Horizon by Douglas R

This review was written by: B

Received: Free e-book from the author

Publication Date of Book: January 2014

Pages: 410 (for Kindle)

Stars: (4.5/5)

"The only way to get through is to fight through."-General 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have an identity hidden from you, kept secret because your loved ones thought it was best?  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have the whole world depend on you to save it from impending doom?  Well...welcome to Ivey's life!  Her mother Aadrika has drug her around the country and back again, never staying in one spot for too long.  Why?  She won't tell her daughter.  Then Ivey decides to run off, and everything is suddenly revealed to her in a crash and bang sequence!  She is one of the five Zartans who are to stop tons of meteors from striking Earth, killing and destroying every piece of existence through a repetition of events similar to what happened during the time of the dinosaurs.  She finds out that she is part of a prophecy and then is sent back to 65,000,000 B.C. where the fate of the future rests on her shoulders.

As you can assume, this is the great time of the amazing and gruesome dinosaurs!  The mysterious matrix is hidden during this period of time, and this special matrix (that resembles a huge, glittering and illuminated rock like diamond) is what will help the Zartans save the Earth.  However, time is dwindling and there are only a few months left to find it.  With hope now resumed in the search with Ivey along for the ride, all seems fine and dandy...until an unexpected enemy arises among their ranks.  So, now they have to find the matrix, fight the enemy, survive the dinosaurs, and save the world.  What to know what happens next?  Go and pick up Horizon to find out!

I love reading books from young authors.  There is something about their writing style and outlook in their books that is extremely relatable to someone like me who is close to their age range.  Of course, they can bring other elements to the table at the same time that allows for older or younger viewers to be drawn in, too.  I believe that Douglas R. is one of these talented young writers in today's world.  While I loved the initial book description, I definitely knew I was going to love it when he mentioned this special technologically advanced wrist watch that possessed all of these fancy doohickeys which prompted Ivey to call it the Omnitrix after Ben 10!  I loved that so much!!!!!  Then he mentioned the universally loved television series Vampire Diaries and singing group Three Days Grace.

Ivey was an overall enjoyable character.  Something that really hit me as amazing was the diversity of the characters themselves that were scattered throughout the story.  They weren't all one group of people.  Some were from India, Iran, Australia, and so on.  I feel like this allowed for an easy way to bond with a lot of the people presented to us.  However, while I did enjoy Ivey, I believe that Aadrika was by far my favorite!  Why you ask?  Well, Douglas R. made me despise her in the beginning.  Whether this was intentional on the authors part or not, I did.  She and her daughter were constantly at odds, and I just wasn't too keen on how she acted.  Then Ivey goes off to the past, and we see more of Aadrika's story.  You can then imagine from my previous statement that I quickly took to her despite my past views.  I'm a huge Aadrika fan now!  When an author makes me do a total 360 on a character, I definitely admire them for their skills.

If you liked Jurassic Park or any type of time travel or action movie, I highly recommend this book to you.  The ending literally played out like a movie in my mind's eye with the struggles, constant action, and tempting suspense.  Plus, there was just a dash of romance so that we get a little bit of everything.  While I wish that some parts of the story were fleshed out a little bit more in the beginning, I am sure that that was probably for suspenseful purposes.  The ending did not leave me upset with loose ends, which definitely was a plus as we all know that those type of books with open endings can be quite frustrating.  All in all, the conclusion itself was beautifully written and made me a happy reader!  If you're looking for a nice read on time travel, action, or dinosaurs, this book is definitely for you!

Due to my love of quotes, I thought that I would share several of my favorite ones contained in Horizon:

"Everyday is part of a big war, Ivey. We fight every moment of our lives."

-Mandark

"Numbers don't matter. Value does."

 -Ivey

"Charm is deceitful, Ivey, my words are from the heart. Take care of my words. We might not have each other when this is over and I'm prepared for that. Cherish the moment." He pats my shoulder and walks away.

  -Hugo

Also, seeing that all of the three covers of Horizon are fabulous, here are the other two:

    

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(September/October 2014) Topic of the Month: ZOMBIES

ZOMBIES

September's Topic of the Month is officially ZOMBIES! To kick it off we have posted a few zombie-filled novels that may interest you! If you have any suggestions let us know! Hope you enjoy!


Read by: H

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Ian was the one who chased the majestic buck into the forest.  Kendra and PJ followed him.  They all hoped to return to the hiking trail before anyone noticed they were gone.  However, the mountain had other plans for them: dark, sinister plans that only nightmares are made of.  

Book #2 and #3 in the series:

     

Read by: B andC
Our review:

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: When Tom, the son of a powerful Senator, becomes stranded in the Plagued States of America while searching for his lost sister, his only hope of survival rests in the hands of a few grizzled veteran zombie hunters and a mysterious half-breed zombie woman he thinks may know where to find his sister.

The second and third books in the series are:

     

Read by: B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: A tween takes on undead New Yorkers in this paranormal action-adventure that breathes new life into the zombie genre. Most kids have enough to deal with between school, homework, extracurricular activities, and friends, but Molly Bigelow ins't your typical tween. By day, Molly attends MIST "the Metropolitan Institute of Science and Technology" but it's what she's learning outside of school that sets her apart from her classmates. Molly is a zombie hunter, just like her mother.

This, however, is news to Molly. Now she must come to terms with not only the idea that zombies exist, but also that they are everywhere, and it's her job to help police them and keep the peace. Sure, she'd like to be a regular kid, but  this just isn't possible when ti turns out the most revered zombie hunter in the history of New York City is your mother. It seems Molly's got some legendary footsteps to follow.

Book #2:

Read by: H

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: 

The First Rule of Torching: Cleanse with fire. 

Josh is by far the best zombie Torcher around - at least, he is in his virtual-reality zombie-hunting game. Josh has quickly risen through the player ranks, relying on the skill, cunning, and agility of a real Torcher. 

The Second Rule of Torching: Save all humans.

But luckily for Josh, zombies exist only in the virtual world. The real zombie war is now more than fifteen years in the past, and the battle to defeat the deadly epidemic that devastated his family - and millions of others - is the stuff of history lessons.

The Third Rule of Torching: You can't bring them back.

Charlie is the top-ranked player of the game. Since all the players are shrouded in anonymity, Josh never expects Charlie to a girl - and he never expects the offer she makes him: to join the underground gaming league that takes the virtual-reality game off the screen and into the streets. Josh is thrilled. But the more involved he gets, the more he realizes that not everything is what it seems. Real blood is spilling, members of the team are disappearing, and the zombies in the game are acting strange. And then there's the matter of a mysterious drug called Z.

Read by: C

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: R is a young man with an existential crisis--he's a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse. Just Dreams.

After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a burst of vibrant color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that R lives in. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world...

Read by: H

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book: Zomb-B is a radical new series about a zombie apocalypse, told in the first person by one of its victims. The series combines classic Shan action with a fiendishly twisting plot and hard-hitting and though-provoking moral questions dealing with racism, abuse of power, and more. This is challenging material, which will captivate existing Shan fans and bring in many new ones. As Darren says, "It's a big, sprawling, vicious tale...a grisly piece of escapism, and a barbed look at the world in which we live."