Kevin Lau

My journey into the world of Stephen King continues!

In the year 1981, a man is found on the beach of Maine, dead. No one knows who he is or how he got there. Even the cause of death is a mystery. Nearly 25 years later in 2005, no one has been able to solve the case, the most information anyone got was that the man from Colorado. Upon request to their new intern, two long-time reporters who helped with the “Colorado Kid” case tell their take on the tale, giving the intern all the information they could dig up on this unsolved case. After years of the “Colorado Kid” case being stuck at a dead end, could a young, fresh mind solve the case?

Yes, this is written by Stephen King. No, this is not a horror novel or 800+ pages long. It's a 184-page (3 3/4 hours on audiobook) murder mystery that keeps the reader trying to puzzle what happened to the Colorado Kid. How did he get from Colorado to Maine in the short amount of time according to the evidence gathered? Why was he in Maine in the first place? Clues and speculations pile on top of one another as the two old reporters tell the story to the intern in such a way that it feels like they're telling the reader as well.

Well-written both in detail and dialogue, Stephen King's The Colorado Kid brings a new concept to the mystery genre. Unfortunately, the concept (which I will refrain from talking about since it will spoil the book, but if you really want to know before diving into it, just look at other reviews) is not very well-received to a wide audience. However, if you want a story where you are the detective, then look no further.

Return to the mythical world on Percy Jackson in the spin-off series, The Heroes of Olympus!

After being nearly killed on a field trip to the Grand Canyon by a bunch of storm spirits, Jason, Piper, and Leo are saved by a couple of other teenagers and taken to Camp Half-Blood, the safest place for kids like them: demigods. Piper and Leo are shocked to find this out, but Jason senses that he knew this already, but he isn't sure. He had woken up on the bus on the field trip next to Piper and Leo with no memory of who he is or how he got there, he just knew something wasn't right. When Hera, the goddess of marriage, contacts Jason and tells him she's imprisoned, he and his new friends must save her by the winter solstice, less than a week away. As Jason struggles leading the trio even though he has no memory of his past, Leo tries his best to help with the quest and lighten the mood whereas Piper holds a secret that could kill them all.

Told through third-perspectives of the three demigods, The Lost Hero brings fans of the Percy Jackson series back to this expanded, mystical world with characters new and old! Fans of the Percy Jackson series will feel right at home, because Rick Riordan continues to serve witty moments, pop culture references, well-written action sequences, and scenes of heartfelt. The Lost Hero, at 550+ pages, is much longer than its predecessors, giving the story and the characters room to develop in a steady pace. Although, the pacing does fall a bit here and there, mostly in the chapters focusing on Piper.

A great introduction to a new series, The Lost Hero will win fans of young adult fantasy over with its characters and world.

I read the whole book in one day. I think you can guess what my opinion on this book is.

Much like The Demigod Files, The Demigod Diaries collects four short stories tying into both the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series as well as Heroes of Olympus. Alongside the four short stories, there are also artwork for locations of the stories, a couple games, and a short interview with George and Martha, the two snakes attached to the staff of Hermes, God of thieves.

The first story, The Diary of Luke Castellan, is perhaps the biggest highlight of the collection. The excerpt from Luke's diary tells of an adventure Luke and Thalia had five years before The Lightning Thief. In this adventure, Luke and Thalia must escape a house full of monsters and mythical traps. It gives readers a deeper insight of the character of Luke, the story being told through his eyes. The story also covers Thalia's finding of her shield, Aegis, and the bronze dagger Annabeth later wields in the series.

In the second story, Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes, it's Percy and Annabeth's one-month anniversary (exactly one month after The Last Olympian), and Percy forgot. Before he confesses to Annabeth, Hermes shows up at their picnic requiring Percy's help to receive his stolen staff back from a fire-breathing giant before five o'clock. No biggie. However, things might get difficult if the giant figured out how to activate laser mode on the staff. Full of heart and laughs, this story is just an all-around feel-good story and serves as yet one more opportunity to spend time in Percy's sarcastic head.

The third story, Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford, is a laugh-out-loud romp taking place not too long after The Lost Hero. While building the Argo II, Leo mistakenly decides to wash his sentient table, Buford, with Windex. Hating Windex, Buford runs off into the woods of Camp Half-Blood. To make matters worse for Leo, Buford the Table also holds a very important piece for the Argo II's engine, and unless he, Jason, and Piper can install it back within an hour, the engine will explode and burn down a good square mile. The comedy was pitch-perfect in this story, even with a “Psych” reference that had me burst out laughing made my day.

The final story, Son of Magic, is perhaps the darkest story to take place in the world of Percy Jackson. Dr. Claymore, a mortal man who studies the possibilities of what happens when people die, soon finds himself in the midst of Greek mythology. Alabaster, a demigod who formerly joined Kronos's army, needs Claymore's help in answering a question that could save his life: What would happen if one couldn't possible die? Written by Rick Riordan's son Haley Riordan, Son of Magic had me glued to the pages, unable to put it down, wanting to know what happens next.

Action, adventure, humor, and heart are the key elements in this collection of stories, and all are executed perfectly. If one would like to get a deeper understanding of the mythical world of Percy Jackson, look no further than The Demigod Diaries, brimming with stories to tell.

My only regret when reading this book was that I didn't read it before I read The Last Olympian.

Percy Jackson's life isn't exactly the easiest. Being the son of a Greek god, Percy has to deal with monsters hunting him down, the gods of Olympus wanting his help with their own problems, and might even have to help his demigod cousins as well. The Demigod Files is a collection of short stories tying into the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and also builds up to the finale. In the first story, The Stolen Chariot, Percy must help Clarisse retrieve her father's stolen chariot from her immortal siblings, the minor gods of fear. In the second story, The Bronze Dragon, an innocent game of Camp Half-Blood's Capture the Flag turns into Don't Get Killed By The Bronze Dragon when Percy Jackson and Chris Beckendorf accidentally stumble upon the dragon's remains. Finally, there's The Sword of Hades, in which Percy, Thalia, and Nico are summoned to the underworld to retrieve the stolen sword of Hades before it reaches the hands of the Titans.

Full of action, wit, and even some dramatic moments, The Demigod Files is a must-read for fans of the series. The charm of the original books are found here as well, with writing that flows and perfectly timed moments to speed things up, slow things down, or an addition of comic relief. I can't pick a favorite story from this book because I liked each one in its own special way. The Stolen Chariot showed readers Percy's greatest fear and perfect chemistry between him and Clarisse, The Bronze Dragon was a fun thriller and shows more of who Chris and Silena are, and The Sword of Hades gave even more insight of Nico's and Thalia's characters.

If you plan to or have already read the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and want to experience the world to its fullest extent, don't forget this book!

Don't judge me. I only read this because it was the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Novel of 2014. However, I have to disagree.

Meet the Sinclairs: A perfect family. No one is poor. No one is starving. No one is a criminal. When seventeen-year-old Cadance Sinclair returns to the family summer island of Beechwood after her accident that caused amnesia, she notices things have changed since she was last there two years ago. At least, from what she could remember and what her mother told her. Cadence tries to have a fun summer, with her cousins: eccentric Johny and soft Mirren. She wants to get back together with a long ago love, Gat. However, Cadence knows that information is being kept from her about what happened on the summer she can barely remember.
Something big.
So big,
in fact,
it might just
blow your mind.I'm not in the target audience, but I'll try to make my review as unbiased as possible. However, I really enjoyed the main plot (the part of the story where Cadence is trying to solve her mystery). It was the only part of the book that kept me hooked and led me to finishing it. The writing is also great for the most part. The narration is beautiful in most areas, but the dialogue feels flat nearly all the time. The dialogue in John Green's The Fault in our Stars is more realistic than the dialogue in here, but it is still readable.Then there's the 40% of the book I couldn't care less about: the romance. Now, don't get me wrong, I try to keep an open mind with everything I read and watch. In fact, I find romances I actually enjoy (The Fault in our Stars and Looking for Alaska for example). Although, the romance in this book is so sappy and cliche, it was worth multiple eye-rolls and audible groans. Thankfully, it was only 40% of the book.“It's Gat. My Gat. But is he still my Gat?”Though well-written, the focus of We Were Liars is unbalanced. I wanted more of the main plot than anything else, which was absolutely great with an amazing twist I didn't see coming, but that 40% really bogged down my enjoyment. Twist of the year? Maybe. Best young adult book of the year? No. If you want another one close to the same synopsis, I highly recommend The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno instead.If you did not like the style of how the synopsis ended, you may not like the book.

