[Review] Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Title: Glitch
Series: Glitch (Book 1)
Author: Heather Anastasiu
Genre: YA, dystopia, sci-fi
Format: E-book, 371 pages
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Published By: St. Martin's Press
Source: Received from publisher

 

Synopsis from Tour Host

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Author Bio (Spotlight)

Heather Anastasiu is the author of the young adult sci-fi novel, GLITCH (St. Martin's Press/Spring 2012). She recently moved to Minneapolis with her family, and when she’s not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café.

Random Facts About Me:

• I played the piccolo in my high school marching band.
• I paint a little, but for some reason, only in winter.
• So, the last name, I know it looks like Anastasia, but it has a U on the end: Anastasiu (rhymes with 'so-nice-to-see-you'). It's Romanian in origin.
• I like body art. Well, I like art of all kinds, but especially body art, i.e. tattoos, because it's the art you get to take with you. I figure, there's so much about the body we're given we don't have control over (hips, nose, forehead, chin, height, foot size, health), so much that we get no choice in, but hair color and ink designs? Hello world, this is me and the kinds of things I find beautiful!
• I was in a wheelchair for a year during college because of health problems. Being wheel-bound and knee-high for a year certainly changed my perspective on life (pun intended).
• Yes, I am a fan of cheesy puns.
• My favorite book is East of Eden because it blew open my world when I first read it at age 20.
• I also unabashedly love Twilight. I even wrote a chapter in a forthcoming book of academic essays about how Twilight, for all its shortcomings, can also have positive implications for readers in that it provides a platform for public participation in a communal female myth. It's compulsively readable and is all about engaging our fantasy lives and letting us participate in vicarious wish fulfillment.
• I like pink and black together, but not apart.

www.heatheranastasiu.com | @H_Anastasiu | facebook.com/HeatherAnastasiu

My Thoughts

Glitch is an intriguing introduction to what I hope will be a wonderful new series. It's an interesting look into a society where the government has decided the people are better off as unfeeling controllable drones than free-minded happy and social citizens.

I really enjoyed exploring the ideas of feelings and emotions through Zoel's newly opened eyes as she "glitches" and loses contact with the Link that usually blocks the population from feeling and building close relationships with others. It's almost funny when she experiences some sort of emotion and has no idea what is happening to her, and the resulting actions that come from that experience.

Emotion was exhausting. Life had been so much simpler without it.

I have seen some complaints regarding the "love triangle" that occurs in Glitch, and as a self-proclaimed hater of the love triangle arc myself, I was surprised that this one barely bothered me. I guess it's because it is almost always clear which two belong together. Zoel, even with her steep emotional learning curve can feel that one of the boys just isn't right for her while the other clearly makes her react differently.

There was something else I couldn't quite define--something that made me uneasy. We were a wrong fit, like unmatching puzzle pieces.

I thought about everything that had happened since I'd met him, how I'd instinctual trusted him from the start,  how his touch calmed me and made me feel safe, even in the most tense situations.

The character of Maximin did bother me quite a bit though. I feel as though he could have been made the "wrong choice" in better ways than was actually used. He just came out way too creepy stalker and almost abusive and I physically shuddered any time I had to read an interaction between him and Zoel. I just didn't enjoy it at all.

I found the world building very intriguing and the whole idea behind the society of great interest as well. It's one of those things, like with The Giver, where you can see some of the reasoning behind the choices that were made, but wonder if perhaps (well yes) the government took things too far...especially when it comes out that the government themselves don't follow their own rules! But then again, do they ever?

As a Torontonian, I think the subway train scenes were always some of my favorite and made me feel at home. I wish ours were as orderly as The Community's though!

The subway train had stopped with a hiss of brakes, exchanging passengers promptly ever quarter hour. I breathed in and looked around me. It was overcrowded as always, but subjects entered and exited the train in evenly spaced, perfect lines. Order first, order always.

I wish!

But overall Glitch is a highly enjoyable read that I recommend to anyone who enjoys dystopian tales. I look forward to the release of Override, book 2 in the series.

My rating?

