Lost Girls Reviews

I loved this graphic novel! There was more action, a bit of romance, and of course, Meyer's fantastic humor. All the characters from the original Lunar Chronicles series are once again back battling a rogue band of hybrid wolf soldiers. 

 

At one point my heart stopped while reading this book. I was definitely on the edge of my seat with some of the twists and turns. If you enjoyed volume 1 you will really enjoy volume 2. The conclusion was satisfying and I was happy to see that this book was 86 pages longer than the last. I still had no problem reading the book in one sitting, but the bigger the book the happier I am.

 

I hope Meyer plans to create more graphic novels in the future. I had her newest book, Renegades all set to read next. I've been looking forward to it for quite some time, but I made the mistake of wandering into a bookstore, and two Meyer books later here we are. Not that I'm complaining! I am more than happy to have multiple Meyer books to read back to back. 

 

-Shey

This was the very first graphic novel I've ever read! I have always been a little iffy at the thought of reading them until I went on a small book buying binge (as if I don't have a stack already waiting on me) and made the mistake of taking a peek inside this book. Not only reading about the cast of lovable characters, who I have missed so much from the Lunar Chronicles series, but seeing them was such a fantastic experience.

 

My favorite character is Iko, so having her take center stage in this action packed adventure was so much fun! Not only did I finish it far too quickly, despite taking my time to enjoy the artwork, but I then had to run back and get the second volume because I just had to know more about Iko and what makes her unique. I originally thought the book centered ONLY around Iko and her story after the events of the Lunar Chronicles series, but I was pleasantly surprised to see all the characters make appearances. 

 

Cinder is doing her best to rule Luna while Winter has become an ambassador, still as charming and sweet as ever. Thorne is just as hilariously into himself, and Scarlet and Wolf are the most adorable couple, quite comfortable living on the Benoit farm. One of my favorite illustrations in the book is of Wolf cutting up tomatoes in the kitchen and cooking with Scarlet. 

 

There are packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers running rampant on earth and Iko is doing her best to round them all up android/Lara Croft style. She is just as sassy and lovable as I remember her! The ending of this book left me wanting more, so naturally, I jumped straight into Wires and Nerve Vol. 2. My only complaint, is that this book was not nearly long enough. I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel, and I certainly won't be hesitant to pick up more.

 

-Shey

 

Pax is a fox that has been raised by a young boy, Peter, since he was found abandoned as a young kit. When Peter's father enlists in the war, he is sent to live with his grandfather. His father insists that Pax be set free in the wild.

 

Shortly after arriving at his grandfathers house, Peter runs away to go find Pax. He doesn't get very far before he injures his leg and can barely walk. He is found by Vola, a gruff and stern woman who suffers from PTSD who now lives as a hermit. She sets his leg and agrees to let him stay with her until his leg is healed. During this time they learn so much from each other and form a very special bond.

 

Pax waited for Peter until his hunger and thirst forced him to leave his spot by the road. He encounters several other foxes and they teach him how to be wild again, but his thoughts never strayed far from Peter. The story alternates between Peter and Pax's point of view. I love the way the author gave Pax and the other foxes a voice without humanizing them. It was interesting to see the world from their perspective.

 

The illustrations throughout the book are beautiful and capture the mood perfectly. 

The ending was not what I had expected. It wasn't a bad ending, just not the happy reunion I was hoping for. I won't spoil it but just know that Pax does live and he and Peter do find each other. It is a story of heartbreak and healing, loyalty and love. 

 

-Bobbie

This is the final book in the Replica duology and once again, Oliver created a unique reading experience. Two girls, two stories. I had such success with Replica that I decided to read Ringer the exact same way, start off with Lyra's story and flip the book over every few chapters to alternate between Gemma's story. This time, however, things didn't work out quite as pleasant for me because Oliver decided to switch things up a bit.

 

Instead of the girl's stories being very much intertwined, Lyra and Caelum are on the run while Gemma and Pete are mistaken as replicas and captured. I wasn't reading two different view points of the same story, I was reading two separate stories, which equally held my attention to the point where I would have to force myself to stop reading one side so that I wouldn't finish Lyra or Gemma's story too quickly. I didn't want to get too far ahead in either story and that was such a challenge for me.

 

Originally I was more drawn to Lyra's story and her character, this time around Gemma really captured my interest. There was enough action and suspense on her side to keep me up until 4am finishing this book. I really enjoyed how Oliver explored the controversial world of cloning and showed various view points.

 

"If it isn't the owning that makes humans, and it isn't the making, either, then maybe it's the unmaking?"

 

There were some incredibly tense and creepy scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. I am so glad that I have finally been able to get back to reading after the year I've had, and this book was the perfect start.

 

-Shey

This was my most anticipated book of the year and it did not disappoint! Where the first book started a little slow and built up to that crazy cliffhanger, this sequel was packed with twists and turns throughout. 

 

In Three Dark Crowns, Katherine was my favorite and she still is. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that she survived the Breccia and came out of it a little....different. She is definitely more determined than ever to win that crown. She doesn't care who she has to take down to get it. Katherine is out for blood and I do not mean that figuratively.

 

Arsinoe is dealing with the revelation that she is a poisoner. She knows she is the least likely to come out of this Ascension alive but that doesn't mean she'll go down without a fight. Her relationship with Jules is one of my favorite things in this book. They are so devoted to each other and Jules will protect Arsinoe at all costs. We also find out something about Jules and it is a real game changer. I wouldn't be surprised if she took the crown for herself.

 

I don't think anyone can deny that Mirabella is the most powerful of the three sisters. Unfortunately, she is also the most sentimental and gentle. She does not want to kill her sisters and has to come to some distressing revelations. 

 

The character building was exceptional, especially for the secondary characters. - some of whom even had their own chapters. 

 

I have to say I enjoyed this book more than Three Dark Crowns. It is gritty, violent, and most of all, exciting. Of course it left us with another HUGE cliffhanger and I can't wait until the next one! 

 

 

-Bobbie

I don't remember the last time I read a book that I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed Caraval. I am such a fan of Garber's writing style. Her magical prose leaped off the pages and held me spellbound. I love the way Scarlet experiences life in various shades of color.

 

 

Two sisters have always wanted to see Caraval, a magical performance/game (by invitation only) where you have a chance to compete with others for a reward. The day finally arrives when Scarlet and Tella receive an invitation to Caraval and the reward for winning the game is one wish. Unfortunately, Scarlet's abusive father has arranged a marriage between her and a man she has never met and the marriage is due to take place shortly.

 

The two girls find themselves on the run, journeying with a mysterious stranger, to the island where Caraval takes place. When Tella disappears, Scarlet discovers that her sister is a part of the game and it is up to Scarlet to solve the clues and find her sister before time runs out.

 

 When things take a nasty turn, and secrets unfold, Scarlet no longer knows who to trust or what is real and what is part of the game.  This story kept me on my toes. I did not want to put the book down. There were so many twists and shocking moments!

 

Scarlet is an amazing sister. She goes through so much to try and save Tella. As much as I love my own sister, and I'd like to think I would do whatever it takes to save her, there's a chance I may have left her little butt behind on that island. "I'm supposed to do what!? Sorry sis, you're on your own. Send me a postcard if you ever escape." 

 

This story had everything, danger, mystery, romance, wonder, excitement.  Any book that challenges my imagination to soar will receive 5 stars from me. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series! There is so much more to learn and see. I will be counting down the days.

 

 

-Shey

What a delightful fairy tale! This was such a joy to read. I loved the mix of characters. There is a perfectly tiny dragon who truly believes he is simply enormous, a good witch with a heart of gold who rescues babies left in the woods to die, a poetry loving swamp monster, and so many other characters both unique and interesting.

 

As a child I know I would have adored this book and read it over and over. I would recommend this book to young, old and everyone in between who enjoys a captivating fairy tale filled to the brim with stardust, whimsy, moonbeams, and all things enchanting.

