Illusive

Back of the Book: When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.

Described as “X-Men meets Ocean’s Eleven”, I couldn’t resist this book. And while the summary promises high hopes, I wasn’t disappointed. Lately, teen novels have developed into a niche of dystopian action- romances (The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.). And while I adore those books, this young adult sci-fi thriller was a welcome change.

Illusive is a fresh book with a captivating plot, witty dialogue, and plenty of action and humor. And, hello, did I mention that it has superheroes?! No, this isn’t a life-changing novel, but it’s pretty incredible. The world Illusive takes place in is very well developed. It’s plain to see how these superheroes became criminals in a society such as the one Emily Lloyd-Jones developed. I’m impressed at the unique plot line. This book constantly takes twists and turns, and I had no idea what would happen next.

The only complaint is character development. While all of the characters are interesting, unique, and defy stereotypical roles, I wish Cierce, our protagonist, had grown more as a character. She’s a bit of a static character, which is never good in young adult stories. However, she is still a likeable character and I do not think that this really detracts from the rest of the book. Hopefully, we’ll get a sequel and be able to see Ciere grow more.

Illusive is a book that demands to be read. This book defies the stereotypes of modern teen fiction with its clever plot, compelling action, and superheroes—any book about a superhero is a good one! Illusive is a must-read!

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Desiccate

Back of the Book: Leya Truelong has the potential to become a powerful Double Vision Mistress, if she can control her impulsiveness and temper and avoid being stripped of her gifts in a painful and debilitating ritual. But, Zandra, a devious bully, knows exactly how to rouse Leya’s anger. The girls’ battle of wits mirrors the greater conflict between the Mistresses and the renegades. Can Leya, a simple peasant girl, hold her own in a world of deception and betrayal?

In a world where different colored eyes can produce special powers, Leya only dreams that her green and blue eyes can help her escape a life of poverty. However, after being selected, Leya must struggle to overcome her temper in order to become the Mistress she dreams of being. As Leya’s powers grow stronger, can she overcome her impulses in order to become an admirable leader?

This book follows the life of rash and energetic Leya as she discovers and wields her powers. It’s refreshing to see a character who not only makes mistakes, but has to deal with the consequences. I was impressed by Leya’s character development, and the changing of her personality as she grows up and matures. The world of the Mistresses was well-fleshed out, with enough detail to make the world feel tangible. This book builds up to a powerful climax that leaves the reader hungry for more.

Five Spring Break Reads

Spring Break is the perfect time to catch up on the books collecting  dust on your nightstand. Here are five great reads to check out on your break!

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Pi Patel, son of a zookeeper, weaves an intricate story of his adventurous childhood. His greatest adventure happens aboard a lifeboat after his ship sinks. Trapped with a 450-pound Bengal tiger, a wounded zebra, a hyena, and an orangutan, Pi fights to survive while telling one of the greatest survival tales in recent years.

Legend by Marie Lu

June, groomed by the government to be their prodigy, hunts for the reclusive rebel Day. When she goes undercover to find out more about Day, she discovers more about herself. Day, an outlaw with a mysterious past, runs from his past as well as the government. What he doesn’t count on is falling for June while trying to manipulate her for his own agenda.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Penny Lane Bloom, daughter of Beatles fanatics, has been burned by boys too many times. With a little help from her friends (yes, I know that’s cheesy), Penny swears off boys. While the change started out as her personal choice, it quickly spreads around the school. The club continues to grow, and the guys are getting mad. Penny couldn’t be prouder, but she begins to question her ban when she mets a guy who might be the one for her.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Lena lives in a world where love is a disease. She anticipates the day she will be Cured, matched with her perfect boy, and live a mundane, loveless life—until she meets Alex, a boy who turns her world upside-down through his charming personality and knowledge of a world outside of her cage. As Lena and Alex grow closer, Lena’s world becomes more transparent. But as her Cure date comes up, Lena fights to keep love in her life.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Jane still desperately clings to her childhood fantasy of hooking up with Mr. Darcy. By spending a trip at Regency-era resort in England, drinking tea and playing croquet with handsome gentleman in tails, Jane hopes to flush Mr. Darcy out of her system. But with the gardener offering her something real, and a brooding gentleman she can’t get out of her head, Jane searches for her fantasy in the twenty-first century. Shannon Hale’s vulnerable and hilarious voice makes this story an intriguing and memorable read. Plus, this gorgeous cover hooked me right away!

Midnight City

Back of the Book: Earth has been conquered by an alien race known as the Assembly. The human adult population is gone, having succumbed to the Tone—a powerful, telepathic super-signal broadcast across the planet that reduces them to a state of complete subservience. But the Tone has one critical flaw. It only affects the population once they reach their early twenties, which means that there is one group left to resist: Children.

Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter, and his current target is Mira Toombs, an infamous treasure seeker with a price on her head. It’s not long before Holt bags his prey, but their instant connection isn’t something he bargained for. Neither is the Assembly ship that crash-lands near them shortly after. Venturing inside, Holt finds a young girl who remembers nothing except her name: Zoey.

As the three make their way to the cavernous metropolis of Midnight City, they encounter young freedom fighters, mutants, otherworldly artifacts, pirates, feuding alien armies, and the amazing powers that Zoey is beginning to exhibit. Powers that suggest she, as impossible as it seems, may just be the key to stopping the Assembly once and for all. 

Midnight City follows the perspectives of two young teens yet to be taken over by the Tone—the mysterious force that conquers adults and hijacks their bodies. Holt Hawkins struck out on his own to survive in the wild. He works as a bounty hunter, with his current fixation being a running treasure hunter, Mira Toombs.  With his dog, Max, as his only companion, Holt evokes a Han Solo-esque persona as he struggles to survive against those taken by the Tone. What he doesn’t count on are his conflicting feelings for Mira as she captivates him while he attempts to capture her.