Huzzah! I have just finished the fourth installment of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, the book which is a build-up to the finale and eases fans into a darker tone.

The last thing fourteen-year-old Percy Jackson wanted to do on summer break was blow up another school. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens. Monsters that have not stirred for centuries are coming back with a vengeance, teaming with the Titan Lord Kronos and creating a massive army to take down the Olympian gods. To slow down their endeavors, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson enter the mystical underground tunnels of the Labyrinth in hopes to find its creator, Daedalus, and convince him to their side so Kronos would not be able to maneuver his army wherever he wishes. However, it may take more than two half-bloods, a satyr, and a cyclops to reach their goal, and they may also find more than they expected.

Much like with “Sea of Monsters”, the quality of “The Battle of the Labyrinth” declines a bit compared to its previous installment. Though the plot still remains complex and unpredictable, the writing tends to be less detailed in some areas and dragging in others, making the pacing of the book sometimes off-putting. However, the action remains exciting and the narration of Percy is as sarcastic as ever. Some neat twists for the series are sure to catch readers off guard, and the last third of the book will leave them wanting more.

Though not the greatest installment, “The Battle of the Labyrinth” remains a must-read for its wit, action, and plot twists.

Three books down, seven to go! Also, this post contains spoilers for those who have not read the previous books.

A few months after their journey to the Sea of Monsters and the return of Thalia, Percy and Annabeth receive a distress call from Grover, who claims to have found two demigods. During their rescue of the new demigods, the group runs Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and her hunters. Unfortunately, Artemis soon goes missing, as well as Annabeth, leaving Thalia and Percy in an uneasy alliance with the Hunters of Artemis to embark on a quest to save them both. Nothing but danger lies ahead as old foes return and older evils begin to stir.

Rick Riordan takes the series to a whole other level in this third installment. Much like the first book, The Titan's Curse brings back a complex plot. There are multiple stories happening as well as the continuation of the series' arc. The writing is well-paced, picking the perfect times to add a high-octane action scene or a slow dramatic scene. The characters, both old and new, are fun and work well together. Seriously, this book contains some of the greatest scenes in the entire series.

“The Titan's Curse” blows the Percy Jackson series out of the water (pun intended) and leaves you wanting more. Onto “The Battle of the Labyrinth!”

UPDATED REVIEW
Still the weakest entry to the series, but not without merit. Riordan manages to include a pseudo-non neurotypical representation with the inclusion of Tyson and explores a sibling between him and Percy. It's not the greatest thing ever, but worth noting. There's also a surprising amount of setup for the rest of the series, more than I remembered. I used to think that one could turn the entire five-book series into a trilogy, somehow meshing together this book and the next, but now I'm not so sure.

Anyways, my brother is still enjoying this series, even if we are moving at a slower pace..

ORIGINAL REVIEW
The quest to read the entire Percy Jackson & the Olympians series continues with the second book, The Sea of Monsters! So yes, spoilers ahead for those who did not read the first book (and the movie does not count).

