Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Trella's a scrub. Her life is filled with endless hours of cleaning the pipes and trying to attract the least attention. That way, you don't get hurt and you don't die. The Pop Cops control everything in the life of a scrub, from when to work to what you eat. Trella's heard all her life about the mysterious outside and the rumors of a secret exit. Frankly, she thinks it's all made-up stories to give the scrubs false hope. When her friend Cog introduces her to a new prophet, called Broken Man, Trella's life is changed forever. Suddenly, her days of being invisible and only worried about finding time and a place to be alone are no more. She's thrust into the center of an uprising that leaves her as the #1 target of the Pop Cops.

I love SF stories, which is why I picked up Inside Out. The story is very easy to read, flowing smoothly from one chapter to the next. There's plenty of action and an intriguing mystery to keep even the most reluctant reader's attention. While I found Inside Out entertaining, I kept thinking in the back of my mind that I'd read this story before. Yes, I could predict almost exactly what would happen next. Maybe it's because I have read a lot of SF -- it's a familiar theme and setting for this genre. I don't think it takes a great deal away from the enjoyment of the story, and would be just a minor negative for me.

Inside Out, while maybe not completely original in plot, gets a 'B' from me for it's fast-paced style and ease in reading.

Runaway by Meg Cabot (Airhead #3)

Having read the first 2 Airhead books, I knew that Runaway was going to be a must-read for me, just so I could know what happens to Em. Even though I'm a huge Meg Cabot fan, I was a bit skeptic about the premise of Airhead. Yes, it's silly to think about a full body transplant, but crazy as it seems, I'm able to ignore that and just delve into Em's life.

The second book in the series, Being Nikki, left the reader at the climax, uncertain about Em's future. Runaway begins almost exactly where the previous novel left off. Em is at Brandon's beach house, blackmailed into staying there with him, the real Nikki, her brother and mom. Forced to lie about her feelings for Christopher, Em's feeling depressed and uncertain about what her future holds, when she has several surprising visitors at the beach house. Still trying to figure out what Brandon's dad, Robert Stark's ultimate plan is, Em recruits her cohorts in helping her get one step closer to the truth.

I adore Lulu, Em's roommate and partner in crime. She's an adorable and fun-loving sidekick that finds some well-deserved happiness in Runaway. I was also thrilled to find Em's sister, Frida, plays a much larger role. The ultimate climax is over-the-top, but works well in this fantastical story.

Fans of Cabot's other stories will find another hit here, but I do feel one needs to read this series in order. I'm not sure the latter two books will make much sense if you don't already know Em/Nikki's story. Runaway is another fast-paced, suspenseful adventure with just enough romance to make you smile. Loved it! A 'B' book for me.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games #3)

Having read (and loved) The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I could not wait for Mockingjay to finally be released. I bought it for my Kindle, so I could start reading it on the Tuesday it was released. I didn't want to have to wait for the UPS or FedEx worker to deliver or drive to town to pick up a copy at the book store.


I eagerly began it the day it was released, only to find myself willing to put it down after reading one or maybe two chapters at a time. At first, I claimed I was just savoring the final Katniss story and taking my time. After a while, I realized I was slowing down in reading it, because I could just sense that the story was doomed. I wanted to know what happened to Katniss and Peetah, but at the same time I DIDN'T want to know. I dreaded turning the page for fear of what I would find out. Did I really want to know or would it be better to just imagine things the way I'd like them to be? That's something I'm still thinking about, almost a week after finishing the book.

I waited a bit to write my reaction, because I wanted to let time give me a bit of a perspective. I'm not sure if it helped or not, because I still feel emotionally empty. I was emotionally pushed, pulled, wadded, and thrown out, but I'm still glad I read Mockingjay. I didn't like it as much as the first two in the series, because I wanted more descriptions during some of the action scenes. Many times, as the reader, we'd just hear about an event afterwards, rather than experiencing it at the same time as the characters in Mockingjay. That's not to say I didn't find it a compelling, but disturbing read. In fact, I'd say it's a must-read for those that read the first two Hunger Games books, but be prepared to be taken for quite a ride.  My grade? I give it a B.