R.A.T.S. by Claudia Daher REVIEW

Summary:

In 2040, 15-year-old David discovers he and his friends are Earth's final defense against an alien race determined to steal the planet's water. 

Guided by a mysterious alternate reality game created by his grandfather, R.A.T.S. - Revolutionary Army of Teens - David and allies from around the globe must unite, train, and rise against a looming extraterrestrial threat. As they prepare for battle, they uncover hidden truths about the universe, face environmental catastrophe, and embrace their destiny as the last hope for humanity.

My Thoughts:

This book had such a good premise, but it unfortunately fell short. David plays a video game where he and other players from around the world discover and implement ways to stop environmental problems and societal conflicts. When aliens threaten to steal the water from Earth, he and his friends must join in person and save the world from the aliens.

Starting with the good things about this book, I enjoyed reading about the story behind the alien species that drove them to want to steal from Earth. While some of their kind was selfish, others were kind and caring toward others and their planet. David and a few of his game friends were very well-written to be just like teenagers, and his grandfather is a likeable character who I wish was written more of.

Now with the negatives, some of the teenagers were written more like mature adults. While it is true that some teenagers are more mature than others, they were almost like adults in their 30s or 40s. The teenager that becomes a traitor was very obvious and stereotypical from the start, which was an odd choice for such a diverse cast of characters and seemed out of place. Most importantly, the battle scene was jarring. It was not believable that the characters would learn how to operate spaceships and utilize the weapons in such a short time-frame, and there aren't any training scenes or hint that they've been taught how to do any of that.

While the novel is a fast and somewhat interesting read, the negatives unfortunately weighed out the positives.

My Rating: 2 stars

Ava by Victoria Dillon REVIEW

Summary:

Ten years after Roe v. Wade is overturned, twenty-two-year-old biologist Larkin finds herself unexpectedly pregnant in a country where choice is no longer an option. Initially uncertain, she embraces motherhood - until a devastating diagnosis changes everything. Trapped by Tennessee's strict abortion laws, she is forced to carry her baby to term, only to endure the heartbreak of losing her hours after birth.

Years later, Larkin joins a radical scientific movement that could change everything: a groundbreaking technology that replaces gestation with incubation, allowing women true control over their reproduction. When she uses it to bring her second daughter, Ava, into the world, she believes she has finally reclaimed her autonomy. But as Ava grows and begins to question the very choice that created her, Larkin is challenged in ways she never imagined. 

My Thoughts:

I was thoroughly impressed with this book. The story envisions a possible world with women's choices becoming obsolete, and how science could help provide an alternative. Larkin becomes unexpectedly pregnant after getting married. Initially, she and her husband are elated with the news. But when they find out the baby has a condition in which the brain will not develop and will die shortly after birth, the couple is devastated. Unable to get an abortion, Larkin becomes increasingly aware of the rights that are slowly being taken away from women. When her boss, Dr. Davis, shows her his research on creating a way for humans to reproduce by incubation, Larkin dives in to help out, even volunteering as a test subject in order to have a baby without the concerns of the same devastating diagnosis her first child had. What follows is the birth - or hatching - of Ava. Growing up, Ava has to learn about herself differently than other kids, and even questions why her mother went to such extremes to have her.

What's scary about the premise of this book is that some of the problems are actively occurring in America. Women being denied abortion even for ectopic pregnancies, and even dying as a result of their rights being taken away. The novel takes this a step further, imagining where birth control becomes illegal, and pregnancy tests are monitored and reported. Despite genuinely scaring me, I very much liked reading this. It was well-written, and you can tell that the author did her research when it comes to the scientific side of things. My only disappointment is that the ending felt rushed. Most of the novel is about Larkin, despite being named after her daughter. We barely get to know Ava, and despite her valid concerns about the way she was born, it feels like she moved on too quickly, especially for a teenager. I would still recommend giving this book a chance!

My Rating: 4 stars

Darth Plagueis by James Luceno REVIEW

Summary:

Darth Plagueis: one of the most brilliant Sith Lords who ever lived. Possessing power is all he desires; losing it is the only thing he fears. As an apprentice, he embraces the ruthless ways of the Sith. When the time is right, he destroys his Master - and vows never to suffer the same fate. For like no other disciple of the dark side, Darth Plagueis learns to command the ultimate power . . . over life and death.

Darth Sidious: Plagueis's chosen apprentice. Under the guidance of his Master, he secretly studies the ways of the Sith while publicly rising to power in the galactic government, first as Senator, then as Chancellor, and eventually as Emperor.

Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious, Master and acolyte, target the galaxy for domination - and the Jedi Order for annihilation. But can they defy the merciless Sith tradition? Or will the desire of one to rule supreme, and the dream of the other to live forever, sow the seeds of their destruction?

My Thoughts:

Have you ever heard of the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? This is it, as it follows his double life as a Sith and as a Magister of Damask Holdings, a bank and finance business. After killing his master, Darth Tenebrous, Plagueis embarks on a journey to master the Force in order to bring people back to life, and to extend his own. He takes a young Palpatine under his wing, and together they set the plans in motion to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy.

It was so interesting to know just how much of the plans Plagueis had were the ones that ended with Sidious destroying the Jedi and ruling the galaxy. I never thought that he was alive during the first two prequels, but he is! We get a lot of behind the scenes of the blockade planning, the plan to grow a clone army, and even to make Palpatine chancellor of the senate. We even see his first meeting with a young Anakin Skywalker. I would definitely give this book a read if you are a fan of Star Wars, especially since it is also very well written.

My Rating: 5 stars

Woodstake by Darin S. Cape REVIEW

My Thoughts:

The story starts off with Jack falling in love and marrying Lucy in 1927, only for her to be targeted by a vampire and turned. Van Hellsing kills her, but the other vampire is still at large. Many years later, Jack remarries, just for the same thing to happen again. Jonathan, a young man with a passion for music, attends a festival in the area. All hell breaks loose when vampires start attacking the attendees, and the sheriff is under the vampire's mind control. Jonathan must find a way to escape with his friends with the help of the son of Van Hellsing.

I think this was a very new and interesting vampire setting. I have never come across one where vampires attack a music festival. While I do think that the concept was great, the execution was not as well done. The only fleshed out character is Jack, who ends up dying partway through the graphic novel. The rest of the characters just seem surface-level and one-dimensional. While I do understand that it is more difficult to develop characters in graphic novel format, it is possible, as it was with Jack. That being said, I did enjoy the story and it was a fun, quick read.

My Rating: 2 stars

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald REVIEW

My Thoughts:

The story follows Anthony Patch and Gloria. Anthony is the grandson of a wealthy man, and will most likely get his inheritance when he dies. Anthony does not have to work, nor does he choose to. He meets Gloria through Richard Caramel, a friend of his. He becomes infatuated with her, and eventually they become married. But their reckless spending on parties and travel leads to Anthony joining the army during World War I for a brief time. When he learns that his grandfather has passed and he did not receive any inheritance, Anthony takes it to court to win the money he believes he deserved. In the meantime, he can no longer stand being sober, and drinks every waking moment, causing another rift between him and Gloria. By the time he wins the inheritance back, Anthony regresses back to when he was a child.

I was not a fan of how the dialogue was written when there were more than a couple people. It was written as if it were a stage play, which did not flow well with the rest of the novel. That being said, I did like the book despite how long it took me to read it. The characters were all insufferable one way or the other at some point, which made it seem real.

My Rating: 3 stars