The Silence of Six by E. C. Myers

“What is the silence of six, and what are you going to do about it?”

These are the last words uttered by 17-year-old Max Stein’s best friend, Evan: Just moments after hacking into the live-streaming Presidential debate at their high school, he kills himself.

Haunted by the image of Evan’s death, Max’s entire world turns upside down as he suddenly finds himself the target of a corporate-government witch-hunt. Fearing for his life and fighting to prove his own innocence, Max goes on the run with no one to trust and too many unanswered questions.

Max must dust off his own hacking skills and maneuver the dangerous labyrinth of underground hacktivist networks, ever-shifting alliances, and virtual identities — all while hoping to find the truth behind the “Silence of Six” before it’s too late.




The Silence of Six by E. C. Myers
Standalone.
Page Count: 368
Genres: YA, Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction
Cover Rating: 9/10

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The unknown is scarier than the truth.

- Silence of Six, E. C. Myers

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Okay, when I first started this, I had absolutely NO idea what this was about. Which makes it more exciting for me, no? But I’m glad I went into it blind because all the events were more shocking and unexpected. This was really a high adrenaline suspense novel!

Introduction dun dun duun: 
You and your best friend loved hacking for fun.
It was how you bonded, and all your childhood memories lies in it.
You, however, saw the dangers it was going to bring you.
So you quit your hacking hobby successfully.
But you also stopped talking with your friend as much as you did before.
One day, there is an important school rally that involves the presence of USA’s potential President.
They’re filming on TV! Your school is live to the country!
But - suddenly your best friend comes on screen.
You of course instantly recognise him. Others don’t.
What is he doing there?
This is not part of the rally.
He starts speaking.
What is he saying? What does that mean?
Then, He puts a gun into his mouth.
WHAT IS HE DOING?!

Bang.

Chaos.

Plot:
First let me say the pacing was GREAT. It kept me guessing till the end!!  I was never really confused either of what was happening. The only bits that left me a bit clueless was the computer terminology, since I have NO idea about any of that. If I could understand the story though, I think pretty much everyone else in the world can too... xD Techie impaired person over here *waves*

Characters:
I liked all the characters a lot actually! I loved Penny and her sister Risse’s relationship the most :D
It was so nice to see siblings working together with something they love and are so good at!! Makes me really really want an older sister. EVERYONE I know with older siblings adore their siblings… aw :(

I also liked Max/Penny’s relationship since it was a little complicated and technically wasn’t romance. So sweet. I don’t get the point of Courtney (Max’s gf).. I dun like her and she doesn’t deserve Max.

 Ending:
Aww the ending made me tear up ;( So sad. Anyways, it was funny how even though the whole book was so suspenseful and action filled, the world didn’t care. You know those movie scenes where for example there's a house, and inside the house there's something REALLY CHAOTIC going on, but then the camera suddenly zoomes out and there's this oblivious old lady walking by all peacefully, and the town is all quiet? The trouble is only in the house. No one really knows or cares except the people involved. It gave off that feeling! Like wow, our problems are really small to the world. Nothing really changed apart from you. Ahahaa I'm getting all deep and confusing but you get the point.

 Ahem, anyways, what i’m saying is it's a really gripping read about computer hacking that you should definitely check out! :D

★★★★ 

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

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The Paper Magician & The Glass Magician by Charlie M. Holmberg

Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever.

Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic.

An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man.

The Paper Magician by Charlie M Holmberg

My Rating: ★★★

First book of the Paper Magician Trilogy

Page Count: 224

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Historical Fiction (not really), Romance, Paranormal

Cover Rating: 7/10

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Denying it won't make you return to ordinary.
— Charlie M. Holmberg, The Paper Magician

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The concept for this world was really interesting, but I thought it could have been executed better. I mean, you get to become a magician if you go to this particular school and get an apprenticeship of which magic you want to learn! How exciting! 

Well, Ceony Twill did NOT get to choose herself which magic she got to learn because there wasn't enough Paper Magicians, but she gets the 'exciting' part none the less. Whyyy you say, since Paper is well known as one of the most boring Magic? Because EMERY THANE. DUN DUN DUUUN!!

You gotta love Emery Thane. Emery Thane is Ceony's new teacher! And quite an odd one at that. It must be a new trend to make teachers/bosses very kooky. (See Jackaby .. Kind of similar.) I don't really mind this unless the weirdness is too unbelievably fake :D It's interesting to see how the term 'unique' crosses over between different authors. 

Anyways.

Back to the 'could have been executed better' part. The plotline was kind of.. bare. I know she somehow went literally 'into' his heart and all that (read the synopsis), but that was it? Uhh very interesting... XD The beginning was really cool; we saw Emery's character and got to know Ceony better, and then the middle just seemed to draaaggg onnnnn.

The romance was barely there that you wouldn't even realise there was any. (Apart from the ending thing that happened) Ceony's feelings seemed to have developed too fast to be believable, if you add on to the fact that Ceony is like 19, only been in one relationship before, and Emery was 30 something- having been married and divorced once. Ooookay then. I would have liked to see her feelings develop. Why didn't we, since we've been in her head ever since she even saw Emery? Hmmm. 

Overall just a 'meh' book that didn't evoke any particular feelings for me. It was interesting though. Don't really have much else to say :/

----REVIEW OF THE GLASS MAGICIAN COMING UP. SHOO NOW. POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR PAPER MAGICIAN AHEAD.----

Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.

When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.

The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

So I read the sequel! Yeyyy xD This was definitely more fast paced and fun than the first book. But of course, it had problems of it's own. Since this one was not about Ceony running around by herself in Emery's heart, it had much more dialogue and many new characters.

Problematically..... the new characters had no depth. Or any characters, for that matter... :/ The fact that Ceony had no, well, dimension shined through in this book much more than the previous novel since there were more important events that included decision making. She would think the same things over and over again without any real reasoning behind it, and it seemed like the author had this go-to character quality checklist next to her and was like "Ceony- Loyal, Heroic, Sacrificial" *adds random loyal, heroic, sacrificial scenes into book* Same went with Lira in the previous one, the newly introduced Delilah as with the new antagonists. Not much background information on any of them either.

Ceony was kind of annoying here toooo. Oh, she defeated Lira! Now ALL the consequences are HER fault, therefore she must go and fix everything herself in secret! Even if it means danger to everyone around her! and then she gets all upset when people try to fix her mistakes without her, like 'I should be there!! Why?!?" Well maybe it's because you caused them to gather in the first place *facepalm* It was alright in the end, I suppose, since her attempts to fix humanity often gave out useful information. But still. Did I mention she was kind of racist too? Like right after the mill explodes and everything's chaotic, she sees this Indian dude standing across the street and she's like 'Oh look, a dark skinned man! How suspicious! Maybe HE blew the mill up! Oh dear I shouldn't think that.' And then of course in the later chapters, still, she doesn't say much about him apart from his accent and his skin tone. Wth?
The parts about women and cooking annoyed me as well, since from personal experience, I know all women can't cook. *cough cough not naming names* xD Just.. meh.

The romance was more clearly depicted, and that one chapter in Emery's PoV was very helpful in figuring out their relationship. Hm. I'm actually pretty curious of where this is going to go in the final instalment of the trilogy! I just might read it for that :)

Again, I'm afraid I don't have much definite thoughts on this one. I liked the increase of action, but the characters were flimsy as paper (see what I did there), and there are no points worth talking about. Sorryy. If it wasn't short as it was, I can't say I would have finished the books.

**Thank you Netgalley for providing me with free review copies to review.<3**

 —MissOddball Over and Out.

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Jackaby by William Ritter

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.



Jackaby by William Ritter
My Rating: ★★ ★
Stand Alone? Idk
Page Count: 299
Recommended For: Quick quirky mystery novels. Fans of Sherlock/Doctor Who, I suppose
Genres: YA, Mystery, Paranormal
Cover Rating: 9/10 !! SO PRETTY. But that model.. erm.. does not look like Jackaby.