When an innocent game of dodgeball at the end of the school year becomes a fight to the death with giant cannibals, thirteen year old Percy Jackson is saved by his friend Annabeth and taken back to Camp Half-Blood. However, only worse things meet them there. Thalia's tree, the tree support the magical shield around the camp, has been poisoned, and the only way to cure it is to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Sea of Monsters. Joined by Annabeth and his half-brother but full-cyclops Tyson, Percy embarks on an adventure to find the Fleece, but may run into an old foe in the process.

The Sea of Monsters is a worthy follow-up to the The Lightning Thief, though not as complex or well-written. The story is simplified, with a bit of extra plotlines to tie in, but is very simple compared to its predecessor. The dialogue is also simplified, with phrases that I felt were a bit out of character or just annoying in general. However, the second half of the book makes up for its problems, as well as the humor throughout. Percy Jackson still narrates the story, full of clever takes on Greek mythology and sarcastic comebacks.

There may be points some readers may not care for, but The Sea of Monsters delivers as a sequel, with an expansion of its world and its series-arc plot.

As a fan of the video game “Alan Wake” and also an avid reader, when I had learned a novelization of the game was made, I couldn't resist buying a copy and reading it.

Best-selling novelist Alan Wake has been suffering from writer's block for the past two years. In hopes to cure it, Alan and his wife, Alice, go on a vacation to a small remote town called Bright Falls. Shortly after arriving in their cabin, a force of darkness kidnaps Alice and Alan wakes up in a car crash almost two weeks later. Trying to wrap his head around the scenario, Alan soon finds himself a target to the force of darkness, possessing the people of Bright Falls to stop him from saving his wife. It's a horror story Alan is unsure he could overcome and a mystery he seems to have written in a manuscript he has no memory of.

I was ecstatic to start the book, but, unfortunately, I am a bit disappointed. For a book that praises creative storytelling, the writing of the book falls a little above basic quality. There is a lack of detail in the narrative, not really describing the setting or the characters too well. This is also a problem when it comes to the action sequences written in the book; they lack the thrill and the tension the game had created so well. Thankfully, the last third of the book gets better, where the story becomes more complex and nearing its conclusion (which is a bit anti-climatic for fans of the game).

The writing is the only problem with the novelization, whereas everything else is a plus. The book contains deleted scenes and an extended ending that are not in the game and clears up mysteries that were left to the players to solve, albeit those answers come off as anti-climatic. Even if you have not played the game (which I highly recommend doing so), you may still find enjoyment in this book because of the plot.

Much like “Flashforward” by Robert J. Sawyer, the writing makes it feel like a paperback you could buy at the grocery store for a few bucks, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy it.

As a fan of Lindsay Cummings's young adult debut novel titled “The Murder Complex”, I was eager to read the first installment to her middle-grade fantasy series The Balance Keepers.

On a job to send a letter to someone who not only lives in the middle of the woods, but under it as well, eleven year old Albert Flynn discovers that he is a balance keeper, a destined guardian of the three realms that lie in the earth's core. His job? If one of the realms were to fall out of balance, it is up to him and his teammates (cautious Leroy and spunky Birdie) to restore its balance by finding a special item in the unbalanced realm before the earth is destroyed. However, before they can go into the realms, they must harness their magical abilities that are given to them through special Tiles. Leroy has a super sharp memory, Birdie can breathe underwater, and Albert... well, no one is entirely sure what power his Tile gives him. Unfortunately, as time goes on, the realm of Calderon becomes more and more unstable. In fact, it seems that Albert, Birdie, and Leroy may have to enter Calderon before they're fully trained or can figure out what Albert's Tile does.

The Balance Keepers may remind some of “Harry Potter” or “Percy Jackson & the Olympians”, but it is different enough to be its own original work. The concept is very imaginative, the world-building vivid, and the characters are very likeable. Keeping in mind that this is a book for eleven year olds, I still found to book very intriguing and, at times, very gripping. The action, much like Lindsay Cummings's debut novel, is very detailed but keeps a fast and gripping pace. I found myself to be like Albert in the story, not wanting to leave this world and dreading the time the book is completed. Fear not, though, because the ending is very satisfying.

