Blown Circuit

Title: Blown Circuit (Circuit Series #2)

Author: Lars Guignard

Genre: Spy/Thriller/Mystery

Publisher: Fantastic Press (December 12, 2012)

Buy Links: 

amazon.com:  http://www.amazon.com/Blown-Circuit-Adventure-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00AMRGX2A

amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blown-Circuit-Adventure-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00AMRGX2A

 

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of Lethal Circuit comes the long-awaited sequel, BLOWN CIRCUIT. Michael Chase is back. He survived China. Barely. But now he's got bigger problems. He has enemies. Deadly enemies. 

A pair of coordinates broadcast on an obscure frequency have brought Michael to Istanbul, Turkey where credible chatter has emerged that a terrorist group plans to use a devastating device to hold the world hostage. Designed by Nikola Tesla, arguably the greatest inventor of the Twentieth Century, the device is experimental, it is capable, and it has been missing for almost sixty years. If Michael is to prevent a catastrophe, he'll need to get to the device before the Conspiracy or risk upsetting the global balance of power forever. Of course, finding the Tesla Device is one thing, knowing whom he can trust with it is another matter entirely. If Michael is to survive, he'll have to do both. If he doesn't, what started as a bad day is about to become a disaster.

Review: Blown Circuit is a sequel, but it doesn't read like one, in the best way possible. I haven't read the first book, and I found no problems in following the story of Blown Circuit. It works great as a stand alone novel. It's an exciting adventure and while it is not a young adult novel, I feel that teens would enjoy this book as well as adults. There were times, during the action scenes, where it got a little hard to follow, but I think that's just the nature of the beast. It's hard to write clear action scenes; it's much easier to see them. Overall, Blown Circuit is a well-written adventure that many will enjoy reading. 4 Stars. 

 

Author Bio: Lars Guignard is a former film and television writer and graduate of both McGill University and the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His bestselling novel, Lethal Circuit, has been a TOP 100 Amazon Spy Thriller since its release. In addition to the Circuit series, Lars is the author of the children’s adventure series, Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard, Zoe & Zak and the Yogi’s Curse and the paranormal mystery series, Brood. 

Ever since attending high school in the Indian Himalayas, Lars has been an avid backpacker and traveler. He now makes his home in the Pacific Northwest where he is busy completing the third Michael Chase thriller for release in 2013.

For news about new releases, please join his email list here:http://www.larsguignard.com/contact/

He can also be reached at the following places: 
Blog: www.larsguignard.com 
Twitter: @Lars_Gu 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LarsGuignardAuthor

I am a book tour host with CMBook Tours: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book for the purposeof review. All opinions are 100% my own.

The Genesis Secret

Tom Knox's Genesis Secret tells the suspenseful yet intelligent tale of reporter Robert Luttrell. Sent on a supposedly simple assignment about the excavation of Gobekli Tepe in Kurdish Turkey, the oldest remains of human civilization and apparent Garden of Eden. Rob is quickly drawn in to the mystery of Gobekli Tepe, why the locals are resisting the dig, and, ultimately, the death of the lead archaeologist. Back in the UK, a string of brutal murders are being committed and investigated by the Scotland Yard, especially Detective Forrester. Eventually, a connection is made and Forrester and Luttrell must work together to discover the Genesis secret and, more importantly, catch the crazed murderer. 

The Genesis Secret  is a fairly intense read, not one you can necessarily read at the beach or with distractions around, especially at the end. I mean, James Joyce is referenced! It's a good book; though slow to start, once it all starts to come together it gets hard to put down. However, it is rather violent and grotesque and the language is, at times, obscene and responsive to the violence. The characters attempt to be real and relatable, but fall short. I was more captivated by the story line and desire to solve the mystery than the fate of the characters. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. 3 & 1/2 stars. 

The Ranger's Apprentice: Books 1-3

John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series is a pretty popular one with the middle school set, so of course I had to give it a go. Matthew had the first three in a boxed set (not that he's read them; he said he couldn't get into them) so those are the ones I read. The first one started out kind of slow, but then the adventure starts and keeps going. I think this series would be best for 5th-7th graders who read on at least that reading level. It might be a little boring for a high schooler. The closest thing I can relate them to is the The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. They're right in between juvenile and young adult, but the language is definitely young adult. That's the one thing that did bug me. It swore quite a bit, much more than I would want Jordyn to read. Matthew, no problem. But not Jordyn. I did like these books, though, and I'll probably read the rest -- I have to know what happens! -- but I can only give them three stars. 

