Tag: Dystopian (Page 14 of 31)

BOOK REVIEW: The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

August 12, 2015 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1)
by Marie Lu
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

“Come out, demon.” His smile fades, replaced with a chilling blankness. “Come out, so we can play.”

I can’t breathe. I swear to God-I literally. Can’t. Breathe.

I was in shock. I was in utter denial. I was half hyperventilating and half watching Friends (I mean, I have to calm down somehow, right?). The beginning and the end….they were truly something to behold. When I picked this book up, it felt right. Near the end, I was an absolute mess and completely engrossed in what could possibly become of these wonderfully flawed characters-And that is really saying something, because somewhere in the middle I had decided I didn’t care anymore-Go figure.

Who will ever want you, Adelina?
My fury heightens. Everyone. They will cower at my feet, and I will make them bleed.

I always say I won’t write a long review and then I proceed to write an even longer review. It’s one of my many ~~curses~~ gifts-The gift of gab. But, with so many mixed emotions, I feel it would be unfair-or rather, very hard on myself-to write a review on a book that I both loved and hated. Because I did-I loved and hated it. And I think that’s testament to this author-everyone adores Marie Lu. And as a person? I think she’s great. As a writer-So creative. But, somewhere along the lines, she always loses me in her books. It’s like, do you have a certain way you’d love things to go in your mind when you read? Especially dystopian or peril-ish type books? Well, I do, and most authors tend to either go exactly in the direction I want it to-but much better-or somewhere very close and very pleasing to me. But, with Marie Lu, she always…veers off. And I don’t know why. I never like the journeys her books take, but I generally always love the end result. I guess we will call that a matter of creative differences.

My sorrow turns to anger, then to ice-cold fury. My soul curls in on itself in defense. I am gone. I am truly gone.
I am not sorry.

The beginning. Strong. Haunting. Engrossing. It immediately draws you in and you’re like-Fuck yes, this is going to be epic. And the beginning is.

I struggle feebly against my chains. My legs are shaking violently. I want to hide my body from all of these people, hide my flaws from their curious eyes. Is Violetta somewhere in this crowd? I scan the faces for her, then look up toward the sky. It’s such a beautiful day-how can the sky possibly be this blue? Something wet rolls down my cheek. My lip quivers.
Gods, give me strength. I am so afraid.

We learn of a girl who is badly mistreated because of a genetic defect she can’t help, a genetic defect she acquired through no fault of her own when she was younger-it effected more than just her because of a plague or something. The kids effected by this plague are labeled malfettos….they are mistreated and deemed not fit to be a part of society. But there’s one strong male who is gathering malfettos-the best of the best. They are called the Young Elites….and he’s coming for Adelina. (By far one of my favorite scenes of book, second only to the end). Rating? 5/5.

The Middle. I’m sorry, the middle just….ugh. It lost my interest. And it’s not because it wasn’t good-it was. It just….wasn’t for me. It gave me negative angst-not the good angst I crave and am sickeningly in love with. No, this angst had me losing sleep (not in the giddy, excited way) and worrying if Lu was going to ruin the end for me (yes, I’m very selfish like that)…and basically the middle was what I was speaking of earlier-It just wasn’t going where I wanted it to go. Boring and almost cause for DNF….which is never a thought in my mind. Rating? 2/5.

Enzo watches me silently. The lanterns on the courtyard wall outline his face in a halo of damp, golden light, and the beads of water glitter in the darkness. He is such a startlingly different beauty from Raffaele-dark, intense, wary, perhaps even menacing-but I see a softness in him, a stirring desire. Something mysterious flickers in his eyes.

The End. Can you really put this fucking epic end into words? Can you? I’m not so sure. Let’s just say-It’s my absolute favorite. Most-perilistically-pleasing. Sickening. Maddeningly perfect. Ending type ever. Ever. I got exactly what I normally want but…Marie Lu? You got some balls, girl. Because…

Rating? 10/5. I’m not happy about it, though.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.
My turn.