[Review] Once by Anna Carey (Plus Giveaway)

Title: Once
Series: Eve (Book 2)
Author: Anna Carey
Genre: YA, dystopian, post-apocalyptic
Format: Hardcover, 358 pages
Publication Date: July 3, 2012
Published By: HarperCollins
Source: Received from publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads

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

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

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

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

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

My Thoughts

Even though I wasn't the hugest fan of the first book in this series, Eve, I was curious about what had happened to some of the secondary characters I had grown attached to. I had been patiently (not really) waiting for many months when I saw this on Edelweiss and decided to take a chance at requesting it. I hadn't had much success with Edelweiss prior to this, so I wasn't holding my breath. But thankfully, HarperCollins was awesome enough to accept my request and be my first acceptance on Edelweiss. I realized there were only 5 days left before the title would be archived so I rushed to download and read it. I didn't make it all the way to the end before it expired, but that's OK. My loss is your gain, because I had to obviously go out and buy a copy so I could finish the story, and now I want to share that with you. At the end of my review I will have a Rafflecopter form where you can enter for a chance to win my hardcover finished copy of Once.

My main complaint with Eve was Eve herself. I thought her to be wimpy, wishy-washy, and just not a stand-up character at all. I much preferred Arden, who ended up disappearing towards the end of Eve, which really annoyed me. But I have to admit that in Once, Eve has obviously gone through a period of growth during her time in Califia. It's nice to see her sticking up for herself and standing up for what she believes in, even if others don't completely agree with her methods. Also, the amount of emotional stress that Eve endures throughout this book is a testament to her growth, and how much more she is obviously going to continue to grow in the final book in the trilogy, Rise.

I have to admit that the storyline I was expecting to come out of this book did not actually happen. It was completely twisted and was a surprisingly intriguing touch, and I quite enjoyed reading it. I can't wait to see how it evolves by the end of the series.

I also fell in love with many of the new characters. The King was quite the enigma. You want to hate him for all that he has done that has caused the suffering of these girls and boys and the less wealthy people of his "Kingdom", but when he speaks about his reasoning behind his actions you can almost understand why he did it, or at least understand why he thinks it is necessary and not malicious. There are so many other characters I want to rave about, Beatrice, Charles, and so many more...but to tell you much of anything about them would give too much away. The one things I can tell you is the depth that Carey gives to each and every one of her characters is amazing. People are not just good and/or evil, they have motives, they have emotions, they make bad decisions, and they question themselves along the way. They are not perfect, and they all have flaws. They are realistic.

I also loved the setting for Once. The City of Sand, which is now the name of former Las Vegas is an amazing place to set up a new city. The many hotel suites are renovated and refurbished as living quarters (which is ingenious), and the logistical reasoning of choosing this city also makes a great deal of sense. It was a great touch! 

The only issues I had with Once were typical of a second-in-a-series book, and that is primarily pacing. Although I enjoyed the story and the characters quite a bit, I did find it to be quite slow and sluggish in many sections. Also, I really hate when a story throws in an animal of some sort just for the added emotional anguish of taking it away at some point. I often want to stop reading a book (or watching a movie) at that point. It's not really adding much, if anything, to the story. All it does is upsets me, and for no good reason. Just don't do it.

It was great seeing so many familiar faces, even if just for short glimpses throughout the story. Some closure was given, but by the end even more was left up in the air. What will happen next?

And OMG, the end? Damn you cliffhanger of DOOM! I am not amused...not amused at all...is it April 2013 yet? /sigh

My rating?

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

[Review] Variant by Robinson Wells

Title: Variant
Series:  Variant Series
Author:  Robinson Wells
Genre:  ya, dystopian
Format:  Ebook, 384 pages
Publication Date:  October 4 2011
Published By:  HarperCollins Publishers, HarperTeen
Source:  Received ARC from Publisher via NetGalley for Review.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

My Thoughts

I highly enjoyed reading this book. It was an interesting and unique story with just enough mystery and action thrown in together to make for a lively read that even the boys out there will enjoy. The pacing was a little uneven at times, but I guess I can't expect a book to rock and roll along through every word and every page. I also found that even though some of the sections were highly predictable, it was evened out by the number of twists and turns that caught me completely unaware.