My only complaint for this book is that I felt the story moved a bit too fast. I felt that there should have been chapters or scenes where Albert and his friends explored more of what the Core had to offer during their free time, but perhaps that is for the next two installments.

At a precise moment, all over the world, millions of people vanish. Cars and planes are left un-manned, causing chaos in the streets as everyone tries to figure out what had happened. Airline captain Rayford Steele also seeks for the truth, and when he comes home to find his wife and son to be one of the many who vanished, he knows what happened: an event in the Bible called The Rapture. The more he learns about the rapture, the more he feels the need to spread the word to others, because if what the Bible prophesied is true, the Antichrist would soon come to power and begin a seven-year reign of tribulation.

I have seen the first two movies from years ago with Kirk Cameron and remember enjoying them. I attempted to read the children's series before, but it had gotten slow and boring not even halfway through the series. I had hopes for this version, and they were close to being met.

The story and concept itself is very intriguing, but its execution for the first half of the book is rather dull and, honestly, quite boring. When everyone vanishes, little detail is given of the destruction, making it seem almost as if nothing really happened at all except that our two heroes, Rayford Steele and Cameron “Buck” Williams, have lost people. However, the second half of the book makes up for the slow ride from the beginning, pulling you in as the stakes raise higher to a conclusion that leaves you wanting more.

It is unfortunate that Left Behind is far from a masterpiece, but it is still a great and powerful read if you bear with it. I have seen books with poor writing become amazing movies (The Prestige, How to Train Your Dragon, Flashforward (alright, that's a TV show, but you get my point)), and I hope this is the case with the upcoming cinematic reboot!

Seventeen year old Molly Pierce has been having one issue for a year now: She's missing parts of her life. Instead of some kind of memory there is only darkness. However, when she witnesses a vehicular accident involving a boy she doesn't know yet he knows who she is, Molly's memories are slowly revealing themselves, showing her another life she lived and a relation she was completely unaware of.

“The Half Life of Molly Pierce” is Katrina Leno's debut novel and it is a mind-bender! Even though I may not be in the target audience (it's geared more towards the female demographic), I was still intrigued with the book's concept and the story itself. The structure is inspired by Christopher Nolan's first film Memento, and I can honestly say that if you are a fan of Christopher Nolan's story structure in his movies you will certainly find enjoyment in this book. All the characters in the book feel real, which is another mark of victory when it comes to the Young Adult genre. The narrative is also descriptive, another mark of victory (even though some readers may be put off by the slow-and-steady pace close to that of a Stephen King novel).

Even though it is a bit wordy and the mystery was not entirely unpredictable, it is still well-paced and well thought out, making “The Half Life of Molly Pierce” one of my highly-recommended books in the Young Adult genre and I will most certainly read Leno's next book!

My mother listened to the audio book, my father watched the movie, and here I am, having just finished a printed copy of this magnificent book.

A man and his son walk a road in a post-apocalyptic world with one goal: Make it south, to the coast, to survive the winter. With only a pistol with two bullets, their supplies in a grocery cart, and each other, they struggle to survive from starvation and avoid the danger that lurks in the darkness that surrounds them.

“The Road”, in itself, is a masterpiece. It is a collection of poems written simply and used to tell the story (so, yeah, cool your jets, grammar nazis). The story is intriguing, the details vivid, and the prose gripping. The world Cormac McCarthy creates is realistic and quite disturbing. There were times when reading the book when I cringed or had to re-read some parts because I couldn't believe what I had just read. And the overall stories of good and evil and a bond between a father and son are extremely well executed.

“The Road” is perhaps one of the best of the post-apocalyptic genre, being both well-written and containing a great plot and great characters.

