Model Spy by Shannon Greenland Review

"Teen genius Kelly James is in a lot of hot water. A whiz with computers, she agreed to help her college RA, David, uncover some top-secret information. After all, she doesn't have many friends and David has always been nice to her. It doesn't hurt that he's supercute and irresistible, too. All she has to do is hack into the government's main computer system. 

But a few hours later, her whole life changes. She is caught and taken in for questioning, only this isn't your run-of-the-mill arrest. Rather than serve a juvenile detention sentence, she accepts the option to change her name and enlist in a secret government spy agency that trains teen agents to go undercover. As if that wasn't overwhelming enough, she discovers that David works for this agency as well!

And before she even begins to understand what is going on, she's sent on her first mission as an undercover model. And who better to partner with than David himself!"

Model Spy is full of laughs and little feelings. It may be said that it is written for the Middle Grade, but I would say the better genre is Young Adult. In other words, this book may be better for older teens than younger children. Anyway, Model Spy is a book about a girl named Kelly James, now Kelly Spree/GiGi (standing for Genius Girl). It is a fun and thrilling ride. I would say it is like the beginning of Ally Carter's The Gallagher Girls. It is all bright, young, hopeful, and the complete opposite of darkness and moodiness.

GiGi (Kelly James, but she rarely uses that name anymore) takes it better than I thought. She may be clumsy (is this another sign of Bella Swan-ish?), but she is brilliant. However, she doesn't have much imagination. High IQ, low EQ. Well, I would say that the amount of points in her IQ/EQ depends on what the plot demands. There are some parts when I wonder if GiGi isn't an university student. She sounds like a little twelve year old.

David, on the other hand, is the love interest for GiGi. He is a quite confusing character. (If I didn't know any better, then I would suspect he has PMS. Then again, he is a boy, so...). He was the one who found GiGi and helped recruit her for a secret government spy agency. 

The story is great. I love it. Undercover model. Some bad guys. It is terribly fun. I have to laugh at some moments. I really enjoyed Model Spy. It reminds me of the lost days with I'd Tell You I love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You. It is fun and enjoyable. It is one of those great books that would suck you into its world.

The ending of Model Spy is great. There is a cliffhanger, but it is very subtle. You have to keep your eyes peeled to notice it. I won't tell you, because that would only ruin the book. It is only the terrible books where I rat off spoilers. I never liked bad books, with boring character or dominant plot.

There were a few things I had problems with in this book. Greenland introduces many character, yet didn't bothered to share a bit of their traits. I guess, they are all secondary characters. And one last question: Why does GiGi go onto her first mission at this time? TL could had chosen another person. Or maybe a FBI or CIA computer specialist could had went in instead of David and GiGi. There were ways around it. The agency GiGi works for is government, meaning they have more tools to use, not just the IPNC (the organization GiGi works for).

Rating: Three out of Five

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter Review

"Every girl who had taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom - and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld - and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

If she fails..."

Oh, this is so another knockoff of the Percy Jackson books. Oh, wait. Percy Jackson probably was a knockoff of Homer, so... It is endlessly complicated.

The Goddess Test is pretty bad. It isn't as bad as the Dig, but I still want to bash it in the head. It, like the Dig, was so bad that I had to take a break from The Goddess Test. I had to read Percy Jackson, because his stories are way better. Demigods are much more fun than gods, Henry, and yeah... Those guys.

Henry, for one, is one annoying character. Sure, sure, sure, he might be a virgin. (I'm not going to be bursting out in laughter. Not yet). Apparently, he loved Persephone too much, but she didn't love him enough. I, however, find that unbelievable. Even the most faithful men eventually find love again. Widows and divorcees always manage to find another one. Anyway, if that isn't possible, then I would say that Henry is very disturbing. If I were to be Kate, I would be heavily worried about possible cheating. Persephone is dead, yes, but how do you know that he isn't doing anything with her? Okay, now I'm just being annoying. I'll stop now.

Kate is annoying too, though not as much as Henry. (Henry may try to be charming, but he only comes off as Edward Cullen, which is very disgusting and disturbing). And Kate is the classic Bella Swan. Clumsy, klutzy, and very annoying in her inner dialogue. She is crazily perfect, having managing to pass the test. Oh, that wasn't obvious. Well, I'm sorry, but if she didn't pass, then there wouldn't be any sequels. No sequels mean a relief to all of us, right? Unfortunately, yes, she survived, so there are two sequels.

