Review: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Title: Black City

Author: Elizabeth Richards

Series: Black City #1

Publisher: Putnam's Sons BYR

Source: Library

Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-old Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

My Thoughts:

Since I already own an ARC of Phoenix and just received an ARC of the final book in the trilogy Wings I thought that it’s probably high time that a write a review for Black City. I was a little hesitant going into this book because I had heard it was about vampires and we all know that the whole vampire thing is way overdone in YA lit!

Looking back, I’m glad I've waited so long to write this review. I've read a few vampire novels since Black City and they all fell flat for me and has made me realize how unique this vampire story really is. While checking out my Goodreads account, I noticed that I gave this book 3 start just after I finished reading it. After my year of retrospection of vampire novels, this book definitely deserves 4 stars.

Black City starts off really, really strong! It’s super action-packed right off the bat which reeled me immediately! But then towards the middle it starts to drag a bit and get a little boring. And then at the end it gets really good again! I feel like I’m describing a trilogy all in one book!!

Even though it has a little insta-love, I still really loved the relationship between the two main characters. As far as world building, I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the vampires and/or darklings and how they’re depicted as a separate species. It’s all very interesting and something I want to read more about. Black City is one of the better vampire novels out there in YA literature!

Review: The Way We Fall

Title: The Way We Fall
Author: Megan Crewe
Series: Fallen World #1
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Purchased E-book

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.


And then you're dead.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.
Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl's bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living.

My thoughts:

I bought The Way We Fall as an ebook at least over a year ago and it turned out to be one of those forgotten book that took me forever to finally read. I was nervous going into because I thought that it might me about zombies and I just don’t do zombie books very often. But I’m definitely glad that I gave it a chance.

The Way We Fall is definitely a different kind of book. It’s written in the form of journal entries/letters written to someone whom she used to be good friends with. Kaylen lives on a small island near Canada where her father is a medical research scientist. It all starts with one or two sick people who end up dying less than two weeks after their first symptoms. The disease spreads very quickly and the whole island becomes quarantined because people are just dying all over the place.

I really liked The Way We Fall! It was very interesting and I really wanted to know what was going to happen and how it was going to end. Most dystopia novels that I read are all about the aftermath of some catastrophic even some ten to one hundred years later. But in The Way We Fall we see the world as it is now and watch as it turns to ruins because this disease is destroying the population. It’s quite fascinating and I’m very interested to see what happens to the island and the rest of the world in the later books.

Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Perfect Ruin
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Find it here: Goodreads, Amazon

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

My thoughts: 

Perfect Ruin is a beautifully crafted novel that caught my undivided attention early on. Lauren DeStefano has once again wrapped me up in her world-building, leaving me on the edge of my seat and definitely wanting more. The first book in her sophomore series is imaginative, inventive and creative, quickly making her one of my favorite authors.

Perfect Ruin is about a city called Internment and it is literally in the sky. It is surrounded by high intensity winds making it impossible for people to jump off. The main character, Morgan, describes the city as small enough for their train system to circle the city in about two hours. The citizens of Internment are made to believe that the Sky God has chosen them to live in a somewhat perfect society. There is hardly any crime and everything is regulated by the government. It’s all really fascinating. And then a murder disrupts everything!

I really loved the characters. Often time the characters’ attitudes and personalities are what really make or break a book for me. Morgan, the protagonist, is a very likable character. She doesn't make snide remarks, she’s not sarcastic and she’s really trying to see the reality of the world she lives in. She’s clearly struggling with thoughts of what’s on the ground and what it would be like to jump off Internment. She’s able to strike a balance with her curious side and her rational side which is what makes her such a great character.

Even though DeStefano writes with beautiful imagery, Perfect Ruin has very dark undertones that stay consistent throughout the novel. If you were a fan of her Chemical Garden trilogy then I recommend you pick up her new series. I will definitely be looking for the rest of The Internment Chronicles!

Review: Renegade

Title: Renegade

Author: J.A. Souders

Series: The Elysium Chronicles #1

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: ARC from Publisher

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.

Her mind and body aren't under her own control.

