Lauren Reviews Lifer by Beck Nicholas

Lifer by Beck Nicholas
Published: December 2014 by Month9Books, LLC
Source: eARC
Rating: 5+ Stars

Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents' crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident. 

Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfect opportunity to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem - the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.

On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gaming warehouse where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing. 

But sometimes the past is better left buried. As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out - everyone has been lied to...

This was a novel that crushed the depths of my soul and I'm still trying to glue it back together. Asher is our main character, a strong young woman who is in a forbidden love affair with Samuai, a boy born of a higher social class. Samuai loves Asher despite her social status and even wants to help bring down the walls of oppression that the Lifers have lived behind for many years. Everything changes when Asher's brother and Samuai are pronounced dead. Asher is quickly summoned to be the Lady's servant. Lady is the equivalent of say... the first lady of the United States, power-wise anyway. Lady also just happens to be Samuai's mother. While trying her best to do as she's told without sarcasm (which still slips every once in a while), Asher mentally maps out every detail she can remember to relay back to her mother, who is in charge of an upcoming rebellion against the upper class, AKA the Fishies. 

Then there's Blank. He's named Blank because he woke up on a planet and has no recollection of who he is. He quickly learns about The Company, an organization who recruits and brainwashes people to join their cause. Blank may be well... literally blank when it comes to the details of his past, but he still knows the difference between good and evil. He rather quickly sides with the people who are against The Company and does whatever he can to help the cause. 

Asher and Blank's worlds collide in way that leaves you dizzy. I truly cannot wait to read the next novel in this series. 

Lauren Reviews An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 
Published: April 2015 by Razorbill
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 Stars

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

I did a buddy read on this book with some fantastic ladies I met on Instagram. We all had the book and had kept putting it off and so we banded together to tackle this one. I really enjoyed this book. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars from me is because of Laia. She has done everything so she can save her brother, but at the same time she kind of half-asses it. If you're going to spy, then spy. Don't tip toe around it. 

Other than that, the world building aspect of the novel was on par, as were the characters' personalities. I could easily understand and feel the emotions that each character portrayed, which is something I think every book needs. I do wish I could've known more about Helene. She isn't mentioned in the summary of the book or even in most reviews that I've read. She is not one of the two main characters, but I believe she had a HUGE role in this book and overall... she was just badass. She's like the female equivalent to Braveheart's William Wallace. 

This was a wonderful debut and everyone is excited that this will not be a stand-alone novel. I admit.. I'm excited too. I just know I'll forgot everything and have to re-read this before the sequel comes out. This gets taxing, but more often than not.. it's worth it. 

For the Love of Everything Dystopian

Last month I posted of my first love, historical fiction. Now I have to show my affection for my second love, everything dystopian/post-apocalyptic. I still remember years ago, slowing filling my bookshelves with stories of survival, bleak skies.. characters enduring hardships that make me feel brave by just reading about them. Here are a few dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels that stole my soul.

Wool by Hugh Howey

An epic story of life, love and survival at all odds and one of the most-talked and anticipated books of the year. In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies. To live, you must follow the rules. But some don't. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside. Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.

I cannot express how much I loved this entire series. Wool is the first installment that kept me awake many nights. The world-building aspect of the novel is absolutely amazing. There are many characters to keep up with, but damn it was worth it. This is a lengthy novel, and so are the other two installments.. but I loved all the detail. It just made everything more realistic and believable. I urge EVERYONE to at least check out Wool, but I know if you do, you'll have to read the entire series!

The Passage by Justin Cronin

An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy - abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl - and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape - but he can’t stop society’s collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

This was another lengthly novel that I admit was a bit sluggish at times, but was once again worth it. I love how one of the main character completely changes his course halfway through the book.. and it felt completely genuine. A man decides to stake his entire life for one little girl. She may be the most special girl in the world, but to him, she was just a little girl in need of an adult. This story will always stay with me.

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

Set in the near-future, Into the Forest is a powerfully imagined novel that focuses on the relationship between two teenage sisters living alone in their Northern California forest home. Over 30 miles from the nearest town, and several miles away from their nearest neighbor, Nell and Eva struggle to survive as society begins to decay and collapse around them. No single event precedes society's fall. There is talk of a war overseas and upheaval in Congress, but it still comes as a shock when the electricity runs out and gas is nowhere to be found. The sisters consume the resources left in the house, waiting for the power to return. Their arrival into adulthood, however, forces them to reexamine their place in the world and their relationship to the land and each other.

