Review: Nevermore by James Patterson

February 13, 2014February 11, 2014Leave a comment

Genre: Science Fiction, Action

Number of pages: 354

Time it took me to read: 5 days

Amazon Synopsis:

Maximum Ride and her faithful friends stand ready to face the two greatest threats that humankind has ever known–now combining forces in an unbeatable plot to destroy life as we know it once and for all. And this time, the enemy truly can’t be stopped. The danger mounts just as the boy genetically engineered to be her “perfect match”, Dylan, has finally worked his way into Max’s heart–and just as her beloved Fang unexpectedly returns to the flock. An explosive confrontation between the two boys with a claim to Max’s heart ensues, and the entire world hangs in the balance.

In this powerful and moving finale to James Patterson’s epic fantasy series, fans will finally get the answers they’ve been waiting for–and an ending full of shock, surprises, and the greatest conclusion you never saw coming.

My review:

I listened to the audio version of this book therefore my review will be in two parts.

Book:

I have read a few of the Maximum Ride novels several years ago and was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon this book at the local library.

The characters all held their same intrigue for me and I loved every single one of Max’s flock members, even Dylan and Fang with all their testosterone issues. There was so much going on that it seemed like the book may have been rushed a bit to clear up all the loose ends. It was still a very enjoyable read and I will be going back to read the entire series again.

The ending. Don’t worry I am not giving anything away but I will say that many people will give a book a poor rating because they were not happy with the ending of the book. I will say that you may be disappointed with how it ends but it truly does end in a true Maximum Ride kind of way. I was left in shock and was angry for a day but in the end I can say I understood Max and this was the best way for it to end. (Please don’t shoot me for saying that!) As for what exactly happened to cause the ending I really can’t say not because I want to spare you from spoilers but due to the fact that it was mercy and unclear what happened and why.

Audio:

I have been a member of Audible for several years and have listened to a large quantity of audio books. I have never had the kind of experience I had while listening to Nevermore. There was music and sound effect such as car noises and that of the wings. I warmed to the idea of the sound effects after a few chapters but found that in several parts of the audio the music was distracting from the speakers words. This was a shame because I felt that if it wasn’t as loud then it could have enhanced the experience rather than take from it. This is a children’s tale so I can understand the reasoning behind it but do think it needed a little tweaking.

Overall, it was a fun read despite the issues I had with it. Not being deterred from going back to reread the series has to say something about Patterson’s story telling. I recommend picking up book one if you haven’t done so and be prepared for a great ride!

My rating:

Interested in the book? Find it on Amazon

To see the other works by James Patterson, visit his website

Short Story Sundays!

January 26, 20142 Comments

Title: Peshtigo

Author: Regan Wolfrom

Genre: Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic

Number of pages: 14 Pages

Time it took me to read: 1 day

Goodreads Synopsis:

A short story set in the world of Regan Wolfrom’s upcoming Science Fiction series, After the Fires Went Out.

“I woke up this morning to a room bathed in a sickly gray light, the sun still choked by the smoke. The wildfire had moved further north, but that smoke and the floating ash still hung low over whatever trees and buildings remained along the shore of Catfish Lake. It felt weird having watched it all from this little island, the fire and the destruction, almost like sitting up in the bleachers while everything happened just out of reach.”

My review:

I downloaded this free read from Amazon to add to my post apocalyptic short story collection.

This is a short introduction into Wolfrom’s After the Fires Went Out series. It was a great introduction into this post apocalyptic world and leaves you with a great taste of this author’s writing. This is especially true when the first book in the series is 548 pages long. I have to say that I enjoyed the ride that Regan took me on and am looking forward to continuing on in this world of his.

We are brought into the story just after the comet has hit Earth and the resulting wildfires are raging outside of the cabin a group of friends are held up in. It is told through the point of view of Isabella who was away from home on a camping trip with her friends when the comet hit. Now they argue over what actions to take next and Isabella is struggling between going with the douche bag Dustin or staying with the Xander, “the boy who has been after her for years”.

I really enjoyed this read. As it is told through Isabella’s point of view I found myself conflicting with her and not liking Dustin instantly and really questioning why she wasn’t falling for Xander. There was just something about him that made him safe and I was a little irritated that she chose the bad boy over him. I found myself surprised by the ending and just have one thing to say: You never know how those around you will act until something horrible happens.

If you are looking for a short to add to your post apocalyptic collections this is a nice one to add. Its also a great introduction to the author and preview of his larger work.

Happy reading!!

My rating:

Interested in the book? Find it on Amazon:

Short Story Peshtigo

After the Fires Went Out: Coyote (Book One)

To see the other works by Regan Wolfrom , visit his website

Title: Last Woman on Earth

Author: C. V. Hunt

Genre: Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic

Number of pages: 2,290 words (roughly 6 pages)

Time it took me to read: 1 day

Goodreads Synopsis:

What is there to do when you’re the last woman on the planet?

My review:

While the synopsis leaves a lot to be desired I picked up this short story after downloading Endlessly for my paranormal themed reading list. It is a very short read and fit nicely with my other Post Apocalyptic short stories. This is pretty much a short introduction into the post apocalyptic world where women have gone sterile and in response humans have created an age suppressant drug and have slowly been dying out ever since. We follow the narrator on her journey back to her home town of Seattle so she can finally die.

This is one of the shortest stories I have read and do wish that it continued on but for its purpose I don’t think anymore would have done the story justice.

If you are looking for a short to add to your post apocalyptic collections this is also a nice addition.

Happy reading!!

My rating:

Interested in the book? Find it on Amazon

To see the other works by C. V. Hunt , visit her website

Review: Plague: Original Cut by Jeremiah Donaldson

December 18, 2013January 18, 2014Leave a comment

Title: Plague: Original Cut

Series: NA

Author: Jeremiah Donaldson

Genre: Science Fiction – Apocalyptic

Number of pages: 245

Time it took me to read: 7 days

Goodreads Synopsis:

An original edition before extensive cuts were made to the story. 12k+ more words of story.

A NEW VIRUS

An unseen traveler lurked within flight 308 to Paris, France. A traveler that infected everyone aboard, and raced across the world while those in charge of its containment denied the real danger.

AN OLD THREAT

Panic spread, gangs roamed wild, and madmen preached religious salvation. Few survived the carnage, fewer left any record. Moss Valley was one of them.

My review:

I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads’ First Reads giveaways.

I was a bit surprised by this book and have to admit I have a love-hate relationship with it right now. The main character Moss is quite a guy. While I feel that deep down he is a good guy, he seems to lack the emotions that I would think someone in his position would have. Yet, that is the writer in me speaking and I can not say that Jeremiah didn’t do a great job with character building. It was clearly apparent that a man wrote this book as Amy, the ex-girlfriend, was blessed with it seems every stereotype that a crazy ex-girlfriend could have. However, this worked very well in the story. It was entertaining and even I wanted to slap her at times.

In the front of the book Jeremiah stated that he expected there to be some errors and what not. I did notice a few, however, the story overpowered them and made them almost non-existent to me. Overall, I enjoyed the story and characters and would recommend it to anyone who likes the apocalyptic genre.

My rating: