November 24, 2014

Review: The Murder of Adam and Eve by William Dietrich


Product Description:
In this fast-paced and thought-provoking thriller, two teens time-travel to prehistoric Africa to judge whether to save our ancestors: the genetic "Adam" and "Eve" whose descendants will go on to populate the world. 

When 16-year-old Nick Brynner explores an old fort on a forbidden island for a school history project, he stumbles onto a time wormhole. What follows is a mysteriously deserted village with a prowling sentry that looks like a gargoyle, and narrow escape with the help of fellow teen Eleanor Brynner. 

The two are hurtled into a grim series of challenges by an alien race called the Xu, which are considering a Reset of human history because of our poor planetary stewardship. If Adam and Eve are murdered, will another couple, or another species, do better? Nick and Ellie are ruthlessly deposited onto the African savanna of fifty thousand years ago, and the hunt is on. 

The Murder of Adam and Eve is a coming of age story, a love story, a war story, and an environmental fable with a deliberately provocative ending, inspired by such books as "Walkabout," "Ishmael," "Lord of the Flies," and the author's own "Getting Back." If you could change history...would you?

My Thoughts:
Admittedly I only read the first paragraph of the product description when I selected The Murder of Adam and Eve to review. If I would have read the entire description I might have passed on this one because of the alien aspect and the book being a coming of age story. I was hoping for a unique time travel mystery and what I actually got was a weird story that eventually came together in the end. 

The beginning of the book that tells the story of Nick's journey was very choppy and odd but once he meets Ellie and they travel back in time the writing gets smoother and the story line gets intriguing. I liked their time alone in Africa and the interaction with the ancient clan, especially their guide, Boy. Overall I thought the book was okay but was hoping for so much more. 

My Recommendation: 
I feel that this one would be a great read for the teen audience it was intended for.

November 10, 2014

Review: The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg



Product Description:
The FBI had one demand when they secretly teamed up Special Agent Kate O’Hare with charming con man Nicolas Fox—bring down the world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons. This time it’s the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire.  The FBI doesn’t know what their target looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick Fox has a few tricks up his sleeve to roust this particular Knipschildt chocolate–loving drug lord.

From the streets of Nashville to the back alleys of Lisbon, from the rooftops of Istanbul to the middle of the Thames, Nick and Kate chase their mark. When they find themselves pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard and a Portuguese enforcer who gets advice from a pickled head, they decide it’s time to enlist some special talent—talent like a machete-wielding Somali pirate, a self-absorbed actor, an Oscar-winning special effects artist, and Kate’s father Jake, a retired Special Forces operative. Together they could help make this Fox and O’Hare’s biggest win yet . . . if they survive.

My Thoughts:

I started this series with the second book, The Chase which I enjoyed. I put book one in the series on my TBR list and forgot about the series until I was offered The Job to review. Now after reading and loving this third installment I went ahead and read the short prequel, Pros and Cons and am currently reading book one, The Heist. 

This book is 100% fluff. It's a light and quick read with absurd circumstances and characters but it's a whole lot of fun. If you accept that it's fluff then you can set everything aside and love the book will the crazy goings on. 


My only gripe with the book is the relationship, or should I say lack of a relationship, between Kate and Nick. Kate obviously has feelings for Nick but does nothing about it. Being that this is the third book in the series I have a feeling that a relationship will never develop and it's already frustrating to me two books in. Just sleep together and move on already. 


My Recommendation: 

Just like the second book I recommend this for all Evanovich fans and anyone who wants a fast, easy read.