The Candy Shop War

I've been meaning to read The Candy Shop War for a while now, and finally got to it.  As one might gather from the title, it's about a "war", if you will, between a candy shop and a candy truck, and the kids manipulated by the candy makers into fighting this war. Of course, magic plays a large roll as well. 

The Candy Shop War is a creative idea for a novel and I really enjoyed it.  The characters are realistic and their adventures are exciting.  It's an enjoyable, appropriate book for kids of all ages. Four Stars. 

The Wide-Awake Princess #2: Unlocking the Spell

ED Baker introduces us to a new kind of princess in her Wide-Awake Princess series.  This princess is named Annie, and she is unaffected by magic.  She can't be "magicked" beautiful, like other princesses, but she also can't be placed under any magic spells. And when Annie gets too close to someone, their magic starts to fade. 

Unlocking the Spell is the second in the series, but it is fairly easy to read as a stand alone. I didn't read the first one, but I could put enough together (context clues!) to understand and enjoy this novel. 

I enjoyed Unlocking the Spell for its morals and lessons.  Princess Annie isn't a traditional princess. And that's okay. Her sister is a traditional princess: girly, a bit of a priss, and beautiful. And that's okay too. Growing up, they weren't necessarily friends, but throughout this novel, they learn a lot about each other and grow closer together on their quest. There's other nice lessons to be learned from this novel. It's great. 

Written on about a 4th-5th grade reading level, I would recommend this to upper elementary readers (and their parents!). However, it was still enjoyable for me, much more enjoyable than other books I've read with students at that level! It's also nice that the princesses are older, so for an older-yet-struggling-reader, it doesn't seem like a baby book. I highly recommend this book and I'm going to give my copy to Jordyn. I hope she likes it! If not, I'm sure my mom will :) 

*I won this novel from Goodreads FirstReads. All opinions expressed are my own.

Of Two Minds & More Minds

Carol Matas and Perry Nodelman's Of Two Minds and More Minds, the sequel, are about Princess Lenora and her betrothed, Coren, while Lenora's stubbornness takes them on an adventure. I read these, and liked them better, when I was younger, but they're still a fun quick read with a good moral. These are best for upper elementary/middle school readers both in level and demographic. Happy reading! 

The Pig War

When I joined goodreads, one of the first things I loved, ya know, besides the whole thing about it being a website for books, was the giveaway section. For real? Free books? I was all in. Still am, if you want to send any my way! :)

The first book I received was The Pig War by Mark Holtzen. In exchange for the free book, they like the reader to review it. Perfect. I review all the books I read anyway! But since I did get this book for free, I took reviewing it a little more seriously than I would do otherwise. I read with more of an analytical eye than I usually do, so I will be pointing out things I didn't like or feel should have been clarified, but I do it with the aim of being helpful, not harmful!  It's obvious though the writing that Holtzen cares deeply about his novel and this story is dear to his heart; writing a novel is no small feat! The Pig War is a cute book, but it's obviously a first novel and just isn't quite there yet.

Our main character, Kell, has been marooned to the island of Mobray with his younger sister Grace to stay with their grandfather, who they'd never really met, as their parents are stuck in a foreign country. While on the island, Kell discovers an old revolver and ancient journal. While investigating their origins, he is directed towards The Pig War, which he'd never heard of before. [Neither had I!] In their research of The Pig War, Kell is set on a crazy adventure, and on the way, Kell learns about The Pig War, his aloof grandfather, and maybe a little about himself! 

