I read Numbers a few years ago and loved it. Went out and bought The Chaos, and put it in my To Be Read pile...where it languished, unread, for far longer than it should have. Recently the book began calling to me (true readers will understand that) so I picked it up and immediately got sucked in. I was thoroughly and totally reminded why I loved Numbers--the chill of impending doom and the inability to make anyone understand because you are so different that others will only think you are crazy.

Adam is the son of Jem (the main character in Numbers). He's inherited her "gift":  He sees people's death dates simply by looking into their eyes. At age fifteen, it becomes apparent to him that something big is going to happen on January 1, 2027, because there are so many people with that date reflected in their eyes. But Adam has no idea what to do about it: he's already too much of an outsider, and before she died, his mother warned both he and his Nan that they should not be in London on that date.

Sarah knows something awful is happening, too, because she continually has nightmares where a boy takes a baby from her and walks into the fire with it. When she meets Adam, she's stunned to realize he's the boy from her dreams--and she is pregnant. Her life harbors much worse secrets, however, and she takes off, but is she able to outrun what's coming?

This book is a page turner from the start, and Adam is a heartbreaker--everything he tries to do ends up coming out wrong somehow. Told in both his and Sarah's points of view, you get the feeling that it's all going to crash down around them, but it does seem to take longer than it should. However, the story is so captivating, and the outcome so expected yet unexpected, I literally inhaled the story. I also ordered Infinity, the final book in the trilogy, but don't worry: It's up next in my reading queue. I won't make the same mistake twice.

~taminator40

Back With Mia

I love Princess Mia, and I've loved all the Princess Diaries books. Yes, I even love the movies though the changes didn't make me very happy. So, after years of having read all about Mia's insecurities and foibles, I was a little apprehensive to dive into this one. Was the magic still there? Could she possibly come across well as an adult? I'm very relieved to say YES, this is just as much fun as the other titles, and I'm just as happy with the story.

It's been five years since Mia last wrote, and in that time she's graduated college and moved into an apartment in the Genovian Consulate. She's still with Michael and still balancing her princess duties with her real life; she's involved in causes she's always espoused but is also waiting for Michael to pop the question (even though they'd agreed they'd wait until life calmed down for both). Mia has a stalker so it's even more important that she watches where she goes, and her grandmother is as obnoxious as ever. She keeps an eye on her Rate the Royals rating and the stress of her father running for office in Genovia has caused her eye to twitch. Just when she thinks she's going to lose it, Michael whisks her off to a private island and...well, you can guess the rest. Enter Grandmeré, who wants to take everything over, but also has a major announcement about Mia's father that will impact all their lives.

There's so much more--there always is with Mia--but it's so much fun to visit with her and hear her thoughts as her world goes haywire. I liked that while it's still basically the same Mia, there's a more adult edge to the story, in both situations and language. If there's some parts that work out a little too conveniently, that's all right because hey, it's Mia, and it's a fantasy. I love how it worked out and I'm hopeful we haven't seen or heard the last of the POG.  

~taminator40

The Replaced

The Replaced picks up with Kyra wondering what's happened to Tyler after leaving him for the aliens to take and, hopefully, cure. She's back at the camp with Simon and the others when word comes in that a young man has been taken to the Daylighters' headquarters, and Kyra's convinced it must be Tyler. A major rescue mission is launched and Kyra discovers even more frightening facts about herself and her abilities, all while looking for Tyler's Return.

There's more, of course, but unwilling to do spoilers, I'll be careful with any more information. Kyra's desperation to find Tyler fuels most of the book, and there's another side to the story when they end up at a camp where Thom and Simon used to live and work. Run by Griffin, Kyra's instantly skeptical and oppositional in her new home, but she's in for bigger surprises when it becomes apparent that Kyra's not just Returned, she's Replaced. And that has even more dangerous connotations for the group.

What I liked: I love Kyra, and I love her feelings for Tyler. I love that she recognizes her shortcomings but still goes ahead anyway. I loved the whole rescue attempt and the ending especially. The twist of having a spy is good and sets us up for the final book. I'm eager to see what's going to happen next and if Kyra can regain everything she's lost since she came back. She's got some hard truths ahead of her and I can only hope we get the happy ever after ending we want.

What I didn't like: I don't like love triangles, and possible love quadrangles. I don't like being set up for one relationship and then having another maybe, possibly, mean something. Not be spoilery, but Simon bugged the snot out of me the whole time I was reading. Give it a rest already! I also felt like the book dragged at times and maybe it was supposed to since Kyra does spend a good deal of time waiting. I also disliked the whole Griffin scenario; I felt like I was getting a Walking Dead vibe of total power and it just didn't work.

