Book Review: Pandora Jones: Reckoning (Pandora Jones #3) by Barry Jonsberg

Goodreads Description: 

Pan blinked. Something strange was happening to her mind and body. She felt relaxed, but at the same time, acutely aware of everything. She remembered the Professor's words: she was the cause of the destruction of humanity. And she felt the truth of those words.

Pandora Jones's problems appear insurmountable. She must convince her team that nothing is as it seems and that they must escape and expose The School to save the world from the plague she unwittingly inflicted on it. The only thing Pan has on her side is her gift of intuition, and her belief in the people she cares about.

But with the clock ticking, can she find a way to stop the plague, and should she do it at any cost?

Pan and her friends face off against the might of The School as the final pieces fall into place in the hugely compelling Pandora Jones series.

Title: Pandora Jones: Rekoning
Author: Barry Jonsberg
Genre: Sci-Fi, survival, paranormal, apocalyptic, YA, 
Format: Paperback
Pages:312 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: ARC was received in exchanged for an honest review from the publisher

Warning: This review might spoil evens from Book 1: Admission (Review Here) and Book 2: Deception (Review Here).

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and like every last book in a series I'm excited yet scared on how its gonna end and thank goodness Reckoning did everything right on ending a series!

The third and final book of the Pandora Jones series picks up immediately where we left off in Deception. In this book the truth behind the school, Pandora and her friends reason for being there and most importantly where did Pandora's powers come from is revealed.

I savored the story not wanting it to end yet wanting answers for all the cliff hanging questions in the previous book and this book delivered, tying in all the loose end in ways i didn't expected with a nice little bow. While I still was not a fan of Pan's inner captain obvious thoughts, I'm now at a point to where I'm used to it so it didn't bother me as much as it did in the previous books. The pacing in this book was slightly slower pace but I preferred that as it gives me a breather to process what's going on. Also like the previous books the action and suspense were nothing but nerve wrecking and epic to the point I'm on the edge of my seat hoping they'll be okay (spoilers... not really).

The scientific element is wicked and easy to follow and I also like how they talk about the ethics and morals of science and health. Lastly the way the book concluded was fitting and perfectly done! Prior to the released of the book my over thinking theory brain could not think of a 'happy' and satisfying way for this series to conclude but gosh did the author did a great job of summing up the series!

The character and relationship building in this book was probably the best in the series where we not only explore more of Pan and Jen's friendship that was established in the previous book but we also get to know more of the other characters aka their group mates like Wei Lin, Sanjit, Sam and Karl where in the short time we manage to get more of their backstory and their strengths, weaknesses and secrets which will all be important for the later part of the book. Mostly I enjoy how this diverse cast of characters interact with each other as they work together to try and crack down the secret behind the school.

Pan's relationship with Nate was surprisingly bittersweet and though Nate was such a hit/miss character for me through the series, his fate was the saddest part of this book. I seriously was rooting for Pan and Nate to be together especially with how he redeems himself ( comparing him to Theresa in Maze Runner AT LEASE HE TRIES TO REDEEM HIMSELF which got me to emphasis for his character) and the surprise of his relationship with a certain school faculty member.

Lastly the truth behind Pan's powers was kinda confusing but surprising. I had to re read that whole scene a couple of times but I like what they did with her finding out the truth and also answers some questions I had of another character in the previous book. Also from what I gather, Pan 'unlocks' a new level or ability with her power in each book which is really cool as we get to see her developed and adapt to her 'gift'.

Overall the Pandora Jones series is seriously one of the best and unique apocalypse/sci-fi theme YA I've came across as well as one of the more underrated Aussie YA out there. I highly recommend this series for its diverse cast of characters, epic and fast pace action and plot twisting story line.

Book Review: The Rule Of Thoughts (The Mortality Doctrine #2) by James Dashner

Goodreads Description:

Michael completed the Path. What he found at the end turned everything he'd ever known about his life completely upside down.

He barely survived. But it was the only way VirtNet Security could track down the cyber-terrorist Kaine - and to make the Sleep safe for gamers once again. And, the truth Michael discovered about Kaine is more terrifying than even the worst of their fears.

