Young Adult Review: Clan by Realm Lovejoy

Clan by Realm Lovejoy

ebook, 350 pages

Published: November 12, 2013

Source: Author

Clans are Unity.

No variation. No deviation.

On Clades, to be a Clan is to be an exact copy.
A perfect society cloning themselves to survive,
even as the zombielike Frags threaten to overrun them
on an unforgiving planet.

Clan 1672 (privately known as Twain)
was never supposed to survive the Incubation Tank.
But he did. Illegally.
He is different from the other Clans.

A secret that could destroy him.

Clan is a very different sort of book.  I went in feeling pretty clueless about it since there were no reviews up yet and all I really knew was that it was sci-fi.  And it is, and initially feels very sci-fi as you start the book.  It feels maybe a bit frigid and sterile.  There's not really much emotion.  We see that Twain is stifled in a home with his sponsor and that he's never seen the outside.  One day he finds a way to look out and someone sees him and then his sponsor points out why he couldn't go out before, he has blue eyes and everyone else has brown.  He is a mutant, different.  This is because every single 'person' who they call 'clan' is a clone of their 'father'.  So everyone looks exactly the same.  They live in this society where they aren't suppose to be individuals. No laughter, no fun.  Just learn and do what you need to do to keep things together.  Twain only barely is allowed to live and they put him out in society to be with the others and contribute.  He gets some bullying, which is the first sign that some of the clans do have individual thoughts and opinions.  As the book continues we see this is true for most of them, even if they fight it.  Twain is introduced to a sort of underground and is told he may need to escape there one day to avoid execution because of being a mutant.
Twain starts out being a rule follower, it was what he was taught his whole life by his sponsor.  But he also wasn't out in society and now that he's out and he realizes all his own thoughts and opinions may not be clan and aline with what they are suppose to think.  He slowly grows into a much more free thinking character with opinions and cares.  He cares about others and when it comes down to really needing to step up he does so, fighting against the societal norm to protect others and himself.

Twain makes two friends, one of which is a total surprise and it shows that everything isn't black and white.  While initially I had thought he could be the death of Twain, I was impressed when he became a protector.  The other is a friend he made immediately who is much different from the others.  In fact, he almost stands out as different to everyone because he has such individual thoughts and opinions and has trouble keeping them to himself.  I felt the author did an amazing job in creating characters that were really multidimensional.   
Initially I felt the book was a tad slow, but it was just being introduced to the world and seeing how it is.  Getting a feel for the city filled with clones of one man.  All looking the same and only differentiated by the numbers on their clothing and the chip in their body identifying their number.  Once Twain starts to have more individual thought and is introduced to the other side of this society, one with more dirty secrets then he could imagine, the story really takes off.  At this point it was hard to put down.

This book has a lot of twists. Because of the nature of it, it wasn't really possible to predict anything.  With my brain constantly trying to figure out what might happen next, I just found myself surprised over and over again.  I would think one thing only to be shocked by the events that occurred.   Because of twists and turns it's not possible to really talk about the plot too much.  It was one that was filled with crazyness and tension.  There were lots of moments where I couldn't believe anyone could actually survive what was happening.  Twain was close to be killed more then once and it was a wild ride!

The ending of the book caught me off guard.  I was at 96% and there was still so much we needed to know!  Well, the author fills us in about what happened, and it worked out well.  It was an ending that really made me smile because I wasn't sure that things could possibly work out.  Just the fact that ANYONE lived, would make me smile though, cause that was CRAZY-TOWN!

I definitely do recommend this book to mature YA readers who enjoy sci-fi and twisty plots.  Excellent read!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Young Adult Review: SUSY Asylum by Michael Pierce & Giveaway

SUSY Asylum (Lorne Family Legacy #2) by Michael Pierce

ebook, 424 pages

Published: April 25th, 2013

Source: Author

In SUSY Asylum, there is no release. There is no escape. No hope.

Oliver and Desiree are introduced to the writings of a mysterious blogger, Commodore Chaos, when they return to Provex City to indulge in what the sublime city has to offer. The blogger claims the Lornes are collecting people venturing between the higher planes of awareness and locking them away in a mythical asylum. But are these legitimate concerns for inter-plane travelers or just the ramblings of an anonymous conspiracy blogger?

Oliver looks to Provex City as his only connection to his father while Desiree looks to the city as an escape from the torment of losing her best friend—again. Provex City is a wonder of beautiful treasures, entrancing them to continue returning. But behind the beauty, wolves have continued hunting Oliver, a boy who is still unaware of his importance in the rebellion.