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This world is full of dragon-slayers. What we need are a few more people who aren't too proud to listen to a few fish.

—Jackaby, William Ritter 

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Jackaby was a really interesting, quirky read. To me though, it felt a bit unoriginal because it felt like it was trying too hard to be a cross between Sherlock (BBC) and Doctor Who. Mind you, I've never seen Doctor Who (don't kill me), but the similarities to Sherlock were really obvious. First I had this feeling that Jackaby was a mix of Sherlock and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp's version) because I don't know Doctor Who's personality and I didn't read the blurb... it was kind of a weird, fitting mix actually xD But anyways.

On the blurb, it bluntly states that it's a cross between Sherlock and Doctor Who. This made it feel a bit like fan-fiction instead of a novel. If you've never watched any of those shows though, I think you'll really enjoy it :) (-and you should totally watch Sherlock. I command you!!)

Getting past that issue, it put a nice twist on a classic detective plotline! I loved the paranormal aspect. And it was well descripted as well. You could really easily imagine being along with Abigail in her 'big adventure'. The place this took place was a bit confusing though... because it said in the beginning that it was set in America, but the language and scenery were clearly London :/ Meh.

Characters

I loved Jackaby! He was awesome. Like said before, personally it was like a cross between Johnny Depp's Hatter and BBC's Sherlock. What I would pay to see them both having tea. 

Abigail, our protagonist, was really cool too because she was independent. She wanted adventure, and she got one! With Jackaby of all people. I want!

There isn't really much to say about them though because they felt too similar to the TV shows. In books, I like it when authors put themselves inside the characters, (see my review of Every Ugly Word. That's a really well done book.) but they don't seem emotionally real enough if they're mostly based on someone else's work. 

Overall it was quite nice, but the character issue put me off a bit. There was nothing that made my jaw drop and go WOW, BUT it was still a funny, quirky and just a quick mystery read that I enjoyed loads!

—Miss Oddball€ Over and Out. 

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Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.

Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop. 





Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter
My Rating: ★★★★★
Stand Alone.
Page Count: 257
Recommended For: People looking for a great contemp/paranormal read.
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal
Cover Rating: 7/10

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It isn't what happens to you in your life that destroys you. It's what you do about it.

- Aimee L. Salter, Every Ugly Word

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I for one, can't remember the last time I just plowed through a book and finished it just like that.

It was just absolutely brilliant! From the first page and on, you can tell it's going to be different, original, and emotionally impacting.

The book touches a well..touchy subject: bullying. Bullying is real, and it's still going on strong in loads of places.

A lot of contemporary realistic books have trouble in getting in a fresh and intriguing perspective for the readers because frankly, there aren't THAT many things you can write about. It's either love, bullying, rape, ect. But Salter really made this stand out.

This book mixes in a bit of paranormal and the classic 'i'm in love with my best friend' structure. <3

The Concept
What if you looked into the mirror, saw your reflection, and it talked back?

This to me, was very spooky yet oddly creative. Because who's advice do you usually tend to listen to more? Yourself. Your Older Me is looking from the future, giving you advice and tips having lived everything through already. Would you trust yourself completely? I honestly don't know the answer to that..

Let's meet a few characters...

What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I be the kick-ass heroine, like in books? Or the strong noble star of a movie? Because it hurts.

— Aimee L. Salter, Every Ugly Word

I adored Ashley, our main. She goes through SO much, but she's always strong in her own way and refuses to give up. I had an instant connection with her although I've never experienced anything like she did (thank goodness), and throughout the book I just wanted to give her a box of chocolates. Is that weird? Totally random but yeah :P
I loved how her therapy was art. For some reason, I feel drawn a person so much more if they can express through something they love doing. I just with I could do that :D

The author's note at the end was awesome to read, because it gave a more indepth PoV on our author and characters. As Salter got bullied in her life as well, she put herself in her writing. She knows how Ashley felt, and what simple words can mean to a person. That's why Ashley is such a great, believable character. One of the reasons I love it is because it felt like Salter did just what Ash did.