The romance between Henry and Kate is very dry. Good romance, like Divergent, makes you feel things, like a spark in the stomach and a ticklish feeling whenever you read a great paragraph. (See Divergent's graph/Tobias' declaration moment. It is gold).

Overall, I think The Goddess Test isn't worth it. It may be a step up from the Dig (the previous book I'd read), but it has nothing on Percy Jackson, which is undeniably the number one book based on Greek Mythology.

And... Enough of this. I'm finishing this review.

Rating: Two out of Five

The Dig by Audrey Hart Review

"Zoe Calder has always been an outsider. Stashed away in boarding schools since her parents died, Zoe buries herself in the study of ancient worlds. Her greatest thrill is spending her summers with her archeologist aunt and uncle on digs around the world. And one day, while investigating a newly unearthed temple in Crete, Zoe discovers a luminous artifact that transports her to ancient Greece.

As Zoe quickly learns, the Olympian Gods are real, living people—humans with mysterious powers… Powers that Zoe quickly realizes she has come to possess, as well. However, when the people of ancient Greece mistake Zoe for an Olympian, the Gods must restore the balance of the ancient world… No matter what.

Zoe is forced to play a confusing and dangerous game as Hera rallies the gods against her—all except for Zeus, the beautiful, winged young god who risks everything to save her.

Out of time and out of her element, teenager Zoe Calder finds herself in ancient Greece, battling against the power of the Olympians and the vengeance of a scorned goddess—all for the strange and mysterious boy she has come to love."

Dig is perhaps the most annoying and ridiculous book I'd ever read. And I read over thousands of books, so this is saying something. (Of course, there are tons of annoying books, but none of them are as ridiculous as this one. Oh, by the way, I'm following the genres of Greek Mythology or stories/books based on Greek Mythology. I'm going back to Percy Jackson. There is a bunch of fangirls and Percy Jackson fans).

Dig ignores everything of Greek Mythology. The author horribly bashed Greek Myth in the head and changed everything. The gods became annoying insecured teenagers. Hello? They are thousands of years old and most of them, especially Athena, are much wiser than that. Honestly, if the Olympians were real, they would had bashed Audrey Hart's head. Athena, especially. That girl is toasted by the time Athena, the goddess of wisdom and owls, is through with her. Then Hera is going to send cow poop.

Zoe Calder reminds me of Gaia. Her powers over the earth is relatively similar to it. However, I have no idea why she is hanging out with Olympians. She should be a hippie. Okay, maybe not a hippie, but she definitely doesn't deserve this great and awesome power. She is an idiot. Remember how Zeus always cheat on his wife (or girlfriend in this book)? Well, guess what will happen if you get involved with him. Or any of the gods. None of them are truly faithful to their marriage, with the exception of the virgin goddesses and Hera.

World building is terrible. Like I said before, nothing is really based on Greek Mythology. It is only the names that were taken. Oh, I forgot! Apparently, Athena is the girlfriend of Ares while Poseidon is dating someone who is not his wife. Even Artemis is dating. Artemis! Can you believe it? Hello? Athena and Artemis are two virgin goddesses. It means they don't date and they could barely tolerate the male species. So, in short, Audrey Hart (the author of this damn book) really bashed the head of Greek Mythology.

The writing is terrible, too. I couldn't stand it. Don't know why I even bothered.

Was there anything good?

Hmm... There was this part... Actually, I'm just joking. I hate The Dig. And it somehow ripped off archaeological reasoning, too!

Ridiculous! (And I remember why I bothered to finish this book. It was because I felt like I abandoned too many books).

Rating: One out of Five

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"The action-packed second book of Tera Lynn Childs's Greek mythology–based Sweet Venom trilogy is perfect for teen fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series.

Three teenage descendants of Medusa must figure out where their fate will take them. The warring factions among the gods of Olympus are coming for them, the creatures of the abyss are pushing into San Francisco, and the boys in their lives are hiding dangerous secrets.

Gretchen has fought the monsters the longest, but teaching the girls the ropes is hard. Can she rely on Grace and Greer, or even trust herself to keep them safe? Greer has pressing social commitments and little time to train her newfound powers. But her second sight won't leave her alone. Grace is worried about her brother, Thane, who has disappeared. His secrets might have to do with the heritage the triplets share.

How can the girls embrace the shadows of their legacy?"