I remember reading this book years ago. Two sisters stay in the same house hoping and waiting for the power to come back on, for people to show up alive and well.. for anything normal really. Years and years pass and the sisters learn to live off their small garden and stock of dwindling supplies. The world is bleak and honestly, this book is as well. I think the realism and how the author didn't force a happy ending or any kind of "coincidences" of good fortunes for the sisters on us.

Cross-posted at The Tattooed Biblio

Tahleen reviews: "Little Brother" by Cory Doctorow on Audio

Title: Little Brother
Author: Cory Doctorow
Publisher: Listening Library, 2008
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Rating: 4 stars

Marcus Yallow, aka W1N5TON, is pretty much a normal teen, albeit one who enjoys mass multiplayer online role playing games, LARPing, hacking, and all kinds of computer technology stuff. He also has no qualms about cutting school to further along the gaming competition he and a few of his friends are in the middle of. That is, until the worst terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11 happens in their hometown of San Francisco. After being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting picked up by Homeland Security, held for days in a prison while being questioned and humiliated, and finally getting released with the warning that if he talks they will come for him, he is forever changed. He and his friends, one of whom is still missing, must go on with their lives pretending like nothing happened. But Marcus has other ideas. Eventually, he wants to fight back and get some payback on Homeland Security for what they are still doing in his city, stripping what they once considered basic freedoms that they had taken for granted.

I would almost hesitate to call this book dystopian, since it's not really that; it's more like science fiction or speculative fiction, as this is something that possibly could happen in the future. And it is terrifying. I can very easily see this happening in our country, and it's very scary to think about.
 
What follows the attack mentioned above in the summary is a look at America sans freedom, America where all Internet use is closely monitored, where every move you make is put under a microscope. People are arrested for simply talking about things. It's very 1984. We are already part of the way there; I truly hope we never make it this far. It's a sobering thought, and this is a very important book for showing how we could get there.

I will say there is a lot of technical description, as well as other explanations of what things are and how they work, which might put off some people. As I listened to the audiobook while running, it didn't really bother me since I could zone out a bit while having the book go on. I was able to pay attention for most of it without getting bored though. And speaking of narration, Kirby Heyborne is great. As many of you already know.

Disclaimer: I got this audiobook out from the public library through OverDrive.

Tahleen reviews: "The Queen of the Tearling" by Erika Johansen, narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Title: The Queen of the Tearling
Author: Erika Johansen
Publisher: HarperCollins Audio and Blackstone Audio, 2014 (print available from Harper)
Narrator: Katherine Kellgren

Rating: 4.5 stars

Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, the 19-year-old heir to the Tearling throne, has been in hiding since she was one year old. Raised by an older couple with the knowledge that she would one day rule her kingdom, the time has come for her to return to the castle and take her place as queen. Though, of course, this will not be an easy task. Many want her dead, including her uncle the regent; Arlen Thorne, a man with many tricks up his sleeve; and the dreaded Red Queen of Mortmesne, who kills and orders death easily and without qualm, and has brought terror across the kingdoms. With her devoted Queen's Guard led by Lazarus by her side, Kelsea must survive long enough to lift the Tearling from the brink of ruin.

First, let me say that I was not expecting this book to be so excellent. Kelsea is a formidable heroine, and though young and a bit naive in politics, she has a remarkable mind and is a born leader. The intrigue, action, and politics that make up the plot are all very well paced, and the shifting of perspective (all in third person, each perspective giving us insight into one of a handful of characters' thoughts) allows the readers to see what is happening around the kingdom and gives insight into what we might expect Kelsea to encounter.

I think what surprised me most was Johansen's world itself. I was fascinated. The book starts out sounding like a typical high fantasy set in a medieval world, but as the story progresses, there are more and more clues as to what this world truly is. Not a fantasy, but a science fiction novel. A dystopia. Something has happened called the Crossing, and once the old world crossed over to this new world, everything collapsed. Hints of the world as we know it pop up now and then, and I kept trying to glean more and more information. Johansen is not forthcoming with the history of how the Tearling, Mortmesne, and the other surrounding countries came to be. I am very much looking forward to the next installment so I can get some of this information!

(As a quick note, this is not a teen novel—there are some very disturbing scenes, and a lot of sexual situations. That's not to say a mature teen couldn't handle it, but I wanted to make that distinction as I normally review teen lit.)

I listened to The Queen of the Tearling on audio, and Katherine Kellgren is, as always, a master of her craft. If you've never listened to her before, trust me, she is one of, if not the, best.

I am eager to hear about the movie that is supposedly going to be made, especially casting. It seems like it might be a book that lends itself to a movie version; I hope the producers do it justice.

Disclosure: I got this audiobook from my local library.

