and various other adaptations. So when I heard about this new adaptation I had to pick it up.

When my best friend asked me to describe this book only one thing came to mind: this is Gossip Girl meets Sherlock Holmes.

I did like this book. Seeing the descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson reimagined as a teenage boy and girl was a fun spin. Usually I see the same characters modernized or as descendants but both female, best friends. Jamie and Charlotte retain the characteristics of their namesakes but also possess unique attributes of both the era in which they exist and their unique circumstances. I also loved their relationship. Obviously, Jaime has a crush on Charlotte instantly. This does not mean that they are just together though. They are friends first and things slowly begin to progress.

Do not expect characters that are bright and cheery just because this takes place in a boarding school. They are dark and twisty in the best way possible. They draw you into their world without any effort and you quickly devour their backstories. References to the original stories are present and the new mystery is not entirely obvious. Colorful characters are sprinkled throughout, supporting the story. I did not feel like anyone was overly annoying in the traditional bubbly high school sense.

There is one point that I felt like it's important to mention. Charlotte Holmes was raped shortly before the events that occur in the first chapter. Usually YA shies away from this topic unless it is a major factor in the plot. However, this is not the case for Charlotte. It is mentioned but not a main character trait. Jaime's reaction to it, the feelings of rage and helplessness, were something that I thought was important. He cares about Charlotte but does not get angry with her for what happened. There is no victim blaming. He understands that there is nothing he can do but that does not extinguish the desire to fix it. Charlotte's own reactions to what happened to her were interesting. She is angry but hides it. The most obvious reaction is how difficult of a time she has towards the end of the book with letting Jaime touch her. When he understood that it was going to be a very long time, if ever, that they were going to be able to be physical with her feeling comfortable I definitely felt a little emotional. Charlotte is more than an object to him. She is a person that he cares about exactly as she is. I wish this was more common in literature. I wish real people learned this more often than they do.

My biggest hang up was that I wanted more. I felt like the mystery and story were just barely scratching the surface of Sherringford. If the story had been a couple hundred pages longer I would not have been upset at all. There could have been more to the mystery, more world building, and more character development. Luckily for readers this will be a trilogy. I look forward to continuing on with Jaime and Charlotte.

On the upside, the mystery was not entirely predictable and the characters were enjoyable.

This book was good, verging on great. A promising start to a trilogy. If you love mystery, Sherlock, and a touch of drama then I would absolutely recommend this one.

Clarification for other Readers:

I have read several reviews where people were confused about how Dr. Watson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were both "real" people in this story. From what I understood, it was Dr. Watson that wrote the Sherlock stories (just as he does in every other adaptation) but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is basically his literary agent in this adaptation. Therefore, they both exist and are both involved in the creation of the Sherlock stories.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Author: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Page Count: 321
Rating: B
Keywords: Zombies, Humor, Gore, Love, Reimagined
Genre: Young Adult, Reimagined Classic
Younger Readers: Innuendoes are present throughout and some language. If you are capable of handling a joke about balls then you will likely be fine with this book. There are references to savage beating but not described in detail and one must remember that this is, in fact,  a book about zombies.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.

My Review:

I would like to begin by saying that Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of my all time favorite books and I love the movies as well. So, yes. I am biased.

Be aware that this is different from the movie. I saw the movie first and enjoyed it quite a bit. Once I started reading this book I quickly realized that the narrative was much more similar to the original book by Jane Austen than the movie I had watched just a few days prior. Despite this, it was still a fun read that I did not have too much difficulty getting through. I did read it slower than normal. However, this was much more likely due to being busy at school rather than this being a bad book.

This was funnier than I had expected. The humor is not necessarily blaringly obvious. It is subtle and if you're not careful you could easily miss it. I was in no way prepared to hear Mr. Darcy utter a balls joke. I will admit that my started laugh was nowhere near graceful. It was more like a snort. Humor that catches you off guard can be the best.

The addition of ninjas was absolutely perfect. I am not entirely sure what it is, but whenever there are ninjas in a story it instantly becomes much better.

I like when characters can be wrong and accept that they were wrong. This is one of the reasons I love Pride & Prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy are both proud people that it seems will never make it work. And yet they do. It is a gradual love story that defies odds. No instalove in sight. Pride & Prejudice was the original romantic comedy and has had readers coming back for over two hundred years.

This adaptation was fun. If you hate Jane Austen, the maybe stay away from this one. If you're looking for something really fast paced I would also wait. However, if you're a Jane Austen fan and want a humorous, endearing read then I would check this one out!


P.S. If you do read this, take note of Charlotte. How does no one notice what is going on with her?! How??????

