Review: Ms. Marvel

She's no ordinary girl

Kamala (a.k.a perfection as her dad puts it) feels like a blank canvas. She yearns for more parental freedom, eat a BLT sandwich (bacon goes against her Muslim beliefs), and above all, be accepted by the in-crowd. But when she disobeys her folks and sneaks into a party, Kamala comes at an impasse. It appears Captain America, Captain Marvel and Iron Man believe she has what it takes to play a significant role in society without reinventing herself entirely... just a few supernatural powers will do the trick.

I loved that, like Spiderman, Kamala does not come off as a natural born superhero. She is petite, brunette and interrupted during crazy fights by a call from her mother. She's also the first Muslim comic girl I've seen. Which made me pause! Not because I didn't want a Muslim superhero (I'm all for girl power) but because I didn't want it to be a gratuitous add to the plot just to say "hey, I included diversity." 

Instead, the author did a lot of research on the Muslim background (she is a Muslim herself) and even included a brother who used religion to his advantage, visits to the mosque and religious holidays. 

A great new series!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Blank Space

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP DYSTOPIAN SERIES I HAVEN'T FINISHED YET

Too many books, not enough time. Or did I simply loose interest?

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

I was about to read the third installment, when I heard a fourth book came out. For some reason, this put me on pause. 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Read two out of three. Not that bad of a score.

Eve by Anna Carey

Love the first book of the series. Being searching for the other two, but every time I go to the bookstore my eyes drift. 

Escape from Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith 

The author always finishes each book with a crazy cliffhanger. Had to stop to catch my breath for a little while. 

The Selection by Kiera Cass

What am I waiting for to finish this series!!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Ordered The Scorch Trials online today. Only a few days until the movie hits the theater. Don't know if I'll make it. 

Review: Treasure Darkly

"He might not have a hero, but he could be hers."

Clark Treasure didn't mean to drink the army vial that would give him powers over life and death. But what's done is done. Hiding at his birth-father's rich estate seems like the only solution. But what happens when he falls in love with his sister? Can Clark really be a rich boy, secret lover, superhero and maintain his identity a secret all at once?

Steampunk meets romance (mostly romance) in Mierek's first book of the series. Characters were well-developed, with lots of secrets and hidden agendas. Although, I enjoyed Amethyst and Clark's lovely and erotic relationship, he kind of went against his word at the end, with a promising cliffhanger surprise. 

Wonder what Mierek has in store for her characters next.

Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

If I were basing my rating on imagination alone, it would deserve ten stars.

A little boy (who shall remain nameless because the character has no name)survives a traumatic experience of finding a dead man in his father's car. From then on, his entire world changes. He is confronted to magic, evil, parental abuse and sadly memory loss. And all because of the ocean at the end of the lane. It makes you wonder, do human beings really belong in the magical realm or would opening that window cause great damage?

Although, I'm a fan of Gaiman's work, particularly Coraline, I found that there were too many lose ends and some characters very easily disposed off. Yes, varmints do chase worms. But who exactly were the Hempstock girls -- Witches...? Fae...? So many possibilities, just like the little boy's name...

Review: The Infinite Sea

"It isn't so much about crushing your capacity to fight as it is your will to fight."

The war between humans and aliens seems to be unending. They are no signs of anyone other than Cassie and her friends helping the cause. And all they keep hoping for is survival -- defending the planet is a long step away. This time around, the group will encounter new and old enemies who will try to infiltrate at all costs. Why such effort? If they are not a threat, why not just annihilate them fast and save time?

Yancey surprises once more by setting up different ruses along the story and making everyone a possible target. The characters have become tougher -- ready to handle whatever this writer throws at them. Even their dialogue is harsher. But above all, Yancey demonstrates the importance of love; and how that aspect alone separates us from monsters. Love for humanity, for innocence ... heck, even puppy love. 

Can't wait to see how the series will end.

Don't miss the first book of the series: The 5th Wave