 

 

-SW

Gabriel and Rhine have escaped and they are on the run, trying to make it back to Manhattan in search of her twin brother when they are captured by the ring-mistress of a carnival of prostitution. Once again Rhine finds herself in a compromising situation, and her plan of action is to simply go along with everything, gain Madame's trust and wait for the perfect opportunity to escape. This was all too reminiscent of book 1.

I found myself cringing by Rhine's actions throughout this book. The only thing she seemed to excel at, was getting caught. Each time she was caught by someone sinister, and this happens multiple times, she does not put up much of a fight. In fact, not only does she not attempt to flee, at one point she even goes willingly. I was in disbelief.

Rhine is still wearing Linden's wedding ring. I kept wondering why she hadn't removed it, and why Gabriel didn't seem to notice or care. Why would she want to keep a reminder of the terrible situation she escaped from? That was one of the many reasons Gabriel and Rhine's relationship fell flat to me. I saw no connection, no passion. I also felt that Rhine and Gabriel spent most of the book drugged up, sleeping or hallucinating which caused the story to plod along at a snail's pace. 

 

I had a hard time liking the characters (new and old) this time around. As with the last book, I enjoyed DeStefano's writing style, and I am in no way averse to giving her other series a try. I'm afraid this particular series simply isn't for me.

 

-SW

"I need you." 

I loved Bardugo's take on Wonder Woman. The theme of this story is friendship and loyalty so there was very little romance, which I didn't mind at all. The characters were incredibly likeable, and Bardugo's humor is always perfection. 

 

Being a fan of the new Wonder Woman movie, I have to confess, I kept hearing Gal Gadot's accent as I read the book. This story is, of course, entirely different than the movie. Diana rescues a young lady named Alia. Risking exile from her home, Diana is determined to save Alia, who is a Warbringer, a descendant of Helen of Troy, and holds the power to bring about massive wars and destruction.

 

 I was curious to see how Bardugo would handle writing such a kind, compassionate, honorable character when she is so exquisitely good at creating shady, morally grey characters as those from her Six of Crows series. She did an amazing job with Diana, and I absolutely adored Alia and her best friend, Nim. I loved their friendship, strength, intelligence and humor.

 

From what I understand, there was only one Wonder Woman book planned, but the ending teases that there is definitely more to Diana's story, and I would be absolutely thrilled to see Bardugo bring us more Wonder Woman!

 

-SW

In this dystopian universe females only live to be 20 years old and males live to be 25 before a mysterious virus kills them. Caused by a failed experiment to create a more perfect human race, only those of the first generation are immune to this virus, and live to see old age.

Young girls are disappearing, stolen away to be killed or to become unwilling polygamous wives of wealthy men and bear as many children as they can before they die. Rhine is taken, thrown into a van with several other girls, sedated and transported far from home to live in a secured mansion with four other sister wives.
 

I had a few issues with this book so I will start with some of those. Rhine is not the type of heroine who will fight tooth and nail for what she wants. It was a little frustrating to me when she would simply go along with everything that was happening to her. I wanted her to ask more questions, challenge authority, show some fire.
 

Her husband, Linden, is incredibly oblivious to everything. He was deeply in love with his first wife, devastated when she died, but seemed to move on fairly quickly with three more wives to take her place and warm his bed. Rhine has so many opportunities to help him see what was truly going on, instead she says nothing.
 

Gabriel didn't have much of a personality. He seemed content to simply live out the rest of his few remaining years as a servant admiring Rhine from afar. I can't really say that I was a big fan of his.

I really wanted to learn more about the virus, to understand how and why it works the way it does. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get all the answers I hoped for.

 

On to the things I liked about this book. The story line was different enough to keep me interested. I haven't read any books similar to this lately, so I enjoyed the change. All of the sister wives had interesting personalities, and most were likeable. I enjoyed learning more about them, their backgrounds, histories and what made them all so different.
 