The characters were fantastic! I completely fell in love with Benson, not in a romantic way, but in the way where he was so realistically stubborn, brave, and willing to stand up for himself and others, no matter the cost...there was no wishy-washyness in this boy!

I got a little blind-sided at the end, in a mostly good way, which was a nice experience. It's not often that happens to me anymore. However, I feel that the last two pages of the book were completely way off in left field, as they say. It's not so much that I don't agree with what was written, I just think because it was so different it should have been saved for the next book in the series, not just slapped in the reader's face with nothing historical to base it on yet, and then just end the book. That earns Variant the "cliffhanger of DOOM" classification that irritates me beyond belief. Bad Variant! (Of course it doesn't help that at the time of reading Variant I had no idea it was even going to be a series!)

I will of course still read the next book in the series. I did enjoy the story and I do want to know where it ends up...I just wish the author had of balanced out the ending a bit more...

My rating?

[Review] The Death Cure by James Dashner

Title: The Death Cure
Series:  The Maze Runner Trilogy
Author:  James Dashner
Genre:  ya, dystopian, post apocalyptic
Format:  Hardcover, 384 pages
Publication Date:  October 11 2011
Published By:  Random House, Inc., Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Source:  Received from Publisher for Review.

Synopsis from Goodreads

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?
Can Thomas survive in such a violent world?

My Thoughts

This final book in The Maze Runner trilogy picks up right where The Scorch Trials left off. Thomas is in a white padded room, contemplating something interesting...

"It was the smell that began to drive Thomas slightly mad. Not being alone for over three weeks. Not the white walls, ceiling and floor."

James Dashner definitely brought his A game back when writing The Death Cure. All the minor things that annoyed the heck out of me in The Scorch Trials was smoothed over by the fabulous writing and story-telling in this conclusion. It was an amazingly awesome wrap-up to this exciting and enjoyable series.

I don't want to give too much away, because I know nothing ruins my day more than stumbling across a nasty spoiler that drives me crazy for days on end...but I just have to say that I absolutely adore a writer who is not afraid to kill off main characters if and when it needs to be done. And to do it right! I mean, not just kill them to get a reaction, and not just for a matter of convenience sake, but because this character MUST die for things to be right with the world, and the story (if that even makes sense to you...it does to me...at least in my head...).

That comradeship that was built in The Maze Runner comes back into play in The Death Cure and you see, and feel, how important these relationships these characters have built with each other are, and how fragile they can become when push comes to shove. You care about these characters and what can, and does, happen to them. They are almost like family now!

The chapters, as always, were kept short, yet involved, which keeps the readers interested and coming back for more. Overall it was an amazing story that I am glad I got the opportunity to read and review. The ending cleared up almost all outstanding issues and I was really impressed with the series as a whole.

I recommend this book, and this series, to everyone!

My rating?

 

Series Rating (My detailed reviews are linked):

The Maze Runner - 5/5

The Scorch Trials - 4/5

The Death Cure - 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.67!!!

And did I mention the best part? James Dashner just announced a prequel to the series, The Kill Order, to be released in August 2012. A prequel! Oh yeah I'll be reading that!

[Review] The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Title: The Scorch Trials
Series:  The Maze Runner Trilogy
Author:  James Dashner
Genre:  ya, dystopian, post apocalyptic
Format:  Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Publication Date:  September 2011
Published By:  Random House, Inc., Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Source:  Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads

The Scorch Trials picks up where The Maze Runner left off. The Gladers have escaped the Maze, but now they face an even more treacherous challenge on the open roads of a devastated planet.
And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Can Thomas survive in such a violent world? 

My Thoughts

This book (book 2 in The Maze Runner trilogy) picks up right where The Maze Runner left off. As mentioned in my review of The Maze Runner, James Dashner is an amazing writer, and his writing remains up to snuff in this second installment. Once again the book opens with an intense and intriguing opening that immediately pulls the reader right into the story, but this time we are shoved into a room cramped with the surviving gladers, but we already know things are going to be bad.

"She spoke to him before the world fell apart."

I felt the pacing was a bit off with this novel. I was often left wondering what was really going on, why they were where they were, and what everything meant. It felt a little slapped together to be honest. It wasn't nearly as scary and creepy as The Maze Runner, and the whole back and forth thing with Theresa was just plain annoying.

Thomas felt completely detached from the rest of the group, which I am sure was part of the point, but it just seemed like all those relationships that were built up in The Maze Runner didn't matter at all and were a waste of space. I hope things come together better in The Death Cure.

Another thing that really annoyed me was the whole thing where Thomas would meet someone new, debate whether he should basically tell them his whole life story, then decide he either can trust them or has no other choice, and then those characters have no real main part in the book. Again it just feels like filler...and annoying filler at that...

I guess it just felt like overall there wasn't enough surprises to keep my interest, especially since I knew there would be one more book. I find most trilogies tend to slack in the second book...almost as if there really should have been only two books in the first place.

The chapters were kept short, yet involved, which keeps the readers interested and coming back for more. So that's a plus. There were also a few new characters added that made the story interesting, and hopefully continue to do so into The Death Cure. The writing was fantastic as was to be expected, just felt jumpy and unnecessary at times. Overall it was still a very enjoyable read, despite my complaints. It was interesting to see what happened to all the surviving gladers after they thought they were finally safe from the maze.

I recommend this book to anyone who loved the first one, and plans on finishing the series off with The Death Cure.

My rating?

[Review] The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Series:  The Maze Runner Trilogy
Author:  James Dashner
Genre:  ya, dystopian, post apocalyptic
Format:  Trade Paperback, 375 pages
Publication Date:  August 24, 2010
Published By:  Random House, Inc., Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Source:  Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads

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.

My Thoughts

I'm going to say this right off the top, James Dashner is an amazing writer. The Maze Runner has an intense and intriguing opening that immediately pulls the reader right into the story, throwing them right in beside a lonely and confused Thomas in a creepy elevator shaft.

"He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air."

Dashner's pacing is perfection. The story flows along so nicely you almost don't realize as you sneak up on the ending. I was so involved in Thomas's character, trying to figure out why he seems so familiar with everything, yet why most of his memories are missing. Trying to put all the clues together to find out what is happening so everyone can escape the horrors of the maze. The author doesn't give too much away too early, he lets the reader discover the important aspects of the plot as the characters do. I love this in a storyteller. It keeps you reading, turning every page one right after the other until you reach the mind-numbing conclusion.

One of my favourite aspects of The Maze Runner is the new language the characters create during their time living with one another. Completely devoid of memories of their past they quickly develop their own entertaining slang. I love how this allows the boys in the book to "swear" as boys often do, but without having the book filled with profanity.

“Klunk’s another word for poo. Poo makes a klunk sound when it falls in our pee pots.”

That quote seriously made me snicker out loud on the subway... embarrassing...

The chapters were short, yet involved, which keeps the readers interested and coming back for more. The characters were alive and vivid, allowing the reader to become emotionally invested in them (which is not always a good thing!)

I highly recommend this book to everyone, male or female, old or young, I think there is something in it for everyone.

My rating?

Review of Eve by Anna Carey

Title: Eve
Series:  The Eve Trilogy
Author:  Anna Carey
Genre:  YA, dystopian, post apocalyptic
Format:  Ebook, 336 pages
Publication Date:  September 27, 2011
Published By:  HarperCollins Publishers, HarperTeen
Source:  ARC from NetGalley

Synopsis from Goodreads

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

My Thoughts

This book had a very intriguing premise, which is what attracted my attention when I was perusing books to review on NetGalley. I'm a huge sucker for the dystopian/post apocalyptic YA genre, and there has been so many good choices to read.

Eve was very well written and had a promising story. A serious disease has killed a large chunk of the population, leaving many children orphaned. Schools have been set up to welcome these children in (boys and girls are kept completely separate in different schools and never even see each other) where they are educated, medicated and housed until their 18th year. The girls are taught to fear the male of the species, being told they are nothing but animals who are intent on lying to them until they can satisfy their urges and then abandon them. (It's not until later that we find out more about the boys and their "education".) Once they reach their 18th year they "graduate" to the next area where they will begin their more focused career training. Or so they have been lead to believe...

