A. Renee Hunt's Blog, page 72

Armada by Ernest Cline

     I was born in the... well, I grew up in the 80's.  I wore big hair, neon shoe laces and half-shirts with huge words like "Wake ME UP" across the chest.  I also grew up on Star Wars, The Last Straighter, E.T., He-Man, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Atari, Moncheechees, Smurfs, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and so much more!  These things are now considered classics (shut up!), but this book takes you back to a lot of it!  This book is also, evidently a follow up to Cline's previous novel, Ready Player One,  so there was a story before this story.   Armada is about a foul-mouthed teenager named Zach.  He's part of a group called EDA (Earth Defense Alliance) Evidently the inhabitants of planet Europa have decided to test Earth.  Giving three waves of attack, using ships Zach recognizes from a video game, Europa wants to know if earthlings deserve to be a part of an alliance of planets, where they can benefit from advanced technology.

Zach is taken to Nebraska, then to the Moon for training, where he meets an unexpected family member.  There, he discovers all the game play of Armada- his game- it's been simulation  training.  Now it's up to him and a select few to defend Earth and earn the rights to join the planetary alliance with EDA.

     This book wasn't one of my favorites.  First, it reminded me of The Last Starfighter, way too much!  Then I grew weary of his foul mouth- everything gave him the right to drop the "F"-bomb and the storyline just didn't hold me.  There was a lot of cool stuff and references to there nostalgic adventures of my youth, via the silver screen or books, but it just wan't enough to this to think it was more than a cool read.  I found myself saying, 'Oh, I know where that came from!' or "Hey something like that happened in..."  So yeah, the originality wasn't all there for me.  

     It's a cool read, but it's definitely a YA novel- the middle readers don't need this.  Way too much cursing for them and honestly, without the coolness I was hoping for- too much for me too.  On to the next adventure!.  

Sister Dear by Laura McNeill

     My first book by Laura McNeill was totally amazing!  (Center of Gravity, August 7, 2015 post) The story was carefully crafted and written so well, I flew through it!  The same thing can be said for Sister Dear.  The multiple storylines are interlaced in such a way, you could do nothing but continually read till the end.   There are all forms of betrayal, but when it comes from family...      Sister Dear is an emotional tale of Allie Marshall; a woman convicted of a murder she claims she didn't commit.  Ten years lost, a daughter estranged and so many loose ends.  All Allie wanted was a clean slate, a relationship with Caroline and to find out who really killed Coach Thomas.  But there are several folks who don't want Allie sniffing about, possibly finding the truth.

     As I stated before, I loved this book.  My only issue with the story was: do people really react to some situations like this?  I know I'm no professional, but none of my children have yelled at me!  None of them disrespected me like Caroline did her mother and Aunt.  And when I'm suspicious about someone, there's no way in heck I'd keep things bottled within me the way they all did... Ugh!  I was going crazy throughout this book!      What I loved most about Sister Dear was Allie's endurance, her inner-strength that kept her searching for the truth.  Most of all, I appreciated her patience with her daughter.  Teenagers are so difficult to understand, even though we've all been there, no situation is ever the same growing up.  I honestly cared for the characters and I became hungry for the flashbacks that were perfectly woven throughout the book, without confusion or annoyance.  I was like Baby Bear of Goldilocks and the Three Bears- this book was 'just right!' 

      Grab Sister Dear from any book-seller; you'll find yourself caught up too!  I'm on to a YA adventure next.  Cheers!

My Father's House by Rose Chandler Johnson

      My initial reaction to Lily Rose: She's looking for strength as a mouse in a world of lions!

     My Father's House,​ by Rose Chandler Johnson, is a very sad story, but it's filled with realistic events and prayers through every circumstance.  The story was written with so much heart and spirit, I finished it in just two days.  I probably could have finished it sooner, but I had flowers to snip, bushes to trim and weeds that had to be pulled!

     The story is about Lily Rose Cates, a southern gal with lots of heart and as naive as the day is long, but with good reason.  Her life prior to meeting Manuel Valenti had been sheltered and quiet.  She lived for one thing, to be with her friend and travel the country and maybe even Europe, visiting national museums!  A college dream.  But when she meets Manny, plans change.  Her world changes- everything changed and not for the better.

     Lily Rose goes through a series of events that set off warning bells from the very beginning, but what's a girl to do when her heart leaps with its own desires instead of the ones God's planned for her life?  Dive all in, of course, then ask questions later...     I enjoyed this read but it reminded me so much of Sleeping with the Enemy, a Julia Roberts movie from 1991.  I appreciated the background information, but it made Lily Rose so weak to me.  I understand she leaned on God to get her through, but I am such a different sort of gal.  Her reactions were normal in the beginning, but she was so mousy to me- I wanted to climb into the book and throttle Manny for her!  But then again, everyone responds differently to extreme situations.  
​And for anyone who says, you can't say that unless you've been there- Not only have I been there, I've also done that and left him a wreck!  But that was the old me.

     I related to this story; not in the degree that Lily Rose endured (I've never dated a lawyer), but it was very real.  The final straw, planning and plotting an escape- all of it.  What I loved more than anything about Lily Rose was, she prayed so much for Manny.  That was beautiful.  The bible says to pray for your enemies and she did just that.  It was admirable.

     My Father's House was a sweet story.  Because a man would never threaten me, then walk in my house, not once but twice?!  I'd have to say that country living isn't for me- number one.  Number two, that part was just not real for me and kinda make my protagonist a bit on the dumb side.  Regardless, the book was sweet and I may just keep it.  On to the next novel!

The God Killers by David Simpson

     Here's a book I never imagined reading and and growing weary with.  It exhausted me to no end- because it was NON-STOP ACTION!  The characters were constantly on the run, because who can escape the eyes of God?

     Okay, the book is about an evil entity who sits at the precipice of death and awaits you.  It determines whether your edible enough to consume, thus destroying your soul or chucking you to the fiery keep, where phantoms of all sorts will torment you (Still destroying your soul but ensnaring you for an eternity of misery).  This thing calls itself God.

     I really liked the concept; the idea was good, but it got boring after a while and I just finished to be finished with it.  I wasn't thrilled but I didn't walk away with something cool either.!

     The writing style was a bit off- what I mean is, there wasn't any true flow and then the worst part- no one really died.  Or if they died, they didn't stay dead!  The characters were dull and there wasn't any maturing during the situation.  They were just there.  It took me a while to finish it; about two weeks and I don't like books that bore me to the extent that I sigh when I try to get back into it.  That's exactly what happened when I tried to jump back into The God Killers.  I was excited when I finally finished.

     Lastly, the editing was poor.  Nothing says 'amateur' more than a poorly edited book.  I don't know if he edited it himself or if someone without proper skills did it for him, but I was not happy.  Cool Concept, Poor Execution.

All of Me by Jonali Karmaker

     I found Jonali Karmakar through a Book Release announcement I participated in.  It felt odd telling of a book I'd not read, so I asked if I could receive a copy for a review shortly after and was granted a pdf version.  Usually pdf's sicken me, with all the sliding around and stuff to read a simple age (which is why I'm always asking for .mobi) or it simply won't let me open it unless I'm on my iMac instead of my iPhone or iPad, but I don't complain.  Who wants to hear all that anyway!?  

     So I jumped right in to All of Me, a compilation of all Karamakar's stories.  She stated her friends wanted to read her works in one place, so this was for them.  What a considerate author, yeah?  So there are thirteen stories, then a little about herself.  

     Each story is original with no regurgitation and full of emotion.  There's emotion, life, happiness and sadness in each piece.  You can't do anything but find yourself caught up in each story.  My favorite one was Finding Myself.      Young Nisha wanted nothing more than to be married, like most young women.  I'm to assume (I hate doing that!) it's in a country like India, where there are still arranged marriages.  In Nisha's case, she wanted to marry the one who requested her hand.  Ramesh stepped up, but he didn't want to do thins in the traditional manner.  You see, Nisha wasn't like most girls.  She'd been in an auto accident and was disabled.  Her only means of getting around was either by wheelchair or prosthetic limbs.  So Rakesh thought himself a martyr,  doing her a favor by marrying her, but it had to be on his terms.  But his way of suggesting things belittled Nisha and tore down her self-esteem.  Soon she was agreeing to things she 'd not wanted, accepting his cruelty and finding herself miserable.   It was a story that irritated me, because I've seen this happen so many times.  Even I succumbed to a cruel person before.  The ability to put me back in my own shoes was a powerful move on Karmakar's part.  

     I appreciated the short stories but that one affected me.  All of Me is a quick and easy read.
On to the next read!

Hungry Darkness: A Deep Sea Thriller by Gabino Iglesias

     One day, I just went through Amazon's Kindle app and found a bunch of monster stories.  I didn't care about previous reviews, I just wanted to read something different.  Romance, paranormal romance, and people hiding in holes underground was tiresome.  Hungry Darkness, by Gabino Iglesias is one of the books I purchased for a decent ebook price.  

     first, I loved the cover.  Anything that provides a crystal clear, HD picture always wins favor.  It looks good- the cover speaks to you, even making you think you know what the story's about already... but no.  Not with this one.  That's the best part!

