Team Omega is back

Review:

Molly Bigelow and her Omega team have been banned from investigating Marek Blackwell and his plans for New York City. But when they discover that Blackwell is raising money for an undead army, they have to act. But will they be in time?

--from the publisher

I loved the entire Dead City series. James Ponti did a fantastic job creating a believable world filled with relatable characters to love and villains to hate. The characters have flaws and self-doubt but manage to overcome them. I love the unusual explanation for the existence of zombies.

There are some twists in this book that  surprised me a bit and that was fun. I did feel like the ending was too sudden. I expected more action and suspense. The overall story seems to wrap up nicely though and I think this might be the last book in the series.

This book is great for kids with an interest in zombies. It is fun and not too scary, but it is suspenseful. In our school, it is popular among the 4th and 5th graders. It appeals to both boys and girls.

Recommended to:
Boys and girls in grades 4-8, especially those who like their zombie stories a little less scary and not so gross. Scary rating: 2/5, Gore rating 3/5.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1283244/team-omega-is-back

A little late, but still worth posting....

That says it all..

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1280348/post

Don't judge a book by its cover...

Review:

This should be a lesson to me, not to judge a book by its cover. Also, not reading the synopsis of the book doesn't always turn out for the best. I enjoy not reading the synopsis usually. I like when books surprise me with their plots or twists.

But, I was looking for a horror book, or at least something scary and this did not fit the bill. The cover looks sort of bloody and scary, but the story is really a thriller I guess. I actually found the book a bit slow at times.

The main character, Haley, is being abused by her alcoholic father, and her younger sister doesn't really see how bad it is. Their mother died in a car accident while trying to get them all away from the abusive relationship. Haley starts to fall for a boy named Chris Charming. I'm guessing this supposed to be a twist on Cinderella, but I didn't really see it (besides the name and Charming being rich).

Anyway, there is something sinister going on and eventually the truth is revealed. But, by that point, I really didn't much care. It is possible that I would have liked the book more if I went in without my preconceptions, but unlikely. The plot was just too slow moving and a bit confusing. Also, the villain was a bit unbelievable; I don't see how he could have managed all the things he did without being noticed.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1279002/don-t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover

Rafe, as always, a lovable troublemaker...

Review:

Five ROTTEN questions you'll find the answers to inside this book...
1. What's my super-secret mission that's sure to land me in hot water?
2. Is my sister, Georgia, as annoying as ever? (I'll answer this now: YES!)
3. What's Miller the Killer REALLY afraid of?
4. Who ends up being my first kiss? Is she temporarily insane?
And the most unanswerable question of all:
5. Why can't I ever stay out of trouble?

Rafe Khatchadorian is back in this 7th book in the Middle School series and he is up to his old tricks again - sort of. If you read any of the books in this series and liked it, you will like this one. This is a great series for reluctant readers (especially boys). There are cartoonish drawings throughout the books and they move at a fast pace.

The main character, Rafe, talks to the reader as if he is a friend. And Rafe is a good friend. He is still convinced he is a loser and is still terrified of Miller the Killer. But, can things actually go right for Rafe just this once? Well, you will have to read to find out.

My 11-year old son loves this series. He likes Rafe and the book made him laugh out loud several times. The story is highly relatable and the characters are fun. Watching Rafe deal with Middle School and all it's challenges is very entertaining (even for me).

I've read all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and while they are humorous, I don't like the main character, Greg Heffley. He is not a good friend and is very self-centered. I don't mind reading the books with my son, but I often point out the things Greg does that are not nice. Rafe, on the other hand, is a genuinely nice kid. He does have issues and doesn't always do the right thing (which is totally relatable for all of us), but his heart is in the right place. He knows when he has not made the best choice and he feels guilty for it and tries to atone.

Recommended to:
Highly recommended to boys in grades 4-8, especially reluctant readers and lovers of humorous realistic fiction (in this case, school stories).

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1278459/rafe-as-always-a-lovable-troublemaker

Sort of like X-Men, but not really...

Review:

Attacks are sweeping across America.

Alec and Laura are at the center of the violence, while in a small town out west, Jack and Aubrey feel sheltered from the turmoil.

But these four teens are about to find their lives intertwined in ways they never could have imagined -- and one wrong step could trigger an explosion that ends it all.

So, how to describe this book... hmmm.... I'm having trouble. I really enjoyed Variant, by Robison Wells, so I was excited to read this book. And I enjoyed it, but there are a lot of unanswered questions and unexplained motives. I'm assuming there will be at least one sequel and that may be why. In some ways, I don't think enough was explained to keep me interested in the next one. Then again, I really want to know what, "For your mother and mine." means. The phrase is spoken by the teenage terrorists with powers (in the first chapter, so no spoilers here).

Not a bad book, and teens who enjoy dystopian novels will most likely enjoy it.

Recommended to:
Grades 6-12, fans of YA dystopian novels, maybe fans of X-men as the teens have "mutant" powers which may or may not have been caused by a virus....

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1277902/sort-of-like-x-men-but-not-really