REVIEW: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

I didn't know anything about The Jewel by Amy Ewing before I picked the book up to read it other than that it is a dystopian YA book being compared to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.  I love The Handmaid's Tale and I was incredibly intrigued to see where this story would go and how it would compare to such a well-loved book.

I have to say, I thought The Jewel was incredibly exciting and, at times, a shocking story.  It wasn't as filled with action as I was perhaps expecting but it built the world nicely and did political intrigue incredibly well and I was always on the edge of my seat worrying about who I thought Violet, our main character, should be trusting and who she should be avoiding.

The Jewel centres around this world in which royalty are unable to carry their own children and instead the royals buy surrogates in a yearly auction.  Surrogates for sale in this auction are from the poorest communities in this world and they are ranked by their abilities with Auguries.  The auguries were something that I found really fascinating and this element of fantasy was one of my favourite aspects of the story.  Violet Lasting is one of these surrogates and she goes into the auction as one of the highest ranking surrogates there.

I think what really gripped me into the story right from the start is the emotion that Violet feels - at the loss of her name and being separated from her family that she loves so much.  I was close to tears in the first few chapters getting to know Violet.  I really came to care for her and wanted what is best for her.  As she was being prepared for the auction, I did feel some similarities to other dystopian stories, but for the most part, I felt like this book is strong enough to stand on its own.  But I did very much love Violet's small acts of rebellion throughout the book that shows she's struggling against the restraints of her life.

I haven't talked too much about the events after the auction because I don't want to spoil too much of the story, but as I said at the beginning, I loved the political intrigue included in this novel. Violet is in a position of great importance where she ends up and is privy to really dangerous information and meets with the highest members of this world's ruling power.

Right from the very first page, I was hooked on this book. It's a bit of a shocker of an ending which means I'm now dying to read more in this series! Bring it on.

REVIEW: Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Guest review by Kulsuma

I highly enjoyed reading Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott. At first I was wary of all the Hunger Games comparisons that were floating around the internet, but I decided to give the book the benefit of the doubt. I was gripped almost immediately by the premise of the story.

Tella, the main character was relatable. She wants to help her brother who has cancer and will do anything to save him. When she has the chance to enter the Brimstone Bleed; a series of trials over different terrain, where she could win the cure her brother so desperately requires she leaps at the opportunity.

Fire and Flood kept me in suspense and therefore made me continue reading because there were so many questions I needed answers to, some of which were answered in this book. Victoria Scott is a fantastic writer who has included great descriptions and a plethora of action in the story. I would have to say that Fire and Flood was more action-focussed than character-focussed.

The action really does drive the story. While I liked Tella and thought she was a good character, I felt that she could have taken more initiative as others had to save her when she could have saved herself. However, in fairness, Tella did grow as a character and in the end, she could look after herself.

I really liked the idea of the Pandora; each participant in the Brimstone Bleed gets a Pandora (think of a Pokemon and you’re on the right track) who has special abilities that can help the participant. Finding out what the special abilities are can be the tricky bit. I loved Pokémon and Digimon as a child, so this aspect of the story was fantastic.

The romance was quite fast-moving and I would have liked more development and more conversations between Tella and her love interest, Guy. At times, I did have the thought that maybe this story would have been told better from Guy’s point of view because I felt he was doing more and knew more than Tella, which is never a good thought to have about a story.

What was lacking was the explanation of how the Brimstone Bleed began. It seems a bit unbelievable to me; I thought it could have been better explained. Furthermore, I had some minor questions such as at the beginning of the story, Tella and her family are living away from civilisation, so how was she found by the organisers of the Brimstone Bleed?

Overall, I really enjoyed Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott and can’t wait to see what happens next in the second book, Salt and Stone.

Thank you so much, Kulsuma! 

REVIEW: The Fearless by Emma Pass

I really wanted to love The Fearless by Emma Pass.  It sounded like a really interesting post-apocalyptic story that would be tense and disturbing at the same time. And while I did really enjoy certain things about the book, other aspects of the story really didn't work for me.

The start of The Fearless is told from Cass's perspective when The Fearless are sort of unleashed on the world and we see how and why Cass ends up on the island of Hope.  I really enjoyed this part of the story.  I was on the edge of my seat, my heart was pounding, I didn't know what was going to happen next. It was all really nail-biting.

And in this beginning of the story we are introduced to our main character, Cass, who is a normal girl living in the UK with her parents. She catches some glimpses of news reports and some newspaper articles about some weird goings-on with a new drug being given to soldiers in a preventative measure for PTSD. As well as reducing the risk of PTSD, however, this new drug has meant that anyone who has taken this drug, effectively kills off all fear but also all love and empathy and they become The Fearless.  Strong, powerful, and lacking all humanity.  They are enough to strike fear into anybody's heart.  And when all of this is beginning, a friend of the family offers Cass and her parents refuge on this island, Hope.  And on the way there they are attacked by The Fearless.

The rest of the story is told from three viewpoints: Cass, Sol, Cass's childhood friend, and Myo, a stranger to the island.  I can definitely see why there are three viewpoints to the story and as all three were definitely beneficial to showing a wider variety of events as things go along. The story also jumps forward 7 years after the invasion of The Fearless and while Cass and Sol have been isolated on the island of Hope, their safety and belief in the island is shattered after the arrival of Myo and other more deadly occurrences mean that Cass must face The Fearless again after so many years. Here is where my issues begin to crop up.

