Tag Archives: sci-fi

Pivot Point

By Kasie West, published by Harper Collins (US).

Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1) Goodreads Synopsis: Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

My Review: WOW. Just, quite simply, WOW. This book was just mind blowing. It was so original, and thought provoking, and a brilliant science-fiction twist on a real-life situation, and I could literally talk about the concept for hours.

Addie is a girl living in a compound that we never get to know the full secrets behind, which annoyed me. (Though I’m guessing that’s to come in book 2, Split Second!) IT’s a mysterious town hidden away in America, where all of the residents have different kinds of powers- mostly mind powers. Some are telekinetic, or telepathic, or if you’re like Addie; at points where you have to make decisions, you can view the two paths you could take, before choosing one. Not reading the synopsis properly, I didn’t realise that the book was split into two worlds; two alternating chapters…

Addie comes home from her high school, to find out that her parents want her to make a life-changing decision: Who does she live with, Mum or Dad, when they split up? Utterly torn by the decision, Addie uses her Search skills, to view the futures she would have in either path, Mum or Dad. I was confused at first because I didn’t realise that every other chapter was of the different search, but once I’d realised that, I was amazed. I was really worried that the story would jumble up- there are, effectively, two different stories happening at once- but miraculously, it didn’t. Kasie West’s writing is immaculate. I understood everything perfectly- and the format was so original, and unlike anything that I’ve ever seen before.

Both plots (I’ll have to refer to them as two separate things! Though, they do link in places- that sounds confusing… but read this and it’ll all make sense!) were really well thought out. I couldn’t decide which one I preferred. In one Path, Addie moves out of the Compound to live in the real world, where she must conceal her powers. In another world, she stays in the Compound with one parent, but in both of the Paths, events behind to take place that shake everything up. I was so hooked on both of the stories; devouring each chapter, eager to read on. Kasie’s cleverly used cliffhangers to her advantage., and it definitely worked.

Addie is a character that I loved to read the story of. I could relate to her really easily, through her realistic teenage problems, to her love of books (yay!). She has a best friend who I also absolutely adored… and the last events of the book had me so scared for her, but I don’t think I can say much more than that without spoiling things. Addie has a very complex sort of love story woven into her life (lives?). IN one path, she meets a new boy who isn’t Gifted like her. However, in another path, she dates a boy with Gifts, who she has known vaguely for a while. Though you don’t get to know much about Addie’s opinions on her Path choices, you can interpret them- it’s obvious she really struggled with what side to pick. I loved her final decision, though.

As I was reading quite fast, utterly addicted to the story, I found the ending to the novel quite abrupt. I had to read over it a few times, for the result to actually sink in, and was a little bit disappointed the epilogue wasn’t slightly longer. I’m really interested to see what happens in the sequel, Split Second. I hope it’s in a format like this one was, with two different choices, and more detailing on the background of this supernatural Compound. Though, I think Pivot Point would be good as a simple standalone, because it keeps you thinking about the plot and the character long after you put it down.

Overall, Pivot Point is, as I said at the beginning, mind blowing. The concept is very powerful, and there is actually nothing I can compare it to. Well done, Kasie, for creating a book that I think I’ll be re-reading a lot, until I can grab a copy of the sequel! Addie is such an unforgettable protagonist. I loved her Talent, and the way that she dealt with everything. The plots were quite different but some of the events were similar- the two Paths were cleverly linked in places. I’m now really excited for the sequel, Split Second- As I have no idea what could happen in that, but I really badly want to re-visit Addie’s unique world again.

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Pivot Point from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Amber

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By Julie Sykes, published by Curious Fox Books.

Amber Goodreads Synopsis: How do you live by the rules if you don’t know what they are?

Amber’s lost her memory. She doesn’t even know her real name. The only clues to her identity are a beautiful amber necklace and a broken mobile phone. She’s determined to learn the truth about her past life, and the secrets she’s hiding, but how many rules will she break along the way?

