The Silent Stars Go By

By Dan Abnett

The winter festival is approaching for the hardy colony of Morphans, but no one is in the mood to celebrate. They’re trying to build a new life on a cold new world, but each year gets harder and harder. It’s almost as if some dark force is working against them. Then three mysterious travelers arrive out of the midwinter night, one of them claiming to be a doctor. Are they bringing the gift of salvation or doom? And what else might be lurking out there, about to wake up?

Being the enormous Doctor Who fan that I am, how could I not try out at least one novel about the Doctor and his companions? This is a novel featuring 11^th doctor (Matt Smith) and companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams. I was pretty impressed with Dan Abnett’s version of the very popular television characters, I was able to hear their voices with most of the dialogue, especially Rory. This is a fun little Christmas on an alien planet story featuring (of course) a perilous adventure and a new civilization of people who need…a Doctor. You’ve got good aliens, and bad aliens, a mystery to solve in order to save everyone, and the Doctor being his crazy genius self. It was great fun to read and I enjoyed reading a story about the Doctor that was new and viable as a story I could see on the TV screen.

It gets a 3 out of 5 for average (which is great when you consider that this is a novelization of a television show)

And just in case you haven't seen any Doctor Who, this is a favorite clip of Matt Smith's Doctor. It's when he first becomes the doctor and he can't quite get the right food to help him regenerate properly...

The Fall of Five

By Pittacus Lore

The Garde are finally reunited, but do they have what it takes to win the war against the Mogadorians? John Smith—Number Four—thought that things would change once the Garde found one another. They would stop running. They would fight the Mogadorians, and they would win. But he was wrong. After facing off with the Mogadorian ruler and almost being annihilated, the Garde know they are drastically unprepared and hopelessly outgunned. Now they’re hiding out in Nine’s Chicago penthouse, trying to figure out their next move. The six of them are powerful, but they’re not strong enough yet to take on an entire army—even with the return of an old ally. To defeat their enemy, the Garde must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team. More important, they’ll have to discover the truth about the Elders and their plan for the Loric survivors. And when the Garde receive and sign from Number Five—a crop circle in the shape of a Loric symbol—they know they are so close to being reunited. But could it be a trap? Time is running out, and the only thing they know for certain is that they gave to get to Five before it’s too late.

The Garde may have lost battles, but they will not lose this war. Lorien will rise again.

This series has been entertaining to read, and I always enjoy reading them when they come out. They aren't really the books I can’t wait to read, but if I see it in the library, I’ll definitely pick it up. This fourth installation of the series was chuck full of difficulties for the Garde. They meet Number Five, a chubby kid that nobody can seem to find any liking for, but man is he powerful. Each member of the Garde has their own problems, doubts, and worries about the fate of the world, and the mystery of the Elder’s plans when they sent the last Loriens to Earth. Ella/Ten has an interesting role in this book, which I won’t spoil for anyone, but I’m hoping that things work out for the poor kid. As for the mysterious ally, Adam, I really liked the spin that was put in, as it balanced things out in the end. And (SPOILER) a character dies that everyone is incredibly upset about…I was there with you. So so sad. All in all, this is a solid companion to the first three books, and I will definitely keep reading to see what other kinks and resolutions come about in the series.  

One warning: Nine has the mouth of a sailor, so beware of profanity if that distresses you. No bombs, but plenty of the others.

This gets a 4 out of 5 

The 5th Wave

By Rick Yancey

After the 1^st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2^nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3^rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4^th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5^th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

 