And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.
Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

My Thoughts:

Renegade is definitely one roller-coaster ride after another. The setting is fantastic, the plot and storyline are utterly captivating and the twists and turns around every corner had me flipping through this book so fast just to find out how it ends. It’s such a dark book with so many secrets and lies. It’s a completely engrossing adventure with a love story to boot!

The characters fell a little flat for me. I just didn't care about Evelyn and Gavin the same way I normally care about characters. I was interested in their story lines and I definitely wanted to know where they had come from and what had happened to them in the past but I didn't really care for their well-being. So I’m thinking that since Evie was chosen to be the Daughter of the People because of her genetic perfection that she must be the most beautiful person in Elysium. Of course Gavin would fall in love with her at first sight. After years of perfecting Elysium’s genetics, she’s probably the most beautiful girl that he’s ever seen! Probably one of the most damaged but definitely beautiful. They kind of have this insta-love scenario that I really don’t like because they don’t even know each other. 

Mother was definitely my favorite character! She is so cold and conniving and manipulative and she brain washes all these people to believe that the “surface” is plagued with fatal toxins and that they will die if they go up there. And how old is she really? We don’t know! Mother is so mysterious! I loved the whole back story of how Elysium was created. 

OMG that twist at the end was just crazy! The Elysium series is one that I will be reading until the bitter end and I will wait at the edge of my seat for the rest of the books to be released! Renegade is the type of dystopian books that I love!

Review: Fever

Title: Fever
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Chemical Garden Trilogy #2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Find it here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Library

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

My thoughts:

When I first read Wither I thought it was really great! But between reading Wither and Fever I read so many other great books and I thought that if I read Wither again, that I wouldn't think it would be as great.  So I wasn't read to jump on Fever as soon as it came out.  I eventually got it from the library and I definitely liked it more than I thought I would. 

I really enjoyed the progression of Rhine and Gabriel's story.  I felt it was well-paced and the series of events seemed fairly likely as opposed to other stories that are completely unrealistic.  The story moved quickly enough to where I didn't feel bored nor did I think that Rhine stayed in one place for too long.  I also enjoyed the ending and thought the little twist was just perfect.  It definitely left me hanging and wanting to find out what happens in Sever, the final book in the Chemical Garden trilogy. 

The Chemical Garden trilogy is a series that I have come to appreciate more now that I've read Fever! I guess I needed to be reminded that I really enjoy these books.  I don't like the cover to Fever as much as Wither and I feel like it too much of a literal interpretation of the story.  I personally like more abstract covers. I have to give Fever 4 hearts for reminding how great this series is and now I'm genuinely excited for the release of Sever! 

Review: Enclave

Title: Enclave
Author: Anne Aguirre
Series: Razorland #1
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Find it Here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Purchased

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

My thoughts:

I wasn't sure what Enclave was about when in first came out. Well, obviously since I didn't even read it until I received the audio book of Outpost. I thought, well great, another dystopian that will probably disappoint me. It is definitely a book that took me by surprise and made me wish that I had read it sooner!

The world building in Enclave is fantastic! I imagine that the enclave is somewhat like a world that children would create. If a bunch of children were left to learn how to survive and fend for themselves, I imagine that the College enclave is what has evolved from that beginning. I was so fascinated by the various roles that the citizens played; especially the word keeper or the one who keeps all the artifacts from the old world. Breeders, hunters, builders and elders are what create this society where its citizens don’t live past the age of twenty-five. I wanted to know more about this world and how they ended up living in the New York City subway tunnels!

I loved the characters! They’re so strong and fierce! The ones that the readers meet, the ones who have names, are the strongest of their generations and aren't even allowed to have a name until they make it to a certain age. Everything they do is about survival and nothing more. Duce is a no-nonsense type of girl and wants more than anything to be a huntress. She knows her way around a pair of knives like it’s no one’s business! I love Fade too! He’s this stonewall of a guy who doesn't let anyone in until he knows he can trust them with his life because that’s the type of world that they live in!

Some of my favorite parts were after they made it to the surface! Duce had never known or even seen any kind of modern convenience so it was quite entertaining when she discovered a sink or a faucet or a toilet or a couch. And then to see all the different types of people that they ran into and to see how they managed to survive in various ways! It’s really quite fascinating! I really don’t have any complaints about this book and it brought up so many little sub plot that can be expanded to further the series. I give Enclave 5 hearts because I have so many questions about the zombie-like “freaks” that fight and I can’t wait to know the rest of the story!

Audio Book Review: Because it is My Blood

Title: Because it is My Blood
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Series: Birthright #2
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Find it Here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from ALA/Audio book for review from publisher

“Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”- Michael Corleone, The Godfather

Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship.

But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before.

My thoughts:

I really loved All These Things I've Done! So when I picked up the ARC of Because it is My Blood at ALA I was really excited to read it! But because I am a blogger and I always have a stack of books screaming at me to read them, the ARC got pushed aside all summer. Then I received the audio book in the mail and I saw the perfect opportunity to continue the story!

When I finally got into Because it is My Blood (not a fan of that title) I felt like the story was night and day from All These Things I've Done! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I read the first and listened to the second. The story just seemed to trudge along and not really have any direction! There were so many times I thought, “Where is this story going? What does the main character wish to accomplish?” There were a least three or four times where I thought the story could end between discs seven and nine but it continued on, in my opinion, aimlessly. I also felt that Anya getting in trouble and going back to Liberty Island was just another repeat of what happened before! I was really hoping that Zevin would have moved on and been able to further the story of Anya’s life.

As for Anya herself I thought she was complacent and somewhat removed from her family and the plot line. Instead of Anya being pro-active and moving the plot forward, the plot was moving her. It was annoying because I wanted to do something about it! Where as in All These Things I've Done, she is very involved in the affairs of her family and is very much the protector but in Because is it My Blood she seemed knocked down and for most of the book she allowed herself to be. Don’t even get my started on the way she acted with Win! She was like a deflated balloon the whole book! The only glimpse of the Anya I recognized was when she used her badass machete and cut off that guy’s hand!

I really believe that some of these complaints stem from the fact that I listened to the audio book. The narrator’s voice grated my nerves and didn't really embody the character of Anya that I had grown to love in All These Things I've Done. I am tentatively giving Because it is My Blood 3 hearts because I still want to know what happens in the next book. And I really hope there is only one more book in this series.

Review: Once

Title: Once
Author: Anna Carey
Series: Eve Trilogy #2
Publisher: Harper Collins
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC from publisher

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.

My thoughts:

Once is the second book in Anna Carey’s Eve trilogy about a dystopian United States that is trying to rebuild the New America after the plague killed off millions of people. In an attempt to repopulate, most girls are sent off to be used a breeders without their choice or consent. Once picks up only a few months after Eve and it is very fast paced right from the beginning!

Eve, the main character learns so much more of the world in Once. There is a big revelation about a quarter of the way in and she has to figure out how to from this new mess that she finds herself in. Even though I really enjoyed the fast paced nature of the novel, it was one dilemma after another, one adventure after another. There was no time in between to process what had just happened. If you wanted to do that you would have to put the book down. So it also seemed like Eve didn’t have any time to process what was happening.

There wasn’t as much Caleb in Once as there was in Eve. He was very elusive, popping up here and there, trying to stay one step ahead of the King. But of course, what’s always most important to him is the safety of Eve and trying to get her out of the King’s clutches. He’s so cute, always worrying about her!

Surprisingly, I really liked Charles who is one of the new characters and there becomes something of a love triangle. I honestly think he has a lot of good intentions and wants to do good for the City of Sand and the New America! He brings up a lot of tough decisions that Eve is going to have to make later! There are also a lot of sad parts that made me wish that Eve could just save everyone! Arden is one of my favorite characters and I hope we see her more in the third novel!

I’m really interested to see how all of this wraps up in Rise, the third novel. It’s nice to know ahead of time that the series is going to end and that it’s not going to be a never ending series (those are the worst sometimes). Overall I really enjoyed Once! I give Once 4 hearts because I thought it was an improvement from Eve and I was always guessing at to what was around the next corner!