My first issue with the book is that I never fully believed in any of the character's motivations.  Cass does impulsive things because of her love for another character in the book, but that relationship never felt real to me. Same with Myo.  We're told of his connection to his sister, Mara, but the only relationship that he is involved with that I truly believed in throughout the book was his affection for his dog, Lochie. 

And while Cass and Sol are meant to be childhood friends, I didn't really believe in that either.  We can see straight away that Sol harbours feelings for Cass but I would have liked that to have been explored more. In fact, I would have liked there to be more character description and development in general for Sol.  He does a lot of things in this book that would make a person raise their eyebrow at, but throughout I always wanted to know why.  Why does he do the things he does? Why is Cass important, why has this character changed so much throughout his time at Hope?  I didn't get it.

So while I did like the idea of the fearless as zombie sort of creatures and I definitely want to see more UK based settings, I felt let down by the lack of character development and felt no real connection to the characters or their relationships together.  And that is a shame.  Perhaps you'll have better luck with this story!

REVIEW: Rebel Heart by Moira Young (Dustlands, #2)

Oh man, Rebel Heart by Moira Young was good.  I was worried about how I'd feel about this second book in the series especially because the first book, Blood Red Road, was one of my favourite books that I read awhile back.  And when you love the first book as much as I did, it always makes me think that maybe the second book won't quite live up to my expectations. 

While I would have liked to see more of my favourite characters in Rebel Heart (I'm lying. I really just mean more Jack!) I still really loved where this book went.  The ending of Blood Red Road had Saba thinking that everything would now be fine and her and her newly-rescued brother, Lugh, and their little sister, Emmi, and Tommo and their little band that is left after the big fight against the Tonton are all set to ride off into the sunset and into their happily ever after.  But that is not to be the case. 

First, Jack, has gone on his own mission that he can't get out of. I understood Jack's reasons for separating from Saba and the group and while I felt like it meant that something vital was lost within this book, I also still really appreciate that he's done this.  He's putting his own honour and necessities over that of his romantic relationship and I really liked that.  Even if it meant that his original plan of returning to Saba is thrown out for other reasons.

And with the loss of Jack in her life, Saba is really struggling.  She's barely functional at the start of Rebel Heart because of the grief that she feels because of the friends she has lost.  Especially Epona. Epona and all the lives that she came up against when she was fighting for survival and led Saba to be know as the Angel of Death haunt Saba. And even when she has the idea of freedom and the Big Water to look forward to, all Saba can see is what has past and how her actions have led so many to their deaths. 

While I did find it a little uncomfortable at the start to read of how much Saba was suffering - hearing voices, panicking, not being able to fire her bow - I found it really interesting to see Saba's journey towards being okay with herself. Another strength of this book is how wonderfully populated this story is with really amazing characters.  I loved seeing Saba trying to repair her relationship with her younger sister, Emmi, and to also find some sort of peace with her twin brother, Lugh.  One of my favourite characters though is definitely, Tommo.  Somebody that I perhaps overlooked in the first book and to who I quickly took more notice of in Rebel Heart. 

I love that this book sees us going back. Back for Jack but also towards Saba's destiny.  Saba has been fighting what the stars have in store for her for awhile, but in this we see her charge towards it in her own single-minded way. I love how badly she messes up, how rash and emotional she is but also how determined and capable she is throughout. She faces some grim (but exciting!) times ahead of her and I for one cannot wait! 

If you haven't yet started the Dustlands trilogy that I strongly urge you to do so, and immediately!

REVIEW: Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Delirium, #3)

It had been a really long time since I'd read the first two books in this series, Delirium and Pandemonium, but I recently lent my copy of Delirium to a friend who really enjoyed it and she asked me what I thought of the entire series and I was ashamed to admit that I hadn't read this third book, Requiem. So I decided there and then that enough was enough and that I really had to carve time in my reading schedule to complete this series. And I'm really glad that I did.  While there will be no spoilers for this particular book the review below might contain some spoilers for the two previous books in the series. You have been warned. 

Requiem by Lauren Oliver is the third book in the Delirium series and I think what I enjoyed the most about this book is the return to both the setting of the first book, Portland, and also the return of some of the major characters from the first book, notably Alex and Hana.  The first book in the series, Delirium, introduced us to Lena, her best friend, Hana, and also this wonderful love interest, Alex. And while I enjoyed the events of Pandemonium, especially as it gave us a better understanding of the resistance movement against the government, I really felt like a return to something more personal was the right way to go in this final book in the series.

So Requiem is told in an alternating viewpoint between Lena and Hana shortly after the events at the end of Pandemonium. Lena is trying to manage her conflicting feelings for both Alex, her old flame who has returned (surprisingly) alive and angry with her and also, Julian, the boy she helped rescue and to whom she has feelings for. And Hana, living in Portland and having been cured of deliria is living a very luxurious lifestyle and preparing for her wedding to Portland's new mayor, Fred Hargrove.

I really liked seeing the events of this story told by both Lena and Hana. Lena, obviously, has a lot to consider not only between Alex and Julian, but also the news that Lena had been unknowingly contacted by her mother sends her a bit into a tailspin. She continues to wander about with other members of the resistance in the Wilds trying to decide the best course of action and things start to look a little bleak in their fight for freedom.

