Book Review: The Mark of Athena

Title: The Mark of Athena
Author: Rick Riordan
Format: Paperback (Int'l Edition)
Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Did I just finish reading this book? It only seemed like yesterday I was just reading The Son of Neptune and here I am now, waiting for the fourth installment.

Like the previous books, MoA had the combination of action, adventure, romance and humor. In my own opinion, this is the best book of the series, so far. We now have four different points of view from Annabeth, Percy, Piper and Leo, each of them going on a different adventure throughout the book. MoA started off exactly where SoN left and immediately kicked off the action and adventure until the very last page.

Although I was annoyed by some parts where there would be a dialogue and something interrupts it when it gets to the most important part. I just wish Mr. Riordan stops doing that now. Nevertheless, I still loved it.

I also loved how the ending was written. It was a cliffhanger, that doesn’t seem like a cliffhanger at all, but left me wanting the next book which makes it a cliffhanger, BAH! Go read it yourselves. Riordan doesn’t disappoint.

Book Review: Feedback

Title: Feedback
Author: Robison Wells
Format: Paperback (Int'l Edition)
Rating: 2.5 / 5.0

 (I'm gonna keep this review short and simple for some reasons.)

To be honest, I was so disappointed in this book. Variant was very promising and the cliffhanger left us screaming in agony. But after reading Feedback, I kinda wish that this series was a trilogy. Feedback lacked a lot of answers. Answers that we were promised would be answered. Sure it was thrilling and heart-stopping at times but I just wasn’t satisfied with it. The ending felt like it was cut midsentence, the love story felt awkward and it didn’t even tell us who Maxfield is. I’m still hoping that this isn’t the end and that book 3 is in the works. J

Book Review: Variant

Title: Variant

Author: Robison Wells

Format: Paperback

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

If you love books with the likes of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, then you’ll be very happy if you find this book in your hands. Aside from the shining, shimmery cover, what got my attention was the theme of this book. Putting a bunch of teens in an isolated place with no adults is my dish. Let’s see if they kill each other, or if they build a government. Oh, let’s try locking them from the outside. Love it!

The book starts off with Benson Fisher, a 17-year old orphan who applied a scholarship to Maxfield Academy in the hopes of finally being in a regular school. But the longer he stays, he realizes that Maxfield is no ordinary private school and that escape could mean death.

It’s the kind of book that makes your heart pound and palms sweat in anticipation of what happens next. It’s a must for all book lovers out there. 

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Title:  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Format: eBook

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Well, what can I say? I loved it! It was like Charlie Bone and X-Men combined. I totally loved the idea of this book and I am so glad I wasted the whole weekend finishing this. This book is about Jacob Portman who goes psycho after the death of his grandfather. He has been seeing and dreaming about monsters and has blamed his grandfather’s stories for it. Thinking that it’ll help him cure his trauma, he sets out to a tiny island in Wales where his grandfather grew up. But as Jacob is about to think that all of his grandfather’s stories were mere fiction, he begins to realize that they might be indeed true and that the peculiar children are still alive.

I loved the characters in this book. Sure, they’re not as cool and strong as the X-Men but their uniqueness of personalities made me love them. The peculiar children (plus Jacob) and equally lovable. At least, most of them.  

One more reason why I enjoyed this book is the usage of vintage photographs. Some were just laughable but some did send chills down my spine. It was also like looking through a photo album os bizarre people.

The book is written in a first person POV and the usage of words is simple (I prefer simple : -)). To conclude, I must recommend this book to Charlie Bone and X-Men fans out there, to those who love time travel and to those who simply love a story about how a group of teens can save the world. 

Book Review: Flipped

Title: Flipped

Author: Wendelin van Draanen

Format: eBook

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Ah, puppy love! It’s the reason why girls giggle, boys feel embarrassed when teased and why our hearts keep beating. Flipped is a story about two completely opposite middle-schoolers who share their story about experiencing love. If you think that this is another “girl-loves-boy-but-dumps-her-and-later-boy-loves-girl-but-dumps-him” story, then you are correct. The plot is totally predictable (as all romance books, are) but what kept me going was that I wanted to see the change of emotions the characters experience.

First, we have our girl, Juli Baker. She’s Earth’s own daughter, lover of all creatures that breathe, klutzy and sometimes clueless. Next is our lover boy, Bryce Loski. He’s the shy type, the handsome boy every girl is dying to be with. Sure, he maybe a coward and a bit in denial with his feelings but things become different late on. Their relationship was like Tom and Jerry’s. One desperately avoids the other while one chases the other. It’s like that until the end of the book. J

The book is written in an alternate point of view of Juli and Bryce. The author’s writing style was simple yet classy and romantic but funny. It’s funny alright. I could’ve easily given this book a perfect 5. I mean, it’s totally realistic and totally relatable but the ENDING, ugh, the ENDING. It totally didn’t work for me. When you’re writing a romance novel, you just have to satisfy the audience with the ending. It just didn’t work for me, I’m sorry.

So, overall, it’s a good book, with a dash of romance and a pinch of humor, this book is definitely a re-read.

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky

Format: eBook

Rating: 4 . 0 / 5 . 0

Have you ever read a book that's absolutely relatable and you end up saying "Been there, done that" or "S***! I've been through that feeling!" at almost every page? If not, then you should try reading this book by Mr. Chbosky. Okay, the only reason I picked up this book was that I heard there was going to be a movie and so I wanted to read it first just in case I planned on watching the movie. While it might have taken me a few days to read through this whole thing (hey, I hate reading ebooks), it was certainly worth it.

This book is about Charlie, who writes letters to his "friend", telling him about almost all the stuff he's been through: high school, family problems, socializing with people and his love life. One reason why I loved Charlie was that he's so straightforward with what he wants to say that it could sometimes be pretty funny.

The writing style is in the form of short letters so it’s a pretty quick read. Woosh! The characters are pretty memorable, each with their own different personality. `

Moving on, I definitely recommend this book to every fifteen year old boy out there. This book is just absolutely funny but at the same time, deeply moving as we all reminisce the ups and downs of being a higschooler.

Book Review: The Rise of Nine

Title: The Rise of Nine

Author: Pittacus Lore

Format: Paperback (International Edition)

Rating:  4.2 / 5.0

It’s finally here! Though I have to admit I was much bummed when I knew that this book isn’t as lengthy as the first two books. Nevertheless, I’m still stoked to continue reading the adventure of our favorite aliens. Pittacus Lore’s third book in the Lorien Legacies, THE RISE OF NINE, will not disappoint readers. It’s a perfect example of entertainment: action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling. One of the reasons why I love this book is that it stars where THE POWER OF SIX left off, not wasting time explaining things that happened on the last book. I cannot say THE RISE OF NINE is perfect but there’s definitely development in the writing style.

First, Character Development. Why yes, there is. The weak Seven and innocent Ten are proving to be more of use than they were on the last book. Our main protagonist, Number Four a.k.a. John, is still head over heels for Sarah. Six and Nine just got more badass, and Eight is surely an entertainer.

Next is the dialogue. Hurrah! We say goodbye to the awkward and monotone dialogues we had in I AM NUMBER FOUR. The joy! There was however, not a lot of Plot Development. Yes, the book did have a happy conclusion but the Garde didn’t do much other than desperately find each other. Also, I didn’t get that “giddiness” I usually have after reading a good book. I felt it after reading I AM NUMBER FOUR and POWER OF SIX but after this book, negative.

So overall, I’m going to give this book 4 stars and hope that the next book is the best one yet and also hope we see Number Five.