The Wrecker by Clive Cussler

Goodreads.com Summary:
In The Chase, Clive Cussler introduced an electrifying new hero, the tall, lean, no-nonsense detective Isaac Bell, who, driven by his sense of justice, travels early-twentieth-century America pursuing thieves and killers . . . and sometimes criminals much worse.
It is 1907, a year of financial panic and labor unrest. Train wrecks, fires, and explosions sabotage the Southern Pacific Railroad's Cascades express line and, desperate, the railroad hires the fabled Van Dorn Detective Agency. Van Dorn sends in his best man, and Bell quickly discovers that a mysterious saboteur haunts the hobo jungles of the West, a man known as the Wrecker, who recruits accomplices from the down-and-out to attack the railroad, and then kills them afterward. The Wrecker traverses the vast spaces of the American West as if he had wings, striking wherever he pleases, causing untold damage and loss of human life. Who is he? What does he want? Is he a striker? An anarchist? A revolutionary determined to displace the privileged few? A criminal mastermind engineering some as yet unexplained scheme?
Whoever he is, whatever his motives, the Wrecker knows how to create maximum havoc, and Bell senses that he is far from done; that, in fact, the Wrecker is building up to a grand act unlike anything he has committed before. If Bell doesn't stop him in time, more than a railroad could be at risk; it could be the future of the entire country.
Filled with intricate plotting and dazzling set pieces, The Wrecker is one of the most entertaining thrillers in years.
Review:
I said in my review of The Chase that this series had alot of potential. Unfortunately, The Chase did not live up to it. However, knowing the series' potential I was willing to give it a second chance by reading The Wrecker. Would Cussler learn from his mistakes in The Chase? Would the addition of Justin Scott as coauthor add the twists, turns, and intensity that The Chase lacked? Would the Isaac Bell series finally live up to its potential? These are the questions I was asking myself coming into reading the The Wrecker...
...And it is my great pleasure to announce that the answer to every one of those questions was a resounding YES!!! I loved The Wrecker! Cussler (and Scott) kept everything that was good about The Chase and made sure the book didn't become derailed (pardon the excessive use of train analogies, but I can't help myself lol XD) by the issues of its predecessor. What was so good about it? Well...
First and foremost, the pacing and intensity (which, of course, go hand in hand) were both amazing. Once this book gets up to speed it flies faster than a speeding bullet train, and the intensity does nothing but build until it is so thick and heavy that one couldn't cut it with a tie-cutter's saw or break it with a rail-spiker's hammer. Once one reaches the two-thirds mark, the book locks you into a roller-coaster thrill ride that lasts right up to the finish. From that two-thirds point on, the book is literally impossible to put down (believe me - I ended up staying up WAAAYYY too late just so I could finish it). The endings to these rising actions were also substantially more satisfying in this book than in the previous one, and this book actually had some plot twists in it!
Secondly, the historical detail was once again spot on and made it so that one really felt like they were living in the time. It isn't completely romanticized as being a more the "innocent" time we seem to perceive the 1900s as. Rather, the authors put forward just the right mix of grit and glamour to be realistic without being overly vulgar or depressing, and to portray the time as one of industrial development and discovery, which it really was.
All that said, the book still has a few minor issues. The villain's identity is revealed to the reader far too early, for one. Thankfully though, Bell does not realize it himself until the climax, which keeps the book fairly intense (this of course, results in the reader wanting to scream at Bell multiple times when he doesn't figure it out at first (this all being, of course, due to dramatic irony)). Secondly, the book's exposition (beginning/opening/introduction) could have been done a lot better. Third, the victim in this case (pun not intended) is a railroad tycoon, and since those men were known as "Robber Barons" for a reason, it makes it a little hard to sympathize with him at times. Finally, the characters are, as always, larger-than-life and/or one dimensional, but that issue is hardly noticeable compared to how glaring it was in The Chase.
It is also worth mentioning that unlike books in other Cussler series, there are several carryover plot details from The Chase that show up in The Wrecker so it is indeed better for the former (despite it's sub-par nature) to be read first.
I also must say that I have found that these books do not fit the detective mystery novel genre as much as they do the crime thriller genre, but since I am a big fan of the extra suspense that comes with that shift, I do not mind in the slightest. The Chase tried to be the former, but suffered an identity crisis and ended up somewhere in an unhappy middle. The Wrecker on the other hand, lands on a solid foundation in the latter.
As I said before, I loved this book. I found it to be just as good as, if not the slightest bit better than, the books of the Fargo Adventures. Had the issues listed above been fixed in the slightest, I would've definitely given it a 5 star rating. Very highly recommended to fans of historical fiction, action/adventure, mystery, and suspense. There is a saying that the best suspense novels are like runaway freight trains - smashing through everything that blocks their path and making it so all you can do is hold on for dear life and hope it stays on the tracks. This is one heckuva freight train of a novel, so jump on and get ready for the ride of your life!
4.5/5 stars

THREE QUESTIONS By Leo Tolstoy

I do not know what is the cover for this short story because I read it online and am not sure if short stories do have a cover. The story was quite interesting and simple, not more than four pages long on my computer, and would not waste your time. I have a strange addiction to reading short stories lately and thought it would be quite neat to share it with all of you. The story first started off with the king asking everyone if they have an answer to his three questions, which are "How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more attention than to the rest? And, what affairs are the most important, and need my first attention?" because he believed that if those questions were answered, then he would not fail anything he attempts to undertake. Having said that, of course everyone is going to have different answers to his questions because everyone's perspective is different and so, he could not find a definite answer. The king is persistent and decides to find a hermit to ask these wise questions to, having no doubt that the hermit may not know the answers. I would recommend this story to anyone because it would not be a waste of your time since the story is so short and has a clever ending. It is always good to try something new! :)

Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen

Summary: It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.

