theguywhoreads

The final volume of Gone series ends with a bang. Since the beginning of the first book, Light leads to its final showdown between the gaiaphage and the survivors of FAYZ as the children going against the darkness. Its pretty much a straight forward story that leads to a satisfying ending. While many supporting characters died in this volume, the ending matters a lot. Overall, Light ends the series with a bang that fans will be happy with.

It was in 1992 when 7 popular comic artist (Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Jim Valentino & Whilce Portacio) form Image Comics. In 1993, a new imprint called Darker Image show casing what they call a darker side of heroes with an anthology of three stories in a single issue featuring Sam Keith's Maxx, Jim Lee's Deathblow and Rob Liefeld's Bloodwulf. It was intended to be a 4 issue mini-series... but only the first was released and no more.

During a book sale, I found a copy of Deathblow deluxe edition for a very good price and I remembered more than 2 decades ago, I had mixed feelings about it after I read all 12 issues. Now, re-reading this edition not only brings out the good old days but also, what I finally understood the feelings then I go through that now I realize how badly written this comic turn out to be.

Deathblow is Michael Cray, a Team 7 soldier that is dying of cancer. On a mission to kill a dictator in Costa Mesa, he stumbles upon some thing supernatural and later in Baghdad, a similar occurrence happened but he killed a priest in the process. As the story flows, the whole story became biblical with words like armageddon, the release of Prince of Darkness, Black Angel, demons and four horsemen of apocalypse and every thing else from a military kind of story turns into a supernatural end of the world tale. I do have a big problem with such a change and in many ways, here's my complain.

The story is terrible. There's nothing really interesting when it comes to the plot itself. I had watched and read many stories about armageddon and this is probably one that feels like a fan boy trying very hard writing such a story. The dialogue is horrible. Its hard not to laugh it out and not easy to accept it that it feels forced when I read the exchange of words between the characters. And then of course, there is the style of writing - I just feel like maybe its paying a homage to Frank Miller's style of writing but trying too hard to copy that style. I feel so disappointed when I found out its written by Brandon Choi that this is not his best. Its laughable how terrible the execution and structure turns out to be that I just bear with it as I read it.

The art on the other hand for the first few pages is done by Jim Lee and a style seriously, again, trying to be like Frank Miller's Sin City. I mean, if this is another artist, I can say its a terrible copy. Although I love Jim Lee, this doesn't do too well in it. When Tim Sale took over the penciling chores, I feel this is not his best at all. There are moments where the eye can sustain the joy of looking but some times, it doesn't at all.

Deathblow is a mess. Its a mess trying to wow young comic readers for the art, not the story. For me, although its terrible, it does have some certain quality love towards it if I overlook the flaws (too many) of this book. For a cheap hardcover edition I paid for that doesn't cost a lot, I can say the price I paid that is cheap, is worth the price of the comic.

I am pretty much torn on this. There are things I like about This Savage Song, and there are some I don't. For instance, the world building isn't much impressive and although it has its own uniqueness, its not the kind that pulls the readers into the universe of Verity. There are other good points in this that I will point out.

Kate Harker is a Harker - a human living in a city filled with monsters. But a Harker is to be feared. A Harker controls one side of Verity with a shaky truce signed. August Flynn is a monster. He is the third Sunai of the Flynn that controls the other part of Verity. In the city of Verity, there are other monsters that lurks when the sun goes down. And the truce is about to be broken and war is imminent.

The beginning chapters feels like a Romeo and Juliet tale. A small introduction of Kate, why she is the way she is to prove herself to her father that she is a Harker and August, trying to fit in with the humans. When they meet, there is some thing exchange between them... until a Malchai attacks Kate that reveals some thing sinister is going on. The first act is slow and there are things I do not like how slow it can get. But after the third act itself, this is where it picks up well. It was towards the end that I thought this book ends as just one book but gave a reason why Our Dark Duet exist as the finale of the duology.

To me, this is probably the least like of the series. I actually didn't wanted to start reading Monsters of Verity for some months now but it did took me some time to finally pick this up and read... and took me one of the longest time to finish it. Its a different kind of approach from Victoria Schwab, one I felt she is trying some thing different. Although the creation of monsters is nothing unique, why I gave a four star rating is actually the second part of the book. It is how Victoria Schwab delivers the way she always does.