Mira Toombs has been on the run after being banished from the Midnight City. With a mysterious talent for handling artifacts, she finds a way to survive while struggling to fight the Tone. However, Mira reluctantly joins forces with Holt in order to achieve her real goal. But she doesn't know how much longer she will last as the Tone threatens to take her over.

When the two find a clairvoyant little girl, they travel across the country to help Mira find her goal. From start to finish, this book excels in captivating its reader. Midnight City is a stand-out, fresh, and original novel that packs in action, suspense, romance, and the undead!

Divergent

Back of the Book: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

With all of the hype from the upcoming movie, this book is being dubbed the next Hunger Games. While I agree that it is another fantastic dystopian teen novel, this story is vastly different while still being entertaining and enthralling.

Beatrice “Tris” Prior grew up in the faction of the selfless, Abnegation. While Tris doesn’t see herself belonging anywhere else, she learns a shocking secret—she is Divergent, meaning she belongs to more than one faction. While Tris decides to harbor the secret and choose the faction of the brave, Dauntless, she doesn’t realize she must undertake a mental, physical, and emotion trail in order to keep her place in the new faction. Tris struggles to keep her secret and fit in with those who shun her. However, the more she learns about the other factions, the more twisted they seem to become.

While Divergent appears to be another cookie-cutter dystopian teen novel, the relatable characters, unique worlds, and driving action keeps the reader engaged. The concept of the factions truly intrigued me. The setting is entirely new to young adult fiction, and it is really fascinating. Like the Hunger Games, Divergent focuses on a female narrator who doesn’t need a guy to save her. Tris is resourceful, intelligent, brave, and a character to look up to. Although I’m still curious as to how these pages are going to come across on the screen, I’m confident that this book will be a favorite for years to come.

Falling Kingdoms

Back of the Book: In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . .

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Falling Kingdoms is a truly one-of-a-kind book, from the plot, to the action, to the characters. Morgan Rhodes chose to use the perspectives of multiple characters, which usually leaves the reader confused about what happened last for each character. However, in Falling Kingdoms, each character displays such a unique personality and storyline that it is easy to distinguish one from the other.

Cleo is the passionate, headstrong princess of Auranos. When her sister falls ill to a mysterious illness, she sets off to find a rare magic that might heal her. However, what she didn’t count on are the rebel tracking her every move and an unspoken attraction to her bodyguard.

After tragedy strikes his family, Jonas longs for vengeance against the one who caused it all: Princess Cleo and her betrothed, Lord Aron. His hatred threatens to destroy him as he sacrifices everything for revenge.

Magnus, son and heir of the infamous King of Blood, must remain cold and indifferent to mask his vulnerability—love. Magnus hopes to ensure his rightful place on the throne by hardening his heart. However, will the unmasking of his weakness be his undoing?

Lucia, Magnus’s sister and princess of Limeros, begins to uncover truths about herself as a previously unknown power rises within her. But how can she control her power when she does not know what it is?

Falling Kingdoms combines the elements of a fantasy and an action novel to create a unique, unforgettable story. Manipulative royals vying for control of Mytica, hooking battle scenes, and blossoming romance all take center stage in this book. With the alternating perspectives, readers are never left bored. Each of the characters were fleshed out perfectly, and they all were believable and interesting. Magnus’s perspective was my favorite to read. His calculated, logical plotting in despite of his oppressive father made me turn the pages faster to get back to his perspective. Falling Kingdoms, with its action, adventure, and suspense, left me longing for the next book.

Sidekicked

Back of the book: Drew Bean might be a part of a secret organization for the training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn’t mean that life is all leaping tall buildings in single bounds.

Drew is possessed of super senses—his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet—making him literally the most sensitive kid in school. And then there’s his best friend, Jenna—their friendship would be complicated enough if she weren’t able to throw an eighteen-wheeler the length of a city block. Add in trying to keep his sidekick life a secret from everyone, including his parents, and the truth is clear: middle school is pretty much a drag regardless of whether you have superpowers.
  But this is all before a supervillain long thought dead returns to the city of Justica and Drew’s two identities threaten to crash head-on into each other. Drew has always found it pretty easy to separate right from wrong, good from evil. It’s what a superhero does. But what happens when that line starts to disappear?

Drew Bean appears to be an average middle-schooler. His biggest worries are acne, grotesque school lunches, and whether or not his best friend Jenna like likes him. However, when he puts on his mask, Drew morphs into his alter ego, the Sensationalist. Drew can easily hear a conversation five blocks away or sense the heartbeats of those around him. He’s apart of a training program for sidekicks (H.E.R.O) operating out of his middle school. He studies with other sidekicks, shadows supers, and hopes to eventually become one himself. However, when a forgotten villain resurrects, Drew struggles to keep his two lives from colliding while beginning to realize that the line dividing good and evil sometimes blurs.

Two things instantly drew me to this book: its captivating cover art and the promise of superheroes. It did not disappoint me. The story is witty, and the plot offers a few twists and turns I did not expect. Drew’s voice is sarcastic, honest, and witty. He often mocks superhero stereotypes, which made me laugh. Drew is definitely someone I would like to friend, with or without his super senses. John David Anderson did a fantastic job of making sure the reader is constantly aware of Drew’s surroundings. The detail in his descriptions made me feel as though I too possess super senses. Readers who enjoyed Pixar’s “The Incredibles,” classic comics, or an epic battle between the forces of good and evil will enjoy Sidekicked.