Review: Save the Enemy by Arin Greenwood

Title: Save the Enemy

Author: Arin Greenwood

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Contemporary

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 288

Publisher: Soho Teen

Published: November. 13, 2013

Source: Own

Description: Everything has been downhill since Zoey Trask’s mother was murdered in a random mugging. Her younger brother, Ben, is on the autistic spectrum and needs constant supervision. It’s senior year, and she’s the new girl at a weird private school in Old Town Alexandria, VA, full of kids who seem too nice to be true—including a very cute boy named Pete. Aside from half-forgotten martial arts and survivalist skills that her widowed father insisted on teaching her (because that is excellent for her social life), Zoey has nothing to offer Pete or anyone else.  

Then Dad is kidnapped. Zoey suddenly finds herself sole caretaker of a younger brother she barely understands. Worse, Ben seems to hold the key to their father’s disappearance in his Dream Diary, a bizarre journal of names and places Ben claims that their mother shares from beyond the grave. And as if Zoey doesn’t have enough on her plate, there’s Pete, who stubbornly refuses to leave her side.

Relying on the skills she never wanted to learn—Dad might have had his reasons after all—Zoey is plunged into a lethal battle to rescue her father, protect her brother, and determine the identity of her family’s true enemy.

My Review: This whole book the main character, Zoey is doing nothing. She letting these people randomly lead her somewhere. She would of been dead already. She is not that smart. I thought she was going to be this kick ass girl who was going to save her dad who was kidnapped. Talking about things that I did not care for and a lot randomness. All of a sudden she starts talking about her clothes, your dad is kidnapped and your thinking about something else. There was no thriller to this or action. She didn't have much contact with the kidnappers. They texted her twice to get something for them and she met someone once who she kicked untill he was down. She mets that person later on again and somehow knocked him out, she did think why is he trying to kill her but never thought to tie him up and ask him. This whole book she doesn't even know if her father is even alive. I got tired of hearing her 'dad says this, dad says that' I don't know what was going on in Peters head, what kind of person is he?. Is he cool, funny, etc. He doesn't even feel mystrious to me. I did not understand the releationship between Zoey and peter. The Author writes a lot of 'she says, he says, I say, peter said, ben said' Its just Plain. The author kept writing four ???? when zoey is asking questions in her head. (Ex. who are the hell is P.F???? who are any of the P.F.s????)

This Quote "I look for Roscoe. I miss my parents. I have this crazy feeling of wanting to make babies with pete." WHAT!? That last sentence is so random.

"as if P.F. is really fucking dumb." The Cursing comes out of nowhere. There was no cursing in the beginning and it just seemed out of place.

She splet with her best friend, Molly's ex boyfriend. Molly was mad at her and she wasn't speaking with her. I guess she still had feeling for her ex. Then her friend gets thrown in to all this mess but then she just disappears. she could be dead. Then at the end pete says he's going to look for her. That whole thing with Molly was confusing.

A lot of Unnesscesary things like a metorite, zoey having to take a diarrhea. She says "I think I might have diarrhea" that was just random. A lot of stuff could of been left out.

I'm only giving it 2 stars because of the plot twist. I didn't like the way it ended.

1 out of the 5 Stars

Read: May. 16, 2014 - May. 17, 2014

Review: Saving Max by Antoinette Van Heugten

Description: Max Parkman;autistic and whip-smart, emotionally fragile and aggressive—is perfect in his mother’s eyes. Until he's accused of murder.
Attorney Danielle Parkman knows her teenage son Max’s behavior has been getting worse—using drugs and lashing out. But she can't accept the diagnosis she receives at a top-notch adolescent psychiatric facility that her son is deeply disturbed. Dangerous.

Until she finds Max, unconscious and bloodied, beside a patient who has been brutally stabbed to death.

Trapped in a world of doubt and fear, barred from contacting Max, Danielle clings to the belief that her son is innocent. But has she, too, lost touch with reality? Is her son really a killer?