Review: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

My thoughts: 

**CAUTION!! SPOILER ALERT! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**

Divergent was one of my favorite reads of last year! I gave it to my mom to read and she loved it as well! I’ve come across very few people who didn’t like this book. Of course, like the crazy fan that I am, I pre-ordered Insurgent as soon as it had a cover! I could not wait to get it! Since I’m a nice person I let my mom read it first because was itching to read it just as much as I was. Before I even got a chance to read it, my mom told me that it reminded her of that movie The Village. WHAT??!!?? Thanks for the spoiler, mom!

That spoiler wasn’t too bad though. I still got to experience to story and all that led up to the discovery of the video and the ending, but I always had that in the back of my mind. Insurgent was just so full of action I thought I would have a little bit of trouble keeping up with everything that was going on. But Roth is such a great storyteller that I was sucked in immediately!

Insurgent really shows a lot of what goes on between Tris and Four and we get to see the growth of their relationship. They kept things from each other way too many times and I found myself frustrated by them. If they want to be able to work together throughout the rest of the story, than they really need to communicate better. The foundations of their relationship were really tested but they turned out okay at the end.

My one complaint is that I thought the story was somewhat choppy. After reading Divergent I was under the impression that the factions were separated by at least twenty miles or so. So when they go from one scene to the next in different factions, I found myself confused. How did they get there? Did they walk or drive? But then at the end when they’re driving to Dauntless, it takes a few hours. I found those parts a little inconsistent.

I wasn’t overly shocked by the ending because of the spoiler my mom told me, but I still got shivers while I was reading it! I’m really interested to see how the story plays out and what is going to happen to the factions at the end! I give Insurgent 4 hearts because it was a really great follow up to Divergent!

Review- The Immortal Rules

Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My thoughts: 

This is a very difficult review for me to write. So many people are big fans of Julie Kagawa, her Iron Fey series and of The Immortal Rules. I’ve read the first two books in the Iron Fey series and even though I thought they were pretty good and enjoyable, I felt like they were unnecessarily long. And I have the same feelings toward The Immortal Rules. I enjoyed it enough, but I felt it was unnecessarily long.

When I heard Julie Kagawa was writing a vampire series, I inwardly groaned because I have grown somewhat weary of vampire books. There are only so many ways you can write a vampire story and after a while they all start sounding the same. But somehow Kagawa was able to make it different. I really enjoyed the dystopian aspect of the book and the world building. Allison is human in the beginning and she talks of humans being taken over, books being outlawed and not a lot of use for the modern technology that we have now. What really made her vampire story different was the hierarchy of the vampire race and the mass population of rabid vampires. When a master vampire creates anther vampire, the bloodline become diluted. So when that new vampire tries to create a new vampire it becomes even more diluted and it doesn’t take as easily. Thus ending up with rabids who have no inclination of common sense or self control.

But there the story becomes the same is the vampire who is struggling to hold on to her humanity. This is a very common story line in vampire books which is understandable because the vampire was once human and they don’t want to be some kind of killing machine. They don’t want to become what they once hated.

Allison is an enjoyable main character. She’s a strong, kick ass, Asian girl who wields a samurai sword! That’s pretty awesome! She has a fierce survival instinct but can also be compassionate. She took a weaker kid under her wing; she protected him from the bullies and fed him when she was struggling to feed herself. I really felt for her most of the time. She’s had it rough. As for the romance, I think it's doomed from the start! She meets Zeke on the road to Eden where vampires are not allowed in, but they still managed to fall for each other. I don't see how this romance could possible continue in the future! But it definitley has me looking forward to see how it's going to play out!

Even though I enjoyed The Immortal Rules, I have a feeling it was all build up to the next one. It makes me really excited to thinks that the second book is going to be completely awesome! I give this book 3.5 hearts for an action-packed adventure and incredible world building!

Review- Bumped

Title: Bumped
Author: Megan McCafferty
Series: Bumped #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased eBook

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

My thoughts:

I am a huge, huge fan of Megan McCafferty! She is literally one of my favorite authors. I absolutely adore the Jessica Darling series, so when I discovered that she had written a young adult book I knew I had to read it!

