Review: In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Title:In The Afterlight
Author: Alexandra Bracken 
Source/Format: Borrowed from the Library, Hardcover
More Details: Young Adult, Dystopian
Publisher/Publication Date: Disney-Hyperion, October 28, 2014

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids. Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire...

One of my goals is to finish some of the series I’ve started, and the last two books of The Darkest Minds trilogy happened to be available at my local library. Hence, I’ve finished this trilogy, which is something I'm happy about. Especially because of the fact that I’ve consistently enjoyed this series and the same can be said about In the Afterlight.

The story basically picks up right where the last book left off, and Ruby & Co. are dealing with the fallout, struggling really, as they try to find the quickest and safest way out of L.A.. So, immediately, the tension was set up basically from page one. The plot took off from there quickly transitioning from point A to B and so on. Watching the story unfold was nothing short of entertaining, and I finally got some much needed answers about the series. So looking at this trilogy as a whole—it was well thought out with some solid world building.

The characters were great. Although, Ruby blamed herself for every little thing and still made some questionable decisions, she grew on me throughout the trilogy. I liked her more in In the Afterlight than in the last two books. And all of my favorite characters were back. I especially liked the friendships in this book—Zu & Vida—and it was nice to see that Ruby had friends who were female too. Not friends who were secretly enemies, but actual friends.

And then there was Clancy. I thought he was terrible in book one and two, but his presence in this book—the things he did—ugh, just no. There was nothing about him that made me even remotely sympathetic to his character. I get that he had a hard life that was worse than many of the other characters, but he had a problem with believing his way was the only way.

The ending was a little open-ended. While the essential plot was wrapped up nicely, there was still a little uncertainty about the future of the kids who were afflicted by IAAN. There was no immediate miracle solution, but the ending also hints at a better future with time.

At the end of the day, In the Afterlight was a good conclusion to the trilogy.

The Friday 56 (44) The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

My 56 this week comes from The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas, a book I recently finished.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning...

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's been told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the most powerful tyrant and mage the world has ever known. This would be a suicide task for anyone, let alone a reluctant sixteen-year-old girl with no training.

Guided by his mother's visions and committed to avenging his family, Prince Titus has sworn to protect Iolanthe even as he prepares her for their battle with the Bane. But he makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the tyrant closing in, Titus must choose between his mission—and her life...

"None of the opening spells Iolanthe knew worked. She did not have power over wood. Water was useless here, as was fire."--The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas 



What are you reading this week?

Fall Time Cozy Time Book Tag

So the year is almost over—as weird as it is to already say that. I feel like the time just flew by and the holiday season is already here. Before I get to the book tag, I want to say a quick good luck to anyone participating in NaNoWriMo. I, myself, am not participating, but still, for everyone else, I wish you the best on your novels! Anyway, I haven’t done a book tag in a long time and this one seemed like fun, so I thought why not, it’s fall, and the timing is perfect.

This tag was created by Novels and Nonsense and you can check out her youtube channel HERE. She has a lot of fun videos on her channel so you should definitely check it out if you have the time.

And CLICK HERE to see the original tag video.

Crunching Leaves: The world is full of color - choose a book that had reds/oranges/yellows on the cover...

I’m going with Mari Mancusi's Scorched. The red, orange, and yellow really make me think of fall, especially the leaves after they've changed colors.

Cozy Sweater - It's finally cool enough to don warm cozy clothing: what book gives you the warm fuzzies?

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius was a book that made me happy. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this novel, and I’m really looking forward to the sequel.

Fall Storm: The wind is howling & the rain is pounding - choose your favorite book OR genre that you like to read on a stormy day...

Oh, anything really, but my first choice would be fantasy then science fiction and anything else after that.

Cool Crisp Air: What's the coolest character you'd want to trade places with?

I would go with Mallory Grace from the Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The adventure throughout the entire series was pretty cool (despite all the fairy mayhem) and Mallory was one of my favorite characters. So, I wouldn’t mind trading places with her.

Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?

Oleah Chronicles: Truth by Michelle Johnson. You can check out the review for the book HERE and I did an interview with the author HERE. 

Coat, Scarves, and Mittens - The weather has turned cold & it's time to cover up - What's the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?

I don’t have one. Most of the books I have do have some pretty nice covers. And if there was one, then I’ve forgotten about it by now.

Pumpkin Spice: What's your favorite Fall time comforts food/foods?

Oh, I have a lot of different ones, but I do enjoy them being warm when the weather is colder. (Pumpkin/ sweet potato pie, homemade macaroni and cheese—various dishes like that especially in November.

Warm, Cozy Bonfire: Spread the cozy warmth - Who do you tag?

As always, I tag no one specifically. If you want to participate in the tag then go for it. These questions are really fun!

Happy Reading!

The Friday 56 (43) The Rule of Thoughts by James Dashner

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Maze Runner series comes The Rule of Thoughts, the exciting sequel to The Eye of Minds. Fans of the Divergent series by Veronica Roth and The Hunger Games will love the new Mortality Doctrine series.  Michael completed the Path. What he found at the end turned everything he’d ever known about his life—and the world—completely upside down. He barely survived. But it was the only way VirtNet Security knew to find the cyber-terrorist Kaine—and to make the Sleep safe for gamers once again. And, the truth Michael discovered about Kaine is more complex than they anticipated, and more terrifying than even the worst of their fears. Kaine is a tangent, a computer program that has become sentient. And Michael’s completing the Path was the first stage in turning Kaine’s master plan, the Mortality Doctrine, into a reality. The Mortality Doctrine will populate Earth entirely with human bodies harboring tangent minds. Any gamer who sinks into the VirtNet risks coming out with a tangent intelligence in control of their body. And the takeover has already begun...


"Sarah was up off the couch, moving before Michael could grab her. She was across the room, heading for the kitchen, Michael on her heels."--The Rule of Thoughts  by James Dashner


What are you reading this week?

Happy Halloween