InHuman

Mira’s mother sizes up bodies at the morgue like she’s rifling through the sales rack: this one’s too big… this one’s too small… ah, here it is. Just right. The perfect vessel for the one they’ll call Adam.

Since Adam’s survival is the key to drawing out the Conduit—a slippery sort bent on evacuating souls from their human bodies—Mira must help him pass for a typical teenage boy. That means showing him how to talk right, walk right, chew with his mouth open... blend in.
​
Ironic, because blending in is has always been a challenge for Mira, especially with hair the color of a Dorito. But at their small, secluded prep school, blending in is a matter of life and death.
​
Because the Conduit is watching.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Kama Falzoi Post brings a race of aliens to Earth in hopes of trying to save their species in her book, InHuman. The beings need a host and become a parasitic race, accidentally evacuating human souls from bodies and taking their place. They realize their mistake and begin searching for deceased bodies to reinvigorate, but it's too late. The damage is done and revenge from one specific soul is underway. 

Mira is half-human, half-conduit, with no world-saving experience, but she's still tasked with the job. A conduit is part of the alien race who functions as a doorway that souls can travel through. Specifically, souls that have been sent to the Dark Eternal, aka the other side. Mira has been trying to find *The* Conduit for years. The Conduit is the villain of the story, taking souls from the Dark Eternal and giving them bodies that were originally used for the alien species to reside in. This has resulted in many alien souls being trapped in the Dark Eternal, threatening the extinction of the alien species. Mira, since she's half-conduit, has been assigned the job of finding The Conduit in order to bring back all the trapped alien souls. Though Mira has no idea exactly how to do this. It doesn't matter though, because her father is one of the trapped souls, and she'll do anything to get him back. 

Mira is also a teenage girl, which comes with its own set of problems and character traits. She has a bit of trouble making friends and is unsure of herself when it comes to boys. Though she'd give anything to only have those problems. Readers will enjoy learning about this alien race and how exactly their species survives, but they'll also be interested in Mira's life as a half-conduit. I think the teenage aspect of her character creates a fun addition to the story while also adding weight to the search for her father. 

Adam is the newest Initiate from the alien race and his story is a bit sadder. He's been brought to Earth in order to be bait for The Conduit. Mira and her two leaders, Hal and Larry, think that if Mira is with the Initiate then she can catch The Conduit when it comes for Adam. Adam gives the readers a sort of insight when it comes to the aliens invading former deceased bodies. As described in the book, it's like a new foal - a little clumsy and unsure of how to act. I think readers will like Adam's character and offer an understanding of what he's going through. He knows he's bait and it's a difficult position to be in. 

The only real problems I had with the book were the lack of training Mira has when it comes to her capabilities as a half-conduit and her father. Her father is also a conduit, which is why Mira has that ability. However, I'm not sure how The Evil Conduit could force her father out of his body and into the Dark Eternal without him fighting back. It seems like her father could/should have had the power to stop The Evil Conduit from evacuating the alien souls in the first place. There's also a lot of back-stabbing in this book and though there are reasons given, it doesn't seem like loyalty is a well known trait in this cast of characters. 

InHuman is a book that brings aliens to Earth and creates a chaotic mess that could potentially destroy the human race as well as the alien species. I think young adult readers as well as those who enjoy supernatural, alien, or fantasy genres will like this novel. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Mark your Calendars: 

December 13th, Guest Post by Kama Falzoi Post,

 author of InHuman

What's Next, Wednesday (32)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

I'm waiting on a couple of Ebooks up for review next, but I may try to sneak A Gift of Ghosts by Sarah Wynde in next if I finish the current book before I receive the others. I downloaded this for free a few months ago and have been waiting for a little break to read it. This book tells the story of a woman who can communicate with ghosts and a man who needs to reach his deceased family. But simply working together is too easy. Really excited about this one. 

Teaser Tuesday (240)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



The Queen of Annam's Daughter (Kindle 18%)
   - Nina Vida

And now she has to get her mind straight when she's with him, has to tell herself that she needs to take care of him, that no one will do it if she doesn't, that she might even love him a little bit. Anyway, it's not his fault that the war caught up with him when everyone else was forgetting all about it. 

Sing For Freedom

This new combined edition of We Shall Overcome and Freedom Is A Constant Struggle weaves together the leadsheets of 115 songs, 135 moving documentary photos, and stirring firsthand accounts. Grouped together in chapters on each of the key stages of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, they create a stunning vision of this critical moment in world history. Includes an introduction by the editors, Guy and Candie Carawan. Arranged chronologically, fully indexed.

**

Guy and Candie Carawan, Civil Rights Activists from the movement, compile a collection of songs, quotes, snippets of stories, and photographs to shared Sing for Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs. 

Singing was a critical part of the Civil Rights Movement. It brought people together, shared religious beliefs, calmed nerves, and spread the message of equality. This collection chronologically shares the songs sung by Civil Rights Activists and Protesters during sit-ins, marches, and jail time. I feel like this book offers a whole new perspective on the Civil Rights Movement. 

Some of the songs are accompanied by musical scores, so readers could sing them or play them if they wanted. A few of the songs are adapted traditional religious hymns. Others were written by activists themselves in the moment. 

Throughout the book, there are quotes and articles interspersed into each time frame. The quotes are a powerful aspect of the book. They give the songs a sense of time and place. Sometimes that means sitting in a jail cell, other times it's marching or participating in a sit-in. The quotes paired with the lyrics are a strong combination that will give readers a perspective that will help them understand how that song was utilized in the movement. Anyone who is interested in the power of music, history, or the Civil Rights Movement specifically should read this collection. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups