Review - The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

When Alex finds out he is Unwanted, he expects to die. That is the way of the people of Quill. Each year, all the thirteen-year-olds are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds get more schooling and train to join the Quillitary. Necessaries keep the farms running. Unwanteds are set for elimination.

It’s hard for Alex to leave behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted, but he makes peace with his fate—until he discovers that instead of a “death farm,” what awaits him is a magical place called Artimé. There, Alex and his fellow Unwanteds are encouraged to cultivate their creative abilities and use them magically. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.

But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be divided between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artim that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate magical battle.

I read The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann back in February. Like I said in a previous review, I haven't really been up for typing up reviews, but I'm on a roll today so I figured I'd get this one in as well.

Now, I am a Girl Scout leader for a troop of Juniors and we did a Reading badge that month. One of the requirements for the badge was to bring in one of your favorite books and explain what you enjoyed about it. One of my scouts brought this in. It sounded like a fun read so she offered it to me for a week and away we went.

This particular story is kind of like a cross between the Hunger Games and Harry Potter and Divergent and The Giver... loosely, but that's all I can think of to compare it to. I loved reading it. It's one of those stories that sounds like it has every amazing thing you could have ever thought up as a child thrown in to it.

It doesn't start off well, but by that I mean there's a group of 13 year olds that have been deemed Unwanted by their society and they're being shipped off to what they believe is a death farm for elimination. To be labeled Unwanted, all you have to be is creative. The society that Alex lives in doesn't want people who sing or draw or dance. They want people who are easily manipulated... who can be turned in to soldiers for their "Quillitary". Anyone not completely void of emotion and ambition is simply seen as insufficient and is sent away.

I loved that each "unwanted" child finds strength in the things that they love doing the most. That their talent lies chiefly in the very thing that made them unacceptable to "society". It shows kids that just because they're different doesn't mean they're less. That they can be celebrated for doing the things that they're wonderful at doing. It shows that even if it doesn't feel like it, there are people who will appreciate them for things that other people might not, and that they should have the confidence to be who they are.

The Unwanteds was a fantastic read. And since it was a Middle Grade novel it was an easy one that I'd recommend for absolutely anyone. Children and adults alike.

Review - Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling DIVERGENT series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—THE TRANSFER, THE INITIATE, THE SON, and THE TRAITOR—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the DIVERGENT trilogy.

My 13 year old daughter bought me Four by Veronica Roth from her school book fair for Christmas. It was a super thoughtful gift because she knows how much I loved the original set of novels. I know that I'm a bit behind the times, since this debuted in 2014, but hey, better late than never right?

I'll keep this short and sweet. I loved the story. It was from Four's/Tobias's perspective and it was pretty awesome to be able to read everything from his point of view. We get his back story and a look in to the feelings he has and the things he's experiencing even before Divergent takes place. It was fun to see Tris through Four's eyes. To see their journey together. To see the kind of battle going on in his head when it came to his feelings for her.

We got a better look at Marcus and what a waste of breathable air he is. And kind of an extra sneak peak in to things between Four and his mother.

I really wish that we could see the entire series through Four's point of view. This novel brought back the excitement and the thrill of reading the first 3 books and I kind of wish it didn't have to go away. It made me rewatch the movies and since I hadn't JUST read the books when I watched them the second go around, I was able to enjoy them more.

So, if you liked Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant, you should definitely read this one too!

Review - The Death Cure by James Dashner

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.

Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

I'm sure The Death Cure by James Dashner picks up right where The Scorch Trials leaves off, but I read these books all so fast and in succession that they kind of run together for me.

Again... I found myself trying to predict what was going to happen but falling utterly short. MAYBE Rat Man just told them some of these things to see what their reaction would be. NOT because they were actually true. Right?

Ha. Ha. Ha.

That was the author laughing at me. Again.

Thomas and company have escaped from WICKED's facilities only to find themselves in worse shape than when they left. They're in a city where everyone has the Flare. And if you don't, if you're immune like Thomas and his friends are, there are bounty hunters out looking for you. Not to mention WICKED is still on their tails trying to complete their "blueprint" so they can finally find a cure for The Flare.

I've browsed through reviews on Goodreads and it seems that there is no middle ground when it comes to this book. Either you REALLY liked it or you hated it completely. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

This one was definitely sad. We lose Newt to the Flare and Teresa because she saved Thomas. I have to be honest, after Teresa betrayed Thomas I harbored no love for her, but she redeemed herself there in the end. But what a horrible way to go. Newt, was the one I was hoping was not REALLY going to die, but was just told he had The Flare to see how he reacted to it. Like I said, I fail miserably at trying to predict ANYTHING in this book.