Oliver’s belief is waning. Desiree will not always be by his side. Mr. Gordon will not always come to his aid. Oliver finds himself alone, forced to confront his biggest fears, fight his inner demons, and face the very cold reality that no one is coming to save him.

Welcome to SUSY Asylum.

This is a series that really messes with your head.  It's not super complicated, and it almost seems real, like so much of this science fiction stuff could be real.  And I have to chock that up to the authors ability to convince the reader it could happen, because when I'm not reading it and I think about it I realize that I'm kind of dreaming if I think there's this alternate plane (or planes) that we could pass into just by thought and will.  These books have a lot of stuff about the power of our mind as well, and this stuff actually really does seem real.  Not as far as it goes in the books, but I believe that if we could really tap into more of our brain we might possibly be able to move things with our mind, and even heal ourselves and others, etc.  I really love that aspect of this book.  It was definitely more prevalent in the first book though, and this one focuses more on Provex City and the time they spend there.

Oliver is such a normal teenage boy.  I love it!  He seems so much more realistic then so many other teen boys we read about.  He has the normal struggles and weaknesses, but he has this ability to make some things better, he just doesn't so well at tapping into it.  At least not in this book.  He's clearly suffering from doubts and lack of faith in himself.

There is discovery in the book.  One issue is Oliver and Desiree's relationship, or at times lack of it.  It's clear from the first book that he cares for her a lot.  Desiree is a bit wishy washy in this book in the first half, clearly not knowing what she wants, or not sure if she's going to go for it at least.  But we see much more of what happened with TJ, and this makes it easier to understand her behavior.  I still grew frustrated with her, but I suppose she acted like a normal teen girl.  Luckily she shows growth by the end and I expect this will be more thoroughly explored in the next book. 

The first half of the book was slower paced but I felt like we were getting important information and clues, so it was at least somewhat necessary.   The second half is fast paced and terrifying.  I was hardly able to put the book down because I needed to know if everyone would turn out okay.  There were twists and turns and horrifying things happened.  I was cringing more than once.  If I could read with my eyes closed and the covers over my head, I would have.  It's scary, but a different sort of scary.  

I highly recommend this series! Very unique concept that will keep your brain working as you imagine all these amazing, crazy and terrifying things.  I can't wait to continue the series!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

The tour for this book is currently running. You can find the tour page HERE.
I also featured Mr. Pierce last week and he's giving away a $15 Gift Card.  Here's the tour wide giveaway for you as well.

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Review: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis @RazorbillBooks

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis

Hardcover, 369 pages

Published: Jan. 15th, 2013 by Razorbill

Source: Gift

The final book in the  New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Galactica and Prometheus!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

 

CRAZY.  INSANE.  MINDBLOWING.  Yep, this book was a crazy ride!  I'm going to try to keep it spoiler free for the entire series, but I'm not promising that nothing spoiler'y will slip out.  And the book description probably has more spoilers than this review.

 

This book is very different from the first two just cause the setting changes.  I think that's clear just by the title.  But this definitely stepped the book up a notch.  I think I was starting to feel like the confines of the ship was holding things back a bit and being off of it totally changed the game!  While I sometimes guessed things I felt like it was just a guess and when I was right it was more vaguely right cause there's so much more to it and it all surprised me anyway.  Sometimes I was really surprised and somehow the twists and turns kept coming.  I love books where you don't really know who the bad guys are.  Where the bad guys maybe because of false information or something maybe think that these other people are the bad guys, so really, they aren't bad guys.  This is sort of the case for this whole series.  Sometimes people think they are doing the right thing, when they aren't really.  Trying to figure out the culprit is always fun.  In this book it was even more so because things are just so different now.  

 

In the previous books I have said I liked Amy and Elder okay, but didn't love them.  That's the same case here.  By the end I liked them much more than I did before, but there were points in the book that I wanted to yell at them for their stupidity.  Sometimes they just didn't take safety into consideration at all.  I HATE when that happens.  But then when it comes down to it, they pulled through and I was happy.  But for me the characters were the weakest part of the story.  Normally that's a big issue for me, but because I love the plot and everything else I actually was able to look past it all pretty easily just cause it wasn't like I disliked them, I just didn't love them. 

This book was really fast paced with stuff constantly happening.  It was nearly impossible to stop reading and when I did I was still thinking about the book.  I read it in big chunks without getting up at all.  I stopped to sleep then picked it up in the morning (after dreaming about it all night).  I love the whole concept thought up and while it's a little hard to wrap my head around, it does seem like something that could happen.  

I kind of wish we were getting more.  It had a good conclusion, but I'm still wanting more!  Also, there were a lot of casualties in this book and I think maybe I wish that there were less.  It's hard to say as that brings in the severity of it all, but I think maybe a few less would have still had the same impact.  

I definitely recommend picking this series up!  I know it's not for everyone, but it's worth giving a shot.  It has been many hours of entertainment for me as well as making me think about things I may not have normally thought about so much. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from another blogger who isn't reading the series.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis

Hardcover, 386 pages

Published: Jan. 2012

Source: Won

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

 Spoiler free for the series.
I had this book on my shelf for almost a year.  That's just ridiculous.  But I'm kind of glad I waited because now I can dive straight into the next one to see what happens next cause I gotta say, I'm dying of curiosity!

This is a series that really gets me emotionally involved.  I can imagine this happening, people put into space to land on a far off planet generations later.  I also can see the affect it would have on people.  There are good and bad on earth, of course it's going to be the same in space on a ship with thousands of people.  But the damage one person can do can be life or death for everyone.

This book is filled with clues about something that Elder and Amy need to discover.  As they are on this quest to figure out this big secret someone is sabotaging things and people are going crazy.  Elder has a lot to deal with and Amy is just determined to find a solution to things, to figure out how to get them out of there.  I was completely immersed in this book as I read and got frustrated when I was interrupted.  I had no idea what was going on, what the big secret was and how things would go.  I also was emotionally involved because we have people freaking out and Elder has to deal with so much.  I kept thinking of what he should be doing, to get these people to listen to him and stop being so frexing STUPID!   This was all good though, I love when I get that involved.

This book was really easy for me to read and I was totally involved and entertained but I can't say it's a favorite.  I don't love the characters, I like them fine, but they don't really WOW me.  But because the whole thing with the plot and the world is SO great it's not really a huge issue.  I can say that I wish Elder would have figured out something sooner, got some advisers from the city or something.  I think Amy could have told him that was the way to go, so that was annoying that she was so involved in her own things she just didn't even give it a thought.  Elder also came off as a bit weak because his emotions rule him, but he's a teenager so it's realistic.  Amy also lets emotions rule her.  She is determined in many ways but is blind to how she might not always be right.

Overall I really enjoyed every minute of the book.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

Double Review: The Pearl Wars & Crimson Rising by Nick James

Both reviews were also posted at Novels, News and Notes From Your Northwest Neighbors.

The Pearl Wars (Skyship Academy #1) by Nick James

Paperback, 386 pages

Published: Sept. 8th, 2011 by Flux

Source: Purchased

A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.

Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

This book started out slow for me. There was just so much to soak up because it's such a crazy world.  First of all this is a mix of sci-fi and post apocalyptic.  It definitely has a pretty strong sci-fi feel though with the Skyship dwellers and crazy technology.  But we still got surface time where we see what's happening on earth as well.  It was a mix that worked well together but didn't feel like it truly came together until about halfway through.

I love getting a male POV and in this one we get two males narrating.  Jesse is telling his alternate chapters in first person and so he felt like the true main character.  The other chapters are Cassius narrating in third person.  Cassius is kind of a bad guy, but the whole time you know there's more to it and you're just waiting for the twist to reveal everything.  Especially the whole ability thing because really, we have no idea what the heck that's about!  Jesse is an underdog sort of guy.  One who is picked on and doesn't do so good in class.  And Cassius is kind of a bully but we don't see him interact with people too much so perhaps that's not completely accurate.  Either way, these aren't your usual kind of characters.

This book is very twisty!  There are lots of different things going on that you just NEED to know the answers to, but the ending is absolutely fantastic!  It will leave you speechless as things come together.

I honestly considered putting this book down in the first half.  But right about halfway I was sucked in and before I knew I knew I was in love with the story unfolding.  So it took me a bit, but it was so worth my time and I very much look forward to continuing the series.  

Spoiler free review of Book Two (for one and two), but the description may have some spoilers, so you may want to skip that.

Crimson Rising (Skyship Academy #2) by Nick James

Paperback, 360 pages

Published Sept. 8th, 2012 by Flux

Source: Purchased

Our best-selling sci-fi series continues

Following their dramatic showdown in Seattle, Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson find their world’s been turned inside out. The faculty at Skyship Academy is keeping Jesse a prisoner in his own home, fearful of his influence over Pearls. And Cassius, once a loyal Pearlhound for the Unified Party, has been pushed into hiding, fearful of his government's retaliation.

When Jesse smuggles a mysterious red Pearl onboard the Academy, he sets loose a destructive chain of events, which lead him to a reunion with Cassius and a confrontation with Theo -- a bloodthirsty Pearlhound with a dangerous secret.

