Author: Jana

Item: The 5th Wave
Rating: 5
Author: Jana

Dove Arising by Karen Bao – Propaganda Video Reveal

Posted February 13, 2015 by Jana in Book Spotlight / 2 Comments

Hello! I’m pretty excited to be revealing one of the propaganda videos (in conjunction with my other blog, The Broke and the Bookish) for Dove Arising by debut author Karen Bao! The first video was revealed yesterday on Hypable, and two more are being revealed by IceyBooks and Fangirlish today as well.

Karen is going to be here for the Debut Dish on Sunday and then she’ll be here again for her blog tour on March 3rd, so there’s lots of Karen happenings coming up! Read about Dove Arising on Goodreads! This is a book that should totally be on your radar. I mean, it’s about a girl who lives on the moon and has barely spoken since her father’s death. Well, not until her mother was arrested by the government. Now she has to join the Militia to free her mom and save her siblings!

Anyway, on to the video!

So, what do you think? Did you like the video? Does Dove Arising sound like something you’d enjoy reading? Let me know in the comments!

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey | Book Review

Posted February 9, 2015 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 5 Comments

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Series: The 5th Wave #1
Published by GP Putnam's Sons on May 7, 2013
Genres: Science Fiction, Survival
Pages: 457
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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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.

**This is one of the books I chose to read for my YA literature class**

I’ve been very excited to read The 5th Wave, and am so glad I finally had the chance! It’s a very exciting books that I loved so much more than I thought I would. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Rick Yancey has created a very convincing post-apocalyptic setting, taking place right here in the United States. He really took his time giving us all the details about what the world is like now, what the aliens have done so far (in the first four waves of human extermination, essentially), and what life is like for the few remaining humans on Earth.

2. Everything seemed so frighteningly real to me, that I was completely engrossed. Yancey has convinced me that this can really happen!

3. The writing style portrays so many different emotions: Cassie’s heartbreak when her brother is taken, her skepticism as to whether or not to trust Evan, her fear at being alone, her sorrow over losing her family, and her determination to survive.

4. In that same vein, Rick Yancey did such a good job at getting into the head of a teenage girl. I kept forgetting a man wrote this book! Cassie’s voice is quintessentially female. I particularly loved the part of the book where Cassie woke up in a strange guy’s house, all cleaned up and wearing new clothes. Her inner thoughts are hilarious when she realizes a boy saw her naked. She reacts exactly the way any girl would, and I loved her for it.

5. I loved all the characters. Cassie is a wonderful heroine, who has the courage of Katniss Everdeen. She’s also got a pretty great sense of humor. And she’s a girl after my own heart because she is dragging books around in her backpack as she fights off aliens! Evan is mysterious and kind and caring. He’s a very dynamic character, and he’s constantly being torn in two directions. I love Cassie’s little brother and the people he encounters on his new mission in life. I felt very connected to everyone, which makes sense because they are fighting for their lives. True humanity comes through in these situations, and the characters were so real and relatable because they’ve got nothing left to be but themselves.

6.This book is non-stop action and excitement! Then there’s a little romance and some violence and some survival scenarios… It’s pretty gripping, and I had a very hard time putting it down.

My Favorite Quotes:

– “But if I’m it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I’m going to let the story end this way. I may be the last one, but I am the one still standing. I am the one turning to face the faceless hunter in the woods on an abandoned highway. I am the one not running but facing. Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity’s last war, then I am the battlefield.”

– “How do you rid the Earth of humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.”

All in all, this is one LONG book but I didn’t even care. I didn’t want it to end! I was so amazed by the situation and captivated by the characters’ stories that I could not put it down to go to sleep! The 5th Wave has everything a reader could want and even some things you might not realize you wanted in the first place.

