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Mutants #1
Love, Lattes and Mutants
Finding love is hard, even when you aren't a mutant.
Like most seventeen-year-olds, Piper Dunn wants to blend in with the crowd. Having a blowhole is a definite handicap. A product of a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, Piper spends her school days hiding her brilliant ocean-colored eyes and sea siren voice behind baggy clothing and ugly glasses. When Tyler, the new boy in school, zeroes in on her, ignoring every other girl vying for his attention, no one, including Piper, understands why...
Then Piper is captured on one of her secret missions rescuing endangered sea creatures and ends up in the same test center where her mother was engineered. There she discovers she isn't the only one of her kind. Joel is someone she doesn't have to hide from, and she finds herself drawn to the dolph-boy who shares her secrets. Talking to him is almost as easy as escaping from the lab. Deciding which boy has captured her heart is another story...
Like most seventeen-year-olds, Piper Dunn wants to blend in with the crowd. Having a blowhole is a definite handicap. A product of a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, Piper spends her school days hiding her brilliant ocean-colored eyes and sea siren voice behind baggy clothing and ugly glasses. When Tyler, the new boy in school, zeroes in on her, ignoring every other girl vying for his attention, no one, including Piper, understands why...
Then Piper is captured on one of her secret missions rescuing endangered sea creatures and ends up in the same test center where her mother was engineered. There she discovers she isn't the only one of her kind. Joel is someone she doesn't have to hide from, and she finds herself drawn to the dolph-boy who shares her secrets. Talking to him is almost as easy as escaping from the lab. Deciding which boy has captured her heart is another story...
186 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2015
36 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Cox
64 books122 followersMulti-published author Sandra Cox writes All Things Western and More. Sandra lives with her husband, a menagerie of pets, and an occasional foster cat in sunny North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 10, 2015
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
3.5/5
Love Latte and Mutants is the first book in the young adult science fiction Mutant Series. Piper's mother was experimented on before she was born and injected with Dolphin DNA. After some time (we don't really know too much of her mother's backstory yet) she escaped and had Piper. Piper is interesting because while she is completely human she had dolphin characteristics, like a blowhole which allows her to stay under water for 30 minutes. Piper does a good job keeping a low profile until a boy comes along and screws it all up. Just kidding...kind of. But Tyler did force her into the spotlight a lot more.
What I liked most about Piper was that she seemed to take on some siren-like qualities as well. Her voice was enchanting to males, so she had to hide that about her as well. Love Lattes and Mutants is a quick little read that I think sets up the series very nicely. I liked the book, but I feel like I have to read the second book before I really make up my mind about the Mutant series. This one almost felt like a precursor.
There were many things I loved in the story though. I loved Piper's connection with the dolphins and I loved her connection with her grandfather. I thought he was just the sweetest. Tyler is the one of the guys that grabbed my heart a little tighter. I don't know my feelings on Joel yet, but there is just something about Tyler that can't be ignored.
It takes a while for the action to get going in Love Lattes and Mutants, but once it does it pretty fast paced. Piper finds out a lot about the mysterious divers she kept evading in the ocean, and she finds out a little bit about the man heading up that organization. We will be learning more about him and his ultimate goals in the next book I am sure. The next book is slated to come out in 2016 and is titled Love Lattes and Angels. I will be interested to see where the book is going to take us next.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
3.5/5
Love Latte and Mutants is the first book in the young adult science fiction Mutant Series. Piper's mother was experimented on before she was born and injected with Dolphin DNA. After some time (we don't really know too much of her mother's backstory yet) she escaped and had Piper. Piper is interesting because while she is completely human she had dolphin characteristics, like a blowhole which allows her to stay under water for 30 minutes. Piper does a good job keeping a low profile until a boy comes along and screws it all up. Just kidding...kind of. But Tyler did force her into the spotlight a lot more.
What I liked most about Piper was that she seemed to take on some siren-like qualities as well. Her voice was enchanting to males, so she had to hide that about her as well. Love Lattes and Mutants is a quick little read that I think sets up the series very nicely. I liked the book, but I feel like I have to read the second book before I really make up my mind about the Mutant series. This one almost felt like a precursor.
There were many things I loved in the story though. I loved Piper's connection with the dolphins and I loved her connection with her grandfather. I thought he was just the sweetest. Tyler is the one of the guys that grabbed my heart a little tighter. I don't know my feelings on Joel yet, but there is just something about Tyler that can't be ignored.
It takes a while for the action to get going in Love Lattes and Mutants, but once it does it pretty fast paced. Piper finds out a lot about the mysterious divers she kept evading in the ocean, and she finds out a little bit about the man heading up that organization. We will be learning more about him and his ultimate goals in the next book I am sure. The next book is slated to come out in 2016 and is titled Love Lattes and Angels. I will be interested to see where the book is going to take us next.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
February 24, 2015
This sweet,touching, and very light YA, scifi romance is one that is best read with pleasure in mind. The reason for this being that if you go into this read looking for flaws; you are sure to find them.
Cases In Point:
1. The rather vague treatment of Piper's back story. When dealing with a character who's main claim to fame is her status as something other, it is very important to answer the who's why's and wherefore's of that person's history. This is often done for no other reason than to help the reader to understand the being about which they are reading.
2. The unnecessary need to dress Piper in baggy clothes,and sunglasses. She looks completely human. Not only that, but she is pretty. Dressing her in such an outlandish way, only makes her seem more the freak.
3. The seemingly endless homage to Tyler's hotness! After about the third reference to his heart-stopping good looks, one can assume that readers understand the extreme level of teenaged male attractiveness that this young god among men just happens to be working with.
4. New and uber popular girl Holly, and the insta-friending!
Their interactions are written as though Holly is the school veteran, amd Piper is new. Backwards much?
Please understand that the list of positives is just as long as the negatives was.
They are:
1. Everything concerning Piper's life in the water. This is the part of the story where Piper really gets to shine. She is confident and sure of what she is doing. The action scenes here are first rate.
2. All character interactions; with the exception of the afore mentioned Holly and Piper role reversal. Watching the way these characters relate is like watching a well choreographed dance.
Transitions are smooth and flow as naturally as water downhill. The conversations and banter are never staged or forced.
In short. This tale of teens, romance, friendship, lattes, and mutation is the perfect Summer read. That perfect escape into the fun and fluffy fantasy of friends and fins.
Cases In Point:
1. The rather vague treatment of Piper's back story. When dealing with a character who's main claim to fame is her status as something other, it is very important to answer the who's why's and wherefore's of that person's history. This is often done for no other reason than to help the reader to understand the being about which they are reading.
2. The unnecessary need to dress Piper in baggy clothes,and sunglasses. She looks completely human. Not only that, but she is pretty. Dressing her in such an outlandish way, only makes her seem more the freak.
3. The seemingly endless homage to Tyler's hotness! After about the third reference to his heart-stopping good looks, one can assume that readers understand the extreme level of teenaged male attractiveness that this young god among men just happens to be working with.
4. New and uber popular girl Holly, and the insta-friending!
Their interactions are written as though Holly is the school veteran, amd Piper is new. Backwards much?
Please understand that the list of positives is just as long as the negatives was.
They are:
1. Everything concerning Piper's life in the water. This is the part of the story where Piper really gets to shine. She is confident and sure of what she is doing. The action scenes here are first rate.
2. All character interactions; with the exception of the afore mentioned Holly and Piper role reversal. Watching the way these characters relate is like watching a well choreographed dance.
Transitions are smooth and flow as naturally as water downhill. The conversations and banter are never staged or forced.
In short. This tale of teens, romance, friendship, lattes, and mutation is the perfect Summer read. That perfect escape into the fun and fluffy fantasy of friends and fins.
January 13, 2020
“Love, Lattes and Mutants was a fun YA Sci-Fi story. Eighteen-year-old Piper was living with her grandfather and a senior in high school. She did all she could to blend into the background so no one would find out her secret that she had dolphin DNA. Two new popular students, Holly and her twin brother Tyler, befriended Piper while the school bully targeted her. Until then, she’d maneuvered through school in her baggy clothes and big sunglasses, avoiding getting close to anyone. I enjoyed watching Piper unwillingly become friends with Holly and falling for Tyler, but I have to say it was her relationship with her grandfather I loved the best. Relationships aside, the most significant pull on Piper’s attention was the ocean. This is when she could ultimately be herself swimming with the dolphins. Although her secret was catching up to her which took the story from how she was dealing with high school to saving dolphins and herself. This is the first book of the series, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! An excellent quick read for YA and adults, especially if you love dolphins like I do!
August 14, 2019
This begins a new series that may shape up to be different & interesting. Piper is interesting, we'll see!
December 14, 2014
So. I'm gonna do this quick.
Love, lattes and mutants was the first of Sandra Cox's books I've read. Given the slightly idiotic title and cover, I was expecting something stupid, written like a 10-year-old, and full of inconsistencies. It wasn't. That'll teach me to judge a book by its cover. I should know, after all this time, but noooooooo. Anyway.
It wasn't perfect. (although you probably figured that out by the rating) It started off good. We had a smart MC who understood some things are more important than your popularity or clothes.
I look at my clothes and sigh. I'll be so glad to get home where I can shuck them like a used cocoon. For now, I continue the role of uninteresting, blah nerd. I do such a good job even the geeks keep their distance.
Yep, Piper is in hiding. Wanna know why? It's the third part of the title: mutants. Piper has a blowhole, can speak with dolphins, and is able to spend half an hour underwater. Her mother was a lab-rat and she had some dolphin DNA. Piper inherited it. Now she has turquoise eyes, the voice of a siren, and can eat whatever she wants because swimming in the ocean burns a lot of calories. To avoid being taken by the same lab her mother came from, she wears baggy clothes and ugly glasses.
Enter love interest 1. He's hot. That's all there is to say about him. Other than that, he's kind of a creepy stalker. The guy apparently can't grasp the fact that no means no. Nope, he follows Piper to the beach to try to discover her secret. Nevermind the fact that she told him to take care of his own business. He justifies that by "you saved my life I like you."
Because Piper saves everybody's life. She's a real hero, that girl.
“My, my, two lives in less than a week. You have been busy.”
And that's just the humans. Let's not forget about the dolphins or turtles or shrimps or whatever. Which brings me to my next point.
About halfway throughout the book, Piper discovers a boat is trying to take dolphins for experiments. She frees a few of them, but she ends up getting captured. And, you'll never guess who took her...... The same guy who transformed her mother into a hybrid.
The whole hybrid transformation thing is not clear. It changes a few times, sometimes her mother was born like that, sometimes dolphin organs were implanted in her body. Like that was possible. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Sandra Cox didn't intend for this book to be realistic.