As a fan of the “Murder Complex” series and highly anticipating the sequel, “The Death Code”, I was excited to finally have a chance to buy an electronic copy of the prequel titled “The Fear Trials”.

Her father calls it the Fear Trials. It's a set of tests fourteen year old Meadow Woodson must take to prove to her father that she is ready to defend herself in the small part of the dystopian world known as the Shallows. However, she draws the line at taking the life of another person. She does not want to learn her father's methods on surviving in this kill-or-be-killed world and is set on proving that there is another way. However, an event unfolds to where Meadow must overcome her moral standards to save the one she loves most.

Taking place two years before “The Murder Complex”, “The Fear Trials” still kept me on edge even considering the fact that it's a prequel and I already knew which characters were going to make it and which ones weren't. The action is well-written and the morals behind the story are strong. Although, I feel that the dialogue in this addition to the series were under-par, leading to some of the scenes being either corny or cliche. However, given this minor fault, The Fear Trials is still well worth the $1.99 from Amazon and provides some great back story to the series.

100 pages long but perfectly paced, I highly recommend reading this ebook before “The Murder Complex”. If you're a fan of YA dystopia or feel that “The Hunger Games” or “Divergent” just doesn't cut it, this is the series for you!

I was pretty excited to read this book, being it is Stephen King's only novel appropriate for a younger audience.

In the kingdom of Delain, King Roland is poisoned. Framed for the crime of murdering his father, the king, Prince Peter is thrown into prison and his younger brother, Thomas, is crowned king. Although, little do the brothers know, Flagg, a magician and closest advisor of the now dead King Roland, is working behind the scenes to make sure King Thomas completes his plans in turning the kingdom towards chaos. However, even the greatest plans leaves room for failure, including Prince Peter's plan of escape and the dark secret Thomas had seen through the eyes of the dragon.

Though the main plot of the story is quite basic, Stephen King take this tale to the next level. Characters, both main and side, each have their shining moments and are very well fleshed out in this story. Simple enough for a child to understand, the story moves at a slow but steady pace. Also, with 380 pages in rather large print, the book is also a quick read. Many accuse Stephen King to only write horror and be rather wordy, but this book says otherwise. This is a children's fantasy tale he wrote for his daughter and other kids so that they may experience what his work is like (however, some content towards the beginning of the book (which could be easily skipped over) brings it to a lower young adult level).

The Eyes of the Dragon is a great expansion to a rather basic tale. Though the writing is brought to a basic level, King's prose keeps you intrigued. I highly recommend this novel to fans of fantasy or for Stephen King fans that are unaware of this book's existence.

Hannah Baker is dead. Everyone knows that. Suicide. However, there is something that only a few people know: before her suicide, Hannah recorded 7 audiotapes of her story, 13 reasons why she finally considered suicide as her final option, and Clay Jensen is one of those reasons. After receiving the tapes on his doorstep one day, Clay is drawn to listen to what Hannah has to say not just about the other people involved with her problems, but about him as well. Maybe finally he could find out what kind of person Hannah Baker really was. Little does he know that what is on the tapes will change his life forever.

Simultaneously narrated from two perspectives, Jay Asher's debut novel is an accomplishment in my eyes. The concept of the writing was intriguing and well written from the perspectives of Clay and Hannah. Another thing that was extremely well done, and Asher must receive praise for this, is the emotions it makes the reader feel. When Hannah Baker is describing her life, her problems, it is depressing and I felt depressed reading it. So, great job, Jay, for successfully writing a YA novel that has more depth and emotion than the majority of other books I've read!

Though slow and awkward for a while in the beginning, Thirteen Reasons Why is a must read for all teenagers (and adults too!). It shows the effect suicide plays on its surroundings and clearly displays a message that is of great importance.

Having read and enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars by the same author, it was recommended that I read John Green's Printz-winning debut novel Looking for Alaska.

