All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

(5/5 stars)

What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it... at least, not as the girl she once was. Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Well, this is the last week of Sci-Fi November. I know, I know, I'm extremely sad as well, but what a successful month it was! So much lovely sci-fi things happened and I'm so thankful that I was able to participate yet again. So, to finish the event, I thought I'd end with a book recommendation that I discovered from last year's Sci-Fi Month. 

I was recommended All Our Yesterdays last year by the lovely Rinn, and sadly, it took me a whole year to read it. I want to add that it was totally not my fault that I couldn't find it anywhere! But eventually I found it and ohmygoshyouguysthisbook. 

What I liked: This plot was so completely intricate and convoluted and I have no idea how the author weaved it all together. I bow down to you, Cristin Terrill. I love that there was the two different points of view, one that was so completely in the present and the other that technically was as well, but just as equally in the future. There was such a HUGE difference between Em and Marina which was awesome character development. The emotions the characters faced, that I faced, were raw--I cried and hurt and loved like no other. Wow. The action scenes were intense, and there were times when I found myself holding my breath, waiting for what was going to happen next. It's deliciously action-packed and full of sci-fi goodness. 

What I didn't like: I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how the doctor became so crazy evil. I understand that he's incredibly ambitious and I can see how that would backfire into antagonist land, but so evil as to torture and even murder...eh, I'm only like 95% convinced on that front. 

Regardless of that, I loved this book, and I'm totally ready to run out and buy myself a copy. And recommend it to every sci-fi fan. With that being said, I hope you all had a wonderful Sci-Fi November and picked up some recommendations on the way. A big thank you to Oh, The Books and Rinn for organizing this great event and making it possible--you guys rock all kinds of awesome! 

-Annie

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful readers. Whether you read my words via Tumblr, Twitter, or this blog right here, I am forever grateful for you all. Have a lovely day!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

(4.5/5 stars)

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Happy week 3 of Sci-Fi November!

At this point, I'm kinda obsessed with dystopian fairy-tale retellings. Once upon a time, I wrote a review of Cinder--a book I really enjoyed and was pretty interested in reading the rest of the series. But, why did I wait so long? Man, if I knew the sequel was going to be as awesome as Scarlet was, I wouldn't have put it off for a second!

What I liked: Again with the world-building. I sound like a broken record, especially coming from the Cinder review, but this book has such a fascinating world. It keeps getting bigger with each book, and it answers that super important question: What happened to the other countries during a typical YA dystopia novel? Craziness, that's what happened. I enjoyed the multiple points of view. I feel like it really worked with the story and gave me a more satisfying grasp at everything that was going down. Especially since so much happened, it was easy to keep track of everything based on the characters. Speaking of characters, hello Scarlet. She's an absolute rockstar. She's fiery and independent and all kinds of fierce. She's a really great balance to Cinder's character because they're the same but different. I also kinda sorta love Wolf and Scarlet's weird relationship...

What I didn't like: The story itself is still a bit predictable, but hey, that's what happens in a fairy-tale retelling. I saw certain events (oh, I don't know, things like betrayal or whatever) coming from a mile away, but I got over it fairly quickly.

This is a great Sci-Fi/Dystopian/Adventure series and I definitely recommend it, especially if you like a little bit of Fantasy mixed in every so often. It's a hodgepodge of greatness. And it definitely should be celebrated during a fun event like Sci-Fi November because it has something that I believe anyone will enjoy!

-Annie

Parallel by Lauren Miller

(I have such a hard time rating this because it was a solid 4/5 stars until the end when it became 2/5 stars)

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

In honor of Sci-Fi November, I thought I'd start off the month long event by reviewing a book that I discovered thanks to last year's Sci-Fi month. This premise intrigued me so much, and while I was reading it, I was super into it. Like so super into it I finished it in a day and stayed up way too late reading. And, I really liked it...UNTIL THE FREAKING END! I didn't know that I was able to have this kind of reaction to a book: I had tears in my eyes because I was so mad at how it ended, and then proceeded to throw the book down. Hard. 

What I liked: The science and astronomy behind this book was fascinating. I was nerding out in the extreme. The whole sci-fi aspect was handled really well without being cheesy--like something of this subject matter (parallel worlds) could be. The organization of the novel worked out well too, and I had my doubts at the beginning. It flowed and made logical sense. I loved seeing how the little details and decisions in Abby's parallel life affected her actual life--even if it did have me pulling at my hair at some points. It was a coming-of-age story without the normal contemporary coming-of-age scenes. The tropes were still there, but they had a cooler, sci-fi twist to them. 

