The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary: Ella Shepard lives in the future. Her mother is sick, her father died a year ago and her memory is faulty. 

Beth Revis' first series, Across the Universe, was my favorite series for a really long time. It's also one of the few series I've read more than once. When I heard Revis was writing something new I was really excited and I've only waited this long to read it because I wanted my own physical copy. Comparing the two, The Body Electric and Across the Universe, I definitely liked Across the Universe better. They are two very different books, and it's also incredibly difficult to compare a standalone to three separate books.

I had a couple problems with this book. I thought the pacing was off. The beginning was kind of slow but the ending, and the last 100-200 pages felt really rushed.I wish I got to know the supporting characters more. Other than Ella, the protagonist, and the antagonist, none of the supporting characters were really fledged out. I don't even feel really connected or knowledgeable about the love interest, Jack. I also got kind of a insta-love feel because of that, which you'll know is weird if you've read the book.

However, I liked pretty much everything else. I read it really fast, in a couple hours. Every five minutes I was like "stop at the next chapter" then next thing I knew I was at the final page. Apart from the first a hundred pages the entire book kept me on my feet and engaged. I was really fast paced and I flew through it. I liked the mystery, and although I guessed the overall twist there were some details that really shocked me. The world building was really good and interesting and the nod at Godspell made my heart grow three sizes. I really like Ella, I thought she was a really strong character and likable. The writing, particularity the parts with the bees, was amazing  I think I should also mention the gorgeous cover. The format of the rest of the book, the font and the chapter illustration, is also really pretty. 

Overall, I really liked this book and wouldn't mind a couple novellas about Jack, Xavier and Julie. Definitely read this if you enjoyed her previous books, Across the Universe. 

Endgame:The Caliing by James Frey

Summary: 12 kids, raised from birth to be winners, just as their parents and their parent's parent's were, are called to play the Endgames. The world is sectioned off into twelve civilization, but nobody knows except the 12 players and their families. These kids must fight eachother to find three keys. The remaining kid with the three keys will win, and only his civilization will still stand.

Stars: 4

Okay that was really confusing. Anyways, I did enjoy this book but I don't know if I would recommend it. Altough it was definitely shocking and fascinating it was kinda confusing and was slow at times.

In the Afterlight and Sparks Rise by Alexandra Bracken

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken is the third and final book in the Darkest Minds trilogy There will be spoilers for both the first two books, The Darkest Minds and Never Fade.


I loved the first two books, but didn't enjoy this one just as much. And it's a hundred percent my fault. I didn't remember who a lot of people were (Like Cate and Nico) or what they did. (It took me about 150 pages to get into the book but once I did I pretty much finished it in one sitting. Like, staying up until the sun comes up to finish it type of thing, which I haven't done in a while. A lot of the characters annoyed me, like Ruby, Liam and Cole. Definitely Cole.

I really liked how it went full circle at the end. Ruby started at Thurmond in The Darkest Minds and ending there in this books. It was one of my favorite parts when they were telling the story at night and Ruby revealed her plan. I wish after they escaped Ruby found them again, especially Sam, and...I don't know they all thanked Ruby or something. However, I haven't read the Sam novella yet, Sparks Rise.

Edit: I just read Sparks Rise and I should've known to read it before hand, like you have to read In Time before Never Fade. Why was I so stupid? (Spoilers coming) I'm crying. I'm crying more from those 100 pages than the 500+ in In the Afterlight. It's so sad, my whole body feels it. I fell like I could throw up from the sadness. I went back and reread the parts with Sam in In the Afterlight and now I'm 10x more sadder. I want to throw up. I need a glass of water. My hopes were so high in the beginning I was overcome with happiness. But once they started to escape and I realized Lucas was the guy Ruby noticed in In the Afterlight I was so struck with sadness I had to put my kindl down. I sat it down, walked away and didn't think I could finish it.  It hurt me so much knowing what would happen next I couldn't finish it. I, of course, did and now I regret picking up Sparks Rise.

Another one of my favorite parts was when they found Zu. My heart grew three sizes, and then some. I gasped out loud when Zu started talking in the interview, even though I kind of guessed she would talk eventually. When Ruby and Liam found Vida and Chubs, even though I've been calling this since the first time they met, was shocking. I think it was how they found them. I laughed so hard when it happened.

I can't really finish this review anymore, for I am crying over Sparks Rise. I can't believe a novella can do this to me. Reading In Time I was like this is the best novella I've ever read, but it was outranked. In Time was really good, but it didn't leave me with this sick feeling like I feel now. Alexandra Bracken, you are one cruel mistress. This has become more of a Sparks Rise review than In the Afterlight review. I should change the title. All in all, I can't really sum up my feeling for In the Afterlight right now cause it's being overshadowed by its novella. Is that a bad thing?

Graphic Novel Reviews and A Beth Revis Giveaway

   I don't think I've ever reviewed a graphic novel, like ever, so I thought that could change. I been in a terrible reading slump since school started, then NaNoWriMo killed me, and these helped. A little. Over the past week I read two graphic novels, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, and Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona. They were both really good but I did definitely like Saga more. I'll also be talking about this huge giveaway, one of my favorite authors, Beth Revis (Across the Universe) is doing.

   Saga is about this couple, and their newborn baby running away from the man. During a war with different planets against each other. Alana, a broken winged, former-solider, with a wicked hair cut and her husband, Marko, a horn-bearing, magic wielder with a vow against violence try to find a safe place for their new family.

    First off, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples was a fantastic book. The story is like nothing I've read before and the drawing style is amazing. I laughed out loud at multiple points but the story was still touching and substantial. It's different for me, where I mostly read YA, and the main characters delivered their baby on the first page. It was however, very much a set up book, but I like those (I love myself a origin story). I think my favorite thing about Saga was the illustration. Every character was so distinctive and detailed, and everything looked real, like I could see them walking down the street, despite their wings and radio heads.  I will definitely be reading Saga Volume 2. Like, as fast as I can get my hands on it.

    Kamala, a Muslim,  New Jerseyite sneaks out to go to a party one night. After running home in embarrassment she gets caught in this fog, the Terrigan bomb, and recognized as a Inhuman is granted a wish by her role model, Captain Marvel. 

     Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona I didn't like as much for a couple reasons. I think the biggest reason was I had just finished Saga and my standards hadn't lowered yet. I wasn't a big fan of the style, it had a cartoony, lanky people, type of feel. I like usually either all the way cartoony (like Scott Pilgrim) or all the way realistic (like Saga). It did make me laugh too, but I didn't enjoy the characters as much. Okay, the more I write the less I like Ms. Marvel. I need to stop. Go read it, make a opinion for yourself.

   Finally, the giveaway. Beth Revis, author of one of my favorite series (if not my favorite), Across the Universe, is ding a giveaway that has over 20 books. There's three winners, with prizes for both American and International residents. And, they're good books. Not like those ones you'd find in the clearance section and has a bunch of ads in the back (no offense meant to those, authors got to get paid). I've read some of the ones being given out and they're really good. Revis' new book, The Body Electric, looks really good but i still haven't gotten my hands on it (Damn you empty wallet).  Anyway, enter the giveaway here. Thanks!