Julia Reviews The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Title/Author: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Publisher/Year Published: December 2008 by Walker
How I got this book: The Library
Why I read this book: This book was recommended to me by Hayley, Susan, Kritka and rrteenlibrarian on my reading slump post
Rating: 4 stars

Well guys, I did it! I finished a book from my View from Page Thirty series that was actually worth adding on to the review. A few weeks back I posted my initial reaction to The Knife of Never Letting Go. The general sentiment was that it was pretty darn good and I wanted to continue with it. Here was my overview reaction:

"I am really curious to see how the story unfolds and what the rules and limitations of this world are. It sounds like a different twist on the dystopian thing, rather than just the controlling government makes us do something strange that our main character is rebelling against. I want to know more and can't wait to continue on!"

Well it didn't completely fall into that general dystopian genre, but it didn't stay as unique as I wanted it to. A few chapters after my initial reaction, things started moving into normal dystopian YA territory. Our hero was becoming special, some of the things I really enjoyed fell apart when things were reveled, and I was not as entertained as I wanted to be. 

I had high hopes for this book, and I wasn't necessarily not entertained. It was a good book to read, just it feel into old tropes as the book went on that I thought it was breaking away from. It also ended on a cliff hanger which really bothered me. It's book one! Usually book two is the cliffhanger. I really like it when my books wrap up, even if only a little. Thinking more about the ending, I guess it could be considered wrapped up, but I know that it's not and it bothers me.

Surprisingly, the narration did not bother me like I thought it may. I didn't mind Todd's colloquial phrasing and spelling of certain things. His being 14 annoyed me a few times like when his pride got in the way of doing things that made the most freaking sense (like with the book). But whatever, he's 14 and it fits with his characterization. No points off. It just was a personal pet peeve.

I really liked the pace in the first 30 or so pages, and I am happy to say that this story did not drag. It clipped along pretty much the entire journey. The plot was always moving the characters forward and into new adventures on the way to their goal.

Overall, it wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as I was thinking it was going to be from my first 30 page visit. Am I glad I read it? Sure. Am I going to read on? Maybe? I haven't decided. It may be after a while but I haven't ruled out coming back to this series. Just not right now.

Thanks for the recommendation guys! I can't wait to take a look at another one off the slumplist! By the way, if anyone wanted to view the compiled slumplist, I put it into a google drive document here. It's all messy and just my compilation of the comments people left on the original post. But just in case you wanted to see it, there it is :)

View from Page Thirty: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

It's been a while since I've done A View from Page Thirty, so I thought I would bring it back. And what better way to bring it back then with a new graphic and using the list of suggestions that you guys gave me during my reading slump post.

For those of you not familiar with this, A View from Page Thirty is a feature where I read thirty or so pages into a book and give you guys my first impression. Some books are great out of the gate, some take a little bit of warming up to. Some are just books that you know right away are going to be tough to read.

My general rule with books is that if I am not interested at all by around page thirty, I don't have to go on. There are too many books in this world for me to waste my time on something that I don't enjoy. But every book I start (barring some rare cases) get's thirty pages.

Hence was born A View from Page Thirty.


Today's book as I mentioned comes off of the reading slump post. I compiled all of the suggestions into a list of 65 books, which I am lovingly calling the slumplist, and I plan to look at them all. Of those 65 books I've already read 4, so only 61 more to go. I decided to start with Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go. Four people, Hayley, Susan, Kritika, and Rockyriverteenlibrarian recommended it saying:

"It's the first in the Chaos Walking series, and it's really amazing. I've been recommending it to everyone since I read it in January." - Hayley

"The narration in the Ness series is a little hard to get used to at first, but don't let that dissuade you -- it's a great, unique YA series." - Susan

"I love both of those series! I'd recommend the audio for both of them as well - the narrators are excellent." - Kritika

I am going to go into detail on what happens in the first thirty pages. While it is nothing that isn't in the summary, if you consider that spoiler territory, jump down to my Final Verdict.

The Book: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Release Date: January 2008 
Publisher: Walker
Genres: YA, Dystopian, SciFi Fantasy

Series: Chaos Walking #1

Summary:

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.
But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

The View From Page Thirty:

The book starts off with a first line that is quite intriguing, "The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say." From that I have learned that this is some sort of alternate Earth where dogs can talk I guess, and that this is going to be a book with annoying first person misspelled like the person thinks narration. Surprisingly both the first person and the 'yers' and 'thrus' stopped annoying me almost immediately because the story starts off right away.

Our narrator is Todd, the youngest boy in a city of men on the verge of becoming a man himself (he's 13 turning 14 in our years. Years in this world at 13 months so he keeps mentioning his 13th birthday, but I stopped and did the math). Todd explains through these 31 pages (first three chapters) that this is a new world of some kind where women and men went to colonize for maybe religious freedom (?). But once they arrived they got into a war with some sort of native people they call the Spackle who release some sort of chemical weapon that killed all the women. Todd was the last baby to be born before the women died. 

