1.5 stars. Audiobook. Narration 2.5 stars- Quick thought: A bad remake of Indiana Jones and The temple of Doom.
Long, long and mostly boring inner dialog that made me tune out. This was a book where I just wanted the characters to stop talking, yeh not good. The female MC was so irritating, she had this uncanny ability to do stupid stuff and then talk herself into thinking it was brilliant. She's a cliche in all ways, a street rat trying to save her sister from slavery, a school drop out who is actually a mathematical genius, perfect because the male MC isn't at all and they need it to save their lives. It's not that she's smart that bugged me it was how it suddenly came up and then became her crown, and her old persona was forgotten. The male MC was the son of a famous notorious man who is on a mission to prove his daddy right. He's English, and unprepared for this planet. yes they are on another planet. So we have a street wise scavenger and rich college grad, to save them all. There is an uncomfortable bit of romance going on that does not fit in the story at all.
The adventure is them trying to solve an ancient mystery left by an alien race filled with booby traps. Oh and yes they are also being chased by evil villains armed with guns. Very Indiana Jones with out the fun entertaining parts. They are able to solve puzzles and escape traps, amazing right ? Then when danger is nearest they rest/sleep and get caught. So they out smart, dumb down and out smart back and forth till finally at the end we see what the real deal is. The doom that only these two misfit kids could figure out and just when you think things might resolve, they get caught again.
Stupid

 

Scrambled, abrupt plot drops, character black holes, unbelievable characters. (possible spoilers) -This started out really good. I loved the action, the mystery man, the ship the mystery. At about 15% everything went wonky. The books is filled with cliches and I saw the big moments coming from the very beginning, no surprises These people are running for their lives, they are escaped prisoners with bounty's on their heads they can not trust anyone. Too bad the story didn't stick with that little detail. Then the "big guy" (yes that was his title) who was introduced and seeming to have a major part just vanished from the story. Okay, I was thinking he'll be right back with some trick to get them going on to the next level right ? No, it's didn't happen till the end, (the end !) when he just popped up again out of the mist and was accepted back into the fold. The MC the most wanted of them all, is so wishy washy, she trusts no person, then blabs her whole story to a complete stranger she just met, and wants to do business with. Then she takes a shower in this strangers house ! What ? Okay she's dirty, water is tight on the ship, something mentioned so many times, but really? You are in so much danger, wanted, hunted and you take a shower in a strangers house ?  Wait there is more. She steals a dangerous super solider vaccine, and finds out it's made from her blood. So because she's a super special girl she can drain herself almost dry to make a fix it for some sick kids. The story goes from this super solder vaccine to sick kids with whiplash speed. The vaccine that can cause war/death/destruction suddenly becomes almost forgotten in the story, it's all about saving these orphans, yeh orphans. I could go on but I think you get my feeling on this one. What happened ? I had this author on my top 20 list, this doesn't read like her work at all. Her last 2 books declined in quality this one dumped. I'm done and will not invest in her writing anymore.

April Drools (Sucking the Life Out of Me... I adored April Drools! Of course there goes my theory of Hardy secretly crushing on Rhapsody. April Drools picks up a few months after Vampire Valentine takes place and our favorite couple Rhapsody and Reese are still together. This time, we get Hardy’s story and oh what a story it is!Our three favorite supernatural beings are still misfits, even though the school has become more aware of them now that Rhapsody has been dating Reese. When the new girl, Claire, enrolls, every male has eyes for her and Hardy isn’t the exception. Taking one look at her, our favorite werewolf just turns into putty and he’s a bit upset when Rhapsody and Samantha approach her. Only because he’s not sure of what to make of her. Claire isn’t too thrilled to learn she’s one of four supernatural beings now enrolled. At her old school, they pretty much dominated the scene. Claire and Hardy quickly become fast friends, but when a fellow student begins to ask her out, Hardy’s temper flares because he’s protective of her. The two quickly become an item, but when they run into Claire’s ex-boyfriend at a local theater, will Claire’s feelings change? I’m keeping quiet about the ending, but I had so much reading April Drools. Hardy is such a great character and Jones does a great job with his voice. I love the interaction between Rhapsody and Samantha with Hardy. The three truly are friends and as you read, you can easily feel the comradeship the three have. Rhapsody calls Hardy Fido with Samantha laughing along calling him Fee-Fee too. I really liked how Rhapsody and Samantha welcomed Claire into her inner circle. Ask anyone who has moved, it’s not easy being the new kid and to have two people welcome you with open arms is heartwarming. I felt Claire’s uneasiness at first and here Jones showcases how well she’s familiar with students.April Drools is a fun read! If you haven’t read Vampire Valentine, I recommend it so you’re familiar with the characters. It’s okay to pick this up and dive right in if you’re so inclined.Review originally posted at Literary, etc.