Author: T.H. Hernandez (Page 2 of 2)

BLOG TOUR + BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – The Ruins (The Union #2) by T.H. Hernandez

BLOG TOUR + BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY - The Ruins (The Union #2) by T.H. Hernandez

I am so excited to be a stop on this blog tour! That’s because this dystopian was EVERYTHING I was hoping it would be and then some. Below you can find out what this story entails, read my 4.5 Star review and enter an amazing giveaway (in case you missed it on release day). Enjoy!

BLOG TOUR + BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – The Ruins (The Union #2) by T.H. HernandezThe Ruins (The Union #2)
by T.H. Hernandez
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Heartbroken, grief-stricken, and wracked with guilt, seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor returned to the Union, leaving behind the boy she loved.

Now, she and her friends must find a way to do the impossible – warn the citizens of the Union about an impending rebel attack without alerting the government and risking retaliation against her friends in the Ruins.

When every move Evan makes is thwarted, it soon becomes clear she's being watched. Faced with a daily fight to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, she returns to the Ruins. But life in the Ruins has its own dangers, and soon she’s fighting a different battle – to stay alive long enough to discover the truth.

Review:

*Spoilers for The Union #1*

The Ruins had me run the gamut of emotions.  I laughed, I cried, I squealed and I yelled horrible, horrible words to my poor kindle (thank you Bryce!)!  You see, this was everything I was hoping the second book would be, and then some.  Not only were there the characters and relationships that I fell madly in love with in the first book, The Union, but this time around I found the peril I was desperately seeking.  I love getting sent into freak out mode where I can’t breathe and my hands are sweaty.  Where I’m terrified about what is going to happen next.  So of course I had a blast reading The Ruins, but now I have to wait for that third book, ack!  I must know what happens next!!

I absolutely love when a second book contains my favorite elements from the first!  Evan still has a ton of fire in her, even though her heart is in pieces.  The last she saw Cyrus, he was escaping with his family and she has no clue where he is going, how she’ll ever contact him, and if she’ll ever see him again.  So Evan puts all of her energy into trying her hardest to find a way to help the citizens of both The Ruins and The Union.  Because she has an impossible task in front of of her.  With the help of her friends (love, love, love Colin!), they are to somehow warn The Union citizens about an attack from the uprising, while keeping the innocents out in The Ruins safe.  They come up against so many unknowns, and in the midst of trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, they end up placing themselves in grave danger.  Their lives have been marked, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Another thing that I absolutely loved was the relationships and friendships that Evan surrounded herself with.  They felt so real.  As though they could easily exist and play out in the real world with you and me.  A dominating part of this story was the characters and their interactions, so it’s intricate to enjoy and become immersed in their everyday lives and interactions.  I truly became obsessed with all of them!  Well…..technically not all of them lol.  So there’s a character in this story that I love to hate and his name is Bryce.  He is the undercover detective that ultimately led Evan to be kidnapped in the first book, because of her association with him.  She liked him, he still likes her, and now they are stuck spending a lot of time together.  And I didn’t want Evan spending her time with him.  I know, I’m being so petty.  But that’s because I became loyal to Cyrus…..ohhh butterfly inducing, made me smile and swoon Cyrus!  He was utter perfection and Bryce just isn’t.  So I literally kept yelling at my kindle for Evan not to be nice to him.  I don’t fault Evan in the least, because this is his area of expertise but ahem, I know it’s probably horrible to say but can he just die already?  It could be doing something heroic?  I know, I’m so bad at loving to hate characters.  Bad Jen bad!

But what I want to talk about the most, I can’t.  You see the story starts off with a few bumps here and there for Evan, but then things start to pick up and spiral into intense situations that had me glued to the pages.  The scenes that Evan’s finds herself in become more dire and even at times horrifying.  I loved every moment of what I can’t talk about!  The situations, the decisions, the people, the places, oh it was SO good!

It was so much fun being back in a story where I adore the characters and felt invested in what was going on.  Having the banter, friendships and commodore made me feel all warm and cozy being back in this familiar world.  I loved trying to put the clues together and I’m extremely proud that I figured one out before it happened.  By the way, best part ever!!!!!  But I felt a little confused at the end of the book.  I did not grasp a characters “interactions”, but since Hernandez does an excellent job of plotting out the reasoning behind why characters do what they do, I’m almost positive that my questions will be answered in the third book.  And speaking of that third book, I can’t wait to read it!  You’re not left in a perilous ending, but with so many things up in the air I’m excited to see what is going to come crashing down!

***ARC was kindly provided in exchange for an honest review***

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Union by T.H. Hernandez
The Union #1
Reviews:
Jen
the ruins th hernandez
The Ruins #2
Reviews:
Jen
The Uprising (The Union Series #3) by T.H. Hernandez
The Uprising #3
Reviews:
Jen

The Invasion #4
Reviews:
Jen

Author T.H. HernandezT.H. Hernandez Bio:
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside my head, I live in San Diego, California, with one husband, three children, two cats, and one dog. In addition to my day job as a technical writer and editor, I write young adult fiction. I love the intensity of teen emotions and the way they’re still figuring out life. When I’m not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I’m obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers. Links: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Save

BLOG TOUR+REVIEW+GIVEAWAY – The Union (The Union #1) by T.H. Hernandez

I am excited to introduce to you a unique, captivating story! See below to find out what The Union is about, read my review, learn about the author, and enter a wonderful giveaway!