Gally makes another appearance here. Surprise surprise. I'm not really sure what purpose he played other than to guide Thomas, Minho etc, to the resistance who were trying to take over WICKED.

Ah, a resistance. I was hoping for righteous anger. For people who were going to take over WICKED and use the knowledge that WICKED had gained (however horribly) to FINALLY develop some kind of vaccine or treatment for this killer disease. But NO. Dangit. It was revenge they were after really, and rightly so. But disappointing still.

I liked this book. I wasn't AS in to it as the other three, although it was still a good read. I was hoping for everything to kind of tie together there at the end, but, true to form (at least for this particular series), nothing is as it seems. Ever. Just because you get an answer doesn't mean it's the right one or the one that you were supposed to have. Just because it ends for you doesn't mean it's ending for anyone else. Just because it LOOKS like someone is going to help you, doesn't mean they really are.

Crap.

If you've read through book two, you have to finish the series out. I mean, seriously. How can you just leave it at two? You've come this far. Go on.... read book three.

Review - The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner picks up right where The Maze Runner left off.

The boys and Teresa have been rescued and taken to a place where, hopefully, they'll be able to prepare to live regular lives and try and find the loved ones they left behind and forgot. Thomas and Teresa can discover just exactly what part they played in all of this and everyone can go about their business.

But that's not what happens.

Their rescue was just another "variable" in WICKEDs quest to completely torture these poor guys (and Teresa). Shoot, life in the Glade was a piece of cake compared to what they're up against now. Bodies hanging from the ceiling, silver globs of gel that eat your face and decapitate you, the worst thunderstorms ever imaginable, air so hot and dry you can barely breathe.... and to put the icing on the cake, Cranks. People who once were normal, just like you and me, who have been taken over by The Flare and have forgotten themselves in their insanity and will now do whatever it takes to take from YOU whatever they want.

Body parts included.

Teresa is gone and the boys have found out that they aren't the ONLY group of people who were implanted in to a Maze. Only, the other group is all girls, save on boy. Who seems to have taken Teresa's place. And it seems their purpose is to kill Thomas.

You don't know who you can trust in this book. You don't know if they're saying the thing they say or doing the things they do because they want to, or because they're being forced to. Someone is lying, but you don't know if it's to you or to the others. There's no way to tell for sure. It's incredibly confusing and frustrating.

There are a few new characters introduced. Jorge and Brenda. Jorge got under my skin right at the beginning, but I believe that was his purpose. And Brenda seemed to be able to hold her own and seemed genuinely friendly and helpful for Thomas.

Some of the scenes in this book could have been straight out of a horror movie. The kind that haunts little kids in the middle of the night, ya know? It didn't take much to imagine things playing out in my head as I read them in the book.  Seriously disturbing the kind of imagery a story like this inspires.

Every time I thought I had this book figured out, it basically laughed in my face and told me I was wrong. After a while, I stopped trying. I stopped trying to predict what was going to happen at the end or guess what a character was really thinking because it always ended up being the complete opposite. Go figure.

If you read the first book, you have to read this one. I think I take back what I said about it being ok for younger readers... some of the things in this book are DEFINITELY not for younger readers. I mean, they were hard for ME to read. But if you got through book one, definitely grab book two. But be prepared to have more questions than answers at the end of it all!

Review - The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade-a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up-the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

I went out and bought The Maze Runner by James Dashner on a recommendation from a couple of different friends. One, who urged me to read it a LONG time ago. And one just recently. I'd been looking for another series to jump in to so I thought why not.

I was definitely not disappointed with The Maze Runner.

Thomas is just kind of dumped (or lifted, as it were) in to this brand new life style where he remembers absolutely nothing but his name. No friends, but apparently already an enemy, though he can't figure out why.

He doesn't know what's going on or what he's supposed to do and no one is too keen to tell him.

He's forced to accept this new existence in a place completely alien to him while he deals with trying to fit in, trying NOT to get killed every time he sets foot in The Maze, and trying to figure out what he's forgetting... and who the girl is who came up after him. Something is knocking at the back door to his memories but he can't quite unlock it and open it to see what he's missing.

This is an interesting book. The language really stuck out to me from the get go. Cussing without cussing (ha!) so it's safe for young-ish readers as well. Words like klunk and shank are part of their normal vocabulary and klunk is really the only one explained so it's pretty much left up to your imagination what you think the others might be.