Towards the beginning I found Hana's story less captivating but towards the middle as Hana's eyes are opened more to the situation she is in as well as the situation of other less fortunate people in Portland are in, I found her chapters to be a lot more interesting. I think the way in which Hana behaves in Requiem shows a lot of hope that change will occur in this society after the events of this story even if Lauren Oliver has left a lot to the imagination in her ending.

I feel as though some people might be a little upset at the way in which this book and the series has ended but I was fairly satisfied by it.  There was enough there to see where characters will go and do and also how the important relationships will end up even though it isn't spelled out definitively.  Things are left in the air slightly but it's always been sort of a messy and complicated situation so I'm glad that everything isn't tied up neatly with a big red bow and a happy ending.

REVIEW: Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner (Skylark, #2)

I'd forgotten how much I love this series! Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner is the second book in the Skylark fantasy dystopian series and I love how surprising it's been.  I've really taken to these characters, their relationships with each other and definitely the world-building around them.  If you haven't yet read Skylark, you might not want to read further as there will be spoilers for Skylark ahead but not for Shadowlark! 

It had been awhile since I'd read Skylark, so while some things remained fresh in my mind (mostly this wonderful and tension-filled relationship between Lark and Oren!), when I first started Shadowlark, I was a little bit hazy about certain details and in particular over the character of Tansy.  Some helpful (but not at all over-the-top or info-dumping) recapping early on really helped and I very quickly found my feet with this fun and strong second book in a series. Shadowlark begins not long after the end of Skylark with Lark and Tansy and Nix out in the wild searching for Lark's brother, Basil, after some information that Lark had received at the Iron Wood. They might have just escaped trouble in the Iron Wood but they've just walked into yet more as they find themselves imprisoned in an underground city that is run by a tyrant called Prometheus.

The thing that I think I love the most about this book, aside from the surprising twists and turns, is how much the characters deal with their own darkness.  Both Lark and Oren as well as a newer character we are introduced to in this book really struggle with who they are, their own abilities and the things they have done.  Because this story is told from the perspective of Lark we can feel more clearly how guilty she feels and how much her magical stealing ability weighs heavily on her. It very closely mirrors Oren's guilt with the terrible acts he has committed when he is an Empty One. 

And it is for this very reason, the fact that both Lark and Oren struggle so much with their own morality, that makes their relationship so fascinating to witness. I love that the attraction is so palpable between them and yet their own revulsion for themselves keeps them apart. And while, for me, Lark and Oren's relationship is a huge draw for me to continue reading this series, I also really love learning more about magic and the other world-building aspects of this story. There was a lot in Shadowlark about magic control and the extent of Renewables magic and I found it all to be very interesting.

I love this series for it's amazing and complex characters. Characters that do terrible things at times and yet are still good people. Lark, Oren, and especially Nix are very memorable characters that make me feel very strongly about them. I can't wait to see where this story will lead to next...

REVIEW: Pawn by Aimee Carter

I was fairly excited to read Pawn by Aimee Carter as I really enjoyed her previous series based around the retelling of a Greek myth.  I was hoping that Pawn would similarly be a really engaging and fast-paced story with great characters.  And while it is quite fast-paced and is very quick to read, I found myself not really connecting with any of the main characters. And that is a shame.  It is the first book in the series being published in January by MiraInk and perhaps some of the issues that I had with Pawn will be addressed in the sequels...

Pawn is a dystopian story set in a world that deals with a merit system.  Every person must take a test and the results of that test will determine the type of job you will have, how well you are treated and generally the type of life that you will lead.  The number that your test decides you are is then permanently marked on your skin.  This system sees 1s and 2s at the lowest spectrum and at the top we have the 7s.  The only people in this society with 7s are the ruling family, the Harts. Their 7s are passed down from generation to generation and really go against the meritocracy of the rest of this society. 

Kitty, our main character, is dyslexic and has grown up in an orphanage. She's told certain things about how the test will accommodate her extra needs but, of course, they don't and she ends up as a 3. In desperation she tries to run from her duties as a 3 and in the process catches the attention of some very powerful people.  She is offered a choice: be a 3 and leave everyone she knows and loves and do miserable, back-breaking work for the rest of her life OR join the Hart family and become a 7.  It seems a simple choice however joining forces with the Hart family comes with its own risks. 

There is plenty of secrets and twists in this story. And while I did enjoy the mystery of it all and I really liked the political intrigue I wish there had been one or two more reliable characters. Somebody that Kitty and the reader could trust and not really question.  There is only one person in the entire novel that remained honest and loyal to Kitty and frankly, there wasn't enough of this character in the book for my liking.  Because of all the twists and secrets, I felt like I wasn't able to properly connect with Knox or Celia or anyone else. And therefore I also wasn't in a position to fully understand their motives for all of the deceit and dishonesty or anything else. And without that emotional connection I felt very distanced from the action and emotion. 

I like the idea of this book.  It's an interesting story about sacrifice and social justice and equality and being true to yourself and fighting for what's right. But I feel like a lot of those messages were lost a little bit in all of the twists and turns. Perhaps things will be less muddled in future books!

