Today’s grouping of mini-reviews sort of feels like I am breaking with pattern. These three books are all vastly different. Usually I seem to review all audiobooks or all young adult or all adult fiction, etc. Today we’re going with a young adult sci-fi audiobook, a middle grade book, and a contemporary young adult audiobook. Variety is kind of great though, and maybe like me, you like a whole lot of variety in your reading.
Etherworld by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam is the final book in the Elusion duology. You can check out my review of Elusion by clicking here. I listened to Etherworld due to the fact that I have this thing for reading series in all the same formats. So, because I listened to Elusion I just HAD to listen to Etherworld. Thankfully Hoopla had a copy available, sometimes I go on there and to my dismay, not every book in a series is available via audiobook.
Etherworld picks up where Elusion leaves off. So maybe skim over this if you hate spoilers. Basically, Regan finds out the truth behind Orexis and her father’s death. Oh yeah, that her dad is still alive and he’s hanging out in Elusion basically. So, okay, Regan and Josh find Etherworld which is behind a firewall in Elusion. In Etherworld, you are safe from getting addicted to Elusion. While they are in Etherworld, it turns out other kids and Regan’s dad are there. Together they must all destroy Elusion before the masses get hooked on it.
Overall, this sequel kept me paying attention the whole way through. I actually found myself pretty invested in the different characters and their outcomes. I was rooting for Regan and Josh. I even was glad to see some characters have redemption. While science fiction is not always my favorite genre, these books certainly make it more interesting to me. The audiobook has the same narrator as the first in the duology. The narrator is Arielle DeLisle. I think she does a great job maintaining emotion and action in her narration. In all, if you want a quick duology to get you through your commute the Elusion series is not a bad choice to make.
 Other reviews of Etherworld by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam:
- A Leisure Moment – “it was a wonderful conclusion to Reagan’s adventure“
- Lily Bloom Books – “the ending was pure perfection.“
- Find Me In A Book – “a good series about what happens when technology goes wrong“
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I have yet to read a disappointing book by Brian Selznick. I found myself eagerly anticipating The Marvels, Selznick’s 2015 release. The anticipation was so high that Allison, of our wonderful team, obtained a copy for me at BEA 2015 because she is the greatest. Of course, because I am the worst or a major mood reader, I did not get around to reading it until 2016. For once though, this was a right book at the right time kind of scenario.
Selznick’s The Marvels opens with pictures. Or sketches. Or illustrations. Whatever the technical term is. These sketches last for nearly 400 pages as they tell the first story of the book. This first story begins with Billy Marvel. He’s a young boy who is at sea and his brother is preparing to put on a play. Unfortunately, the ship wrecks and Billy and his dog are the only ones who survive. Eventually Billy ends up working in the theater. The theater is his new home and so, he begins a family legacy where all the future generations of the Marvel family find acclaim on the stage. That is, until Leontes, who finds himself forbidden from the stage. The story then shifts to prose, set 100 years later where this kid Joseph runs away to his uncle’s house. FYI, he has never really met his Uncle before. So, his Uncle has quite the strange house and there are some secrets to parse out.
The connection between the illustrated story and the prose story is unexpected and mind blowing. I mean, it really speaks to these feelings we’ve all had as readers who find ourselves invested in fictional characters and their lives. I won’t say more because I do not want to spoil you. Trust, The Marvels is one book that readers of all ages are certain to enjoy. It’s a beautiful, magical book that absolutely exceeds expectations.
Other reviews of The Marvels by Brian Selznick:
- Spines & Covers – “a brilliant piece of storytelling“
- Lost In A Great Book – “a narrative that transcends time“
- The Book Kat – “Go on, you won’t be disappointed“
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So I might be the odd one out, but OMG I LOVED WICKED GAMES by Sean Olin. Maybe it was my listening to the audiobook (shoutout Hoopla, ILY). Maybe it was that I had no clue going in what to expect. Either way, I feel like I am one going against the tide in how much I genuinely enjoyed listening to Wicked Games.
Wicked Games by Sean Olin centers around three characters – Carter, Lilah, and Jules. Carter and Lilah have been dating all through high school. They are basically the it couple at Dream Point, which is the Florida beach town where they live. However there are definite issues in the relationship. The book opens with Carter and Lilah going to a senior party together, only Lilah has some issues which result in her leaving the party. While Lilah is gone, Carter interacts with this free spirited girl named Jules and ends up hooking up with her. Eventually, Lilah finds out and so she decides to get revenge.
Okay, so there are some reviews I’ve read which call Carter honorable and someone who wants to do the right thing. First off, if he was so honorable he would not be cheating on his mentally unstable girlfriend. I don’t care how unhappy he is or how trapped he feels. Cheating is wrong and he’s a piece of garbage in my eyes for doing it. Jules, she is just caught up in a bad situation and well maybe she shouldn’t have hooked up with someone that she knows is in a relationship. Hell yes that makes her culpable, because she had knowledge. Not as culpable as Carter, but I would say the same amount of culpability as the driver of a getaway car. Now, as for Lilah, everyone paints her as the villain. Yes, the girl does some terrible things, things that absolutely cross the line. However, she is a girl done wrong and damn it if I don’t identify with her the most out of all these characters. Don’t even try to analyze what that says about me as a person, hahaha.
Anyways, I was just SO INVESTED in Wicked Games like to the point where I would even listen to it after getting out of the car just to see what would happen next. The narrator is new to me, Kaleo Griffith. He’s fantastic though. I would one hundred percent listen to another audiobook narrated by him. I think if you want a short audiobook with a lot of drama, LISTEN TO THIS BOOK. If your library is the greatest of all time and has Hoopla, you can borrow a copy from there.
Other reviews of Wicked Games by Sean Olin:
- YA On My Mind – “has good writing, I won’t deny that“
- Book Nerd – “you’ll want to throw this book against a wall“
- Lose Time Reading – “definitely plot based, and it scored big time in that regards“
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Marvel looks like it’s SO beautiful and I’ve been wanting it since it came out, but— it’s kind of pricey. I am going to buy it sometime though because I think it would be perfect for me and my son to read together. Also, Wicked Games just sounds so me. I’m usually the odd one out when it comes to super high school catty books.