We very early discover that things are not what they are expected to be, and the girls are being kept for more sinister reasons. The reasons, although I sat and tried to think very hard about how it might actually could happen in the real world, come off as too far-fetched to me. I don't see why the school would focus so closely on education and keeping them away from some of the things from the past just so they can house them up later and force them to pop out babies while they remain strapped on hospital beds. It just doesn't make much sense to me.

My main issue with this book is the main character, Eve. She is one of the most annoying main characters I have met in a very long time. She is weak, annoying and selfish. Her choices are wishy washy and completely unrealistic, going against characteristics that are laid out for her in the story. First she is strong, then she wimps out, then she wants to do whatever she can for a person, then leaves them behind, she's completely unpredictable. She is so immature I often just wished the author left her behind to die in a corner somewhere. That might sound harsh, but it's how I feel. I had a better connection with Eve's friend, Arden. She is strong and true and willing to give up anything to help those closest to her. I hope we see more of her in book two. I also hope Eve takes a cue from Meghan (The Iron Fey series) and does some growing up over the next book or two. I'm not sure how much more I can stand to read from her...

On top of all that, the ending was another one of this horrible cliffhangers I hate so much...

Really?

/groans

The writing style, the "promise" of a good story, and the hope that Eve is using this book to learn and mature are the only things that saved me from ranking this book lower...

My rating?

Review of Ashes by Ilsa Bick

Title: Ashes
Series:  Ashes Trilogy
Author:  Ilsa J. Bick
Genre:  YA, end of the world, dystopian
Format:  Ebook, 480 pages
Publication Date:  September 6, 2011
Published By:  Egmont USA
Source:  ARC from Netgalley

Synopsis from Goodreads

It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

My Thoughts

As you have most likely come to realize if you have been reading my reviews for any length of time, I can be quite harsh on books. Some people have even asked me why I continue to read and review books if I find it so hard to like them. The answer is simple really. I do it for the "gems", the ones that come along and surprise you with their awesomeness.

Ashes is one such book.

Let me be honest...I expected to really NOT like this book. One of the few reasons I actually picked it was because I was new to book blogging at the time and I was trying to get a handle on NetGalley. Egmont USA was one of the few publishers that didn't require you to request a title for review, you could just click Read Now...and so I did. I grabbed a bunch of their titles, not really being familiar with their company, and hoped I could work myself into getting accepted for better books that way. I had little to no expectations for these books.

Boy was I wrong!

Ashes was brilliant! Let me just say that right now. If you haven't read it I suggest you rush out now (well tomorrow when it is officially released) and pick up this book and devour it!

The first thing that impressed me about Ashes was how the reader is immediately immersed in the story. There is no long drawn out description of the setting, the weather, the house, whatever...you are thrown into the middle of a heated telephone conversation that tells you everything you need to know....the main character is terminally ill and obviously fed up with her never-ending treatments, her parents are dead and she has taken off from her aunt's place where she is now staying so she can have a much needed mental health break. This is all explained to the reader through realistic dialogue the engages the reader instead of boring them to death with lines and lines of poorly written back story. And the last line of the first chapter leaves you haunted and dying to know what happens next.

"They never spoke to one another again."

I love the author's amazingly descriptive vocabulary. She is never afraid to hold back and describes everything like it is.

"Hadn't done the woman any good either, judging from the way her guts boiled out in a dusky, desiccated tangle, like limp spaghetti."

I love her for that! A few times I stopped and asked myself if this amount of gore was appropriate for the YA genre, but Hell, I was reading Stephen King during my "YA" years because books like this weren't really available for us. And I don't have any serious mental problems...I think...

I loved the short chapters that were just long enough to not be ridiculous, but weren't too long to bore you. Sometimes people like to read in bursts and often people feel they have to finish at the end of a chapter. Ashes gives you lots of opportunities to do so. That is just something I always appreciate in a book.

