Let's Hear It For the Boys - The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Published: Oct 2013

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Pages: 323

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Mindsis the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.
But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.

Review:

James Dashner is one of my favourite go-to authors for guy reads.  The Maze Runner was a great series packed with a thrilling plot, lots of action and plenty to interest those who tend not to be interested in reading.  The plot of the Mortality Doctrine is off to a great start in captivating the gamer genre in a virtual world filled with just as many twists and turns as The Maze Runner.  

Mr. Dashner does an excellent job of creating worlds where regular every day kids are transported and have to accept the challenges of most adults.  His characters always seem tested for their survival abilities and quick thinking to escape horrific situations.  Although this title may appeal to gamers, please be forewarned that there are some graphic scenarios that are quite brutal and may not be appropriate for a younger audience.  Mind you, if your kids are playing older rated games, the scenarios are probably similar.  

Like I mentioned before, I am a fan of James Dashner and his writing.  To be honest though, I had a hard time finishing this novel.  I am not a gamer so I had it hard to identify with parts of the story and conceptualize the scenes.  HOWEVER, in saying that, I also did like the way it ended and would recommend this title to our upcoming techie generation.  Although I would classify it more as a "guy's read", it certainly would not be lost on girls who also enjoy gaming.

The Trap by Andrew Fukuda

Published: November 2013

Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Pages: 320

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

After barely escaping the Mission alive, Gene and Sissy face an impossible task: staying alive long enough to stop an entire world bent on their destruction. Bound on a train heading into the unknown with the surviving Mission girls, Gene, Sissy, David, and Epap must stick together and use everything they have to protect each other and their only hope: the cure that will turn the blood-thirsty creatures around them into humans again. Now that they know how to reverse the virus, Gene and Sissy have one final chance to save those they love and create a better life for themselves. But as they struggle to get there, Gene's mission sets him on a crash course with Ashley June, his first love . . . and his deadliest enemy.

Review:

FINALLY!!  Book #3...the final installment of The Hunt!  I was so excited to read this and devoured it in just a couple days (that is a miracle for someone who doesn't have much time).  The entire series is fast paced and thrilling and doesn't seem to ever slow down.  The Trap is no exception.  

STOP READING HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK 1 AND 2.  THERE ARE SPOILERS!!

So here it is - Gene, Sissy, David and Epap have made it onto the train with other Mission occupants and are headed to the city.  Some will survive and some won't.  It will be a horrifying experience and nothing is as it seems.  Will they finally have the reunion with Gene's father that they have been craving?  How many other humans are out there?  Can they free them all?  Or is the human population quickly becoming extinct?  Will Gene and Sissy be able to reverse the virus and change everyone back?  We finally have the answers to all of these questions...and I gotta tell you, blood will be shed.  Characters will die and nothing is as it appears.  

As much as I loved this series (and I really did), the conclusion did not hold me as the rest of the series did.  I was expecting an explosion of understanding and all I thought was - that's it?  It's over?  It was an interesting way to wrap things up but didn't have the same "omph" as the momentum from the rest of the series.  Sorry, don't mean to burst any bubbles.  Still a recommended read but the ending didn't have the impact I was hoping for.   My conclusion - Come along for the ride.  Immerse yourself in the story and be open to the ending.

This would be an excellent "guys" read but also has appeal to girls as there is a minor love triangle throughout the series.  If you enjoyed the Hunger Games and Twilight, you will enjoy The Trap.  Be prepared for some gruesome descriptive scenes with vampires and their ummm...bodily fluids.  There seemed to be excessive oozing in this last book.  :)

Let's Hear It For The Boys - CRYPT: The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond

Published: September 2011

Publisher: Headline

Pages: 338

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Meet Jud Lester: Paranormal Investigator. When a crime is committed and the police are at a loss, the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team (or CRYPT for short) is called in to figure out whether something paranormal is at work. Jud is their star agent. Jud, unwillingly paired with new recruit Bex, has just landed his biggest case yet...people have been disappearing in mysterious circumstances while others are viciously attacked - yet there are no suspects and a complete lack of hard evidence. The only thing that links each attack is the fact that survivors all claim that the culprits were 17th century highwaymen. Can Jud and Bex work out what has caused the spirits of these dangerous men to return to the streets of London before they wreak more death and destruction?


The Gallows Curse start off with a huge bang and the action does not stop until the last pages.  Ghost action that is.  These are not your Casper the friendly ghost types at all.  We're talking spectral bad guys with a major case of  sour grapes, and they are out to get anyone who gets in their way, and they don't care how much blood they have to shed to get their revenge.

I you are not into ghostly violence, this is definitely NOT the book for you!  Jud and Bex are the youth leaders of a group of covert teens who check out ghostly disturbances in London.  Jud has some problems, and he gets violent.  So much so that I was feeling a little uncomfortable at times.  I understand the reasons behind his actions and I was able to empathize a little, but he disturbed me. Which I guess just goes to show what a well written character he was.  Bex is nicely kick-ass without being OTT and she acted as a nice balance to Jud. 

Spoiler alert - no romance in this one, so be warned.  This is ghost hunting at its grittiest.  No warm and fuzzies, just lots of attitude, blood and violence.  The main bad guy, Zakis, is perhaps a little bit of a caricature, but he works and it's major fun seeing how he gets his come-upance.

I found myself wondering if I picked up on the reasons for the hauntings early on because I went to school in England so I knew the history behind the story, but maybe not. I got mad at one point because Jud kept seeming to miss the connection, but it really was just clever plotting on Mr Hammonds' part.  I enjoyed The Gallows Curse as a change of pace from what I've been reading lately and recommend it for guys, and girls, looking for a bit of blood and guts.  Maybe not a good one for anyone with a queasy stomach though!

Infinity By Sherrilyn Kenyon

Published: May 2010

Publisher: St Martin's Griffin

Pages: 448

Copy provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Review:
I have mixed feelings about this book.  I have seen many of Sherrilyn Kenyon's adult books on the shelf and I know that she is very popular with the supernatural crowd but this is the first time I've seen her books in the YA section.  I heard a lot of hype about this book a few months ago but have heard little since. 

When I first started reading Infinity, I think I stayed up until around 1am reading the first 150 pages.  The story really grabbed me and I was onboard.  However, as I kept reading, I found myself re-reading and I felt that there were so many characters to keep track of.  To be honest, I didn't feel that there was enough time spent in character development I didn't feel like I connected with the characters as I should have.  For a story that started out strong, it fizzled in the middle and then picked up again towards the end.  I'm glad that I stuck it out and kept reading because the novel has an interesting twist but I wasn't keen on the writing style or lack of character development.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not trying to offend any of you Sherrilyn Kenyon fans but this book lacked something for me personally.  Oh, and I HATED how Simi spoke it was so annoying.  Think Jar Jar Binks from the Star Wars series...On a better note though, I will give her second book a try - Invincible.  This may appeal to boys as it is done from a teenage boy's POV.  Perhaps a good guy read if you're looking for a book to refer.  It comes out February 1st, 2011. 

One of my favorite quotes - pg 409-410

"Infinity is never-ending"
"...no matter what happens or what obstacles you meet.  Over, under, around, or through.  There's always a way.  And if you have to chase something to infinity, strap on your big-boy pants, hiking boots, and go."