Dagger (The D.U.S.T. Ops:Mission Book1) YA

When Ultimate Evil engulfs the entire world, only Dagger can pierce the Darkness—even if the Apocalypse falls on a school night!

Dagger Beaumont is a High School senior who’s been recruited by D.U.S.T.—a covert governmental organization dedicated to battling supernatural terrorism all over the globe.

However, Dagger’s unresolved conflict over his missing brother could be his undoing, as he races around the world battling the Dark Reich, a diabolical organization on a quest to possess an ancient artifact and unleash a mystical plague to enslave humanity. If that weren't treacherous enough, Dagger must juggle his life as a secret agent with his social life, where he faces romantic rivalry for the guy of his dreams, a mysterious and handsome new student at his haunted boarding school.

But in a high-stakes world where nothing is as it seems, and death lurks in every shadow, love rides shotgun with survival!

 

This is a wonderful new series by Steven Dos Santos, you might remember him from his other award winning young adult dystopian series, The Torch Keeper, in which he is working on finalizing the third book now.  Like that series this new series, The D.U.S.T. Ops, also shows great diversity that our young adult departments desperately need more of.  Dagger is classified as a young adult paranormal espionage adventure, I was very curious to see how all of that was going to fit together, but it sure did and is so action packed you will have trouble finding time to breath.  Dagger and his friends are typical high school seniors, for the most part , and they have the same family issues, school issues, love issues, and ghost issues (?) as the rest of us.  There is some romance but the spying and suspense will also keep you reading well past you bed time.  Another awesome read from Steven Dos Santos and yes #WeNeedDiverseBooks!

 

5 Stars

Scorpion Rules YA

This was a very different book than I thought it would be, but I LOVED it! 
Just think the descendants of the world rulers are sent to a special school like place (Precepture) where they stay until either they turn eighteen and are replaced or their country enters into war with any other country than both countries descendants are killed.  But what happens when one country no longer wants to play by the rules and takes the Precepture hostage?
This story is of course set in the future, and has some new and interesting territories.  It also has some really awesome artificial intelligence mixed into the story as well, and they have their own amazing back story.  This is a book of diversity that is found among friends that have been together for many years,, but only just got to know and love each other in the last few weeks during the time the book covers. 
I truly loves this book it was real in ways you wish some things worked today, diverse in ways we need more of, and raw in ways that we need to see more feelings shown.  This book was just awesome and a must read.  My prediction is that it will show up on schools reading list in the near future.

5 STARS

The Geneva Project #1 YA

 



Captivating from start to finish!  This book had me up way past my bedtime and done in no time at all, thank goodness there are two more to keep me company (when I get the chance).  Jane 65 and her friends take you on a wild action packed ride through the whole book, but those kids are so awesome together even when you think they aren't.  There are so many twists and turns that sometimes you don't even think you could even cut the suspense with a knife, and that makes this story great, there is no guessing the end, but it really isn't the end anyways since Truth is only the first book in the series.  I truly can not wait to see what happens to our little band of friends next. 

How far would you go to find your name if when you where very little there was a flood and everyone who knew your name died, but there was one very dangerous long shot at finding it out? What if a girl picked a fight with you and you blacked out but everyday since you find out new things about yourself and others that you would not have even believed a few days ago?  What if you lived everyday hoping you would be adopted, but now only hoping for the Truth.

 

Third book in the award-wining YA fantasy fiction series, The Geneva Project

Can you live a life of LIES? That’s exactly what Geneva finds herself doing to protect everyone she loves. While Geneva and her friends embark on a dangerous mission to fulfill her destiny, the dark forces that seek her powers are closing in, putting everyone she cares about at risk. Geneva must lie about who she is, what she knows and her true feelings. Are all these lies worth it or will she go too far and lose everything she’s been fighting for?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Geneva-Project-Christina-Benjamin-ebook/dp/B012BYZBA6

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-geneva-project-christina-benjamin/1122378695?ean=2940152051162

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-geneva-project-lies/id1029330463?mt=11

Square: https://squareup.com/market/thegenevaprojectstore

About the Author:

Christina Benjamin is the Award-Winning Author of the Young Adult series The Geneva Project.

Her debut novel, Truth, has won multiple awards, including the 2014 FAPA Gold Medal for YA fiction.

Benjamin’s writing hooks fans of mega-hit YA fiction like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, and offers them a new series to obsess over.  She paints a vivid world, where magic and imagination run wild in her epic tale of adventure, courage and friendship.