I was frustrated for Thomas. Brought up in to this new place with absolutely zero idea who he is and what's going on. And no one wants to clue him in. I mean, can you imagine how upsetting that would be? To be desperate for answers but not given any? Especially when Teresa comes up after him and all of the sudden he's in the spotlight because things are different now. So obviously he MUST know what's going on.

He showed his stuff pretty early on. Being terrified and yet still having the juevos to do some of the things that he'd done, despite the rules.

I liked Newt and Minho from the beginning. They were likeable and seemed pretty easy to get along with. It didn't matter that there were a few hiccups in their party, they did what needed to be done when it needed to be done and generally didn't let emotion or judgement rule their actions.

The grievers were disgusting. Mostly because I couldn't quite solidify a picture of them in my head, so the ones I came up with were just... globs of gross. The noises they made and the things that they did to those poor boys, though, was all too easy to picture thanks to the details given by the author.

Although far from a utopian society, the boys in the Glade and the Grievers kind of remind me of the Eloi and the Morlocks from The Time Machine. The boys each have a specific job that they work at to make sure the Glade runs smoothly, but just outside the walls of the Glade are creatures that will end their world just as quickly as it began.

After you get past the first couple of chapters, the book really picks up. It's full of action and suspense and it's a really good story to jump in to. There are some wicked plot twists at the end that will throw you for a loop but have no fear... it picks right back up in book 2!

Like I said before, because of the language in this book, I'd recommend this, really to anyone. It may take a bit to understand exactly what's going on, but young and old readers alike can enjoy this one!

Review - Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Well, I was sad to get to the last book in the series. Allegiant by Veronica Roth did not disappoint me. Well, at least not in a "Well, that book sucked" kind of way.

In this last installment, Tris, Tobias and Co. have ventured outside of the fence line in search of the truth behind the truth they'd been slapped in the face with. They come face to face with the fact that everything they thought they knew has been more or less a lie. They've been pawns in some kind of experiment in realizing genetic purity.

They think they've broken out of the prison of the war between the factions and the factionless yet they've ended up in a situation far too similar to what they'd been trying to leave behind. Tobias is losing himself in his attempt to gain control of himself, and Tris - the ever skeptical of ANY situation - is just trying to find out the nuts and bolts of it all.

The story is told from two different perspectives. Which is fantastic, I love being able to see in to the mind of both Tris AND Tobias... but sometimes I forgot who I was reading and had to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to see who it was. Minor snafus, that's all.

I miss Tobias. The Tobias that I met back in book one when he was Four. The strong, somewhat silent but definitely strong Dauntless instructor. I can definitely understand why he has unraveled and become what he has, but it's just so sad. He's a shell of the person he used to be. But he has the small hope that after everything is over, he finally gets to be with Tris. No wars... no government take-overs...

Tris has gone from being unsure of herself, to being completely suicidal, to being steadfast and sure of herself, no matter what the outcome of any given situation. She doesn't define herself by the labels placed on her by anyone and doesn't pay any attention to them when they concern anyone else either. I really liked her this book. After her Katniss-meltdown in book two she really pulled herself back together.

Allegiant is still a relatively new book, so I can't say much (I know, I've said that in all three reviews, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone). But this book just completely crushed me. Like in the movie Titanic when Jack and Rose make it through being handcuffed, shot at, stuck on steerage deck, going down with the ship... just for Jack to freeze to death waiting for rescue in the water. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel... but the light ends up being a train.

Yeah, that's kind of how it felt. Like a giant train comes out of nowhere and just completely ran me down.

I don't know if this is the type of book that you can LIKE, per se... It was definitely a good book. But it just broke my heart. For days after I finished it I couldn't pick up another book because I just didn't know what I could possibly read after that.

If you've read Divergent and Insurgent, then you have to read Allegiant. You just have to. But be prepared for the kick in the gut that it's going to give you.

Review - The Cloud Seeders by James Zerndt

Serve Your Country, Conserve Your Water, Observe Your Neighbor.

This is the slogan of the Sustainability Unit and of a country gone eco-hysterical. After nearly twelve months without rain and the hinges of the world barely still oiled, Thomas and his younger brother, Dustin, set out across a drought-ridden landscape in search of answers. What they discover along the way will change their lives, and their country, forever.

The Cloud Seeders by James Zerndt is a different kind of Dystopian novel.The whole of the United States is a dust bowl. There's been no rain and there doesn't seem to be any hope of rain in the near future. Water usage is rationed and monitored. If you see someone using water in a way they shouldn't, or when they shouldn't, you can turn them in and get.... points.

