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!

Jamie Talks About Beginnings & Endings

With 2012 ending and 2013 soon beginning I have been thinking a lot about beginnings and endings -- in my life currently ( friendships ending, a new & exciting life beginning as a newlywed) but also I've been thinking about some of the series that will be coming to an end in 2013 and ones that  I'm REALLY excited about that will be released in 2013.

    Lauren Oliver's Delirium series:

True story: I have Requiem in my posession and I'm honestly too afraid to start it. This is the  LAST book of this trilogy and I am beyond nervous. I just can't even. 

Rae Carson's Fire & Thorns series:

I haven't yet read The Crown of Embers but plan to soon but I do know The  Bitter Kingdom comes out in 2013 which will conclude this trilogy. I'm exciting because this is a series that is really getting me into fantasy!

Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series:

The end of the trilogy is slated for 2013 (I'm assuming Fall since Unravel Me  is early 2013) but I really love Tahereh Mafi's writing and totally didn't expect to love this book as much as  I  did  because it was SO hyped up!

Elizabeth Miles' Furies Trilogy:

I feel like this series has been a bit underrated.  I mean, the Furies are crazy and make things  very interesting. I just really have enjoyed this series SO MUCH and I hear it ends in 2013.

Anna Carey's Eve Trilogy:

I flew through Eve (despite having some problems with it) and could picture  the world so clearly in my head and that ending of Eve! WOW. I still need to read Once but when I do I'm sure  I'll be excited for the conclusion.

Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series:

This series is so addictive if you like fast paced mysteries with a bit of a supernatural twist (she can hear  the echos of  people who have been murdered) and romance. Book 1 & 3 were my faves so far but they way everything was shaping up at the end of book 3  I'm SO  EXCITED/NERVOUS for the conclusion.  I hope the creep factor is there in Dead Silence like it was with The Last  Echo!

Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden trilogy:

I cannot wait to read Sever!  Lauren's writing is so mesmerizing and I can't wait to see how some of these plotlines wrap up!

Michelle Hodkin's Mara Dyer Trilogy:

What a crazy story this one is! I still have yet to read book  2 but I think I want to  wait until book 3 is closer to publication with this series.  Mara Dyer is pure WTFery mindefferey at its glory. I didn't  LOVE ( I liked it)  MD1 like others did but there was something about it that makes me HAVE to know what happens.

Pulse by Patrick Carman: I just received this in the mail and I'm really excited about it -- mostly because I dream of  the day when I can move things with my mind. Umm, hello house getting clean while I read.

Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger: I'm  planning on starting this soon but I heard about it during BEA and it sounds awesome. Plus I met the author and she was  really nice so it  makes me all the more excited!

Mind Games by Kierstan White: Looks dark and twisty and I'm excited!

Mila 2.0 by Debra Drizer: Definitely wanting to start this soon! I've been digging sci-fi lately and I'm hoping this will be everything that Eve & Adam wasn't for me. I just have so excitement  for stories where the MC was a clone or created in a lab!

The Archived by Victoria Schwab: Coolest concept I've read about in a while! Dead  people end up on shelves like books in a library? I love super imaginative books and I am SO SO SO  excited!

The Ward by Jordana Frankel: I've  been excited about this book since I featured it on my Catalog Creepin' post! It's especially chilling since, after Hurricane Sandy, we saw a Manhattan that was under water.

Reboot by Amy Tintara: I'm so intrigued by the idea of people becoming "reboots" after they die in this novel!

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans: Already read this one and I'm so excited about it! My review will be up on The Perpetual Page-Turner within the next few weeks.

Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty: All I saw is "genre-busting" and that excited me for some reason. I'm excited about books that take place in parallel type worlds so yay!

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray:  I had been  thinking I needed a  good witch book and then this little beaut showed up!

Taken by Erin Bowman: A world where boys are taken and disappear into thin air when they turn eighteen?  Sounds so intriguing!  Especially when the MC, a boy days away from his 18th birthday, finds a note from his mother that makes  him question things!

Icons by Margaret Stohl: I want to know why the heck people dropped dead, why some people survived and what the heck the Icon is!!

The Program by Susanne Young: This is the one I'm probably MOST excited about because it just sounds sooo good and I liked A Need So Beautiful by this author (still need to finish the series). Teen suicide is an epidemic in this world and anyone  showing  signs of depression get sent to "The Program" -- the only proven way to   "help" the teens.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shephard: DAMN YOU, Megan Shephard! I read The Madman's Daughter this month and I am regretting that (no, not really) because now I have to wait until book 2 and well this one ended in a way that made my jaw drop.

The Rules by Stacey Kade: Clearly you see a trend of me being excited about books where people are made in labs? But this MC is made from human and extraterrestrial DNA so um THAT sounds even  more cool and the summary of this book has a hint of a Roswell feel  to it (I LOVED ROSWELL!).

Which series are  you reading that end in 2013? What series are you excited to start in 2013??