Review: Pines

Pines by Blake Crouch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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I honestly don't know how I feel about this book yet. It's definitely a strong start towards a trilogy, but I was expecting....more. As Crouch noted, Pines is inspired by the 90's cult classic Twin Peaks. While I am not entirely familiar with Twin Peaks, I do notice the similarities of the thematic "creepy town" vibe. The novel is a combination of horror and science fiction, and makes for an enthralling and unique read. However, the first book lumbered along and it was incredibly frustrating not knowing anything at all. To be fair, the book ended on a definite note. You're certain that there's a sequel, but you get a sense of satisfaction at the way the first book ended. It can stand on its own.

Would I be continuing with the next books on the series? DEFINITELY, because I'm still expecting Wayward Pines to live up to the good great reviews.

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Review: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
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I am floored by Chamber's material. I really don't know where she got it, but growing up in a household of science probably helped a lot. This novel is immersive, and often overwhelming. But really, this book is...fun. Not Star Wars type of fun and legendary (*ducks to avoid tomatoes flying towards my head*). Honestly, I'm not a hard-core Star Wars fan (yet) because I haven't read/watched/consumed everything-Star-Wars (BOOOO! *barely had time to duck to avoid a TV flying towards my head.*) (Calm down! Calm down! I'll get to it!) But both are really different. If you're looking for a fast-paced, thrilling read filled with space wars and theatrical adventures, this isn't it. The closest action in this book was at the end when they finally reached the "angry planet". And even then, it was still kind of mellow and slowed down. Even then, the book still centered on the Wayfarer and its crew. The story focused more on the characters, so I really can't say anything bad about character development because Chambers gave that a lot of thought and perspective.

Review: We Are the Ants

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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The moment I read this line, I knew right of the bat that it's my favorite quote from this book: "Milk shakes make the world seem less shitty." - Zooey Denton nee Hawthorne :)

To be completely honest, three-quarters into this book, I'm considering giving this a 3-star rating. Only because I'm a snob and I felt duped into reading a YA novel, when I wanted it so badly to be a mature sci-fi. But who am I kidding, the last quarter of this book gave me all the right feels, and slowed the world down. My favorite character is Audrey. Sure, I like Henry because of his sarcasm, but Audrey is the smart girl with spunk. She's not as interesting and multi-faceted as Henry Denton, but this girl knows she has flaws, acknowledges it, and is an amazing friend.

Review: Sleeping Giants

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.8 stars
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What I love about Sleeping Giants:

1) The premise is so interesting. It was fast-paced and it was filled with exciting twists. It has a lot of potential to be a full-blown sci-fi series that will reel in any robot-loving nerd next door. I can't exactly go into detail without revealing spoilers, but believe me when I say, I did not find anything predictable at all with Sleeping Giants.

2) It wasn't a lot of info dump as I expected. I've read sci-fis that presented a shitload of info within the narrative guaranteed to fry your brain, and this isn't one of them. The science was explained enough for the reader to understand.