Thomas and Dustin work for the people who monitor water and electricity usage. They write people up for "abusing" the system and get rewarded for the number of people they report. Dustin also happens to be Thomas's younger brother. And virtually all he has in the world. His parents are gone. His only friend is Jerusha, a girl who doesn't mind bending the rules a bit.

Her rule bending sets the trio off on a road trip to find Thomas's and Dustin's parents. They find so much more than that, though. A map and an address left by their father leads them to an auto garage with more answers than they ever thought they'd find.

This was unlike any other dystopian book I've read before. And hits the closest to home because, while far fetched, is not necessarily impossible to imagine as a potential fate for humanity. What if our resources run out? What if we could get ticketed just for drinking water when we're thirsty? What if we're expected to just follow blindly and anything other than blind obedience results in severe punishment?

It's a scary thing to think of... but with the way things are these days... not hard to imagine.

Anyways.

I liked that this book was from a male point of view. I don't read many of those. Thomas is playing parent and brother to Dustin. Trying to do what's best for him while keeping a horrible secret from him at the same time. Dustin is young, and acts that way. I dare say he'd be a typical child under normal circumstances. Under the circumstances in this story, he's as normal as he can get. Jerusha is anti-government. She's the kind of girl my husband would definitely be friends with. She's suspicious and a rebel and ends up being one of the best allies the brothers have. Thomas is in love with her and Dustin looks to her for comfort, since his mother is nowhere to be found.

They come across an old family friend that they've never heard of, and a community of people intent on preserving their self-sustaining way of life and their freedom. Since marrying Jerry, I've been super in to being self reliant and living off-grid and that sort of thing, so this was the perfect book for me to read.

The world of The Cloud Seeders is a scary one, for reasons I've already mentioned. But can you imagine, I mean REALLY imagine, living in a place where you don't even have the freedom to do something like was your hands or drink a glass of iced water.

There's so much I want to say about this story, but I can't figure out how to do it in a way that wouldn't completely spoil it for everyone else.The ending was definitely not expected. Well, really the last quarter of the book, not just the very end. But it offers an amazing explanation for the story and will really get your blood boiling.

I'd recommend this as a read for an older-ish crowd. Not necessarily child friendly. But definitely a book you want to pick up and get in to.

Review - Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Fighting for survival in a shattered world… the truth is her only hope.

The thrillingly dark sequel to No. 1 New York Times bestseller, DIVERGENT.

I have done bad things. I can’t take them back, and they are part of who I am.

Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.

Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever… because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

I don't know if I said this when I reviewed book one, but I am super glad that I waited such a long time to read this series. If I had had to wait ANY length of time in between reading Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth, I think I would have gone crazy. I don't recall ever having read a book before that literally had my heart pounding like mad. So Insurgent had a lot to live up to.

It starts off where book one left us. Tris and Four have just been completely devestated by the loss of almost all of the Abnegation factor and Tris's family, on top of the fact that she had to kill one of her closest Dauntless friends who was going to murder her under the simulation serum. After revealing that fact under a truth serum, she has to suffer through the fall out while Christina wants nothing to do with her and Four is upset that she seems to have issues being honest with him.

They seek refuge in Amity who decides to remain neutral. But, in an effort to remain the ever peace-keeping faction, Tris and her crew are not out of the woods yet.

I loved that we got to take a look in to all of the different factions more closely than before. We were so saturated with Dauntless and were only given glimpses of  the others. The world building and the descriptions and depth that's gone into during this story is absolutely fantastic. I've read a lot of stories where you get JUST ENOUGH to know what's going on, but nothing else. And those types of books always leave me wanting more. This series, though, Roth is wonderful at describing everything in such incredible detail that I feel like I can close my eyes and picture it perfectly.

Along with setting, feelings and emotions were thrown at me with such ferocity that I found myself feeling them right along with the characters. I got this throbbing ache in my chest following Tris through her emotional turmoil and could totally feel Four's fear as Tris spiraled further and further down in to the black hole she had fallen in to.

She kind of had a Katniss Everdeen breakdown. More like a Katniss Everdeen/Bella Swan (sorry, I know.... I hate making the comparison, I promise) breakdown. She was so stricken by grief that she was reckless, thinking that the only way to honor the sacrifice made by so many before was to do everything she possibly could to join them.

As with the previous book, I really don't know what else to say. There were so many amazing characters to write about, but I don't feel like I can just pick one or two (apart from Tris and Four) to talk about and do them justice. Books with so many characters sometimes have a hard time giving life to all of them. But these characters are each given personality and flaws and back stories that are just fascinating.