Kaine is a tangent, a computer program that has become sentient (come alive?). And Michael's completing the Path was the first stage in turning Kaine's master plan, the Mortality Doctrine, into a reality.

And the takeover has already begun. 

Title: The Rule Of Thoughts (The Mortality Doctrine #2)
Author: James Dashner
Genre: Sci-fi, YA, action, triller, suspense
Format: Paperback

Pages:
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Purchased from Popular Bookshop

I got this the moment I was done with The Eye of Mind as that ending!!! 

'The Rule of Thoughts' starts immediately where we left off in The Eye Of Mind (Full Review Here)

This sequel is thrilling, adrenaline pumping, confusing and provoking to the point you WILL have trust issues when you are done with this book (but then again I have trust issues after reading all of James Dasher's books)

Picking up immediately where we left off in the first book, ‘The Rule of thoughts’ follows Michael as he learns his whole life is a lie and that he is actually a ‘tangent’ aka AI programed by Kaine and is inserted into the brain of another human.  

Now that he’s human living in the real world, Kaine wants him captured for the next phrase of his plan. With that Michael rounds up his friends Sarah and Byron in the wake and together along with the help with VirtNet and Weber they are to take down Kaine before he causes more damage in both the sleep and the wake.

This is the most confusing and reckless book I’ve read by James Dashner so far! As I mention, the man gives me trust issues (in a good way) as I have no ideal which party to trust especially VirtNet as its like reading a supporting party on a mood swing. One moment you can really trust them and the next *game over*.

In this series (and probably all of his books) is a dangerous game of trust.

Though I like the plot, it was inconsistent as I found some parts of the book a bit draggy and boring at times making it feel like a filler. Even so the air of suspense and mystery was well played out as Michael and his friends learn more about Kaine and his motive. There was a bit of a road trip element which I enjoyed and I love the detail of the world building and learning more about this futuristic world of the 'wakes' and the technologies especially when they were talking about the ‘outdated technologies’.

The action scenes, liked Dashner’s other books this was no exception with its thrilling fast pace actions that had good description of the scenarios they are in but leave some room for the reader’s imagination to flow. Long story short, nail biting and nerve wrecking leaving me at the edge of my seats I always look forward to his action sequences.

There were some questions nicely rounded up from the last book but sadly not lot of question were answered. In fact there were a lot of set up for the final book which I’m looking forward to how it’s going to wrap up the story arc.

Dashner's style of writing is one of my favourites as he manages to create his own language like 'wake', 'sleep', 'tangent' etc. which is usually very confusing and takes a while for me to pick up but once you understand the meaning it is a breeze.

He's also really good at pacing out the plot, though I mentioned there were some boring fillers, I still like how in 'The Mortality Doctorine' series each chapter is split up into check points or 'mini chapters' which helps builds the suspense and makes the book feel fast pace.

Also... THAT ENDING!!! Of cause the best curve ball of plot twist is thrown in at the last minute leaving me wanting to get a TARDIS and fast forward to August 2015 for that last book in the series as it was mind blowing and caught me off guard! It also was a great last minute set up to the premise of the last book.

I liked how Michael was played out in this book. He’s feels slightly different and reminds me of the how the character Thomas from The Maze Runner. Even so he was a likeable character though once again we don’t know much about him and there was a lot of questions about Michael not answered.

I enjoyed Michael’s friendship with Sarah and Byron. They are very alike with their quick thinking, intelligent and logical minds along with awesome hacking skills. Especially after reading this book I clearly see them as an alternate reality version of Harry, Hermione and Ron from the Harry Potter series as their personalities mirror them.

It’s great to learn more about Sarah and Byron’s characters! We learn a lot about their lives in the wakes but we also see some character development of them as the book progresses.

Comparing this book to the previous which book, this one had a hint of romance which reminded me of the romance from the maze runner. Michael is clueless with his romantic feelings but he does not let it get in the way of his mission of taking down Kaine or his friendship. His relationship with Sarah came out sweet and I’m hoping for it to be developed more in the next book.

Lastly the character Weber aka the most frustrating and unreliable yet brilliantly and smart mission commander I’ve read! It was frustrating and the main cause to the game of trust issues as one moment I can trust the woman and I think I’m looking at some scientific genius and the next moment she’s a traitor! Reading her character is like going on a rollercoaster blindfolded. Even so I’m looking forward to reading more about this character’s plot twist in the next book as I want to see what in the world is gonna happen to her character.

Overall the rule of thought was a great second book though as I mentioned I did have some issues with it I still did enjoy and had fun with this sequel.

I like how it explores about Michael and his identity (is he real or not), the blur lines between the virtual world and reality as well as the 'cyber laws'.

'The Rule of Thought' is filled with great plot twist and set up to the next book and am looking forward to continue Michael and his friend’s adventure.

 The last book 'The Game of Lives' in the series is coming out in August and is one of my most anticipated sequels!

Name one of your most anticipated sequels in the comments!

For me it will be Winter by Marrisa Meyer and I need to wait till November for the conclusion to this series! But then I also have PS: I still love you by Jenny Han somewhere in May/June so that should last me till November.

Book Review: Pandora Jones: Deception (Pandora Jones #2) by Barry Jonsberg

Goodreads Description:

Pandora and her team are already two members down. The survival of humanity in the post-plague world depends on them. But who can she trust?

It was difficult to know when nightmares ended and the waking world began.

Pan is still struggling to distinguish between her dreams and reality. When she wakes in the Infirmary her mind replays the sight of Nate running along the shoreline and the way his body froze and then flopped after he was shot. But her memories hold more questions than answers and she doesn't know who to trust.

When she forms an unlikely alliance with Jen to try to make sense of everyone's haunting similar memories and the conflicting information about The School, she finds herself with unexpected enemies.

Pan and Jen are determined to seek the truth - no matter what rules they must break or how terrible the danger they face. But can they even trust each other?

Intuition. Secrets. Truth. Courage. Action. Survival.  

Title: Pandora Jones: Deception (Pandora Jones #2)
Author: Barry Jonsberg
Genre: Sci-Fi, survival, paranormal, apocalyptic, YA, 
Format: Paperback

Pages: 288 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Won as a Giveaway Price from the Publisher

'Deception’ starts with a prologue recapping what happen in the previous book of Pandora and her friends returning from a mission. Two team mates down, Pandora makes allies with her team mate and former ‘frienemy’ Jen in order to work out the motive of The School and escape the place.
  

Following Pandora and Jen snooping around as we get to know more about The School and its hidden secrets. Trough out the book we pick up pieces of the puzzle to come out with our own conclusion of The School and the world they are living in now.

There were so many great plot twist that kept this book engaging as you want to know what happen next. The ending of the book was mind blowing as while some parts were predictable most of them I didn't expect at all! My theories have turned upside down thanks to that ending! 

Dang you cliff hanger! I have to wait for 6 months for the next book?!?! Why?!?! Need to know what happens next!

This book was a page turner! I enjoyed the plot development and the themes of the book. I like that this book focuses on the friendship between Pandora and her team mates especially with Jen and Wei Lin. There were some really good adventure moments and better action moments that was epic but nerve wrecking and kept me on the edge of my seat. 

I love the character developments! We got to know a more about Pandora, Wei Lin, Sanjitt and the rest of the group especially Jen! Jen has went from my least favorite character in the series to my favorite! Smart, sassy and bad ass  Jen is everything I love in characters and have some of the best lines! We also get to know more about her including her past. I also love watching Pandora progress trough the book as she developed her strength and talent. While she is slightly wiser and more knowledgeable in this book she still tend to make some really stupid decisions thought not as bad as in Admission. 

I like the pacing of the book and breezed trough the story. I've also gotten used to the writing style which I mention in Admission I was not a fan of at first. I am however still not fan of Pandora's inner thought. There were times where it was okay and there were times where it was really annoying as it was pointing out the obvious.

Other than that, Deception was a great sequel! Like it more than Admission. Very provocation and engaging with great story and character development. Check out the Pandora Jones series for a great Aussie YA and epic apocalyptic adventure series.

