Book Review: Deep, by Melanie Boksted Horav

Ryler is a young resident of Deep Blue, an underwater colony that's home to the last survivors of a global environmental disaster. A disaster that wiped out humanity hundreds of years ago, leaving the surface air toxic and the last hope of humanity beneath the waves. After the devastating and unexpected death of his grandmother, Marna, who also happens to be the president of the colony, Ryler teams up with his friend Anna to uncover the truth behind her suspicious demise.

Their investigation takes them down a dangerous path, as they discover shocking secrets and a killer on the loose who will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden. With time running out and their own lives on the line, Ryler, and his friends must race against the clock to solve the mystery and escape the clutches of an invisible enemy. Will they make it out alive?

I have to admit, I snagged this one to read based on the cover. I had a dream recently about Michael Crichton's Sphere, (which just went into my stack to be reread.) So, I was caught a little unaware by the story line. I wasn't expecting dystopian fiction, I guess. 

Not to say I didn't really enjoy this book. Because I really did. The world-building alone was enthralling. Without a map, an ocean colony could potentially be unwieldy to carry in one's head, but even with the detailed descriptions, was easily imaginable. I could "see" the houses, the garden, the engineering areas, etc. where scenes took place. The story is fast-paced and it draws you in quickly.

The characters are so well-done and interesting. Ryler and Anna (the leads) are relatable and deep. Supporting characters are just the ones that are needed in the spaces they arrive. I particulary like Red, who is rough-edged and brings an element that shows us that human nature is the same, even with and despite technological and sociological advances.

I do think that it's very obvious that this is intended to be a series. I often "get" this as a book is winding up, but thinking back over it, I feel like there's a lot left untended or unanswered. One of the characters mentions severe back pain often enough that it's part of the story line, but we aren't told more than that there's pain and medication for it. A few scene changes felt very abrupt. The story is going strong along an arc, and then stops because a character is distracted by something. It was unsettling, which maybe was the point.

Overall, I'm definitely going to find the next book because I want to know the answers to some things. It's a good story, and done well.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Enter Text Here through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

REVIEW: These Deadly Words, by Nichole Heydenburg

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All Camille Monroe wants is a quiet place to work on her novel. Hoping for inspiration, she retreats to a cabin in Asheville, with only her dog Brody as company.

Leah Strauss thought the summer after high school graduation would be amazing, but when her boyfriend Vincent suffers an untimely loss, her dream of the perfect summer is destroyed. Attempting to cheer up Vincent, Leah’s twin sister Ava and her boyfriend Noah join them on a road trip.

When a snowstorm strikes the mountains while Leah and her friends are hiking, they struggle to find their campsite. After becoming lost in the woods, they stumble across a cabin and seek shelter from the storm.

As the days pass, the guests feel increasingly unsafe in the stranger’s cabin. Camille seems to know all their secrets, and she doesn’t want them to leave. Who is this dangerous writer and what does she want from them? Their biggest problem quickly becomes escaping the cabin alive.

Fast-paced, quick-read, absolutely thrilling!  

4 likeable teenagers, one lonely woman in a cabin who honestly seems not only harmless but likeable herself. The premise is believable--4 older teens out on a camping weekend get caught in a snow storm. It's a captivating story, and if I hadn't known this was a thriller, I wouldn't have imagined the turn it would take as I started reading.

The eerie atmosphere as the storm settles in and how easily Camille (the cabin owner) just lets them take over her space set me on a little bit of an edge. The dual point of view storytelling built the "anxiety" for me---which do I trust? Can I trust either of them? There was just an overall feel of Stephen King's Misery (which I know others noticed) and....it felt kinda old school horror-flick to me. Add all that to my feeling of claustrophobia on behalf of the characters!

Two or three little spots where I'm wishing there was more detail or information, but overall a book that will make me seek this author's work out.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from the Author through the BookSirens connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

REVIEW: The Eden Compound, by L. Blaise Hues

Star-student Kathryn Speer has her future all planned out until Shardul comes to the school. Since she’s competing with him for top marks, she can’t decide if she should despise or date him.

When Kathryn’s rich uncle extends an invitation to study genetically modified tigers at his compound, Kathryn sees it as an opportunity to impress Shardul and give her a leg up on college applications.

Then Shardul goes missing, and her GPA suddenly loses its importance as she considers using her skills and the tools at The Eden Compound to find Shardul and bring him home.

But once she’s there, she realizes he’s not the only one in real danger.

Creepy and science fiction. This is a definite win. A bit of romance, but done in a way that isn't either over the top or needlessly intense. It's, well, innocent romance, which we need to see more of in YA lit.

Kathryn (not "Kat," not ever "Kat") is top of her class and focused on staying there. She's likeable, especially for this former AP student who chose academics over other teenage life in school. Shardul comes to town, and she suddenly has not only a rival but someone she is frankly entranced by. The feeling is clearly mutual, but Kathryn is fighting it. Both are incredibly relatable, even for the non-nerdy sort. Other characters weren't as lovely--Kathryn's uncle who is clearly demented. Bryce who I have a love-hate feeling about. 

The story itself is believable. Genetic modification science, remote location, people getting too involved in their own science and damn the consquences. This is a Michael Crichton story for the modern YA reader. 

I only had one moment of confusion or "um..wait..." There's a scene where Kathryn is talking to Shardul and Bryce enters the room. It's written as if she hasn't seen him since arriving on the island. Yet, she's had multiple encounters with him specifically, one just a few pages before. It's an editing glitch. 

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from the author through the BookSirens author/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

REVIEW: Defying Gravity: Mary Goss - Episode 1 (Earth's Secret Alliance), by Tony B Richard, with Lydia Payge

Available on Amazon

In 1947, there’s an alien invasion looming and humankind’s best hope is a brilliant nineteen-year-old woman.

When the A-bomb ended the war, with a power unlike anything humans had ever witnessed, Mary Goss was driven to gain the knowledge to prevent another war from ever beginning. Now the Army has come calling, looking for “a few good men” for a top-secret project. Instead, they find that the best and brightest is Mary.

Much to Mary’s horror, the project reveals an alien invasion. Yet at every turn, her efforts to intervene are thwarted by small-minded engineers who can’t look past her gender and age. She’d dealt with her fair share of discrimination in university, but with the fate of the world on the line, there isn’t time to waste on petty differences.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. You can't often tell what you're really going to get from a self-published title, and one only available digitally.

I like alien, first contact stories. I like very much the idea of a young woman with a PhD proving to the "big boys" that she more than knows her stuff. I liked that it was a quick approachable read, and would easily recommend it as a high interest, low lexile read.

The only thing the author could've done more of is more on the science. That's as important as the growth arc for both Mary and her colleagues. 

I think it's billed as being part of a series, but I don't think series is the right word. It's more of a "universe" as I feel like Mary Goss's story stands alone. I do, however, think having read the earlier "episodes" would improve my grasp of the "universe" the author has built.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Tony B Richard and BookSirens and author/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.