Dr Stranger -Oh, how I wish I were kidding- wants to use Piper for breeding. Basically, she's a mutant egg-factory.
Of course, like the smart girl he's pretending to be, Piper decides she needs to get out of the place, stat.
I will get out of here.
She says that a few times. However, not once does she actually make any attempt to escape or to even think of a plan. Even when Dr Stranger she will be get a tracker chip inside of her the following day, she just goes to bed. Not a second thought. I don't know about you, but if I were told I'd get a tracker inside of me the following day, I'd do anything to get out while I still can.
Thankfully for her, she is rescued by dear Tyler. Can't ruin the Prince Charming fantasy, after all. A girl simply can't save herself. A hot and creepy male must do it for her.
You've got a few other characters thrown in, too. First, you have Holly, Tyler's sister, who decides she wants to be friend with Piper. Even though she's the most popular girl in school and Piper is the nerd nobody knows about.
Then you have Edgar, the resident villain. I'm pretty sure he was put in there for Tyler's testosterone demonstrations. Because again, Piper can't take care of herself, so Tyler needs to have a fight with the guy.
Let's not forget Joel, aka love interest number 2. Piper meets him when she's in Dr Stranger's five stars hotel-I'm sorry lab. He kisses her a few times, and it doesn't even occur to Piper to tell him not to. Nope. Then again, she didn't think of saying no to Tyler either.
What bothered me the most about this book was how short the ending was. There were probably two chapters about her stay in the lab, and the others were about Tyler and Piper's relationship. It actually felt like this was two books in one: one for the romance and the other for the lab thing. The two could've been good together if the number of chapters were equals, and if the stories were correctly intertwined.
Love, lattes and mutants is a good book for a sunny afternoon when you don't want to think to much. It's enjoyable, but if you think about it, you end up being kind of disappointed.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Love, lattes and mutants was the first of Sandra Cox's books I've read. Given the slightly idiotic title and cover, I was expecting something stupid, written like a 10-year-old, and full of inconsistencies. It wasn't. That'll teach me to judge a book by its cover. I should know, after all this time, but noooooooo. Anyway.
It wasn't perfect. (although you probably figured that out by the rating) It started off good. We had a smart MC who understood some things are more important than your popularity or clothes.
I look at my clothes and sigh. I'll be so glad to get home where I can shuck them like a used cocoon. For now, I continue the role of uninteresting, blah nerd. I do such a good job even the geeks keep their distance.
Yep, Piper is in hiding. Wanna know why? It's the third part of the title: mutants. Piper has a blowhole, can speak with dolphins, and is able to spend half an hour underwater. Her mother was a lab-rat and she had some dolphin DNA. Piper inherited it. Now she has turquoise eyes, the voice of a siren, and can eat whatever she wants because swimming in the ocean burns a lot of calories. To avoid being taken by the same lab her mother came from, she wears baggy clothes and ugly glasses.
Enter love interest 1. He's hot. That's all there is to say about him. Other than that, he's kind of a creepy stalker. The guy apparently can't grasp the fact that no means no. Nope, he follows Piper to the beach to try to discover her secret. Nevermind the fact that she told him to take care of his own business. He justifies that by "you saved my life I like you."
Because Piper saves everybody's life. She's a real hero, that girl.
“My, my, two lives in less than a week. You have been busy.”
And that's just the humans. Let's not forget about the dolphins or turtles or shrimps or whatever. Which brings me to my next point.
About halfway throughout the book, Piper discovers a boat is trying to take dolphins for experiments. She frees a few of them, but she ends up getting captured. And, you'll never guess who took her...... The same guy who transformed her mother into a hybrid.
The whole hybrid transformation thing is not clear. It changes a few times, sometimes her mother was born like that, sometimes dolphin organs were implanted in her body. Like that was possible. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Sandra Cox didn't intend for this book to be realistic.
Dr Stranger -Oh, how I wish I were kidding- wants to use Piper for breeding. Basically, she's a mutant egg-factory.
Of course, like the smart girl he's pretending to be, Piper decides she needs to get out of the place, stat.
I will get out of here.
She says that a few times. However, not once does she actually make any attempt to escape or to even think of a plan. Even when Dr Stranger she will be get a tracker chip inside of her the following day, she just goes to bed. Not a second thought. I don't know about you, but if I were told I'd get a tracker inside of me the following day, I'd do anything to get out while I still can.
Thankfully for her, she is rescued by dear Tyler. Can't ruin the Prince Charming fantasy, after all. A girl simply can't save herself. A hot and creepy male must do it for her.
You've got a few other characters thrown in, too. First, you have Holly, Tyler's sister, who decides she wants to be friend with Piper. Even though she's the most popular girl in school and Piper is the nerd nobody knows about.
Then you have Edgar, the resident villain. I'm pretty sure he was put in there for Tyler's testosterone demonstrations. Because again, Piper can't take care of herself, so Tyler needs to have a fight with the guy.
Let's not forget Joel, aka love interest number 2. Piper meets him when she's in Dr Stranger's five stars hotel-I'm sorry lab. He kisses her a few times, and it doesn't even occur to Piper to tell him not to. Nope. Then again, she didn't think of saying no to Tyler either.
What bothered me the most about this book was how short the ending was. There were probably two chapters about her stay in the lab, and the others were about Tyler and Piper's relationship. It actually felt like this was two books in one: one for the romance and the other for the lab thing. The two could've been good together if the number of chapters were equals, and if the stories were correctly intertwined.
Love, lattes and mutants is a good book for a sunny afternoon when you don't want to think to much. It's enjoyable, but if you think about it, you end up being kind of disappointed.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 30, 2014
Disclaimer: I was sent this book to read for review.
★★★
To start off with,this book has a very rushed beginning. The main characters are thrown at you very quickly - within the first two or three pages. And it is not a pleasant introduction to these characters at all. They are shoved into your faces in such a way that you are expected to already know them, seemingly, and the setting is rather uncomfortable.
The main characters are highly stereotypical of nearly any kind of highschool related media:
Piper, the main girl, is an orphan girl, living with her grandfather on the California coast, and she appears to be a world's biggest nerd to anyone who sees her, but under her nerd exterior is a super hot girl that only Tyler can see.
Tyler, the main boy, is the new boy at school, and he is very proud but he is also super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot, and very, very chivalrous. All the girls at school. excluding Piper, trail around after him like cats in heat. So of course he falls in love with Piper.
Holly, Tyler's twin sister, is extremely annoying, very attractive, and likes to meddle in affairs that have nothing to do with her.
While, these types of characters are very common in high-school age books, having all three together at once is a bit much. Fortunately, after the first chapter is over, things start to work better.
The first chapter ends on a cliff-hanger where we find out that ----DUN DUN DUUUUUUN---- Piper is not as she seems. She is actually a mutant.
Piper is part Dolphin: She has turquoise eyes, a siren voice, a blow hole on her back, she can stay underwater for up to half an hour, and she likes to swim in the Ocean at night saving helpless sea creatures.
We find out that her parents are both dead, due to some accident, and her mother was a Dolphin/Human hybrid that her grandparents found stranded at sea when she was a teenager. Her mother grew up as an adoptive daughter of her grandparents, but her father fell in love, instead of treating her as a sister, so they got married.
Now, this book is--just like it sounds-- filled with all kinds of cheesiness, but I found that the parts of the story centralizing around her life as a "Dolph-Girl" were actually really fun to read. The stuff in the high-school part of her life drove me nuts and I had to scan through them.
If you really like light-hearted-contemporary-mermaid stories, you will probably like this.
It has a fair amount of intrigue: a kidnapping, near death experiences, true love, plot twists, and the works, but it is light enough that you can fly through it in an afternoon quite easily.
The writing is pretty good, and the story building is magnanimously better than some novels I've read that have cult followings.
The only thing that I really disliked about this book, and this is coming from someone who has been a coffee enthusiast for many years:
Piper loves her 'lattes'.
She refers to them as having a chocolate flavor.
Lattes don't taste like chocolate, because lattes don't have chocolate in them.
They are straight cream and espresso.
If they had chocolate in them, they would be mochas.
Get your coffees straight, Sandra. Haha.
Overall, I think this book is definitely worth reading if you're looking for a light hearted, contemporary-fantasy that contains mermaid-story-like qualities.
★★★
To start off with,this book has a very rushed beginning. The main characters are thrown at you very quickly - within the first two or three pages. And it is not a pleasant introduction to these characters at all. They are shoved into your faces in such a way that you are expected to already know them, seemingly, and the setting is rather uncomfortable.
The main characters are highly stereotypical of nearly any kind of highschool related media:
Piper, the main girl, is an orphan girl, living with her grandfather on the California coast, and she appears to be a world's biggest nerd to anyone who sees her, but under her nerd exterior is a super hot girl that only Tyler can see.
Tyler, the main boy, is the new boy at school, and he is very proud but he is also super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot, and very, very chivalrous. All the girls at school. excluding Piper, trail around after him like cats in heat. So of course he falls in love with Piper.
Holly, Tyler's twin sister, is extremely annoying, very attractive, and likes to meddle in affairs that have nothing to do with her.
While, these types of characters are very common in high-school age books, having all three together at once is a bit much. Fortunately, after the first chapter is over, things start to work better.
The first chapter ends on a cliff-hanger where we find out that ----DUN DUN DUUUUUUN---- Piper is not as she seems. She is actually a mutant.
Piper is part Dolphin: She has turquoise eyes, a siren voice, a blow hole on her back, she can stay underwater for up to half an hour, and she likes to swim in the Ocean at night saving helpless sea creatures.
We find out that her parents are both dead, due to some accident, and her mother was a Dolphin/Human hybrid that her grandparents found stranded at sea when she was a teenager. Her mother grew up as an adoptive daughter of her grandparents, but her father fell in love, instead of treating her as a sister, so they got married.
Now, this book is--just like it sounds-- filled with all kinds of cheesiness, but I found that the parts of the story centralizing around her life as a "Dolph-Girl" were actually really fun to read. The stuff in the high-school part of her life drove me nuts and I had to scan through them.
If you really like light-hearted-contemporary-mermaid stories, you will probably like this.
It has a fair amount of intrigue: a kidnapping, near death experiences, true love, plot twists, and the works, but it is light enough that you can fly through it in an afternoon quite easily.
The writing is pretty good, and the story building is magnanimously better than some novels I've read that have cult followings.
The only thing that I really disliked about this book, and this is coming from someone who has been a coffee enthusiast for many years:
Piper loves her 'lattes'.
She refers to them as having a chocolate flavor.
Lattes don't taste like chocolate, because lattes don't have chocolate in them.
They are straight cream and espresso.
If they had chocolate in them, they would be mochas.
Get your coffees straight, Sandra. Haha.