REVIEW: Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Guest review by Kulsuma

I was really excited to read Arclight by Josin L. McQuein because I do love post-apocalyptic fiction and sci-fi. Arclight started with a bang; there was so much action that I was wrestling between a feeling of suspense and ‘What’s going on?’ Luckily, some questions are answered relatively quickly, but in another sense, I felt disconnected from the story.

Marina, the protagonist, has no memory of who she is, where she’s from, anything. She was found in the Grey; the boundary between the Arclight where it’s safe and the Dark which creatures called the Fade inhabit. When the story starts she’s been living in the Arclight for a few months and is alienated from the other students and detested in the case of one boy, Tobin, whose father was killed rescuing Marina.

After the fast-paced beginning, the action slowed down. The middle was sedentary but luckily, the ending was where it picked up. Besides Marina and the two love interests, none of the other characters were particularly memorable.

I really enjoyed McQuein’s writing style. I love reading stories in first person, present tense. However, apart from the great writing, I found it hard to connect with Marina. I never got to know anything substantial about her. I felt rather indifferent in the end. Even when she learns the truth about her past, she doesn’t find out about what she was like as a person, about those important to her and so on.

There are two love interests, but I didn’t know enough about either one to have a favourite. Finding out the truth about Marina and the Fade were the reasons I carried on reading the book. The Fade were an interesting and well-formed idea and should definitely have had more page time.

What disappointed me the most was the ‘twist’ towards the end because it could have been resolved much, much sooner and saved a lot of confusion, heartache and pages. Actually, I wouldn’t call it a twist as much as done for the sake of convenience. Also, I had some unresolved question about the villain. The ending was satisfactory but didn’t leave me with a feeling that I have to read the sequel, Meridian.

Thank you for that interesting review, Kulsuma!

REVIEW: The Name On Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns

I was very intrigued to read The Name on Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns after it was selected to be the first winner of the Sony Young Movellas award. Helen Hiorns is only 19 years old and a university student at Sheffield! I'm very impressed and in awe that so many young people are as creative and dedicated enough to have completed a novel and to have entered such a competition. So, well done Helen!

The Name on Your Wrist was certainly an interesting and original concept. It tells the story of this world in which everyone will have the name of their soul mate, or carpinomen, written on their wrists. This carpinomen is a big secret, you're not supposed to reveal your name to anyone. This guarded knowledge is power and people search their entire lives to find their soul mate. 

I think the thing that I found the most enjoyable about The Name On Your Wrist is the exploration of what happens when things go wrong in this area? Placing so much emphasis on happiness and fulfillment on another person can leave one open to unhappiness - for those people who never find their carpinomen, for those people who have found their soul mates but don't feel as strongly about them as they believe the should. Questions are definitely raised here about having a choice in who to love and about the consequences that go along with falling in love with someone who is not your carpinonem.

I was very surprised by this book. Especially because for me at least, the tone of this book felt a little bit bleak in parts and as much as Corin, the main character, tries to cut herself off from other people, I was expecting myself to feel detached from the story as well.  And while I was never fully engaged in Corin's story everything about the book and all of the questions that are raised managed to crawl under my skin.  Even days after reading The Name On Your Wrist I would suddenly recall some aspect of it and the impact of this story stayed with me for far longer than I expected.

This is a very strong and thought-provoking debut. I will definitely look out for more from Helen Hiorns and I eagerly await news of whether or not the Sony Young Movellas award will become a regular thing. I sure hope so! 

Discussion Starters by Sara Grant (Half Lives Blog Tour)

I am absolutely thrilled today to be part of the blog tour for Half Lives by Sara Grant. I really enjoyed Sara's debut book, Dark Parties, and I think Half Lives explores some really interesting themes. If you aren't already familiar with what the story of Half Lives is about, here is the product description:

Present day: Icie is a typical high school teenager - until disaster strikes and her parents send her to find shelter inside a mountain near Las Vegas.

The future: Beckett lives on The Mountain - a sacred place devoted to the Great I AM. He must soon become the leader of his people. But Beckett is forced to break one of the sacred laws, and when the Great I AM does not strike him down, Beckett finds himself starting to question his beliefs.

As Beckett investigates The Mountain's history, Icie's story is revealed - along with the terrifying truth of what lies at the heart of The Mountain.

Sara Grant's HALF LIVES is a dystopian chronicle of the journeys of two unlikely heroes in their race against time to save future generations. 

Please give a warm welcome to Sara Grant...

 

Discussion Starters

by Sara Grant

I’m like that annoying toddler who keeps asking, why? But why? Why? Why? Why? For me writing is equal parts imagination and exploration.

My new teen novel Half Lives is a story told in two voices from a pre- and post-apocalyptic time – challenging the nature of faith and the power of miscommunications but most of all the strength of the human spirit to adapt and survive.

Icie is a typical teenager, until disaster strikes. Her only hope of survival is escaping to a top-secret mountain bunker. Hundreds of years later, 18-year-old Beckett leads a cult that worships a sacred Mountain. But Beckett and his beliefs are under attack. Icie and Beckett must fight to survive. They are separated by time but connected by a dangerous secret that both must protect at any cost.

While pondering, researching and writing Half Lives, three themes kept popping up:

• Survival – Not only what it might take to survive but how far you would go to save yourself and others.

• Legacy – What are we leaving behind for future generations? How will they judge our way of life?

• Faith – Everyone develops a belief system. For some it’s based on an organized religion. For others it’s grounded in superstition or history or logic.

I don't write because I have all the answers, I write because I'm happy to endlessly ponder the questions. When I was a teen, I loved to stay up late and chat with friends about life’s big questions and mysteries. But sometimes I didn’t feel as if I had the vocabulary or the necessary education in politics, history, geography, philosophy, etc. to adequately discuss some topics. What I love about science fiction and fantasy stories is that they give readers the chance to discuss current issues in a way that’s not intimidating.

Writing has always been a way for me to explore my world. When I was a teen I wrote stories and poems to discover what I was thinking and feeling. And that hasn’t changed. I still write to ask why, why, WHY? The only difference now is I get to share these topics with readers!

I’ve created discussion sheets for Half Lives  and Dark Parties  on my web site, if you’re interested in a discussion.

But Half Lives isn’t an ‘issues’ book. First and foremost, I hope readers are swept away by Icie and Beckett’s stories.


About Sara Grant

Sara is an author of fiction for teens and younger readers and freelance editor of series fiction. She has worked on twelve different series and edited nearly 100 books. Dark Parties, her first young adult novel, won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Europe. Her new novel for teens – titled Half Lives – is an apocalyptic thriller. She also writes – Magic Trix – a fun, magical series for younger readers.

Sara was born and raised in a small town in the Midwestern United States. She graduated from Indiana University with degrees in journalism and psychology, and later she earned a master’s degree in creative and life writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She lives in London.

www.sara-grant.com    @authorsaragrant

REVIEW: The Elite by Kiera Cass

There's something a little bit exciting about this series.  Despite having issues with some of the rules and relationships involved, I was still really excited to read the next book in the Selection series, The Elite by Kiera Cass.  Because despite how much I'll grumble about how  relationship-focused this dystopian series is, I still read both The Selection and The Elite within a day and I'm still looking forward to finding out how everything will turn out!

The Elite picks up shortly after the end of The Selection. Thirty five girls were chosen as potential brides to Prince Maxon and now only six remain, America included. And America is still pretty uncertain if she really wants to remain in the capital and be part of this process. And America goes back and forth about this decision throughout The Elite. Not only does America question her feelings for Maxon (and her ex-boyfriend Aspen) but she's also not sure if she's princess material or if she could handle making difficult decisions that would be best for the entire country. Being in the castle and being attacked by rebel forces is bad enough, but there's an attack a bit closer to home and perpetuated by somebody that she cares about that leaves America reeling.  And to make things more interesting, America no longer remains Maxon's favourite as he has chosen another that he spends a great deal of time with.

There were plenty of times where I felt more than a bit frustrated by America in this book. She makes up her mind that no, she's not prepared to go any farther with this contest but then she allows Maxon to convince her otherwise very easily even when Maxon does things that goes again America's sense of morality.  She sways between Aspen and Maxon a bit too readily for me. I want her to wake up one morning and realise that she no longer has to define herself and her life in relation to who she might end up with romantically. Instead of her picturing her future as either Prince Maxon's wife or Aspen's wife, I'd like her to picture herself as a strong individual who is capable of chaning things and influencing those around her in a positive way and in such a way that doesn't have to compromise her ideals or her feelings.  I want that for you, America.  Don't settle for somebody who doesn't stand up for what's right and certainly don't settle for somebody who chooses to keep his multiple relationships open-ended just in case but doesn't allow for anyone else to do the same. You deserve a level playing field.

What I really want to see from this series is a move away from the relationship drama including America, Aspen, Maxon and at least two other girls from The Selection.  I get it, she fancies both men and he's not satisfied with just the one girl either but let's move on. What I'd like to see now are more of the perspectives of the rebels fighting against Maxon's authority. More of the history behind this government and the different caste systems was uncovered during this book, what will America do with this information? Time to make a choice that's more important than this evening's dress or who is deserving of kisses. I want to see how change and revolutions happens. Bring it.

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

I can't quite recall how I first came to know about ACID or Emma Pass, but somewhere along the lines I did hear of it and I have to say, I'm EXCITED. I think the cover is very eye-catching and I really love the sound of the main character and this new world. 

Luckily, we won't have to wait that much longer, as ACID is being published by Random House Children's Books on the 25th April.

ACID by Emma Pass

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

Emma Pass
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REVIEW: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I have nothing but excited to read Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi since I've read nothing but amazing things about it since its publication.  I had pretty high expectations for the book based on the heaps of praise given to it by other book bloggers whose judgement I trust ... and yet, I read Shatter Me and while I loved the touch me don't touch me angst between Juliette and Adam in the first half of the novel, I still felt a bit emotionally disconnected to the story and to the characters.

The first few pages of the story really grabbed me.  I loved unfolding this strange story of a girl who has been locked up in an asylum for causing untold harm on others.  She hasn't spoken in 264 days and while she craves the touch of others, she also avoids it entirely for fear of what will happen.  As the story goes on, I was further intrigued by what little personal history she shares with Adam, the boy who comes to share her cell and of the horrors of this future world.