When James Cameron's Aliens was released in 1986, it was a sequel nobody knew that its better than the first. It was different, it was action-oriented and science-fiction has become a whole other level of entertainment. Fans wanted more and before 20th Century Fox release Alien 3 in 1992, there was the comics. At the height of it all, the 1980s and the 1990s comics has found a new kind of voice and with this new voice, they found a different kind of audience. So when Dark Horse Comics acquire the rights to release the sequel to Aliens in comic format, fans were thrilled and the released of Aliens issue 1 of 6 in July 1st, 1988, it became an instant bestseller! The rest, is history.

I have been waiting for a collection that I wanted to get my hands on as I am an Aliens fan (shamefully, not the biggest) and I love most of what Aliens are. The comic books, on the other hand, another matter. After I missed out my chance to collect the omnibus editions (which I had heard the binding was bad), the re-released of Aliens for this edition was something I look forward to. Aliens: The Essential Comics Vol.1 collects the first three books (Outbreak, Nightmare Asylum & Earth War) that became the trilogy of the sequel that follows up from Aliens. Sadly, I was disappointed by its execution. The story is mediocre. It wasn't any thing mind-blowing nor explore much of the universe that started from Ripley Scotts vision based on a story by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett. It was... boring. The first, which was Outbreak, had more words that can drive any comic book readers to become in a confuse state manner. There are too many things going around - a cult form over the alien sentient, a military corporation wanting the xenomorphs as a weapon, Newt (all grown up) felt abandoned and betrayed and lost and declared insane, Hicks, fueled with hatred against the aliens that killed his friends and a whole other supporting characters, which later made a mess of the whole arch. Then, the philosophy involvement of what truly happen that relates to the first movie, became a downfall to the first book.

The sequel, which was called then Book II (Nightmare Asylum) is no different. The approach is a little less whining but the content is no different with the exception of the return of Ripley. Remember, this was still before Alien 3. Then came the final arch story with Earth War, and every thing else, falls apart. It wasn't a good closure but it was a closure that marks Mark Verheiden ending his trilogy. Art wise, only Denis Beauvais is worth mentioning here. I didn't like Mark A. Nelson and Sam Keith art work at all.

The Essential Comics Volume 1 edition collects the first three books. The binding of the book is firm but its also easily creates a line at the bind. Paper quality wise is smooth. Its a book that's has its quality to savor for. Overall, I do like the cover and the universe of Aliens, even though the writing is terrible. This is truly a comic book trade paperback dedicated to fans who want more of Aliens.

The 90s was an experimental comic scene. It was bold, brave and daring even. When Dark Horse Comics under the imprint Blanc Noir release Body Bags, written and illustrated by Jason Pearson, I had no idea what to expect but filled with graphic violence, a simple yet action-packed sequences and probably one of the most despicable immoral tale of revenge involving a minor. The thing about this comic is... its an enjoyable good read.

Clownface had enough when a body bagger almost killed him and his partner and he is looking for revenge. When his daughter arrived on his doorstep after ten years apart, nothing gets worst than having his daughter wanted to be a body bagger in the action. With guys and knives are in the line of crossfire, Terminus City is about to get blown off.

I love Body Bags. Its simple, its fast and its the kind of action I enjoy most. With an edgy artwork to boot, every thing about Body Bags is worth a read. Although some may not agree due to the content graphic violence that spells despicable, I do find it honest on how its told and there is so much more to it than just action. While I do love the 80s scene, this comic is just right for my liking.

Series can be difficult to write for an author and of course, for me, I have never read any books beyond a trilogy as I prefer it to be short and sweet. Gone series by Michael Granthad surprise me in some - good flow of science-fiction, unraveling plots and twist and characters you understand them and seeing them change as the book series progress. This is the fifth in the 6 book series and Fear has reach its level of not just a good read but one I never thought I want to finish the series to know what happens next.

The FAYZ is going dark, literally. As dark shapes slowly covers the dome and the children of Perdido Beach panic in fear of what will happen when they are in the dark, Sam has to face his greatest fear - the dark. As others make decisions of what they need to do, the gaiaphage is making a move - one that involves Diana's baby. With the dark covering the dome, and the world outside of the dome are going to discover if the parents of the children of Perdido Beach will be able to see their children again, one thing is for certain - the battle has just begun.