So, you know. I don’t know what to say. I hated it. I loved it. It was perfect. It had dumb parts. It was intense…but only in the beginning and not until the very end. I don’t know. I mean, are we all always so sure what works for us? Why something doesn’t click until we get precisely what we want? Is it fair? I never have a problem with authors playing things out as they please, but, I definitely am feeling a little harsh on this one. But, eh, I’ve always been fickle. Take what you want from this review-I have no clue what to say to anyone, anyway.

If you want a more thorough and well thought out review, check out Anna’s review. Thanks for joining, Bug!

BOOK REVIEW: Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

July 27, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)
by Victoria Aveyard
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

Anyone can betray anyone
As I sit here and stew over what I should rate this, I am faced with many indisputable facts: I can’t say it’s original, because it isn’t. I don’t know what it’s comparable to and I don’t even know if it’s truly that great of a book. In all reality, I didn’t fall for this book for quite a while. I can’t even decide what an appropriate rating is. Hell, I didn’t even like Mare that much-at least until the end, that is. But even faced with all these convoluted facts, one thing was consistent from the beginning:

Cal.

Cal Cal Cal Cal Callllll….Every time, even from the beginning, when he was around I had so many feels I was choking on them-Okay, okay-the choking feels began around the middle of the book (You’ll see why) and then near the end they consumed me. So….I’m torn. And this doesn’t happen often. The end was explosive and Cal stole my heart-but I didn’t become fully engrossed until the middle. So I am faced with my fickle ways-shaky beginning (though, I was in a dark place for the first 30%, so maybe that effected my enjoyment?), heart-stopping boy, and a truly astonishing and epic end, leaving me to focus on what made me the happiest-the end and a boy…doesn’t it always begin and end with a boy?

The world is Silver, but it is also gray. There is no black-and-white.

So, I guess it’s time to talk about the bad. I’d rather get the nasty out of the way first…if you please. As I started this story, I had a hard time, hmm, connecting? And it wasn’t because it was boring, nor was it slow…it was more that I had a hard time seeing why this was so popular. I think the biggest fault in highly anticipated books is the hype. Hype can be a magnificent thing-creating excitement and nervous energy about a big up and coming author/book. But there’s also a darker side to hype-I like to not so subtly call that twisted, evil twin the ‘hype monster’. Soooo original, yeah? But it’s also true: Had no one said a word about this story to me, and I had found it all on my own or through word of mouth by a close friend, I wouldn’t have thought twice about the unoriginal beginning of this book-because there was also that. I felt like I was reading another book, and I’m not sure what, but it put a not-often-found sour taste in my mouth at the beginning of the story. Near 30%, after my aforementioned dour mood (Hmmmm ironic), I started to find more and more enjoyment with each passing page. Oooh, orrrr, errrrr, hmm…that might be because we started seeing more and more of Cal…but that’s neither here nor there!

“You better hide that heart of yours, [Mare] Lady Titanos. It won’t lead you anywhere you want to go.”

And Mare. I think she’s a two-part explanation. I like her….and I also disliked her, quite a lot. It came and went in spurts. In the beginning, she was pretty uninteresting and a lot repetitive-side note-she stays repetitive-but I never….hated her. Near the end? I wanted to PUNCH her at one point-ACT SMARTER, BE SMARTER, SHOW THOSE DECEPTIVE SKILLS YOU THINK YOU SO HEARTILY POSSESS-but then she surprised me with her ferocity, in the end, and I felt a sort of awe and respect blossoming. In short? I have high hopes for Mare. And Maven…I won’t even go there…because…no. Not worth it. He will never be as good as Cal. End. Of. Story.

They’ve pulled me inside out, swapping Mare for Mareena, a thief for a crown, rags for silk, Red for Silver. This morning I was a servant, tonight I’m a princess. How much more will change? What else will I lose?