As an animal lover I always enjoy when animals are added to a story, and not just for shock value so you can kill them off. I hate nothing more than an author who throws in a family dog just to kill them off because that way they can get some shock value without hurting an actual person. Well newsflash! Sometimes people bond  closer with animals, especially dogs, than they do with the characters themselves, and just sometimes killing off those animals pointlessly really irritates the readers. Can you tell I really hate when authors do that? Luckily Ms. Bick isn't THAT kind of writer. The animals in Ashes play a specific role and they burden a nice portion of the story on their furry little shoulders. I love that! Some of the animals in this book are as important as the main characters and you develop a bond with them so strong you hurt when they hurt, just as much as you do (if not more) when something happens to the main characters.

The story houses some great mysterious qualities that you feel compelled to search out. Nothing is right out in the open and people are very guarded with their motives and emotions. It keeps the readers guessing and invested in the story. I can't wait to read the other two books in the trilogy so I can finally learn just what the Hell is going on!

Some minor things that did bother me about Ashes were the endings of a few chapters that were meant to be foreshadowing, but after a while just got irritating. Always something along the lines "later she would wonder if things might have turned out differently if she hadn't just..." It was a little repetitive and just seemed forced at times.

Also, the ending really pissed me off. It made me so mad I swore out loud. My boyfriend looked at me like I was about to murder him. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a horrible ending...the problem was that I was unaware it was meant to be the first book in a trilogy, and if I had of known in advance I would have expected some type of cliffhanger. This one smacked me in the face so hard I was left in shock, mostly because it was unexpected, and also because the story was moving so fast at this point and I was just waiting to get to the end, to find out things, and then boom, no more. I think I almost cried. I even called out the poor author on Twitter...to which she responded very kindly. I love authors like that who interact back with their readers...it eased the blow...a little...that and I made her promise to send me the next book (Shadows) as soon as it was available...

...and so I wait...

My rating?

Review of The Giver by Lois Lowry

~Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.~

I love dystopian stories. There is just something intriguing, and often scary, about seeing how society "could be" if some event happened or if they took it into their own hands to change the way life "should be".

The Giver by Lois Lowry is one of the better dystopian stories I have read in terms of fleshing out the society and their rules, regulations and behaviors.

This story really makes you think. Would the world be a better place if things such as violence and lust were completely removed from life by a society who changes and controls things for the betterment of their people? Where people must apply for spouses that are not chosen by them, and only then are able to apply for children that are not created by them. Where members are placed together to form a loving family unit with the maximum of one mother, one father, one male child and one female child. Where children only live at home until they have progressed through their growth years and are chosen foe their life's work by the society's council.

I have to admit...the idea has some merits to it. I often stopped to weigh the pros versus the cons while reading this book. Would I miss the things they took away from their society to trade in for all the good they have achieved. It was a very difficult assessment for me to make at times.

I was constantly shocked and sometimes even appalled at how far they insisted on going. Many of the rules were not stated outright, but if you read between the lines enough you can understand what they are implying. I don't want to give any of it away because some of the revelations came closer to the end, but it was all so wonderfully done. The author didn't slap you in the face with a list of rules, they just let them sneak up on you and tackle you from behind. The writing style was perfect. The story flowed by so fast I was disappointed when it was over.

Of course part of that was due to the way it ended. If you have been following my blog long enough you know of my hatred for cliffhanger endings. It makes me want to tear my hair out and beat small children (not really...but you get the picture). Almost everything had been running so smoothly up until the last few pages. Considering there really isn't a sequel it would have been nice if the author could have tied up the loose ends a little tighter...but they didn't. That's always disappointing...at least to me.

Some other minor points of contention were over some of the things we learn later that the society has changed. Up to about the middle of the book most changes and rules make some sense, and they seem completely realistic and I could see a scared society (or a controlling one) putting these new rules into motion. But some of the things we find out they have changed, or controlled, later in the story are so hard to believe it took me completely out of the story. It was such a shame.

Every summer I make my son read at least 2 novels of my choosing and then he has to write a report on them for my review. This year I have chosen this as the second of the 2 books. Mockingbird was his first one. He is reading that one currently.

