Tag: Young Adult (Page 29 of 159)

New World Order (Sunset Rising #3)
by S.M. McEachern
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In the third book of the Sunset Rising Trilogy, Sunny O'Donnell is determined to find Jack and bring him home. With the high-tech assistance of Doc, Sunny and her friends, Summer and Reyes, team up with the Nation to set out into a lawless post-apocalyptic world. But as the ruthlessness of the recruiters unfolds amidst the discovery of betrayals within their own group, friends will become enemies and enemies will become friends on a journey that will lead to a New World Order.

Review:

New World Order was a fabulous conclusion to the Sunset Rising Trilogy!   This world was harsh, brutal and unforgiving and the story could be so dark and twisted at times.  Yet friendship and love shined brightly and I was completely invested in this series.  In this final book we got to alternate between Sunny and Jack, which I absolutely loved.  And because of that, we got to see how friends became enemies, lies were hidden under the radar, and we found out exactly who we could trust. Some of it was very surprising!  So here are some of my favorite things about this book…

I ran my fingers through his short hair and gazed into his intense blue eyes. “Whoever would have thought that Leisel’s betrayal would turn out to be just the beginning?”

✮ Friendship

“How dare you judge me!”My hand itched to slap him. “While you were busy moping around pissed off at the world, my bourge husband and I were outside the Dome risking our lives to find a way to open the doors so the Pit could go free.”
Reyes stood up straighter and looked down his nose at me. “You did open the doors, Sunny,”he said calmly. “And then you just walked away.”

Friendship played such an important role in this series.  Between the Pits, Alliance, Bourge, The Nation and Ryder’s people there was a vast group and racism was prevalent.  So I loved watching how friendships helped bridge the gaps and unite some of them at times.  Like the team that was formed to go rescue Jack. It was an unlikely group whose dynamics were fascinating to watch.  Especially since there was some changes as the story progressed and I was surprised that my opinion even changed towards some of the characters.  By the end of the book, I loved that tentative friendships were formed, another was patched up and a new and heartfelt friendship was created.  While there was obstacles in their way, it was amazing to watch all the friendships unfold.

✮ A story that continued to grow

From the very beginning, we had accepted that we would eventually be executed, and so we lived our last days in the name of saving humanity, making alliances, bridging enmity, and falling in love along the way. The seeds of betrayal so carefully planted by Leisel had failed to produce their crop. Solidarity had grown in their place. – Sunny

I felt that this series had the best of both worlds.  While characters were the heart, the soul was the way the story unfolded.  There were a lot of moving parts and when you throw in some fabulous twists and turns, it made this story even more addicting.  I had sweaty palms and learned that you should always go with your gut.  Even if you want to believe otherwise.  It was fascinating to watch how deception and lies could tweak this story and I loved that I didn’t see some of it coming.  On top of all of that, there was fighting and political unrest happening.  I wondered how it could all end up right, but just watch.  Because it was brilliant.

✮ Inherent darkness

I looked at Naoki. “The minute they cut me loose, I’m going to kill every last one of them.”
He gave me a curt nod. “I’ll help.” – Jack

While dystopians usually have a darkness or bleak feel to them, the issues in this series were one that I could easily see in a scary, possible future.  Bigotry, slavery, sexism and racism bled from the pages.  Hundreds of years later and we were still fighting about the same issues.  And some of those issues would go down such a dark path that I found myself hoping certain people would die.  Their actions were beyond horrific and some of it was even hard to stomach.  There were a few moments I just wanted to cover my eyes, but I had to keep reading.  And while some justice was served that made me shout out loud yes, I have hope that even more will take place in the future spin-off series.

✮ True Love

She was so much more than my soul mate. She was my hero. And I needed her strength more than ever. – Jack

If you love romance in your books, you’re in for a treat with this series.  It was forbidden and filled with the best tension.  And when it finally turned into more, my heart was soaring and oh so happy.  In this final book we saw exactly how strong Sunny and Jack’s love was for each other.  The lengths they would go to for one another was beautiful, and they are cemented as one of my favorite couples ever.

He stood and held his hand out to me, and as I laced my fingers through his, I remembered the first time I’d ever placed my hand in his, a year ago, when we’d decided to take on the Holt regime. It filled me with as much strength now as it had then.