My Review: I was so excited to start this! Pretty cover? Check. One of the first titles from a new publisher? Check. Mysterious synopsis? Check. 😀 I read this in October and thought I had published the review, but found out that I hadn’t! A HUGE apology to Curious Fox! (I can still be in #TeamFox, right…? ;D)

The synopsis made me want to read this story so much, so I dived straight in, as soon as my copy arrived. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed. Amber was packed full of action, drama, and a splash of romance that livened up the otherwise rather dark aspects of the story.

The plot was really great. I was hooked on this story; reading it between lessons at school was really hard- I just wanted to ignore maths and get on with it! Addictive is a very appropriate word. I devoured the story in a couple of days, utterly absorbed into the story, and sitting on the edge-of-my-form-class-seat, holding back fangirly gasps from the plot twists, so my class wouldn’t think I was weird. Amber was a really unpredictable book- one minute, I thought I had everything sussed out- but I hadn’t. I was so far off the actual result. A real thriller of a book!

The story begins as what seems like a contemporary book, with the summer camp. I just got used to that, enjoying the tension between some characters, almost forgetting that Amber has this special past. Then, things started to unravel for Amber, and the rest of the book was very clever, in terms of plot twists, form then on!

Amber was a character that I loved throughout. She was as confused as me about her past from the beginning of the book. That’s what I love about this book: You form a bond with the main character, because you’re both shocked as more is revealed about the character’s past. There’s a really intriguing supernatural conspiracy to it. I found some parts a little strange- for example, I couldn’t get on with the idea of Amber’s real past at first, and a few parts were revealed quite quickly. The reveal of Amber’s past could have been more suspenseful, but it was interesting all the same. Also, Amber, to me, didn’t seem that emotional about her past, to me, and I’m not sure why.

Overall, Amber was a really thrilling read- apologies for what’s not the greatest review ever- this was half-written from straight after I’d read the book, and half written-just-now as I realised I’d never gotten this post up! The plot was really great, and had me hooked on the story. I loved Julie’s writing, and I’d really enjoy reading more books by her in the future- especially a sequel to Amber! (Hint, hint!) This book has a memorable protagonist, who you can relate to, as well as supernatural aspects that means any sci-fi lover will enjoy it. Fans of both contemporary and sci-fi will devour this book, as I did!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Amber from the publisher,in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

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Fortunately, The Milk

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By Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell, published by Bloomsbury.

Fortunately the Milk - UK - Hardback Goodreads Synopsis: You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do. And the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets. So the next morning, before breakfast, he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.

Featuring: Professor Steg (a time-travelling dinosaur), some green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires, and a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk.

My Review: One of the only picture books I’ve read this year, but possibly the best picture book that I’ve ever read! Fortunately, The Milk is an epic tale, and though it was aimed at children, I at thirteen enjoyed it so much. This’ll be a shorter review than most of my reviews, as the book is pretty short itself!

Neil Gaiman’s used his incredible imagination, to create a really wild, crazy adventure that I easily let myself get absorbed in for half an hour. Who would’ve thought anyone could’ve pulled off a book with Dinosaurs, Wumpires (Think Vampires… but, uh, Wumpier.), Pirates, Milk, ancient Tribes, and time travel… in one book? Well, it’s possible. This book was just brilliant. The book started on a pretty crazy morning family scene- Mum trying to get out of the door, dad trying to read his paper, and the kids upset because cereal doesn’t taste that good without milk. Then, after Dad’s back from the shop, he spins a story about why he took so long- with the two inquisitive children occasionally butting in with questions. It was all pretty hilarious, I think.

There’s also quite a good outcome to the story too, that proves Dad’s story to be wrong or right. It’s really funny- and made me giggle a bit!

Chris Riddell’s illustrations went with Gaiman’s writing perfectly. They were lively, fun, and brought life to the story. I think if you’d have picked any other illustrator for the job, it wouldn’t have looked as brilliant. I’m a big fan of Chris Riddell’s drawings, and I just fell in love with his work for this book… especially the front cover! Isn’t it just so vibrant- so pretty? Also, I’m pretty sure this is intended, but the Dad looks suspiciously like Neil Gaiman. If it was an intended thing- then it’s a great likeness.

