Top Ten Tuesday #2: Top Ten Unusual Character Names We've Encountered In Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's question is my top ten unusual character names we've encountered in books. And... sorry for being late, but I'm kinda busy yesterday and don't really have time to post blogposts.

1. Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas - Seriously she has the coolest name ever.

2. Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth - Tris. Short and fierce. I like it.

3. Four from Divergent by Veronica Roth - Four. Well, that's unusual by default.

4. Deznee from Denazen by Jus Accardo - A very unusual name because of what it means.

5. Magnus from The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices and The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare - I have to say, it sounds deep and husky and adds a dark streak in this name

6. America from The Selection by Kiera Cass - Although not my favorite female character in YA novels, I'd say she has a pretty cool name for a country who wants to leave the old US behind.

7. Day from Legend by Marie Lu - Day is just a nickname, but its meaning makes the nickname unusual

8. Elder from Across The Universe by Beth Revis - Elder is not necessarily a name. But it's totally not normal to call yourself Elder, right?

9. Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - The name has a nice ring in it. And hey, it's unlike every name I've ever seen

10. Akiva from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Same reason as 9

What are your choice of unusual names? I'm curious :)

Shades of Earth: Review

The stunning finale of the bestselling Across The Universe trilogy by Beth Revis!

Synopsis:

The final book in the  New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Galactica and Prometheus!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

***

This book is beyond awesome. It's PERFECT. Much, much better than A Million Suns. There are so many great parts about this book. And the only little flaw about the book is the slow starting. 

The plot is finely made and excellent. Beth Revis is surely a genius. She can link the whole Phydus thing to the hybrids in Centauri-Earth. She can link the clues from Orion and the way to save themselves together. And the solar-powered weapons are just plain awesome. Those crazy ideas are plain crazy. But a really good kind of crazy. How can you not love a book with every thread finely knit?

The plot twists are awesome. First is the whole pteros and mind-numbing purple flowers, which is... predicted because of the synopsis. But then there's the murdered. Which is confusing at first. And then their shuttle is destroyed. By what the humans called "aliens", which is a very nice plot twist. And there's the whole Orion's secret, which is surprising. And then Chris is found a traitor. Infuriating, yes. Because I kind of like that guy at first. But an awesome twist. Who knows a nice guy is the humans' enemy? And then the "aliens" are actually humans/hybrids. Very weird. This is a hell of a ride.

The relationships between characters in the book is complicated, yet all have their problems and their personality is very clear. Amy is not like the girl in Across The Universe. She's much more determined, and will do anything to save her parents and Elder. Elder becomes more matured in the book too. A true leader of the shipborns (grins). And then there's Amy's father, which can be pissy and annoying sometimes but always fierce. And there's Chris, which is a nice guy at first, and then stab-worthy with all his cruel words and excuses. Complicated, yes. But that's another thing making the book so awesome. Their personality is very clear. You can easy pick up one of them.

The threats are greater than ever, and the missions become more... impossible. First with the whole pteros thing, which is bad enough. And then "aliens" who are constantly attacking them. And then there's the whole hybrid thing. And Amy is forced to become one of them. And then there's the whole destroying-the-space-station mission, which Elder miraculously comes back. All with really good endings, especially the peace treaty. Zane's a really good guy, by the way. At least better than Chris.

The book ends with an HEA. Which is how I predict it will be. But I still can't stop my grin from cracking up on my face. Come on, even though Elder is jealous sometimes, he's really a sweet guy. And Amy is a really good girl. They surely deserve a happy ending after the mess happened in BOTH Godspeed and Centauri-Earth. 

I wanna read Shards and Ashes, because I wanna know how Orion knows about all the mess in Centauri-Earth. (The short story written by Beth Revis in Shards and Ashes is about Orion's past. Squee!)

Even though the trilogy has already ended, anyone who hasn't read Across The Universe should definitely read it. It's worth your time to soak up into that trilogy. Beth Revis's crazy ideas will stun you. And Shades of Earth is the perfect finale for the trilogy.

Rating: 9.5/10

As They Slip Away: Review

Novella of Across The Universe.

Summary:

Taking place on the spaceship Godspeed before Amy Martin wakes up and Elder takes leadership, this novella describes life at the Hospital during Eldest's reign. Focusing primarily on background characters, readers will see fan-favorite characters Harley, Orion, Victria, and more.

Selene is a singer on a spaceship that only values people who can provide important skills that enhance survival. As her friends--fellow "loons" in the Hospital--start to join apprenticeships to turn their skills into valuable labor, Selene is sent with a handful of other students to learn about the importance of art from the Recorder, Orion. The assignment pairs her with a young sculptor, Luthor, and their dangerous romance proves just how terrifying living trapped on a spaceship under the rule of a heartless dictator could be.

This tragic tale explores the background of a previously unknown character, linking the history of the ship and its residents to Amy and Elder, giving depth to the world of Godspeed.

Full version will be released on January 11, after a week-long sneak-peek blog tour.

***

This is a short story, so I will keep the review short

This is not the best novella I've read so far. But it's very... enlightening, you can say. in Across The Universe Godspeed gives me a really creepy feeling. And this book intensifies this creepiness. I mean, is Luthor crazy? What the hell is wrong with him?

