Dangerous by Shannon Hale

I am currently experiencing an extremely rare moment when my newborn and my toddler are asleep at the same time. Highly unusual because my toddler doesn't nap anymore (man, grocery shopping really wiped her out today!) and my newborn rarely sleeps anywhere but my arms, so this post will be quick.

Just finished this new book by Shannon Hale, my favorite author, this morning. Quite different from anything else she's done but as usual it was very entertaining. Dangerous stars a girl named Maisey Danger Brown, an intelligent home-schooled girl with only one arm who wins a trip to an astronaut camp from a contest off the back of a cereal box. Camp turns out to be something more than the standard, and she and 4 others are gifted with supernatural powers, intended for them to save the world from an alien invasion.

Yes, very different from Hale's typical fairy tale, happily ever after stories. Lots of action and plot twists. I was engaged for the entire ride. Definitely recommend!

4 out of 5 stars

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

This is a story I've had on my mental to-read list for years. Really, ever since I read the Twilight series I've been meaning to read The Host, but I kept putting it off. I'd been told that it was sci-fi and had to do with aliens and I couldn't really psych myself up for it, even though I kept hearing that it was "so good." Last week I asked my facebook friends for book suggestions and I received several. After cross-checking with my library and finding that The Host was the only one available, I decided it was time.

Now after reading it I'm not sure why I didn't read it earlier. It actually was "really good," even perhaps great. The world has been invaded by tiny alien life forms who implant themselves in human bodies and take over their "hosts'" consciousness. There are rebel groups scattered across the world who haven't been invaded yet, and Melanie Stryder is one of those rebels. When she is captured and implanted with a Soul named Wanderer, she fights with all her strength to keep knowledge of her brother and boyfriend hidden so they won't also be captured.

I thought the story was really interesting. It is told from Wanderer's point of view, but myself being human, I was sympathizing with Melanie and how wrong it is for these aliens to come and rob humanity of their free will. Though as the story continues, Melanie's personality starts to grate my nerves and I sympathize with Wanderer and all she is going through. Wanderer and Melanie learn to work together to accomplish their joint goal of keeping Jamie (the brother) and Jared (the boyfriend) safe from harm. I loved how Wanderer and Melanie's relationship grew throughout the story from hateful enemies to like sisters and how they learned to take care of each other. I also enjoyed the rather bizarre (at times) love triangle, or I guess it was more like a square...but in any case, it was entertaining.

I definitely would recommend this, even to those who may be hesitant to jump into a fad that might become as crazy as Twilight was (or is...). I can only hope that this great story doesn't get ruined by bad acting/directing/scripting in the upcoming movie like others I've seen.

4.5 out of 5

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

This book was AWESOME. Again I am tipping my hat to Kerry for the recommendation.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E Pearson, is about 17-year-old Jenna who wakes up from an 18 month long coma. She doesn't remember the accident she was in nor can she remember anything about her life or who she is. She spends time reviewing home movies of her life to help her piece together her identity. As some memories begin to return Jenna is forced to relive the details of the accident and confront her parents about it's aftermath.

The story is set in a nearish future where medical science can do pretty much anything. What I liked most about this book is that it makes you question the ethics behind a nearly limitless scientific world. Just because you can save something or someone does it necessarily follow that you should save them? Where is the line between God and science? What is the soul? Where does it reside? Can you lose it? How do you retain your humanity when your body and brain are no longer natural but man-created? Interesting questions that we as a society may be faced with in a future that may be closer than we think. I've always thought ethical questions are fun to discuss and think about and I loved that this story made me think about things I hadn't considered before.

I also loved the writing style and how the story was told. I didn't figure out the secrets too far in advance; there were plenty of mysteries and questions right to the end. I feel like this was a book that the author put a lot of heart and energy into writing; this was no quick-written story. It was beautiful and I loved it. I recommend The Adoration of Jenna Fox to everyone.

5 out of 5 stars

Fang (A Maximum Ride Novel) by James Patterson

I just read the newest installment of the Maximum Ride books by James Patterson. For those who have not read these books, this is a Young Adult series about a group of kids who were experimented on by evil genetic engineering scientists who basically combined human DNA with bird DNA to create people with wings and some other cool stuff like super strength and speed. (whew! how's that for a run-on sentence??) Max is the leader of the family of bird-kids and throughout the series they are constantly on the run and fighting their way out of disasters. It's pretty exciting and full of action. In the last couple books there was a bit of a love connection between Max (who is in fact a girl) and Fang (the tall, dark, and handsome guy in the flock) and this book really focuses on that connection. In the beginning of the story the youngest sister Angel (she has some special powers including mind reading and some kind of future telling ability) predicts that Fang will be the first of all of them to die and he will die soon. dun dun dun... Max is really upset to say the least. She meets this crazy doctor who wants to save humanity from an upcoming apocalypse by giving people superhuman abilities with a drug that he tests on human children. He wants Max to join forces with him, which she clearly refuses. This guy has a hard time accepting 'no' for an answer so Max and the flock go into hiding for a bit. The story focuses in more on the Max and Fang relationship and the flock decides that Max should no longer be the leader because she's too distracted. She's basically banished and Fang comes with her. They go to Las Vegas together and are confronted by the evil doctor again. They hear on the tv that the rest of the flock is in trouble and they go to the rescue. I'm going to cut the details and just say that there's more fighting and trauma where Fang's life is in serious jeopardy. Even though I found this book to be fairly predictable and very similar to the other books in the series, I definitely teared up at the end. Oh I forgot to mention that the love connection between Max and Fang is strained by the addition of a new character who was genetically designed to be Max's perfect other half. He's perfectly charming and tries to win over Max. He doesn't really succeed by the end of the book but I have a feeling he'll be a consistent character in any upcoming books.

I really really enjoy the Maximum Ride books; all of them. This one followed suit with the others and was fairly predictable, but I feel like each book is a single episode of a television series that I love, like LOST or Heroes or something. I only wish that these books were a little longer, a little more complex. I read Fang in a single afternoon/evening. Started around 4 pm and finished by bedtime at 10:30 pm. Probably could have finished it sooner without dinner, bathroom, or internet breaks. My point is that I read the book quick and I wanted more. Definitely a fun read but it ended too quickly, like all the rest of the Maximum Ride books.

4 out of 5 stars