Again, I recommend this book to dystopian fans. Fans of the Hunger Games series and... just exciting reads in general. It may be a little too complex for younger readers to understand so it's probably better for an older crowd, but I think EVERYONE should read this. After you've read book one of course. Because it literally picks up RIGHT where the first story left off. Go read it! Now!

Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

At the urging of a pretty cool tattooed chick with funky hair and facial piercings who works at the bookstore I frequent less than a mile from my house, I grabbed Divergent by Veronica Roth. I didn't read it right away, however. As a matter of fact, I didn't pick it back up off my bookshelf until after I saw the preview for the movie.

It's Choosing Day and Beatrice knows she won't be able to choose the faction she's grown up in, Abnegation. A faction full of selfless, invisible people. Instead, she chooses Dauntless... a faction full of wild and crazy people who just seem so... FREE... to her. She starts her new life with a new name, or at least a nickname, and sets to work attempting to make it through initiation so that she can become a permanent member.

Four is her instructor. And there is definitely chemistry there. And some confusion. She makes friends with the transfer initiates in her dormitory, or at least with a few of them. A handful seem to have it out for everyone they deem weaker than themselves and start to pick people off, vying for a coveted Top 10 spot and a place in the Dauntless faction for good.

Things aren't what they seem though. Not once initiation is over. Tris and her friends find out that there's an evil in the only city they've ever known. One that could take over their entire world and destroy it and everyone they love.

*

I would like to say.... it's been a while since I've LITERALLY not been able to put a book down. Since I've stayed up until 3 or 4 in the morning reading because I can't bear to go to sleep until I know what's going to happen. It's messed up my sleep schedule something awful, and I'm exhausted, but it was definitely worth it.

Tris, who thinks she's selfish actually ends up being one of the most selfless people in the entire book. She seems frail and afraid at the beginning, but (unlike SOME popular heroines in SOME popular noves (no hate, I've read them too, it's ok)) she doesn't stay that way. She doesn't depend on everyone else to take care of her. To protect her. She does the work and ends up being pretty badass.

Four is broken, that is painfully clear. But he is beautiful in his brokenness and his willingness to be vulnerable where Tris is concerned. And his willingness to let her help him try and put his pieces back together.

There are so many different characters that I could write about, but I just wouldn't know where to start or stop. Aside from Al, it seemed Tris chose her friends well. They were all super supportive of each other and even though they were from different factions with totally different personalities and completely different views on what was important in life, they ended up being amazing friends.

I love Dystopian novels. And I love them when they are similar to each other, but different enough that they don't just seem to be the same idea copied over and over again. The factions are supposed to help everyone find their place in the world and tell them what their function in society is going to be, but even the best laid plans don't work 100% of the time. Tris is proof of that. In spite of everything thrown at her though, she never quits.

The world Divergent is set in is a futuristic, post somekindofworldchangingevent, Chicago. It was interesting to see the specific nuances of each faction. Everything they chose, from their hair to their clothes to the decor in their houses screams what faction they're from. Abnegation don't look in mirrors. Dauntless wear tattoos and jump from trains. Erudite wear glasses even if they don't need them because it makes them appear more intelligent. Candor wear black and white clothing because that's how they see the world. And Amity are supposed to always appear happy and smiling.

I would like to think that I'd be in Dauntless. I definitely dig the tattoos for one thing. I can't NOT look in a mirror at least ONCE a day. Black and white all the time would bore me. I wear glasses, but not so I look smart... it's so I can see. And no one can be that happy all the time.

Anyway, long story short... Amazing book. Amazing story. I recommend it to any fan of dystopian in general or people who love books like The Hunger Games.

And cool tattooed chick with facial piercings and crazy hair who works at the bookstore.... thank you.

Review - Quantum Entanglement (Interchron Book 2) by Liesel K. Hill

Five months after traveling to a post-apocalyptic future where collectives reign supreme and individuals have been hunted to the verge of extinction, Maggie Harper was returned to her own time until the threat to her life could be neutralized. She thought Marcus and the others would return for her within a few weeks, and now she’s beginning to worry.

When travelers from the future finally show up to collect her, it’s not who she expected. With the return of her memories, she wants more than ever to see Marcus again, but a snake-like woman whose abilities are a perfect match for Maggie’s, an injured Traveler, and decades of civil unrest to wade through all stand in the way of their reunion.

Meanwhile, Marcus and Karl traipse through the countryside, trying to neutralize Colin, who’s promised to brutalize and murder Maggie if he can get his hands on her. When a collective woman is left for dead, Marcus heals her, hoping she’ll be the key to killing Colin and bringing Maggie back. But she may prove as much a hindrance as a help.