Sweet Shadows is the second book of this trilogy. It comes after Sweet Venom and follows the paths of Grace, Greer, and Gretchen. I would call them the G-Girls, if I'm talking about all triplets. For individual ones, I'll simply use their first names (never last). And I refuse to let myself use names for two girls.

Sweet Shadows mostly focus on Greer and Gretchen. Gretchen, especially. She has her boy problems, tons of boy problems named Nick. Apparently, he is someone related to a god of justice or something like that and well... It is complicated. (Why are demi-gods always complicated?). Too complicated, I might add. Greer, well... That is a long story for most people, not including me. Needless to say, she got cheated on and was the Queen of Sass for the year. I love her statements and her words. Hold your head high and never let them see you cry! (Sounds like Let it Go, right? I'll stop now). Grace is still with Milo, who isn't anything special. At least, I don't think he is. (And I hope he isn't. For once, can we have a normal guy?).

Out of all the girls, it is probably Gretchen and Greer who changed the most. Gretchen's prejudices are starting to unravel while Greer is getting used to chaos. Not everything has appointments and organization when it comes to monsters and Greek Mythology. Grace, on the other hand, remains the same. Mostly. She seems to take this world of monsters pretty well actually. She is just like her other sister, Gretchen.

The plot of Sweet Shadows moved so much yet also so little. It is like talking big about little details. Okay, that probably doesn't make sense, so I'll try another explanation. The plot moved slowly yet also quickly. It seemed slow after you read it. But while you were reading Sweet Shadows, the plot went by fast. It is so annoying.

Nick is a jerk. Don't date him, Gretchen. A man who lies will never change. (And the girl who changes him is legendary). I learned that from my mother. And my thoughts are final. Don't date him.

The ending of Sweet Shadows leave off with a cliffhanger. It isn't a The Mark of Athena cliffhanger, but it is a bit more subtle. I can tell you that I can't wait to get my paws on the next book, Sweet Legacy. Everything has to be sweet, eh?

Rating: Three out of Five

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs Review

"Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight."

Sweet Venom has some roots in Greek mythology. There is Greer, whose powers is similar to this book's Medusa. Gretchen and Grace are the other two sisters of Greer. And yes, they are triplets. They are all equally identical. Imagine that. Wouldn't it be so confusing to tell them apart? Well, no. There is the words on the page that help you... Okay, okay. There are other ways of telling them all apart.

Greer is the mean girl. And she is a know-it-all for normal stuff. She keeps thing organized and won't miss an appointment. She probably has tons of speeding tickets because of that. Surprisingly, she doesn't appear until about three quarters of Sweet Venom. Plus, she takes the Greek mythology pretty well for a first-timer. Percy Jackson didn't believe in it even after he fought the minotaur. It was only when he met Medusa when he knew. (Love interest: Kyle).

Gretchen is the type to grit her teeth and keep going. She has great endurance and strength. She cares little and she is a soldier in her own way. Of all three girls, Gretchen is the one to make it through to the end. She rarely responds to jokes and is the most serious of them all. However, she is the most similar to Greer. They are both serious in their fields and sharply-willed. Gretchen may seem to be Bella Swan clumsy at first. You'll soon realize that trait is only a little fitz. (Love interest: Nick, who appears to be more than he claims to be).

Grace is the most naive and innocent of them all. You can think of her as the little sister of the bunch. She is the one making peace instead of war. She is polite and kind whenever her sisters are rude and mean. She is eager and stunningly hungry for socializing. Those kind traits remain to be her best traits. (Love interest: Milo, her brother's best friend).

And who is the most annoying of the triplets? I would say Greer. She is the most annoying. Then Gretchen. Last, Grace.

Sweet Venom is lighthearted and sweet. (Ooo. A bit redundant). It is that type of book that younger teens read. I mean, thirteen or twelve years old. There isn't anything wrong with it. Yet. Besides, I don't think Tera Lynn Childs is the type of author to write racy stuff. (Unlike Leigh Bardugo. Now I want to cry all over again. Those ads all over Goodreads are making me cry). With great Greek mythology allusions (that are a bit shifty), Sweet Venom certainly will get kids interested in the great old myths of the older times.

The writing is a bit annoying. Shifting between three POVs, I swear that I have a little trouble keeping track of all the names. Still, it is logical. And that is what really matters, right?

Rating: Three out of Five