     The story took place in Brazil and began with Nick, a guy hungry for notoriety and fame via National Geographic.  Instead of following the rules, set by the Department of Archeology and Environment of Belize- not to mention the Belize Dive Services, he paid two divers to illegally excavate a portion of Giant Cave, allowing Nick and his crew to capture scenes never seen before and his name to go in books worldwide!  Unfortunately, he also opened up a can of trouble so big- it left bodies in its wake all around the waters of Caye Caulker.          Hungry Darkness provided a great story!  It's not very long, about 136 pages, and nearly complete with excellent action.  The only part that bummed me out was the abrupt ending.  I don't know, maybe it was supposed to be a short story, I'm not sure, but the way it just shut down..., I was looking for something else.  Maybe a spouse to the creature that was eating everyone up- anything!  Instead, it just ended with a thought... and surprising change of heart.

     If you're looking for a story that gives you an excellent start and climax- check this out.  If you're looking for a short story, that's more like a brief novella, this is your book.  But if you're looking for an ending with closure without disappointment- this isn't the one.  It sorta leaves you hanging.  On to the next read!

Fluffy Strikes Back by Ashley Spires

*Guest Blog by Joshua Hunt (My 11-yr old son)    My name is Joshua and Alyssa (A. Renee) is my mom.  She's always reading books and when she gets children's books, she usually uses my niece and nephew to help with the reviews.  This time, she got one I wanted to help on.  When she received Fluffy Strikes Back , by Ashley Spires, I was all over it!
     
​     The main reason I wanted to help is because it's written like a comic book.  Each page is full of photos that explain things that you'd usually have to read.  They tell you everything you need to know about P.U.R.S.T.  P.U.R.S.T. is an acronym for Pets of The Universe Ready for Space Travel.  This company is lead by Fluffy Vandermere- a fat, white cat.

     Fluffy's job is to protect the world from alien domination.  The aliens are flies and bees.  All over the world there are dogs and cats, trained to fight these cruel invaders, protecting humans and other animals too.  When P.U.R.S.T is invaded, it's up to Fluffy to defeat the evil hoard and rescue his fellow agents who are being tortured with miniature spray-bottles of water.  That part was hilarious!      I liked Fluffy Strikes Back because it was very creative.  I liked that Fluffy was fat but still strong and fast enough to take down the enemy all by himself.  Also, Fluffy's facial reactions were cool.  I laughed out loud when he did stuff, but his face always look mean and fat.  His faces made the book to me.  You know a book is good when you laugh out loud.  I also liked that it was like a comic book.  It was easy to read and fast.  

​     If you have a kid who likes to read comic books, this would be fun for them.  The pictures are really good.  Also, maybe read it to your kids like my mom did.  She used her famous British voice, making it even more funny.  Thank you for reading my very first book review

You Are My Best Friend by Tatsuya Miyanishi

     There is nothing sweeter than reading a children's follow-up story after loving it's amazing predecessor.  I was honored to receive book one in a seven book series by creative author Tatsuya Miyanishi.  Today's review is for You Are My Best Friend, book two in the Tyrannosaurus Series.

     In book one (You Look Yummy! 10/29/15), Tyrannosaurus was on the prowl for something to eat and came across an adorable, baby ankylosaurus.  Instead of eating the baby dino, Tyrannosaurus ended up becoming a sort of adoptive Pappa.  It was adorable and my Ewoks loved it- especially the ending.
     In You Are My Best Friend, I think Tyrannosaurus was upset at being alone because he went on the prowl!  He was stomping those smaller than himself.  He ripped down trees and chased a herd of styracosauruses away; Tyrannosaurus had become a bully!  But as with all children's stories, there was a lesson to be learned and Tyrannosaurus got it, the hard way!      Just like book one, You Are My Best Friend is beautifully illustrated with original artwork by Tatsuya Miyanishi.  This story isn't as happy- a serious lesson was brought to the readers and that's what made this book so much more interesting than the first.    There's a price to pay when you're cruel to others.  There can be painful punishment when you hurt others and llastly, Karma can sometimes be kind.  

     The ending of this story is rather sad, but the endless possibilities on where book 3 may go make it a wonderful read.  If you have not read You Look Yummy!, pick it up.  While you're there, grab You Are My Best Friend too.  Your little ones will enjoy the colorful pictures and laugh smile at the story and lessons to be shared.  Book 2, You Are My Best Friend will be available everywhere books are sold as of June 1, 2016.   I'm on to the next read.

