Fitz - A Father. A Son. And A Gun.

Overview

Sometimes Fitz would look at himself in the mirror, an expression of pathetic eagerness on his face. He was a dog in the pound, wanting to be adopted. He'd smile. What father wouldn't want this boy?

Fifteen-year-old Fitzgerald—Fitz, to his friends—has just learned that his father, whom he's never met, who supports him but is not a part of his life, is living nearby. Fitz begins to follow him, watch him, study him, and on an otherwise ordinary May morning, he executes a plan to force his father, at gunpoint, to be with him.

Over the course of one spring day, Fitz and his father become real to one another. Fitz learns about his father, why he's chosen to remain distant and what really happened between him and Fitz's mother. And his father learns what sort of boy his son has grown up to become.

Review
Let's just say that this book is great, especially since it kept my short attention and was realistic at the same time. No space invaders or shenanigans. It's sad to say that many people get stuck in these situations where they don't get to see there mom or dad but that is what makes this story great and understandable.

Rating
This book gets a 5/5 stars because it was realistic and kept my attention. It would be considered a smaller one, less than 300 pages or so. I would recommend this book to high school people because that's exactly what this guy is, a high schooler.

You can find this book at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fitz-mick-cochrane/1108939552?ean=9780375846113

Pawn of Innocence

Overview:

Camile can hardly believe the luck of her chance encounter with a tall dark stranger, one that eventually leads to what she believes is sure to be a sizzling vacation romance, but she slowly learns chance had nothing to do with it, and unlucky is the word that begins to best describe it as events take a terrifying turn. She quickly finds herself knee deep in a web of lies and deceit, and the object of an abduction that turns out to have far reaching consequences. Once back home, however, she is blissfully unaware of the secrets that seem to be common knowledge to her friends and family, then, she overhears a conversation that leads her to uncover the shocking truth of her abduction, and sheds light on something she thought she would never have to face again. Him.

Review:
After reading this book all I can say is…whew. This book started and ended clearly, no confusion at all. As for the middle of this book, the author created obstacle after obstacle just to get us to the point we all were expecting. She took romance to a new level by adding a bunch of mystery, action and drama in the middle. Now, I think she did a bit too much in the middle and can easily cut some things out.

The story follows Camille, a daughter of a rich guy who makes weapons. She’s feeling crowded by all the extra security he has following her to keep her safe and decides she wants to escape the constant spotlight. That could easily be the entire plot of the book but is honestly just a small fraction.

There’s just a ton of different plots and plots twist in the book. It takes us from one extreme to the other. This author covers a ton of different genres. Some readers may enjoy that while others may simply take it as overkill. Overall, she managed to start and finish the book well. And even though there’s so much going on in the middle: from kidnappings, to trips, to proposals, to therapy, the book never got muddled or confused.

I need a smoke break after this one and a long nap.

Rating:
4 out 5 Stars

Against Her Will

Overview
      A dramatic book set in London about a gorgeous young lady who encounters one of the worst things ever: rape. She is raped and has a weird time trying to get over it (kinda hard to relate to as a man and even jumping over gender barriers still doesn't make any logical sense). The book is well.... special. hehehehe

Review
     Got the book with little fanfare and after reading some reviews on Amazon... I had to prepare myself for a bad book. Actually wasn't too bad. Just I felt the place it really fell was character development. The character development was all over the place. The MC was so bi-polar I'm surprised they didn't give her medicine for it. The rest of the characters were fine I just felt her recovery was really dragged out beyond reality.

Rating
    3.7/5 Books good just the character development needs re-working. Otherwise I felt the book had an ending I didn't really expect it was close though.

Finding God in the Hunger Games

Overview
     Thanks to BookCrash I got a print copy of this really good 30 day devotional linking the Bible, Christianity, and life to the uber popular trilogy the Hunger Games now a movie. The book does contain a few spoilers and is looks to be marketed towards people who might be casual fans to the hardcore junkies.

Review
     The book was amazing let's say that. I wanted to read the entire book in one sitting but I paced myself. As a big Hunger Games trilogy fan the book really connected with me on many levels. The good thing about the book is it's biggest draw: the tie in to the Hunger Games. Surprisingly the author found a lot of ways to connect faith to the Hunger Games which surprisingly was devoid of  any faith at all. Not even atheism which is surprising in a dystopian novel of that caliber. The book did an amazing job and I can't see a place where it fell short.

Rating
    5/5 If you are a fan of the Hunger Games or are reading it for a book club this would make a great addition to have. Thanks to the kind people at BookCrash for providing me with a reviewers copy!.

Privatizing Freedom

Overview
      Sherman Safel is an ageing MI6 field operative whose proficiency of espionage and cold-blooded murder has more than taken its toll on his conscience. But in a world where global privatization is almost absolute: this old dog must put aside his emotions and screw on his silencer as the world enters its darkest era yet. But what happens when business becomes personal? 

Review
      The book is a long read. Much longer than I'm accustomed to and prolly not made for the ADHD minds of YA readers, but don't be alarmed the book is like a James Bond movie. Thrilling, makes you wonder if the good actually wins in the end, and a great MC anti-hero in the form of Sherman Safel obviously working for MI6 vying to save the world. Essentially he does and does it in style and awesomeness with some wit and sarcasm thrown in. 

Rating
    4/5 If you enjoy a nice long read of thrilling proportions this is for you. Read with caution because it is awesome. ;)

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