The team struggles to get their bearings, but things happen faster than they know. The collectives are coalescing, power is shifting, and the one called B is putting sinister plans into action. If the team can’t reunite and get a handle on the situation, their freedom and individuality—perhaps their very identity—will be ripped away before they can catch their breath.

To say that I haven't been dying to read this would have been a lie. I received Quantum Entanglement by Liesel K. Hill just a few days ago. At first I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish it in time to get this review up, but, then I remembered how much I loved the first installment and from there on out it wasn't a concern.

In part two of this series, we revisit Maggie 5 months after she's been deposited back in her time at her home with her brother to wait until it's safe enough for her to return to Interchron, her team, and Marcus. Only things don't work out quite the way any of them had planned.

Jonah, Maggie's brother, has a new girlfriend. Justine. She seems likeable enough and she gets along with Maggie, but, she's not who she seems to be. Instead of doting girlfriend she turns out to be a new kind of enemy that Maggie hasn't seen before with abilities that puzzle her completely. The pair can't seem to keep ahead of Justine long enough to get away from her until a blast from her past, or future depending on how you look at it, come in swinging to save her.

It didn't take me long to get completely and totally sucked in to this story. There was action from the word go and it was fantastic. There was barely enough time for me to catch a breath in between chapters before being caught up in something else. And I loved that in this installment we got a deeper look in to Marcus's and David's past before Interchron and before David joined the Collective through flashbacks that Marcus kept having.

Maggie is still the strong character we met in Persistence of Vision and in Quantum Entanglement we get to see a lot more of Jonah as well. It's really great to see the bond between the brother and sister and how they're so protective of each other. It's a complete contrast between how Marcus and David are which I find incredibly interesting. But I suppose it makes sense considering what we now know of how David ended up leaving Marcus behind to join the Collective.

Tenessa was a pretty good new character as well. I found myself extremely frustrated with her most times, but she definitely surprised me in the end. Salla and Kristee, though, may have been my favorite additions. Kristee because even though she's knew to Interchron, she runs off to help David and Lila find Maggie and bring her back. And Salla, because she knew the limits of her capabilities but was completely confident in what she could do.

In this book we get to see lots of different time periods which I absolutely love. Feels like I'm in an episode of Doctor Who with all of the time travel that's being done. And with the fact that they never quite end up where they mean to be. It kind of makes you wonder if our world could end up like the world in the book at some point in the future. And, I'm still jealous and wish that I had some kind of neurochemical abilities that would let me do the things these characters can do.

If you read book one, I absolutely recommend that you find this book as quickly as you possibly can and start reading it immediately. It's action packed, and, like its predecessor, gets the wheels in your brain turning but doesn't do all of the thinking for you.  If you didn't read book one, then you should. Now. Then, when you're done, get book two. If only book three were out already!

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Quantum Entanglement

by Liesel K. Hill

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Her scifi, fantasy and dystopian are written under Liesel K. Hill and her crime drama and historical fiction are written under L.K. Hill. She lives in northern Utah and comes from a large, tight-knit family. Loves to bake, read, and watch plenty of T.V. And plans to keep writing until they nail her coffin shut. Or the Second Coming happens. You know, whichever happens first. ;D

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Blog Tour: Review - IXEOS: Rebellion by Jennings Wright

With rebel leader Darian free at last, the humans and outsiders on Ixeos must find a way to join forces and defeat the Firsts. The problem? All slaves are tracked with GPS, the Firsts are the only ones with power, and roving gangs hate the rebels just as much as they hate the aliens. As Darian and the outsiders from Earth travel the globe through the mysterious tunnels in Paris, they learn that the Firsts are preparing to launch another wave of biological warfare. With a transporter that will allow the aliens to target any city, anywhere on the planet, the rebels know they must stop them at all costs. As things get more dangerous on Ixeos, the outsiders find that they're pushed to their limit. Will they fight for freedom, no matter the price?

I was really excited to read IXEOS: Rebellion by Jennings Wright which is the second book in the IXEOS Trilogy. I'd loved the first one. I was being introduced to a brand new world that was actually parallel to our own with one hitch. Firsts. Those were the group of aliens that had claimed Ixeos as their own and were using humans as slaves. The ones they'd captured anyway. The rest were either part of the resistance/rebellion, in gangs, or just trying to stay as far under the radar as possible. The goal of the resistance in book one was to free their leader, Darian. All of the action came to a head at the end of the book and just exploded and was an awesome read.