What I didn't like: Let's start with the smaller things. So, I wasn't a fan of the fact that I didn't care about either love interests until it was too late. To me, it hardly felt like a love story, I was too wrapped up in the Abby-has-no-idea-what's-going-on-in-her-life story. That being said, I was a big fan of Caitlin and Tyler and so I'm a little peeved at how that was handled (no spoilers, just passive aggressiveness). Now, can we talk about the end? Because I refuse to accept it as a legitimate ending. Without giving anything away, all I can just say is that 1) I feel like the whole book was a waste and 2) I'm pretending like it ended a page or two before it actually did. Anger--so much anger. I'm mostly so sad about the ending because it completely changed my view on the book. I almost feel like the author was trying to pull one over her readers, like it was supposed to be this monumental twist that was shocking and wow and stuff, but I wasn't a fan. 

-Annie

Edit: After having time to stew over this book, and believe me, I spent a lot of time thinking about it, I'm moving the rating up to 3 stars. I kind of get the point the author was trying to make at the end (kind of), but that doesn't change that it twisted my whole perspective of the book with only a couple sentences. I'm stilly annoyed, but whatever.

What are YOUR favorite sci-fi tropes?

In continuing with this great month full of sci-fi deliciousness, I thought I'd start my posts off with a fun little discussion on Sci-Fi tropes.

First things first, what is a trope? A trope is a reoccurring theme, in this case in literature, that has significance. For example, in fiction, one of my favorite tropes is boarding schools. If a book is set at a boarding school, I'm already a little bit obsessed! Everyone has a couple tropes that really work for them, so I figured I would explore some common ones in Science Fiction.

I recently posted a poll on GoodReads asking my followers to vote on their favorite tropes, or they could write one in. Here are the results:

• Utopias/dystopias
• Stats: 15 votes/49 total, 30.6% of voters chose this
• What it means: A world where society is either perfect and ideal or horrible and failing
• My thoughts: I can't get enough of dystopias, even though it feels like it's a bit overdone these days. I still think the idea is fascinating.
• Book examples: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Divergent by Veronica Roth

• Superpowers
• Stats: 13 votes/49 total, 26.5% of voters chose this
• What it means: Characters with special abilities--mind control, invisibility, mutations, etc.
• My thoughts: I've read some interesting ones, but this trope, to me, has the potential to come off corny sometimes. 
• Book examples: White Cat by Holly Black, Maximum Ride by James Patterson

• Time Travel
• Stats: 8 votes/49 total, 16.3% of voters chose this
• What it means: travel into the future, travel into the past, time machines, all that jazz
• My thoughts: Super fun! Very Doctor Who-esque, and something that I sometimes wish we had the capabilities of doing. 
• Book examples: Tempest by Julie Cross, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

• Parallel universes
• Stats: 6 votes/49 total, 12.2% of voters chose this, as did I!
• What it means: alternate universes where life is different from what we know in ours, sometimes better, sometimes worse
• My thoughts: I love this idea and I'm desperately searching for more books with this trope
• Book examples: Parallel by Lauren Miller, Pivot Point by Kasie West

• Space travel
• 5 votes/49 total, 10.2% of voters chose this
• What it means: traveling among the stars to different planets, space ships, Star Trek-y
• My thoughts: I've read a couple of great books with this trope, and I feel like it can work out very well
• Book examples: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, Across the Universe by Beth Revis

• Alien invasion
• 1 vote/49 total, 2% of voters chose this
• What it means: aliens have come to earth, most of the time to take over, and humans are constantly interacting with them
• My thoughts: I'm split on this trope. I like it in some books and then hate it in others, it really depends on how well the author can pull it off
• Book examples: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, The Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• Honorable mention to the write-in: Star Trek-style cultural interactions between different cultures

So these are some of the common tropes in Sci-Fi and my thoughts on them. What do you think? Is your favorite trope missing from the list? If so, I'd love to hear about it!

-Annie

Happy Sci-Fi November!

It's back. It's finally back. After waiting a whole year--whew, and what a year it was--Sci-Fi November has officially started! And if you thought last year was full of awesomeness, this year is even bigger. There are a ton of bloggers participating, so many posts and giveaways, it's crazy up in here.