Review: I always pick up a Sarah Dessen when I want to feel comforted, or just feel the need of relaxation. This book gave me calm, comforted feel, along with a different point of view on well, life. Anytime I read a Sarah Dessen book,  I come out with a different point of view on things, and always something to think about. I didn't like the story as much as the others, mainly because we didn't really get to know the characters that well. For example one of the main characters 'Eli' was going through some intense stuff, and we'd barely get a glimpse of his vulnerability. What I really liked about this book was the minor characters. I don't know how Dessen does it but she manages to make the minor characters incredibly likable. She writes them into the story flawlessly, actually giving them good dialogue, and some kind of character growth throughout the story. She doesn't just try and make the main characters relatable, but gives every character in the book some kind of quality making them able to relate to anyone reading the book. Whether you're very driven like Auden, or someone who is judge from first glance like Maggie. This book might not have been the best story line but it left one of the best messages for me. To try and not stress over whats going wrong in life,because life's a roller coaster and we should just well, go along for the ride. 

“The Help” by Kathyrn Stockett

Book Summary from the website:

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women–mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends–view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.

MY REVIEW:

“The Help,” by Kathryn Stockett is a novel set in 1960’s Jackson, Mississippi, where racial segregation is normal. This book is narrated by three characters, Aibleen Clark, a middle aged Africa-American maid that helps raise seventeen white babies in her lifetime, Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan a twenty-three year-old college graduate that wants to reveal the inequality in Jackson, Mississippi through a book, and Minny Jackson, another African-American, who has a bad reputation among the white employers because of her “sass mouth.”

Skeeter’s character is pretty interesting to me, in the beginning of the book there’s conflict between her own set of values and what society wants her to be. She has to deal gender inequalities in order for her to reach her goal of a publisher.

The thing that attracted to me to this book was the setting of the book. We’ve all probably heard about civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, and Rosa Parks and what they all did. However I never actually understood how they might have felt living in the southern part of the USA during the 1960’s. This book is definitely a page turner, and before I knew it I was done. Honestly, this book gave me so many highs and lows, because I was laughing and crying ( One of the saddest parts are  where Mae Mobley was crying because Ablieen was leaving forever!) Long story short this is a pretty good book.

I give this book 4.5/5 because it wasn’t based on a true story! 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Goodreads snippet: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.

Review: After reading a lot of positive reviews about this book, I finally decided to read it for myself. At first, I was skeptical. Dragons? Talented musician girl? Those two are like oil and water, mix them and you get this ugly, splotchy liquid. And so I hesitantly picked up this book, thinking that I would at least get a book review out of it. After reading two pages, I immediately decided that I love this book.

The main character Seraphina was described as talented, but never as beautiful. In fact, she described herself as ugly many times. But her open acceptance of both humans and dragons regardless of species coupled with her spunky, yet kind personality made her very favorable. She's also knowledgeable about many things, mostly due to her half dragon-ness. Yes, that's right. Seraphina is half dragon, with scales around her waist and arm. This is her biggest secret, since half dragons are repulsive to both species, yet it is this very trait that saves her from one very bad dragon near the end of the book.

This book also had a wide variety of different characters, each one having its own personality. Orma, Seraphina's uncle, is very conflicted with his feelings of protectiveness for Seraphina since drangons are not allowed to feel emotions. Prince Lucian, a bastard child, struggles to make himself fit in. Princess Glisselda is portrayed as a flighty, average spoiled princess at first, but quickly evolves into 'queen material' at the hands of Seraphina's guidance and her own experiences. 

The plot was very straightforward, yet so elaborate that it was neither boring nor confusing. I can't really go into details much without spoiling everything, so let's just say it's twisty, and very, very clever. This is definitely a must read: 5/5 for sure.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Summary: Ruby, where is your mother?

Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.

That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future; it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

Review: Its been a while since I've read a Sarah Dessen novel, but I decided to pick one up, and well I don't think I ever actually put it down the whole four hours I was reading it. Ruby's story was the kind of story that you desperately try and finish to figure out how it all turns out. She's had a rough life and it makes you just want to see how it all will work out in the end. Sarah Dessen will always be one of those writers that make you feel like you are the main character, everything the main character goes through, you somehow go through, and in a way that made me feel a lot more attached to the book and other characters. 'Lock and Key' was an amazing, heartfelt story that somehow draws you in and makes you believe you're apart of their lives.

There were four different book covers! I read the first one and also prefer that one. Which one's your favorite?

1.                                         2.                                    3.                                           4.

CONTEST: Raincoast Book Blog Tour!

Hey everyone,

Want a chance to a win copy of one of my all-time favourite books from 2012?! It's easy, all you need to do is submit questions to author Leigh Bardugo about her stunning debut novel Shadow and Bone!

Post your questions to this Blog by August 15th for your chance to win. A copy of Shadow and Bone will be awarded to the three teens that submit the best questions.

Good luck and have fun!