Audiobook Review: The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey

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The Shadow Hour
The Girl at Midnight #2
Author: Melissa Grey
Narrator: Julia Whelan 
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: July 12th 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press | Penguin Random House Audio| Living Language

A battle has been won. But the war has only just begun.

Everything in Echo’s life changed in a blinding flash when she learned the startling truth: she is the firebird, the creature of light that is said to bring peace.

The firebird has come into the world, but it has not come alone. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and Echo can feel a great and terrible darkness rising in the distance. Cosmic forces threaten to tear the world apart.

Echo has already lost her home, her family, and her boyfriend. Now, as the firebird, her path is filled with even greater dangers than the ones she’s already overcome.

She knows the Dragon Prince will not fall without a fight.

Echo must decide: can she wield the power of her true nature—or will it prove too strong for her, and burn what’s left of her world to the ground?

Welcome to the shadow hour.

The Shadow Hour is a good sequel to The Girl At Midnight. I am glad I was able to listen to the audiobook as I also listened to the first novel of this series. I loved how I was able to picture Echo in my head as the story was being read on my way to work. The Girl At Midnight was a bit of a cliffhanger and I liked how I was able to jump right in where the story left off. What I liked best about this sequel is that it provides me a recap of the previous story. Come on, who remembers every details after waiting for a year?

Echo's life has been a roller coaster ride. She has learned the truth about her real identity and her world is turned upside down. She is the firebird; the one to bring peace to this world she lives in. Now in this sequel, we follow her into a journey of discovering, as in self-discovery. Echo's character grows while she learns to accept her conditions and abilities. I love how she takes it with dignity and moves on. She is more fierce than ever before and braver as she faces many challenges and nails them with ease. Even though some of these challenges are dark and scary.

Although The Shadow Hour lacks battles, it is full force into Echo's development. It's like watching annoying Sansa grow into a badass and fierce character, the one everyone now loves. Honestly, it is exactly like Sansa's character development. And the only thing you can do is cheer! In addition, The Shadow Hours goes in depth into the history and we get a better picture of this world. So if you like historical and mythical story, then you should pick this story. However, I am still not a fan of the love triangles and boy, does this book covers this. Yet, it seems like Echo is finally clearing up her mind and heart when it comes to romance.

I quite enjoyed the pacing of this audibook, but really enjoyed the ending much better than the first one. There were times it threw me off, as this story contains many characters and I had to put my thinking hat on to remember them. But the more you listen, the more it takes over and a movie begins to play in your head. Overall, I really enjoyed this story as well as the audiobook. If you don't have time to read it, then I would recommend to listen to it, as Julia does a great job narrating this story.

Audiobook Review: The Season by Jonah Lisa Dyer & Stephen Dyer

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The Season
Author: Jonah Lisa Dyer & Stephen Dyer
Narrator: Erin Spencer
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Thriller
Released: February 23rd 2016
Publisher: Viking Children's | Penguin Random House Audio | Living Language

She can score a goal, do sixty box jumps in a row, bench press a hundred and fifty pounds…but can she learn to curtsey?

Megan McKnight is a soccer star with Olympic dreams, but she’s not a girly girl. So when her Southern belle mother secretly enters her in the 2016 Dallas debutante season, she’s furious—and has no idea what she’s in for. When Megan’s attitude gets her on probation with the mother hen of the debs, she’s got a month to prove she can ballroom dance, display impeccable manners, and curtsey like a proper Texas lady or she’ll get the boot and disgrace her family. The perk of being a debutante, of course, is going to parties, and it’s at one of these lavish affairs where Megan gets swept off her feet by the debonair and down-to-earth Hank Waterhouse. If only she didn’t have to contend with a backstabbing blonde and her handsome but surly billionaire boyfriend, Megan thinks, being a deb might not be so bad after all. But that’s before she humiliates herself in front of a room full of ten-year-olds, becomes embroiled in a media-frenzy scandal, and gets punched in the face by another girl.

The season has officially begun…but the drama is just getting started.

The Season is a cute story and the audiobook is quick, which is perfect for a day at the beach.

Megan is a sporty girl. She loves being active and has a dream to play soccer in college. However, this is not easily accomplished and she is doing everything in her power to get a shot in her last year. Yet things gets more complicated as her mother enrolls her to a Southern belle competition and she is not very happy about this. I don't blame her, as she is not into make-up nor dressing up as a doll. But like her mother tells her, this competition is more than the eyes can see. And she was right, Megan does learns more than beauty and being a "girly girl", she learns a lesson from life.