But here we are-there was just so much good. I really can’t say I saw it at the beginning, but I had hope, and I was never once negative. Like with many dystopians, it was building up to something greater, something bigger, something life-altering….and that leaves me with the same question it always does when a dystopian doesn’t start as fast as I’d like-Was it worth it?

Silvers are different, I remind myself. Their scars don’t last. They don’t remember pain. With skin healers waiting in the wings, violence has taken on a new meaning for them. A broken spine, a split stomach, it doesn’t matter. Someone will always come to fix you. They don’t know the meaning of danger or fear or pain. It’s only their pride that can truly be hurt.

It’s an easy answer: The end justified the means. And it’s as simple as that. I had to get through some things. I had to deal with my uncertainty and everything leading up to it, but, in the end, I loved it. And I just decided that. I loved this book. If I were to go back and re-read this, knowing what I know, I would love it even more the second time around. There would be no uncertainty, no doubts-just a good book laying groundwork for something greater. No, it wasn’t what I expected and no, I can’t help my initial doubts, but it became something I can love and admire-And I am so so happy for that…I hate rating poorly. Oh, and PS, people touting there’s a ‘huge twist’ and ‘OMG THAT ENDING’ almost always ruin a book for me. See, I have high expectations, perilistically speaking, and I am one that likes to just enjoy, not know that there’s something coming-It’s much more shocking when you don’t know…right? It pisses me off when this shock is taken from me. And with that, people took my shock away-I guessed every twist from the beginning-Thank you, guys, really.

But here is where my praise really comes in-it takes a truly astonishing author to make me sick to my stomach, to gasp, to beg for mercy, to plead and fangirl…even though I saw everything coming a mile away. Yet, that’s exactly what I was doing….I was wholly invested when the shit hit the fan, and no one could burst my bubble once we hit the point of no return. That, my friends, is the reason I have upped my rating…it deserves every star for blind-siding me like that-rarely am I so happy with an ending people have played up and that I have guessed. Kudos…really.

As much as I want to stand still, to stop time and let this moment last forever, I know it’s not possible. Whatever I might feel or think, Cal is not the prince I’m promised to. More important, he’s on the wrong side. He’s my enemy. Cal is forbidden.

AND CAL. Ahhhhhhh my lovely Callll! I have found something out recently…not only do I love my dark, brooding, tortured heroes….I also have a thing for soldier boys. So let’s just say I was in heaven. But it wasn’t just that, naturally. It was his kindness, his big heart, his willingness to help Mare even though he didn’t know her from Adam…and then it was his slow fall for his brother’s betrothed. Can anyone say forbidden romance?! Not only was she betrothed, to his brother, no less, but he was betrothed, as well. Oh, and did I mention he was a high class silver and she a lowly red??? Just…yum. I love love LOVE this. AGHHHHH. And it never mattered to him-he was always there for her, always saving her, always her warmth….and when it mattered most…he never let her burn (wink wink). His beautiful soul and soft-heart where Mare was concerned touched something deep and fangirlish inside me, and I never want it to end. I just, I could go on and on and on for him. He would do anything for her, and let’s just leave it at that. Even though I have much much much much more I could say.

His lips are on mine, hard and warm and pressing. The touch is electrifying, but not like I’m used to. This isn’t a spark of destruction but a spark of life.
As much as I want to pull away, I just can’t do it. Cal is a cliff, and I throw myself over the edge, not bothering to think of what it could do to us both. One day he’ll realize I’m his enemy, and all this will be a far-gone memory. But not yet.

So, you know, this book wasn’t without it’s faults, but I’ve never been that type of reader. Yeah, I’m human, I have my rules and things that annoy me. But no matter what, the ultimate question and what matters most, at the end of everything, was if I enjoyed it. And enjoy it, I did. There were faults, there were parts I wish I could have skipped, but I loved it…and that’s the only thing that matters in my book. I cannot wait for book two…I’m waiting for you, my fiery Cal. Just…ugh…OBSESSION. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

BOOK REVIEW – Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

July 25, 2015 / Anna

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)
by Victoria Aveyard
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

► So, this is the 2015 mind-blowing release?