If I Lived in a World With Soulprint Technology… | Blog Tour + Giveaway

Posted February 2, 2015 by Jana in Blog Tour, Giveaway / 11 Comments

Welcome to the very first stop along the official Soulprint blog tour, hosted by Bloomsbury Publishing! In honor of Soulprint‘s upcoming release tomorrow, I was asked to answer the following question:

For those who don’t know, soulprint technology gives the government the ability to trace a person’s soul across their lifetimes and keep track of who they’ve been, just like today’s law enforcement can track your fingerprints and place you at the scene of a crime. Alina has fallen victim to this technology, and is imprisoned on an island for crimes the government tells her she committed in her past life.

So. If I lived in a world with this kind of technology, I would want to be reincarnated as a famous person who gets paid to travel the world, chronicling their adventures and recommending the best hotels, restaurants, and touristy things to do. Basically, I want to be Samantha Brown! She and her film crew are sent all over the world to make travel shows and see the world. Instead of being on TV, though, I would want to write memoirs and travel books. I’d make sure my first few stops included going to Finland and renting a glass igloo to watch the Northern Lights; the Glowworm Caves in Waitomo, New Zealand; and on a tour to Machu Picchu in Peru. I have a whole Pinterest board of places I’ve been to and places I’d love to visit again or for the first time.

What would you like to be reincarnated as? A celebrity? An animal? Let’s discuss in the comments!

But before you go, here’s some more information on Soulprint by Megan Miranda, followed by a giveaway you won’t want to miss!

Soulprint by Megan Miranda
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia
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A new literary, sci-fi thriller from acclaimed author Megan Miranda.

With the science of soul-fingerprinting a reality, Alina Chase has spent her entire life imprisoned for the crimes her past-self committed. In an attempt to clear her name, Alina unintentionally trades one prison for another when she escapes, aided by a group of teens whose intentions and motivations are a mystery to her. As she gets to know one of the boys, sparks fly, and Alina believes she may finally be able to trust someone. But when she uncovers clues left behind from her past life that only she can decipher, secrets begin to unravel. Alina must figure out whether she’s more than the soul she inherited, or if she’s fated to repeat the past.

This compelling story will leave readers wondering if this fictional world could become a reality.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the blog tour!

February 2nd – That Artsy Reader Girl
February 3rd – Nose Graze
February 4th – Effortlessly Reading
February 5th – Andi ABCs
February 6th – What Sarah Read
February 9th – Across the Words
February 10th – Great Imaginations
February 11th – The Eater of Books
February 12th – Step Into Fiction
February 13th – Dana Square

The Story of Owen by E.K. Johnston | Book Review

Posted January 30, 2015 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston
Series: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim #1
Published by Carolrhoda Books on March 1, 2014
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 312
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Listen! For I sing of Owen Thorskard: valiant of heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stood between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival. There have always been dragons. As far back as history is told, men and women have fought them, loyally defending their villages. Dragon slaying was a proud tradition. But dragons and humans have one thing in common: an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. From the moment Henry Ford hired his first dragon slayer, no small town was safe. Dragon slayers flocked to cities, leaving more remote areas unprotected. Such was Trondheim's fate until Owen Thorskard arrived. At sixteen, with dragons advancing and his grades plummeting, Owen faced impossible odds armed only with a sword, his legacy, and the classmate who agreed to be his bard. Listen! I am Siobhan McQuaid. I alone know the story of Owen, the story that changes everything. Listen!

This book was a required read for my Young Adult Literature class as part of my MLIS program.

So… I’m not going to write a formal review of The Story of Owen. I’m just going to post my thoughts that I wrote for a couple assignments in my class. Unfortunately, this book was not my favorite. Its had its moments, but overall I had some complaints I could not reconcile.

1. It started out very slowly for me, and never really picked up very much. Maybe things were a bit slow going because the author took her time to build the world. She spent a lot of time going through historical elements to establish dragons as a part of life, and we also read flashbacks to get to know Siobhan and Owen better. I like worldbuilding a lot, but I felt bogged down by so many details and information dumps.

2. I can imagine the author had to do a lot of research to figure out ways to add dragons to history. And I did find some of these historical facts interesting and even cool, but there was just too much.

3. One interesting thing I am slightly confused by is Owen’s need for a bard. It almost seems as
though the author is trying to make Owen’s story a tall tale of sorts, that people talk about for generations… like John Henry. It’s definitely a unique plot mechanism, but I’m not sure I like it.