Bumped is definitely one of the most unusual books I have ever read. But I immediately grasped on to the concept of the oversexed, baby crazy community and right then I knew that it is a satire. And I love satire! Ever since college when I had to read Jonathan Swift and other writers who wrote satires and completely embarrassed their family members, I knew I loved satire. I most relate it to dry or sarcastic humor that sometimes doesn’t translate well to the page. But once I was able to put myself in that mindset, I found it absolutely hilarious!

I love how absolutely over the top Bumped is. In this futuristic world where men and women are both affected by a virus that causes them to be infertile by their twenties, society is completely obsessed with teenagers having sex and making babies. Everything they do, say, wear and aspire to revolves around it.

Melody, one of the main characters, is a reproductive professional and her parents have worked long and hard to secure her a very high paying contract with a rich couple she is supposed to have a baby for. But of course everything goes wrong when her identical twin sister shows up and tries to get her “see the light” and the error of her ways.

The only thing I didn’t really like about this book was that Melody and Harmony were both sort of annoying and bratty. They were both very selfish and had a hard time seeing outside the scope of their world view. Melody definitely grew more as a character than Harmony. By the end, Melody was beginning to question whether or not she was making the right decisions by being a reproductive professional.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book! I give Bumped 4 hearts because I know it must have taken some serious wit to write it!

Review- Masque of the Red Death

Title: Masque of the Red Death
Author: Bethany Griffin
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC compliments of HarperTeen

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

My thoughts:

When I first read the title of this book I added to my wish list on Goodreads even though it didn’t have a cover or a synopsis. I’ve been a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe ever since high school and the Masque of the Red Death is one of my favorite short stories. Then the cover and the synopsis were revealed and I about died! I knew I had to get my hands on an ARC of this book no matter what I had to do to get it!

And let me tell you, I was in no way disappointed! Never have a read a book where the writing and the story was just as dark and beautiful as the cover. They fit each other perfectly.

I loved the dark world of death that Griffin created. The way she depicted the dying in the streets and the carts picking up the dead, is exactly how I pictured the Bubonic Plague that ravaged Europe in the 14th century. More modern of course but definitely the same concept. In this world, people are either so rich that they are able to lock themselves away and hope that the virus never reaches them, those that have turned to religion and those, like Araby who go to the clubs and take drugs to numb themselves of the pain.

This first book (after the ending it has to be a series) is a great setup for what is going to happen next. The world building was amazing, we got to know the characters and now the momentum is really going for book 2. And let me tell you I cannot wait!!!

As much as I absolutely loved the book, I thought the ending was somewhat anti-climactic. I guessing all the action is going to happen in the next book which is understandable. There was also a huge surprise that I wasn’t expecting so that really helped too! I’m giving this book 5 hearts and putting in on my list of favorite reads of 2012!

Review- The Pledge

Title: The Pledge
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Pledge #1
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

My thoughts: 

Kimberly Derting is one of my favorite mystery authors! So when I got wind that she was writing a dystopia novel, I was beyond excited! The synopsis sounded amazing and I could not wait to get my hands on it and dig in! Of course I pre-ordered it; what kind of Kimberly Derting fan would I be if I didn’t!

Even though the book was really good, I felt the story was a bit lacking. I can tell you something was missing until the cows come home but I can’t really tell you what that something is. It’s a really weird feeling to not be able to identify a missing element. But since I can’t really tell you what is missing, I’m not going to spend any more time on it. I want to tell you what I liked about this book.

I like the languages and the way they separated people in their classes. To me, it had a very “landed gentry” feeling to it (I know, I’m a history geek). Within the town that Charlie lived in, there were the rich and then there were the not so rich who I like to call part-time serfs. But I liked, it worked. Now I wasn’t sure if these specific languages were something they learned to speak as children or if they were born with the ability to speak only certain languages. It is said in the book that, over time, people had lost the ability to lean new languages which is why language classified people. I loved that element of the book.