Overall, I think this book is definitely worth reading if you're looking for a light hearted, contemporary-fantasy that contains mermaid-story-like qualities.
December 29, 2015
A copy was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange of a honest review
I wasn't expecting anything great when I went for this book.The book had a cheesy cover and title,a pretty stereotypical blurb with an overused concept.But even without any expectations I was thoroughly disappointed by this book.
Well to point out the good things about the book,I'd like to mention the whole unique dolphin gene concept.The MC wasn't a paranormal character,rather she was the daughter of an escaped lab rat,who was created with dolphin DNA.I found the concept interesting.
Other than that,if you are looking for a quick and easy read,then this book might appeal to you.Unfortunately,it's not my cup of tea,as I like my books with more depth.
The main problem I had with the book was its characters.Both the lead characters were not at all likeable,atleast to me.
Our MC-Piper-is a gorgeous girl with a musical voice,who's trying to hide herself in baggy clothes and nerd glasses in fear of getting caught and live as a lab rat.What I really hated about her is how she complained constantly about her disguise.She was repeatedly whining about how those clothes and glasses were unattractive.I found it insulting.Well,come on,I myself wear glasses and find comfort in wearing baggy clothes.And according to Piper,that makes me unattractive and undesirable.
Not only she was vain,she was also blaming the nerd look for her unpopularity and people being uninterested in her.
I thought it was stupid.
I mean,come on,you don't need to be gorgeous and desirable for people to like you.
If so,then girls like me would be friendless forever.
The hero was actually a stalker.He was hot-okay I admit it-but that doesn't make up for the fact that he was too nosy and wanted to know Piper's secrets even when she didn't want to tell him.He was constantly nagging her and following her everywhere,determined to know what she's hiding.Seriously,dude?
And the love triangle that's hinted at the blurb?It was not a love triangle at all.Thank God for that.The other guy-Joel-was only introduced by the end of the book,and left in a few pages.I personally think that he was only added to the blurb to make the book sound more interesting.
Overall,it's an okay story with horrible characters.I won't recommend it to anyone,especially for fellow nerds-who'll find this book and its MC terribly insulting,
I wasn't expecting anything great when I went for this book.The book had a cheesy cover and title,a pretty stereotypical blurb with an overused concept.But even without any expectations I was thoroughly disappointed by this book.
Well to point out the good things about the book,I'd like to mention the whole unique dolphin gene concept.The MC wasn't a paranormal character,rather she was the daughter of an escaped lab rat,who was created with dolphin DNA.I found the concept interesting.
Other than that,if you are looking for a quick and easy read,then this book might appeal to you.Unfortunately,it's not my cup of tea,as I like my books with more depth.
The main problem I had with the book was its characters.Both the lead characters were not at all likeable,atleast to me.
Our MC-Piper-is a gorgeous girl with a musical voice,who's trying to hide herself in baggy clothes and nerd glasses in fear of getting caught and live as a lab rat.What I really hated about her is how she complained constantly about her disguise.She was repeatedly whining about how those clothes and glasses were unattractive.I found it insulting.Well,come on,I myself wear glasses and find comfort in wearing baggy clothes.And according to Piper,that makes me unattractive and undesirable.
Not only she was vain,she was also blaming the nerd look for her unpopularity and people being uninterested in her.
I thought it was stupid.
I mean,come on,you don't need to be gorgeous and desirable for people to like you.
If so,then girls like me would be friendless forever.
The hero was actually a stalker.He was hot-okay I admit it-but that doesn't make up for the fact that he was too nosy and wanted to know Piper's secrets even when she didn't want to tell him.He was constantly nagging her and following her everywhere,determined to know what she's hiding.Seriously,dude?
And the love triangle that's hinted at the blurb?It was not a love triangle at all.Thank God for that.The other guy-Joel-was only introduced by the end of the book,and left in a few pages.I personally think that he was only added to the blurb to make the book sound more interesting.
Overall,it's an okay story with horrible characters.I won't recommend it to anyone,especially for fellow nerds-who'll find this book and its MC terribly insulting,
February 17, 2015
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Love, Lattes and Mutants is a sci-if, romance novel by the author Sandra Cox. Set in the present day, the main character, Piper Dunn, is trying to keep a low profile at school as she has a secret she does not want anyone to discover. By wearing shapeless clothes to disguise her body shape, she hides the fact that she is a mutant with dolphin DNA. Up until now Piper has been successful in avoiding other people, however Holly Carlisle and her twin brother, Tyler, are determined to be her friend.
Piper likes to spend her evenings swimming in the ocean with the dolphins but there is danger ahead when she discovers that a ship is trying to capture her sea life friends. Not only is Piper trying to deal with that worry, Tyler refuses to leave her alone and is convinced he is in love with her. But Piper cannot let herself get too close. How would Tyler react if he knew she had a blow hole on her back?
Love, Lattes and Mutants is an interesting concept however it could have been written better. Cox could have delved deeper into the storyline and created more suspense. The relationship between Piper and Tyler did not feel very realistic and escalated rather quickly.
The storyline takes a turn toward the end of the novel resulting in plot becoming more interesting. The issue with the closing chapters of the book was that Piper's predicament got resolved rather quickly. It could have been dragged out more and possibly continued in the next novel in the series.
Overall, Love, Lattes and Mutants was a bit of a disappointment. It had so much potential but it felt as though the author has barely touched the surface.
Love, Lattes and Mutants is a sci-if, romance novel by the author Sandra Cox. Set in the present day, the main character, Piper Dunn, is trying to keep a low profile at school as she has a secret she does not want anyone to discover. By wearing shapeless clothes to disguise her body shape, she hides the fact that she is a mutant with dolphin DNA. Up until now Piper has been successful in avoiding other people, however Holly Carlisle and her twin brother, Tyler, are determined to be her friend.
Piper likes to spend her evenings swimming in the ocean with the dolphins but there is danger ahead when she discovers that a ship is trying to capture her sea life friends. Not only is Piper trying to deal with that worry, Tyler refuses to leave her alone and is convinced he is in love with her. But Piper cannot let herself get too close. How would Tyler react if he knew she had a blow hole on her back?
Love, Lattes and Mutants is an interesting concept however it could have been written better. Cox could have delved deeper into the storyline and created more suspense. The relationship between Piper and Tyler did not feel very realistic and escalated rather quickly.
The storyline takes a turn toward the end of the novel resulting in plot becoming more interesting. The issue with the closing chapters of the book was that Piper's predicament got resolved rather quickly. It could have been dragged out more and possibly continued in the next novel in the series.
Overall, Love, Lattes and Mutants was a bit of a disappointment. It had so much potential but it felt as though the author has barely touched the surface.
March 29, 2016
First book in the Mutants series.
This is a YA romance where the science is so poor that I have to classify it as fantasy. The protagonist is a high school senior who has dolphin DNA because of illegal gene splicing experiments conducted on her mother. Both of her parents are dead and she lives with her widower grandfather.
Because she has a cetacean blowhole between her shoulder blades she feels it is necessary for her to dress like a body conscious nerd; although, at one point she states she was able to avoid discovery by placing a bandage over the blowhole and telling others that she had accidentally cut a mole on her back. She doesn't have any other outwardly distinguishing features such as webs between her fingers or toes; however, she does have turquoise eyes, a shapely figure, and a voice that men find attractive.
She is able to outswim divers who are wearing scuba equipment and flippers and explains this as being because of her blowhole. Excuse me? A blowhole is a nostril. It does not affect speed in water. Because of its placement, it would permit her to exhale while keeping her head under water. She would be able to hold her breath longer because of the additional nasal cavities located beneath the blowhole.
The protagonist is stalked by two of her classmates. One becomes her love interest while the other is her antagonist for the majority of the book. Apparently, the author thinks stalking is okay as long as the stalker believes he is in love with the target. He targets her when he hears her normal voice. Also, much of his comments are typical stalker dialogue.
The author has good pacing and intriguing ideas; however, the poor science and repetitive dialogues are very disappointing.
This is a YA romance where the science is so poor that I have to classify it as fantasy. The protagonist is a high school senior who has dolphin DNA because of illegal gene splicing experiments conducted on her mother. Both of her parents are dead and she lives with her widower grandfather.
Because she has a cetacean blowhole between her shoulder blades she feels it is necessary for her to dress like a body conscious nerd; although, at one point she states she was able to avoid discovery by placing a bandage over the blowhole and telling others that she had accidentally cut a mole on her back. She doesn't have any other outwardly distinguishing features such as webs between her fingers or toes; however, she does have turquoise eyes, a shapely figure, and a voice that men find attractive.
She is able to outswim divers who are wearing scuba equipment and flippers and explains this as being because of her blowhole. Excuse me? A blowhole is a nostril. It does not affect speed in water. Because of its placement, it would permit her to exhale while keeping her head under water. She would be able to hold her breath longer because of the additional nasal cavities located beneath the blowhole.
The protagonist is stalked by two of her classmates. One becomes her love interest while the other is her antagonist for the majority of the book. Apparently, the author thinks stalking is okay as long as the stalker believes he is in love with the target. He targets her when he hears her normal voice. Also, much of his comments are typical stalker dialogue.
The author has good pacing and intriguing ideas; however, the poor science and repetitive dialogues are very disappointing.
August 20, 2020
This is a YA science fiction tale of a seventeen year old, who has some of the DNA of a dolphin.
Piper Dunn is a hybrid; she is a mutant of both human DNA and dolphin DNA. She dresses herself so that no one will discover her secret. She lowers her voice; she wears sunglasses to camouflage her eye color. The only person who knows her secret is her grandfather (Gramps) as her parents died in a car accident.
The new kids at Rosemont High, Tyler and Holly Carlisle, befriend her despite her off-putting attitude. Still, they persist especially Tyler. Will he discover her secret? And if he does, will he run the other way? Or will he help her rescue the dolphins she feels such an affinity with?
This is the first of a trilogy about Piper and other 'dolphs,' who are being experimented upon by a scientist.
Overall, any interesting concept of the results of combining DNA from different species.
The author apparently likes the word WINK; I don't know how many times (and characters) wink at each other. Gramps winks at Piper; Tyler winks at Piper: Joel winks at her as well. A few What-the-tuck trends, but not many.
Piper Dunn is a hybrid; she is a mutant of both human DNA and dolphin DNA. She dresses herself so that no one will discover her secret. She lowers her voice; she wears sunglasses to camouflage her eye color. The only person who knows her secret is her grandfather (Gramps) as her parents died in a car accident.
The new kids at Rosemont High, Tyler and Holly Carlisle, befriend her despite her off-putting attitude. Still, they persist especially Tyler. Will he discover her secret? And if he does, will he run the other way? Or will he help her rescue the dolphins she feels such an affinity with?