Bring on the apocalypse. Another premier in the ever-growing end-of-the-world survival novels, this book is quiet in-depth and well structured. The story was fast-paced and the characters memorable. Loads of teens are going to love this book, which is why I read it in the first place: you can’t escape the hype sometimes. So that being said, I do have some issues with this book. First: the language. It was pretty raunchy at times (beware sudden dropping of f-bombs) and does discuss sex (but does not include any actual scenes). This story bounces between 2 perspectives, that of Cassie and Zombie. There is a small chapter (which ruined what had potential to be a big surprise) from the perspective of another character. This book has been compared to Ender’s Game and The Passage. Now, I’ve read Ender’s Game, and I can see where the comparison was drawn from, but I thought it was hardly fair to compare the two. They had some similar plots, but the overall messages were vastly different. Ender’s Game had some serious questions and messages threaded throughout the book to the last page, this book however is more a ‘horror story’ of what happens when the unexpected happens. I’d call it a psychological thriller more than I would a love story—which I’ve heard it called. It’s meant to be horrible and scary and make your brain feel a little sick at the twists. The love story was interesting and I was reminded (spoiler) of The Host by Stephanie Meyers. It was more of a side-line than anything else, a way to keep a plot going that probably could have (and should have) ended with one novel.  It’s not a cheery book, nor was it meant to be—it’s the end of the world people. It’s graphic and people kill and are being killed throughout. Be warned; this should have more mature audiences.

 

I give it a 3.25 out of 5- average, save for the actual delivery of the story which was incredibly well thought out.

The Rise of Nine

By Pittacus Lore

 Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I’d been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.

Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others…

I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we’re looking for the others—including John.

But so are they.


I was pretty happy to read this next installment of the "I Am Number Four" series. It's incredibly addicting and exciting to read. Add a little romantic drama with all the alien hunting and racing across the globe, you've got a pretty fun book. This book shifts perspectives from John, to Six, to Marina. I usually don't like shifting points of view, but it works for this book because I like all the characters in different ways. As always we get an amped up adventure of the new Lorien Guarde trying to find each other and stay together, as well as trying to figure out a way to defeat the biggest baddest Mogadorian of them all. There's also the mystery of which of the guarde that is left will turn out to be the mysterious Pittacus Lore? The obvious guess is John Smith himself, but I'm hoping for something tricky on the author's part. Here's hoping the next book comes out soon so I can find out what happens to them next! 

I give it a 3 1/2 out of 5 (slightly above average)

The True Meaning of Smekday

By Adam Rex

 It all starts with a school essay.
When twelve-year-old Gratuity ("Tip") Tucci is assigned to write five pages on "The True Meaning of Smekday" for the National Time Capsule contest, she's not sure where to begin. When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens - called Boov - abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it "Smekland" (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?
In any case, Gratuity's story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity's mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion.
Fully illustrated with "photos," drawings, newspaper clippings, and comics sequences, this is a hilarious, perceptive, genre-bending novel by a remarkable new talent.

This is a story about aliens. Kind of. Well, it's more the story of Gatuity Tucci and how she survived the alien invasion that just happened to occur on Christmas Day and the months following. Basically it's a journey story and a friendship story. The Boov are the aliens, who happen to be pretty nice all things considered, and they take over the planet. Funny thing is Tip meets this lone Boov (named J. lo) on her way to Florida (where all humans in the U.S. are ordered to live now) and ends up taking him along for the ride. Tip's perspective is pretty funny and allows her to tell about the bad stuff, the weird stuff, and the downright hilarious in an awesome perspective. Fun read, if a little slow at times. There is some language, but Gratuitiy always appologizes when she swears. :)

I give it a 3 out of 5

The Power of Six

By Pittacus Lore


I’ve seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the word he’s a mystery. But to me…he’s one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We’re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another…but our Legacies are developing, and soon we’ll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I’ve been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Maaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I’m ready to fight.



So, the sequel to I Am Number Four, actually really quite awesome. I liked it a whole lot more than the first one. It changes views from Number 7 back to John and Number 6. I thought this book was going to be in Six's point of view, but it's really about the power of the remaining six who are still alive. They are starting to find each other, and boy is it awesome. This is jam-packed with battles, teenage hormones and angst, coming of age stories, and things you'll just have to read to believe. Pick up with John and Sam and the mysterious Six as they run from the Mogadorians and the local law enforcement. Go along with John as he tries to reconcile his feelings for Sarah, and his growing attraction to Six. (They gotta put a triangle in these days I guess). And meet Seven, who I think is pretty awesome herself.

I give it a 3 1/2 out of 5

Animorphs: The Invasion

By K.A. Applegate


Sometimes weird things happen to people. Ask Jake. He could tell you about the night he and his friends saw a strange light in the sky that seemed to be heading right for them. That was the night five normal kids learned that humanity is under a silent attack—and were given the power to fight back. Now Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and Marco can transform into some of the most dangerous creatures on Erath. And they must use that power to outsmart an evil greater than anything the world has ever seen…

 
This is a series from the 90s that I fell in love with as a kid. There was something so extremely cool about kids who could turn into any animal that they touched and they fought aliens from taking over the Earth. These kids get a mission from a dying blue alien and their awesome morphing powers. They also find out that the Earth is being secretly taken over by gross little slug-like aliens that crawl into your ear and control your brain. (I wonder if Stephanie Myers read these...) I think this series is a great buy for boys and girls that are reluctant readers. The series goes up in the 50s I think...it kinda got a little ridiculous like Goosebumps. But it was a great ride for me as a kid from about ageg 8 to the time I was 13 or so. My friend and I both found ourselves some morphing suits and pretended we were Animorphs too, though I probably looked ridiculous in a bright yellow-orange swirled swimsuit over top of blue leggings...Anyways it's a great book for kids in later elementary stages.
Only one warning: it does use H-E double hockey sticks (yes I still say that) and has some references to beer (drink responsibly and all that).
 

 
 
This is the newly released cover for the Invasion, which I find slightly disturbing. They are the pictures that you tilt and Jake changes into a lizzard before your eyes. Cool Beans.

Animorphs: The Visitor

By K.A. Applegate

If someone told you Earth was under a silent attack, there’s a good chance you’d think they were pretty strange. If that same person said Earth’s only means of defense depends on the actions and powers of five kids, you’d probably start to look for a quick exit. Guess what? It’s all true.

Rachel and her friends knew they were in for some pretty strange stuff from the very beginning. How often do you run into a dying alien who gives you the power to morph into any animal you touch? But that was before they knew what they would be up against. Now they know. And they know what they have to do. Before it’s too late…

 
This is the second book in the Animorphs series told in the perspective of beautiful, yet tough, Rachel. In this story the newly formed team of teenagers try to find out more about the plan of the evil alien Yeerks to take over their planet and the only way they can figure out how to do that is a covert mission to their assistant principal's house- a known leader of the Yeerks, and also one of Rachel's best friend's dad. Their mission is ever more clear as they face greater and greater dangers together, and the ever present fear of being trapped in the body of an animal...
 

 
 
 
 
New released cover-funny enough the cat is actually how it is described in the book versus the first release cover. Go figure.

Animorphs: The Encounter

By K.A. Applegate

When Tobias, Jake, Rachel, Marco, and Cassie were given the ability to morph, they were also given the ability to morph, they were also given one very important warning: Never stay in a morph for more than two hours. It seemed a small price to pay, since the kids know that humans everywhere are being forced to let slimy, spineless creatures creep into their brains. And the only way the kids can fight back is not to be human.

But Tobias stayed in his morph too long. And now he’s a hawk—with a boy’s mind—forever. Tobias knows they can’t give up. That they all made a promise. So now it’s four kids and a hawk against a force that is determined to destroy them. Or die trying…

 
This series is one that goes on and on, but having the story told from different perspectives each book is refreshing, even if the plot can get predictable. Tobias is my favorite character and always has been since I first read these as a kid. This book was great fun to see how Tobias lives as a Red-Tailed Hawk and the things he misses about being human. His struggles to determine if he really is still human is one of the most interesting aspects of this particular book in the Animorphs series. What makes a human, well, human? This is a great adventure series for reluctant readers ages 8-14 specifically, but still fun to read as an adult.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is the new cover release for The Encounter

I Am Number 4

By Pittacus Lore

We may be walking past you right now.
We are watching as you read this.
We may be in your city, your town.
We are living anonymously.
We are waiting for the day when
We will find each other.
We will make our last stand together if
We win,
We are saved, and
You are saved as well.
If we lose, all is lost.

