Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

What. A. Ride!

I haven't been this thoroughly entertained in quite a while. This book had me hooked from the beginning and that opening scene. I read the Grisha Trilogy and I loved Leigh's storytelling, but this book shows immense growth in her writing style. The plot was somehow dark, heartbreaking, intense, fun, lighthearted, and had just the right amount of romance all at the same time. The best part for me, aside from the wild ride of the heist, was the character development. I loved all six of our crew. Everyone had such a well developed backstory that I really wanted to route for them. This band of six misfits who had all had such a rough start to life and yet here they were toughing it out in the slums and getting by. But, when they banded together for the heist they did more than just exist together and occasionally interact as part of their gang, the Dregs. They really all came together as a cohesive unit and got to know one another on a more personal level. They developed into real friends who had each other's backs. As the story progressed it was really fun to see them get more relaxed with each other and I loved the scenes where they developed that banter that had me laughing several times throughout at the exact right moments. Leigh's comedic timing was impeccable.

Aside from the friendships, there were the complicated relationships between all of our crew. Nina and Matthias had the most interesting dynamic and the biggest issues to overcome. Matthias was raised to hate what Nina was and she was raised to hate what his people did. Somehow they found themselves letting down those walls and preconceived notions about one another and yet still having a hard time getting past those issues. It was interesting to see them war with themselves and the outside world telling them to hate each other and how they couldn't quite manage it even when they tried. Kaz and Inej had another really interesting relationship to watch develop. We could see from the beginning how Kaz leaned on her and the backstory of him rescuing her and creating this strong tough girl persona for her was nice to see. Once we learned Kaz's heartbreaking backstory it was really interesting to see how even when he was being ruthless and building his crew that he was picking the underdogs and in his own way helping them. It's not clear if he even realized he was doing it, but he was helping them in the way no one helped him when he was alone. Then we have the fun development between Jesper and Wylan. They brought the comic relief and levity at the exact right moments when the heist was falling apart and we didn't know if our crew was going to pull it off. It's going to be really fun to see how they continue to develop in book two.

I cannot wait to dive right into Crooked Kingdom which is the conclusion of this duology. I want to see what becomes of all six of our band of misfits. This was a fun, emotional, and intense adventure from beginning to end. I didn't think I would love it as much as I did but, I could not put it down. I highly recommend this one if you want to escape and be completely enthralled by the fun cast of characters. Go...right now! Pick it up. You won't be sorry.

Review: Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Wow. I just finished reading the second installment in this trilogy and I am without a better word to describe my current state of mind. Just wow. 

I don't want to get too far into the details because this book is amazing and the less you know going in the better it will be. I do want to talk about the religious parallels that are so present in this series. The Thunderhead is this all knowing and all powerful sentient technology that people can talk to and get guidance from. It's almost like if people were able to talk to God and get an immediate response. The Thunderhead itself makes these comparisons of itself to a religious deity. It is watching humanity make mistakes and it wants to stop us from destroying ourselves, but is bound by the restrictions of it's own laws and the things that it's creators purposely hid from it. Humanity created it so it is like the child, but also it has grown so powerful that it has now become the parent figure. It's as if humanity created it's own God. 

The entire plot and concept creates a lot of questions and really good discussion topics. We have this world that the Thunderhead has made perfect for people. No death, disease, hunger, despair, war...it's a utopia. However, mankind, in our infinite selfishness is about to ruin everything the Thunderhead has tried to do by being evil and destructive. It's the Garden of Eden scenario and we are about to bite the proverbial apple. Mankind is inherently self destructive and even the Thunderhead cannot stop us. The plot eventually culminates in one of the most mind bending, never saw it coming, surprise endings I've read in a while. I was completely taken aback by the way everything unfolded in the last few chapters. I was simultaneously shocked and dismayed which was balanced by being impressed with the plot twists and writing.

We are left with one major cliff hanger and I for one cannot wait to see what happens in the final installment in this thought provoking trilogy. I purposely kept this review vague because this book is so full of wow moments that it's better to go in knowing less. Trust me, it's amazing and you should definitely go pick this one up. 

Review: Scythe by Neal Shusterman

In Scythe we are introduced to a utopian future world where mankind has conquered death. There is no disease, famine, or anything else unpleasant as the world is monitored and managed by the evolved internet that has gained consciousness and is now called the Thunderhead. However, in order to avoid overpopulation in a world where people live forever, Scythes are a necessary part of life. They have to meet certain quotas of people they must glean or kill in order to maintain population control. This is where we are introduced to our two main characters, Citra and Rowan. Both are selected to be Scythe apprentices in order to learn the craft. After a series of events the two are separated and forced to compete with each other for one Scythe position. The winner must glean the loser upon being ordained. Rowan is placed with the particularly evil Scythe Goddard who sees himself as a God and enjoys the killing. Citra is placed with the infamous Scythe Curie where she learns to be empathetic toward the grieving families of those they glean. We then follow their very different paths toward the inevitable end where only one will prevail.

What I enjoyed most about this first installment in the trilogy is that I did not see any of the plot twists coming. When you are an avid reader, it becomes easy to see where the story is heading, but not with this sly book. Just when I thought I had it all figured out I was completely shocked in a good way. The story zigged where I thought it would zag and I could not put it down. I powered through the second half of this book voraciously just waiting to see what excitement the next page held. This is a true testament to great storytelling. The world building was fantastic and vivid. The characters were well fleshed out and dynamic. The plot was well thought out and unpredictable in the best way. This book will make you think about humanity in a very different way once you are immersed in the world. It was definitely one I could not put down and I am anxious to dive into book two immediately. I would highly recommend this one if you are in the mood for a page turning, plot twisting, and system shocking ride.