Cardiac: A Jack Getty Thriller - Jeffrey Monaghan

Synopsis:

What if the one thing meant to keep you alive was used to kill you?

Embattled CEO Jack Getty is nervous. This is his final chance to save his company. He is announcing his firm's breakthrough discovery at the world’s largest annual biotech conference. A discovery that trials show will extend human life by 75%. But as Jack approaches the podium, he suffers a major heart attack and collapses onto the stage, stunning the conference attendees.

Jack is rushed to the emergency room where surgeons implant the latest Wi-Fi enabled pacemaker, saving his life in the process. What Jack doesn’t know, however, is that an underground hacking group has its sights set on manipulating his “secure” pacemaker to get information only he can provide. Despite the hackers unrelenting terror, Jack refuses to give them what they want and soon starts to uncover the true motives of this mysterious and powerful group.

Fast-paced and complex, this medical/techno thriller twists and turns as it stays one step ahead of the reader. Readers will find it a heart-pounding novel that dances on the fringe of the dangers lurking within today's modern technologies.

Review:

Cardiac is the perfect story to make anyone paranoid about any wireless device yet alone pacemakers. You are taken right into the story, there's really not much fussing around when it comes to starting. Everything is perfectly fine until Jack gets on the stage where he suffers a huge heat attack. The pace seems to slow down a lot, I feel like it happened just so suspense was built and so that you were really able to connect and get to know the characters and the ins and outs of their actions.

I found it really easy to fall for Jack, he was just a relaxed character, charming and very family orientated and caring and not only just to his family but also all of those that work for him at his company. Cynthia, Jacks wife was a great character, she always had her head turned on and she was always doing best for her kids and husband, she was never anything less than a great mother and wife in her situation. I felt like Declan who is Jacks youngest son at the age of 13 was portrayed as a perfect 13 year old like he was portrayed perfectly, a kid who behaved and was rewarded for that and loved Minecraft and had a great creative flare. Yet he also had that 'still a 7 year old' flare when it came to his emotions. Michael was a casual 18 year old, a grown up in the way of he was doing what he loved, which was playing for his band that was made out of his friends whilst also having independence and responsibilities and a perfect emotional range.

The plot was really intriguing and thrilling, it made me truly wonder what if. I felt my heart do a few very weird things during the reading of this book. Cardiac is definitely a masterpiece of a new kind, a kind of creativity that is unique and thrilling. Cardiac was the first book I tested my new level of love for a book chart on, every 25 pages I would pause and colour in a square next to the title in the shade of crayon that I had linked with my emotions towards the progress, its clear to say that Cardiac was a clear Great scorer throughout and the perfect try out for my new chart.

I didn't really want to go into too much detail about the goings on's from the book just because if I did that would ruin all of the tension the pages were meant to build up, it is a definite read for someone who like technology and their possibilities and also thrillers just because it was a really great one. Different from other thrillers but still on the same wavelength.

4.5 out of 5, a great read that I'm glad I got around to reading, I hope you like what I had to say about this book and feel free to grab a copy and come back and share your thoughts with me, I cant wait to see what Jeffrey has in store for the future.

Just Juliet - Charlotte Reagan

Synopsis:

Juliet represents the road less travelled. Will Lena take it?
Lena Newman is 17, her best friend’s a cheerleader, her boyfriend’s a football player, and as far as everyone is concerned, her life is sorted. But that’s before she befriends the new girl. Juliet is confident, slightly damaged, drop-dead gorgeous and a lesbian.

Lena realizes that her interest goes beyond just friendship. She sets off on a path of self-discovery where the loyalty of those closest to her will be tested.

Review:

(copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.)

Just Juliet follows Lena, a senior in high school and pretty satisfied with life: she has a boyfriend who’s sweet, has friends she loves and unproblematic parents. But at 17 years old she's in a relationship that isn't exactly thrilling even though her other half is a football player, the romantic feelings are nil void mostly on her part. She simply thinks he's too nice for what she deserves.

Then Juliet comes along, she's tall, beautiful and artistic. Lena finds herself quickly, completely preoccupied with her and she cant understanding why. As their friendship grows, she begins to realise that she is attracted and borderline obsessed with Juliet. Never having questioned her sexuality before, and only having dated boys before, Lena goes through a period of confusion, trying to make sense of her feelings. She researches the topic and confides in her new gay friend, Scott. At the end of this journey, Lena discovers and learns to accept she is Bisexual.