DeStefano's writing style is beautiful, and there is so much that I want to know more about. I hope to see more world building in the next books of the series. When a book is frustrating, engaging, nicely written, and makes me think, I just have to continue on with it to see, where exactly, it will go.

 

-SW

What would happen if everyone over the age of 15 were to simply vanish, leaving only children to fend for themselves? If that's not interesting enough, throw in some freakish mutating animals, and kids developing crazy x-men type super powers. Grant gives us a world where suddenly kids are on their own trying to survive, food is running out, bullies are using their newly developing powers to take over and suddenly, snakes are growing wings and cats are teleporting. I always enjoy a book that keeps me guessing and tosses out surprises left and right.

 

Sam is the kind of guy you don't really notice until there is an emergency and he becomes the only one who will step up and take charge. He is a kind boy with a good heart. When the story starts he is 14 years old. One of the oldest kids in the FAYZ, as they call it. The problem is, the second you turn 15, you blink out. Disappear. No one knows what exactly happens when you vanish, and time is running out for a lot of the kids.

 

 

I had some issues with many of the decisions the kids were making through the whole book. There was no order, the kids were wasting the food they had available. Instead of preparing for the future, planning ahead, many let good food rot and only ate junk food.

 

They were vandalizing and destroying places, throwing trash out in the streets. I had to keep reminding myself that they were children with no adult supervision. Some of the older children did attempt to create order by caring for the babies, gathering supplies, one kid even stepped up and managed the McDonald's, cooking food for everyone. Those moments were very satisfying to see.

 

I didn't mention much about the super powers that the children develop only because, for me, I found it fun and exciting to discover the powers along with the kids as they were realizing them. Not all of the kids have powers yet. This is only the first book in the series so I'm pretty sure we are going to be seeing new abilities pop up as we go. I think this series is going to be a fun adventure.

 

-Shey

I enjoyed this retelling so much, and the book cover is stunning! Not the temporary cover pictured in this post, but the actual finished cover. Yeva comes from a wealthy family. She lives with her widowed father and two sisters. Her relationship with her family is beautiful. They care very much for each other, and put the happiness of others before their own.

 

When Yeva's father makes a terrible mistake and loses their entire fortune, the family is forced to sell their belongings and move back to their small cabin in the woods. Her father goes out hunting to provide food for the family, but despite Yeva's protests, he does not allow her to join him even though she is an accomplished hunter.

 

Yeva's father begins to show signs that he may be going mad, obsessing over a creature he is hunting. When he goes missing, Yeva is determined to track him down and save him, leaving her sisters in the care of her fiancee. Solmir is such a good man. He's in love with Yeva, willing to marry her despite her loss of status and the family's circumstances, and more than happy to provide them with a better life. That little twist in this, tale as old as time, was a refreshing change.

 

When Yeva meets Beast, she is captured and imprisoned in his old ruined castle. At first she doesn't realize that the one helping her is Beast. She believes the man who hides in the dark and brings her food is her ally not her captor. In this version, Beauty believes Beast murdered her father and she is out for blood! This Beauty is angry, calculating, and determined to kill the beast.

 

The romance takes it's time and when Beauty finally leaves Beast she never promises to return. I began to wonder if she ever would return to him. This is the first Beauty and the Beast retelling, I personally have read, where the author addresses Stockholm Syndrome. A friend of Beauty confronts her and discusses the fact that maybe what Beauty feels towards Beast is a psychological effect of the abuse and imprisonment using an example of a man who beat his wife, but the wife continued returning to him. I was impressed with the author for including this scene.

 

Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorite stories, and this was an enjoyable retelling with interesting, and at times, shocking twists. The ending had a lovely moral, which I will let you discover for yourself if you decide to read it. I look forward to reading more of Spooner's work.

 

-SW

This is a debut novel from a talented author. Teenager, Lucinda Hayes has been murdered in a small town in Colorado. We alternate between several characters, learning about their lives and their connection to the victim. The characters were depicted in their most raw and imperfect forms and I feel that this is where Kukafka shines as a writer.