Miles “Pudge” Halter lived a rather uneventful life, having no friends and finding a great interest in famous last words. He wanted something big to happen to him, a Great Perhaps, and requested to his parents that he go to Culver Creek Boarding School, the same school his dad went to. Upon entering, he finds a real shift in life: friends, pranks, and the “gorgeous, clever, funny, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating” girl down the hall named Alaska Young. Told through the eyes of Miles, Looking for Alaska spends the school year telling of his events and the possibility that he may be in over his head looking for the Great Perhaps.

Amazingly written, John Green gives Miles Halter a realistic voice in this YA novel. All the characters are fleshed out as well, including adults (which is a rare find in the Young Adult genre). The pacing doesn't falter, the drama and the comedy are well balanced, and the book ends with a stunning conclusion.

Though surprisingly explicit, Looking for Alaska is a wonderful read for those who are looking for an insight on life and what may lie beyond.

I am a growing fan of Stephen King and I felt that I can't properly call myself that until I read his debut novel Carrie.

Carrietta “Carrie” White's entire life is nothing to be desired: she is constantly bullied at school, she has no friends, and her psychotic over-religious mother believes Carrie to be a devil spawn. However, no one knows the power she possesses, the ability to move inanimate objects at will: telekinesis. At first, she keeps it to herself, practicing and testing her limits, until one night when enough was enough.

For a story that could easily have been covered in 100 straightforward pages, Stephen King extends the story to 245. Going back and forth between the present story and the documentations of the events in the end, King's debut novel is reasonably paced and masterfully written with characters that feel real and bone-chilling moments (I shuddered a few times reading this).

Though there were some parts where the story could have picked up pace, this debut thriller is one worth reading by all.

Not to far in the future lies the first invasion from the aliens human-kind will call buggers, nearly wiping out the human race. Years later, a second invasion takes place. To prevent a third invasion, the government starts a new schooling system, taking in special children from the age of six to start battle school so that they may finally destroy and conquer the buggers once and for all.

One child specially chosen for battle school is Andrew “Ender” Wiggin. Even at the age of six, he's able to come up with battle strategies at a moments notice, and none of them have ever failed. In battle school, he learns to improve of his gifts through computer simulations and zero-gravity army battles. Could Ender be the one to save humanity?

Spanning about 16 years of Enders life in 324 pages, the pacing of the book was shockingly smooth. The writing was descriptive but brief, tense but relaxing, and really well fleshed-out the characters. I enjoyed every minute of reading it. Given that this is the first book of a 12-ish book series, I feel this is a really great stand-alone novel, teaching respect and giving out some really interesting strategies.

AUG 2018-2019 BOOK CLUBBook 21/30: A Book You've Already Read

It has definitely been a while since I've first read this book. 6 years, in fact. I was just a punky (read “nerdy”) sixteen-year-old with not a care in the world except for comic books and TV shows. Spider-Man was (and still is) very much my go-to character because I found him to be extremely relatable: His morals, his love for science, his sense of humor, his problems, his solutions... Well, you get the idea. I found a character I could look up to and strive to be in my own life.

Enter the discovery that novels based on my web-slinging hero existed and the search for what is considered the best one. Enter, then, Jim Butcher's passion project, complete with a first-person narrative and well-structured plot. As a striving writer myself, rereading this novel made me realize that this book straight up helped me find a writing style that worked for me.

I knew nothing of The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher's main series and his claim to fame, before reading this the first time, so I was incredibly blown away by the quality of the writing. Today, after 8 Dresden books in my reading history, revisiting Butcher's take on Peter is still an absolute delight. There's a review that attempts to point out that Butcher writes Peter and Harry Dresden the same way, but I would like to make the counterpoint that though Peter and Harry share some core elements (snarky, overprotective), their vocabulary is very different and Butcher leans heavily on the fact that Peter is a science geek and uses it to analyze almost every situation.