But a larger threat looms in the stars. An enemy is gathering, with plans to exterminate the entire human race. And Jesse and Cassius might just be the lynch pins that trigger mankind's destruction.

It was  probably two months since I read the first book but it was about right amount of time between the two because I still remembered everything but I wasn't burnt out on the world (which tends to happen to me).  This one starts out about 4 months after the last one ended and we get a little caught up with what everyone has been up to before the story really goes crazy.  I want to keep this spoiler free for the first book (the description is a bit spoilery though) so I'm going to be very vague.

I really enjoyed the characters.  I won't say I loved them, but I did like them.  And I think I may have liked Cassius more than Jesse this time around.  Jesse seemed very angry and determined, I guess.  He has a mission in mind and he's not all about sitting around doing nothing. Cassius hasn't had a chance to sit around as he's been on the run but as he goes through all this crap I really felt for him.  He grew up in a situation that pretty much makes it so he doesn't know who or what to trust.  He's pretty much on his own in figuring things out.   I felt like Jesse was more the impulsive one and Cassius was a bit more cautious.  Both of them were very brave and did what they needed to do though.

What really shines in this series is the world.  The world building is incredible!  The post apocolyptic sci fi stuff was brilliantly done.  I was able to picture and imagine everything so well, it was almost like a movie in my head.

These are definitely great 'boy' books and I'm looking forward to getting my nephews to read them as I think they will love them! And they are also clean, I totally won't hesitate to give them to my 12 year old nephew. 

Review: Origin by Jessica Khoury

Origin by Jessica Khoury

Hardcover, 372 pages

Expected publication: September 4th, 2012 by Razorbill

Source: Publisher

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost.

Writing a review for this book is proving to be difficult for me and is quite possibly the worst review I have ever written.  I have so many mixed feelings about the book.  There wasn't anything that I didn't like, but yet nothing really wowed me. 

I liked the setting of the rainforest a lot.  And I liked the laboratory hidden in the Amazon and the story behind it.  I liked the science behind Pia and her immortality.  I liked Pia and I liked Eio.  But the plot was slow moving and the romance felt a bit blah at first.  In the last bit it pulled through for me and I liked it, but I wasn't feeling it for quite a long time.   The story line was good, I liked the history and I liked that Pia was finding her morality when she'd basically been taught not to have any, but I wanted things to happen sooner.  There's not much action in this book until the last little bit.  And if some conflict had occurred sooner I could have felt more passionate about the book I think.  I think it had potential for greatness but didn't quite pull through for me.

I enjoyed this book but it lacked emotion for me.  I felt it at the end and the final conflict, but I guess it was a little too late.  At the same time I loved how Pia found her way.  So I don't know, I liked it, but definitely didn't love it.  I have been back and forth between 2.5 stars and 3.  I decided to go with 3 as I think that really reflects how I feel even though my review sounds so negative. 

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Review: Erasing Time by C.J. Hill

Erasing Time by C.J. Hill

Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: August 28th, 2012 by Katherine Tegan Books (Harper)

Source: Gift

In this high-action and romantic futuristic adventure, there is no escape from the future for two contemporary girls pulled out of their own time.

When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that’s so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can’t go back home.

The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The moblike Dakine fights against the government, and somehow Taylor and Sheridan find themselves in the middle. The only way to elude them all is to trust Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.

Full of adrenaline-injected chases and heartbreaking confessions, Erasing Time explores the strength of the bonds between twins, the risks and rewards of trust, and the hard road to finding the courage to fight for what you believe in.

I went into this book only knowing it was sci fi.  I liked not really knowing what it was about because it allowed me to be surprised with every twist and turn.  But when I read that description it makes me even more excited about this book because it's so accurate and true.  

The girls are from now and are pulled into the future 400 years.  Imagine how much our language has changed, how sayings have died out and how much things are just so different.  I really enjoyed this bit. The twins didn't need a secret twin language, they could just talk in figures of speech and no one knew what they were saying.  This was awesome and hilarious.  Now the only ones who even understand Sheridan and Taylor are Echo and his father who are wordsmiths.  They've studied history, particularly our century.  So they know the language.  Or dialect, really.  They also have loads of questions.  They have really misinterpreted a lot of stuff and it's pretty funny to hear the things they've always thought.  

I really enjoyed the characters in the book a lot.  Taylor was a bit hard to warm up to, but Sheridan and Echo are the ones who we get the story from.  It's not in first person, but yet from their POV.  And they were great characters.  I also really loved Echo's father who has so much enthusiasm for history and can't seem to soak up enough information that the girls have to share.  Though sometimes they just have plain old fun with them and tell them totally ridiculous things.

