Category: Putnam Juvenile

Review: Wildcard by Marie Lu

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Review: Wildcard by Marie LuTitle: Wildcard (Warcross #2)
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 18, 2018

four-half-stars
Summary (from Goodreads):

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a bounty on Emika's head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn't all that he seems--and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

Amazon | Book Depository

Review

Since Warcross by Marie Lu was my favourite read of 2017 (and maybe even one of my favourites ever?), I was beyond excited for the sequel, Wildcard. I can safely say that this book lived up to my expectations, and the plot is almost as exciting as the first. The main character is also strong, and there is a prominent theme of family that I loved. If you have yet to pick up this series, I would definitely recommend it as it is the kind of series that will become an instant favourite. Continue reading →

ARC Review: Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

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Book cover for The Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1)
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Book for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 16, 2017
Stars: 4.5/5

Summary (from Goodreads): From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan where Mulan meets Throne of Glass.

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor’s favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family’s standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace.
Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and track down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires. Continue reading →

Book to Movie Review: The 5th Wave

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Don’t Judge a Book by its Movie is a feature on The Candid Cover spotlighting and reviewing book to movie adaptations. 

I received an advanced screening pass to view this film on January 20th in Toronto from Sony Pictures Canada.

 

Book cover for The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Cast:  Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston
Director: J. Blakeson
Screenplay:  Susannah Grant, Akiva Goldsman, and Jeff Pinkner

Summary (from Goodreads): After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother–or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. Continue reading →

Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

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Book cover for The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1)
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Stars: 5/5

Summary (from Goodreads): I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt. Continue reading →

ARC Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

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Book cover for The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile: an imprint of Penguin
Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Pages: 400
Stars: 5/5
Kindle Edition

Summary (from Goodreads): A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.  Continue reading →