Looking forward to 'Pandora Jones: Reckoning' which is coming out in May 2015. 

What was the last cliff hanger that drove you nuts?

Cress by Marrisa Myers! I need Winter!

Book Review: Pandora Jones: Admission (Pandora Jones #1) by Barry Jonsberg

Goodreads Description:

Pandora Jones wakes in an infirmary - her body weak, her memory providing only flashes of horrific scenes of death. She soon discovers that her family has succumbed to a plague pandemic which almost wiped out humanity. Pan is one of the survivors who have been admitted to The School - a quarantined, heavily guarded survival-skills facility - to recover their strength, hone their skills and prepare for whatever comes next. Pandora's skill is intuition, but how useful will it be outside the secure walls of The School? And what if it leads her to question where the truth lies...

Plague. Pandemic. Intuition. Secrets. Truth. Courage. Action. Survival.

 

Title: Pandora Jones: Admission
Author: Barry Jonsberg
Genre: Sci-Fi, survival, paranormal, apocalyptic, YA, 
Format: Paperback
Pages:312 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Purchased from Big W

The moment I opened the book and saw 'It took slightly under eight hours for Melbourne to die.' I knew i had to read this!

Filled with suspense, mystery, action and a hint of paranormal, Pandora Jones: Admission was a great series starter! 

The book starts with Pandora waking up in an infirmary with bits and pieces of her past including the last day of her life. Confuse and curious, Pandora finds herself in 'The School' where surviving youths are sent after humanity including her family succumbed to a plague. There they are cut out from the outside world and are trained 'For the future of humanity' physically with combat and mentally with regular school classes. She is placed in a group where each student have a special ability like combat, sports, technology, etc. For Pandora she has a six-sense institution of locating lost objects and developed her ability trough the book. The longer she stays in 'The School' the more she question about the odd and off things about the place.

Pandora was a likeable character. She reminds me a bit of Tris from Divergent, an averaged girl throned into a boot camp and Thomas from the The Maze Runner who is curious, intelligent and compassionate.

Her 'love interest' and partner in crime Nate, an American teen who's ability is running is my favorite character! Brave, a natural leader and like Pandora is compassionate and curious about the motive of the school. Is it mean to say that I feel like he is a 'rejected' Maze Runner Character?!?! (joke lol). I pictured him as Newt from The Maze Runner as he is the peace keeper of the group and a bit of Minho with his great leadership attitude. 

I was not a fan of Pandora falling head over heals with Nate at first sight. Heck i was not a fan of her initial inner thoughts of Nate and to be honest i thought it was unnecessary. Other than that I love their friendship.

The side Characters include Wie-Lin, Sanjeet, Cara, Sam and Karl were great however i have mix feelings about the character Jen as she can be a freaking B!tch at times and have opposite views with Pandora which stir up some conflict between the two of them. However between her idea and action verse Pandora's ideas and actions I will have to go with Jen as it makes more sense locally. 

Apart from that, I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters where they come from all places like New Zealand to Hong Kong as well as a mix of races.

I had mixed feelings on the third POV writing style and felt it was flat. I also was not a fan of Pandora's inner thought. I felt like it will have been better from first POV so that we will know what is going in Pandora's head and not trough her inner thoughts.

I like the concept of the story. Though first one third of the story was a bit slow and very confusing (which should be a good thing as I was just as lost and confuse as Pandora was) along with alot of world building. After that he plot picks up and we get into the fast pace, nerve wrecking action sequence. There are some eye opening themes like morality vs survival along with trust issues on the authorities of the school and their motive for Pandora and her friends.

The ending of the book... whyyyyyy ?!?! nooooo?!?! whyyyyyy?!?! Dang you plot holes!!! Why!

It was a freaking provoking and ended with a cliff hanger with a good set up for the sequel!

Other than that I this as a great first book in the series! I love the concept of the story and have so many conspiracy theories running trough my head when I was done with the book!

I highly recommend if  you are a fan of  Divergent, The Hunger Games and especially The Maze Runner, as there are some elements from those series but the book has its own unique spin! Also for video game lovers out there check this out if you are a fan of the survival Apocalypse of  The Last of Us and its Prequel (of Ellie sent to the boarding school) and the Paranormal elements from Beyond Two Souls you need to check this out! 