The sci fi elements weren't confusing or over my head.  I suppose there was some science'y stuff I didn't understand, but it was so brief it wasn't really an issue.  And I could picture this future so clearly and it brought up so many things about our own society and the direction it may be taking.  Or could take.  And it's scary stuff.  

The book is a bit slower paced until closer to the end.  At times I grew frustrated because the lack of communication and it felt like things weren't getting anywhere.  I just wanted everyone to talk and figure it out rather then refusing to trust anyone.  I also felt like the romance moved a bit fast.  I mean, they could have had time to develop feelings first.  However it didn't really have an insta love feel either because there's not any undying love, it's still just attraction, but the kissing starts early.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read.  It had funny, it had romantic and it had intense action.  It's also a clean read as there's no bad language, no drug use, no sex and the violence is minimal.  The end of the book had a good closing, but could be open for more.  I don't know for sure if it's a planned series, but it felt that way to me as there's so much more to happen.

I received this book as a gift from someone who got it from ALA.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Review: Mothership by Martin Leicht & Isla Neal

Mothership by Martin Leight and Isla Neal

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published: July 10th, 2012 by Simon & Schuster

Source: Amazon Vine

Teen pregnancy is never easy—especially not when extraterrestrials are involved. The first in a new trilogy.

Elvie Nara was doing just fine in the year 2074. She had a great best friend, a dad she adored, and bright future working on the Ares Project on Mars. But then she had to get involved with sweet, gorgeous, dumb-as-a-brick Cole—and now she’s pregnant.

Getting shipped off to the Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers was not how Elvie imagined spending her junior year, but she can go with the flow. That is, until a team of hot commandos hijacks the ship—and one of them turns out to be Cole. She hasn’t seen him since she told him she’s pregnant, and now he’s bursting into her new home to tell her that her teachers are aliens and want to use her unborn baby to repopulate their species? Nice try, buddy. You could have just called.

So fine, finding a way off this ship is priority number one, but first Elvie has to figure out how Cole ended up as a commando, work together with her arch-nemesis, and figure out if she even wants to be a mother—assuming they get back to Earth in one piece.

This is one weird book dude.  But a totally awesome weird book!  Did you read that description?  Pretty crazy, right?  I kept seeing reviews for this book talking about how hilarious it was and I knew I had to read it.  So when I had the chance to review it, I was all over it!  

This is a hilarious book with a bit serious of a plot.  As there's lots of death going on and some scary situations.  But the way that Elvie narrates and the ridiculous things that are happening just makes it more comedy than anything.  Dark comedy, is that what it's called?  I don't know- but it wasn't a very 'dark' book other than people died and stuff.  And it's not like they didn't take it serious, but things were just SO ridiculous and the thoughts going on (and the ridiculousness of teenage pregnant girls) was just too hilarious.

Elvie was a great character because she was so balanced.  She had a fantastic inner voice but often she held back on saying things that she thought just because it was rude or something.  So she was a nice girl.  But not so nice in her head... she's also smart.  MUCH smarter than most of the other girls.  And because of her dads teaching her to always be prepared for anything, she's pretty much prepared for anything.  Even escaping from aliens on a spaceship that's about to rip apart.  She's also very loyal and a fantastic friend.

Now I really loved this book, and I got lots of giggles from it.  But I think I expected to laugh even more, so I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't even funnier.  Don't get me wrong, it was funny.  But I wanted it funnier.
I also felt like the end dragged on a bit.  Like it should have maybe cut out a bit.  The ending was a good conclusion, but opening up a new story line for the next book.

A little warning that this has some bad language and sexual words. (You know, pregnant girls have lots of horrible words to fling about.)  There's also violence but it's not anything I would worry about too much.  I just feel I need to put a warning out there because this cover shouts middle grade to me, and it is not.  I would say mature YA readers.  BTW, I LOVE this cover!  It's eye catching and fits the story perfect.

4/5 stars

Disclosure:  I received this book for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Review: Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Spark (Sky Chasers #2) by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Hardcover, 309 pages

Expected publication: July 17th, 2012 by St. Martins Griffin

Source: Amazon Vine

Waverly and Kieran are finally reunited on the Empyrean. Kieran has led the boys safely up to this point, and now that the girls are back, their mission seems slightly less impossible: to chase down the New Horizon, and save their parents from the enemy ship. But nothing is truly as it seems…Kieran’s leadership methods have raised Seth’s hackles— and Waverly’s suspicions. Is this really her fiancé? The handsome, loving boy she was torn from just a short time before? More and more, she finds her thoughts aligned with Seth’s. But if Seth is Kieran’s Enemy No. 1, what does that make her?

In one night, a strange explosion rocks the Empyrean—shooting them off course and delaying their pursuit of the New Horizon—and Seth is mysteriously released from the brig. Seth is the most obvious suspect for the explosion, and Waverly the most obvious suspect for releasing him. As the tension reaches a boiling point, will Seth be able to find the true culprit before Kieran locks them both away—or worse? Will Waverly follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? With the balance of power precarious and the clock ticking, every decision counts… every step brings them closer to a new beginning, or a sudden end...

I had to go back and look at my review of Glow because I remember being completely sucked into it, but I had it in my head as being a very weird read.  Once I read the review it seemed very much like the review I'll have for this one, only I think I was even more sucked into this second book than I was the first.

I have all sorts of mixed feelings about the characters, but that's actually a reason why I like it so much.  These kids are thrown in this horrific situation and they go a little crazy.  They are scared and they are angry, and they don't really know what to do.  All of them seem to make mistakes over and over again and I dislike them all at some time or another.  But like I said in my review of the first one, these are mostly good kids, they just have to deal with things they shouldn't have to, and make decisions that are extremely difficult.  Unfortunately  it takes a bit for them to learn from their mistakes.

In this book I'm pretty firm on which male character I like the best.  Of Seth and Kieran, anyway.  I really feel we got a better feel for their real personalities.  But the joy in this series is that you really never know how things will go in the future.  Perhaps I'll change my mind again.  And this one had a good mix of Kieran, Waverly and Seth's point-of-view.  I liked the mix, to see it from so many sides. 

This was an easy book to fly through for the simple fact it was constant action and impossible to put down.  I had to know what was going to happen next!  I also liked that this book gets the emotions going.  Mostly anger and frustration, but also seeing how some of the side characters really stepped up and were awesome, they turned into real heroes while some completely became insane and kept making stupid choices.

I'm generally not a sci-fi gal (love fantasy, but sci-fi, not so much) but there are a few series that really pull me in, and this is definitely one.  It's different, and it has some weirdness (mostly having to deal with religion, which I'm just not exactly sure what I think of) but I like it.  And I like that feeling of really getting immersed in a world and characters.  This book definitely did that for me.  The end was a bit of a cliffhanger, but it kind of seemed like a good spot to quit.  Well, maybe I would have liked another chapter added on.  But as it was it worked good and I have to say that I am dying to get my hands on the next book!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Review of a Totally AMAZING Book: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Young Adult, 387 pgs.
Published in Hardcover on Jan. 3rd, 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
Received from Amazon Vine for Review

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Wow!  This is definitely a WOW book for me.  I never would have thought to read it if it wasn't for all the early reviews raving about how awesome it is.  So when I had the opportunity to review it myself I totally jumped at the chance and I do not regret it!  This book was so full of awesome that the second I finished I immediately convinced about six others that they MUST read it!  And they are!  

I am not really into sci-fi unless it's more of the fantasy variety.  This one is futuristic with androids and cyborgs and aliens.  Totally not my thing usually.  But Cinder is basically a normal girl.  She hides that she's a cyborg as much as she can because it seems they are kind of looked down on, like they aren't fully human.  But she is.  I mean she has a human brain and still thinks like a normal girl.    And she was completely real and like-able to me.  I connected with her right off the bat and 'got' her.  She was funny and compassionate but she was dealt such a rough hand that she was a bit cynical, or she forced herself to be anyway, trying to convince herself that she was 'less'.  No one would like her if they knew she was cyborg, etc. 

The other characters were great as well.  The prince was totally not prince-like.  I mean, he wasn't full of himself.  He was funny and he was also compassionate and like Cinder he was dealt a rough hand.  Though it's completely different because yes, he's a prince, but he's suddenly thrown into this tough position and his decisions mean the fate of his country.  But he had a clear head and struggled to do his best in deciding what to do.  But one thing that wasn't a struggle for him was Cinder.  At least as far as we see.  They are continuously running into one another and he doesn't even hesitate to be kind and gently flirtatious with her.  And though he doesn't know she's cyborg he does know she's not royalty and he still pays her attention.  I totally loved him for that.  And don't worry, yes- he's completely swoon-worthy!  He's not a bad boy, but he's still swoony!

The stepmother was definitely evil and had me so angry!  I totally wanted to reach in and strangle her.  Same with the one stepsister.  The other one was kind and has her own story but I don't want to spoil it for you.  The Cinderella part of the story was perfect.  It was definitely it's own retelling but still followed along enough that it was pretty obvious that it was a retelling of Cinderella.  