With the justice system bearing down on them, Danielle steels herself to discover the truth, no matter what it is. She’ll do whatever it takes to find the killer and to save her son from being destroyed by a system that’s all too eager to convict him
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Review:  Here (WARNING, MAJOR SPOILER) IF YOU ARE GOING TO READ THIS BOOK, DO NOT READ THIS.
(NO SPOILERS HERE) I loved the book, great pace, the suspence was really great. the end was surprising. great details. I could not put it down. (I read on the authors blog and she said she is working on a sequel. I CAN NOT wait for that!)

5 out of 5 Stars
Read: August. 20, 2013 - August 22, 2013 2:20am

Review: Black Ice (Young Sherlock Holmes #3)

Description: A third case for teen Sherlock involves a heinous crime … and a brother with blood on his hands When Sherlock and Amyus Crowe, his American tutor, visit Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft, in London, all they are expecting is lunch and some polite conversation. What they find shocks both of them to the core: a locked room, a dead body, and Mycroft holding a knife. The police are convinced Mycroft is a vicious murderer, but Sherlock is just as convinced he is innocent. Threatened with the gallows, Mycroft needs Sherlock to save him. The search for the truth necessitates an incredible journey, from a railway station for dead bodies in London all the way to the frozen city of Moscow—where Sherlock is afoot in a world of secrets and danger.

My Review: I’m going to give it 3.5 stars. It was different from the first two books. It was still interesting with all the twists at the end and the little action. I felt the ending was kinda rushed. More new interesting characters to look out for in the future, Kyte’s Theatrical Company or Paradol Chamber members. If the author talks about them again. Looking forward to reading about Mrs. Eglantine in the next book.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read: July. 31 - August. 5, 2013

Review: Rebel Fire (Young Sherlock Holmes #2)

Desription: Fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes knows that Amyus Crowe, his mysterious American tutor, has some dark secrets. But he didn’t expect to find John Wilkes Booth, the notorious assassin, apparently alive and well in England—and Crowe somehow mixed up in it. When no one will tell you the truth, sometimes you have to risk all to discover it for yourself. And so begins an adventure that will take Sherlock across the Atlantic, to the center of a deadly web—where a friend is in peril and a defeated army threatens to rise again.

Andrew Lane’s exciting second case for the teenage Sherlock leads the young detective to America, straight into the heart of a shocking conspiracy.

My Review: I'm giving it 4.5 Stars. A lot of action which I liked and the different Scenery. Great details on whats going on at certain scenes and on different objects like the design of the S.S. Scotia. Like the first book, I love how the evil guy is disfigured or something like that. (SPOILERS) Baron Maupertuis bones was broken and he used these things to be pull like a puppet to move around. Duke Balthassar used leeches to stay alive from an illnes. They both used animals, Bees & Cougars as weapons. They are insteresting characters and I hope there are more like them in the other books. I thought this book was going to be more about John Wilkes Booth, but I liked how it ended up. I would of liked to know if they found balthassar body or if Sherlock told Crowe? But I think Crowe know something happened?

4.5 out of 5 stars

Read: July. 10 - July. 14, 2013 2:45am

Review: Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes #1)

Description - The year is 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. His life is that of a perfectly ordinary army officer’s son: boarding school, good manners, a classical education – the backbone of the British Empire. But all that is about to change. With his father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously ‘unwell’, Sherlock is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire. So begins a summer that leads Sherlock to uncover his first murder, a kidnap, corruption and a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent . . . The Death Cloud is the first in a series of novels in which the iconic detective is reimagined as a brilliant, troubled and engaging teenager – creating unputdownable detective adventures that remain true to the spirit of the original books.

My Review - I really like it, the whole idea of a teenage Sherlock Holmes, to see how he was and what made him become the man he is. I love how the author got approval from the Doyle Estate and Family. That shows that they believe in the author to give Sherlock a good background on his teenage years and not mess it up. 

As for the book, it has good writing, great characters, great plot and a good pace. The ending left me wanting more. And it's a book I would like to own (book from the library) and re-read. 

One thing that got me wondering is the housekeeper, Mrs Eglantine. I thought she was in on these mysterious death and Mycroft said "she is no friend to the Holmes family" then why do she work for them? And what is the next plans for the Baron? What happens to Matty? Well I guess I got to keep reading to find out.

4 out of 5 Stars

Read: June. 27 - May. 7, 2013