That right there would be interesting enough right? But remember that talking dog? Apparently when that happened it also warped reality into making every human and animal telekinetic. So Todd can think to his dog Manchee and Manchee can think back. They call this noise because there isn't really much control over it. Holy hell, is that a scary thought. I couldn't imagine being around people who can always hear my thoughts. No secrets, no privacy. But I guess it would be cool to talk to dogs and things...

Anyway, the story kicks off in the first chapter with Todd coming across silence. Something is there and it has no noise. He high-tales it back to town where since there are no secrets his adoptive fathers immediately know what's up. The last line I read in the selection was, 

"But all Ben says is, 'Oh, my God," real quite like, and then he says it again, 'Oh, my God," and then, without even moving or looking away, he says, "We have to get you outta here. we have to get you outta here right now."

What I am Loving:

I am really liking the pace of this. It is clipping right along and getting me into the action. At the same time, it is slowly revealing the rules of this world and not just telling me how it works. It's all show. I love that. I'm interested to find out more about their enemies and why all the women died off. And obviously what this silence is and why it is chasing him...

What I am Unsure Of:

I was unsure of the narration, with the colloquial speech patterns in the writing, but that grew on me quickly. I guess I am still unsure of my narrator Todd. Will I be able to connect with the 13 year old boy who is coming of age? I had a hard time of doing that when I read The Outsiders in my twenties (I loved it when I read it at 13 though). This isn't going to deter me from reading on though. I am very interested in this story.

Final Verdict:

Yeah I am totally reading on. I am really curious to see how the story unfolds and what the rules and limitations of this world are. It sounds like a different twist on the dystopian thing, rather than just the controlling government makes us do something strange that our main character is rebelling against. I want to know more and can't wait to continue on!

Paula Reviews We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

Published in 1921

Rating: 4 stars

How I got it: Found a copy at a local book store!

Hey all!

So this summer I made a mini goal of tackling books that have been on my shelf/list for more than a year. Whether they are super long (The Historian) or not quite genre's I'm interested in anymore (White Oleander) or in this case- hard to find and kind of intimidating.

I have been intimidated by We for awhile because it is the foundation block of my favorite genre: dystopian literature. And I'm not talking about contemporary dystopian stories like The Hunger Games (which don't get me wrong - I love a lot) but he was threatened by communist Russia for writing this kind of literature. People claimed that this book predicted Stalinism. It has been claimed that this book inspired 1984 and Brave New World. I've been putting this book off for awhile. What if I didn't understand it? What if I didn't like it?

The premise:

After a Two Hundred Year War society, One State, has been rebuilt under the guidance of the Great Benefactor. Humans are no longer people they are numbers. The main character, D-503, is the main builder of the spaceship Integral to bring the order of One State to other planets. Every minute of a person's life is planned out by the Table of Hours. 

D-503 is happy and blissful with his life until he meets I-330. She doesn't play the rules. At home she doesn't wear her uniform and drinks alcohol (which has been banned). He would hate her and report her if he didn't find her so interesting. As D-503 gets to know I-330 more he begins to develop.... an imagination....

Thoughts: 

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't perfect- there were a lot of things that I wish had more details or development. Sometimes the writing was choppy and hard to follow (although- that could be the translation and not the original). There were a few times where I had to pause and go "wait what just happened?"

But besides those things- This book was a great read. It had some terrifying ideas, like imagination being treated as a sickness or any crime (even not reporting for work without a sick note) being punished with public execution... 

I found it really exciting to know the history of the book and see how this truly was a scary predictor of Stalinist Russia (the history geek in me was quite happy). I also could see how some of my favorite books were inspired by this book. 

If you are looking for a book that's a bit of a challenge but has some interesting history behind it- I would definitely recommend this one! 

ender's game with dad

A few years ago, when we first heard about Ender's Game being made into a movie, my dad started asking me about it.

Him: "It's a book?"
Me: "Yep. Bestseller."
Him: "Have you read it?"
Me: *pause* "Are you really asking me that?"
Him: "Oh. Right. Is it good?"

Now, my dad is not a reader. The most reading he has ever done is when he read Harry Potter 1-6 in about 3 months time. Normally he averages 1 or 2 a year. But Ender's Game caught his interest. I gave him the book, and he had it for several months. Then he saw another trailer. He picked the book up again and had it read within a few days. It's always a treat for me when I get to chat about books with my dad, since he so rarely reads. Talking about Ender's Game was great.

