Undertow

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NetGalley sent a promotional email regarding this book, and based on the cover, it seemed pretty interesting. The synopsis really made me want to read it. I could tell it was about our Coney Island having to deal with change. Coney Island already seems pretty hectic and now it has to deal with change? This could be interesting; and I was right. It was fun, heartwarming, suspenseful, and the start to a great series.

The characters were very diverse, since this book includes interaction with different kinds of people. We had humans interacting with the Alpha, and it was interesting to see how they acted around humans. The Alpha are basically part mermaid, swordfish, and human. It was so clear they had features that were far from human features, like their swords that shoot off their arm and the spikes around their shoulders, that kind of cool stuff. The things that made them human, though, were features such as legs and a face with a nose and eyes. The way they acted, however, is far more interesting. Most people like to stay out of trouble; they don’t want any drama. Let’s say someone is talking smack about someone else. People generally react in three ways: ignoring it and living on with life, defending themself in a verbal way, or just getting into a fight. The Alpha react in one of those ways every time: getting into a fight. I feel as though a fight is their main way of resolution to a problem. The people at Lyric’s school were discriminating and saying negative things about the Alpha, so what did one of the Alpha do? That’s right, he punched that kid straight in the gut. Fathom is constantly fighting people who challenge his father. I’ve come to the conclusion that they are very aggressive when needed.

In the beginning of the book, Fathom, the prince of his people, is just so arrogant, annoying, and whiny. He demands to be treated like a prince- hence the fact that he is now on land and his status in the ocean no longer matters- and despises humans.  By the end of the book he has adapted to our humanly ways by being polite and not expecting everyone to want to kiss his feet when he walks by. It’s so great to see that growth and how Lyric, our main character, is now able to tolerate him.

I thought Lyric was a great main character. One thing I have to say about her is how she is able to face her fears. She is ready to protect Bex (her best friend), her mom, and anyone she loves anytime. I wouldn’t say she is fearless, just that she is really good at facing her fears. It was fascinating to see how she grew throughout the book as well. She was able to handle Fathom and learn more about the Alphas and their species. Lyric also grew into a fighter by the ending of this book as well. She goes through so much throughout this book–she can fight and survive. I am really excited to read the next book because I’m very excited for the badass scenes Lyric with (hopefully) get.

One thing that brought down my rating though was how it didn’t seem like Lyric “loved” Fathom. The chemistry between them just wasn’t enough to be love. I have no doubt she likes him and has feelings for him, but I’m just not convinced she loves him.

The plot of this book was just as great as the set of characters. It just built up to this glorious climax, then all the pieces perfectly fell to create a base for the next book. Along the way, Buckley introduced new characters, plot twists, and more information about the Alphas, which led me to want to read more. I really liked Buckley’s writing and how he was able to keep this book going; the pacing was just perfect. I didn’t feel as though any situations were being forced onto the characters, and the book never really got boring.

One of the things that really stuck out to me was the ending. Undertow already had so many scenes that could pass as the climax, but there was always more.  Right before the actual climax, it feels as though we are in a different book because the environment the majority of the book takes place in just changes. The book switches directions, and Lyric is no longer trying to achieve what she was trying to achieve.  We have the same characters, but they are now doing something different, and I think a change in environment and atmosphere can go wrong so easily. The author did a great job with it. It can always seem like the book is going to fast and that is why I said the pacing was great.

Undertow was a great dystopian read and I’m super excited to read the next books! I loved the characters, and it was so cool to see how differently the Alpha acted compared to us humans. The pacing of this book was great, there was so much action, and I loved the ending. I definitely recommend this to people who like reading about change, different kinds of species, and fast-paced action.

The Program

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Material Girls

Since You've Been Gone

So if you are not aware I am a contributor for Lit Up review! I have taken this opportunity to rewrite some very old Let's Talk!s and improving my review writing skills. So I will be posting my new Let's Talk!'s here as well but they will be a little different from the regular format. The review is the exact same as Lit Up so if you read the review on Lit Up you don't need to worry about reading the one on this blog.

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Author: Erin Bowman
Pages: 360
Publisher:​ HarperTeen
Published on: April 16th 2013
Also Published On:​ Lit Up Review

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

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I am going to try not to spoil too much of Taken for you. I first saw Taken on the Epic Reads site, and I was very interested in it. Then, my friend found it in the library, read it, and really enjoyed it. I got the copy right after her and flew through it. This is my ideal dystopian novel. Action, suspense, very enjoyable, and just a tad bit of romance. Bowman's writing style was something I haven't read from for awhile now and it was very refreshing.

The characters had developed so much from the beginning to the end. In the beginning, Grey, as a character, was kind of a pain in the butt to read about. I thought he was very broken and scared. By the ending of Taken, he was not as scared and was willing to do anything to protect people. He also finally accepted the situation he was in.

The two main girls, Emma and Bree, are very different people. Emma is like the girl who stays inside all day to read and study. Bree, however, would be the girl who is always outside playing with boys. Whether they are fighting or just shooting hoops, Bree is with them. I guess that's what makes them both different; even though they are both girls in the same situation, they are very different in some ways.

One of the things I love discussing with people is the ending of books! I'm going to try not to spoil it too much but still be excited about it. The ending gave readers an idea on the plot for Frozen (Book 2), and I like that. There isn't a huge amount of confusion, but I don't know exactly what happens.

The plot of Taken was very well thought out, and the events were planned carefully, so there was no confusion. (If that makes sense.) There was always something going on, and Taken never drifted from the plot and got boring. Erin Bowman did a great job at setting up the trilogy and making readers want to read the rest of the trilogy. Now I am really excited to see what happens in the next two books!

I like where this trilogy is going so far, and I'm really excited to read more of it!