Though The Darkest Hours isn't a ground-breaking novel, it's a fun one. It's as good as media tie-ins are ever going to get, in my opinion. It builds on elements that were used and basically thrown away from the source material, but then leaps off of it to make something that stands very well on its own. The villains are simple but their motivations are strong and it really does feel like a lot is at risk. It's a great deconstruction of Peter's character and to those around him. It tells a story with layers and all the subplots wrap up together in a nice little bow.

Jim Butcher hit a home run on this novel in a way no other media tie-in ever could, which I think is a testament to his skill as a writer and how much he actually cares about this character.

Not only does Justice League vs. Suicide Squad use a cookie-cutter plot set-up, but it also lacks character, depth, and (quite surprisingly) the Justice League fighting the Suicide Squad.

The Suicide Squad is a team of super bad guys who are put under the control of the government to complete missions considered too dangerous to send out our own people to complete and completing these missions and living through them would give them time off of their prison sentences. However, Batman soon finds out that these criminals and brings the Justice League along with them to investigate the squad only to be caught in the midst of a revenge plan of a bigger baddy: Maxwell Lord and the original Suicide Squad.

FULL REVIEW

The Flash's rogue gallery and his relationship with them has interested me ever since I started reading up on the character. They're in it for the score and make it a code to never kill. Then, sometimes, when Central City is under attack by, say, an army of gorillas, they don't hesitate to defend their turf and help the Flash. The first story in this volume plays around with the idea and really analyzes the rogues and what they stand for, bringing to the surface Joshua Williamson's talent for writing The Flash.

FULL REVIEW

Great first volume, remarkable second volume, and... Well, no one said writing comics was easy.

So Scott Snyder, the writer of the Batman for the whole New 52 era, wanted to write another huge Batman story that required tie-ins from other Batman-related series (after all, it mostly worked for City of Owls). In this event, the Joker has returned to Gotham City after gone missing for five years, putting the Bat-Family on high alert. Dick Grayson is busy with assassin Lady Shiva coming into town on top of trying to restore Gotham's old theme park Amusement Mile, but that doesn't stop the Joker from getting his attention.

FULL REVIEW

The last Spongebob book in my family's collection (and since these are no longer in print, probably the last I'll read of this line-up).

I never really cared for the episode this was based on. It moves too fast to be meaningful and most of the jokes aren't very funny outside of character reactions. This adaptation, however, does manage to slow things down a bit and throw in and rework a few jokes to create a stronger, more cohesive narrative.

Not a bad read, but nothing to write home about.

Even though I didn't think the first book of this series was anything spectacular, I have to admit that this second installment took it up to a level I really enjoyed.

Shortly following the unfortunate events of the last book, the Baudelaire orphans find a new home with their uncle, Dr. Montgomery “Monty” Montgomery. He studies snakes (Monty Python reference, anyone?) and the orphans instantly take a liking to him. All is well as everyone gets along to help uncle Monty further his studies until Count Olaf rears his ugly head into the picture, determined to receive the Baudelaire fortune.

Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler crafts a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If I were a kid reading this, I wouldn't have been able to stop. Even now, at 20 years old, I was still having a hard time putting the book down so I can get enough sleep for classes the next morning. Move over Goosebumps, this is how you really create tension in children's literature.

However I may praise this book, though, problems still exist. Klaus, Count Olaf, and Sunny are pretty well-rounded characters at this point, but Violet is still in need of fleshing out. She was quite flat in The Bad Beginning but had some improvement in this book. My main problem is with her inventions, if they can really be called that. In the first book, she makes a grappling hook which contains only a hook and a rope, to which she climbs the side of a tower Batman ‘66 style. In here, she creates a lockpick. Lemony Snicket makes a big deal about her inventive mind and her designs for inventions, but two books in and Violet is still comes off as all talk and little show.

Nonetheless, I will continue on with the series and look forward to discovering the mystery behind it all.