Review: IFrankenstein by Bekka Black

iFrankenstein (iMonsters #2)

Author: Bekka Black 
Publisher: Self-Pup
Release Date: September 16th 2012
Author Website | Twitter 
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: e-book from Author

Frankenstein comes to life for the wired generation.

Following her critically-acclaimed iDrakula, award-winning author Bekka Black breathes life into a modern re-telling of iFrankenstein, using only text messages, web browsers, tweets, and emails. 

Homeschooled teenager Victor Frankenstein is determined to write his own ticket to independence: a chatbot to win the prestigious Turing prize and admission to the high tech university of his choice. He codes his creation with a self-extending version of his own online personality and unleashes it upon the internet. But soon he begins to suspect his virtual clone may have developed its own goals, and they are not aligned with Victor’s. The creature has its own plan, fed by a growing desire to win darker and more precious prizes: unfettered power and release from loneliness.

As the creature’s power and sentience grows and its increasingly terrible deeds bleed over from the online world into the real one, Victor must stop his creation before his friends and humanity pay the ultimate price.

My Take:

Ever wonder if technology can be used against us in the end, whos thought process is like our very own. In Ifrankenstein, we get a glimpse of a possible outcome if a person ever voices his or her computer. The machines rise in this spunky tale that allows us the reader a chance into messages, emails and also communication from the other side. Victor Frankenstein is on cruise with his father and also Elizabeth and her mother, since he is not prone to venture outside the cabin and comes up with an idea of a bot chat that allows the bot to collect his data from social media. Because of the design of V.V., Victor has been able to use the bot for finding things out, until things kinda take a turn. 

So when a robot takes over and posts personal information on display, its kinda hard not to want to stop it. To bad the bot is two steps ahead of them and is willing to make his life so much harder. What is frightening is that V.V. can hack any system, of course he has an agenda. Of course that agenda is to make Victor build another bot like him but with Elizabeth's information. Yup things go from how to why in a instant, with help from Henry who is in the states and also the fact that being far from wifi might me a key factor in ensuring the bot gets offline.

The technology in this story is amazing and allows the reader a chance to experience it as if they are their along for the ride. Of course Victor didn't know that he would end up with a bot that would gain to much information. Bekka gave us another insight of why social media can either be the fall or rise of each of us. V.V. was cool and even though he hacked into things his personality was spot on to any person who wanted someone to talk to. He had real feelings and saw what everyone was thinking about him with texts and emails, it even had me thinking this was a cross between Eagle Eye and WarGames, add this to your to-read list because you might want to rethink that facebook status.

5/5 Stars

Review: Envy by Elizabeth Miles

Envy (The Fury Trilogy #2)

Author: Elizabeth Miles 
Pages:400
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: September 4th 2012
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Library

The Furies are back in the second book of a chilling paranormal trilogy where revenge rules the day—and “sorry” isn’t going to cut it. Spring is coming, and the ice is slowly melting in Ascension…revealing the secrets buried beneath.
     Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her.
     Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all…
     It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

My Take:

Being tormented is hard enough, but losing your closest friends to a bunch of furies isn't really fare, for Emily just getting through the day without interruption is hard enough. Having to lie to friends close to you is hard to stomach, but when you add in the furies, if you cross them than its not only your life, but also theirs as well. Keeping her promise, Emily has not shared what she went through and how hard it was for her, even her friends are noticing that her behavior has changed. So what is a girl to do but talk to the one who is likely to listen Drea. 

Newcomer Skylar a typical sophmore who wants to fit in, but can't seem to forget her past as well. Coming to a small town and starting over is tough and with Skylar's mom in jail, getting away has never been easy. Because of what she desires she is met by a fury by the name of Meg who tries to help. But with that kind of help strings are always close by, Skylar doesn't see that her new found interest is hurting her as well as the town, she just wants attention. Can too much attention be to much for her or can it change her thinking forever.

In Envy, Miles gives us another fury, Meg who isn't quite like the others but in a way the same, gain trust than turn on that person. In the world with furies its hard not to think anyone can be a target and even though the three cousins seem nice and harmless they can turn a good day to anyone's nightmare. Emily of course has changed since Fury because she knows the moment she thinks of saying one thing, something happens like a warning that she can not tell anyone. With Drea's help she is able to have another perspective, and also someone who she can talk to about the tormentors. Everyone of course wants to be in spotlight but Skylar wanted more it seems, stealing to get inside was one warning that she was willing to whatever it took. So looking forward to the 3rd, and to see what else Emily has to go through to be able to be her again without having to look behind her back.

5/5 stars

Review: The Spring Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Summer Before I Met You

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Pages:15
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 11th 2012
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available: Here

Introduction by Holly Black:Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy, including The Spiderwick Chronicles.

I had the privilege of reading this story many months ago and swooning over it almost as much as I swooned over Unspoken, the first book of Sarah Rees Brennan's gorgeously crafted modern gothic trilogy. Sarah's writing is incredible in that she is able to write these witty, lush scenes that have you smiling along until suddenly, in a single sentence, she reaches out to break your heart.

This story introduces us to one of the main characters of Unspoken, Jared Lynburn. Seeing him as the broken, dangerous, closed-off teenager that he appears to be from the outside allows us to anticipate all of the insight we'll have into his character when we get inside his head--which we will, since he's the heroine's "imaginary friend."

I enjoy the contrast of Jared's loneliness in the rough streets of Hunters Point/Bayview in San Francisco and the small, strange English town Jared is headed toward, and the girl he is about to meet. But most of all, in this story, I enjoy Jared himself, a character who is a study in contrasts--pushed to such extremes of despair and fury that he's truly capable of anything and yet capable of vast kindness, gentleness and humor.

My Take:

This a short story told through the perspective of Mariel a teacher who became his guidance counselor. She noticed thngs that others never paid attention too and saw that Jared had not one person who saw him for him. Even when Mariel met his mother, not once did she get the feeling that he was loved. What was strange was that she saw he would always be to himself and even smiling as if he was talking not to himself but someone who was their yet not present. When Jared told Mariel about Kami that changed everything because she saw that quite possibly Jared did have someone who he thought mattered to him. But when good things happen something bad comes to past and she never saw Jared, of course she was asked if she had seen him by strangers, but nothing came out of it they all left and Mariel was left with more questions than answers. This was amazing because we saw that even though Jared didn't feel comfortable at home he found someone who he can share with like Kami shared with him.  

5/5 Stars - Seeing Jared in a different light was amazing.