It was a little different starting this one. It was quiet and somber and a bit slow at the beginning. Which I suppose was appropriate given the last book. You need a chance to kind of gather your wits about you and take a few breaths before diving back in to the action. The imagery portrayed in the very first paragraph of this book just kind of grabbed me by the arm and said "You WILL read me. Now." It was amazing and sucked me right in. I love that in a story.

I liked coming back to Neahle and Clay and Marty. It's been a while since they'd followed those darn ducks through that tunnel and in to the underground of Ixeos. They've integrated pretty well and seem to be set in their own respective tasks now that the big raid is over. Only now, there's a whole new set of problems. The Firsts are "raising" children for some unknown purpose and seem to have started using bio-chemical agents on the streets of the cities and are taking out ANY living human within the limits.

For a while I found myself wondering when it was going to pick up. I didn't mind the pace of the story, but throw a lot of information at me and I start kind of tuning out. It picked up REAL quick when I least expected it. Which is good in a sense, but bad for the characters in the book. The resistance took some real hits and it was so sad to have to keep reading once I thought I'd figured out what was going to happen.

I loved the reference to A Bug's Life. It's pretty true after all. But scary when you think about the fact that, like Darian and so many other people say, it's going to get worse before it gets better. In the words of Urgl from the movie Neverending Story, "It has to hurt if it's to heal." And the rebellion is hurting. But, on the other hand, they are also taking great strides in moving forward and attempting to take back the planet and defeat the firsts.

There are a lot of new characters introduced in this installment. New arrivals to Ixeos and new outsiders. I like getting to see a little glimpse of all the people that make the machine that is the rebellion work. And they do. They all work together pretty cohesively. No one seems to try and take leadership from anyone else and everyone operates as a unit. Each person knows what they're good at and they do it.

I think Rod ended up being one of my favorite characters in this one. Surprisingly enough given what I knew about him from the last one. He really threw himself in to redeeming himself with the rebellion and with Hannah. And I really liked that I got to see more of Marty this time. He played a HUGE part in this particular novel.

The story is a pretty twisty roller coaster. Like I said it started out slow but picked up quickly. There were some definite high points for our characters. Points where hope seemed to be restored and everyone was ready and raring to go. Those points, however, were followed by the crashing lows that made them wonder if anything was going to work at all. Because, let's face it, if you let characters in a story like this stay happy for too long it would just kill the book wouldn't it? Haha.

I'd recommend this for anyone who read the first book in the series. For anyone who likes dystopian novels and sci - fi. If you HAVEN'T read book one yet, I highly suggest you do, or you'll be kind of lost. But it was a great read. Kudos again to our author, Jennings Wright, for a wonderful and suspenseful tale.

About the Author:

Born and raised in Rockledge, Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn't spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories.

Jennings attended the University of the South and the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of script doctoring, business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit to Uganda.

Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn't stopped since. She's written four novels and a screenplay in less than a year, with more ideas on the drawing board. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a writer, and two children, and travels extensively.

Book Blast & Giveaway: IXEOS Rebellion by Jennings Wright

  

Ixeos Rebellion With rebel leader Darian free at last, the humans and outsiders on Ixeos must find a way to join forces and defeat the Firsts. The problem? All slaves are tracked with GPS, the Firsts are the only ones with power, and roving gangs hate the rebels just as much as they hate the aliens. As Darian and the outsiders from Earth travel the globe through the mysterious tunnels in Paris, they learn that the Firsts are preparing to launch another wave of biological warfare. With a transporter that will allow the aliens to target any city, anywhere on the planet, the rebels know they must stop them at all costs. As things get more dangerous on Ixeos, the outsiders find that they're pushed to their limit. Will they fight for freedom, no matter the price? 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Ixeos The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren't the only problem on Ixeos -- the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There's no way home.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 

Author Jennings Wright Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn't spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories. Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit. Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn't stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a business owner and writer, and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda.

Facebook * Twitter * Website * Blog * Amazon * Goodreads

Tour Schedule

   

  Book Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 7/28/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review - Shadow of Wrath by L.W. Patricks

In the Arena, you're either a killer or a victim.

If survival meant murdering an innocent person in cold blood every week, could you do it? Are you able to stick the knife into your opponent's heart while they look at you with fear in their eyes? Life in the Arena turns everyone into sinners.

When a starving and homeless boy is kidnapped and brought to a modern-day gladiator arena, hidden deep within the abandoned city of Bimini, he is forced to fight for his life. The crude death matches are a source of enjoyment for Ryker, who resides over the Arena as its vicious master. Given the name Dog, the street boy must find a way to survive, even if it means murdering other innocent kids in combat at the expense of his humanity. With every dead body he leaves behind in the pit, the blood and the violence threatens to wake a beast inside him.

