Library Haul & Reading List 02/26/16

This week’s list is all YA, and two of the three are the second in their respective series. I’ve actually already read all of this week’s books before posting this list, so  I’m able to offer a few thoughts instead of just my usual summary. Sadly, two of the books just weren’t that great. But that’s what libraries are for! If you check something out and don’t like it, you’re not out any money for the experience.

• Passenger, by Alexandra Bracken. This is another time travel novel, this time sending a modern-day violin prodigy through time to help a boy retrieve an object of immense value and keep it away from the powerful family that would use it for nefarious purposes. Despite the hype Passenger is getting, I didn’t find it original or all that interesting. Maybe I was just in a funky mood, but I thought it was interesting until the main character got swept back in time and then, when it should have gotten really good, it got boring and awkward.
• The Glass Sword, by Victoria Aveyard. I really enjoyed The Red Queen, which was the first in this series. Unfortunately, this book doesn’t quite live up to it. It’s ponderous, with a lot of navel gazing, whereas the first one was fast paced and engaging. With two more to go in the series, I really hope that this one was an aberration and just setting the scene for more awesomeness.
• Raging Sea, by Michael Buckley. This is the second book in the Undertow series. I enjoyed the first one and am pleased to see that this one doesn’t suffer from second book syndrome. It’s fast paced and moves the story forward. The themes of prejudice and paranoia are still present and make for an interesting undercurrent (no tidal pun intended) in the story. Unfortunately, it ends, if not on a cliffhanger, with me wanting to know what happens next. Soon, please!