Overall, Fortunately, The Milk was a brilliant story from start to finish. It’s the kind of one you’ll want to read over and over again, whether you’re a child or an adult or in between. I loved the original concept, and Neil Gaiman’s ability to turn a normal trip to the store for milk into an epic, sci-fi fantasy adventure is admirable. Chris Riddell’s illustrations brought every character, no matter how briefly mentioned, to life, and I’ll definitely read this again sometime when I’m looking for a laugh or a short adventure!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Fortunately, The Milk from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

After Eden

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By Helen Douglas, published by Bloomsbury.

After Eden (After Eden, #1) Goodreads synopsis: Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she’s hooked. On the face of it, he’s a typical American teenager. So why doesn’t he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn’t heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he’s taking in her.
As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan’s bedroom – a biography of her best friend – written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose … and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.

My Review: After Eden just blew me away! I’ve been wanting to read this for a while, as I’ve seen the (vibrant and gorgeous!) cover popping up all around the blogosphere. Why were so many people eagerly anticipating this book?

After reading it, I definitely knew why. After Eden was absolutely amazing.

It all began as a bit of a typical, high school set book: our protagonist a typical girl, not too popular, but not an outcast, and the mysterious new American boy. I quite enjoyed seeing Eden start to figure out everything: as she is drawn closer to Ryan whilst finding out some strange things about him (like how can he not know who Hitler was?!). As well as the whole time-travel thing (watch out. In a little while I will be going into a full on rant about that.), there was also this subplot, which was a tiny bit predictable but still very enjoyable: Eden’s best friend is in love with her, and this is all slowly revealed and really shakes things up. The plot was really well structured: there was a great build up to Eden’s discovery, with her playing the detective. And then, it was well paced, with drama and a developing relationship that made a plan at the ending come together. It was all really clever, with some great plot twists and shocks!

Eden was a really brilliant protagonist. I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to like her or not at the beginning, but I grew to really love her. she developed really well throughout the events of the book, too, which was great! I found her to be a really strong heroine- although it was a bit strange that she just accepted that Ryan was from the future, I loved how she was so willing to help him, putting aside any shock or screams and helping to save the future of Earth. A lot of pressure, right? Than there was also her relationship with Ryan. I loved that aspect of the book! It made for a really tragic love story- because he would have to return to the future, maybe meet her great grand children, and never see her again. It was heartbreaking to even imagine poor Eden being left behind in his past, to be replaced by her future generations. However, there was a brilliant outcome to their love story, which I absolutely adored! The ending really showed how caring and loveable Ryan was. The author has portrayed him as the typical YA heartthrob, though he seems so much different from your Jace or Tobias (not that they’re not awesome!). I really understood him, even though I think the focus was intended for Eden’s feeling. Team Ryan!! I also really loved the story behind his name: there are a few future-people in this book who are named after constellations. Ryan changed to Ryan when he went back in time. His real name is so clever!

*this paragraph will contain spoilers!*

Okay, rant time. As a proud Whovian (Doctor Who fan, for those of you who are unfamiliar), I cannot help but notice the extreme flaws in the whole scientific aspect of this book. This part may be a little spoilerish if I get carried away. t will also likely be incredibly confusing. Apologies in advance! So, if Ryan was to use the help of Eden to save the Earth by stopping somebody she knows from discovering something that will affect the future, if Ryan goes back into the future, shouldn’t he have forgotten her? Because everything would have been repaired and so there would never have been a problem in the future and so he would never had gone back in time so there would be a nine month long empty gap in his life. Wouldn’t this then cause a paradox that could disrupt the continuity of space and time? How could he then have traveled back to see Eden again? Because his meeting her would be non-existent, so how could he have known her to go back and see her? My inner science nerd got so annoyed at this! So if you are reading this book very carefully and noting the scientific aspects, you will probably notice this.

Overall, though, and aside from the whole time travel thing, After Eden was just so amazing. I loved the whole idea for it, it was so imaginative! Eden was a really great character, and it was so interesting to read about how she discovers what happens in the future. It’s also really genius how it all links to her, especially her name. Ryan was a character that it was quite hard not to fall in love with. Jace Wayland, watch out! The plot was really engaging, and rich with detailed imagery that made the story really spring to life. Helen Douglas is an amazing author… I really can’t wait to read her next book!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of After Eden from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

VORTEX

3 Replies

By S. J. Kincaid, published by Hot Key Books.