4. I do love Owen’s and Siobhan’s friendship. They have this mutual caring and admiration for one another that I think is sweet. There are some very tender moments throughout.

5. There’s a very strong “girl power” message throughout the story. The story is dominated by powerful, strong ladies. I think it’s refreshing, and I wonder if the author had a reason for doing this. I think this would be a great book to recommend to girls who are looking for strong heroines.

6. There’s suggestions of possible romance throughout the book, but it never develops into the full-blown romance/infatuation that is so typical in books for young adults. I’m not complaining. I find it refreshing that the author has chosen to hook readers with strong friendships instead.

7. Siobhan’s and Owen’s personalities might be the reason for this lack of romance. To me, they both act younger than the book says they are. I was very surprised when Siobhan drove the two of them or offered to pick Owen up for something, but then remembered she’s old enough. It could just be that these two are a little behind socially and friendship feels more natural than romance.

8. The ending was definitely my favorite part of the story. I can’t even really say why, I was just very happy with how everyone ended up.

9. I can see The Story of Owen having a wide appeal because it is not gender specific and it has lots of different story elements (homosexuality, adventure, bravery, friendship, tradition, history/alternate history, perseverance, familial relationships, etc.).

All in all, I’m a romance girl! I think the lack of romance, which would not have worked in this story anyway so I’m glad the author did not add it, combined with the huge info dumps that ripped me out of the story are my biggest complaints. But I also did not really connect with the characters. I never felt anything for any of them. So really, things were just a mess for me.

Winnie by Sally M. Walker | Children’s Book Review

Posted January 28, 2015 by Jana in Children's Book Review / 1 Comment

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker
Illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 40
Source: From the publisher
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Who could care for a bear? When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear for sale at the train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training for World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company’s home town, and he brought her along to the training camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment’s much-loved mascot. But who could care for the bear when Harry had to go to the battleground in France? Harry found just the right place for Winnie while he was away—the London Zoo. There a little boy named Christopher Robin came along and played with Winnie—he could care for this bear too!

Sally Walker’s heartwarming story, paired with Jonathan Voss’s evocative illustrations, brings to life the story of the real bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh.

This book warmed my heart. I absolutely loved Winnie the Pooh as a child. To be honest, I still do. I had heard Winnie the Pooh was inspired by true events, but I had never heard the story. And honestly, it’s one of the sweetest stories I’ve read in a long time.

The story takes place during WWI times, and just enough information is provided to the reader to understand what’s going on without scaring them. The focus is entirely on Harry and his bear. Harry met little Winnie at the train station, where she climbed into his lap and licked his chin. He bought her for $20. From the beginning, her relationship with Harry was so sweet. Readers learn what Winnie and Harry did together, how Winnie played, what she ate, where she lived, and where she slept. She nuzzled the muzzles of horses, and then needed cuddle time if they scared her. How cute is that? It is no question at all that little Winnie was a unique and special bear. She was brought to the London zoo when Harry and the other soldiers could no longer care for her (they went to war), and little children played with her there (one of them was named Christopher Robin). They even rode on her back! She was so happy. And the story has a happy ending with a bit of a twist that will make you smile. :)

The illustrations are simply beautiful. The tenderness between Harry and Winnie is so perfectly illustrated with soft watercolor tones. As a bonus, black and white photos of the real Harry and the real Winnie are included as well, and they are such a wonderful addition to the story. We get to see Winnie sitting in Harry’s lap for the regiment’s group picture and we get to see her do tricks for apples. There’s an author’s note at the end of the book, which provides more information about Harry’s and Winnie’s lives. Sources are also cited.

I love this story. It’s perfect for lovers of animals, Winnie the Pooh, history, and magical stories. People today would never buy a baby bear, much less take it on a transatlantic voyage to England. This gives the story a sense of fantasy, but children will be delighted to hear it’s true! Definitely pick up a copy of Winnie. It’s one of the best children’s books I’ve read in a while.