Its great to see Aussie lit diverging from the Contemporary into the dystopian, paranormal genre.

I am currently reading the sequel Pandora Jones: Deception so expect a review on that soon!

 What was your last favorite Aussie Lit?

Incredible Adventure's of Cinnamon Girl by Mellisa Keil! I devoured that book xD

Book Review : Reboot (Reboot #1) by Amy Tintera

Goodreads Discription:

'5 years ago, I died. 178 minutes later, I woke up.'

In this post-apocalyptic thriller a deadly virus mutation sees teenagers raised from the dead and trained to be vicious soldiers until Wren, the deadliest Reboot, joins forces with Callum, the most innocent, to try to overthrow the organisation that has corrupted their world.

Title: Reboot (Reboot #1)
Author: Amy Tintera
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post Apocalypse, Romance
Format: Paperback (UK edition)

Pages: 384 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Purchased from Dymocks

I am a sucker for anything with the word 'Zombie Apocalypse'! This is a really cool and unique twist on the genre where instead of the undead coming back as flash eating monsters they come back as super bionic humans! The longer they are dead the stronger but less emotional they are rebooted.

I put off getting the series as I wanted to get the sleek looking US covers from the bookdepository but recently I won the sequel Rebel in a giveaway (which was the UK/Aus cover) so naturally I had to get the matching edition.

The pacing of the book is fast pace and full of awesome action pack moments. Reading it, the atmosphere reminds me of some great survival apocalypse themed video game that I've played like Left 4 Dead and The Last of Us.

The plot have a good balance of action where they were fast pace but not too fast that you can barely catch up as well as some great character and world building moments.

I instantly love Wern and Callum characters! Wern has been dead for 178 minutes which makes her one of the strongest, deadliest but emotionless reboots. Strong, sharp and straight forward, she's what I like to see in a main female character.

 Callum is the total opposite to Wern which is very different from a lot of books as if there is a strong female character there usually is a stronger male character. In this case because Callum has been dead for only 22 minutes, he is one of the weakest reboots, and is practically human with the fact he show's a lot of emotions. Unlike a lot of reboots he ask too many questions, he refuses to kill and fright and cause he has alot of emotions he smiles alot. Still he is sweet, funny and charming and is not afraid of Wren. He makes her feel less of a monster and more human.

I like their relationship! The pacing was surprising as usually in dystopian/apocalyptic the romance is insta-love. Instead the build up to the romance took a while so that was refreshing to read.

I whiz trough Reboot and picked up the sequel Rebel the moment I was done. The ending was sort of a cliff hanger which was a good not frustrating set up to the sequel.

Overall I love this book! It has everything I enjoy in a survival/apocalypse genre! Check this if you want a great survival action reads along with a unique twist to the Zombie Apocalypse world!

Book Review :The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner

Goodread Description:

The Trials are over. WICKED is planning to restore the survivors' memories and complete the final cure for the Flare.

But Thomas has already remembered more than they think. And he knows WICKED can't be trusted...

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine. Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

 

Title: The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3)

Author: James Dashner
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Apocalyptic, Post Apocalyptic, Action, Thriller, Suspense 
Format: Paperback
Pages: 329 pages
Source:Purchased from K mart

OMG this series will be the death of me!!! *wave fist at the author for writing a amazing series*

I'm not crying... just got something in my eyes... no not crying... no...

Takes place immediately where we left off in scorch trials and once again the book if fulled with confusion, suspense, mystery along with good kickass actions, adventure and friendship. 

The scenario and environment they are in is once again different from the first two books.

We got a lot of good plot twists till the point you don't know who to trust. Many I didn't see coming at all and a lot of throwbacks to both The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials. Some of the things that happen in this book reminded me a bit of the video games The Last Of Us with its similar scenarios.

Even though we got more questions answered on wicked and the trials... there is once again some questions are not answered thought I am guessing that its a for shadow to the prequels like Killzorder and Fever code to answer those questions.