① I’m just so fucking bored. UNDERWHELMED is the word.

② Mare is a selfish brat who can’t shut up one second to look at something else than herself. She keeps acting without thinking and gets numerous people harmed/killed.

③ She’s a special snowflake through and through, because she’s special you know and nothing can be done without her.

④ She’s in a constant need of saving and doesn’t even acknowledge that fact.

⑤ There is a love-triangle (square?) but it’s not what annoys me. The fact that I can’t bring myself to FEEL SOMETHING for any of these (3) male-leads does annoy me, though. Now, as bland and hollow as they are, I still don’t understand what they see exactly in Mare but who am I to judge?

“Why I care, I can’t say”. ME NEITHER, Mare, me neither.

⑥ She’s not sarcastic but just plain rude and oh so WHINY.

⑦ She can’t seem to find any redeeming quality in any other woman. Guess what? I’m not finding any redeeming quality in you either. GIRL HATE EVERYWHERE. Why, oh why do women always hate other women ON SIGHT in these books? Just TELL ME.

Evangeline : “From the way her fingers tighten, I can tell she wants nothing more than to wrap her hands around my throat.” Because reasons

Random Silver girls : “Before I have a chance to take a breath, a pair of girls steps in front of me. Their smiles are fake and cold, just like their eyes.” Because reasons

Her tutor : “I observed,” she clips, already hating me.” Because reasons

I’m not the kindest person of the world by any means, but I never hated someone ON SIGHT. For fuck sake. We will never see men doing that in books and that’s what sickens and maddens me. It spreads the message that we women are sly and hateful. Oh but wait! This is by far the most widespread stereotype about women. Women authors, I’m not thanking you.

⑧ The similarities with Red Rising are just obnoxious. Say the girl who didn’t like Red Rising, though. “And we will rise up. Red as the dawn.” Yeah, right. Never seen this before.

⑨ I’m just so fucking bored, but I already said that, didn’t I? B-bu-but nothing happens!

⑩ Perhaps it __________ be better if there aren’t all these plot ____________. You know, when ____________ want us to believe in a rebellion without even ____________. People are starving but WHO CARES? There is a rebellion but WHO CARES? The Queen can read minds but OMG she can’t guess anything? HOW FUCKING CONVENIENT. View Spoiler »

⑪ The lack of world-building or of any descriptions, really, gave me the impression that the characters walked in a BLANK bubble.

That ending though.

Too bad I don’t care about any of the characters. Waste of my time.

Oh and you people! Please stop SMIRKING! (my Kindle found 38, and my favorite is : “she manages to smirk without moving her lips” I would so love to see that!)

Ps. I’m Team #TheOneWhoWillKillHer *smirks*

BOOK REVIEW – Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

July 9, 2015 / Anna

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1)
by Rachel Caine
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

In my honest opinion the strength of Ink and Bone lies first in the plot, which is entertaining as hell, and in the world-building, which contains several of my main interests : think books, automatons, alchemy, a dystopian world ruled by Librarians who control every knowledge (or aim to) and an academy blended together. Exciting? FUCK YEAH.

► Random facts you might want to know about Ink and Bone (because there’s no way I’m spoiling the story for you)

✔ After reading I went to my bookshelves and HUGGED my paperbacks. Not my Kindle. The thing kind of scared me.

✔ It presents an alternative history that actually MAKES SENSE (most of the time) : think about our history with a twist, the uprising of the Great Library, an organization that controls every book and then, holds a great deal of power. No press. No Gutenberg. I know, *GASP*

✔ Oh, they have lions automatons as guards : HOW AWESOME IS THAT???

✔ I loved the concept of Codex and every invention, really. I don’t want to give away too much, but let’s say that the Great Library developed a number of mechanisms, first of all the ability to transfer and erase words on every book sold, because they’re all blanks, sort of ereaders controlled by the Library awhile originals are carefully kept in Alexandria. An example? Look at your book, and imagine that it would be possible for someone else to alter or erase its content in one second without even being at the same place as you. OMG BUT THAT’S POSSIBLE! Frightening, right? I thought so. Especially given that printed books are outlawed.