Although I took too long to read this (since June, I have no excuse for this late reading and its entirely my fault not making the time for), Fear is the too good to be true not making it into an adaptation, one worthy as a TV series. There's just so much to go for (horror, action, romance, suspense) even though, yes the book is graphic in its violence description and really not for the weak stomach, Fear to me is like the ending of Empire Strikes Back. Overall, I just can't wait to read the next one and hopefully, buckle up my reading habit.

Reading Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda makes me smile for a good reason. Its warm, funny and yet meaningful in many ways how I care about the characters. But what makes Simon special was how its written. Then came the spin-off, Leah on the Offbeat, where the central character is Leah Burke - totally opposite of Simon Spier; cynical teenager about how life is for her and how she view things in life that is negative in many ways. While Simon is light and filled with colorful characters, well on his point of view, Leah on the other hand is on what reality is - no fluffy bears but just judgmental on every thing. Its not bad, its just not that better and more of the same but less beautiful.

Following the events after Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Leah Burke is in the band with Anna, Morgan and Nora, only its falling apart after college is on the horizon and with prom coming, suddenly things just seem to fall apart. Nick and Abby strangely aren't together as always, Morganhad offended Leah with a racist remark and Garrett seems to be in love with Leah, which is isn't. What matters worst is Leah's mum is in love with someone who isn't exactly someone Leah would like to have as future stepdad. And then there is Abby Suso, a girl Leah isn't sure she likes her or not but when things start to question about relationships, Leah doesn't know if he can accept Abby as someone as a close friend... or some thing more.

The beginning is some what unimpressive and it was later on, it slowly picks up. I can't seem to find what was the purpose of this book as it felt like it starts off in the middle of every thing. And then, its pretty much how young adult books are written, only with cynical wit and lots of waffles, cuss words and I-am-not-sure-what-I-want-in-life moments. There are times it is funny, and I really do start to like Leah and the rest of the characters on the later part of the book. But from how it really starts off and towards the end, overall its not that bad. Its just not better. Pretty much normal but in a realistic way. To me, this is a 3.5 out of 5 star rating. If you love the first Creekwood book, you will still enjoy the second, just no better.

I have read a few LGBT books before, I do enjoy them by how its written but missing out Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda when it was first published in 2015, I finally get around reading it. Part of reading this book was because of the movie (which I have yet to watch still, and its not showing in my country) but to get my hands on a hardcover edition, was never a regret moment. It took me a few weeks to finish when it should be just a week but I bid my time to enjoy it, which I did.

There is much to talk about Simon but I am not going to spoil much of it but share my thoughts what I feel towards it. For one - I love the writing. If there is any thing that should be written for a young adult love story, this is it. It feels so natural the exchange dialogue between characters that is real enough for me, I had a great time laughing. The characters are wonderful and memorable. There's Simon, who really is not an open person and afraid if he openly tells people he is gay, his family and friends may not accept him. Leah, Abby & Nick, his closest friends shares their acceptance and arguments with him like friends should be is just lovable and cute. And then of course, the chapters of exchange email letters. It just felt so natural, like peeking into someone's life with interest of course. I mean, we all do that some times. And then, what the main theme is about this book that makes it worth reading - open up ourselves to the world and its not about being open up of being gay, but by who we are opening up to the world of what who we are instead of just pretend to be who we are not. I love the writing of it that really have a good lead towards it, with of course a few mushy lovey-dovey teen drama in it (which is why I dock off one star and giving it a four). In all its worth, I really enjoy it.

To me, people should read this. It has this feel good feeling, the coming-of-age-out-of-open-up young adult book that I would recommend anyone reading it. I am looking forward to reading the next Creekwood book, Leah on then Offbeatafter this. If you haven't read this, please do. This is really a good read.

Where Every Heart A Doorway shows us a world where doors are open to the hearts of children that leads to home instead of the real world we live in, Beneath the Sugar Sky answers the questions why these doors exist and how time plays its role in it. The third book of the Wayward Children series continues from Every Heart A Doorway when a girl, out of nowhere drops off from the sky and lands on a lake near Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. It was this girl, that takes Christopher, Kade and two other new characters (Cora and Nadya) on an adventure through a world of Confection. From there, its starts to get a little weird.