Benjamin studied English at the University of Central Florida. She’s dedicated to giving back to the community and speaking at schools to inspire creativity in young writers.

https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/TheGenevaProjectBook?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/AuthorCBenjamin

https://instagram.com/authorcbenjamin/

https://instagram.com/thegenevaprojectbook_fanpage

http://authorchristinabenjamin.tumblr.com/

https://google.com/+ChristinaBenjaminAuthor

https://youtube.com/c/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor

http://christinabenjaminauthor.com/

http://www.thegenevaprojectbook.com/

https://squareup.com/market/thegenevaprojectstore

The Giveaway:

$50 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Voyagers Project Alpha MG

This is a exciting first book of a six part series done in a sty;e becoming more and more popular where several authors join up and each writes a book to be included in the series.  This first book Project Alpha is written by D.J. McHale, whos other works include the Pendragon series, and SYLO Chronicles, just to name a few.
Project Alpha starts the series with the drawing of the four down from eight to make the team that will need to go into deep space and retrieve the necessary source to save Earth from running out of power.  But like any good book there are many twists, turns, and huge surprises to be had.  The characters are awesome and believable tweens that show a wide range of diversity among themselves.  They all have a strong science background, go STEM! Speaking of which there is also a computer interaction side that you can do along with the books, not mandatory, but can be very fun nevertheless.  This book will appeal to anyone who likes action, suspense, and a lot of fun.

The second book, Game of Flames, is set to come out on November 3rd, and is written by Robin Wasserman.

5 STARS

Kinda Like Brothers MG

I liked this book on a few different levels.  I liked it because it showed diversity of several different types, and we desperately need more of this in children and young adult books today.  I also liked the break through of the mental health stigma, people, especially children and young adults need to not only know it is out there, but it is OK and there is help not only for the person suffering from it but the family as well, no one should suffer in silence.  And the biggest reason I choose to pick this book was Jarrett and his learning problems.  You see Jarrett and I are a lot alike.  I spent most of my school years struggling and playing catch up, I didn't even really start to read until half way through my second grade year when everyone figured out I was really good at faking it, until test time that is.  This book is a awesome read for middle grade and young adult guys, however girls will surely appreciate the finer point as well, but I think this book will especially appeal to reluctant readers of all ages or genders, it is that good!
Jarrett's mom is a foster mother for babies, but when a special case comes her way she can't turn down the babies older brother as well, after all it is only for a few days until they find another foster home, so Jarrett is told.  Now Jarrett is stuck sharing his room, friends, and life with the older, cooler, smarter Kevon and it has been a lot more than a few days. Will they ever learn to get along or will Kevon's dad come to get him and his little sister Treasure first?

This really is a awesome book and if you get it through kindle you can pick up the audible.com version as well discounted and I must say the narrator John Clarence Stewart Does a outstanding job, well worth it, he was awesome!

5 Stars

Aoleon the Martian Girl part 1 MG

Aoleon is a martian girl that just wants to have fun like any other girl.  She flies her ship and loves to makes crop circles, but her crop circles don't hurt the crops it just bends the wheat, not breaks it so the wheat can continue to grow.  One night while making crop circles in Mr. Johnson's wheat field both Mr. Johnson and Gilbert come out to see what the great light is.  But when Mr. Johnson starts shooting at Aoleon and Gilbert they jump in Aoleon's ship and zoom away.  After some tense action packed minutes of flying, and being chased, Aoleon and Gilbert finally make it to mars just to wind up in a more suspensefully, hold your breath kind of time, while they try and make their way to Aoleon's house.  Which leaves us at the huge cliff hanger before part 2, which I can not wait for now.
This was a highly suspenseful, action packed book, with some awesome illustrations.  It does have some technical jargon in it, but that is easy to get around.  The basic story is well put together and the two main characters work awesomely together.  I really can't wait to see what happens in part 2.

4 STARS

Lair of Dreams (A Diviners Novel) YA

One word, AWESOME!  This is the sequel to the renown Libba Bray's The Diviners, and it does not disappoint.  Evie is back with all her friends, Mabel, Theta, Henry, Memphis, Sam, Jericho, as well as a new friend, Ling Chan.  This time they must use their gifts to battle a ghost in the dream world that is taking over people and sucking their life force from them while they sleep, killing them.  Can our diviner friends stop the ghost while still chasing their own dreams, you will have to read the book to find out.
This book is set during the time of flappers, prohibition, and vaudeville.  It is wonderful how the author ties in the history of the times with the wonderful story she weaves along with the characters, it made a net that caught me and held me tight until I was finished with the book and I think it may still have a hold on me until the next book comes out with some of the answers to the questions left unanswered.  This book was filled with twists and turns, huge suspense, and secrets galore.  I think this is another awesome book by Libba Bray, pos-i-tute-ly!

5 STARS!!!