Then came the movie. He geeked out as much as I did. Both of us loved the movie. Not only was it a great movie alone, it was a well done adaptation of a well loved novel. My dad kept poking me during the movie, pointing out details and saying "hey! I remember that from the book!". (Yes, dad. I read it too.)

My goal was to turn my dad into a fanboy, at least for the day. And what can I say?

So what about you? Have you ever introduced a relative or a friend to something and had them love it as much as you? What was it? Or did they introduce you to something amazing?

Kimberly reviews For Darkness Shows the Stars

Title/Author: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Why I read it: I stumbled across it on goodreads and was intrigued by the premise

Rating: 5+ Stars (and I’ve been stingy with 5 star ratings lately!)

I graduated back in December with my undergrad. The last several months of school were extremely stressful, as were the conditions at my job. I hardly ever read anything that wasn’t school or work related. I couldn’t sit down and read because I knew I had other stuff that needed to get done.

It took me more than two weeks to break out of that mindset. Things had calmed down at work, and I had officially graduated. I had so much free time, I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself.  I was almost more stressed now, because I didn’t have all that work anymore. I kept thinking there was something I needed to do… but there wasn’t. I was finally allowed to have some time to myself. It didn’t sink it. Apparently what I needed was a couple of weeks to adjust… and an amazing book.

For Darkness Shows the Stars was that book for me. I was completely sucked into the story. I had read one or two books since graduation, and I’d come across some very weak main characters. I was frustrated by their lack of backbone or determination. It’s one of the many reasons I was so instantly in love with this book.

“It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.”

Elliot is a fantastic character. She is strong, stubborn, loving, compassionate. Forgiving, sometimes to a fault… However, she doesn’t let those who try to oppose her, or change her, sway her in the least. She knows what is right, and is not about to let anyone dissuade her of that. However, even then she doesn’t let that determination blind her to things she needs to know. Which I realize makes her sound a bit contradictory… In reality, she is an extremely well written character.

The world building is fantastic, at first I was a little confused at some of the references, but the author doesn’t let the reader stay like that for long. She creates a society that is rich with details. History, class systems, established rules.  The more I learned the more I was drawn into the story.

I could not put this book down. I finished it within a couple of days, faster than I’d finished any book in months.

I would highly recommend this book. Especially to those looking for a strong MC, lovers of retellings, and anyone who enjoys a story set in a dystopian society.

Also… The sequel is even better!

Has anyone else read this?? Anyone else experience a post graduation slump like me? Please share!

Daisy's Mini-Review of More Than This by Patrick Ness

Title/Author: More Than This by Patrick Ness
Publisher/Date published: Candlewick Press, September 10 2013
How I got this book: bought it for book club

Goodreads summary: A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this...

So it's been 3 months since I read this book and I'm still unsure how I feel about it. So here are some general thoughts on this book:

-I felt like this book had two different parts: the one in the 'now' and the one we saw through flashbacks. And I was kinda bored for a big chunk of the 'now' part, but the flashbacks were BEAUTIFUL. If the whole book could have been filled with the same level of awesome that were the flashbacks, that would have been perfect. It almost felt as if I was reading two different books just thrown together into one binding.

-There was something SO creepy about one of the characters! I really don't want to give anything away, but seriously, I wouldn't want to come across him even in broad daylight. Totally creeped me out.

-I LOVED the romance. It was beautiful and perfect and told in the flashbacks and it was just amazing.

-The end was just a whole lot of WTF??? I mean, some of the actions of one character just made no sense whatsoever and it was just WTF??

-There's a revelation about Seth's past and it was so infinitely sad and I can't imagine going through something like that.

So I'm torn. There were beautiful parts and sad parts and a whole bucketload of WTF moments, but for a big chunk of the book I was kinda bored.

Have you read this book? Any thoughts on it? Let me know!

Top Ten Worlds We'd Never Want To Live In!

To learn more about Top Ten Tuesday or see the future topics, click here!

This week's Top Ten Tuesday revolves around worlds that we would NEVER want to live in, or characters you'd never want to trade places with. With all the dystopian and post-apocalyptic stuff out there right now, it's not too hard to pick a few.

Tahleen's Picks

1. The world in Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave. I don't know about you all, but the ENTIRE time I was reading this book I felt so grateful I didn't have to be in this vision of Earth. Never have I been so grateful that hostile alien lifeforms weren't targeting our planet.

2. The world in Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It. I felt an incredible desire to stock up on canned foods after reading this book.

3. Much as I love these books, the world in Derek Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant series. Because honestly, I would be one of the pitiful mortals without magic who would probably get stuck in the middle of a vampire slaughter, wizard battle, or Faceless Ones attack. And I would have absolutely no idea what was going on.