Although I would love to reveal more but if no one has read the first book, I won't write much of it here. Still, this is a hard book to rate. I am torn between 4 star rating or a 3.5 star. You see, this doesn't feel much for me in ways to really say this is better or as good as Down Among the Sticks and Bones, its more of an adventure quest to me. Although it does answer more questions about doorways open for certain children and some times, its possible that its open for all, its enough to fulfill fans of this series that might have some questions that are finally answered here. Here, we get to know more about Christopher and his abilities, a new main character Cora taking the lead here and an old familiar face returns that will excite fans. Overall, I like it still so likely this is one series I will be staying but its a long wait for me to read the next chapter. Beneath the Sugar Sky can be fun to read, and funny at times too. This is a fantasy novella that I feel deserves some attention.

I have finally finished! The sequel to Six of Crows and the finale of this duology ends to me with a satisfying conclusion. It has been a wild journey for me, a long one (my fault, due to reading slump and work) and in the end, it's almost perfect.

Continued from where it was left off, Kaz Brekker and his crew returns to Ketterdam as wanted fugitives. After being double crossed by Jan Van Eck, the crew needs to hide their most wanted prize, if only they won't be hunted by every one who wants that prize and killing the crew. But Kaz has a plan that will change the game of odds to his favor and the only way to do this, is that his crew able to survive to challenge what's ahead of them.

I do love the finale and how it ended. Its not really great but its good enough that it ends as its meant to be. I love the characters, its development and the relationship between one another. The scheming and the planning, the plot and the twist is just good enough to keep me reading. If not for the slump, I would have finished this sooner. There is so much to explore on this book that I want to talk about but this is definitely worth re-reading... one day. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The trouble with denying children the freedom to be themselves - with forcing them into an idea of what they should be, not allowing them to choose their own paths - is that all too often, the one drawing the design knows nothing of the desires of their model. Children are not formless clay, to be shaped according to the sculptor's whim, nor are they blank but identical dolls, waiting to be slipped into the mode that suits them best. Give ten children a toy box, and watch them select ten different toys, regardless of gender or religion or parental expectations. Children have preferences. The danger comes when they, as with any human, are denied those preferences for too long.

I will always remember this passage, of how true its meaning and what makes Down Among the Sticks and Bones, the second book of the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire stands out most. This is actually the back story of Jack and Jill, twin sisters that appeared in Every Heart A Doorway, one of the characters that answers the questions of open doorways to another world. While their world is a familiar place we grew up of from nightmarish stories from Bram Stoker's novel, Jack and Jill feels real in reality of the world we live in.

Jacqueline andJillian Wolcott were born with a plan by their parents to be their perfect trophies. As they started to grow, they were expected to be at their best by their parents desires, not theirs. But when both the twins discover a doorway in a trunk that lead them to the Moors, their lives forever changed as what was once they thought home was a house, it is a place where they feel belong.

I love this book a lot. Seanan McGuire had explored the relationship of parent and child through Jack and Jill, the idea of what parents want for their kids and through here, it feels so real that truth is spoken. While this serves as a stand-alone and a back story to one of the characters that is important in the Wayward Children series, I love the simplicity and fantasy depicts here. Its dark in its way and it answers to one of the questions I have from the first book on how these doorways appears in front of the children. Then of course, the relationship of the characters and its purpose speaks in good volumes. There is anticipation, smoothness and intriguing in the book, that I regret not making time to finish it earlier. If any thing, this book deserves a 4.5 out of 5 stars and will recommend fantasy lovers or students/children to read.

What if the world we live in is our reality and there is another world beside ours exist? A world where belongs to you that you will call home. A fantasy world filled with sugar candies or a world where you are the prince in the Goblin Market. Where worlds exist isn't ours that your parents do not believe you even you had being there for a long time, thought missing or kidnap and return to the living, labelled crazy that your parents sent you to a boarding school called Eleanor's West Home for Wayward Children that helps these troubled children, only that this is a place that helps them because the the principal believes there are such worlds exist because... she has cross over before. This is the premise of Every Hear A Doorway, the first book of the Wayward Children series written by Seanan McGuire, a science fiction fantasy novella that is quite unique and yet similar to some other stories you might have heard before. While there is originality to its own, it is enjoyable and yet predictable.

It begins with a girl named Nancy Whitman, an ordinary teenager looking girl except for her white hair arrived at the manor, where she meets the residence of the Wayward Children. There, she discovers other children with similar experiences like her on different scale or level, some lived in worlds that are light and others lived in worlds that are dark and bleak. As she starts to discover and learn about the boarding school, one by one, children turns up dead in gruesome manner. Are any of the deaths, related to her or to anyone that lives in the world of the dark?

