#BookReview: The Genesi Cure by Tristen Willis

Pacing Issues And Out Of The Blue (And Unnecessary) Epilogue Mar Promising Sequel. With how this book ultimately comes out, to my mind it actually would have worked better as one single book rather than two, even though both books told complete stories within themselves. This book arguably brings the most similarities to Hunger Games’ Mockingjay, with so much military strategizing of a looming threat dominating the book before a quick sprint of a final fight with an almost literal blink and you’ll miss it climax. As I said in the review of the first book here, it is still solid enough for the genre and for what it is, and fans of this particular type of tale will likely still very much enjoy this particular book. The training sections and first actual battle are particularly well done and indeed also bring to mind certain elements of Breaking Dawn, which was an interesting twist given the comparisons I named in my review of the first book.

Ultimately the star deduction was 90% about the epilogue though, and while I fully cop to this being a touch of a spoiler, it is an important deal breaker for many people, so I want those types to be aware of this up front – rather than defenestrating this text from the highest available window and leaving a one star review. Specifically, completely out of the blue with *zero* indication *anywhere* else that this was even *remotely* in the cards, we find ourselves a time after the final fight… and suddenly our lead suddenly has a baby, which becomes the entire focus of the epilogue. This was not only unnecessary, but also tarnishes the story told to this point moreso than the aforementioned pacing issues ever did, to the level that it leaves quite a bad “aftertaste” on the story.

Still, up until the moment of the epilogue, this is still a solid story of its type and one many will find enjoyable – and indeed, many will even enjoy that epilogue. But for those that don’t like sudden pregnancies/ sudden babies at the end of their books… just know that you can spare yourself and skip the epilogue without missing anything of import and while preserving your own view of this book.

Recommended.

This review of The Genesi Cure by Tristen Willis was originally written on December 31, 2024.

#BookReview: The Genesi Code by Tristen Willis

Solid Book Within Genre. This is one of those dystopian YA tales that shows clear influences from and, at least to my mind, similarities to some of the biggest YA dystopian franchises of the last 15 ish yrs or so – Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner in particular. Indeed, in many ways it is actually an improvement on many of them as we get a better explosive prologue and initial “normal life” / “world establishing” view up front – what many other reviewers decry as too slowly paced, but I found pretty spot on. When the action and intrigue picks up a bit, so does the pacing, and yet the more rapid pace works well even here, as by this point we’re halfway ish into the book and making good steam towards the end game here.

Filled with more political intrigue and over the horizon menace than actual action, this is going to be right up many fans’ expectations – ala Hunger Games in particular – but may leave those seeking more balls to the wall action of a Maze Runner or a Unity by Jeremy Robinson a bit wanting.

Still, for what it is and the genre it is in, this really is a solid book of its type, and fans of that particular genre or those open to it will find this book quite enjoyable indeed.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Genesi Code by Tristen Willis was originally written on December 31, 2024.

#BookReview: The Broken Hearts Club by Susan Bishop Crispell

Interesting Take On High School Love Angles. This book is quirky enough to make everything work, and yet has a lot of things about it that will throw various groups off – often having some element that may be popular with one group, yet having another element that will be off-putting to that same group. For example, you’ve got the aura-reading ability where our main character sees emotions as colors and you’ve got the nonbinary side character – and yet the book’s very premise is that our main character is openly catfishing, gets caught doing so, and yet things somehow still work out for her. You’ve got some good, hard work ethic going with both our main character and her best friend, and yet the best friend openly chooses the boy over her best friend. You’ve got the seemingly rural small town North Carolina vibe going on – and you’ve got the aforementioned nonbinary character that seems mostly tacked in just to have an excuse to go off on “small minded Republicans” and to be able to promote that the book has a queer character. It could be argued that doing this character in this manner isn’t inclusive, but exploitive – and off putting to at least some potential readers anyway. And yet, despite all of its contradictions and issues… the book truly does work. If you’re into young adult/ high school romance at all, this book is going to scratch most every itch you have there, and it does in fact have the interesting wrinkles of the auras and how to *use* that ability to set it apart from the field naturally, without needing all of the other aspects. In the end, despite coming close to seeming to try too hard, this really is a mostly benign and fairly interesting tale within its genre, and a very easy and mostly inoffensive summer/ beach read that won’t get the pulse pounding too much, but will instead be a more charming and breezy read while sitting poolside or oceanside soaking up some sun. Recommended.

PS: There is no such thing as a love triangle without at least two of the three people involved being bisexual. Thus, while some describe this book as featuring a love “triangle”, as all three involved are never described as bisexual, it is most accurately described as a love “angle”, with three points and two line segments, the segments meeting at a common point. But this could well be the former math teacher and Autistic in me coming out. I admittedly tend to be a bit pedantic on this particular point. 🙂

This review of The Broken Hearts Club by Susan Bishop Crispell was originally written on May 26, 2023.

#BookReview: The Rule Of One by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders

Yet Another YA Dystopia With A Few Interesting Twists. As a YA Dystopia, this book fits pretty squarely within the mold. To the tune that it can easily become forgettable to an extent. But there are some interesting twists to the mold that make this stand out a bit – the focus on twins without any form of romantic subplot chief among them, but also some of the overall tech and concepts about when, how, where, and to a lesser extent why the dystopia could emerge. Ultimately this is interesting enough as a “pilot” to want to see the next episode before making a decision on whether to keep going or not, and sometimes that is good enough. 🙂 Recommended.

This review of The Rule of One by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders was originally written on July 7, 2020.

#BookReview: Playing The Enemy by Maggie Dallen

Playing For Keeps. This is another YA sporty romance from Maggie Dallen, and is her usual excellent and fun work. If you’re familiar with her work, you’re going to enjoy this book. If you’re not, it is a good introduction to her style. Shortish at under 200 pages, this is a fairly light and easy read, perfect as a palate cleanser from something heavier or darker. Very much recommended.

This review of Playing for Keeps by Maggie Dallen was originally written on October 20, 2019.