Except instead of art, it was writing in her case. When authors truly just mean what they're actually writing; when the characters, and the whole world they're putting from their hearts onto paper are real representatives of them; It becomes my fav :)

Matt was cute! He wasn't perfect, as told many times in the book. I don't trust his judgement, but I liked his character xD  I want a bestie like him :( but Hmmm wonder when I'll pick up a contemp book where girl/guy bestfriend relationship stay platonic instead of either being unrequited love or they eventually start dating.. like Harry and Hermione! :P

Ending:
The ending was sooo just well done! I don't want to give anything away. Go away and read it for yourself.

Overall, it was a very thought provoking read (the mirror bits are confusing because well.. it kind of felt psychological but also real so..), but I finished it really quickly.

Powerful and emotional, it raises awareness of how powerful words are, and how you can turn that power into something good if you just keep strong.

Seriously, I don't want to talk anymore..just shoo and pick up a copy. Or technically a kindle/ipad/ipod whatever because there apparently aren't any physical copies printed.. shame :(

I knew this day was the turning point. The moment I'd look back on and say, "That's when my life changed."

-Aimee L. Salter, Every Ugly Word.

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

**Thank you thank you Netgalley for providing me with a review copy!!<3**

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Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. 

Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?



Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand 
My Rating: ★★★
#1 of the Clone Chronicles 
Page Count: 272
Recommended For: Sci-Fi fans. The Island film fans.
Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Clones
#Coverlove :D

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When I am called to duty, I will be ready. I will serve my Authentic in any way necessary. 

- Imitation, Heather Hildenbrand

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Anyone.. The Island much?!

Concept: The richer people can make Imitations AKA Clones of themselves. Those Imitations can contribute to organ harvesting, or filling in for events. 

The main character, Ven, was cool. She didn't really stand out against the world of YA female protagonists, but she didn't annoy me too much as well, so I appreciate that. When I say 'too much', it meant that she still annoyed me at parts... especially the romance parts. 

Let's look into that, shall we? *offers arm*

The romance was way too fast in my opinion.

It was like... 

Linc: You're different *cocks head* I can't place it.. but you're not that celeb-y Raven Rogen....

Ven: I HAVE A SECRET TO TELL YOU......... I'M ....A......CLOOONNNEE

Linc: *le gasp* THAT IS SO AWESOMEEE

Ven: :D REALLY?!

Linc:  YES TOTALLY. UN. BELIEVE. ABLE. 

Ven: YAY

Linc: kissy kissy kissy

Ven: Swoony swoony swoony

Me: *rolls eyes* Come on, guys. Get your head in the game. 

It also wasn't believable that she's been training for 4 years. I mean.. even you're still you're own person, you ARE still a clone. And all you've been doing it train train train. Doesn't she have to be at least a bit okay in acting her Authentic? Because she was complete rubbish at it. Sorry Ven, but it's the harsh truth *pats head* Also, I didn't get how Obadiah was an Authentic for her friend.. unless I read it wrong. Because I'm pretty sure you can't change genders with cloning.. o.O

Another down part was that the dialogue between the characters was a little stiff for me to read comfortably. There weren't any parts where I had to go back a few paragraphs because I didn't understand, but more like a '... did he really just say that. Out loud.' reaction. 

There was also an issue with the setting, because I really wanted to know what year this book was set in. Also I wanted to know more about Ven's Authentic, Raven. All that came out about her was that she was a player, and never turned down a boy, and that she's a shallow bimbo who only cares about her appearance and gossip. That's LITERALLY the only information we get about her. Kind of sad, don't you think? 

Apart from that though, I liked the ending, and how it was a cliffhanger. I think the second book will be much better than the first, because things are actually starting to happen :) This book was a bit of a slow start. 

Do I Recommend?: Ummm lemme get back to you on that after I read the sequel... it wasn't that bad though. Just kind of meh.

**Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for review<3**

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

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