Vortex (Insignia, #2) Goodreads synopsis: The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.

Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.

Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?

My review: WOW! VORTEX was absolutely brilliant. I had high hopes for it, because I totally fell in love with the book before, INSIGNIA, about a year ago. So, for about a year, I’ve been impatiently tapping my foot for the release of this. So, as soon as I received it, I dived straight in. Well, it was so worth the wait!

VORTEX began with Tom, back in Vegas, visiting his dad on a break from his training. Right away I was sucked into his world, and holding my breath at the tense bits and laughing my head off at the humor that came shortly after. I’ll be honest- I had laughed about five times, before Tom had even gotten back to the Pentagonal Spire- the place where he trains to become a combatant. And that wasn’t even thirty pages. As Tom returned to the Spire, not only were there many more funny bits, but also arousing suspicion around lots of characters. Blackburn, a guy who was made out to be the antagonist in INSIGNIA, I instantly became wary of. Then, there was — who was so obviously a bad guy, and then one of Tom’s friends, who I won’t give the name of here because I’ll spoil things. But I will say that This Certain Friend’s betrayal made a really excellent, thrilling plot twist to an already action-packed plot.

The whole story was structured so well. There really wasn’t a single moment where I was bored, or uninterested. The story began with a big, funny event, and then after that, the pace of the story never slowed down, or lagged in places. It was just all so brilliant, and there was such a clever outcome.

Tom Raines’s character was, again, just so awesome. He was cocky, clever and mischievous, and all of that was really amped up in this installment. Although his back-chatting did annoy me in a few places, where I really wanted him to be focusing so he can save the world and stuff, I really did like that cheeky element in him. It just made Tom such a likeable, realistic character. I also saw a lot of his feelings about his dad in this book, too. I felt a lot of sympathy for him there! And, Tom definitely developed in terms of bravery in VORTEX- he underwent the most traumatic thing (which, again, I can’t really elaborate on because I’ll spoil stuff!) and still carried on, determined to save the day by all means possible. I really adored that determination. Finally, MEDUSA! For those of you who don’t know, Tom kinda fell in love with her in INSIGNIA. I really love the development in that forbidden relationship in this book. It was so heart-breaking, yet heart-warming at the same time.

Overall, VORTEX totally blew me away… just like INSIGNIA. The plot was so brilliant, I really can’t describe the amazingness that the author has packed into this 400 page masterpiece. Tom was such a great character, and I really loved his relationships with his best friends, as well as the mysterious Chinese combatant Medusa. VORTEX is great for sci-fi fans (but read INSIGNIA first!!), and I’d recommend it also to fans of Robert Muchamore. Go grab a copy of this and its predecessor now, they’re must reads for all young teens!

My Goodreads rating: 5/5!

I received VORTEX from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect what I thought of it.

INTERWORLD

2 Replies

By Neil Gaiman, and Michael Reaves, published by Harper Collins.

Interworld Goodreads synopsis: Joey Harker isn’t a hero.
In fact, he’s the kind of guy who gets lost in his own house.
But then one day, Joey gets really lost. He walks straight out of his world and into another dimension.
Joey’s walk between the worlds makes him prey to two terrible forces—armies of magic and science who will do anything to harness his power to travel between dimensions.
When he sees the evil those forces are capable of, Joey makes the only possible choice: to join an army of his own, an army of versions of himself from different dimensions who all share his amazing power and who are all determined to fight to save the worlds.

My review: I was so excited to start this! I’ve never, unfortunately, read anything by Michael Reaves before, and also this was a title I’d never head of before by one of my favourite authors, Neil Gaiman. I jumped at the chance to review it for it’s re-publication with the sequel. As soon as I picked it up, I knew I was in for a sci-fi, wild adventure. Neil Gaiman writes amazing stuff, and I did some research and found out that Michael Reaves worked on some Stars Wars books. So, I got really really excited.

The beginning intrigued me a lot, which pulled me in. The story went straight into the life of this average boy, who gets lost in his own house. I laughed right away, and instantly connected with the protagonist through the detailed narrative. Throughout the book I could understand the protagonist, Joey Harker, the boy who’s Walked into being a hero by accident. He was pretty heroic and self-dependant, too, which was really great. Also, he had a well-developed background. There were tiny details about him that just made him so real, and he had realistic family and school lives too.

The start of the story was really enjoyable. Joey Harker goes home to find alternate versions of his family living in his house, who don’t know who he is, and goes to school to find out that apparently he drowned and died a while ago. Then, he falls through a portal. Then, he lands in a scary place with an alien stranger. It was so fun to read! I literally couldn’t stop. The story was beginning to fill my head with questions; Why is there a different family in his home? Why did he drown? What gave him the ability to Walk into alternate universes? It was scientifically interesting (maybe that’s just because I’m a science nerd though), as well as gripping. The story was definitely packed with much emotion, too, as there’s the death of a newly introduced, instantly likeable character, not even a quarter in.

The pace picked up even more as Joey went through this fantastical adventure, involving space-pirate-aliens and other Joey’s from alternative, parallel universes. I really liked the idea for the story, what with all of the parallel Joey’s under slightly different names (from just Joe to crazy sounding ones beginning with a J). I thought it was a very original idea, having alternate Joey’s be heroes for every universe. It was really well pulled off, too. However, just past the middle, so many character were being introduced and so many things were being explained and I just started to get a little overwhelmed. I mentioned the pace picking up a minute ago, didn’t I? Well, it got very fast. I think that I could have enjoyed the story even more than I originally did if the book had been dragged out a little; lengthened out so not that much info was being dumped on me at once, and also to give the plot a bit more time to develop. The ending was totally brilliant, though, with Joey’s heroic actions saving the day for his new friends and for the souls they freed.

Overall, INTERWORLD was a really fun read, great for sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, and fans of Neil Gaiman. For some reason, this didn’t seem to be publicized that much upon its first release, (I’d never heard of it, and I thought I’d heard of every title by Gaiman) so I’m really hoping more fans of both Reaves and Gaiman will be discovering it now, along with the brand new sequel. Although it’s pretty short at not even three-hundred pages, the story really packs a punch with it’s original and imaginative story-line and kick-butt main character. The ending really made me want to read the sequel, too! It seems the different variations of Joey have formed some kind of superhero team. I wanna read their next adventure now!

My Goodreads rating: 4/5!

I received INTERWORLD from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

The Death Cure

The Medusa Project: The Hostage

The Medusa Project: The Set Up

4 Replies

By Sophie McKenzie, published by Simon & Schuster.

The Set-up (Medusa Project, #1)

As soon as Nico discovers he has telekinesis by accidentally creating a ‘freak electrical storm’ during a school assembly, he realises that this could get him money, and the girl of his dreams- the beautiful, sporty Ketty. Nico’s stepfather tells him never to use his power again, but a mysterious guy named Jack informs Nico that he was one of four children to be implanted with a gene- the Medusa gene- and that his power was a result of that. Nico begins an exhilarating adventure full of hope, lies and betrayal, searching for the other three Medusa-gene carriers…

I’ve been meaning to start Sophie McKenzie’s sci-fi series for ages, and after reading the first book, I so want to read on! The whole idea in general was really cool and original. I loved reading it so much. The plot was solid and well constructed, with some great twists thrown in- I was definitely not expecting one of the major characters to betray Nico and sell off the Medusa gene into evil hands! As well as all of the explosive action and drama, I also really enjoyed the love triangle that became visible in the middle of the book- it was pretty unexpected, and the outcome shocked me!

Nico was an enjoyable protagonist. At the beginning, I disliked him because all he seemed to want to use his power for was to get money and his girl. however, I grew to like him as the events in the book played out, as he made some seriously brave and sacrificial decisions in order to save the girl he loved, even though she was dating somebody else. I think the love triangle between Nico, Ketty and Ed really shook the plot up!

In all, The Medusa Project: The Set Up was a really good, roughly 300 page read. It was so different from Sophie’s crime books that I read, but I still really loved it and although it was really aimed at 11-12 year olds in my opinion, I still enjoyed it a lot and will definitely start on the second one soon, as this ended on a cliffhanger!