Allegra, a slave girl in the pits and a victim of Ryker's constant abuse, is his only key to salvation. She has lost everything already -- her family, her innocence, and her dignity -- while her will to live hangs on by a thin thread. Can she save Dog's humanity before she too succumbs to the horrors of the Arena? With death casting it's long shadow over everyone, how can anyone survive?

A tale about survival, tragedy, and human perseverance, SHADOW OF WRATH allows us a glimpse into the world of the Sins of the 7.

Shadow of Wrath by L.W. Patricks is an interesting book. Interesting in that, while it's in the same type of genre and has the same idea as some other books I've read, it's completely different. Imagine a gladiator type scenario meets something akin to The Hunger Games. Children are kidnapped off the streets and forced to fight for their lives in an arena where they're watched by gang bangers, outlaw biker clubs, sex traffickers, etc. Every kind of low-life you can imagine is probably watching them.

Dog, one of our main characters is pulled off the street with promises of food and a warm place to sleep but he's drugged and thrown in a cell where he wakes up to find that he's now a pawn in the arena master's sick and twisted entertainment seeking.

Allegra is just as imprisoned as Dog, but in a different way. She's a medic in the arena, left with the task of trying to save the boys that DON'T die in the arena so that theyre able to fight again another day. Something she's tried to de-sensitize her self to without success. Every death makes her sick and every injured boy breaks her heart.

Dog and Allegra both seem much older than the age that's conveyed in the books. Whether that's because both are forced to grow up much quicker than their years on earth would normally allow or for some other reason I'm not sure. Allegra, I believe, was just 14. Dog was not much older. Young lives forced to fight for them.

It was a good book. I had one issue with how quickly the beginning went. At first, I was glad that I was thrown right in to the action when Dog gets into the fight that leads to him being taken to the arena. But everything else went just as fast. He was in several fights and the only mention of how they went was how long they lasted. Not that I necessarily would LIKE to hear about how he had to kill each person he fought, but so much else was described so wonderfully and so fully that it seemed the fights themselves were kind of lacking.

There was a point where the book fast forwards 2 years in a paragraph. Dog is in love with Allegra, but I never really saw a point where they even had the sort of relationship where he could fall in love with her. She was kind to him, yes, but the build up was missed in my opinion.

The ending was frustrating and sad. But in a good way. The way it was supposed to be. I can't tell you why, because that would spoil the book. I CAN tell you that it did NOT end the way I expected it to. At all. It was a fast read, only 165 pages. But it was a good one that I'm glad that I read. I'd recommend it to people interested in dystopian type books or just something with a lot of action and twists and turns.

You can check out the authors webpage by clicking HERE!

Review - Matched by Ally Condie

To be honest with you guys... I never understood what dystopian meant until I read this book. Yeah, I read The Hunger Games trilogy and I've been told that that's dystopian too... but i still didn't get it. Tad slow on the uptake I guess. There's so many genres and sub - genres it's hard to keep track of all of them.

Matched was a birthday gift given to me by my sister. Well, she paid for it, I picked it out. I grabbed it off the shelf not knowing anything about it other than everyone seemed to love it (yes, sometimes I AM a follower... I can't help it).

Without giving away too much, I liked this book. It had a "love triangle" of a different sort. Not the Bella/Edward/Jacob triangle that I can't stand (really though, I did like those books... honest... just hate the geometry). Both male characters were equally likeable it was hard to choose which one to "root for". And Cassia, the main character, seemed helpless to me at first. Always doing what she was told. What was expected of her. I wasn't sure I'd be too fond of her. But she proved herself in the end. She really did. I liked her. She was stronger than she let on in the beginning. And I loved her parents. Absolutely loved them.

I definitely look forward to reading the second installment when it hits shelves in November.

Follow Friday #12

  

As indicated by the above button, Follow Friday is hosted every week by Parajunkee.

This week's question is:

Q. Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

A. Now, this used to be an easy question. I used to say Fantasy and be done with it. But now a days there seems to be so many different types of fantasy. I really don't know which to call my favorite. On the one hand, I like the books that create their own world. Their own creatures. Their own languages etc. On the other, I like the books that have all the fantasy elements thrown in to them. Faeries, elves, etc.

I like books ranging from The Neverending Story to Eragon to The Hunger Games to Lord of the Rings to Twilight to Shiver to Graceling... I don't know what books are considered what type of fantasy or paranormal or dystopian... I just like them all.

What about you?