Concerning the characterization, I have to admit that I’m not completely convinced by it because it lacks of depth. Indeed the characters felt quite blank sometimes – not in a boring way, but they weren’t fleshed-out enough in my opinion, especially the secondary ones like Jess’s fellow students, who were border stereotypical on some aspects. That’s why I’d have wanted them to be less transparent in their intentions and more intricate. However, I did enjoy Wolfe’s character a lot, because he was complex and multi-layered : here’s the kind of characters I can love.

“I suppose you want me to apologize for calling you a bastard.”
“No need,” Santi said. “You should hear what his friends call him.”
” I have friends?” Wolfe said.
“They don’t care to admit it in public.”

As for Jess, the main character, I’m afraid that my complaints prove to be the same. Indeed although I can’t say that I didn’t care about him because it would be false, at the same time I can’t deny that I kept feeling that something was missing to completely win me. Oh, well. I don’t know. Perhaps I’m not used to that kind of books (which emphasizes on the plot, let’s say) anymore. Indeed almost every one of my favorite authors (Marchetta, Moskowitz, Robin Hobb, even) focus primarily on the characterization and that’s okay with me, because that’s what I seek most of the time. Not here : not that Jess’s character wasn’t interesting, but he never stood out either. Now, perhaps does it serve the story’s purpose, in a way? Concerning his personality, he’s not flawless and I’m glad he isn’t : indeed he makes mistakes, he has at first a restrained vision of the world (yes, he’s sometimes full of ~~shit~~ stereotypes, but now, he’s 16, give him a break) but how in the world could it be different, tell me? From his upbringing spent as a smuggler for his family’s business to his training in the Academy, he has always been used, and genuinely doesn’t know how to deal with real relationships. However something about him rubbed me the wrong way, and that’s the fact that he cares about books more than people. Well, even as a book lover (no shit) it made me a little uncomfortable at times, I must confess. Fortunately it doesn’t stay that way, because despite the fact that books are rare in his world, I wouldn’t have stand a character who happily watches people getting starved and killed because of books. Sorry guys. I’m TEAM HUMANS. (I’m French, after all. Yes, that’s relevant. You’ll see)

But then, little by little, he evolves. Day after day, he realizes that the world is not near as simple as he thought he was. Page after page, we get to know him better, to understand him more. Chapter after chapter, the choices he has to face become more and more difficult and the lines between right or wrong blur… For that, I thank you, Rachel Caine. For that, I’m eager to read the next book because I feel how strong his potential can be.

Finally, for most of the book, I got the feeling that the romance was… Well… I’d say “low-cute”. What is it, you’re asking? It means that I’m happy for them, kind of, but I don’t care and to me it was unnecessary since the author openly didn’t focus on it, so much that the story would have been as great without it. Now, (don’t hit me) but that’s what I thought about the romance in Harry Potter too. I just don’t care. That’s not why I loved the books. So, yeah, I wasn’t a big fan of this romance which stayed in no-chemistry territory, until, until, until suddenly I started to feel something, and that was as glorious as unexpected.

Now, and that’s something I rarely write, but to me the pacing was perfection : I was never EVER bored and the writing just flowed smoothly, making the read completely addictive, and some parts were so full of tension that my heartbeat increased.

PS : French are rebels, eat lambs and drink red wine : of course they do >.<
PS2 : No, Dario, Spanish wine isn’t better than Cahors. DUH.
PS3 : I might be (a little) subjective. MAY-BE.

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

June 18, 2015 / Jen / 4 Comments

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. Hernandez

The 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 #1 Reviews: Jen	The Ruins #2 Reviews: Jen	The Uprising #3 Reviews: Jen
The Invasion #4 Reviews: Jen

T.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