Lindsay Versus the Marauders

Lindsay Versus the Marauders by J.S. Frankel, published June 26, 2014, was given to me for free by J.S. Frankel in exchange for an honest review.

Lindsay Fleming has been an outcast since she came out to her all of her friends about liking girls. But one night, after the most humiliating moment of her life, it all changes. She meets mysterious Jo and they go on a mission to regain what belongs to Jo's planet. As they travel through the universe tracking down Turkel, an evil thief, will they become friends or will Jo continue to shut everybody out? Join Lindsay and Jo as the travel the universe to find out.

What I  Did Like:

Jo, Lindsay, The Plot, Originality

What I Didn't Like:

Insta-Love, Turkel, The Writing

Insta-Love:


I feel the characters were not given enough time to bond they just fell in love. There wasn't any growth or anything just BAM they're dating. I feel they could have been a good couple over time but the insta-love was one the reasons I gave it 3 stars instead of 5.

Jo:

Jo is a tense, uptight girl fighting to gain back the three pieces of the jewel that powers Jo's planet in exchange for her people's forgiveness. She is mysterious and has closed everybody out due to the fact she has never been loved.

Linsday:

Lindsay is a young women faced with the challenge of being different from everybody else. She is unique but traumatized because she thinks liking girls is the reason her mother died.

Originality:

Frankel created an intense and unique novel with realistic characters. They treat most situations as actual adults would.

The Plot:

I feel that the storyline holds the reader's attention and once you start reading, you can't stop. The only problem was that the plot dragged on a little bit, while I prefer fast-paced books.

Turkel(the bad guy):

Turkel is a good main villain, but he had the potential to be more. I would like to know what went wrong and caused him to be a pirate. What's his background, was he abused, did his parent's not care about him? This information like this would make him a better villain.

And Last but Not Least:

The Writing:

I feel like the writing really dragged the story down. Frankel wrote the word "said" a lot instead of more descriptive words like exclaimed or wondered. Also he could have described more which really would have improved the story. This is a big reason that this book got 3/5 stars, not 5/5.

About the Author:

"J.S. Frankel was born in Toronto, Canada, many moons ago and managed to scrape through high school and university, earning a BA in English Literature and leaving no book unopened during his time at the University of Toronto. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Japan in order to teach English to the hapless residents of whichever city he happened to be living at the time.

In 1997, he married the charming Akiko Koike and their union produced two rather interesting children. Frankel and his family make their home in Osaka where he teaches during the day and attempts to write YA fiction at night." - Goodreads.com.

My writing: Identity Thief: Chapter 1: Love At First Lie

This is something I wrote. I consider it Young Adult science fiction.

Every day I saw him his eyes were different. At first I thought it was the light but it was getting more noticeable. One day they were green, the next they were blue. I was getting more and more freaked out every day. When he asked me to go to his house I was doubtful.
"Do you want to go to my house after school?"Jackson asked.

 "I......I guess, but I'll have to ask my mom if it's okay." I answered nervously,"She's getting home late tonight. Maybe tomorrow."

"Please ask if you can! I would really appreciate it if you could." Jackson begged. I promised I would ask then the bell to start the next class rang.

 "I need to go I'll see you later!" I screamed as I ran down the hall to English class.
 "If I don't hurry up, Mrs. Harrison is going to kill me. What's a good excuse I had to go to the bathroom, no too old fashioned. I... I had to get my homework from my locker. That's it!" I thought as I rushed to class.

 "Ms. Kingston, can you please explain to me why you're late?" Mrs. Harrison questioned with a very irritated tone.

 "I had to go to my locker to get my homework." I lied as I found my seat.

 "Okay you're off the hook this time, but next time you're getting a detention."

 "Yes ma'am."

 "Now everybody turn in your homework. I expect to see good grades from all of you, understand?"

 "Yes Mrs. Harrison!" The class chanted in unison.

                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 I was dead tired after school. In P.E. we had to run 1 mile sprints, in track we had to run 100 meter dash, and in volleyball we had to run around the 1000ftx1000ft gym 5 times. The phone started ringing and I wandered around to find it. I found it on the coffee table and the screen said unknown number.

"Hello, who is this?" I questioned as I answered the phone.

 "Is this, Sarah Kingston?" The person on the other end questioned, by the way he sounded, I figured it was a 16 or 17 year old boy.

 "This is she. But you never answered my question. Who is this?" I demanded as I shifted the phone to the other ear.

 "Jackson Lincoln, you know, from school. I was wondering if I could come over?" The boy, apparently Jackson, replied. "Anyway, what's with your annoying attitude?"

 "Well you're calling me at 10:00 P.M. what did you think I was going to do? Say that you're my best friend and skip to your house?" I sarcastically replied, " I'm dead tired, plus my mom still isn't home, so n-o. NO!"

 "Fine, but I'm not going to quit until I get what I want."Jackson screamed into the phone before slamming down the phone and on that note I went to sleep.

 Tell me what you think. I would appreciate constructive criticism and don't sugar coat it please.

Paradigm

    I would recommend Paradigm by Ceri A. Lowe, published June 13th, 2014, to fantasy or sci-fi lovers.

   Alice Davenport was only 11 when the Storms, a series of patterned rain fall, started. One day her mother went to work and didn't come back. After a few days Mr. Hutchinson came knocking at the door and came to help her. After she is attacked and has to resort to killing Mr. Hutchinson, the safety boat from Paradigm Industries saves her. After spending approximately 4 or 5 years Alice and a team of workers go outside to find a toxic wasteland
of what used to be London, England, determined to get rid of anything that reminds people of life before the Storms.The water is toxic, animals have cross-bred to create deadly animals that hunt in patterns, and you can't eat most of the food growing in or outside of the city.

     Four generations later Carter Warren  is living in the Community, old London.  Father of the first set of twins since before the Storms, he is desperate for some change. He wants to read books, play music and look at art. Planning to become Controller General, he hopes to bring these back. Carter goes out into the dangerous
Deadlands outside the Community and finds things he never expected. Along the way he finds his daughter's dead body in a tunnel. After his mentor escapes with her true identity, a hidden competitor trying to become Controller General, he is alone with the task of the finding his way to shelter. Will Alice finish the task of making the city safe and erasing her past? Will Carter survive and find shelter from the rain and the wolves? Read Paradigm to find out. 

     Paradigm is a dystopian YA novel about an apocalyptic land after the end of the world. I wouldn't suggest reading this to anybody under the age of 12 because it is kind of complex and can be difficult to follow because of the multiple storylines. Paradigm is the first book in the Paradigm trilogy.

    I give Paradigm 4/5 stars because, although the book was very well-written it lo, the cover looks plaigarized from Divergent by Veronica Roth.