4. The world in Ernest Cline's Ready Player One. I would hate to live in a world where the only happy places were online, everyone interacted online for the most part, and 1980s pop culture knowledge was your ticket to popularity. Also the environment is pretty much dead.

5. The world in Daniel H. Wilson's Robopocalypse. Because I would most likely die a painful, robot-induced death, and if not I would constantly be fearing for my life and would probably have lots of dead family and friends.

Jamie's Picks

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Yeah, seriously. I don't want to ever have a government like that with the Hunger Games and the districts and such. No WAY. I would never have kids because I would never want them to ever have to deal with the reapings and such.

2. Delirum by Lauren Oliver: I don't want to live in a world where love is not okay. That sentence just sounds like a bad song or something right? Let me feel my feels!

3. Legend by Marie Lu: I would not be cut out for this world at all. So much fighting and I would hate the tests to be part of the military world and I wouldn't want to live in those slums plus the virus stuff and I just would never want to be in this one.

4. Bumped by Megan McCafferty: I would never want to live in a world where teenage pregnancy was like a good thing. Where you were trying to get knocked up and go pro in bumping. Haha that thought terrifies me. (I actually really liked this book -- very good satire!)

5. Blindness by Jose Saramago: This book depressed the hell out of me. I just...wow. This world. Basically some sort of thing happens that causes everyone to catch this blindness and all the people who are blind get thrown in this hospital to live and things just are not good. I could never handle having this blindness happen so suddenly and being thrown into those awful conditions where people are trying to survive. 

What about you? What worlds in books would you never want to live in?

Lori Reads--Hopping on the Divergent Train

You guys know me.  I don't read young adult lit.  I stick to the classics, which I love.  But sometimes I just want something different.  So I switch it up with some chick lit or something.  This time I switched it up with a young adult adventure--Veronica Roth's Divergent series.

I have to credit People.com with the decision to read this series.  Last week I saw an article about the first movie, which is coming out in March.  I probably wouldn't have looked at the article if the headline hadn't been "Watch Ashley Judd, Kate Winslet & Shailene Woodley in the Divergent Trailer."  I love Ashley Judd and Kate Winslet!  As I read the article, something just kind of caught my eye and I found myself looking at Goodreads to see which of my friends had read it.  Most of them had and they rated it quite highly.  I asked one of those friends about the series to see if she really liked the book.  Then I found myself at the Barnes and Noble website buying the first book and looking at it on my phone.  At $3.99, I figured that I really didn't have much to lose.

Good choice.

I spent Friday reading the first book.  I spent Saturday reading the second book.  Zach was very surprised and noted that this was the first time he saw my switch from Nook/iPad to phone while we were out.  I read while we were in the Chick-fil-a drive-thru.  I read while we waited in line at the video game store.  I even tried reading at the stoplights (Zach was driving), but they kept turning green too quickly for me to make much progress.

I'm not going to review the book in this post.  A few of the other TBTB-ers have already done so.  Much like Bridget's post, I'm going to talk about my reaction to the books...

I loved the plot of the series.  It was mostly adventure.  There were some things that I saw would happen from a mile away, but there were a couple of surprises.  It was quick and snappy and I blew right through the books, which I like.  I hate wasted space.  Most people have compared it to The Hunger Games, which I've never read, but I can see their point based on what I know about that series.  I want to also add that parts of it remind me of the Harry Potter series--being sorted, each group having a type, massive upheaval of the system, awkward teenage romances, etc.

Speaking of awkward teenage romances, Four was totally hot.  I liked how Tris kept thinking that she was all wrong--what girl hasn't been there?!  Confession, as I read the first two books, I kept expecting some fabulous sex scene...then it dawned on me that there probably wouldn't be a sex scene because this book is written for 14-17 year olds.  So I moved on.

Speaking of 14-17 year olds, there were very few times I wanted to smack the characters for acting like 14-17 year olds.  But there were a couple of times I wanted to just yell at Tris for being annoying.  This was a big plus for me.

Again, I liked the style.  There wasn't a whole lot of time wasted in creating this elaborate backstory.  Every detail mentioned in the book was there for a reason.  I hate it when I go into editing mode while I'm reading something because the author said a whole bunch of useless things.

Yes, the first two books went by like a blur.  Then I started the third book on Sunday.  I've read close to a third of it.  But I spent most of the day reading other things.  See, it really bothered me that the first two books were narrated by Tris, but the third book has both Tris and Four narrating.  Consistency!  I like consistency!  I totally want to finish the series--I mean, what IS out there? I have to know--but I am not sure how long it will take me to finish book three.