The sci fi elements were important but somehow the book was never heavy.  There wasn't lots of long descriptions or a ton of backstory.  For me it was perfect.  I got enough that I wasn't confused but not so much I felt overwhelmed.  I thought the world building was good but some may feel it's lacking because we don't really learn a whole lot about things from before.  But really, I thought it was perfect and in future books I'm sure we'll learn much more. 

This was a clean read that had me on the edge of my seat.  While it's fairly long I read it in only a day because it was so good and was fast paced.  I very highly recommend this book!

5/5 stars

Disclosure:  I received this book for review purposes and all opinions expressed are my own.  I was not paid or influenced in any way.  
I received an advance copy of the book and the final version may differ.

Book Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Title: Glow (Sky Chasers #1)

Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan

Details: ARC, published in Hardcover, 307 pgs.

Published: September 27th, 2011 by St. Martins Press

Reading Level: Young Adult

Source: Amazon Vine

Description:

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?
Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...
Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.
But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Glow was a bit of a strange read but I found myself completely enthralled in it. Once I started reading I couldn't seem to put it down except for a few times when I found myself so angry that I didn't think I could read another page without smacking someone (in the book). Now this wasn't anger because of something I didn't like, no it was anger because I was so invested in the story and the bad guys were pissing me off! So really, it was a good thing. 

This book was different because I didn't know who I liked and who I could trust. I'd think that I'd like one person only to find them doing something stupid. The one person I liked through the whole thing was Waverly. We got her side of the story about half the time and Kierans the other half. Waverly was brave and sometimes didn't think things through. She was passionate in what she believed and wasn't easily swayed by others opinions. Now Kieran I'm not sure about. I think that he's an interesting character but not the smartest guy in the world. I was starting to like another guy but then he pulled some really bad moves and I started to not like him at all. But then towards the end I started wondering if he would try to redeem himself, maybe there's hope for him yet? I guess the jury's out on whether I'll like either of them, but I think deep down they are both good guys, just not so great when thrown in a bad situation.

Overall it was a fast paced story with lots of action. I found myself enjoying it a lot despite a few things I found far fetched (one being that ALL the adults on the Empyrean end up gone). And maybe not everything was completely believable. Like I said, a bit far fetched. But it didn't bother me much and I was pretty satisfied with how it all played out. I'm actually quite excited to read the next one in the series!

Find the author:

Website

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from amazon vine for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Book Review: Possession by Elana Johnson

Details: Hardcover, 416 pgs.
Published: June 7th, 2011 by Simon & Schuster
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Review from Amazon Vine


Description:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even thinkabout kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself. 
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn. 
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

This is a book that leaves you reeling.  That has you screaming WHAT?!  And really crawls under your skin.  It inspires you to write the review RIGHT THE HECK NOW.  It drives you crazy.  It makes you think.  It frustrates you.  It's so frustrating and awesome and annoying that it's unbelievably good!  It doesn't make sense how something that pisses you off so much is so amazing.  But it really inspired those emotions, so that's a good thing.

This book is constant action.  I found it impossible to put down.  It was always moving from here to there escaping to one place or another and in constant danger.  Which has you anxious to see and make sure that it all works out.   There are some down times when they sleep but really, your still wondering and anxious for more.  The chapters are also really short so I kept saying just one more chapter but since it only took me 3 minutes I push myself for one more, and then just one more and well, next thing I know I'm halfway through the book (and my kids are screaming for food, oops).  It was seriously hard to tear my eyes away from the page.

The characters are fascinating.  Vi is very kick butt and having grown up the way she did it was really surprising how much sass she had stored in her.  I guess that's just it, it was all stored up!  She was incredibly  brave and determined.  She had ridiculously hard decisions to make but it was always pretty clear that she knew what the right ones were.  I didn't have to scream at her for making the wrong ones anyway ;)  

Jag.  OMG.  Jag.  He made my heart pitter patter.  But then he ended up ripping it to shreds a time or two.  And because of some of his actions, even though I loved him, I just didn't always get it.  Sometimes there were reasons that made sense, but in the beginning one of his decisions made me angry enough I had a hard time forgiving him.  But yet, pitter patter my heart still went.  His easy laughter, his ease, his smile.  Pitter patter...

This world is tech heavy.  There were crazy inventions and weird things they could do.  It was dystopia but with a strong sci fi side and paranormal elements thrown in.  It was definitely interesting but I found myself confused more then once.  Actually the whole thing was such a crazy whirlwind that half the time I wasn't sure I knew what was going on.  You'd think that would be a major downside, but really it didn't bother me that terribly much.  

