Ares Book Review

    You guys. I'm finally back with another book review. (I've been meaning to do more but just...haven't. *facepalm*) ANYWAY.  I'm super excited for this one because it'll be alll about the book I've done a previous post for HERE and is actually one I got to be an ARC reader for!!! (That said, since I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, the following thoughts and opinions are completely my own and I am not required to write a positive review).
    So without further ado, I present to you...

    And YES. There will be much more fangirling over my precious Ice Boy in this post. (You have been warned...) XD First though, I think it would be smart to bring to your attention that this post WILL. HAVE. SPOILERS for the book. (And for Ignite.) (However, I do have a GoodReads review HERE that is spoiler free, if you want to check that out instead!) So if you haven't read either book yet, then run far far away! (Unless you like spoilers which will befuzzle me, but we're all different.) XD 

SUMMARY

Ares screamed Astrid’s name to the tree tops. But his voice was lost in the howling wind. He could feel it. He could feel it in the frantic snow and the biting wind that pummeled ice into his face. He felt his sister crying.

“Don’t cry, Astrid,” he whispered to the sky. A tear slipped down his cheek and froze on his chin. “I’ll find you. I promise. I’ll find you no matter what.”

His sister can’t tell. Not ever.

Ares is the son of the leading scientist in superhuman research, Dr. Hiram Bailey. His father thinks like everyone else. Supers are a stain on society.
But he doesn’t know his own twins have powers.
Ares can keep a secret. But his sister? Her excitement over their powers just might make things dangerous for them both.

POSITIVE ELEMENTS

    *Sobs* Y'all I LOVED Ares in Ignite and this prequel only increased those feelings even more. Ares and his twin are actually really young in this book (5 or 6 years old was the impression I got) whereas in Ignite Ares is a teenager. At first I was disappointed by this, (because I REALLY wanted more of Older Ares), but the more I read it (and reread it lol) I grew to love Little Ares just as much. 

    This prequel shows how much love Ares has for his sister, even as a youngster, and how much he wants to protect her from the evil in the world. Of course, his knowledge of evil at the time is limited, but he knows the basics of what's good and what's bad. And Jenna showed this incredibly well through the FANTASTIC character voice she gave him that fit his age. Here's one of my favorite quotes that shows this very well:

"Once he heard Mommy crying. But Daddy didn't apologize like you're supposed to do if you make someone cry. Ares had been going to tell him that, but Astrid had a bad dream and he got out of bed to tell her nothing was going to hurt her, like Mommy would say."

~Jenna Terese, Ares

    Ya see what I mean? He's just...UGH. Even at a young age, he's ADORABLE and such an AWESOME bro. I'm literally SO EXCITED for Ignite's sequel and I really hope to see more of Ares and his interaction with his sister as teenagers. (I mean, I don't know for a FACT that they'll have interaction in the next book, but since there were clues of Astrid's relationship with Ares in Ignite and now that THIS book has come out...well, I feel like there might be something to possibly look forward to regarding that.) XD

SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS

None.

ROMANTIC ELEMENTS

Nothing besides the obvious fact of Ares and Astrid's parents being married. XD

VIOLENT CONTENT

Nothing much in this either. It is alluded that Ares and Astrid's parents have a lot of verbal fights over something (presumably the topic of supers) and when their father, Dr. Hiram Bailey, finds out that Ares and Astrid have powers, there's a physical struggle as he's trying to take them away (most likely to the Superhuman containment facility). Ares uses his ice powers to try and stop his father via hailstones. That said, it seems like a lot of violence, but it's not really. (And nothing is described or graphic at all).

CRUDE/PROFANE LANGUAGE

Nothing!

DRUG/ALCOHOL CONTENT

Aaaand nothing here either!

MY THOUGHTS

Here are my thoughts summed up perfectly:

    This book seriously almost made me cry, y'all. (Do I say that a lot? I feel like I say that a lot.) XD The relationship between Ares and Astrid was SO SWEET and it was absolutely heartbreaking to "watch" them get split up when their dad took each of them away. 

    ALSO, although this prequel did answer many questions sparked by Ignite it spurred SO. MANY. MORE. Like, uh, WHAT on earth happened with their mom!?! (I'll let you find out why I ask that when you read it). 😉 Also, what happened to ASTRID? *scratches head* Cause Dr. B was sayin' some pretty concerning stuff over the phone at the end there that makes me wonder if he didn't get her to the containment facility after all. (Do note: Ares and Astrid were taken separately just to make things even more clear as mud lol). Also, also, Jenna did a TERRIFIC job with hinting at Ares' tense relationship with his father in this book that only increases in Ignite. Everything about it was just AMAZING and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this sucker to all of you Ignite fans!!!! Seriously, you won't regret it. (In fact, I might even reread it for a third time today to fit the snowy aesthetic at my house right now!) XD Therefore, since this prequel was SO AMAZING, I will officially rate this book...

5 STARS!

    So, to wrap it up, READ ARES. RIGHT NOW. OR AT LEAST BUY IT. OR READ IGNITE. I DON'T KNOW. JUST DO SOMETHING TO MEET PWECIOUS ARES BECAUSE HE'S SUCH AN ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLL. That's it. I've said my piece.

Tally-Ho! 

*disappears in a whirlwind of snow*

    So...*everyone waits for the inevitable questions* *I wait to give you the inevitable questions* *everyone leans forward in their seats in suspense* *I rub my hands with glee from the suspense* *I open my mouth* *you cock your ears*... How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? *chuckles like a woodchuck* XD You know I'm having too much fun here. OKAY. Real question this time. If you had ice powers like Ares and Astrid, would you keep it a secret like Ares or tell people like Astrid? Also, which of these ice wielders do you like more: Ares, Elsa, or Frozone?