And, yes, I suppose that now I will have to finally get around to reading The Hunger Games.

Thoughts?

Paula Video Reviews the MaddAddam Trilogy

Hey all - I couldn't quite put all my feelings into a text post... so I made a video review for one of my favorite series: The MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood. Check it out below! Since it is about an entire series- I tried to keep it vague and spoiler free- but I did have to mention one or two things in order to make my review coherent (nothing that can't be found on a back of the book blerb though) - so here is your heads up.

If you don't feel like watching a video- my elevator speech review is: I am a fiend for matching bookshelves... and I ignored my paperback copies of books one and two and raced to buy the hardcover of book three because I was so excited to read it when it came out. Great dystopian and apocalyptic series by the talented Margaret Atwood.

Oryx and Crake  5 stars
The Year of The Flood 5 Stars
MaddAddam 4 Stars

Have you read the series? I would love to hear what you think about it! Happy Reading!

Paula Reviews Sylo by D.J. MacHale

Book: Sylo by D.J. MacHale

Publisher: Razorbill (expected release July 2013)

How I got it: Got an advanced copy at the BEA

Rating 3.5/4 Stars

Hello all! So this year I traveled up to New York for my very first BEA experience. Not to drown you all with too many details except to say that it was a lot of fun. I got to meet our darling leader of The Broke and The Bookish- and let me tell you Jamie is just as sweet in person as she is on the interwebs. I also got to see and meet some of my favorite authors! I tried to keep the fangirling to a minimum- but how are you supposed to tell someone that you grew up with their writing and adventured with their characters without being a little bit gushy. 

This brings me to SYLO- I had to be picky and choosy about books I brought home from the BEA because I limited myself to making it all fit in my carry-on bag. But as soon as I saw that MacHale would be attending- I knew that a prime spot in my suitcase would be dedicated to this book. 

The premise of Sylo is such: Tucker Pierce is an average high school kid who is floating along. He is on the football team but he hates playing. He gets average grades. He doesn't have any idea about what he wants to when he grows up. And as far as he's concerned - that's all fine with him. Unfortunately his peaceful uneventful island life is quickly changed. During the big game of the season the star player drops dead on the field. As the island mourns the player- the military arrives and quarantines the island because of a mysterious virus (the suspected reason of the player's death). Something doesn't sit well with Tucker and his friends and they are thrown into the middle of discovering what the virus is, what the SYLO unit of the military is, and what exactly is going on on Pemberwick Island...

Why I gave it 3.5/4- 

The Pace: I know first books of series tend to be full of exposition... but the SYLO did get a bit slow at points. But even with that being said- I still finished it in three days. And also characteristic of a first book in a series- I did not feel as though there was any sort of resolution. The main question of the book (who is SYLO/Why was Pemberwick locked down) wasn't answered until the last few pages. And now I have to wait a whole year to know just why these things are important.  

The Characters: I can tell that all of these characters have the potential to be really awesome. I am excited to see how the next two books have them grow. Also- without being a spoiler- Tucker was warned not to trust anyone. at all. So now I'm anxiously awaiting and guessing who might be a secret bad guy or girl. I think I have an idea... but again have to wait a whole year ahhh!

Overall it was a very entertaining book. I am excited for next year to get here and read on and find out what happens to Tucker and his friends. If you need a mystery/dystopian/new series to check out, I suggest you go track down a copy of SYLO when it is released. 

ALSO OH MY GOODNESS I GOT TO MEET D.J. MACHALE AND HE WAS REALLY NICE AND WE TALKED ABOUT PENDRAGON AND AND AND Thanks D.J for filling my childhood (and now adulthood) with lots of adventure! Hobey Ho!

Jana's Recent 5-Star Reads

Since becoming a book blogger, I find myself not LOVING as many books as I used to. I'm not sure if my tastes are changing, if I'm expecting more of a book because I've read so many amazing ones (and terrible ones), or if I'm just getting pickier because I feel like my readers expect brutal honesty from me. I'm not giving out as many 5-star reviews as I used to. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure... Anyone feel like weighing in here on this?

Anyway, I thought I'd highlight a few of the books that have gotten 5 stars out of me lately!

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill 
(full review here)

This might possibly be my new favorite YA contemporary romance! I love the descriptions of London (a place I am just dying to visit), our very nerdy Julia (her nickname is Book Licker. COME ON.), and the swoony young love that blooms and burns sooooo slowly. And the witty banter and hilarious situations can't hurt. Plus, travel. This book knocked it out of the park for me. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

(full review here, in which I make a Friends reference... 

because doesn't Friends fit into everything?)