A huge, ginormous, out of this world thanks and love to Oh, the Books and Rinn Reads for hosting it this year. This seriously wouldn't be what it is without all your hard work. Sci-Fi November has built up a reputation and you ladies are the driving force. Thank you.

So, the schedule has been posted and you should definitely check out all the posts that are going on this month. Over here at Books, A Novel Idea, I have some exciting stuff coming up. Here's what our little schedule will look like:

• Thursday, November 6- What are YOUR favorite Sci-Fi tropes?
• I'll be discussing the different tropes in science fiction and which ones seem to be the most popular
• Thursday, November 13- Book review of Parallel  by Lauren Miller
• Thursday, November 20- Book review of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
• Thursday, November 27- Book review of All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Feel free to hop in on any of these discussions and get excited for what's ahead. What are you looking forward to most? 

A happy Sci-Fi November to you all!

-Annie

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

(4.5/5 stars)

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

So my thought process before I actually read this book was like "hey, I'll read this and post a review right before Halloween because monsters are scary" or something along those lines. Not the case. Not the case at all. I was very wrong. I went into this book looking for something kind of scary and came out pondering about life and loss and everything in between.

What I liked: The book is beautifully written; hauntingly so to say the least. The illustrations are stunning and are a perfect companion to such a tale as this one. The plot is one that really makes you feel. I didn't expect to cry, but I found myself sobbing until the very end. I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words right now, it affected me that much. The story is so real and alive, it's practically a monster itself. The quotes are beautiful, every single one of them, and they relate to life so profoundly--and not in a trying-too-hard way. The words come naturally, and that's why it's so hard to separate fiction from reality in this case. Beautiful, just painstakingly and honestly beautiful. 

What I didn't like: The only reason I docked this book a half star is because it took me until about the middle to really get into the story. But once I did, my attention was fully captured and I couldn't put it down. It's a bit of an open-ending, but that's how life is. We don't always get the answers to all the questions we're looking for. And yes, this might be a first in which I defend an open-ending. 

So read this book, you won't regret it. If anything, read it to feel more alive, more human, because that's how I felt when I was finished. Just for one moment, the whole world has changed for me because of this book. It wasn't a long read, but it affected more than many other books ever have or will.

-Annie

Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

(4/5 stars)

Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice?

Kami has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she does not, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town.

Rob Lynburn is now the master of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and he demands a death. Kami will use every tool at her disposal to stop him. Together with Rusty, Angela, and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami’s life, but also the lives of those she loves most.

This final book in the Lynburn Legacy is a wild, entertaining ride from beginning to shocking end.

Breathe, Annie, just keep breathing. I'd been waiting a long time to read this, and you'd think all that time would be enough to prepare me. But, judging on my lovely interaction with Sarah on Twitter, nothing could have gotten me ready for this book!

What I liked: First off, I'd like to dub Kami Glass the Sass Queen-- babe, you've got the crown. Everything she says is my favorite. I want a wall of motivational posters with her witty comebacks on it. I admire her fierce independence, her incredible optimism, and her bright confidence. Next, I'd like to take a couple seconds to talk about how much I love these characters. The Montgomerys are my favorite (Rusty, Rusty, oh Rusty, I'm speechless), and the character development that goes on with each character is a beautiful journey that I'm so glad we got to see. We've also got the active family members, and you guys know how much I adore that! Kami's father wins Parent of the Year award. The action in the story is constantly going, and there was never a time for anyone to catch their breath (including me as a reader, whew!). And the big showdown that we were expecting was epic. Sarah pulled out all the elements--literally--and it was so vividly written. There was fire and death and I still feel the tears running down my face. Y'all, I'm still sad. But there is also heroic sacrifice, teamwork, and bonds that surpass friendship and turn into love and family and that gushy stuff. 

What I didn't like: Honestly, I was a little frustrated between Kami and Jared's relationship. It's so hot and cold and I just wanted to yell "Just proclaim your love to each other already!". You can't keep getting together and then deciding that you shouldn't be together...multiple times... it hurts my head.

I stand by what I said about this series from the very beginning. You don't want to miss out on these amazing books. They'll make you feel and they'll make you laugh. What a wonderful (albeit, emotional) conclusion!

-Annie