This is the first of a trilogy about Piper and other 'dolphs,' who are being experimented upon by a scientist.
Overall, any interesting concept of the results of combining DNA from different species.
The author apparently likes the word WINK; I don't know how many times (and characters) wink at each other. Gramps winks at Piper; Tyler winks at Piper: Joel winks at her as well. A few What-the-tuck trends, but not many.
March 10, 2016
Cute, fun read that was better than many I've found in the "Free" section of iBooks. There were some plot holes and typos, but I was still able to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the excellent ocean scenes. Just don't expect the love triangle the book blurb mentions--it's minuscule and kind of lame.
July 24, 2021
Don't be fooled by the cover of this book -- despite looking like a generic chick-lit novel (nothing against chick-lit of course), it's actually a YA romance with elements of science fiction mixed in. And I'll be honest here, I was mostly in it for the sci-fi elements -- the concept of the main character being a genetic mix of human and dolphin was bizarre but piqued my interest. Perhaps I was setting myself up for disappointment by expecting the story to focus on THAT instead of the romance (despite LOVE being right there in the title), but... this book thoroughly disappointed me. And the lackluster writing didn't help matters.
Piper Dunn does her best to hide herself at high school under baggy clothes and tinted glasses to disguise her heritage -- for though she's secretly gorgeous, she's also half-dolphin, complete with a blowhole on her back and enhanced swimming abilities. But despite her best efforts, she finds herself catching the attention of the school's new hottie, Tyler, who's determined to see her as beautiful and work out her secrets. Piper struggles to dodge his attentions, while at the same time trying to find out who's capturing the dolphins that live off the coast close to her home. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of the lab that created her mother, it throws in surprising new complications...
The writing itself is not only flat and bland, it seems to need better editing -- I caught several grammatical errors and more than one case of Spellcheck Failure (when a word is misspelled but the resulting misspelling is still technically a word and so slips by conventional spellcheck software). The characters feel curiously flat, with dialogue ripped straight from a made-for-TV teen movie, and those that aren't walking stereotypes are just flat-out undeveloped. Even Piper can't seem to decide on a personality and vacillates between being a shy nice girl and an irritable harpy. I know people's moods change, but there's a difference between mood changes and complete personality flips.
Also, despite the fun and promising sci-fi elements, they barely get utilized until about three-quarters of the way through the book. Much of this book was taken up by attempts at establishing sexual chemistry between Piper and Tyler, mostly of him being creepily overprotective of her and her telling him to go away and stop prying into her life. It feels like it comes from the "Twilight" school of teen romance, mistaking stalker-ish tendencies for romance -- Tyler even follows her out to the beach after school more than once. By the time the secret lab factors into the plot, it's likely many readers have stopped caring (I pressed on only because I'm stubborn like that)... and even then we get a last-minute love triangle that made me roll my eyes hard. Can we stop with the live triangles, romance writers? Please?
Despite a quirky premise, this book fell incredibly flat for me. It feels like it was mispackaged with its cover, it's a waste of a fun concept, and the characters and plot were flat and undeveloped. Hard pass on the sequels, thank you...
Piper Dunn does her best to hide herself at high school under baggy clothes and tinted glasses to disguise her heritage -- for though she's secretly gorgeous, she's also half-dolphin, complete with a blowhole on her back and enhanced swimming abilities. But despite her best efforts, she finds herself catching the attention of the school's new hottie, Tyler, who's determined to see her as beautiful and work out her secrets. Piper struggles to dodge his attentions, while at the same time trying to find out who's capturing the dolphins that live off the coast close to her home. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of the lab that created her mother, it throws in surprising new complications...
The writing itself is not only flat and bland, it seems to need better editing -- I caught several grammatical errors and more than one case of Spellcheck Failure (when a word is misspelled but the resulting misspelling is still technically a word and so slips by conventional spellcheck software). The characters feel curiously flat, with dialogue ripped straight from a made-for-TV teen movie, and those that aren't walking stereotypes are just flat-out undeveloped. Even Piper can't seem to decide on a personality and vacillates between being a shy nice girl and an irritable harpy. I know people's moods change, but there's a difference between mood changes and complete personality flips.
Also, despite the fun and promising sci-fi elements, they barely get utilized until about three-quarters of the way through the book. Much of this book was taken up by attempts at establishing sexual chemistry between Piper and Tyler, mostly of him being creepily overprotective of her and her telling him to go away and stop prying into her life. It feels like it comes from the "Twilight" school of teen romance, mistaking stalker-ish tendencies for romance -- Tyler even follows her out to the beach after school more than once. By the time the secret lab factors into the plot, it's likely many readers have stopped caring (I pressed on only because I'm stubborn like that)... and even then we get a last-minute love triangle that made me roll my eyes hard. Can we stop with the live triangles, romance writers? Please?
Despite a quirky premise, this book fell incredibly flat for me. It feels like it was mispackaged with its cover, it's a waste of a fun concept, and the characters and plot were flat and undeveloped. Hard pass on the sequels, thank you...
March 22, 2016
TW: This book contains descriptions of invasive medical procedures, some of which are of a sexual nature, performed on unwilling subjects. That really should be mentioned somewhere, as I could easily see a few scenes in this book being disturbing to someone who is triggered by that sort of thing.
As a "mutant", the daughter of a mother with lab-altered dolphin genes, Piper lives in constant fear of the lab who "made" her mother finding out about her existence. The sudden appearance of twins Tyler and Holly threaten to "out" her as the super-hot babe that she really is, not the self-effacing nerd she pretends to be. Holly easily befriends Piper, while she and Tyler fall in love. But will she tell them her secret?
I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. I found the whole "dolphin mutant" thing to be intriguing, a break from the tired "human on land, mermaid in the water" trope, while still maintaining the charm of a modern YA mer book. However, the book did have its faults. Shall we take a look? (warning: some of these are going to be vaguely spoiler-y. proceed at your own risk.)
1) Piper is in disguise ... why, now? She looks like a regular human teenager, with the sole exceptions of her bright turquoise eyes and the blowhole at the back of her neck. So wear your hair down and get colored contacts. If she was wearing baggy clothes and sunglasses because she liked them, that would be one thing (and don't get me started on the likelihood of a teenager going her entire school career without a single teacher or administrator ever questioning her wearing sunglasses in class). However, she constantly complains about how much she hates them, and is a "girly girl", and wants to wear the same clothes her classmates are. So wear them. Style your hair, wear the latest fashions, slather on the makeup. Make it a point to always wear silk scarves, as they are very fashionable and cover up your blowhole. Do you really expect me to believe that this mysterious lab doing the experiments are monitoring every high school in the entire country to find teens that are too pretty? Except for those two things, she's just another pretty blonde teenager.
2) Sandra Cox doesn't understand how mammalian reproduction works. Splicing dolphin genes into the human genome, even a little, would result in a being that is no more human than they are dolphin. That being would not be able to turn around and successfully reproduce with a human, any more than a human can with a howler monkey. Also, at one point, a scientist mentions giving a woman hormone injections to "help [her] produce more eggs". If you don't know what's wrong with that fact, it's that women are born with all the eggs they'll ever need already in their ovaries. After birth, a woman will never produce another egg as long as she lives. Sorry, creepy scientist. You think you'd know something like that ...
3) The timing doesn't add up. Piper is 18 in the book. The book came out in 2015. Assuming that that means that she was 18 in 2015, and that her mother had her when she was 18 herself, and that her mother was captured by the mutant-making lab when she was 5 (the book mentions the kidnapping happened just after she was a toddler), that would mean that Piper's mother was kidnapped and had her DNA tampered with in ... 1984. Ms. Cox would have us believe that there was a lab sufficiently advanced to alter the genome of an already existing organism in 1984? We can't even do that now -- if scientists want to tamper with an organism's genome, they have to do it pre-conception.
4) The names. Oh, God, the names. Mr. Grumble. Dr. Stranger. Need I go on?
5) The things that everyone else is already complaining about. Yet another YA novel that spends a good percentage of its word-count in high school. Tyler is a bit stalkery, and a bit pushy with Piper's secret. Piper and Holly become friends unbelievably fast. Piper and Tyler fall in love, and the only reason I can figure is because she's not the only girl hanging all over him and he wants what he can't have (“Is that what it’s about? The one you can’t have?” “Can’t I?”), and because they're both incredibly hot. A "no-frills iced latte" does not have chocolate in it, you're thinking of a mocha. The writing is repetitive. The author sometimes repeats herself. Etc.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom, otherwise I would have given it a one-star rating. What did Ms. Cox do right?
1) The underwater scenes. Ms. Cox's prose when Piper is swimming is rather lovely; you can tell that the ocean is where Piper feels "herself" the most. The sea creatures are written convincingly and (except for one oddly aggressive shark) behave like sea creatures do. The dolphins especially are very dolphin-like. Ms. Cox also avoids the whole "dolphins are just people with fins" trope, as her dolphins (even though they're suitably intelligent) do a few stupid things.
2) Piper's relationship with her Gramps. Far too often in YA fiction, the parents (or parental figures) in the novel are portrayed as either overbearing and over-controlling or laid back and out of the main character's way. In other words, they're either an antagonist or only included because it would look weird if they're never mentioned. Piper's relationship with her Gramps, however, is different. Piper's parents died when she was very young, so her Gramps and Grams (who died a few years before the events of the book) raised her. Instead of being resentful towards her "parents", however, Piper genuinely loves them. She cares very much about her Gramps, even going to great lengths at times to make him more comfortable; and she is the center of his world. They coexist peacefully, and obviously enjoy each other's company greatly.
3) The lab / test center is interesting. Although it's (obviously) disturbing what they're doing, the scenes of the book that take place in the laboratory were interesting. Dr. Stranger was written as a bit too much of an "evil scientist" archetype, but I definitely had a hard time putting the book down during those scenes; I really wanted to know what happened next! I also would have loved to have known a bit more about Casey, Piper's "nurse". She was so sweet and bubbly, and seemed to take a genuine interest in Piper, but was wholly complicit in the evils being performed on children in that lab; I would have loved to explore that dual persona a bit more.
4) It was just a fun read. At the end of the day, you can dissect a work of media as much as you want. However, it all boils down to this: were you entertained? And the answer for this book was: yes, I was. It was stupid and campy; but I knew that going in, by its title and cover if nothing else. Despite that, it was a great way to spend a few hours. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
As a "mutant", the daughter of a mother with lab-altered dolphin genes, Piper lives in constant fear of the lab who "made" her mother finding out about her existence. The sudden appearance of twins Tyler and Holly threaten to "out" her as the super-hot babe that she really is, not the self-effacing nerd she pretends to be. Holly easily befriends Piper, while she and Tyler fall in love. But will she tell them her secret?