Guys. I am not a fantasy lover. Or at least I never had been. Leigh has created this super dynamic, exciting, mysterious world for us and I can't get enough of it. Plus, her writing had me salivating. It's absolutely amazing. Throw in a bad-a heroine, a sexy villain, a noble love interest, and SO MANY DETAILS, and you've got a Jana who loves the fantasy genre.

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson 
(full review here)

Yet another book that takes place on a class trip to a far off place. Can you tell I missed out on study abroad and class vacations? Yeah. My love of this book probably comes from my love of Italy. Kim took me right back. Our heroine, Jessa, is perfectly flawed and so much fun to read about. And then there are some sweet boys... and introspection... a little controversy. I just loved it. And honestly, I have not been hearing enough about it these days. Don't let this one get lost on your TBR shelf! 

 
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (full review here)

I probably don't have to explain much with this one. Marissa has me loving Little Red Riding Hood, a story I hate growing up. And I got to see my best pal Cinder again, which was a surprise. I love that Marissa writes strong heroines, and then puts the focus on them. These girls don't need saving, and that's refreshing. I love the balance of humor and seriousness, and I'll never get enough of this world. Ahhhh...

Ok, so there you have it! Do any of you feel the way I do about these titles? And please. Throw some of your 5-star reads at me, because I'd really LOVE to read them! And I'm serious about advice on whether or not you're getting more picky about books as time goes on. Are you a book blogger who finds themselves getting more cynical? Are you getting more selective in your "old" age? Help a girl out!

Julia Reviews Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Title/Author: Everboundby Brodi Ashton

Publisher/Year Published: January 2013 by Balzer and Bray
How I got this book:The library
Why I read this book: The first book was good, and I wanted to see what would happen next.
Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Everbound, the second in the Everneath series, is a book with its pros and its cons. The series delves into a modern day twist on Greek, and really all, mythology. This series is heavily inspired by the Greeks though.

First a summary (spoilers for Everneath if you haven't read that...):
Nikki was supposed to get sucked into the tunnels at the end of the last book, as her time on Earth had run out (long story), but Jack, her long time friend recently turned boyfriend, jumps into the Shades instead of her, taking her place in what is tantamount to being buried alive in Hell.

Pleasant thought that.

Anyway we start this book out with Nikki trying furtively to figure out a way into the Everneath so she can rescue Jack. Her plan? Trick Cole into giving up a part of himself so she can enter the Everneath through the Shop-and-Go. One problem. She doesn't know where Cole is.

The first part of the book is pretty slow and centers around her grief for losing Jack as well as the whole town's grief over losing their caricature of the small town hero. (more on that later). When Cole finally does show up, more passably boring things happen yadda yadda ... then they are in the Everneath, which really is the most interesting part.

I mean really. I could care less about what is going on at the Surface when there is an awesome world to discover in the Everneath, one that has a time limit because Jack can only last so long in the tunnels. It's a great setup!

This is where we run into one of my major nitpicks: the world building aka lack of a use of descriptive language. I noticed that I had a hard time picturing the Everneath. It wasn't until Nikki was describing one of the maze rings that I realized the problem. Here is the sentence that stuck me:

The sight was so unearthly, it took my breath away. 

And then no description of what she was seeing follows. The plot just moves forward. How am I supposed to get a sense of setting when you describe a scene as "unearthly"? I have only known Earth from experience, so explaining what she is seeing would be greatly appreciated.

A minor nitpick I have is character development. I think our main leads (Nikki and Cole) are pretty fleshed out and not cardboard. Jack, especially in this book, slips more into a cliche then a character to me. The secondary characters are more like devices to move the plot then anything else. Pawns for Cole and Nikki to use... but that said, I really like the plot.

The plot was what saved this for me. It is such a interesting twist on classical mythos. And just like the myths, bad things happen to our main characters and through the journey, shit happens you can't escape from.

Which brings me to Cole. Oh, Cole. In my first review, I fondly referred to him as "a big fat tool." He is probably my favorite character just because he is so well developed. In this book, he reminded me so much of how I picture Hades. We spend a lot of time with Cole through this book. I don't want to give too much away, so I am not going to talk about the ending. However, I really wanted to and thus there is the spoilers and the spoiler tag with my thoughts on my Goodreads review.

Do I recommend this book? If you liked the first one, sure. It's more of the same along those lines. Though frustratingly written at time, the plot is engaging and I read the book in a day, so it's an easier read.

A serious question for you Cole lovers. I am really interested in hearing why you think that he is better for Nikki then Jack? Is it just because he is more interesting? Because I can understand that. But I just don't see him as relationship material... in any way. At all.

I am interested to see where this series takes us next.