I Am Number Four

I cannot recall how I got a sample of I Am Number Four downloaded on my Nook but I am glad I did. I spent far too many nights saying to myself just one more page.

John Smith is living a lie, everything from his name to his existence. Having fled his home planet during an invasion from another alien species John and eight others are the sole hope of his race. However three of those nine are now dead and John is next on the list. Hoping for a new start in Paradise Ohio John goes to school and works at blending in. He ever makes friends with a boy in his class who is into aliens and works on confessing his crush to the cutest girl in school. For the most part everything is normal for John except for the worry that he will have to fleet at any moment to avoid his pursuers.

What wonderful writing, vivid storytelling, and imaginative aliens. I was in shock realizing I had read hundreds of pages, nothing felt like filler. Feels like I blinked and the story was over. I already have The Power of Six downloaded on my Nook and I cannot wait to start it tonight.

Scarelt Nights

Scarlet Nights was a random grab off my to read shelf as I rushed to work one morning. I do not recall where I got it.

Mike is a detective and does all sorts of dangerous missions, when his boss tells him he is going to investigate a notorious fugitive in his hometown he is less then eager. Having left the town many years ago Mike has no desire to return but he is determined to keep his sister safe and his sister's friend Sara.

Sara is happily planning her wedding and eagerly awaiting the return his fiance when her best friend's brother shows up in her room one night. Someone Mike manages to wiggle his way into Sara's life and their friendship quickly grows.

I liked the mystery of what was going on but some of the romance parts were a bit corny. I was happy that despite the length of the book the plot was not driven by intimate scenes but actual mystery and plot.

Caraval

My first thought of Caraval was that is was going to be like The Night Circus but while I was mistaken I was not disappointed. Without a doubt Caraval is the best book I have read this year.

Scarlett fears her controlling father and worries about her younger sister facing his wrath when she angers her father. Determined to do something to protect her sister and herself Scar agrees to an arranged marriage to escape her father. Determined to make one last attempt to correspond with the legendary leader of Caraval, Legend, Scar writes to him explaining she is to be married. After years of no answers from Legend Scar is shocked when Legend writes back including three tickets to Caraval. Unsure what to do Scar's fate is sealed when her younger sister arranges for her to be taken and she arrives at the game.

I loved Scar, she was a well rounded character with flaws, hopes, fears, and it was clear that the trials of the game changed her. While Caraval is a series Scar's story to me felt complete and I was not really left with questions. I do wonder if the next story will have Scar as a side character or have her taking center stage once again.

The Gauntlet

I have eagerly awaited the release of The Gauntlet. The Hunt ended on a major cliffhanger and I was beyond eager to learn what happened.

Cora is determined to win the Gauntlet and declare humans an intelligent species. Unsure of who to trust and fearing she will not make it to the Gauntlet in time Cora must determine her own path. With her friends to help her Cora learns about inner strength and how to overcome fear. Cora's growth was amazing and I loved how she developed as a character. Even though she grew as a person she maintained flaws, some did seem to disappear but others grew more making Cora feel real and complex.

Despite my excitement for The Gauntlet I was disappointed in the ending. I had so many unanswered questions and I wanted a bit more closure. Sadly the author said this is the end of Cora and her friends story. Due to the rather abrupt ending I am not sure I would read another series by Megan Shepard.

Lady's Maid

Even though I was not overly impressed with Lady's Maid I was unable to put it down and stop reading it entirely.

Wilson was not just a maid to Mrs. Barrett but a friend and a confidant. I really liked Wilson at times and other times I did not care for her much. She had a hard life and clearly struggled to make the most of her life. Worshiping her mistress she showed no hesitation in leaving all she knew to make Mrs. Barrette into Mrs. Browning. As for growth I am not really sure Wilson's personality changed just her amount of life experience.

The writing was told in first person past tense and letters. I was not a fan of the writing style at all and I almost quit reading due to it a few times. It was nice to see how someone imagined Mr. and Mrs. Browning life especially through a servants eyes.

Dream Factory

Ever since I read the first few pages of Dream Factory at the bookstore I have been eager to read the whole story. Since I missed my chance of getting it from the bookstore I ordered it from the library.

Disney cast has gone out on strike in an attempt to get dental insurance so a bunch of high school students were brought in to play the role of the characters. Ella is lost and not sure what to do with herself so getting a job at Disneyworld is a good plan for the time being. Cast as Cinderella Ella struggles to embrace the magic of Disneyland.

Mark thought a job at Disneyworld would be the perfect way to escape his family and moving into a family business position. How wrong he was, cast as Dale he hates the costume and all the rules which he never wants to follow.

The premise for the story was awesome and super original but sadly my favorite part was the description on the back and the first chapter. The story just felt too cliche and flat to me. I was hoping for more character development and nothing was really resolved with Ella and her deep sadness.

The Dark Days Pact

The Dark Days Pact is the second book in the Lady Helen Series and I was so excited to enjoy every page of the story. I cannot wait for the third book to be released.

Helen has come a long way, having pressed the temper of her uncle too far she is now living in the house of an aide of a dark days club member along with her ever faithful maid Darby. Unsure of her situation Helen does he best to learn to accept her reclaimer powers and embrace her destiny of being the ultimate reclaimer.

While everything is told from Helen's point of view I feel like I have a strong bond with all the numerous side characters. They are well thought out, full of flaws, inner struggles, and feelings. Beautiful writing that makes me feel like I am sitting in the room watching the events unfold. The entire time I was kept guessing on what was occurring, who I could trust, and the overall decision of the dark days club to let Helen fight. After some thinking I do have my own ideas of what is going to happen and I eagerly await release of then next book, 2018 feels like it will take forever to get here.