I think the thing that caused my emotional distance from the storyline as I continued reading were twofold. The first is the way in which it is written. I quite like the stark, honest and at times beautiful way in which Juliette narrates the story by the things she jots down in her notebook.  It seems to work quite well as she is confined in her cell with nobody but Adam for company and plenty of time on her hands.  But further in the story in when there is more action and dialogue and cameras trained on her for a large portion of the day, I didn't feel that Juliette writing in her notebook was really the most believable way in which the story is passed along to us.

The other thing that held me back from loving Shatter Me in its entirety is the relationship between Juliette and Adam.  Here is another instance in which we are told much of their past history and the reasons in which these two have become attracted and drawn to each other, but in the present day we don't see a huge deal of them getting to know who they are as people now and I would have liked to have seen more of that.  All well and good holding onto strong memories of childhood and of people who have made an impact on us, but that doesn't necessarily equal love when two people meet years later.

I really liked Juliette as a character. She's dealing with a lot.  The rejection of her parents is difficult, the way in which she has been treated her entire life, the guilt that she carries around for the things that have happened in the past. Juliette holds on to all of these things and more and it's a wonder that she isn't more emotionally damaged than she is.  And yet still she holds onto her goodness and her strong beliefs towards not using the power she has at all if it means hurting others.

The world that has been built for Shatter Me leaves me very interested, especially now that battle lines have been drawn, Juliette has chosen her side and that we've learned a bit more about her powers and how they fit into this new world.  I'm intrigued to know more!

Review by Kulsuma: Starters by Lissa Price

Review by Kulsuma from sunshine and stardust

The premise of Starters by Lissa Price is intriguing: a future, dystopian world where people between the ages of twenty and sixty die due to the Spore Wars. All that’s left are Starters; the young and Enders; those over the age of sixty and who can live up to two hundred years old due to advances in medicine. The main character, Callie lives in abandoned buildings with her ill brother Tyler and their friend Michael. Callie and Tyler’s parents died in the Spore Wars and like so many other Starters they are ‘unclaimed’ by any Enders and so must survive on their own. Due to their lack of money, her desperation to restore her brother to health and their desire for a proper home, Callie signs up to rent out her body to Enders for an illegal company called Prime Destinations.

Enders want to be young and beautiful again; to experience the heady exhilaration of youth. After her mind is connected to a computer, the Ender’s consciousness takes over Callie’s body and spends their allotted time bungee-jumping, partying and so on. However, the third time Callie rents her body out something goes horribly wrong and she wakes up in her own body. She has to figure out why she woke up so early, whose voice she can hear in her head and why her renter is asking her to kill.

I had really high expectations of Starters and thought the story had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. First, there wasn’t enough world building. There were a lot of questions that were unanswered such as how the Spore Wars started and what long-term effects there were. At one point, Callie states that she doesn’t like thinking about the war and thus we aren’t given any more information on it. How come the young and old were only vaccinated in time and not key workers?

In Starters, humans can live longer. I wanted a lot more detail as to how this worked. Wouldn’t sixty be the new thirty? Why didn’t youth last longer? Why was old age prolonged? Furthermore, as the story progressed, I grew increasingly frustrated as I had so many more questions. Why was Callie so trusting of Prime Destinations; she didn’t even read the entire contract before she signed over her body.

I didn’t feel invested in Callie; I felt indifferent to her. There wasn’t time to build an emotional connection to her when there was so much action going on around her and when a great host of flat secondary characters were being introduced. Price didn’t give enough information for me to be hooked. I found a number of plot holes and had a handful more questions by the end. I was puzzled by many of the characters’ actions and motives.

I was not invested in the romance aspect of the story. It was forced and I did not feel the connection between the two characters. By the revelations at the end, I felt somewhat disgusted. Revelations in the second book Enders might change this, but I didn’t get enough information in Starters to warrant further reading. I felt cheated at the end because there was no chance at guessing the twist because there were absolutely no clues.

Though the writing was good and the story was fast-paced, this wasn’t enough for me to love Starters. Overall, while the premise was gripping, the execution failed.

Thanks for the review Kulsuma, what a shame that it didn't work out for you!

REVIEW: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

 Guest review by Kulsuma from sunshine and stardust

In the future, chocolate and coffee are illegal and necessities such as water are in short supply. Anya Balanchine’s life and those of her siblings have always been more complicated than that of their peers. Their late father was the head of their criminal family; trading in chocolate. Though Anya tries her best to keep herself and her siblings out of trouble, trouble comes knocking on her door anyway in the form of her loser ex-boyfriend Gable Arsley who begs her for some bars of chocolate. Worse than that is her growing feelings for the District Attorney’s son, Win, which Anya knows can only have one outcome. Suddenly, she’s being arrested for her ex-boyfriend’s poisoning, given ultimatums that resemble blackmail and put in ever-increasing danger.

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin was a thoroughly gripping and entertaining book. I was wary at the outset as it has received mixed reviews; however, I enjoyed it. What I loved was that Anya was a strong, no-nonsense character whose protective and nurturing instincts for those she loves are commendable. She wasn’t wishy-washy and could make quick decisions confidently. For the most part, she was level-headed, cool and collected and thus it was great to read her refreshing story.