This series will always have a special place in my heart.  I cried tears of sadness and happiness, smiled, laughed and fell more in love with these characters.  Plus it wrapped up in such a fabulous way that made so happy.  Yet I love that there is so much to cover in a spin-off series and I can’t wait till it’s released!  So if you love forbidden romance or dystopian then definitely add this series to your tbr.  I absolutely loved it and I’m look forward to reading everything else S.M. McEachern writes!

Trigger warning for: View Spoiler »Rape, talk off the pages of raping women and children and seeing some of the victims afterwards. « Hide Spoiler

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sunset Rising #1 Reviews: Jen	Worlds Collide #2 Reviews: Jen	New World Order #3 Reviews: Jen

Worlds Collide (Sunset Rising #2)
by S.M. McEachern
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Centuries old secrets and forbidden love collide in the action-packed sequel to Sunset Rising.

In a desperate attempt to escape execution, Sunny and Jack find a way out of the Pit and into a world still believed to be toxic with radiation. Under the brilliant sun for the first time in their lives, they not only discover that the earth has healed from nuclear war, but there are people outside the Dome.

In Worlds Collide, the second book of the Sunset Rising trilogy, Sunny and Jack must continue a life of subterfuge in order to stay alive and find a way to free the Pit. But in their attempt to save the urchins, they uncover the horrifying truth about President Holt and the evil he could unleash on the world.

Review:

Worlds Collide was another action packed, emotional ride.  As the story progressed, I loved that a lot of the pieces to the puzzle finally fell into place.  Secrets came out, truths were exposed and the stakes became even higher.  And while I had some guesses about the outside, what was really out there blew my mind.  The new elements that were introduced kept me on my toes and was fabulous!  This book definitely didn’t suffer from middle book syndrome and I loved every minute of it!  So here were some of my favorite things…..

Somewhere between saying “I do” and uniting the Pit for a rebellion, I learned to trust Jack.

✮ A power couple:

“I really do love you.” His voice cracked with emotion. Tears burned my eyes but I refused to let them fall.
“And I love you more than I could ever say.”

Jack and Sunny’s relationship was put to the test in Worlds Collide.  Not only was their relationship forbidden, but they were still getting to know each other.  And when Sunny had to pretend to be Jack’s plaything, that just added to the stress of it all.  But there is a reason why they easily became one of my favorite couples, and it had to do with how they were around each other.  While they were strong and determined by themselves, together they were a force to be reckoned with.  What they were each willing to do and sacrifice to help one other captured my heart.  And I loved that some of their actions caused me laugh at a few of the more intense moments.  They were a true team and one of my favorite couples!  My heart couldn’t be happier with where this story took them.

✮ An action packed story:

I wasn’t ready to admit defeat. I couldn’t sit here and watch him risk his life alone. I didn’t want to be in this world without him.

The twists and turns kept coming and it made me fly through the pages. And while I thought I had a clear picture of where the story was going, then something would shift.  Oh my gosh, it was all so brilliant.  What unfolded would leave my mouth hanging open or I’d want to jump up and down because I was so excited.  Allies, enemies, friendship, and even the unknown constantly played a part in this story and it made for a very exciting, action packed ride!

✮ My emotions were everywhere:

Never, in my entire worthless life, had anyone ever looked at me with that much love.
I tried to breathe around the lump lodged in my throat, but it was getting increasingly difficult. Taking his face in my hands, I nodded. Pressing closer, I kissed him, tasting the salt of our tears. I didn’t want to think about what was facing us, or why I might need a gun.

Worlds Collide had me run the gamut emotions!  One moment I’d have sweaty palms, the next I’d be scared to even breathe and another my claustrophobic self had me screaming out loud.   And while there were times that it felt like Sunny and Jack didn’t even have two seconds to breathe, I loved when they’d finally catch a little reprieve.  Those moments were absolutely beautiful and it was impossible not to smile and swoon.  I was grateful for those moments, Jack’s smart mouth and Sunny’s tenaciousness because they were each smile inducing.  And since their future had a ton of bumps in the road, I more than appreciated having some lightness mixed into their story.

I didn’t marry the enemy. I married the hero.

The Sunset Rising Series is absolutely incredible and a must read for dystopian lovers! To say I was glued to the pages would be a huge understatement.  I cheered, screamed, laughed, smiled and even cried my eyes out with Worlds Collide.  And we were introduced to a few new characters that I became obsessed with.  So once I flipped that last page, I was already grabbing the final book, New World Order.  I can’t wait to see how this series will wrap up!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Sunset Rising #1 Reviews: Jen	Worlds Collide #2 Reviews: Jen	New World Order #3 Reviews: Jen