Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Soho Teen
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
17-year-old Sophie lies on her deathbed in California, awaiting the inevitable loss of her battle with cancer…

17-year-old Declan stares down two armed thugs in a back alley in Galway, Ireland…

17-year-old Anat attempts to traverse a booby-trapped tunnel between Israel and Egypt…

All three strangers should have died at the exact same moment, thousands of miles apart. Instead, they awaken together in an abandoned hospital—only to discover that they’re not alone. Three other teens from different places on the globe are trapped with them. Somebody or something seems to be pulling the strings. With their individual clocks ticking, they must band together if they’re to have any hope of surviving.

Soon they discover that they've been trapped in a future that isn't of their making: a deadly, desolate world at once entirely familiar and utterly strange. Each teen harbors a secret, but only one holds the key that could get them home. As the truth comes to light through the eyes of Sophie, Declan, and Anat, the reader is taken on a dark and unforgettable journey into the hearts of teens who must decide what to do with a second chance at life.

My Thoughts:
‘Strangelets’ has a really intense start that gets your attention right away. Our main characters are at the moment of death or near-death, and they are suddenly transported elsewhere. It’s so interesting, and it definitely makes you want to read on and figure out what the heck has gone on.

This book has an eerie post-apocalyptic setting that, at first, keeps you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately this tone isn't retained, and things become a bit drawn out after the half way point. This was exacerbated by the fact that I didn’t care for the characters that much. There were two that I empathized with quite a bit, but even they were put into an insta-love type of situation, which got a bit annoying.

I really like the way this world was presented, and I think that the setting was really the strongest part of the book. I did get a bit lost with some of the scientific explanations, though, which lessened my enjoyment for the book. The reveal to explain the whole scenario was a bit anti-climactic as well. So much of this book was intriguing and fresh, so the ending really came as a disappointment. It wasn’t quite a deus ex machina, but it seemed like way too simple a fix for a problem that had such high stakes.

While I disliked the ending and found it hard to get through the last part of this book, the beginning entertained me enough for it to warrant 3 stars. I can see other people liking it even more, especially if they haven't read other similar titles.

The Cover:
Decent, but I wish it was more eye catching.

Rating:
[3/5]

Find Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Mortality by Kellie Sheridan: Excerpt & Prequel Giveaway

Mortality by
Kellie Sheridan
After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

EXCERPT

I move into a crouch behind the windowsill and slowly peel back the curtain. Liam simply continues to sit on a chair at the other end of the living room, not wanting to get too close to whatever is going on outside. He claims he’s seen enough of these things to last him a lifetime, and I can’t say I blame him, but I have to see for myself. I’d been hoping there weren’t as many out this far, but we’re seeing them pass by every few hours, heading away from the city.

Even here, we aren’t safe.

I watch as a group of at least a dozen of the infected shuffle on past the window. I don’t want to know what has attracted their attention; I just don’t want it to be me.

We got out of Cleveland three days ago and have been holed up in suburbia ever since.

Liam keeps telling me that I should just accept this for what it is. That these people should be dead but aren’t. He says the word zombie at least three times an hour, but I can’t bring myself to even think it. That’s ridiculous. My best guess is some insane form of rabies. That’s a thing, right?

The group turns off at the end of the street and I let the thick, pale purple curtain fall back into place. Liam is still sitting on the chair, just watching me.

“All clear?” he asks.

“For now.” I get up and head over to the kitchen. The power went off last night and it still hasn’t come back on. At least we got to watch the news for awhile, not that it told us much of anything. People everywhere are panicking—no surprises there. I sat there, just waiting for someone to blame this whole thing on terrorists and for Liam to look at me with disgust, but the moment never came. This disease, whatever it was, is home grown.

Our current mission in life, besides not being eaten ourselves, is to eat anything that could start to rot. Gotta keep busy with something, so it might as well be food. “Want anything?”

“I’ll take the last glass of milk,” he says before quickly adding, “if that’s okay with you.”

Things have been awkward ever since Liam picked the lock on the back door and got us into this bungalow. It’s like once we were out of immediate danger, we had no idea what to do with ourselves. Even after living with him for three days, I barely know this guy.

As far as we can tell, the original inhabitants of 3632 Birch Avenue were a couple of little old ladies who prided themselves on needlework and tea sets. While the tea is definitely appreciated, a computer would have been extremely helpful—while there was still power, that is. I have no idea where this house’s residents are now, but I’m hoping they are in the midst of an impeccably well-timed vacation.

This food won’t last us forever, and more than anything, I want to know what’s going on outside of this house, outside of Cleveland. How far has this thing spread?

As I pour a glass of milk for Liam and a glass of orange juice for myself, I wonder how much longer my cell phone battery will last. I’m trying to wean myself off of looking at it constantly to see if I’ve missed any calls or texts to conserve power. I still haven’t heard from either of my parents. I know what this probably means, but I’m not ready to face it. Not yet.

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Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 360
Series: Covenant #4
Review Source: ARC from publisher

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

My Thoughts:
I feel like these books go back and forth for me. I really loved Deity, so I think I had high expectations for this one. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely! But is it a favourite? Not so much. Even though there was action I didn't feel like that much actually happened. Scenes were dragged out, and it was all just a journey that ends in a weird place. The ending was kind of a cliffhanger and kind of not, but mostly it just felt like the book randomly stopped. Even though things were learned, to me it felt like a lot of the book was dragged out, and that everything of importance is still to come. Maybe I'm being way too harsh, because I can still see that this was a good book, but to me it didn’t feel up to Jennifer Armentrout’s standards.

What I did like was the continued devotion of Aiden and how his and Alex’s relationship was portrayed. I love how much they respect each other and that they bring out the best in one another. I also liked seeing Alex interact with other characters with whom she’s had complicated relationships in the past. Alex will always be a snarky character who is quick to action, but it was nice to see her mature a little bit and spend a bit of time thinking before acting (not too much time, though, or it wouldn’t be the Alex we’ve grown to love).

Bottom line, this is definitely a decent installment in the Covenant series, and if you’re a fan of the books you’ll definitely want to check it out. Most people on Goodreads seem to be rating it 5 stars, so I’m sure that most everyone else will adore ‘Apollyon’. For me, I liked it well enough, but I was expecting a bit better. Nevertheless I’ll still be eagerly awaiting the next (and final!) book in the series -- ‘Sentinel’.

The Cover:
Pretty, I really like this one.

Rating:
[3/5]

Find Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.