I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. I found the whole "dolphin mutant" thing to be intriguing, a break from the tired "human on land, mermaid in the water" trope, while still maintaining the charm of a modern YA mer book. However, the book did have its faults. Shall we take a look? (warning: some of these are going to be vaguely spoiler-y. proceed at your own risk.)
1) Piper is in disguise ... why, now? She looks like a regular human teenager, with the sole exceptions of her bright turquoise eyes and the blowhole at the back of her neck. So wear your hair down and get colored contacts. If she was wearing baggy clothes and sunglasses because she liked them, that would be one thing (and don't get me started on the likelihood of a teenager going her entire school career without a single teacher or administrator ever questioning her wearing sunglasses in class). However, she constantly complains about how much she hates them, and is a "girly girl", and wants to wear the same clothes her classmates are. So wear them. Style your hair, wear the latest fashions, slather on the makeup. Make it a point to always wear silk scarves, as they are very fashionable and cover up your blowhole. Do you really expect me to believe that this mysterious lab doing the experiments are monitoring every high school in the entire country to find teens that are too pretty? Except for those two things, she's just another pretty blonde teenager.
2) Sandra Cox doesn't understand how mammalian reproduction works. Splicing dolphin genes into the human genome, even a little, would result in a being that is no more human than they are dolphin. That being would not be able to turn around and successfully reproduce with a human, any more than a human can with a howler monkey. Also, at one point, a scientist mentions giving a woman hormone injections to "help [her] produce more eggs". If you don't know what's wrong with that fact, it's that women are born with all the eggs they'll ever need already in their ovaries. After birth, a woman will never produce another egg as long as she lives. Sorry, creepy scientist. You think you'd know something like that ...
3) The timing doesn't add up. Piper is 18 in the book. The book came out in 2015. Assuming that that means that she was 18 in 2015, and that her mother had her when she was 18 herself, and that her mother was captured by the mutant-making lab when she was 5 (the book mentions the kidnapping happened just after she was a toddler), that would mean that Piper's mother was kidnapped and had her DNA tampered with in ... 1984. Ms. Cox would have us believe that there was a lab sufficiently advanced to alter the genome of an already existing organism in 1984? We can't even do that now -- if scientists want to tamper with an organism's genome, they have to do it pre-conception.
4) The names. Oh, God, the names. Mr. Grumble. Dr. Stranger. Need I go on?
5) The things that everyone else is already complaining about. Yet another YA novel that spends a good percentage of its word-count in high school. Tyler is a bit stalkery, and a bit pushy with Piper's secret. Piper and Holly become friends unbelievably fast. Piper and Tyler fall in love, and the only reason I can figure is because she's not the only girl hanging all over him and he wants what he can't have (“Is that what it’s about? The one you can’t have?” “Can’t I?”), and because they're both incredibly hot. A "no-frills iced latte" does not have chocolate in it, you're thinking of a mocha. The writing is repetitive. The author sometimes repeats herself. Etc.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom, otherwise I would have given it a one-star rating. What did Ms. Cox do right?
1) The underwater scenes. Ms. Cox's prose when Piper is swimming is rather lovely; you can tell that the ocean is where Piper feels "herself" the most. The sea creatures are written convincingly and (except for one oddly aggressive shark) behave like sea creatures do. The dolphins especially are very dolphin-like. Ms. Cox also avoids the whole "dolphins are just people with fins" trope, as her dolphins (even though they're suitably intelligent) do a few stupid things.
2) Piper's relationship with her Gramps. Far too often in YA fiction, the parents (or parental figures) in the novel are portrayed as either overbearing and over-controlling or laid back and out of the main character's way. In other words, they're either an antagonist or only included because it would look weird if they're never mentioned. Piper's relationship with her Gramps, however, is different. Piper's parents died when she was very young, so her Gramps and Grams (who died a few years before the events of the book) raised her. Instead of being resentful towards her "parents", however, Piper genuinely loves them. She cares very much about her Gramps, even going to great lengths at times to make him more comfortable; and she is the center of his world. They coexist peacefully, and obviously enjoy each other's company greatly.
3) The lab / test center is interesting. Although it's (obviously) disturbing what they're doing, the scenes of the book that take place in the laboratory were interesting. Dr. Stranger was written as a bit too much of an "evil scientist" archetype, but I definitely had a hard time putting the book down during those scenes; I really wanted to know what happened next! I also would have loved to have known a bit more about Casey, Piper's "nurse". She was so sweet and bubbly, and seemed to take a genuine interest in Piper, but was wholly complicit in the evils being performed on children in that lab; I would have loved to explore that dual persona a bit more.
4) It was just a fun read. At the end of the day, you can dissect a work of media as much as you want. However, it all boils down to this: were you entertained? And the answer for this book was: yes, I was. It was stupid and campy; but I knew that going in, by its title and cover if nothing else. Despite that, it was a great way to spend a few hours. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
November 25, 2024
Piper Dunn is a seventeen-year-old girl with a secret that she was born to a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, born with a blowhole which gives Piper the abilities to stay underwater for long periods of time. Piper hides her unique mutant abilities of an enchanting sea siren voice from her classmates at school. Piper meets Tyler, a new boy at school who shows interest in her. Piper is involved in a secret mission to rescue endangered sea creatures, and she gets captured and ends up in the same test center where her mother was experimented on. Piper meets Joel, another mutant and they form a connection. Piper finds herself torn between Tyler and Joel as she faces her challenges of being a mutant and teenage romance. I really enjoyed this fascinating young adult science fiction with a touch of romance novel.
December 5, 2022
I tried reading this book twice and dnfed it both times. My second attempt at reading it did have me get further into it but I refuse trying ro read this a third time.
I found the main character annoying and mary sue-ish in that she had to hide her conventional attractiveness to keep her secret about being a dolphin and her adamance of keeping away from the love interest and his sister.
Her relationship with her grandfather is sweet and the sense of place this book has did make me feel vacation-y so a star for each.
I found the main character annoying and mary sue-ish in that she had to hide her conventional attractiveness to keep her secret about being a dolphin and her adamance of keeping away from the love interest and his sister.
Her relationship with her grandfather is sweet and the sense of place this book has did make me feel vacation-y so a star for each.
December 2, 2018
This one was a page turner for me--I began with no expectations. I had a little bit of hard time getting past the dolph girl idea, but it was actually a very good story! Piper tries to keep a very low profile at school so her abilities are not discovered, but she meets a set of twins who basically turn her life upside down. She does her best to hide who she is, and the story unfolds from there. Its a good quick read that I would recommend.
November 2, 2017
A different twist on mutants
I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading more in the series. Science experiments, dolphin mutants, friendships, love, family, ocean, and dolphins...put together into an engrossing story...what's NOT to like?!?!?
I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading more in the series. Science experiments, dolphin mutants, friendships, love, family, ocean, and dolphins...put together into an engrossing story...what's NOT to like?!?!?
July 6, 2018
Light hearted as sweet
A fun YA easy read that still tugs at the heart strings. Excellent plot and characters to fall in love with, Love, Lattes and Mutants is a perfect adventure to spice up your day!
A fun YA easy read that still tugs at the heart strings. Excellent plot and characters to fall in love with, Love, Lattes and Mutants is a perfect adventure to spice up your day!
February 8, 2018
Dolph-girl finds love.
February 18, 2015
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
When I first heard about this book I thought it sounded really awesome! I mean, a mutant girl with dolphin DNA, how cool is that? It's not something you read about too often. The only other book I read that sounded similar this was The Neptune Project , and I absolutely loved that one! So I was really excited to try this one! And overall, it was a pretty good read.
The romance, however, I found very annoying. First of all, it had a very insta-lovey feel to it. Piper claims to like Tyler the more time she spends with him, and I'm over here like, "You've only talked to the guy twice! And those two conversion probably add up to a total of 5 minutes, so wtf? And it was nothing special. Trust me, I read it. He is also NOT starting to feel like family, Piper, even though you claim otherwise. Again, you don't know the guy well enough to say so! But also stop telling him you're not interested because clearly YOU ARE! Gah!" But, of course, that doesn't stop them from playing tonsil hockey, 'cause hormones. Tyler tells Piper that she's his girl but she's like, "No way! You're crazy!" And then they proceed to make out which is followed by another round of Piper saying no, she is not his girl... *sigh* So much irritated I can't even grammar -.- This high school drama/romance is really annoying! Piper is really annoying! Do you want him or not? He's not a plaything, you know! And Tyler, SHUT UP! You don't know you "belong together," you barely know each other! Gah! Also, I find your arrogance really annoying, no offense or anything. Heh.
No, please no more! *cries softly in the corner* You mean, besides insta-love I also get a love triangle?? Two of my least favorite things in one novel, how awesome! :D
![[GIF] I loved this part! | Supernatural - The Real Ghostbusters 5x09](https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1424217214ra/13729647.gif)
But seriously, no.
And you know what made this love triangle even less awesome? The fact that the last side of the damned shape (that's the second love interest, fyi) was brought in at about 3/4 of the way into the book... Seriously! I don't think that's enough time for the two characters to form a connection! It just really wasn't! And then there's Piper again, falling for a guy she literally met like two minutes ago! But then she's all like, "Wait, no! I love Tyler!"
No you don- Oh I give up! And okay, I will admit that toward the end I was warming up to Tyler... It was mostly after Joel showed up... But he was really sweet so... I don't really know where I stand...
Besides that, the writing was a bit repetitive... But compared to the insta-love inside a love triangle thing, this didn't even bother me that much! :D Overall, though, I really liked the writing! I mean, besides the couple of weird-ass metaphors that made me go, "WTF?" (see below), it was very fun!
"The water caresses me, circling me like embryonic fluid."
... Ummmm, no thanks?
Seriously though, not all was bad, I promise! I really like the concept of the dolphin DNA mutating human DNA resulting in these super cool abilities. I loved it! Amid all the cheesy romance that I found quite annoying, to be honest, the parts that pertained to the dolphin mutations were what I enjoyed the most and were just really fun to read about. I'm really curious to learn more about Piper, her mother, and the mutations and experiments. It's all very intriguing so perhaps I'll give the next book a chance ;)
When I first heard about this book I thought it sounded really awesome! I mean, a mutant girl with dolphin DNA, how cool is that? It's not something you read about too often. The only other book I read that sounded similar this was The Neptune Project , and I absolutely loved that one! So I was really excited to try this one! And overall, it was a pretty good read.
