bchristian541's reviews
181 reviews

The Great Forest by Joshua David Bellin

adventurous dark fast-paced

5.0

 The Great Forest follows Elder Sarah while she discovers her love for Abraham, her lineage, and more. It is set long before the birth of her daughter.
This is a great prequel to the Ecosystem Cycle. It gives the readers more insight into Sarah's lineage and who her mother was. It could also be read by itself. It is a quick, but entertaining, read. 

House of Earth, House of Stone by Joshua David Bellin

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 The Dark Queen has attacked the City of Queens. Sarah is forced to leave the city with her band of survivors. Then her and a group of her closest allies search for the missing Queen, Celstinia, in hopes that the two of them combined can take down the Dark Queen. Do they find her? Is the Dark Queen defeated? Find out in House of Earth, House of Stone.
I enjoyed this installment of the series. The lineages can get a little daunting, but there is a timeline at the end of the book that helps with understanding it and then a list of all of the species of animals and plants follows the timeline. This book is full of twists and turns. I did not want to put the book down. 

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Follow Roland while he goes on an excursion to trace down the Man in Black and find the Dark Tower. During his journey, he runs into a few odd characters, a deadly town, and other dangers. Go back in time and see what made Roland the Gunslinger.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was all over the place so it was a little hard to follow, but each part had me asking questions so it made me read on. I wish the transitions were a little smoother and it was difficult to tell between present and past at some points. I am still excited to see where Roland ends up in the next installment. 

The Devouring Land by Joshua David Bellin

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

5.0

 On the day that Miriam and Issac were supposed to get married, a bunch of urthwyrms destroy their village. Sarah gets out with as many as she can, but it isn't even 1/4 of the village's population. Sarah knows there has to be another village somewhere near by. Someone from this village had to have saved her, Isaac, and Miriam, but finding this village proves to be another challenge. With unseen forces along the way, Sarah trudges on, loosing a few others on the way. Surprises, including one about her lineage, await her. Do they make it to the village? What are the surprises that are awaiting her? Find out in The Devouring Land.
This book was even better than the first. I did not want to put it down. There were so many twists and turns. I cannot wait to read the next one. 

Ecosystem by Joshua David Bellin

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 The Earth has had enough of humans destroying and overexploiting it. After a series of catastrophes, leaving very few of the human race to live, it seeks revenge. The remaining humans have evolved to defend themselves from this new, aware ecosystem. Sensors are born with the sense. They know what the ecosystem is thinking, what it's going to do, and when it's going to do it. When Sensor Sarah goes against the rules of the Sensors, she tries to redeem herself by training Miriam, until she pushes Miriam too far and Miriam goes missing. Can Sarah fix what she has done? Is Miriam lost for good? Find out in Ecosystem.
I enjoyed every moment of this book. I did not want to put it down. It was full of twists and turns. The world created is intriguing and has creatures that have evolved from the creatures we have today, evolved into the majority of them being bloodthirsty. If you want to read an original, science fiction, dystopian book, look no further. 

Carrie by Stephen King

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Carrie is a bullied teenager with the power of telekinesis. Her mother is a religious psychopath. Everywhere Carrie goes, she encounters some type of abuse. Then one prank pushes her too far. What made Carrie break? What does she do in retaliation? Find out in Carrie.
Carrie covers issues that some teens unfortunately endure. It is not like many of Stephen King's novels, but it is still intriguing. It includes reports and articles about telekinesis and Carrie. I did not want to put it down. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Peeta, Johanna, Enobria, and Annie are captured by the Capitol. Katniss, Finnick, and Beetee are in District 13, a district they once thought was long gone. President Coin, the leader of the rebellion, is unsure of Plutarch's decision that Katniss is the Mockingjay. She believes they should have saved Peeta. District 12 was destroyed, but Katniss's family made it out alive thanks to Gale. Katniss must prove to Coin that she is worthy to be the Mockinjay, but with the terrors that haunt her, it almost seems impossible. Are they able to save Peeta and the others? Does Katniss prove she is worthy to be the Mockinjay? Can the rebellion succeed? Find out in The Mockingjay.

I loved this book like the others. You can envision the scenes that the characters are in and the character's feelings are realistic. Many are lost by the end of the book. Some of the losses upset me. Overall, it's a good end to the series. 

Bad at Being Good: An MM Brother's Best Friend Romance by A.L. Morrow

emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Benji has been drawn to Milo, but Milo is his best friend’s little brother. He promised his best friend that he would not flirt with Milo, but after Kellan passed away, Benji’s life was turned upside down. He lost his best friend, and he flunked out of school. Then there’s Milo. Milo, who has grown into a man, is within reach. Will Benji break his promise to Kellan now that he is gone? Find out in Bad at Being Good.
The characters are loveable, and the actions are realistic. Their feelings are relatable as well. This book drew me in and kept me itching to find out what happened next. So much happens in this book and it is full of twists and turns.
I highly recommend this book. It is for a mature audience with adult content, but I did not want to put it down. It is the perfect M/M friends to lovers’ story with some tragedy mixed in. I was routing for them the entire book. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Peeta and Katniss are now victors and have to continue the facade of being lovers for the rest of their lives. President Snow does not believe they are in love and threatens Katniss' family and loved ones if she does not convince him. Then, the Quarter Quell is announced and Katniss' life is turned upside down once again. What is this Quarter Quell and what does it have to do with Katniss and Peeta? Find out in Catching Fire.
This book is full of enemies and allies. You never know who is what until the very end. Twists and turns meet you at every corner, making this book hard to put down. The characters are loveable with relatable feelings and the scenes are described in such a way that the reader can easily envision them and feel like they are in the story as well. I'm excited to read the next in the series. 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Follow Katniss and Peeta while they compete in The Hunger Games against 22 other tributes. Only one can make it out alive. Through injuries, sicknesses, and unnatural threats who becomes the 74th victor? Find out in The Hunger Games.
I enjoyed every moment of the book. I did not want to put it down. The setting was described in such a way I could envision it entirely. I felt like I was in The Hunger Games with them. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.