The first problem I ran into with The Pig War, is that I didn't know how old Kell and Grace were. It made it hard to understand them as characters because I didn't know if their behavior was unique or stereotypical. The character development and consistency throughout was a problem. Kell and Grace didn't seem true to life. A kid like Kell is hard to find these days. At one point in the novel, he says he wanted to spend his summer doing "research." He doesn't say what he wants to research, just that he does, which I found odd. He just doesn't seem like any 12-year-old I know. [And I work with 6th graders!] Bookish, yes. Borderline obsessed with books and knowledge over anything else? I don't know. It made it hard to connect with Kell because I found him so stereotypical yet unreal. It almost would have seemed more real to me if The Pig War took place in the seventies or eighties. Folks were less distracted by electronics back then. It's almost like Kell would have fit in better back then, seemed more real. [Does that make sense?]

I also was unsure about the novel's demographic. I didn't know if it was written as an adult, for adults, looking back on his coming-of-age summer or for the young boys themselves. Ultimately, I decided that The Pig War  would be a good book for advanced middle school readers. It's strong on narrative, instead of action, which is more difficult for lower level readers, and the age of the characters would definitely appeal to readers that age. So it would be great for smart sixth graders. Unfortunately, my sixth graders are required to read novels with over 150 pages, so I can't recommend this to any of them for their school work. And heaven knows they don't read out of class! This also puts The Pig War in competition with the beloved Rick Riordan and Suzanne Collins.  

Overall, [oh, I'm so cliche! It's late, don't hold it against me!] I found The Pig War to be a good first novel from Holtzen, despite the fact that I read it like a draft. As previously mentioned, because I got it for free, I wanted to be as helpful and honest as possible. The Pig War just isn't *quite* there yet. Which, really, is good. Authors who succeed at their first novel (ie: SE Hinton) seem to go downhill, and I would like Holtzen to go up as a writer. We all want to improve in our endeavors. So, Holtzen, keep writing! And readers, at least give the back of The Pig War a read. You just might love it! 

Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25

Along with some of CMS's finest, I read Richard Paul Evans' Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25.  'twas a fairly exciting read. In fact, I had to read ahead of the class because I wanted to know what happened. It has a really unique premise; Michael has a 'condition' which makes him surge electricity. And then he finds out he's not the only one! Dun-dun-dun!
It's your basic teen adventure book, and the writing wasn't spectacular, but it was still an enjoyable read. Read on, bookworms! 

Hong Kong Here We Come!

It's a posh, posh traveling life for us! In May, Cass and I will be going on a lovely journey to Hong Kong! He's so excited to go back and I'm so excited to see it for the first time! We are so lucky to have this opportunity; it may be our only chance to get over there!

Sabotaged

In the third Missing book, Jonah and Katherine are sent back in time with a new girl. Andrea is the first European child born in the Americas, Virginia Dare. Only this time there are complications. And time is in danger!! [I'm so vague today!]

Found

As ya'll know, I love Margaret Peterson Haddix, so when I saw the kids at school reading a new series by her, I clearly had to give it a go. Found is the first book in the Missing Series. It's crazy exciting and I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say that I highly recommend it. Especially so you can read the next book: Sent.

The Son of Neptune

In Riordan's thrilling sequel to "Lost Hero" the reader is reunited with a familiar hero, Percy Jackson, as well as the familiar Greek and Roman myths Riordan loves utilize and retell. Only this time, Percy has no clue who he is. His memory has been completely erased and he is stranded on the west coast fighting gorgons.

Percy is found, however, and taken to Camp Jupiter by Hazel and Frank, children of Roman Gods. Everyone at Camp Jupiter is a descendent of a Roman God and a member of this new Roman Legion. Percy is simultaneously called a son of Neptune and a Greek, which is a little confusing. So Percy almost fits in, almost belongs, but it's not quite right. And he keeps having weird dreams, memories almost.

After a thrilling "game" of war at camp, with Frank proving himself and being claimed a son of Mars the war god, it is decided to send Frank and Percy on a quest. Mostly because Mars says so.

The quest is in Alaska. Even getting there is an adventure. So read on for a fantastic tale of Roman demigods battling monsters. It's a fantastic read and they might even save the day!!

Bridge to Neverland

 

What if Peter Pan was real? What if starstuff was real? And what if you found a secret note from a starcatcher that led you on a crazy adventure to find and save starstuff? Well, then you would be the main character of Bridge to Never Land. 

But really. Let's be honest here, m'kay? This book was not a page turner; it took me waaaay longer to read this book. It was an okay book, but just not up to par. Not really what I expected. Plus it was super current. iPhones, iPads, etc, are mentioned far to frequently. However, I could tell that Barry & Pearson had done their research on Disney World. They even used the term "cast member"!! 

Anyway, this is super random. But the point is: maybe don't waste your time with this one. Save it for the kiddies.

Peter and the Sword of Mercy

In our final Peter chapter, which takes place directly prior to the Peter Pan story most common with Wendy, John, and Michael, Molly Aster is now grown up. She has married her friend, George Darling, and they have three children: Wendy, John, and Michael. George, as you know, is a very practical man, and has encouraged Molly, now Mary, to put all this nonsense and magic talk behind her. 

But then strange things start to happen. John, and original lost boy who chose to grow up with Molly, came to visit. And then he disappears, a victim of the underground kidnappings. Mary/Molly starts investigating, and she too disappears. It seems to be up to Wendy to save the day . . . 

And so our novel unfolds and the baton is handed off. I really did like this adventure and totally recommend it! Read On! 

Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

"I'll be careful," said Peter, grinning. "Aren't I always careful?'

"No," said James 

In the third adventure of Peter's, we are taken to Rundoon as the starstuff is once in danger of evil people obtaining it. The dark is rising, and it is up to our heroes, once again, to save the day. In this adventure we meet the lost boys: Curly, Tootles, Nibs, and the twins. They had been sent to Rundoon to work for the King, but Peter invites them to escape and join him.

The shadow-man, the dark, is returning. It's kind of neat, actually, because he tries to use Peter's shadow, but can't get full control over Peter. At one point, Peter's shadow is separated from himself, which explains that right there. 

So I don't really have much else to say about this book. I liked it though! 

Peter and the Shadow Thieves

In this thrilling adventure of Peter's, a mysterious dark force who can control shadows is after the starstuff, and it is up to Molly and Peter to save the starstuff, Molly's parents, and themselves.

Some fun things:
-Peter and Tink meet a man by the name of Barrie in the streets of London
-Molly Aster is friends with a boy named George Darling
-A main part of this story happens at the Tower of London. Molly tells us that her father has taken her there before, but left her outside with a guard, "if I asked why, Father would make some joke about not wanting me to get my head chopped off"


I did enjoy this book. Barry and Pearson keep it as exciting and page turning as the first as they give us more of Peter's history. As this one is based on shadows I thought it would give us some insight into Peter and his shadow . . . but you'll have to wait for the next one: Peter and the Secret of Rundoon!!

Peter and the Starcatchers

Last year Matthew read this book at school and suggested it to me, but I didn't really listen. I have lots of books to read; even placing one in my hands is no guarantee I'll get to it. But then I got my job at CMS and the sixth graders are reading it there too. And it is a really good story!!! It is pretty exciting and gives a lot of interesting background and linking of Peter Pan with other characters and situations. While not keeping entirely true to JM Barrie's works -- Dave Barry (haha -- Barrie, Barry) and Ridley Pearson are commissioned by Disney and this is clearly based more upon the movie, which makes sense because the target audience would have seen only the movie and probably not know about the book -- there are still links and it is a good Peter Pan story. It is to serve as a prequel to Barrie's Peter and Wendy despite obvious contradictions -- especially The Little White Bird. So I just couldn't help it. I couldn't possibly wait patiently and read with the sixth graders. I had to get my hands on this book and read it for my self. And I did. 

And I loved it. There's a whole series, so I will be trying to get the next installment at the library tomorrow, and I really look forward to reading them all. The book is written for children, but there are little asides meant for adults, and it appeals to all ages. It starts with Peter - no last name - and four other boys: James, Prentiss, Thomas, and Tubby Ted boarding a ship called The Neverland, along with some characters that seem vaguely familiar . . . And showcases their adventures upon the high seas with a young girl, Molly Aster, Pirates, and the titled Starcatchers. But I sure enjoyed this book and recommend it for all ages, especially if you have an interest in Peter Pan! I look forward to the second novel: Peter and the Shadow Thieves  and hope you'll keep tuning in! 

Happy Reading!