Mini Reviews: Alive and Nimona

Alive by Scott Sigler  

                                                                             

Published: 2015

Genres: Thriller

Thoughts:

I thought the premise of Alive was really interesting.  It begins with a girl waking up in what appears to be a coffin.  In a room full of other people in these “coffin” like things.  She has no idea who she is, where she is, or what she’s supposed to do.  It was kind of Maze Runner-esque in that respect. 

I liked following Em as her and her group tried to figure out what the heck was going on.  Just when you think you’ve got something figured out, hello plot twist!  It kept you as confused as the characters, which was good. 

I liked the main character, Em.  All of the kids in this book were dealing with so many emotions, and it was nice to see that.  When they went to “sleep” they were just kids.  Now, they’re teenagers.  I can’t imagine how difficult and confusing that must be.  So, with that being said, they sometimes did very silly childish things or said stuff that didn’t sound very mature or teenagerish. 

Em has no idea what is going on.  She’s dealing with a bunch of 17 years olds, who mentally are still around 10.  But that’s what I liked about this book.  You can see the characters – especially Em – maturing and starting to act more like an adult.  She becomes a better leader and is more confident. 

This book does have a creepy vibe, but nothing that downright scared me.  Alive was fast paced, engaging, and always kept me guessing.  I didn’t want to put it down, and I ended up reading it in one sitting.  The plot twist and the craziness of this book kept me guessing at every turn.  I liked the turn that this book took at the end.  I am most definitely going to be picking up the sequel to see what happens next. 

Rating:

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson 

                                                                             

Published: 2015

Genre: Graphic Novel

Thoughts:

Nimona was part of my quest to read more graphic novels.  And I’m so glad that I picked it up! 

I liked the art style of Nimona and thought it was super cute and fun.  I really liked the way it was done and the colors.  Graphic novels are just so pretty and I always have such a great time reading them. 

I LOVED the main characters, Nimona, and Ballister Blackheart.  Nimona is so spunky and fierce and I loved her.  She has such an awesome personality.  Ballister, despite being a “villain” really was such a nice guy.  Nicer than Nimona even, in that respect. 

I loved how Nimona comes to join Ballister and pretty much just declares that she’s joining him.  Most of the time, Nimona was coming up with crazy villainous schemes that were too much even for Ballister. As vicious as Nimona can be, she still just acts like a young girl.  Their personalities work so good together and I loved seeing their relationship.  As they grow closer, they begin to develop this father/daughter type bond and it’s adorable. 

I loved how we got to experience this story from the POV of the “villains”.   And the best part is that they don’t feel like villains at all.  You’re rooting for them every step of the way.  This was a great story with loveable characters and I definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of graphic novel.  Or for that matter, even if you aren’t – try it. 

Rating:

Olivia

Have you read either of these books?  Let me know your thoughts.  What was the creepiest book you last read?  How do you feel about books written from the villains POV?