Caught my arrow #38

Caught my Arrow is a meme similar to Stalking the Shelves featuring books that were purchased, borrowed or received that week.

Had a blast at Comic Con this year (pics on instagram). It's incredible to see how many great artists live here in Montreal. Now, bring on them books!!

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia k (@natyuniverse) le Oct. 10, 2014 at 7:07 PDT

We should hang out sometime by Josh Sundquist

Received from Netgalley

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Received from author

The 52nd by Dela

Borrowed from library

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

What are you reading this week?

Review: Revolutionary

Does Revolutionary end with a bang?

The last time we saw Thalli, she was putty in Dr. Loudin's hands. He captured her as collateral in case Alex, her fiance, refused to collaborate in his machiavellian plan to rule the world. Will Loudin ever be stopped? Thalli intends to do so. But upon her return to the State, she uncovers a secret that causes her to lose faith in the Designer. Once faith is lost, can you ever gain it back?

This conclusion to the Anomaly series, wasn't as fast paced as the previous and yet the ending felt extremely rushed. First Loudin captures Thalli and Alex, then he keeps on adding more prisoners such as Rhen and her boyfriend, followed by Berk. No matter how hard they try to escape, none of them want to hurt Loudin in the process. On the plus side, John's great inspirational words are replaced by Rhen's new found faith, who knows just what to say to keep the gang cheered.

Disappointing, after such a great introduction. 

Review: Betti on the High Wire

Babo's parents will come back for her... 

Or so she thinks. Sadly, Babo's reality is another. Her country is being torn by war and her parents are both dead, leaving her in the care of Auntie Moo, a woman who kindly took charge of the orphaned circus children after an attack. Luckily for Babo, an American family filed adoption papers. But will Babo, with her broken eye and missing toes, be able to adjust in her new country?

Railsback didn't hold back on the heartwrenching material. Babo's insistence that her parents are alive brought tears to my eyes, as I understood that adjusting to a new country is one thing, but accepting that your family has changed is entirely other. Not only does she have a new mom and dad, but also a younger sister, Lucy. The way these two adjust to one another is touching and very realistic.

A great story that reminds us not all memories need to fade in order to make new ones.

Feature and Follow Friday: Replay

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Share the song you can't stop listening to.

I chose kind of a stalkerish song, but it's all about the rhythm. You've probably heard Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora on the radio a 1000 times. What's one more?

Tell me, what's on your replay?

Review: Party Games

Is there a genre between middle-grade and YA?

Back in the 1990s, R.L.Stine presented Fear Street, a teen horror series revolving around the terrifying Fear family and the doomed townspeople who got involved with them. 

Party Games revives this cult series twenty years later, with Rachel, a high school student, who gets invited to Brendan's Fear party on a remote island. Even Though, her ex-boyfriend Mac and best friend Amy (who only appears in one scene) warn her not to go, Rachel doesn't listen. But once she gets there, something doesn't feel quite right. Why is Brendan suddenly so interested in playing games instead of getting drunk? And why are all their friends dying one by one? 

Ten by Gretchen McNeil, and Diane Hoh's The Invitation will come to mind when reading this YA book. But although Stine did attempt to make the story gory with killing acts such as ''The Twister Game'' and '' The Jenga Game,'' Party Games didn't have the spark of its competitors. Rachel was too guy-crazed for a main character, constantly ranting about Mac wanting her back, even providing her best friend with a list of all the guys she's dated. If only Rachel didn't spend her time following Brendan from one end of the house to the other, searching for flashlights. If only she would take the lead and act as a main character.

In this modern day, teenagers are used to a lot more action and Mary Sue characters are far gone. Hopefully, the next book in the series will keep that in mind.