Precisely Terminated: Book Review

Title: Precisely Terminated
Author: Amanda L. Davis
My Rating: 5 Stars
Buy The Book:
-HERE-

Did you know Amanda L. Davis and her father, Bryan Davis, are on tour together right now?
Check it out here!

"With microchips implanted in their skulls at birth, the slaves of Cantral and Cillineese have labored under the tyrannical rule of the Nobles and their computers for decades. Monica, a Noble who avoided the implanting and escaped a death sentence at the age of four, is now sixteen and is in hiding. She lives with the slaves inside the walls of the Cantral palace, pretending to be one of them while the slave council plots a way to use her chip-less state to destroy the all-powerful computers that strike down any hint of rebellion.

The Nobles hear of Monica’s survival and try to exterminate her before she ruins their upper-class utopia. The rebels send her to find a missing paper bearing instructions on how to shut down the computers that control the chips in Cillineese, a major city-state. The Nobles are alerted to the plan and prepare to seal Cillineese in a giant dome to gas the inhabitants, including Monica.

The fate of millions rides on Monica’s shoulders. As the only chip-less person in the world, she must find the paper, destroy the computers, and free Cillineese from the Nobles’ iron fist before they strike with the ultimate punishment—death for everyone inside the city walls."

When I heard that one of my good friends was going to have her book published, I was extremely happy. Amanda Davis's writing has always been something that I've admired and the plot to this book sounded very intriguing. As soon as I received an advanced reader's copy, I picked up the book and began to devour it. From the first chapter, we're given great description and storytelling. I got into the book right away and hated putting it down. Unfortunately, I did not finish this as fast as I would have due to a very busy schedule.

Before Precisely Terminated, I had never read a dystopian novel before. For a first-time dystopian reader, I was very impressed. I loved the theme of the whole story and the different way things worked. It was so unlike any other fiction I've read. Not only was the storyline intriguing, but the characters equally so. Our main character is like none I've ever encountered before. I loved her progression throughout the story.

I am already very much looking forward to the next two books in the series. Following Monica's adventures to save everyone is going to be an incredible journey, I can already tell. In so saying, I highly recommend this book!

What's Coming Up Next?

The Horse and his Boy, by C.S. Lewis

Raising Dragons, by Bryan Davis

Skeleton Key, by Anthony Horotwitz

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck, by Kathleen Y'Barro

Torrent, by Lisa T. Bergren

Life Support, by Robert Whitlow

And a special in-depth review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling

The Bridge to Neverland: Book Review

Title: The Bridge to Neverland
Authors: Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson
My Rating: 3 and A Half Stars
Buy The Book:
-HERE-



"Aiden and Sarah Cooper have no idea what they're getting into one afternoon when they discover a mysterious coded document in a secret compartment of an antique English desk their father recently bought at an auction. Something about the document seems familiar to Sarah, and that night she realizes what it is: the document seems to be referring to some books she has read -- the Starcatchers series, about the origin of Peter Pan. But how could that be? The document seems far older than the books. And of course, the books are just stories...

Curious, Sarah and Aiden begin to decipher the mysterious document. At first it's a game -- unraveling the mystery piece by piece, each piece leading them to a new, deeper puzzle.

But soon the game turns strange -- and scary.
They discover that the "stories" are real, and that what they thought was a fictional battle between good and evil is still going on. And the scariest part is: They have become part of it.

Pursued by a being that can take any form and will stop at nothing to get what it wants from them, Aiden and Sarah embark on a desperate, thrilling quest for help -- a quest that leads them to some unforgettable people in some unlikely places, including one that's not supposed to exist at all. At each step they must solve new puzzles and escape new dangers, all the while knowing that if they fail, the evil they are fleeing will be let loose on an unsuspecting world."

While hunting through the library bookshelves for a completely different book one afternoon, I stumbled upon this. The title was the thing that did me in. I'm a huge fan of anything Peter Pan, so naturally, this appealed to me very much. After I had read the description, I got even more excited. It was sort of a sequel to the Starcatchers series I so much enjoyed. So, totally ditching the other book I had come to get, I got this out instead.

Unfortunately, as much as I was excited about this book, it did not turn out to be very great, in my opinion. For one, it didn't seem to have the general feeling of the previous book's writing. I took into account that this is supposed to happen a long, long time after the other book took place, but I still couldn't get into it. The pace went far too quickly, the characters didn't catch my immediate attention and draw me in, and the writing didn't stand out to me at all. I really wanted to give this the benefit of the doubt and enjoy it, but I just couldn't get into it. The adventure was fun, I will admit, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

There were several negative things that I think might have added to the feeling I came out with. First of all, I did not enjoy the general lying, stealing and treatment the children gave to the parents. It was very disrespectful and I did not appreciate that. The second thing I really did not like in the book was the fact that the Lord's name was taken in vain more than a dozen times.

All in all, the age range recommended by the publisher for this book is ages 9-12. I do not highly recommend it, though.






What's Coming Up Next?

The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis
Raising Dragons, by Bryan Davis
Skeleton Key, by Anthony Horowitz
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck, by Kathleen Y'Barro
Torrent, by Lisa T. Bergren
Life Support, by Robert Whitlow
Precisely Terminated, by Amanda L. Davis
And a special, in-depth review of, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, by J.K. Rowling

Cascade -- Book Review

Title: Cascade
Author: Lisa. T. Bergren
My Rating: 5 Stars
Buy The Book:
-HERE-

Watch the book trailer
-HERE-.

"Gabi knows she's left her heart in the fourteenth century, and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, months have passed, and Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence -- while their enemies will go to great lengths to see them dead.

Even in the midst of the battles, Gabi's heart is increasingly drawn to Marcello, just as Lia's is to Luca. In medieval Italy, the sisters discover things inside themselves that they couldn't seem to find in the present -- connection with their mom, courage within, and the understanding that a life well lived often means encountering sacrifice. But in a world long past, many things still keep Gabi from giving Marcello her heart forever...and one thing in particular calls all three of the Betarrinis home."

Lisa T. Bergren has created yet another compelling story! This sequel to Waterfall is as intriguing, action-packed and romantic as the first! The return of our heroines, Gabriella and Evangelia, is grandiose. This time, we're introduced to Mrs. Betarrini, the only-spoken about mother of the two girls. The three are whisked back several hundred years only to find three months has passed since the leave of Gabi and Lia. Reunited with Castello Forelli and their Lords, Gabi and Lia once again find themselves in the midst of a battle. The return of their grave enemy, Lord Paratore, will haunt them. This second installment boasts more battles, more dangers and more mystery than the former book.

I can not compare either Waterfall or Cascade. Both kept me riveted and sitting on the edge of my seat. The character's depth was as rich and incredulous as before, the story as compelling, the plot as intriguing, and the action as intense. I highly, highly recommend these books! They have quickly made their way up to almost my #1 favorite series! I loved them so much, that I am, in fact, going tomorrow to pick up from the bookstore the recently released third book in the series, Torrent.

I highly recommend these books to lovers of historical-fantasy-time-traveling lovers aged 14 and up.






What's Coming Up Next?

The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis
Raising Dragons, by Bryan Davis
Skeleton Key, by Anthony Horowitz
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck, by Kathleen Y'Barro
Torrent, by Lisa T. Bergren
Life Support, by Robert Whitlow
Precisely Terminated, by Amanda L. Davis
The Bridge to Neverland, by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson
And, a special, in-depth review of: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling