RYOB Challenge: August Update

Is it only me or does it seem like time flies too fast this 2016? We may not be able to slow down time but what we can do is make the best out of it. My August had been slow at first with all the class suspension and all but we got loaded up with work as soon as we got back to school to make up for all the missed classes and it made me wish for more class suspensions.

Anyway, although I got a bit swamped with schoolwork and wasn't able to read any book for about a week, I still am proud to say that I finished three books this month. Read on to find out what my thoughts are on these. I must warn you that I will be giving my honest opinions of what I thought about the books so if you are a fan, please don't hate on me. Also, there may or may not be spoilers throughout the review, so you have been warned/

First one on the list is Prodigy by Marie Lu, the second book in the Legend series. 

"Elector Primo is dead. With his son Anden in control, the republic edges closer to chaos. Now joining the patriots might be June and Day's only option. But choosing sides comes at a cost....If the patriots are to trust them, June and Day must assassinate the new elector.

Yet the more June and Day discover about the revolution, the more suspicious they become. What if the new elector is nothing like his father? What if he's their chance for a new beginning?"

My thoughts: So, in this second book, June and Day's story becomes more and more like the Hunger Games. Not exactly like it, but you'd be able to see notes here and there, especially when it came to their love story. Still, I was so curious with what has become of them and I needed to know more. In this book, June and Day gets closer than ever and their relationship gets put into test. Readers would get to know Tess more personally and how her relationship with Day is. A few heart-breaking moments here and there, and the new Elector Primo, Anden, shows a lot more promise than his father. And there are quite a few really unexpected twists with the plot.

I have to be honest though, and say that with Prodigy, I now get how some people say that Legend is overrated. It's still quite a good series for me, and Marie Lu's writing is superb, all I'm saying is it was oversold for me. If I had come across this series on my own, without hearing about it from other people, I would have fallen in love with it.

Next book is the third book in the Prodigy series, Champion. I'll warn you again guys, especially if you haven't read the previous books, spoilers ahead!

"June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic - and each other - and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government's elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

After months spent apart, neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes a panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic's border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country's defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.

With heat-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu's bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion."

My thoughts: This is the best book of the trilogy in my opinion. The plot twists are well-placed and completely unexpected, the technology is amazing even in my imagination, and the love triangle between Anden, Day and June will continue to break your hearts. In Champion, the Republic is caught in war against the Colonies and Africa. Day's woes are far from over as his brother's safety is again threatened and he sometimes still doesn't know whether he can trust the Republic or not. Still, in a very interesting twist, the Republic's future is on Day's hand as he had quite a few critical decisions to make. If you are rooting for June and Day together, you'd be heartbroken on the plot twist towards the end.

Last book for this month is James Patterson's The 9th Judgment which is the 9th book in the series, Women's Murder Club.

"Detective Lindsay Boxer chases a jewel thief, a murderous movie star, and a killer with a vendetta against women and children.

A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence: a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in blood-red lipstick.

The same night, the wife of A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burglar who is about to steal millions of dollars' worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria.

Lindsay spends every waking hour working with her partner, Rich - and her desire for him threatens to tear apart both her engagement and the Women's Murder Club. Before Lindsay and her friends can piece together either case, one of the killers forces Lindsay to put her life on the line - but is it enough to save the city? With unparalleled danger and explosive action, The 9th Judgment is James Patterson at his compelling, unstoppable best!"

My thoughts: I bought this book a few years ago at the National Bookstore Warehouse Sale for about PhP. 75.00. I actually got quite a few James Patterson books because I saw in an actress's blog that she is a big fan of his so I quite expected a lot out of this book. Right now, I couldn't be more disappointed.

I honestly can't understand how this series ended up having 9 books. Okay, no offense to the fans but this isn't my kind of writing, I guess. I get that he tries that women empowerment route, but, I simply can't get myself to even pretend to like it. I got curious on how they'd be able to catch the criminals but meh.

This is one of those books wherein the characters can be too smart and yet too dumb. You know those moments when you read crime books and tell yourself, "They'd never be able to know who did that." and yet they somehow manage to screw up and get caught. The worst part of it all are the times when things just fall into place too effortlessly that it seemed that the characters are just too lucky, you wonder why they don't bet on sweepstakes everyday. I did appreciate the rich backgrounds of the character but the plot simply didn't give those characters justice.

So that is it for my Read Your Own Book Challenge August Update. I hope these had been informative and all. Follow me on Goodreads to find out other books I've rated. xoxo