Megan may not be a girly girl, but she is sure sarcastic and sassy! I liked her character as I myself do not consider myself as a girly girl. She's a well rounded character, one can easily like. But what I loved most about Megan is the fact that she loves herself and is not afraid to be herself. Although the story is cute, funny and somewhat entertaining, I didn't like the romance. Megan is such a fierce character, she really didn't need a love interest. This book could've been all about girl power.... no boys, no romance. Specially since I didn't feel the connection (more like the lack of) between she and Hank. It was more of an awkward situation... I don't know how to explain it but it felt rushed and pushed.

Erin Spencer does a great job embracing Megan's character. She had me laughing when Megan was being sarcastic, giggle when she was embarrassed and showed pride when Megan was being a good sister. I really enjoyed her narrating this book. So if you're looking for an audiobook to listen while you rest at the beach, then you should give The Season a chance.

Audiobook Review: The Last Star by Rick Yancey

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The Last Star
The 5th Wave #3
Author: Rick Yancey
Narrator: Phoebe Strole, Ben Yannette
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia
Released: May 24th 2016
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young | Penguin Random House Audio | Living Language ReadingTeen

The Last Star is the heart-stopping finale to the bestselling 5th Wave series by award-winning author, Rick Yancey. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner.

'Wildly entertaining . . . I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' The New York Times

We’re here, then we’re gone, and that was true before they came. That’s always been true. The Others didn’t invent death; they just perfected it. Gave death a face to put back in our face, because they knew that was the only way to crush us. It won’t end on any continent or ocean, no mountain or plain, jungle or desert. It will end where it began, where it had been from the beginning, on the battlefield of the last beating human heart.

Master storyteller Rick Yancey invokes triumph, loss, and unrelenting action as the fate of the planet is decided in the conclusion to this epic series.

The lovely Andye did it again. She provided me a book I'm very exciting dying to read. And though I had fear for this conclusion, I surprisingly enjoyed it more than the sequel. Of course, I wasn't too thrilled with it (the sequel) but this conclusion made up for it.

"Let no one despair, even though in the darkest night the last star of hope may disappear".

Life goes on. You get sick, you get better, but life goes on. This is not what happens in this series. Everyone must die and if you survive, the Others will get rid of you. That is the mission and it must be done. Whether they, themselves, kill humanity or have human kill themselves. It must be done at the end. There is no other ending.

Not to give any spoilers, because I would literally go mad if someone spoiled me, but this book left me speechless. From the very first words, I should've been prepared. Rick gives you clues and if you put them together then you should know the outcome. Regardless, if you put these clues together or not, the ending is still devastating. Just remember this is not a love story, not that kind of romance type of book. No, this is a battlefield story and in a war there must be sacrifices. Whether you like it or not.

Now, since I won't be giving out spoilers, I will tell you Rick will answers your questions in The Last Star. Yes, you will learn more about Ringer. You will still cheer for her and her bravery. She will lie, oh the lies, but she will be her best. She will fall thousand of feet, she will fight, she will be used as a weapon, she will surrender, she will endured and she will get her revenge. Cheers to you, my brave friend.

"You're the thing worth dying". Oh Evan, why most you make us swoon? Stop with your cuteness. Stop smiling, stop making us fall in love with you. So many sweet moments from the very beginning of this book. From the whole "it's your fault Sam is dirty" to doing everything in your power to help humanity. Between Evan and Cassie, these two will make you swoon but also laugh.

As for Cassie... She's more sarcastic, protective and braver than ever. I loved her and I loved her cleverness. She is humanity and she's proud. In the mist of darkness her hope lit up the world. She is the last star, she is humanity and she's willing to do everything to keep Sam safe. She's an amazing role model and I applause her for her courage.

Although the ending left me shocked, I somehow expected this to happen. It makes sense in this story... Even though, I was worried it would end this way, once I read it, I was at ease. It was easy (still heartbreaking) to accept it because again, it makes sense. As I mentioned before, this is not a romance story but a war. A war to fight for humanity and survival. A story of hope and sacrifices.

Overall, I loved the audiobook. It was so easy to follow these characters and the story. I enjoyed how these narrators mimic some characteristics of each the characters, specially Cassie. I pictured Chloe reading this to me, as she was great as Cassie. The way they narrated this story was done so SO well. Their voices are not the types you tune out but the opposite. You pay attention to every word they read. I feel like I need to listen to the first book as an audiobook, because it was that good.

As for the story itself... Gosh, I'm still trying to process everything! So many things to think about and the hope it brings... The ending may be sad but realistic. When one sees a love one suffer, one will do the unimaginable and will sacrifice everything to ensure the other person's happiness.

"Forgiveness is born out of love".