H.I.V.E. #5: Rogue by Mark Walden

This book is the fifth in the series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Otto has been taken over by the Animus and the Overlord. They are controlling him as he helps to assassinate two G.L.O.V.E. council members, and as the Disciples try to find the location of H.I.V.E. The hope for the bad guys is to eliminate Nero and Darkdoom, so they can take over the world.  Darkdoom is seriously injured, and a kill order has been issued for Otto. Raven and Wing set out to find and rescue Otto, or kill him if rescue isn't possible. Meanwhile, the computer system controlling H.I.V.E. is acting up, and it's a annoying at the moment. However, the entire population is in danger of dying when the ventilation system stops working. They're all doomed if the caused can't be discovered and stopped.

This book was back to the imaginative adventure found in the first few books in the series. Having the main character in the series become evil was an unexpected twist. The minor characters once again took more important roles, and Lucy started to use her special powers more often. The plot in the series continues to move along, although the G.L.O.V.E. council has several fewer members than in book one.

H.I.V.E. #6: Zero Hour by Mark Walden

This book is the sixth in the series, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Overlander returns as much more dangerous enemy. It's improved the Animus and taken over Raven's mind. Overlander needs to find a more permanent body to live in, and Otto's body is the perfect home. Overlander takes over a top-secret nuclear facility, and it finally discovers the location of H.I.V.E. When H.I.V.E. falls into enemy hands, all seems lost. Overlander has created another weapon that seems impossible to stop and can control the world. Overlander takes the girls hostage, so Otto may have no choice but to risk capture in order to save them.

There was quite a bit going on in this plot, and the H.I.V.E. team faces impossible odds, as usual. I liked that Nero actually gave the kids missions to complete, since they've unofficially been doing them anyhow since book one. I'm impressed with the author's imagination as he comes up with villains and problems that are very difficult to defeat. Spoiler alert: one of the students ended up dying in this book!

Daniel X Series #1: The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson

This book is the first in the series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Daniel's parents are killed when he is three years old, and he takes up their quest to be Alien Hunters. He's now fifteen, and he has developed a power to be creative. He can alter the molecular structure of objects of anything to create, well, anything. He even creates friends and his parents when he needs them. Daniel sets out to eliminate all of the aliens on The List, a list of all the worst and most dangerous alien creatures on Earth. He sets his sights on number six, but he may have bitten off more than he can chew. He ignores the warnings of his "friends" and "parents", and he heads to Los Angles to face the beast. He soon discovers that his creative powers may not be enough to stop this killing machine.

The plot was interesting, but Daniel's powers took some getting used to. He literally created whatever he needed, whenever he needed it, which was hard to believe, even in a fantasy book. I finally got over his powers, and the plot became more suspenseful. His journey to defeat the alien creature took him off Earth and led to the story's climax.

The Lorien Legacies #3: The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

This book is the third in the series, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. You need to read the previous books in the series first. Use the SEARCH box in the top left corner of my blog to find the prior two books. Number Four and Number Nine discover that the U.S. government is now working with the Mogadorians. Apparently, they don't realize the Mogs plan to kill all humans on Earth. Numbers Six, Seven, and Ten are traveling to India to find Number Eight. The hope is that the remaining Lorien gardes will be able to defeat Setrakus Ra, leader of the Mogs, if they can work together. John and Nine are captured by the FBI, but they escape and hide out in Chicago. Marian, Emma, and Six are attacked by soldiers  in India but manage to find Eight. They hide out in a mountain cave but are attacked by an army of Mogs. How will the gardes find a way to join forces, and will they all survive, in order to defeat the enemy?

There's a lot of fighting in the plot, but the character's personalities are a big part of it too. All of the gardes are learning to use their legacies, their special powers, and this fact makes them vulnerable. Nine is very confident in his abilities, but he's not ready to fight Setrakus Ra on his own. My main issue with the plot is the constant changing of point of view. The plot is told by Four, Six, and Seven. It requires readers to constantly change their thinking in order to understand who is speaking, what's going on, and how the characters' thoughts differ. It's not necessarily difficult, but it's distracting.

The Mouse With the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck

This book is not like other Peck books, but I gave it a rating of four out of five. The main character, a mouse, does not know anything about his past, not even his name. His "aunt" is the best seamstress around, and she seems to know something about him. Minor Mouse, as he's come to be called at school, ends up running away and hopes to uncover the secret of his life. He has some encounters with a cat, a horse, and some bats, but he ends up getting bounced from place to place. He hopes to speak with the human royal queen, because he thinks she knows everything. He later uncovers secrets he never dreamed of.

The plot is told first-person, and it's an amusing tale. It's funny how all of the different characters have similar messages for him but how easily he fits in. I enjoyed this story by Richard Peck, but I kept thinking how differently it was written as compared to A Long Way From Chicago, although the term "stir your stumps" was used again.

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

This book is on the new Battle of the Books list, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Tendai, Rita, and Kuda live in Zimbabwe, in the year 2194. Their father is a powerful man, and he is overly protective, never letting them leave the estate. The children decide to sneak out for an adventure, but things quickly go wrong. They're captured by kidnappers, sold as slaves to the She Elephant, and later escape, only to be stuck in Resthaven, a primitive world with little technology. The children ping pong across the city and may never make it home.

The title refers to three detectives searching for the kids. The names refer to their senses with special powers. At one point, Arm was holding a baby and behaved strangely, because his sense of touch and emotions were bonded with it. The plot isn't especially gripping, so some readers may want more action. I think the main issue I had with the book was that I couldn't get a grip on the tone. It seemed like it was going to be a serious adventure, but then there were amusing descriptions and dialogue thrown in. The tones didn't work together for me. The climax did not include the humor, so it was better than the rest of the book.

The Hero's Guide to Saving a Kingdom #1 by Christopher Healy

This book is the first in a series, and I gave it a rating of three out of five. The plot follows four Prince Charmings from four different fairy tales: Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel. The stories do end happily ever after. For various reasons, the four couples split up, and the four Prince Charmings come together in the wilderness. To begin with, the plan is to rescue Ella from Rapunzel's tower, but the singing bards have been captured by an evil witch. How are the citizens supposed to get the news? The princes have adventures with creatures and bad guys, while the princesses have a few adventures of their own.

The plot is a combination of the four different stories and characters, and the princes each have quirky personalities. The villains are also a little silly, so the plot includes some strange twists. Although some of the parts are amusing, I got tired of the silliness after a while. I can appreciate silliness, but it was a little too much for me.