I loved all the secondary characters too. They were well-developed and I felt emotionally-involved with them. I liked Anya’s brother, Leo because he was a complex character. At the age of eight, he was the survivor of an assassination attempt gone wrong. Though Leo is the oldest sibling, his mental development is still that of an eight-year old’s. Therefore, Anya is in charge of the household.

I loved the romance in All These Things I’ve Done. It felt unusual (in a good way) and different from other books. I realised it was because Anya and her love interest were blunt with themselves and each other about their feelings. But though they’re upfront with each other, it doesn’t mean they can be together. Win was a very funny, charming male lead. I wished Zevin would have shown more of their relationship, rather than telling us. There were some really cute scenes, but I wanted more.

Also, Zevin should have explained why chocolate and coffee were made illegal in greater detail as they seem quite harmless in comparison to alcohol which has been made legal for everyone in Zevin’s depiction of the future. As it is something so far removed from our own society and central to the story, it needed a thorough explanation.

Furthermore, Anya was distant from the criminal underworld that her extended family glory in. Though this is out of active choice, it means that I, in turn, could not be shown some of the darker elements of the story, but only told after the event. I did not mind this in this first book; however, I would be disappointed if the same were to be said of the second book. There were a few scenes in the book which Anya should have been present in as it would have made the story much more exciting. Being told about it afterwards didn’t have the same effect.

Overall, apart from the few minor elements which could have been improved, I loved All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin. I was in Anya’s head throughout the entirety of the story and I sympathised with her. She is a practical and strong character who doesn’t like to cry. I can’t wait to see how she develops in the next book in the trilogy, Because It Is My Blood.

Sounds fascinating, thanks Kulsuma!

REVIEW: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I've been looking forward to Insurgent by Veronica Roth for such a long time, we all have! And it really doesn't disappoint at all. I picked up Insurgent immediately after receiving it and it's one of those books that I just couldn't put down for anything. Especially as things started heating up and getting really exciting, which they do quickly. But this book is also a lot darker than the Divergent as war escalates and some hard choices are made and these characters are put into increasingly more difficult and impossible situations.

Insurgent starts immediately after the events of Divergent, with Tris feeling both grief and guilt after the death of her parents and of her friend Will.  Much of Abnegation has been slaughtered, Dauntless have been split in two, it's hard to believe everything will ever be right again.  But there's hardly any time to grieve or to take things easy.  Tris and her band of survivors are headed to Amity in order to restock and regroup and make the next choice as to what to do next, who to align with, who to trust. 

I really loved the story that Veronica Roth tells in this series.  There's so much complexity here, and Roth doesn't shy away from backing her characters into some murky water.  Insurgent deals with secrets and lies, betrayal and forgiveness.  We meet quite a few familiar faces - Dauntless who didn't make it through initiation and became factionless, Caleb, Marcus, Peter - as well as new, surprising faces that test the bonds between Tris and Tobias. 

When I read Divergent last year, I was swept away by the excitement and the freshness of the story.  And while it can sometimes be hard for sequels to have the same exciting tone, I felt like Insurgent never failed to reach that level of anticipation and excitement.  There was so much to learn and discover, from the secrets that Abnegation died for, the truth that Erudite are concealing, the importance of Divergent rebels.  From the first page to the last, I was consumed by this book! 

Highly recommended, and I'm now dying to read more.  Bring on the next book, and quickly!

REVIEW: Prized by Caragh O'Brien

I found myself to be very surprised by Prized by Caragh O'Brien. It's the sequel to Birthmarked, which I read last year and really enjoyed. I think the reason I was surprised by Prized is that I assumed that because it is a sequel, the events that took place in the new book would remain in some way linked to the dystopian society that we encountered in Birthmarked. Not so.

In Prized, our main character, Gaia and her baby sister are rescused by the citizens of Sylum, this female-dominated dystopian society in which men hugely outnumber the women but are treated as inferior. Also? Kissing and general touching between sexes is prohibited.

I will admit that when I first read the synopsis of Prized, I wasn't quite sure about it. I wasn't fully ready to have the characters from Birthmarked, which was a story about science and midwifery and secret codes and DNA, and have them transplanted in this different type of world. But I gave it a chance, and I really enjoyed it.

I especially loved seeing the way in which Gaia developed as a character and seeing her in a different light. In Birthmarked, Gaia is treated very differently because of the burn scar on her face. Whereas in Prized, where the society has very different values and ways of thinking aside from physical appearance, Gaia, both as a woman and as a skilled midwife, is ... well, a prize.

It also has an interesting look at gender, about choices - particularly a women's right to choose abortion, and modesty and a kind of old-fashioned view of relatioonships and physical affection. I found myself thinking more about these things and redefining my stance on them as I was reading Prized, and I do love when a book allows me to do this.

Though Prized isn't quite as action-filled as Birthmarked, it does have an interesting array of new characters as well as familiar faces from the previous book. There is also another scientific mystery to solve and plenty of romantic angst for our Gaia. I'm very happy that I gave Prized a chance and I will definitely not be so reluctant to read the next book in the series! In fact, I'm pretty excited about it!

REVIEW: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver is a book I've been dying to read for such a long time! Since that shocking ending to Delirium, in fact. Before THAT ending, I could see in my head how the rest of the series might play out, but then everything changed. I was heartbroken and absolutely bereft at the changes that happened at the end of Delirium, but then I also kind of loved how Pandemonium started off with this fresh start.