BLOG TOUR+REVIEW+GIVEAWAY – The Union (The Union #1) by T.H. HernandezThe Union (The Union #1)
by T.H. Hernandez
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

After global warming and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.
Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.

When she’s kidnapped and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce, her ideal world is turned upside down. What she learns while in the Ruins shakes her faith in everything she’s ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and even the Union itself.

Now Evan must choose whether to stay with Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she’s in the Ruins for a reason, or return to the only life she’s ever known. But when she stumbles upon a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her decision could tear her apart.

Review:

**After re-reading, I had to change my rating from a 4 to a 4.5.  Rooting for a heroine I love, falling all over again for a sweet, rugged, captivating man, and watching the story unfold made me realize how emotionally attached I was to The Union.  Add in the fact that I now understand a scene that left me previously distraught (lightbulb!  I get it!), well how could I not love it more?  It’s so fun to be back in this world!!**

Hernandez’s debut novel was truly compelling.  The story that unfolded in front of me was unique, captivating and had me glued to the pages. I came to care for many of the characters, but two completely stole the show and my heart.  The setting was fascinating, and it left me longing to learn more about the world that they live in. But after that ending, I desperately need the second book in this series!

I can’t help wondering if I would have spent so much time agonizing over my future if I’d known I’d be dead so soon. If I’d known, maybe I’d have done everything differently. Now I know my future. My life ends here. Alone. In the Ruins.

What if everything you ever thought about your world was a lie?  After global warming and a second civil war wreaked havoc on the U.S., the citizens flocked to the coast.  A lifestyle and cities were built called The Union.  Evan lives there and while her life is no walk in the park, it is structured and safe from the harms of the Ruins outside of The Unions walled off perimeter.  She has just graduated from school, and is trying to find her place in society.  To find out who she is and what she truly wants, Evan embarks on a trip with her two best friends.  She is even lucky enough to find out that the boy she is crushing on is traveling on the same train as her.  But her life gets flipped upside down when she is kidnapped.  She is being used as a pawn in a game that she can’t even start to comprehend, and the first move in that game is taking her into the Ruins.

I’m here now, and if I’m going to survive, I can’t wallow in self-doubt and pity. It’s long past time to get my shit together.

Evan is the type of heroine that you will love.  She is spunky, honest, intriguing and has so much fire inside of her.  I loved the emotions that erupted from her.  It was so palpable.  But oh man, did she make mistakes.  Mistakes that weren’t dumb, but were caused because of how she reacted to situations she had no experience with.  And those are the easiest mistakes to forgive and move on from.  Especially since Evan tries her hardest to do right by others.  This is one of the top reasons why I love her so much!  She has such a huge heart and a strong head on her shoulders.  Thank goodness, because she’s about to be thrown into a situation where she’ll need both to figure out how to proceed.

“I…” He glances down at me, his pale eyes searching mine. “I think you’re here for a reason, even if you don’t. And…I’m glad you’re here.”

I was going to talk about Bryce, the boy she has a crush on and who ends up on the same train as her.  But he started to feel too perfect, or maybe it was something else I couldn’t place my finger on.   Whatever it was, Bryce’s ship has sailed for me and a truly beautiful man took the lead front and center. Cyrus. He was sweet, patient, kind and ruggedly handsome.  He was someone that was discreetly captivating and pulled you in.  There was no way I couldn’t love him.  For Evan, he was hope, love and family all rolled into one.  He honestly took my breath away.  Whether it was the words that he would use or the little actions he would display, he emitted so much emotion.  You could become lost in it all, and I loved every single moment of it!

The way he kisses me, like he can’t get enough, the way my body responds to his touch… he captivates me in a way I never expected and don’t understand. I try to make sense of what’s happening with us, but it’s unlike anything I’ve ever known. It’s powerful and scary as hell.

After reading The Union two times (6 months apart), I know that one of my favorite aspects of this book is that I got to watch so many different relationships unfold.  Family, friends, and enemies.  And you know what?  It all felt real.  Of course there were moments of worry and heartache, but for the most part, this book felt as though the relationships and characters were the driving force.  That’s probably why this dystopian felt so unique to me.    Thank goodness the second book, The Ruins, is already on my device because I’d be dying not knowing what was going to happen next.  I was more than pleasantly surprised with The Union, and I believe you will too!

***ARC was kindly provided in exchange for an honest review***

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Union by T.H. Hernandez
The Union #1
Reviews:
Jen
the ruins th hernandez
The Ruins #2
Reviews:
Jen
The Uprising (The Union Series #3) by T.H. Hernandez
The Uprising #3
Reviews:
Jen

The Invasion #4
Reviews:
Jen

T.H. Hernandez:

THHernandezWhen not visiting the imaginary worlds inside my head, I live in San Diego, California, with one husband, three children, two cats, and one dog. In addition to my day job as a technical writer and editor, I write young adult fiction. I love the intensity of teen emotions and the way they’re still figuring out life.

When I’m not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I’m obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers.
Links:
Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Save

Newer posts »

© 2024

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