Also we go more in depth with The Flare and how it effect someone who is infected. We also learn what WICKED does with those who are infected, immune and about the quarantined zones.

Okay I seriously want to give Thomas a hug as the poor guy has been trough alot. He's very caring and loyal to his friends. Quick thinking on his actions and for once he didn't do anything too stupid that makes you want to hit him in the head. He goes trough life/death and traumatic experience trough out the series but non as gruesome as this book. I feel as a character, he grew a lot in this book. The decisions he makes in this book were good and wise even though some were difficult and painful.

MINHO IS MVP OF THE SERIES!!! or MVC (MOST VALUABLE CHARACTER). I love this guy to bits!!! Sassy and sarcastic as always, a great leader and loyal friend. I also love all the quick thinking action scenes he has!

WHERE.CAN.I.GET.A.MINHO.IN.MY.LIFE???

Yay we got to know more about Jorge and Brenda! Jorge was an okay character and a father figure to Brenda. Brenda was kickass but also mysterious and at times I had trust issues with her. In the end I still like her character. 

Newt... oh boy I really want to hug the poor guy. Lets just say something happens and though I expected his fate to happen, the way it played out was the saddest and most painful thing I've read in the series... *sniff *sniff 

Theresa... I feel for Thomas on my thoughts on her. In scorch trials she betrays him so I don't blame him for not trusting her. In death cure she was trying to win back his trust. The ending I didn't see coming at all.

A character from the previous book shows up and it kinda gave me a shock. I didn't like him in the previous book but they did a good job explaining actions and has change for the better.. yah I kinda like the character.

Also most side characters from previous books are pushed aside and briefly mention. The Death Cure mainly focuses on Thomas,Minho and Brenda with a bit of Jorge, Theresa and Newt.

WICKED... though they did a lot of screwy things, for once they did something right in this book and I am quiet glad about it. Though that Rat Man guy is efffffffffff up! Like mental crazy efff up! Also there is still alot some questions about Chancellor Paige that needs answer!

Like any dystopian/apocalyptic genre, we have a mess up 'government' but also a mess up 'rebel' and at the end we really don't know who to trust. I have such mix feelings with the right-arm people trough the whole book.

The pacing and build up for the plot was so good! James Dashner has a good way of captivating and keeping me wanting to turn the pages to know what happens next as like the previous book SOMETHING IS ALWAYS HAPPENING! And yes... I stayed up till 3am reading this... again...

Some action scenes were too draggy but there are still some fast pace moments. Also while some scenes were sad and emotional as well as intense, there were a couple of scenes that I found flat.

While in the last book there was a bit of love triangle romance tension and confusion, I'm glad that there is not love triangle in this book and the romance is put to the back seat as this series focus mainly on survival, trust and friendship. If they added the romance I think it will have chocked up the storyline so its refreshing to read a series where its light on romance.

The ending... partly sad as we lost another major character and that it was not focus as a significant but I don't really blame them as they were in a life/death not time to think or turn back situation. I am also kinda surprise with the ending cause its a happy ending.

Then I turned the page to that god damn epilogue... wait...what?! why?! okay but still wth?!?!

Like the previous books it ends with a confusing email/note from WICKED so maybe... just maybe the adventure is not over for Thomas and his friends.

Even so I am satisfied with how it ended though I am freaking sad on all the characters we lost!

I found this book sadder and more emotional than the previous books. The action is less intense compared to scorch trials but it have some really good world and plot build up. I also feel like this book is more character centric.

James Dashner has made it to the list of new favorite author and I love this series he has created!

Though the scorch trials is my favorite book in the series I love all three books! Each for a different reason! I want to pick up the Killorder but not too soon as this series have left me in exhaustion and maybe even a book hangover...

Amazing series that have a lot of epic actions, adventure and trills that will leave you on the edge of your seat. I also love the snarky and sarcastic dialogs and the cast of characters .

Definitely check out this series! Not a disappointment! 

Also check out my review on The Maze Runner Book and Movie and The Scorch Trials

 What was the last great series you've read?

Me? The Lunar Chronicles even though the series is not yet over... NEED.WINTER.YESTERDAY.