Just Juliet  is not only about self discovery, but the struggles of "coming out". It deals with a variety of situations ranging from love and acceptance to physical end emotional abuse, drug abuse, loss of loves ones. Reagan does a wonderful job of including a range of real-life struggles for homosexual and bisexual teens without straying from the story or bogging it down.

I feel bad that Lena's parents are always too busy to spend time with her, that they would much rather work all the time instead of cherish their time with their daughter who's growing up quickly. However Mr James, Juliet's father was really a parent figure anyone would ever want, caring, accepting, utterly brilliant at being both cool and a responsible human. like what else could you want as a parental figure?

I fell in love with each character that played a main part in the story, from the start I could see how great Juliet and Lena would be together, they seemed to instantly click. I felt like if they were real people who were in my life, I'd be drawn to them, they seem like they would be great people. As for Quin I could instantly feel that he was going to be either a huge jerk or over protective, turns out he can be a little of both. Best friend Lacey kind of got on my nerves a little, it wasn't anything about her part in the story I just had a feeling she was the typical cheerleader chick, goby and way to overpowering to anyone who isn't a cheerleader. I felt she sort of always felt the need to be one above everyone else or be really flashy.For Lena's other friends whom she sits with each lunchtime were nice characters and although not a huge part of the story, they were helping the storyline progress and it was nice to see more than just one friend all the way through. To see Lena meet new people and develop a friendship with them was actually beautiful to witness, it just felt like that should be how every friendship should form and survive.

The ending of the book really blew my emotions way out of line, I mean by the end I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, run up and down the street doing both? I mean it was that good. I did think the ending was going to be a bombshell of a ending but it was like putting a bath bomb into a bath, slowly fizzling out completely, slow enough to cherish its beauty. Like for real people, I'm not even sure the bath bomb explanation worked out but I'm sticking with it.

Defiantly a 5/5 for this book, definitely worth getting, its such a pleasant read and really doesn't take long to get through. loved it from cover to cover.

The Girl Of Ink and Stars - Kiran Millwood Hargrave



Synopsis

Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella Riosse dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped.

When her closest friend disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories, she volunteers to guide the search. As a cartographer’s daughter, she’s equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, and is eager to navigate the island’s forgotten heart.

But the world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a legendary fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

Review:

The story takes place on the Isle of Joya, an island with a mythical past as a floating island. There is a mythical tale that everyone living on Joya knows, one that involves a girl-warrior named Arinta and a fire demon Yote.

In the present day, we come to know that the island is now divided following the arrival of a rather threatening Governor named Adori who is for the most part, for some unknown reason now the ruler of the island. You're either on the Governor' side of the island or the other side where Forgotten Territories are. Our protagonist, Isabella, lives on Adori's side. She is, unsurprisingly, best friends with Adori's daughter Lupe.

I have to admit that I adored the cover and the pages throughout the book, they were so adorable I loved them just slightly less than I did the book itself. I grew slightly attached to Lupe and Isabella as well as Pablo but somehow the connection didn't feel complete, like I was missing more information about them but I admired their strength and determination and bravery.

The relationships between characters were expressed well and as the reader you do get a real sense of the emotional links between each of them. The unconditional friendship between Isabella and Lupe was what really helped pull the story together;despite the differences in their background and upbringing, their bond goes beyond that and the two formed a strong and sweet relationship. I adored the relationship Isabella had with her Da, as I myself have a very close relationship with my dad it was very warming to find part of myself within a 13 year old character. Not only that but I loved how her love for cartography gave both of them the chance to grow closer in times of heartbreak which only strengthened their bond.

The journey that Isa goes on to find Lupe is very interesting, as it gives more of an insight into the history of the island and that's great because I wanted more of it. I think in this case as the book is aimed at a younger audience the story is contained and quicker paced which explains my reason for not having a strong connection with the characters, but l enjoyed the world so much that I wanted to explore each and every part of it.

At it's heart, this book is very much about friendship and family, it's a 4/5 from me, I just really wished the book had been written for an older audience so that it was more in depth but for what it's worth I think Kiran did a great job for the audience she aimed at with a message of loyalty, bravery and friendship as well at it being her debut.