This story is told in two parts. Then and Now, which, at the beginning, was difficult to get my head around. It took me awhile to find my place with this disjointed-feeling narrative, but soon I found myself really loving the huge jumps between time periods and also unravelling the mysteries and all the questions that begin building up of what occurs between Then and Now.

Lena was all ready to leave her home and the oppressive society that she grew up in and live her life happy and free to love Alex. But in Pandemonium during the Then, Lena is at the start of her journey in the Wilds without Alex. Without anybody, grieving for the boy she loved and lost and wondering where to go, what to do.

When Lena recieves medical help from a group of members who belong to the Resistance, her path seems pretty clear. Lena really does her best to remain strong, to live with the pain of Alex's memory, but also to move on and to fight for the things that she believes in. During the Then, we are able to see a wider, more detailed description of what it is like to live in The Wilds and the hard work and difficulties that come with it. We meet a bunch of wonderful new characters and we can really see how Lena has grown through her heartache.

I won't give you too much more detail into this book, as I loved not knowing very much about it before I picked it up myself. But there is much to love with this book. It's a lot darker in tone than Delirium - Lena goes through some difficult times and emotions. There is a lot more violence and death and hard realities to be faced, but there is also the sweet beginnings of new love and the hopefulness of better things to come.

This is an amazing, action-filled sequel fit to burst with emotion and surprises! I really recommend it!

REVIEW: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Oh man. I read Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi at just the right time. It was the perfect book to get me excited about books and reading after an extended period of book slumpiness. I really loved being thrown into this new and very different world. While at first I didn't quite get everything, nothing was too confusing to put me off. Quite the opposite actually, I was so intrigued right from the start to continue reading in order learn more and more.

Under the Never Sky is the first book in an exciting new trilogy. Honestly, I finished the book and felt desperate to read the sequel! It has a dual perspective, telling the story from both Aria and Perry's perspectives in this post-apocalyptic world in which one group of people live in domes and spend a great deal of time living their lives virtually protected from the wastelands outsides.

Aria has lived within the domes her entire life and has never known anything different. But when her mother goes missing, Aria goes to great lengths in order to find out more information. This leads her to Perry, a Savage, from outside the domes who has lived amongst the devastating Aether storms and has unusual abilities. He is searching for someone he cares about as well, and together they might just be each other's only hope.

I really, really loved these two main characters. I loved Aria's struggles with living outside of her sheltered life, experiencing the wildness of life and emotions that have never played a part in her existence before. Despite being unused to Outside living, she still does her utmost to become self-sufficient and is incredibly brave in coming to terms with the strangeness of her new life.

And Perry was a fantastic male lead. Whereas I could picture a lot of Aria's previous life being connected to the Realms, I found Perry's life to be utterly fascinating. Growing up in tribes that barter for food and supplies, having these exceptional sensory abilities, dealing with powerful and destructive Aether storms. Perry is a very wild character, hunting and killing with ease. But there's also such sensitivity about him. His strong emotional connection to his young nephew Talon was really sweet to witness and I loved watching Perry and Aria discover more about each other despite first appearances.

From the cover and the blurbs, it is quite apparent that this book is also a love story. I am so glad that the relationship between Aria and Perry is a gradual one and that their attraction towards each other has a basis in spending time with each other and learning more about the other. You can see a strong friendship forming here as well as some great tension and build-up.

I think the world and the characters that Veronica Rossi has created here is wonderful. And while some questions were answered in some respects to the story, there will still be so much more to discover throughout the trilogy. And oh boy, am I looking forward to it!

REVIEW: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

I'd been looking forward to reading Dark Parties by Sara Grant for such a long time, ever since Sara was here on the blog and mentioned how much of Dark Parties is a celebration of the strong women in her life. To me, that sounded like a book I really wanted to read.

And it is really good. Dark Parties is told from the point of view of Neva, a sixteen year old girl who has lived her life in the Protectosphere, this dystopian world in which the citizens inside are ruled by lies and fear. And with the government becoming more controlling over her life and with Neva's list of the Missing growing, Neva and her best friend Sanna feel that it is best to rebel against such a life.

The feeling these two girls have is that there must be something that can be done against the government having such control over every aspect of their lives, making people afraid of what can be said and voicing an opposing opinion. I really love that Neva is so pro-uprising right from the start and fights her way to the end.

I found Neva to be a really engaging main character. I loved her eagerness to stand up for what's wrong and I especially loved her strong friendship with Sanna. Through Sanna, Neva meets a bunch of strong women who are quietly rebelling and finds hope again that those who have been lost and missing might be found again. And while I didn't love the forbidden aspect of her relationship with Braydon (as he is Sanna's boyfriend), I could definitely feel the tension and attraction between Neva and Braydon.

I think I wanted to read a bit more world-building of this claustrophobic society and wanted more questions answered, but whilst reading the story, I found myself really emotional when reading of Neva's struggles both against the society she lives in, against her growing feelings for Braydon. The ways in which Neva and the people she comes into contact choose to rebel brought tears to my eyes.

Dark Parties is also quite exciting to read and there were some twists that I really didn't see coming. It's a wonderful debut and I'm excited to read more by Sara Grant!