I was tempted to give this book a 4.5 rating. But I don't do partial ratings. You know why? Have you ever seen half a spider? Ok...I'm sure you have...but I bet it wasn't pretty...and I don't want no ugly half spiders lurking on my blog ok?

My rating?

4 super scribble spiders out of 5!

Review of Bumped by Megan McCafferty

~When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

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

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

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

Does anyone remember Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield from the Sweet Valley High series? I certainly do (of course I am probably aging myself by saying that). I think Megan McCafferty remembers them as well because her set of twins in Bumped, Melody and Harmony, sure seem an awful lot like those two.

First off we have the annoying and snobby Jessica Melody.

Then we have the more down to Earth Elizabeth Harmony.

To make matters worse, a good chunk of the story reminds me of the Sweet Valley High novel where Elizabeth meets and kind of falls for some young celebrity guy.

I hate to say it, but it was horribad. The only reason I finished it was because it was one of the choices for my YA Summer Challenge. Most people on my friends list couldn't believe I forced myself all the way to the end. I could hardly believe it myself.

And of course this author is going to try to milk it. She gives it one of those horrible endings I hate and leaves so much more open that she hopes people will still come back to read the next 1-2 books, bad writing be damned.

It's hard enough to wrap my head around a story where girls (between the ages of 11-18 tops) are glamorized for having babies for adult couples who apparently no long can have their own due to some disease that hits you when you become an adult. But when the writing is THIS BAD and the characters are THIS DULL, well then it's just torture.

The one redeeming part of the whole book is the character Zen, who is Melody's best friend. He obviously wants to be more than friends with Melody, but she is saving herself so she can sell her "birthing years" off to the highest bidder. 

It's really sickening...

I'm glad I only bought it as an Ebook. I'd beat myself for paying that much for a hardcover of this trash.

I thought about ranking it a 1, but I didn't completely hate it, it did have a few good parts here and there, just not many of them. It really just rubbed me the wrong way a lot of times. But I'll most likely read the next one just to find out what happens after that dreaded cliffhanger...

My rating?

2 sulky scribble spiders out of 5.

Review of Divergent by Veronica Roth

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

~

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


It's been almost a year since I posted a book review. Where does the time go? I blame my absence on being very ill, a minor surgery followed by a major surgery, and a complete lack of interest in most of my reading material lately.

But I am delighted to say Divergent has changed all that!

This book is the first YA book I have read in a while (since Hunger Games most likely) that didn't make me want to stick my fingers deep inside my throat until putrid yellow bile came spurting out. Most YA books try to keep things so tame that they literally bore me to tears. I am so sick of the build up, the love triangles, and the resulting nothing ending that leaves almost everything unresolved because the writers have to drag everything out into at least a trilogy nowadays. It's sickening. I've mentioned before my hatred for the cliffhanger ending and the being held hostage by the author...Roth doesn't do this to us.

Granted, from what I have learned, there will be at least two other books in the Divergent series. But that's not the important part. The important part is that there doesn't have to be. If this was a stand alone book I would be 100% happy. It solved the issues that needed to be solved and it concluded. The end. I see where it can go if it wants to (which it obviously does) but it doesn't have to. And that is the major point. Most books skip so much of the story because they know they have to leave something for that next book, and to be honest, it makes the books dull and empty. Divergent is full of story, character, action, everything. Nothing is lacking.

One of my favourite parts of Divergent is the characters. Not just the main characters, all the characters. I am so tired of the "cardboard" characters in these YA books. I rarely can connect with them. They just don't seem real. They don't make real people decisions, and they often lack emotion.

Veronica Roth has created fabulous characters. The main character is not just the typical strong female teen we get in most YA books these days. She has actual flaws. She makes both good and bad decisions, decisions that I could see myself making given the circumstances involved.

The minor characters are real. They are not just there to fill a spot in the story. They have strong personalities and stand out on their own in the story. Most times when I am reading a book and the main character mentions another character I tend to have to think very hard about who it is again they are talking to. Not with Divergent. I immediately know which character is in every scene.

I just can't say enough good things about this book and I don't want to keep rambling on so I'll end it here...fabulous book...read it now.

My rating?

5 stupendous scribble spiders out of 5!