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Review: The Rebel (Roswell High #8) by Melinda Metz

Aug19
Review: The Rebel (Roswell High #8) by Melinda MetzThe Rebel by Melinda Metz
Series: Roswell High #8
Published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment on June 1, 2000
Pages: 176
Format: Paperback
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four-stars

Blood brothers... Michael has finally found the one thing he always yearned for -- family. When his brother Trevor arrives in Roswell, Michael will do anything to please him. But soon Trevor's loyalties come into question -- and Michael is caught in the cross fire.

Maria's little brother has disappeared and she knows the kidnappers are trying to get to her and her friends. Devastated and guilt-ridden, Maria turns to Michael for help. But will he be there for her, or has Michael himself become the enemy?

*This review is a guest review I did for the blog Mel Erin & Regina Read-A-Lot. To read the original review, check it out here*

Much like Vanished, The Rebel surprised me. It was better than I expected, though some parts left much to be desired.

I still can’t get over the physical appearances of the characters in the books versus the show. Every time Max is described with blonde hair and blue eyes, I just want to cringe. Also, my mind was messing with me – I would imagine Jason Behr (the actor who played Max) with blonde hair and blue eyes… And then I kept picturing Brendan Fehr (Michael) with black hair and Colin Hanks (Alex) with red hair. Needless to say, it was kind of strange picturing these actors I knew and loved as the characters, but not looking like themselves. It shouldn’t be a big deal – Actors and appearances change all the time in book-to-movie adaptions. But for some reason, it really threw me off.

The physical appearances aside, the thing that upsets me the most, still, is the differences between television Sheriff Valenti and Kyle versus book Sheriff Valenti and Kyle. I really want to cry whenever I read about them in the books. We learned to love these characters for three years on the show, and to see the different relationship in the books… I feel dramatic saying this, but it really broke my heart.

The Collective Conscious officially freaked me out in this book. There were moments when they just took Max over, even without his permission, and during really awkward, uncomfortable moments – especially for Liz. I don’t necessarily believe they are evil, but I don’t fully trust them, either.

Adam is such a useless character. At least, he feels that way to me. He is bland and doesn’t say or do much to warrant anything. I can see the places where his character was divided into the Tess storyline and the Isabel storyline for the show. And I can absolutely see why his character was not included in the television show. His crush on Liz is unsettling, as Liz was pretty much 100% focused on Max in the show, so to have her affections stray is just… I don’t like it. Same goes with Maria and the mysterious Trevor. Maria had such a puppy-dog crush on Michael, I can’t see her straying like that.

I didn’t like or trust Trevor from the very beginning. I even thought he might have been DuPris in disguise, at first. I didn’t like him threatening Alex – who is finally home, after roughly two weeks – and I didn’t like the way he so easily swayed Michael away from his group. Michael, in the show, does not easily trust. He’s suspicious of everyone. So why didn’t he question Trevor more? Why did he so easily accept what he said as truth? His desire for family is understandable, but to the point that he would let his guard down so fully? It just wasn’t believable.

The Rosa storyline was definitely unnecessary, and I can absolutely see why it didn’t make it to the television show. Liz needs to sneak around, sneak out, and lie so much in the show to help Max, Isabel and Michael. If she had been under the kind of scrutiny her parents – her father, especially – put her under in the books, she never would have gotten away with the things she did in the show. I also just can’t picture Liz with a sibling, just as I can’t picture Maria with a sibling – it was just too much to visualize, too many differences from the show.

The two main focuses in The Rebel are: Who is Trevor, and what does he want? And who kidnapped Kevin (Maria’s little brother) and why? Both of these questions are answered at the end of the book. The ending was so mind-blowing, and it leaves so many questions unanswered. I almost couldn’t wrap my mind around what happened, or how. Melinda Metz is amazing with cliffhanger endings, and she truly does leave you eager to pick up the next book.

four-stars

Review: The Vanished (Roswell High #7) by Melinda Metz

Aug16
Review: The Vanished (Roswell High #7) by Melinda MetzThe Vanished by Melinda Metz
Series: Roswell High #7
Published by Pocket Pulse on May 1, 2000
Pages: 176
Format: Paperback
Buy on Amazon
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four-stars

Gone for good? Max is on a mission to save Alex, who is stranded on the home planet. Alex may be lost or wounded -- or worse. To get Alex back, Max knows he'll need one of the Stones of Midnight. If only he knew where to find one...

Liz understands that Max can't rest until he finds Alex. And she's been busy herself -- spending time with Roswell newcomer Adam. She's been having so much fun with Adam that Max is in danger...of being forgotten.

*This review is a guest review I did for the blog Mel Erin & Regina Read-A-Lot. To read the original review, check it out here*

As a fan of the Roswell television series, I was a little reluctant to read the books, especially when I found out the books actually preceded the television show. I had fallen in love the with actors who played the characters, and so many things get changed in the process of creating a show or movie based on a book.

I was pleasantly surprised by Vanished. There are a lot of differences in the character descriptions, and several differences in the powers each character has. But the similarities were heart-warming. Isabel is just as snarky. Liz is just as logical. Michael seems a little nicer in the books, although I’ve only read the one, so who knows? I absolutely love that Maria is just as New Age-y and scatterbrained in the books. I don’t think I could have pictured her any other way. I’m still torn with Max. He doesn’t feel like he’s as strong a leader in the books as he is in the show, but maybe I just need to keep reading to see.

We learn a lot about the collective consciousness in this book. I loved this. In the television show, Max, Michael and Isabel have virtually no contact with their home planet, and I found this to be a really awesome thing that the books did, but that was not included in the show.

I adore Alex and Isabel. So much. I wish more could have come from their relationship in the show, and I was giddy when I read that they had a relationship in the book. But then I read what happened to Alex, and I was really upset. This was probably one of my least favorite parts of the book. Poor Alex just can’t catch a break!

One of the coolest powers mentioned is Michael’s ability to sense and smell auras. I was a little confused as to whether or not Max and Isabel could do this, as well. I understand why it wasn’t included in the television show – it would have been impossible to depict it visually. That, or really annoying. I also thought it was interesting that Liz and Maria could add their auras/energies to the aliens to strengthen them. That, if I remember correctly, wasn’t in the books and while I don’t understand how it works, it was very awesome to read and visualize.

Now for the bad… Well, not bad, really. These are just the things that I didn’t enjoy about this book. I didn’t like Adam. He felt like a useless character. Maybe there’s more to him Maybe I need to keep reading and I’ll end up liking him. I hated the differences between Sheriff Valenti and Kyle in the television show versus the books. It made me so sad! Also, this book in general just kind of felt like filler. I don’t feel like a lot was accomplished; mostly, it just moved the storyline forward.

The last chapter was… Whoa! While the book as a whole felt like filler, the last chapter had an epic cliffhanger. I have so many questions, and I’m so glad I can read book 8 (The Rebel) next to see what happens!

four-stars