The romance, however, I found very annoying. First of all, it had a very insta-lovey feel to it. Piper claims to like Tyler the more time she spends with him, and I'm over here like, "You've only talked to the guy twice! And those two conversion probably add up to a total of 5 minutes, so wtf? And it was nothing special. Trust me, I read it. He is also NOT starting to feel like family, Piper, even though you claim otherwise. Again, you don't know the guy well enough to say so! But also stop telling him you're not interested because clearly YOU ARE! Gah!" But, of course, that doesn't stop them from playing tonsil hockey, 'cause hormones. Tyler tells Piper that she's his girl but she's like, "No way! You're crazy!" And then they proceed to make out which is followed by another round of Piper saying no, she is not his girl... *sigh* So much irritated I can't even grammar -.- This high school drama/romance is really annoying! Piper is really annoying! Do you want him or not? He's not a plaything, you know! And Tyler, SHUT UP! You don't know you "belong together," you barely know each other! Gah! Also, I find your arrogance really annoying, no offense or anything. Heh.
No, please no more! *cries softly in the corner* You mean, besides insta-love I also get a love triangle?? Two of my least favorite things in one novel, how awesome! :D
But seriously, no.
And you know what made this love triangle even less awesome? The fact that the last side of the damned shape (that's the second love interest, fyi) was brought in at about 3/4 of the way into the book... Seriously! I don't think that's enough time for the two characters to form a connection! It just really wasn't! And then there's Piper again, falling for a guy she literally met like two minutes ago! But then she's all like, "Wait, no! I love Tyler!"
No you don- Oh I give up! And okay, I will admit that toward the end I was warming up to Tyler... It was mostly after Joel showed up... But he was really sweet so... I don't really know where I stand...
Besides that, the writing was a bit repetitive... But compared to the insta-love inside a love triangle thing, this didn't even bother me that much! :D Overall, though, I really liked the writing! I mean, besides the couple of weird-ass metaphors that made me go, "WTF?" (see below), it was very fun!
"The water caresses me, circling me like embryonic fluid."
... Ummmm, no thanks?
Seriously though, not all was bad, I promise! I really like the concept of the dolphin DNA mutating human DNA resulting in these super cool abilities. I loved it! Amid all the cheesy romance that I found quite annoying, to be honest, the parts that pertained to the dolphin mutations were what I enjoyed the most and were just really fun to read about. I'm really curious to learn more about Piper, her mother, and the mutations and experiments. It's all very intriguing so perhaps I'll give the next book a chance ;)
March 2, 2016
A gorgeous high school senior, born with a dolphin's blow-hole thanks to her genetically engineered mother, is afraid the mad scientists who altered her mother will come for her - unless she keeps a low profile. Apparently she doesn't have much of an IQ to hide (her 4.0 GPA notwithstanding) - her idea of going unnoticed is to dress like a nerd, with tinted glasses and baggy clothes, doing the Clark Kent thing. Oh, but she swims the ocean, rescues dolphins from nets in spite of having already attracted the attention of the dolphin fishermen, and repeatedly forgets to wear the watch Grandpa gave her so he can locate her via GPS coordinates. Brilliant.
I've been spoiled, reading fiction written by scientists, all with PhDs. Their YA fiction is full of intelligence and thoughtfulness and clever dialogue. Here, the dialogue is a dumbed-down version of He: "Why do you conceal how gorgeous you are?" She: "I can't tell you; it's important that I hide my identity, as I've told you a hundred times now."
She's 18, a senior in high school, but no mention is ever made of her future career or any interests, outside of swimming with dolphins and making out with swoon-worthy guys, or hanging out with her sole remaining guardian and kin, her grandpa. Over and over again we get that he is all she has in this world and she loves him dearly. That's a refreshing change of pace in Young Adult fiction, where adults are typically annoying and far less savvy than teens. Still, the same lines - about gorgeous guys, the pain of having to play the nerd, the fear of losing Grandpa, play like a broken record.
I skimmed the repetitive parts and made it to the end, which is a cliffhanger leading into the next book.
The premise is intriguing (and a little bit reminiscent of Patterson's Maximum Ride series), but the lack of science and the preponderance of teen hormones versus more biology, genetic engineering, dolphins and other sea life, make this a bit too shallow for my tastes. Authors such as E.E. Giorgi (The Mayake Chronicles) and Guy T. Martland (Machine Songs, not yet in print) have set the bar high.
I'm not a prude, but a big turn-off in this novel is how these teenagers fall in love based on physical appearances without getting to know a person first, and launch right into kissing and making out without having spent even a few hours together in conversation. An hour or two of teaching self-defense moves doesn't go far enough to count as relationship building. Dinner with the hot girl and her grandpa is a start, but I'd rather see these teens engage in intelligent conversations rather than the same repeated "You're so hot; why don't you flaunt it" / "None of your business" mantra.
It took 3/4 of the novel for the third leg of the triangle to appear, dolphin-engineered Joel, who is of course so gorgeous, Piper starts to question her love-at-first sight swooning and spooning over Tyler. I had hoped that Piper's attraction to the guy who's one of her kind would be based on something more than mere physical attraction, but the dialogue didn't offer much in the way of character development.
Sandra Cox does know how to spin a story that's full of intrigue and fascinating science, but this novel reads like a first draft, or a manuscript that needed more layers and depth worked in, and a big cutting board for the repetitive dialogue. With more editing, this could be a first-rate story, worthy of five stars.
Book Two sounds more intriguing: Joel discovers the lab he grew up in has extracted his sperm and Piper’s egg and created a baby, and his handler, Craven, is plotting to kidnap Amy for more experiments. Now Joel must rescue the infant, bring her to Piper, and find a way to save Amy. And if that’s not enough of a challenge, he needs to convince Piper she belongs with him instead of her all-too-human boyfriend Tyler—if Craven doesn’t get to them first.
I've been spoiled, reading fiction written by scientists, all with PhDs. Their YA fiction is full of intelligence and thoughtfulness and clever dialogue. Here, the dialogue is a dumbed-down version of He: "Why do you conceal how gorgeous you are?" She: "I can't tell you; it's important that I hide my identity, as I've told you a hundred times now."
She's 18, a senior in high school, but no mention is ever made of her future career or any interests, outside of swimming with dolphins and making out with swoon-worthy guys, or hanging out with her sole remaining guardian and kin, her grandpa. Over and over again we get that he is all she has in this world and she loves him dearly. That's a refreshing change of pace in Young Adult fiction, where adults are typically annoying and far less savvy than teens. Still, the same lines - about gorgeous guys, the pain of having to play the nerd, the fear of losing Grandpa, play like a broken record.
I skimmed the repetitive parts and made it to the end, which is a cliffhanger leading into the next book.
The premise is intriguing (and a little bit reminiscent of Patterson's Maximum Ride series), but the lack of science and the preponderance of teen hormones versus more biology, genetic engineering, dolphins and other sea life, make this a bit too shallow for my tastes. Authors such as E.E. Giorgi (The Mayake Chronicles) and Guy T. Martland (Machine Songs, not yet in print) have set the bar high.
I'm not a prude, but a big turn-off in this novel is how these teenagers fall in love based on physical appearances without getting to know a person first, and launch right into kissing and making out without having spent even a few hours together in conversation. An hour or two of teaching self-defense moves doesn't go far enough to count as relationship building. Dinner with the hot girl and her grandpa is a start, but I'd rather see these teens engage in intelligent conversations rather than the same repeated "You're so hot; why don't you flaunt it" / "None of your business" mantra.
It took 3/4 of the novel for the third leg of the triangle to appear, dolphin-engineered Joel, who is of course so gorgeous, Piper starts to question her love-at-first sight swooning and spooning over Tyler. I had hoped that Piper's attraction to the guy who's one of her kind would be based on something more than mere physical attraction, but the dialogue didn't offer much in the way of character development.
Sandra Cox does know how to spin a story that's full of intrigue and fascinating science, but this novel reads like a first draft, or a manuscript that needed more layers and depth worked in, and a big cutting board for the repetitive dialogue. With more editing, this could be a first-rate story, worthy of five stars.
Book Two sounds more intriguing: Joel discovers the lab he grew up in has extracted his sperm and Piper’s egg and created a baby, and his handler, Craven, is plotting to kidnap Amy for more experiments. Now Joel must rescue the infant, bring her to Piper, and find a way to save Amy. And if that’s not enough of a challenge, he needs to convince Piper she belongs with him instead of her all-too-human boyfriend Tyler—if Craven doesn’t get to them first.
December 21, 2014
Piper Dunn isn't your average teenager, mainly due to the dolphin DNA that is within her. Not only does she have turquoise eyes and a captivating voice, she has her very own blowhole just like a dolphin. Of course, that makes it hard to blend in. All she wants to do is be a normal teenager, sport the latest fashions, sip lattes, and hang out with friends but instead she must hide her unique characteristics. She's done a great job of that so far until one of the hottest guys in school, Tyler, sets his sight on her. Will she be able to protect not only her true identity, but her heart as well?
I absolutely loved this book! I felt instantly drawn to Piper and what she was trying to accomplish. We are able to see both halves of her identity. During the day she struggles with a school bully picking on her, yearning for human interaction without drawing attention to herself, and caring for her grandfather who isn't in the best of health. At night she heads out to protect the sea's inhabitants from trouble. Whether it be cutting loose a sea turtle that has been trapped in a net or freeing dolphins that are being captured by the same people who created her mother.
The romance was, at times, just a tad cheesy but I loved it! Piper hasn't had previous experiences with love and so her awkwardness around Tyler was adorable and realistic. The relationship happened quickly but had the ups and downs that most teenagers go through. At times the story was a little repetitive though. The reader sees Piper go through the same routine often, whether it be going through a whole day at school or changing into one of her numerous bathing suits but it wasn't bad enough to distract me from the story.
The main issue I had with this story was that the beginning was drawn out while the ending was rushed. The first half of the book mainly focuses on her struggling with her relationship with Tyler and trying to remain anonymous. It isn't until around chapter twenty that a little action starts in regards to the mysterious people experimenting on dolphins and it's another seven chapters (at the 74% mark according to my Kindle) before she finds herself in the test facility mentioned in the synopsis. I wish there had been more focus on why her dolphin half is so important and less focus on teenage angst.
Overall I enjoyed this story! It was unique and grabbed my interest. Though I had a few issues with it, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Sandra Cox.
I absolutely loved this book! I felt instantly drawn to Piper and what she was trying to accomplish. We are able to see both halves of her identity. During the day she struggles with a school bully picking on her, yearning for human interaction without drawing attention to herself, and caring for her grandfather who isn't in the best of health. At night she heads out to protect the sea's inhabitants from trouble. Whether it be cutting loose a sea turtle that has been trapped in a net or freeing dolphins that are being captured by the same people who created her mother.
The romance was, at times, just a tad cheesy but I loved it! Piper hasn't had previous experiences with love and so her awkwardness around Tyler was adorable and realistic. The relationship happened quickly but had the ups and downs that most teenagers go through. At times the story was a little repetitive though. The reader sees Piper go through the same routine often, whether it be going through a whole day at school or changing into one of her numerous bathing suits but it wasn't bad enough to distract me from the story.