When I first started reading the book I was thinking how weird it was.  It had a weird tone, weird characters, weird world.  It was all just so strange.  And I was just sure that those would be the first words I'd use in my review.  Weird and strange.  But that was before I read the end.  Which blew my mind.  Not really in a good way.  But yet... it worked.  Kind of.  I'm frustrated, but yet satisfied.  Make sense?  No, I know it doesn't.  I do know this, any book that affects me this strongly is definitely good. I truly am VERY anxious for the next book, which is a companion but promises answers.  Well, I need some freaking answers!  So I want that book NOW.

Find the author:

Website

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge through the Amazon Vine program for review purposes.  I was not paid or influenced in any way and all opinions expressed are my own.

MFT Guest: Lilly Cain talks about her Favorite Things + a Giveaway!

Let's welcome the lovely Lily Cain to my blog for My Favorite Things! 

My Favorite Things

Thanks for having me here today, Candace, and for inviting me to join in on your fun series – My Favorite Things!

Since I am a writer it might be obvious to say that my favorite thing to do is to write, or that since I am a mom my favorite people are my kids. Or I might have begun this post with the fact that my favorite drink is currently a Starbucks Caramel Frappucino (okay I had to really think if that beat out a vodka and cranberry juice but there you go). I might even have decided to tell you about my favorite genre, erotic romance…er scifi…no, mystery. Okay, that wasn’t going to work either.

Instead, let me tell you about my favorite moment with every book I write. Not the beginning, despite how fresh and shiny a new story is. Not the middle when the plot is really rolling. And it isn’t the end, despite the sense of relief I experience as my characters struggle past their black moment and into each other’s arms forever. I love all of those parts of my story. But what I love the most is the research.

Okay, I admit it. I am a research junkie. I want to listen to 80’s music if I am writing about a big hair flash back. I want to delve into a treasure trove of historical photographs if I am plotting a WWII scene. I listen to the scifi podcasts with glee when I am working on the dialog for my latest erotic scifi novella.

In other words, I waste time before, around and during my writing, and I love it. It’s awful in a way—I should be pounding out the words. But no knowledge is ever wasted. Who knows when I will use the awesome fact that apparently there is a newly discovered galaxy out there that could be the Milky Way’s twin? Or that there is a way to make your own Easy Bake Oven mixes? 

Research leads to so much more. More ideas, more backstory, more depth to my characters. And I think it is this compulsion that has led me to create a full dictionary for the Inarrii language used in my erotic scifi series, The Confederacy Treaty, with Carina Press. The Inarrii are a complex race, but not that different from humans. Two legs, two arms—that sort of thing is similar. It is the culture that is different, and the research for that has been a total blast.

On June 13, 2011 my next book comes out, The Naked Truth, book two of The Confederacy Treaty. Here’s the blurb:

Captain Susan Branscombe was the victim of brutal torture at the hands of terrorists. Though rescued, she’s now facing an equally brutal accusation: treason.
The only way she can prove her innocence is to allow Asler Kiis, a Confederacy Examiner, to delve into the depths of her mind. Asler is Inarri, the alien race that made contact with Earth just months before. His duty is to find the truth, but when he explores Susan’s mind he can’t resist drawing her into a more intimate experience.
Susan takes comfort in Asler’s heated sensuality. Their erotic sensory exploration chases away the darkness and her body aches for more. But as their desire reaches new limits Susan finds it difficult to suppress the memories she is desperate to forget.
Is the passion they share enough to let Susan push aside her fear and trust Asler, not only with her mind and body but with her ever-opening heart? 

My favorite made-up part of the language that shows up in this one is Inar tel sahan yowlenaii – a more loving greeting meaning loosely - welcome to our world together, always.

So tell me, what is your favorite part of reading? Leave your thoughts and I will give a copy of The Naked Truth away to a commenter.

Lilly

For more information about Lilly Cain, and for excerpts of her stories please visit www.lillycain.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LillyCain or on Facebook at www.facebook.ca/Lilly_Cain

A HUGE thank you to Lilly for that wonderful post!  I think doing research to help create a fictional story would be interesting because you can just run with the things that interest you and develop the story however you like.  I think it's obvious when an author has done research, when they have immersed themselves into the time period, the culture, etc, that they are writing about.   

The Giveaway:

One copy of The Naked Truth ebook to a commenter.

Open Internationally.

Must be 18 or older to enter.

Ends July 5th, 2011

To Enter:

Answer Lilly's question above and remember to include contact info!  

For the schedule and list of Giveaway for The Favorite Things event check out the schedule post.  And make sure you head over to My Bookish Ways to see what she has going on today as well!