This is a tragic story, featuring a girl who is supposed to be a talented singer but is destroyed by a crazed boy on the ship. It kind of reminds me of Luthor's weird behavior in A Million Suns (or is that Across The Universe?). Beth Revis can potray the tragedy really well, although I have to say the reason for Selene to stop taking those pills is not firm enough. Still, I appreciate her skills and the emotions is very intense.

Even though Amy and Elder is not on Godspeed after A Million Suns, this story gives some of the backgrounds of the massive spaceship. Meaningful.

Rating: 7/10 

A Million Suns: Review

It's been a few days since I finished reading Across The Universe. Time for a review of A Million Suns, the second book of Across The Universe trilogy by Beth Revis.

Summary:

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

***

I must say, this book hasn't disappoint me. Not even a bit. I wouldn't say this is the most exciting dystopian novel. But it's awesome! You can't imagine how much better it is compared with Across The Universe!

So it starts off with Elder being Eldest. And apparently by that time the ship has stopped for quite a long while. And I was like SERIOUSLY? The effing ship just stop here and not moving at all? And then I grow so desperate and think about how can there be Shades of Earth if the ship has stopped? I was so happy when I found out that they are already near the planet. But that's a little bit strange, don't you think? Because even though all the dudes are trapped in that frexing ship, I still can't believe that only few of them knows it. I mean, shouldn't Elder know it earlier?

And here's an all-hell chaos in Godspeed. When the patches are marked follow your leaders, I almost shouted out NO WAY IN THE FUCKING HELL. I mean, come on. Anyone has a sense of reality KNOWS that Elder isn't that kind of guy. Those guys are like from mainland China. Use all those power to create chaos and stop listen the crap/non-crap that Elder says. But the whole situation is like a detective novel. And I LOVE it. I had no idea Doc does this. The betrayal reminds me of Caleb Prior. Only Caleb's case is way stronger (and I wanna kill Caleb AGAIN).

But there's still something that Beth didn't fix. What about the frozens? Godspeed has suffered serious damage during those explosions. And I still don't know whether Amy's mom and dad are safe. Are they forgotten? If so, that will be extremely weird, and quite a big hole that no one but the author can try to fix.

So why's better than Across The Universe? Well, first is Amy. She finally has some dystopia girl in her. She gets tougher, stronger. I like this new side of her, even though that doesn't really match her appearance. And then there's the plot. All hell looses in A Million Suns. There are seemingly endless chaos, hidden threats from Godspeed and the planet, the confusing clues, and all those lies and secrets. Stakes are getting much higher than in Across The Universe. Looks like Shades of Earth is gonna be another awesome book.

The rating is quite nice in Goodreads. And if you still had doubt in Across The Universe, well I suggest you to get rid of it and pick up the book. They will never cease to amaze you.

Rating: 8/10

Across The Universe: Review

I'm sure I'm so outdated because I just finished Across The Universe... only.

Summary:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

***

This book is a little bit underrated. I think it should be at least 4 out of 5 when the rating is just 3.81 out of 5 in goodreads. I have to admit it starts out really confusing. Maybe the first thing I know for sure is that the time is a little bit jumping back and forth in the first chapters. But then when it comes to the awesome parts, things start looking more... chaotic in a very dystopian way. So except for the first part of the book, the rest of it is quite good, actually.

I think this is a dystopian novel. But this is very different because the setting isn't even on Earth (or Sol-Earth, whatever). Just look at all those very famous ones (okay, I totally get that Beth is also an NY times bestseller, but come on) like The Hunger Games, Divergent, Delirium, Shatter Me, etc. They all set on Earth. Maybe not the world we are so very familiar with, but at least, on Earth. This book sets on a space ship, with dying engines, weird people, fake nature, etc. I have to say the setting is unique. 

There's one shocking thing about the book though. It's not about the plot or anything like it. What is shocking is there are 80 FREAKING chapters. When I started the book and find that there are so many chapters, I was like are you serious? This book is not that thick. But then I realize there are so many very short chapters. And then I was like why did you divide so many chapters when quite a number of them just contain several sentences? So yeah, that's surprising, but I'm not complaining.

This book is about a kind-of homogenous society... on a space ship. This is more sci-fi then any other dystopian novel. Space ships, Phybus (is that what the drug called?), frozen cargo, nuclear energy, fake soil, fake grass, weird food, etc. The girl is quite different also. The girl's supposed to be strong or tough like nails in all the dystopian novels. But looks like Amy isn't one of those girls. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally cool with it. I just didn't expect a normal girl like her to be the main female protagonist.

And there's Elder. Well, I'm not sure what to say about Elder. Even though he fits in all the qualities that a typical dystopian main male protagonist, I don't find myself fangirl about him. I don't know if it's because of the fact that he's definitely not tough enough, or he's not that firm on his decisions, or Four and Alex and Adam and Perry are just too awesome. He's a good guy though, even though there's still something mysterious about him.

There isn't much to comment on this book. But I guess the best thing about the book is that the chaos are actually chaos. The tasks are actually challenging, and the threats are very high. The worst thing about the book is probably the first chapters, because they are not that attractive. I was like what are you talking about when I started reading it, especially when the point of view jumps from Amy to Elder constantly. But the supposed awesome part are actually, very awesome. Good job here, Beth.

I'm reading A Million Suns right now. Hope that this sequel will be better than Across The Universe.

Rating: 7.5/10