But, yeah, this is a good sequel, and I enjoyed it. The writing is good, and Kyra's voice is strong. I like how some historical events seem to be woven throughout, and I'm eager to see what happens with all of the characters. While it may not have been quite the page turner the first book was, it's still a decent sequel and one that moved the stories along purposefully and creatively.

~taminator40

The Infinite Sea

I have to admit, it was hard to read The Infinite Sea. I absolutely adored The 5th Wave, and I was so afraid The Infinite Sea would not live up to my expectations. I shouldn't have worried, even though there were things I really wanted that I didn't get. And that's still okay.

Be forewarned...things might get a spoilery ahead.

Still reading? Okay, here's what I didn't like. I was put off that the story basically opened on Ringer's point of view, especially since I considered her a secondary character and I am so. emotionally. invested. in Cassie and Evan. It's not that I dislike Ringer, but I wanted to get right inside the action with Cassie immediately, and that didn't happen. But okay, I can cut some slack, even if Ringer was acting a bit like an automaton and still seemed very distant. But what happens...well, let's say it sets the stage really well for a big, big reveal later on, so all is forgiven.

I also feel let down on the Cassie/Evan front, mostly because my time spent with each was separate and quick. I still got a lot from their interactions, and Evan still managed to make me mad with all his self-sacrificing stuff. Necessary story building, but still frustrating. Plus the constant bickering between Ben and basically everyone felt a bit like filler material. More story building.

BUT...the story really took off mid-way and didn't let me go until I closed the last page (and even now, I'm still thinking about it). I totally love how Cassie has developed over the course of the books, and what happens with Ringer...well, my perseverance paid off big time as what I'd begun to suspect was confirmed. There's so much left unanswered, I know the author will never get it all tied up. But I have faith that he will. Right?

The Infinite Sea is a solid second entry in the series, one that furthers the story while making it murkier still. I'd say that's a confusing statement, but it's not. While it's not the mind-blowing plot that began the series, it still packs a hard punch and offers its own twists and turns. Now I'm just mad that I have to wait another year for the final book.

~taminator40

In a Handful of Dust is the sequel to Not a Drop to Drink, a post-apocalyptic novel I enjoyed greatly. While this one is good, it's not quite as enthralling as the first installment. Let's recap.

In a Handful of Dust focuses on Lucy, not Lynn, and it's obvious that Lucy is still young in many ways, though we learn she's sixteen. Still living in Lynn's house, disaster breaks out when polio hits the small community and many children and adults die or are paralyzed. As the epidemic is studied by Lucy's grandmother, it becomes obvious that the outbreak is centered on either Lucy or her friend Carter as a carrier. Forced to leave the community, Lynn and Lucy trek across the country with a goal of California, which they've heard has desalinization plants for ocean water. Along the way, their path is filled with peril, not least of which arrives in the form of other people, including a horrifying stop in Las Vegas.

This novel seemed to move much more slowly for me than Not a Drop to Drink; there's a lot of action but I just wasn't as engaged for some reason. Not that it's not good by any means; the dangers the women face are real and brutal and there's never an assurance that they will reach anything worth the travel. I suppose I just got tired of Lynn's continuously dour demeanor and Lucy's rather childish actions. The final payoff is quite short and could have stood at least a couple more chapters of explanation and resolution. But overall this is a good book and it continues the story in a mostly satisfying way.

~taminator40

Where She Went

I'm one of the lucky ones because I was able to pick up Where She Went almost immediately upon finishing If I Stay. I was so emotionally invested in If I Stay, I think I would've gone into a deep, dark depression if I'd had to wait as long as many did to get some resolution to this story. And it is with a happy heart that I can report that this sequel definitely worked the same magic as the first book. I was hooked from the first page.

Where She Went is told from Adam's point of view, and we've fast forwarded three years past Mia's devastating accident. Adam's now a bona fide rock star but he's miserable because only months after Mia left for Juilliard, she inexplicably stopped responding to his emails and texts. It was obvious that she no longer wanted to be with him, and he began a spiral down into depression that only the music kickstarted him out of. But things still aren't good for Adam; he can't get past Mia just dropping him, even though he's been with other girls and even has a serious live-in. Then he finds himself in NYC and he passes a poster for Mia's cello concert, and thinks...he has to go. Even if he doesn't talk to her, he has to go. And of course they meet up and explanations are attempted. Throughout the story, we move back and forth through the three years, seeing what Adam's been through. It's riveting to follow his traumatized losses and his disappointment as we begin to find out Where She Went.

This sequel definitely lives up to the storyline of If I Stay, even if I had a hard time with how Mia finally came to give her reasons. It's so well written, so emotional, that I literally inhaled the book in a day. Forman makes the story make sense and she gives the characters so much life that it's easy to find yourself lost in the telling. Sometimes sequels let a reader down, but this one takes us on an unexpected ride that fulfills its promises. Loved it.

~taminator40