Bonecrusher by Ambrose Ibsen

     You know, nothing gets me more than when someone rides the coattails of another's epic adventure.  Sometimes, ideas are hard to come by, I get that, but Bonecrusher, by Ambrose Isben, felt like a very close copy of 2013's blockbuster hit, Pacific Rim!  I'm not saying it's not a good story, but when I read the book, all I kept doing was flashing backing to the movie and how I just wasn't interested!  I finished the book, but it was rather difficult.      So why was it hard to read?  Bonecrusehr is about a man, Silvio, who's a boxer; and not a good one.  He's just been handed his butt to him on a wooden platter, he got so beaten down he's blind in one eye and there's no money coming in to care for his girlfriend and daughter.  Why?  Because Silvio is selfish!  His dream of wining the Golden Gloves has pushed him so long, he's foregone any desire to have nice things or nice things for his family.  His sacrifice was theirs too!

     He's never worked a real job in his life- all for the sake of boxing.  And because of this, they live in a run-down apartment in a not so great part of town and living hand to mouth.  Until he realizes he can never box again.  Then he goes on a tangent, throwing tantrums and breaking his own furniture and stuff!  He was a brat!  It wasn't until he was offered a job for a multi-million dollar corporation that he's feeling top again.   But at what cost?

​     And at the same time, in Lake Lilliana, someone's awakened Godzilla- I mean a Kaiju- I mean... Colossus.  Or Colly, since that's what the folks in Michigan are calling the giant, reptilian monster that rose from the deep!  So what happens?  Good old Silvio is called to battle.  He's gonna box the kaiju into oblivion, then cut it down with his Voltron-like sword!  I was like, "Really?"   

     I grew tired of Silvio's pity parties, his tantrums and all.  Then when he finally got the job of a lifetime, sucked his health dry and kept him away from his family for months on end, THEN he worried about something other than fame, notoriety and money!  But it's too late dude!  I just wasn't happy with it.  Normally I'm not this hard on a book- I respect all authors and their work, but this was just not his story.  It was everyone else's story, with a loser boxer in the middle of it all.  

​     The book is part of a four book collection, so it ends on a cliffhanger, but I won't be looking for it.  It could very well end on an awesome note, but the concept, to me, is like plagiarism- so I'm not interested.  if you've not seen Pacific Rim, you'll love this, but if you grew up on Ultra Man,  Voltron, and other similar shows and then LOVED Pacific Rim, you'll understand where I'm coming from. 
NEXT!!

The Stopped Heart by Julie Myerson

     When I received The Stopped Heart ​ by Julie Myers, I expected to be drawn into a strange world of mastery and evil, but instead I felt quit confused.  Lost in two worlds, one that was well over one-hundred fifty years back.  The past held an enchanting character, a predator who brought discontentment and confusion to town and to a family in particular.  In the present, Mary and Graham are dealing with a handful of issues; issues that would have driven many couples apart.  Instead they try to cope with their situations, but Mary's having a hard time.
And she's seeing and hearing things; people..

     The two worlds of this book collide with paranormal ramifications.  How can the past know the names of people so far in the future?  How can a woman see people of the past.  And where does the red-haired man who's always smoking fit into both of these worlds?  And lastly, is Mary going crazy?             This story takes place in the UK, so naturally, I found a great joy in taking up this book.  I got to read in my odd, accent.  Then Audible gave me a credit towards a freebie- so even though I was about 80 pages in to the story, I nabbed the audiobook too; my read-a-long was spectacular!  The narrators, Elizabeth Knowelden and Lucinda Clare, gave voice to what I imagined.  It was near beautiful.  
What wasn't beautiful was how the story came to a close.  I found myself as empty as the characters of the story.

     Throughout the entire book, there are two stories taking place.  What I didn't understand was why.  The past was connected, but there was never a reason for it, other than Mary having always been able to sense or see or hear things.  She saw those in the past and one in the past saw or knew of Mary, but that was it!  There was no other connection!  Mary found no solutions and the past still came to a horrific ending.  I don't know if I understood the ending or not, but to me, she was a nutter and went off the deep end.  

     She'd claimed her heart has stopped, during the story.  I think her mind did; she just walked away from reality and that was that.  I was left slightly bothered.  I appreciated what took place in the past more than what was taking place in the present.  Then, Mary put herself in some of the dumbest situations- but I won't tell what because that would be a SPOILER!  THEN, she repeated what people add so much, I thought she was a bit thick!  I don't know... I sorta liked the book, but it wasn't enough.  Maybe I'll read it again another time, but for now, I'm on to my next book, because I think my heart just stopped too!