I've been wanting to read this one even before I found out it was being made into a movie. It was really quite intriguing. It's geared towards the older young adults, and has quite a bit of language- what I call farmer swear words. The story was quite a page-turner. It's all about these 9 alien children that were sent to earth in order to survive that they might someday save their planet, which was attacked by these bad aliens called Mogadorians. There is a charm cast on them that they cannot be killed unless they are killed in order of their number. One was killed 6 years ago, Two was killed 3 years later, and Three has just died. Number Four is a young boy 15 years old that has lived a life moving from place to place whenever he and his gaurdian feel he is in danger. Now the danger is even worse, because now he can be killed, because he is next. Anywho, the story is great and fast paced. It's a book that teens will really like if they've been into the popular stuff like Twilight, City of Bones, Hunger Games, etc. Only this one is aliens. Sweet. My opinion of this book is there is too much making out (some people like it, I'm not one of them) and there are instances where I was sitting there thinking, 'dude, if I was in his situation I would be outta there in a flash, forget the hot chick.' There was a lot in the plot that I thought, wow I wish he would've given a better reason for Number Four staying than that he's crushing on this girl. Boring. But like I said, it's a page-turner and a fun read if you don't mind a little language. There are scenes of brain-explosions and gore at the end. That stuff doesn't bother me, but it was a little nasty. If you've read Daniel X you would probably like this book...or if you like aliens that remind me of superman. :)

P.S. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'll let you know how it stacks up next to the book when it comes to a Red Box nearby.

Daniel X Watch the Skies

By James Patterson and Ned Rust

Lights: All's quiet in the small town of Holliswood-television sets, computers, and portable devices are alglow in every home, classroom, and store. But not all is perfect. Evil is lurking, just out of sight, behind the screen.

Camera: From the darkest depths of James Patterson's imagination flickers the most terrifying character yet: a villain with more ambition than the world can withstand, dead set on throwing a sleepy town into chaos and documenting the destruction of every person in it, including Daniel.

Extermination: Daniel X is the only person who can stop this made-for-TV tyrant from wiping out the city and everyone living there. This devilish director assembles an all-star team of his own creation, and not even Daniel can imagine the enormity of his plans. Can Daniel X stop this deranged outlaw before he stages the most spectaular finale the world has ever seen? Or will Daniel find himself on the cutting-room floor?

This is the second book in the Daniel X series, and I just can't figure why I like them so much. To be honest, the plot is kinda obvious, the villian is pretty cheesy, and the banter is just over-the-top sometimes. I know! It's like a cartoon-book, that's why I like it so much! No, seriously, if this were made into a cartoon, it would rank top on the airwaves. It's got Alien Hunter action and adventure, it's got the teen drama angle, it's got the very funny (sometimes witty) dialogue and the entertainment value it pretty high. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely serious, I love cartoons (I know I'm in my twenties, so sue me) so I'm not bashing the book at all or being duplicitous. I really like the characters and the story that has been set up, its unique in so many ways that it makes me just happy to read it. Of course, at the end of the day it's still fantasy, but it's a fun way to spend your day- it only takes me about two hours to read a book-and I think kids who like comic heroes and such would like Daniel X. It's right down their superpowered alley.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

By James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

“The Greatest Superpower…is the power to create.” Daniel is not your average ordinary teenager. He remembers the night that his parents were brutally murdered by the worst alien in the galaxy. So now Daniel has taken up the mantle his parents left behind: he has become an Alien Hunter; even though he happens to be one himself. Along with the aid of his best friends, he goes in fists flying to destroy number 6 on the infamous list of Dangerous Aliens, and ends up in the fight of his life…literally.

Okay, this was surprisingly fun to read, and I could not tell what was going to happen next. It was thoroughly entertaining, and it makes me want to pick up others of Patterson’s books. Daniel is quite easy to relate to, even if he does hunt aliens for a living. One of the coolest parts of his powers is his power to create things that aren’t truly there. He gives a life to his own imagination. And the trip you take with Daniel is one you’ll never forget. This was a book I picked up at Wal-Mart for six bucks, and I’m really glad I did. It was great, and I can’t wait for the follow-up books to Daniel’s life!

Fun Fact: James Patterson is the Bestselling author of Maximum Ride, which I have been meaning to read forever, but the first book is never in the library or in the stores. If this book is any indication, I know why he is a bestseller. And he’s clean! Hallelujah!