Flotilla

Overview
      Flotilla is a dystopian story in which a messed-up teen named Jim is thrown into the ocean, literally and figuratively, to become both a survivor and a hero. Jim leaves an addiction rehab center to join his father aboard an experimental colony off the Los Angeles coast raising fish through the process of mariculture (open-sea fish farming).  This floating city is also a dangerous ecosystem, filled with strange and dangerous characters.   Daily adventures reveal that the colony has become a conduit for drug-dealing, gambling and human trafficking.  Fortunes have been created that people will lie, cheat or kill to protect.  Jim is forced to accept that second chances can come with strings attached. 

Review
     This was my only book I reviewed back on The Fireplace blog so this is kinda of a merge between the old and new. Book was good. Really good. So good it's been nominated for the upcoming Book N Tech Editor Choice award for best YA dystopian novel. One of the better things is the Main Character: Jim. He's a dynamic teen going through typical teen troubles like drugs, violence, and getting attacked by pirates (the struggle right?) The dialogue is rich and easy to understand and get down with. The story line is a bit slow for some young tastes but the rich tale is hard to put down. 

Rating
   5/5 A really good science fiction YA dystopian fantasy good for 13 and up. It features a real life kid (Jim Westerfield) facing problems in his home both on the sea and at home plus he has all the same most kids have. So if you like what I've talked about I heavily encourage you to go and grab you a copy. (BTW the sequel comes out on Black Friday!) 
http://flotillaonline.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Flotilla-Daniel-Haight/dp/061556254X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336852156&sr=8-1

Jared's Island Review

Overview
     A book about a young foster child Jared who is tired of the mainland life and decides to take a boat and head out into the gulf where he finds the eccentric Sam the owner of a private island built by the US government. The book is highly original, inventive, and tells a story that is easy to relate to.

Review
   Wow. I really don't know how I stumbled upon this golden find but I did and I fully enjoyed the storytelling. The book was well written, the story was highly original, and also highly believable/relatable. The book has a lot going for it only thing I wasn't excited about was the formatting (probably a Kindle issue) and the website wasn't the best either. Still Mr. Thayer did a wonderful job portraying Jared.

Rating
    5/5 Another one of my glowing reviews but Jared's Island deserves every star it gets. The book was entertaining, original, and well written. I recommend it to all ages which is something I enjoy.
http://www.amazon.com/Jareds-Island-ebook/dp/B00998TD5W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379363711&sr=1-1&keywords=jared%27s+island

The Infinite Within book review

Overview
        Space the final frontier has been the setting for a lot of books, movies, and TV shows. Everyone wonders if we are alone, if there is life on Mars, and how to get there. The Infinite Within manages to tackle 2 out of 3 in a thrilling book that really takes space, wormholes, black holes, and everything else in space to a new dimension! I really enjoyed the political side to the novel as well as the quantum physics part.

Review
      Wow. First off I'll start by saying the book was amazing. In the beginning I was a little iffy about the whole deal then the book got better, and better, and obviously better. I was surprised at the level of detail in the storytelling. I gotta admit Drakich got what it takes to make it in a cutthroat market. I really enjoyed the story very much. I mean you can't beat a story like this unless you add aliens.

Rating
     4/5 Well Michael Drakich you did good. Really good with the story. Only qualms I had were a few grammar issues (so grammar nazi's beware) and the rest of the book was near flawless. Great read one of my top 20's!
Book on Amazon
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