Illuminae (The Illuminae Filles #1)

Title: Illuminae
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Page Count: 599
Rating: A++++++++
Keywords: Science Fiction, War, Scary, Romance, Adventure, AWESOMESAUCE
Genre: Young Adult
Younger Readers: This is YA so it is appropriate for teens. The curse words are all blacked out. There are sexual references but not sexual scenes. It has moments that are creepy/scary and might cause nightmares in a very young reader.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

My Review:

I originally heard about this book for from the YouTube channel polandbananasBooks. At first I was apprehensive. Science fiction has never been a great love of mine. The stories sound interesting but I usually become bored rather quickly. Then I was wandering around Target and happened to see a copy sitting on the shelf. This book is stunning and insanely unique visually. It only took a week before I caved and ordered a copy. I am so glad that I did.

This book scared me, shattered my heart into a thousand tiny pieces, made me cry, made me laugh, made me angry, and surprised me. I absolutely loved it!

There is no traditional narrator in this book. It is all told through instant messages, emails, case reports,  narration of surveillance videos, activity logs, etc. This may seem boring and like it would slow down the read, but it actually was fascinating and had me speeding through every page. This nearly 600 page tome took me only about two days of consistent reading to get through, staying up until the wee hours of the morning.

Kady is an awesome protagonist. She is smart, spunky, and easy to relate to. Her pink hair and conflicted feelings over a boyfriend make her seem even more real. Her triumphs and despairs, as they're presented both by herself and the detached reports, are fantastic.

Ezra is one of my favorite love interests I've read recently. He is not the stereotypical perfect Prince Charming. He makes mistakes but is still lovable throughout. Traditional good guy that is hard to not love.

This book completely creeped me out at certain points. I don't want to spoil anything but if you like zombie-esque stories then this one is a real winner.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is definitely on my list of all time favorite books now. It makes you feel what the characters are feeling and you become completely engrossed. I was at a family dinner when all of a sudden something awful happened in the book (no spoilers). I felt completely lost and everyone around me thought I had gotten terrible news in a text or something like that. And I may or may not have screamed when I was reading a particularly creepy scene and the power went out in my house around one in the morning.

Read it if you like great books. Read it if you might even be kind of interested. Read it if you like unexpected stories. Read it if you read at all.


***Do not read further unless you want to be mildly spoiled*** Here are some of my favorite quotes and moments:

"I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short." pg 15

"You deserve every star in the galaxy laid out at your feet and a thousand diamonds in your hair. You deserve someone who'll run with you as far and as fast as you want to. Holding your hand, not holding you back." pg 232

"You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies. You have me." pg 232

"Chose? No. No choice whatsoever. <3" pg 245

"She is catalyst. She is chaos. I can see why he loves her." pg 279

Aside from these quotes, there are thousands more and even "I'm sorry" typed out repeatedly to make a picture of a rose. Creepy instances of case reports...splattered with blood.

Aidan, the computer system, is also a major surprise that I simultaneously loved and hated. He's intriguing and completely insane. Adds so much to the story and raises the question of what defines life.

SOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

Bonk by Mary Roach

Title: Bonk- The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
Author: Mary Roach
Page Count: 303
Rating: C
Keywords: Popular Science, Research, Journalism, Sex
Genre: Nonfiction
Younger Readers: This is not appropriate for children and is not an educational book. It involves various studies of sexual intercourse, scientifically and culturally. Not appropriate for younger readers, nor would they easily understand some of the content. If you're old enough to read Cosmo magazine, then you should be fine.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The study of sexual physiology - what happens, and why, and how to make it happen better - has been a paying career or a diverting sideline for scientists as far-ranging as Leonardo da Vinci and James Watson. The research has taken place behind the closed doors of laboratories, brothels, MRI centers, pig farms, sex-toy R&D labs, and Alfred Kinsey's attic.

Mary Roach, "the funniest science writer in the country" (Burkhard Bilger of 'The New Yorker'), devoted the past two years to stepping behind those doors. Can a person think herself to orgasm? Can a dead man get an erection? Is vaginal orgasm a myth? Why doesn't Viagra help women or, for that matter, pandas?

In 'Bonk', Roach shows us how and why sexual arousal and orgasm, two of the most complex, delightful, and amazing scientific phenomena on earth, can be so hard to achieve and what science is doing to slowly make the bedroom a more satisfying place. 16 illustrations.  

My Review:

When I was in high school I read Mary Roach's Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and absolutely loved it. It was interesting, well researched, and fit well with my interests in forensic anthropology. If you have a strong stomach and your interests tend to lean towards the realm of morbid then I would absolutely recommend you give that book a try.

I wish that I had been as enamored with Bonk. The book retains much of Roach's humor and personal asides but it lacked the sparkle I had come to expect from her other book. Her research into the various case studies and topics surrounding the scientific aspects of sexual intercourse and human pleasure was adequate and did present some bits of interesting information but I could not bring myself to say that I truly liked this book. Each chapter felt quite long and my mind was often wandering. Having a general interest in science and history, I had also heard much of the information before but in other formats.

Overall, the book is readable and I do not regret reading. At the same time it is certainly not one of the most memorable books I have ever read, nor would I demand my friends read it. If the subject matter and synopsis have piqued your interest then go ahead and give it a read. If they have not, then you can safely skip this one.