I liked the relationship dynamic between Charlie and her two best friends. Especially her relationship with Brooklyn. For most of the book, Brooklyn is this care-free, wild spirit, partier type of girl and Charlie is always trying to make sure that she doesn’t take it too far and do something that could get her killed. But then Brooklyn totally blew me out of the water!! She is one of the most dynamic characters of the book!

And of course I loved Max! He’s Charlie’s protector, secret keeper and encourager of her destiny. And he’s tall, dark and handsome! A winning combination! Even though I liked the Body Finder more than The Pledge, it still had me on the edge of my seat so I give it four stars!

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Hitting the Shelves: June 12, 2012

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced 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 Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.

But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…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 has lost him forever.

Why I want it: The cover is one of the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen.  It's so whimsical and romantic. The story sounds amazing! It needs to be June like tomorrow cause I want this book so bad!

What are you waiting for? 

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

Title: Masque of the Red Death
Author: Bethany Griffin
Hitting the Shelves: April 24, 2012

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Why I want this: 1. The cover is just GORGEOUS! 2. "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe is one of my favorite short stories ever because Poe is a genius! 3. I love dystopian and this one sounds fabulous! 

Review- Shatter Me

Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC compliments of HarperTeen

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My thoughts:

When I first started reading Shatter Me, I had a very difficult time getting accustomed to the author's writing style.  It's a little bit choppy and weird and I had to concentrate more than I usually would.  But once I got into it, it started to flow a lot better and more quickly.  

As it turns out, I feel that the odd writing style fits the book and the main character's personality perfectly.  Juliette was in solitary confinement for almost a year and, to the best of my abilities, I could imagine that it would be a shock to someone's system for another person to be suddenly thrust into her life.  I felt that her emotions and state of mind were conveyed very well through the writing style.  

One of Shatter Me's main theme is Juliette's internal struggle between what the world thinks she is and who she believes herself to be.  Her society believes her to be a monster who kills people with just the touch of her hand, which is true, but her intentions are always honest and pure.  Juliette's internal struggle is also seen through the author's writing style.  Phrases are scratched out and replaced with more controlled phrases; ones that won't get her into trouble.  "It's a home, a center for troubled youth, for neglected children from broken families, a safe house for the psychological disturbed.  It's a prison."  It's also a way to show how she struggles with her feelings for Adam.  "He sits down next to me and leans against the wall.  His shoulders are so close too close never close enough."

I am so intrigued by the world that Tahereh Mafi has created.  A world that is dying because of what humans have done to it.  In the beginning she weaves such a web of mystery and deceit, that I was questioning Adam's loyalty to Juliette and wondering what his true intentions were.  I was constantly guessing and curious to know what was around the next corner.  

Shatter Me is one of those books makes me want to read as many dystopian books as I can.  It was so good and I can't wait to discover what's in store for Juliette and Adam.  

Review- Matched

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Series: Matched #1
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: R.A.K.

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe.  So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate...until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunctions, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander.  But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.  

My thoughts:

Matched is an excellent read.  It's a dystopian novel where the Society controls the citizens down to the closes that they wear and the food that they eat.  They are not allowed to farm, grocery shop or cook their own food.  Every one of their actions is analyzed to the extreme: are their showers too long, are they running too much on the treadmill, do they read too much or if they're spending enough time outside or not.  According to the society, everything has to be done in moderation in order for one to live a happy life.

As much as I loved this book, I could not live in this type of society.  There are cameras in everyone's house so that the Society can watch them.  They're not allowed to have any kind of item that make them unique or stand out.  It's a crazy world! I love Cassia and Ky and even though Xander is her best friend and it broke my heart for her to fall in love with someone else, I was rooting for Ky the entire time.  I just didn't think it was fair for Ky to be punished for the actions of his father.  His punishment was that he could never have a distinguished job or ever be matched.  I always like to root for the underdog.

One of my favorite characters in the book was Cassia's grandfather.  He was her encouragement throughout the whole book and was the one who really got her to start questioning her life and her environment.  He did not want to her go gentle into the night.

Matched really made me appreciate how much control I have over my own life and that I'm able to do the things I love to do.  I'm glad that I have the freedom to read what I want to read, wear what I want, go outside when I want and eat as much junk food and chocolate when I want.  I loved this book and I can't wait to read Crossed and lean more about the Society and just how much they control.

Review- All These Things I've Done and Giveaway!

Title: All These Things I've Done
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Series: Birthright #1
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC compliments of MacMillian

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty.  And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine.  It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend.  That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame.  Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and the importantly, within her mafia family.

My thoughts:

I just can't seem to get enough dystopian! In All These Things I've Done, most everything that we find common and everyday things that we use, are either illegal, highly rationed or just don't exist anymore.  I thought about how my normal day would compare in Anya's world:

1. I wake up and immediately pour myself a cup of coffee.  In 2083 coffee is illegal so I wouldn't have coffee at my house.

2. I take a nice long, hot shower where I take my time washing my hair and shaving my legs.  In 2083 water is highly rationed so when the timer goes off after 2 minutes, my shower would be over.

3. I peer into my closet and wonder, out of all my clothes that I have bought myself, what do I want to wear today.  In 2083, new clothes aren't made at all and I would have to wear something that my mom or other family member has passed down to me.  That also means no more hitting the mall and picking up a new pair of skinny jeans.

4. Jot down a list on a piece of paper before hitting the grocery store? Nope.  Paper is very hard to find and there's not much to find at the grocery store either.

All These Things I've Done really made me think about how life would be without these types of everyday objects.  And chocolate? OMG! Chocolate is like my go-to when I'm having a bad day! 2083 reminded me a lot of the 1920's and the prohibition.  Expect it's chocolate and coffee that illegal not alcohol!  And in the book they called the places where the teenagers went to get coffee or chocolate speakeasies just like in the 1920's.

I really enjoyed the whole mobster aspect to the book and I felt like they should all have been wearing fedoras and wielding Tommy guns.  I liked the whole atmosphere of the book and the angle of the star-crossed lovers.  Anya being the most famous mobster's daughter and her boyfriend Win is the new DA's son.  It seemed like Win's father's disapproval just made then want to be together even more.

I'm really interested to see where this story goes in the next book because really the main plot has to do with the family business and now that Anya and her brother are getting old enough to know what goes on (illegally trafficking chocolate), who should be the one to take over as head of the family.

Giveaway! 

Just recently I received All These Things I've Done in audio book format! Just fill out the form below as directed and you will be entered to win!

Rules:

• Must be 13 or older
• US only
• 1 entry per person
• Ends Thursday September 15 at midnight

Review- Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Source: Purchased

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).  On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives.  For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both.  So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen.  But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death.  And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves...or it might destroy her.  

My thoughts:

I bought this book because everyone was raving about it, pretty much saying that it is one of the best books they've every read.  I brought it home and it literally sat on my shelf for at least a month.  I was so hesitant to pick it up because I didn't really know what it was about, the raving reviews gave it a lot of expectations, it's almost 500 pages long and I didn't really like the cover.  Now I wish I had started reading it the day I bought it because I already want to read it again!

Divergent absolutely blew my mind! I was sucked in by chapter two because it's so believable and realistic that I was thinking that the world could possibly end up like this.  Dystopian novels really get me thinking about what could happen if we're not careful or if the government becomes too powerful.

I loved Tris's confidence and determination to prove herself in Dauntless especially coming from Abnegation, the selfless.  Although she had her moments of weakness where she would cry and miss her family, she continued to be true to herself through all her struggles.  I also loved that Four was there to push her every step of the way.  They seem so perfect for each other because Tris needs someone that is going to do what it takes to bring the best out of her and Four isn't going to hold her hand through the difficult obstacles.  

I thinks the factions are so intricate and unique and so very different from one anther to their dress, haircuts and distinct attitudes toward the world.  I was so wrapped up in the story that the nearly five hundred pages flew by! Divergent is absolutely brilliant and one of the best books I've read this year!

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also because the covers are always amazing!

This week, I've chosen to spotlight Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien. Prized is the second in the Birthmarked series, the sequel to Birthmarked. It's a dystopian series where the citizens are forced to give the government a certain amount of babies a month. It will be released November 08, 2011.

Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?

What are you waiting for?