Reading Every Heart A Doorway to me is enjoyable because for its straight-to-a-point story where it doesn't waste much time as it progresses pretty much forward without any bullsh*t. And then, the world building is an interesting one where this reality explores portals opens to each children of their heart desires is intriguing and I believe, not done before. The building suspense of its mystery of the murders on the other hand at the beginning is plotted out pretty well, it was towards the end where its predictable when discovered who the real murderer was in the same old fashion reasoning why 'I done it because' excuse just fail to my expectation. Overall, I like it and I feel 3.5 out of 5 stars deserves its rating. I will be reading the next chapter, as although its not a sequel but rather a back-story of one of the characters.

Plague is a much better 3rd sequel compare to Lies and in many ways, one that surprises me how much better in terms of where this is going. After the events in Lies, the kids in Perdido Beach is left with so much doubt and destroyed confidence towards those they can rely on. Sam is self-pitying, Astrid learns a truth about herself, Albert became a self-centered business man, Quinn found his calling and the rest is just as it is, with Caine and his crew living up on the high-end of comfort on an island they took over. When Drake escape, a new disease is getting rampant - a flu spread like wild fire that kills from inside out and... a new army of insects that is almost unkillable, not even Sam's powers can burn them. With the gaiaphage influencing its power all over the FAYZ, the end maybe near... and only Pete Ellison may be the answer to all the troubles everyone in the FAYZ is facing... if only he knew what he is doing.

The fourth book of the Gone series picks up its pacing with more action, suspense and thrills. Yes, for a young adult book, the content description can be a little over when it comes to gore but this has been one that really lives up to its title that promises a science-fiction fantasy series that works. I am looking forward to the last two and hopefully, Fear will lead the way to a finale that is satisfying. (yes, I took too long for this one too)

Reading Lies, the 2nd sequel to Michael Grant's Gone series is a step back from the first two books. New characters are introduced, a new plot takes another twist dealing with deception, more action and more thrills. In Perdido Beach, nothing is what it seems. The undead is walking among the living children, Caine and what's left of his group takes a journey to an island searching for food, Zil and his crew are stirring trouble that lead to the burning of the township and gaiaphage found his way... and with a return of Drake Merwin, bending on revenge.

I can't say I do not enjoy it but it is a step back from the first two books, which really pushes the limits of children dealing with problems they need to fix. Lies to me is a tale of deception where there is no one they can trust. While new characters are introduced (again) but to a certain limitation of development, I do find the existing ones some what unnecessary on the drama emotional side. It really did short fall on other regular characters but as the plot pushes forward, its pretty much like watching a season TV series that the whole season just doesn't live it up to viewers expectation. Nevertheless, I still enjoy reading Lies and I can't wait to jump right into Plague.

Hangsaman to me is probably one of the weirdest book I have ever read. Shirley Jackson's second novel released in 1951 centers the story of one Natalie Waite, a young teenager about to enroll into college and how along the way, the way she sees the world isn't the same as how others sees it. As life in college begins to take a different turn, she walks among the living in a dream like state of awareness not knowing what is real and what isn't. Thinking she is a fiction of a life she is living, her journey crumbles not knowing what hold's her sanity and the reality we all live in.

Based on the inspiration of an unsolved disappearance of Paula Jean Welden, an american college student that disappeared in 1946, Shirley Jackson wrote a world that truly is the weird and the strangest tale of between real and fiction. It is almost towards the sense that feels like madness but then again, as a reader it does makes me wonder what does it all mean. Although the reading is quite addictive that really takes me into the mind of Natalie Waite, there is some thing not normal about her, which in a way intriguing as I read. Was it a journey of a girl that so happens at the beginning, some thing happen that changes her to such confusion of identity or was it some thing more of an experience in her college life that lead spiraling down into a dark place where only Natalie sees it? One needs to read to know.

It is a hard book to rate but I felt a 3 out of 5 star is a much more appropriate rating for me as there is so much to explore here and yet, what was the motivation of it. Was it the strangeness or the understanding of a mind that can't grasp reality? For me, its some where I know that deserves a 3 for even though it is an intriguing read, I am still trying to figure out what the title means and wanting to understand this strange book I just finished today.