The main issue I had with this story was that the beginning was drawn out while the ending was rushed. The first half of the book mainly focuses on her struggling with her relationship with Tyler and trying to remain anonymous. It isn't until around chapter twenty that a little action starts in regards to the mysterious people experimenting on dolphins and it's another seven chapters (at the 74% mark according to my Kindle) before she finds herself in the test facility mentioned in the synopsis. I wish there had been more focus on why her dolphin half is so important and less focus on teenage angst.
Overall I enjoyed this story! It was unique and grabbed my interest. Though I had a few issues with it, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Sandra Cox.
February 6, 2016
Love, Lattes and Mutants is the first installment in the Mutants series by Sandra Cox. Piper isn’t your typical teenage girl she pretends to be a nerdy girl who wears unflattering clothes to avoid attention because she has a secret she’s hiding. Piper isn’t human she has the DNA of a dolphin that allows her to swim under water for long periods plus she had a blow hole in her back. By day she’s just a nerdy school girl but at night she’s the savior of her beach protecting the sea creatures from sea turtles to dolphins alike and life is simple.
However she’s attracted the attention of two strong alpha personalities one who feels the need to protect her while the other to bully her. As if that isn’t enough someone is attempting to capture her beloved dolphins. Piper can’t deny the attraction she has for Tyler after all he’s the most attractive guy in school and he seems to be equally attracted to her. How will Piper handle being the most popular guy at schools girlfriend? Will she be able to tell him her secret? What about the dolphin hunters on the beach?
I like Piper she’s this sweet innocent girl who is doing what she things is right protection the cove. While she didn’t set out to she found herself falling for Tyler but she doesn’t think he will accept her for who she really is a mutant. I like that Tyler was supportive of Piper even without knowing what her deep dark secret was, and he saved the day just when he needed too. While they may not both be human things work for both of them and I’m curious to see how things will progress now that he knows the truth.
I’ve had this one sitting on my kindle for a while but never seemed to get around to it just yet. However today was the day I dove in and finished in a few short hours. I love the concept while Piper calls herself a mutant I see her more as a genetically engineer ocean saving super hero. Piper’s story just really works and I admit I never would have thought of using Dolphin DNA to cross with a human very unique idea. Love, Lattes and Mutants is a fast paced whirlwind deep sea romance filled with bad guys and mystery. I loved the characters I was able to connect with Piper which is a must and she may just love coffee as much as I do. While this is my first book by the author I already know it won’t be my last I’m looking forward to finishing the series and seeing what other books she has. I really enjoyed the authors writing style it flows smoothly from start to finish.
However she’s attracted the attention of two strong alpha personalities one who feels the need to protect her while the other to bully her. As if that isn’t enough someone is attempting to capture her beloved dolphins. Piper can’t deny the attraction she has for Tyler after all he’s the most attractive guy in school and he seems to be equally attracted to her. How will Piper handle being the most popular guy at schools girlfriend? Will she be able to tell him her secret? What about the dolphin hunters on the beach?
I like Piper she’s this sweet innocent girl who is doing what she things is right protection the cove. While she didn’t set out to she found herself falling for Tyler but she doesn’t think he will accept her for who she really is a mutant. I like that Tyler was supportive of Piper even without knowing what her deep dark secret was, and he saved the day just when he needed too. While they may not both be human things work for both of them and I’m curious to see how things will progress now that he knows the truth.
I’ve had this one sitting on my kindle for a while but never seemed to get around to it just yet. However today was the day I dove in and finished in a few short hours. I love the concept while Piper calls herself a mutant I see her more as a genetically engineer ocean saving super hero. Piper’s story just really works and I admit I never would have thought of using Dolphin DNA to cross with a human very unique idea. Love, Lattes and Mutants is a fast paced whirlwind deep sea romance filled with bad guys and mystery. I loved the characters I was able to connect with Piper which is a must and she may just love coffee as much as I do. While this is my first book by the author I already know it won’t be my last I’m looking forward to finishing the series and seeing what other books she has. I really enjoyed the authors writing style it flows smoothly from start to finish.
February 23, 2015
The first in a YA / Teen Sci-Fi /Romance series from Sandra Cox, Love Lattes and Mutants is a quickly paced romp. From a slightly rushed beginning, where characters are brought in quickly with little introduction or background. With a few clever twists that bring some of the characters some depth beyond a more typical high school stereotype, the initial introductions are rather familiar. In fact, the first chapter is familiar to anyone that reads Teen-skewed romances.
Then we get the twists: Piper is an orphan and a mutant, experiments on her mother before she was born have resulted in her being a dolphin/human hybrid with a blow hole, a siren-like effect, irresistible to some boys with a voice that can lure men to her bidding.
Tyler is the new kid in town: enigmatic, handsome and chivalrous he is the subject of all the teen girl fantasies. His twin sister Holly is rather the opposite: annoying, meddlesome and a bit of a tag-along, she delights in being in the ‘know’. Tyler is the only one who can ‘see’ Piper’s differences, so he finds her irresistible
The moments of Piper where she is free to be herself are well created and intriguing, while most of the ‘in school’ moments are rather familiar in feel, even as the flirtation between Tyler and and Piper heats up. The ‘danger’ and the solution felt thrown together, and more than a bit too conveniently solved: starting the hints of danger from the ones who caused Piper’s mutations would have kept my interest in what happens next.
The rest of the story is a cute, if somewhat tame romance with characters that felt to be a bit younger than high school students, even as their interactions felt honest and real. Piper was a solid character with plenty of quirks beyond the blowhole, and while lattes are not necessarily chocolate, the addiction and obsession with the coffee treat adds to her character nicely. With some humor from setting and dialogue as well as a light romance mixed in, this story will please those looking for a lighthearted story.
I received an eArc copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Then we get the twists: Piper is an orphan and a mutant, experiments on her mother before she was born have resulted in her being a dolphin/human hybrid with a blow hole, a siren-like effect, irresistible to some boys with a voice that can lure men to her bidding.
Tyler is the new kid in town: enigmatic, handsome and chivalrous he is the subject of all the teen girl fantasies. His twin sister Holly is rather the opposite: annoying, meddlesome and a bit of a tag-along, she delights in being in the ‘know’. Tyler is the only one who can ‘see’ Piper’s differences, so he finds her irresistible
The moments of Piper where she is free to be herself are well created and intriguing, while most of the ‘in school’ moments are rather familiar in feel, even as the flirtation between Tyler and and Piper heats up. The ‘danger’ and the solution felt thrown together, and more than a bit too conveniently solved: starting the hints of danger from the ones who caused Piper’s mutations would have kept my interest in what happens next.
The rest of the story is a cute, if somewhat tame romance with characters that felt to be a bit younger than high school students, even as their interactions felt honest and real. Piper was a solid character with plenty of quirks beyond the blowhole, and while lattes are not necessarily chocolate, the addiction and obsession with the coffee treat adds to her character nicely. With some humor from setting and dialogue as well as a light romance mixed in, this story will please those looking for a lighthearted story.
I received an eArc copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
February 25, 2015
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Love, Latte and Mutants was such a fun read! Perfect for a sunny afternoon on the deck. I'm not entirely sure how I'd classify it: maybe YA sci-fi meets paranormal meets romance. I loved the characters-- all of them, even the bully. The villain scientist made my skin crawl. I sure hope Ms. Cox is working on a sequel. It would be nice to know what happened to a couple of the characters. Sorry can't explain further-- spoilers.
I really liked main character Piper. Strong, loyal, sweet, she was an instant hit with me. Being born a mutant, she was forced to hide herself in glasses and baggy clothes in an attempt to remain unnoticed. I loved the scenes where she was in the ocean, and she can finally be herself. Romantic interest Tyler was really too good to be true. Perfect, well other than his insecure streak whenever Piper wanted to hide their relationship. Just a great book boyfriend.
The story was fast-paced, with a slight lull in the middle. But once I reached the 3/4 mark, I couldn't read fast enough to satisfy my curiosity. So much happened in that last 1/4 of the novel. Mainly I'm dying for more information. I felt like the entire section when she was a prisoner at the lab was a tad rushed. I found this part to be the most interesting part of the novel.On the plus side, it left me wanting more.
There's a bit of a love triangle once Joel is introduced. But since he was a resident at the secret lab, he wasn't in the story for very long. I could understand why Piper would be drawn to Joel, since he was like her and she didn't have to hide. But her instant attraction to him was somewhat annoying.
Overall I really enjoyed Love, Latte and Mutants. The characters were well-written and fun to read about, and the story will leave the reader wanting more.
Love, Latte and Mutants was such a fun read! Perfect for a sunny afternoon on the deck. I'm not entirely sure how I'd classify it: maybe YA sci-fi meets paranormal meets romance. I loved the characters-- all of them, even the bully. The villain scientist made my skin crawl. I sure hope Ms. Cox is working on a sequel. It would be nice to know what happened to a couple of the characters. Sorry can't explain further-- spoilers.
I really liked main character Piper. Strong, loyal, sweet, she was an instant hit with me. Being born a mutant, she was forced to hide herself in glasses and baggy clothes in an attempt to remain unnoticed. I loved the scenes where she was in the ocean, and she can finally be herself. Romantic interest Tyler was really too good to be true. Perfect, well other than his insecure streak whenever Piper wanted to hide their relationship. Just a great book boyfriend.
The story was fast-paced, with a slight lull in the middle. But once I reached the 3/4 mark, I couldn't read fast enough to satisfy my curiosity. So much happened in that last 1/4 of the novel. Mainly I'm dying for more information. I felt like the entire section when she was a prisoner at the lab was a tad rushed. I found this part to be the most interesting part of the novel.On the plus side, it left me wanting more.
There's a bit of a love triangle once Joel is introduced. But since he was a resident at the secret lab, he wasn't in the story for very long. I could understand why Piper would be drawn to Joel, since he was like her and she didn't have to hide. But her instant attraction to him was somewhat annoying.
Overall I really enjoyed Love, Latte and Mutants. The characters were well-written and fun to read about, and the story will leave the reader wanting more.
December 14, 2014
(Review copy provided by NetGalley. Opinions are my own!)
What I loved:
The idea of being a mutant in a very teenaged, very normal world. This was incredibly unique and I've never actually read a book where our heroine has a blowhole and can stay underwater saving animals for a half hour at a time.
Gramps. He was a great secondary character and added a lot of humanity to the book.
Tyler and Piper. I'll mention below what I struggled with, but for the most part, I felt that electricity the author wrote in their interactions. I loved it.
What I struggled with:
The book was really a lot shorter than it should have been to cover what was being covered. I felt like the crux of the obstacle (finding out Piper's beginnings and mutants like her) came way too late in the book and we really spent a lot of time stuck in that "do i like him? should i like him? okay, i might like him" awkward love drama phase.
I understand that it plays an big role in teenage romance (especially in YA) but it ate up the focus of the first two-thirds of the book so much so that I felt like we were rushed into the ending without much time to catch up as a reader.
I also never really got why Tyler was so insistent on getting to know Piper (don't get me wrong, I'm glad he did...) Was it really just because she didn't fawn over him? Was there a deeper reason he was attracted to her that we'll discover later? Their romance (as sparkly and fun as it was) really felt a little rushed and crammed into a matter of a few days.
I give this book LOTS of points for trying a new route in YA and really did enjoy reading it for the most part...I just felt like we were ushered along to a very fast ending just to lead us to a cliffhanger to book 2.
What I loved:
The idea of being a mutant in a very teenaged, very normal world. This was incredibly unique and I've never actually read a book where our heroine has a blowhole and can stay underwater saving animals for a half hour at a time.
Gramps. He was a great secondary character and added a lot of humanity to the book.
Tyler and Piper. I'll mention below what I struggled with, but for the most part, I felt that electricity the author wrote in their interactions. I loved it.
What I struggled with:
The book was really a lot shorter than it should have been to cover what was being covered. I felt like the crux of the obstacle (finding out Piper's beginnings and mutants like her) came way too late in the book and we really spent a lot of time stuck in that "do i like him? should i like him? okay, i might like him" awkward love drama phase.
I understand that it plays an big role in teenage romance (especially in YA) but it ate up the focus of the first two-thirds of the book so much so that I felt like we were rushed into the ending without much time to catch up as a reader.
I also never really got why Tyler was so insistent on getting to know Piper (don't get me wrong, I'm glad he did...) Was it really just because she didn't fawn over him? Was there a deeper reason he was attracted to her that we'll discover later? Their romance (as sparkly and fun as it was) really felt a little rushed and crammed into a matter of a few days.
I give this book LOTS of points for trying a new route in YA and really did enjoy reading it for the most part...I just felt like we were ushered along to a very fast ending just to lead us to a cliffhanger to book 2.
February 9, 2015
Originally reviewed at So many books, so little time
The story is meant to make you fall in love with it. Tyler is the ultimate male protagonist every fangirl will obsess about. These are the kind of YA book series we all wish to read every day. So, here's the deal. The female protagonist of our story is Piper, a dolph girl. And at school, she tries to keep a low profile to keep her secret a secret. But as luck would have it, keeping company with Holly and Tyler, the popular twins, defeats her purpose. And she lets go, because, well, Tyler is someone you'd do that for. Her character is the one that drives the whole plot, and that is delightful for YA readers. She has a family history, she has a secret, she is the one Tyler is chasing, she is the one who will decide how this story twists. Her attempts at keeping a low profile, like wearing oversized clothes and donning nerdy glasses, multiplied how adorable and endearing she was to us.
At one juncture, the story takes a turn and frankly, had it not turned bak to where this all had started, i would have been heart-broken.
There is an element of hilarity as well. Although why anyone with a name like Edgar should be arrogant is beyond me. Even this Edgar guy, the character is so well-etched, underneath his social facade of arrogance is meanness and cruelty, and that goes on to point how shitty High school can get.
The story never got boring, and I liked it the way I like reading Jenny Han.
I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series, and hoping it has more of latte.
The story is meant to make you fall in love with it. Tyler is the ultimate male protagonist every fangirl will obsess about. These are the kind of YA book series we all wish to read every day. So, here's the deal. The female protagonist of our story is Piper, a dolph girl. And at school, she tries to keep a low profile to keep her secret a secret. But as luck would have it, keeping company with Holly and Tyler, the popular twins, defeats her purpose. And she lets go, because, well, Tyler is someone you'd do that for. Her character is the one that drives the whole plot, and that is delightful for YA readers. She has a family history, she has a secret, she is the one Tyler is chasing, she is the one who will decide how this story twists. Her attempts at keeping a low profile, like wearing oversized clothes and donning nerdy glasses, multiplied how adorable and endearing she was to us.
At one juncture, the story takes a turn and frankly, had it not turned bak to where this all had started, i would have been heart-broken.
There is an element of hilarity as well. Although why anyone with a name like Edgar should be arrogant is beyond me. Even this Edgar guy, the character is so well-etched, underneath his social facade of arrogance is meanness and cruelty, and that goes on to point how shitty High school can get.
The story never got boring, and I liked it the way I like reading Jenny Han.
I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series, and hoping it has more of latte.
March 22, 2016
This book is a strange 50/50 for me. The plot is interesting and unique, no doubt about that, and I had no issues with the explaining of back story. I knew as much as I wanted and needed to know, and I do prefer that over over explanation. My main issue was poor editing. COMMAS ARE IMPORTANT. I'll admit to being an overuser of them, but come on; you're even missing one in the title. There are missing commas everywhere in the novel, and it pained me to see.
Another qualm I had was Tyler, the main love interest, at the start. I fell in love with him throughout, but he just seemed so... creepy. He seemed to have to convince Piper that she liked him, and didn't seem to give her much choice. As much as I yelled at her that she would be fine to tell him, she had a reason to be secretive.
The story also seemed unnecessarily drawn out. There were a few instances while reading that I thought the author was just increasing word count - for example, 'the loaf of meat' when talking about meatloaf. To me, just 'the loaf' would have been clear, since there was no bread involved to confuse people. At the end, the story was rushed. The falling action was hurried and the conclusion came abruptly. After the drawing out, the rushing came as a shock.
Besides these things, I did enjoy the novel. I downloaded it from the Play Store on mobile as it was either free or very cheap one day, but even if I had paid more, it wouldn't be a complete waste of money. Unless it was $20, because that would be too much. But despite this, I don't expect to read anymore of the series. I'm content with the ending.
All in all, it was a good read, if you're not too worried about punctuation and grammar.
Another qualm I had was Tyler, the main love interest, at the start. I fell in love with him throughout, but he just seemed so... creepy. He seemed to have to convince Piper that she liked him, and didn't seem to give her much choice. As much as I yelled at her that she would be fine to tell him, she had a reason to be secretive.
The story also seemed unnecessarily drawn out. There were a few instances while reading that I thought the author was just increasing word count - for example, 'the loaf of meat' when talking about meatloaf. To me, just 'the loaf' would have been clear, since there was no bread involved to confuse people. At the end, the story was rushed. The falling action was hurried and the conclusion came abruptly. After the drawing out, the rushing came as a shock.
Besides these things, I did enjoy the novel. I downloaded it from the Play Store on mobile as it was either free or very cheap one day, but even if I had paid more, it wouldn't be a complete waste of money. Unless it was $20, because that would be too much. But despite this, I don't expect to read anymore of the series. I'm content with the ending.
All in all, it was a good read, if you're not too worried about punctuation and grammar.
February 17, 2015
Well the title pretty much sums up the entire plot. A mutant girls who's addicted to lattes falls in love with a boy, and honestly there isn't much more to it. Piper is of course keeping her mutant abilities a secret, because she knows that having a blowhole on your back is kind of weird. To keep this secret, she isolates herself at school, letting no one close enough to figure things out. This is beside the two new kids at school, they don't seem to get the hint.
At home Piper can be herself. While she's no superhero, there's a certain little mermaid quality to it. She likes to play with the fish and dolphins, while once in a while this also includes rescue said animals. It's then that things get a bit more complicated. Turns out there are people after Piper, the ones who originally created the mutants. While this added some drama, it felt minimal to me and even a bit forced at times. I honestly still have no clue why anyone would want to make human-dolphin mutants.
Love, Lattes and Mutants was a light and fluffy read, with not much substance. The writing on its own and the word use is definitely aimed at middle grade level. So to me the target group for this novel is more younger young adult rather than mature young adult. The substance is pretty clean, and the plot isn't very dramatic. A story perfect for young female adults who are looking for a light and enjoyable story to escape reality for a while.
*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
At home Piper can be herself. While she's no superhero, there's a certain little mermaid quality to it. She likes to play with the fish and dolphins, while once in a while this also includes rescue said animals. It's then that things get a bit more complicated. Turns out there are people after Piper, the ones who originally created the mutants. While this added some drama, it felt minimal to me and even a bit forced at times. I honestly still have no clue why anyone would want to make human-dolphin mutants.
Love, Lattes and Mutants was a light and fluffy read, with not much substance. The writing on its own and the word use is definitely aimed at middle grade level. So to me the target group for this novel is more younger young adult rather than mature young adult. The substance is pretty clean, and the plot isn't very dramatic. A story perfect for young female adults who are looking for a light and enjoyable story to escape reality for a while.
*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
February 18, 2015
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
The Characters: I thought Piper was a great character to read about. She was a great mix of fun, sass, and a caring heart. I loved reading about her. She was a great protagonist. And the idea of a person being a mutant between a dolphin and a human is intriguing.
And Tyler was also intriguing. That boy was also a funny one to read about. The characters made the book for me.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I thought that this book was very original and intriguing. I at least haven't read a book about dolphin mutants before. That was the part that I think I enjoyed most--just exploring the world with Piper as a half-human and half-dolphin. I loved how she took on siren qualities. It was intriguing.
The book in the beginning might have been a little bit slow, but then the action started kicking up. I thought that the ending was a little bit rushed. However, for the most part the book was quite enjoyable.
This book was a fun lighthearted read that I read very quickly in one setting.
So why 3 stars? Although it was a fun read, it didn't necessarily stand out to me in any significant way.
Warnings/Side-notes: None. I think it's just fine for readers of all ages.
The Wrap-up: An enjoyable read.
Love,
Danica Page
Disclaimers: I received an e-galley of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
The Characters: I thought Piper was a great character to read about. She was a great mix of fun, sass, and a caring heart. I loved reading about her. She was a great protagonist. And the idea of a person being a mutant between a dolphin and a human is intriguing.
And Tyler was also intriguing. That boy was also a funny one to read about. The characters made the book for me.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I thought that this book was very original and intriguing. I at least haven't read a book about dolphin mutants before. That was the part that I think I enjoyed most--just exploring the world with Piper as a half-human and half-dolphin. I loved how she took on siren qualities. It was intriguing.
The book in the beginning might have been a little bit slow, but then the action started kicking up. I thought that the ending was a little bit rushed. However, for the most part the book was quite enjoyable.
This book was a fun lighthearted read that I read very quickly in one setting.
So why 3 stars? Although it was a fun read, it didn't necessarily stand out to me in any significant way.
Warnings/Side-notes: None. I think it's just fine for readers of all ages.
The Wrap-up: An enjoyable read.
Love,
Danica Page
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