ARC Book Review: Pariah #2 by Aron Warner

Goodreads: Brent Marks is not a freak. He is one of the Pariah, a group of teens who become extremely intelligent after being cured of a genetic disorder. Although in most ways a normal teen, Brent is considered dangerous and is tracked down by the government who see these kids as an enormous threat. Can he evade them? What do they have planned for Brent and the others?

Aron Warner is the Academy Award®-winning producer of the animated blockbuster “Shrek” series. Mr. Warner joined PDI/Dreamworks in 1997 working as the producer on the animated film, Antz. He is currently in partnership with director Andrew Adamson in Strange Weather where they and partner Jeff Fierson are developing a slate of live action and animated feature films and television shows. He, producing alongside James Cameron, just wrapped the Untitled Cirque Du Soleil 3-D project, which was written and directed by Adamson. Pariah is his first graphic novel series.



Title: Aron Warner's Pariah issue #2
Author: Aron Warner
Publisher: Sea Lion Books
Format: PDF
Source: Sea Lion Books (thank you)

I haven't read a graphic novel in a while & found this a lot of fun.

This is the second in the series & follows Lila Ellerman escaping from the laboratories after an explosion.  The super intelligent teens are to blame & are now on the run.  Hiding in the forest in Montana, they try to get a signal to find out what is happening out in the real world. 

They find their signal & have discovered that they are being tracked & taken prisoner.  Another Vitro turns up to warn them of the black-ops team approaching & says they will be working together in the future.  Once gone, the team arrives & captures all the teens.  Lila's main concern is that her boyfriend Brandon is not hurt.

What will happen in the next issue of Pariah?  Will Lila be held captive & will Brandon be alright?  What about the virus that they are being blamed for releasing?  We will have to wait for the next issue....

The graphics were fantastic as was the story line & I cannot wait to see the next issue.  I rated this one a 4stars.

ARC Book Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Goodreads: "A ship heading for New Earth is halfway through its incredible journey across the galaxy. On board, sixteen-year-olds Waverly and Kieran are part of the first generation born in space. They are in love. They believe their future is written in the stars. They have never seen a stranger before...

...until the day they are wrenched apart and suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives."




Title: Glow
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Expected Publication: 27th September 2011

This is a fantastic read & I loved it.  This is the first in the Sky Chasers series & I can't wait for the next one.

This follows two ships that have left Earth to find New Earth.  The children on these ships haven't known anything else, they were born on them & haven't seen anybody except those aboard their ship, the Empyrean.  They have been travelling for around 40 years already, halfway through their journey.

Waverley & Kieran are around the same age.  Kieran is in the making to become the next ship Captain & as Waverley is the oldest girl & they are in love, everybody expects them to marry & have children for the next generation.

One day the other ship appears out the portal window.  They shouldn't be seen as this ship left first, called the New Horizon.  Everybody on the Empyrean are concerned & do not understand why the Captain hasn't announced them & their contact. All of a sudden the Captain makes an announcement for all Volunteer Security crew to the shuttle bay.  The New Horizon are trying to board & appear hostile.

There is a mass panic, the children are told to go to the auditorium while the parents & all adults try to ascertain what is going on.  Waverley is in charge of the children & they are all together.  Kieran has gone with the adults to the shuttle bay & has found the New Horizon crew has blown the doors open with people flying out into space & some escape onto a shuttle for safety.  Keiran runs to check on the children & finds that all the girls have been taken captive & taken to another shuttle bay.  All the boys are in shock & Keiran goes with the remaining adults to try to save the girls.  When they arrive at the shuttle bay, all the girls have been taken aboard a shuttle, to stop the Empyrean crew from a rescue the New Horizon crew start shooting & killing the adults.  The shuttle with all the girls has escaped.

With the shuttle gone, a OneMen ship has been spotted near the Empyrean's nuclear reactors.  An explosion is felt & a melt down is occurring.  The remaining adults try to save the ship while they are being exposed to radiation.  Since the Captain is gone, Kieran has assumed the leader roll.  Trying to help the adults & save the ship.  The Head Pilot has a son who is the same age as Kieran, Seth.  Seth loves Waverley as well, but cannot act on his feelings.  When things go wrong with the adults, Kieran & Seth take a shuttle to save them.  When they come back, Seth is taking over the ship & puts Kieran in the brig for putting everybody in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, on the New Horizon, the girls are all frightened & have been told conflicting stories.  Waverley isn't believing anything their Captain is saying & is causing all sorts of trouble.  A crew member on the New Horizon has given Waverley a message that says the adults are being held on the ship.  Waverley attempts to free them & is shot in the process.  Another couple of girls & Waverley are planning to escape & rescue the adults.

Back on the Empyrean, Kieran fights back & wins back his leadership, puts the baddies in the brig this time.  They are back on course & just waiting for the time they can start the radar to track shuttles & the New Horizon.  The boys continue to maintain the ship & live.

Waverley & the girls attempt their escape after weeks of planning.  They escape & try to meet up with the Empyrean.

The Empyrean is out of the nebula & the radar can be turned on.  A blip is found & Waverley's shuttle is seen.  Kieran speaks with Waverley & is relieved they have been found. 

While Kieran has been leader, he started having Services every Sunday.  Waverley had to endure these while imprisoned on the New Horizon & didn't like the person that Kieran has become.  They have both changed since the event.

What will Waverley do?  Can she stand beside Kieran when everything within her can't stand what he is becoming?  Will she turn to Seth & help him escape the brig?  Will she be pregnant from her reunion with Kieran?  Can they catch up to the New Horizon?  Will they reach New Earth? What has happened to the adults from the shuttle aboard the New Horizon?

My opinion: I absolutely loved this book, couldn't put it down once I started.  I was drawn into the lives of Waverley & Kieran & can understand both sides.  When Waverley returned & is heart broken by Kieran's change, I was crying along with her.  Can't wait for the next installment to come out.

I rated this a 4stars! Recommend to everybody.

Book Review: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Goodreads: "It's 2083. There's a chocolate prohibition, and New York City is a very changed place. Art museums are now dance clubs, books are musty relics of the past, water is strictly rationed, and the mafia ruled black market consists of chocolate and caffeine.

And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight – at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family."



This was fantastic.  Gabrielle has a wonderful way of telling her story & I found I couldn't put it down.  This is the first in a trilogy & I can't wait for the next installment.

This is set in the future, in a time when chocolate & coffee have become illegal in certain parts of the world.  It follows a teenager in her daily life; her parents have been murdered, her older brother was injured during their mother's murder & her younger sister is a genius.

Anya (Annie) is the responsible one.  She is responsible for the running of the household, looking after her two siblings & their dying Grandmother.  Annie's father was the head of the Balanchine Chocolates, also known as the Mafiya.  Her family still run Balanchine Chocolates, which of course is illegal in America.

Annie goes to school with her younger sister while her brother works at an Animal Shelter.  Her brother Leo had damage to his head & cannot think much for himself.  When the Animal Shelter is closed down, Leo was offered a job working in the Family Business.  Annie isn't thrilled with this idea, but everybody agrees to let him go & see what happens.

Annie has a boyfriend, Gable, whom tries to force her into having sex.  She is a good catholic girl & will not consent.  He spreads rumours at school that he broke up with her & other things; in retaliation & dumps a tray of lasagna over him.  Gable comes crawling back because Annie has a stash of chocolate.  Her cousin delivered a box that day & she gives in to Gable by giving him 2 bars so he would go away.

In a day or two, Annie is called down the the headmasters office to be questioned by the police for the attempted murder of Gable.  The chocolate has been poisoned & they are pointing their fingers at Annie.  Annie is taken away to a reformatory, then cleared a few days later.  Gable is still in hospital & will recover, but had skin grafts & loss of fingers & a foot.

Annie finds another boyfriend, Win, whom is the son of the Assistant DA.  She is warned against seeing him because of her background & family connections.  That doesn't deter them, they are in love!!

Leo is still working for the Family.  Their cousin, Jacks, puts things in Leo's head & Leo tries to shoot the current boss, their Uncle Yuri.  Leo is now on the run & Annie has to help him escape the country & keep him from being killed.  A plan is in place, during the escape shots are fired & Win is hurt.

Annie is expelled from school for possession of a firearm & the Assistant DA comes for a visit to discuss her future.  Annie has to go back to the reformatory & the Assistant DA will forget about her brother & sister as long as Annie breaks up with Win.

This is a tragic story, but has a lot of realistic issues in the futuristic setting.  Awesome read & highly recommended.  I rated this a 4stars.

Book Review: Stray by Rachel Vincent

Goodreads: "There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . .
And I'm one of them.




I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.
I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.
This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . ."

I really loved this book.  It was addictive & full of action, plus had the added bonus of love.  This is the first in the Shifters series, with the next being Rogue.

Faythe is a werecat, I haven't read any other books about them & found all the details amazing.  I hope Rachel didn't have to camp out in Africa to research the big cats & their habits.

Faythe's father is the Alpha of her pride & the head of the council.  Therefore, it is her responsibility to take over being Alpha when her father stands down.  Faythe has other ideas & decided to skip the ranch for greener pastures at College.  Her father has been keeping tabs on her & when she is attacked by a Stray cat, decides to let her father drag her home again.

Once home, she finds out another feline has been attacked & kidnapped.  While Faythe escaped her attacker, her friends weren't so lucky.  They have also found human women being attacked & left mutilated.  Everyone is concerned for Faythe's safety & to make sure she doesn't run away again.

While the others are out searching for the missing girls, Faythe is under house arrest & has 24 hour security.  Among her bodyguards are her ex-boyfriend & second in command, Marc, as well as her childhood friends & brothers.  Marc tries to mark Faythe as his own & Faythe retaliates by biting his leg (while transformed in cat form). Faythe gets frisky with another & Marc attacks him.  Because there are only a few females, all the males are trying for her attention.  Marc still believes Faythe is his & Faythe is trying her hardest to resist.

One of the women is found while the other is still missing.  Everyone is upset & decides alcohol is the cure.  Faythe becomes drunk & sleeps with Marc. The next morning she thinks about escaping & ends up being captured by the Strays.

Faythe is kept with the other feline & they try to work out a plan to escape.  Her kidnappers are revealed & Faythe is betrayed by a familiar cat.  Since Faythe won't cooperate, they attempt to capture another feline.  While gone, Faythe tries to escape.  When the others come find her, they work out a plan to beat the kidnappers to the next target.

This is a full on action read, with love, sex & intrigue.  I absolutely recommend this to everybody & have rated is with 5stars.

Book Review: Wisdom (My Blood Approves #4) by Amanda Hocking

Goodreads: "Wisdom - the fourth book in the My Blood Approves series...

For her eighteenth birthday, Alice Bonham takes a vacation to Australia only to have her trip cut short by an unexpected murder.

While Alice tries to understand what happened, she regrets some of the choices she's made, especially the more permanent ones.

On top of that, the child vampire is running loose, and its attracting some very unwanted attention..."



This one follows on from Flutter, number 3 in My Blood Approves very well.  It starts with Alice, Milo & Bobby in Australia holidaying with Mae, Daisy & Peter.  Alice cannot adjust to the heat of the Outback & as they are bound to the house, is not very happy with their trip.  She receives a message from Jack stating that there has been a murder & she needs to return home as soon as possible.

Jane is found murdered & left on the sidewalk near their infamous club V. Alice cannot understand what happened as Jane was recovering well in rehab & now turns up murdered.  The police have no clues & there have been two other murders as well.  Everybody is claiming it is a human serial killer, but Alice is determined to avenge Jane's death & find the killer.  She believes it is a vampire not a human.

After their last fight with the Lycan pack, Alice has started training to increase her strength, agility & speed.  Olivia is training her & Alice is improving in leaps & bounds.  She is pleased that her strength is better & can beat Jack.  There is a twist, Leif was with the Lycan pack, who turned the tables & helped Alice.  He has stuck around since & visits the house often.  Nobody understands why he is bonded with Alice & Milo.  It all seems that he has something against them, but it comes out that he is their father.  This was a surprise & a happy one.  It was good to find out who their father was & why they are so different from the other vampires.

Alice has taken to hunting down clues about Jane's death & drags Bobby along to help.  They are then hunted themselves by the Vampire Hunters & find themselves in trouble.

Alice & Jack are still very much in love.  Alice goes behind Jack's back to find the killer & Jack loses his trust in her yet again.  It looks to be over between them.  Peter has come back with Mae & Daisy as they had trouble in Australia with Daisy attacking humans at a fare.  Alice still has feelings for Peter, but still loves Jack more.  Poor Peter, I really thought he might win in the end of this one, but no such luck. 

Alice is having second thoughts about all her decisions.  She hasn't got a purpose in life & since she has eternity, what will she do.  Milo is going back to school & Alice doesn't know what she wants.  Did she make the right choice in becoming a vampire? Does she really love Jack so much to spend eternity with him? Ezra is trying to help Alice make her decisions by giving her text books & novels to read.  But what she is interested in the detective work, tracking down this serial killer.

Alice tracks down the killer.  The Vampire Hunters track down Alice.  There is a lot of action & Alice kicks butt.

This was another fabulous read by Amanda Hocking & of course another 5star rating.  I was really hoping that another book was coming in this series & have found another will be out this year called Swear.  I can't wait for it to see what happens with Alice & Jack.  Will Peter end up with Alice eventually?? Will Alice find her calling? I can't wait for October to arrive with Swear!

Book Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Goodreads: "Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?"



I absolutely positively loved this book.  It was amazing! This is something different from the normal paranormal romance books & it was a non-stop addictive read.

Helen is an extraordinary teenager.  Her mother left when she was a baby & her father raised her.  She is special & doesn't know why or what her abilities include.  All her life she hasn't known why she was different until a family moved to her island.  They were all extremely beautiful & everybody was drawn to them.  When Helen first saw Lucas at school, her first instinct was to attack & kill him.  In her attempt the whole school was flabbergasted & couldn't understand why Helen would want to kill somebody she hadn't even met.  This was built into her genes & she didn't understand why she was so angry with him.

Lucas & Helen are drawn to each other, they can't be apart, but they can't be together.  They have explained that Helen is a demigod & that's why she has wanted to kill Lucas, because his family are as well.  They are from different families & that causes an instinct to kill one another. 

Somebody is trying to kidnap Helen. Lucas is trying to find the culprit & protect Helen in the process. Helen started training with Lucas & his family to build her strength & find all her abilities.  While in the process, Helen ends up confiding in her best friend since birth Claire.  Claire is not surprised & knew Helen was special.  Ever since they were children Claire was testing Helen to see if she could be hurt.  Helen was surprised, but relieved.

Helen's love for Lucas grew stronger, but they cannot be together because of their families.  The kidnapper is found & another is attempting to kidnap her as well.  They are discovered & defeated. 

What will happen to Helen & Lucas & their love for each other? We will have to wait for Dreamless.  This book was fantastic & highly recommended to everyone.  I rated it a 5stars.