Tag: Dystopian (Page 19 of 31)

Synopsis:

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds.

They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids.

Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.

Review:

“Are you sure this isn’t a nightmare?” he asked quietly. “And that we won’t just wake up?”
I stared ahead at the road, the way the dust blowing in from the desert covered it with a faint golden sheen even as gray clouds began to gather over us.
“Yes,” I said after some time. Because dreamers always wake up and leave their monsters behind.

The final book, in The Darkest Minds series, was an explosion of emotions and events that I loved. They swept me away into another world and only my fear and hope could keep me momentarily grounded. Fear that someone I cherished would die. Hope that they would all get their happily ever after. The conclusion that entailed solidified that Alexandra Bracken is an author who has been added to my I-will-read-whatever-she-writes-list!

What started as a billowing thundercloud of unease was becoming sharper, taking on more distinct edges. I was afraid it wouldn’t fully take shape until it was already raining down over us like knives.

President Gray struck against the Children’s League and the Federal Coalition. L.A. has crumbled to the ground, and they have been surrounded. They need to escape L.A. and head north to the Ranch where they can regroup and make plans to free the thousands of children in the camps. But with holding Clancy hostage, the President’s son, and discovering that some of the agents want to turn in the children for reward money, they are fighting an uphill battle. Ruby is still struggling to keep a handle on her grief and she is about to come face to face with the consequences of taking away Liam’s memory. Will she be able to survive?

This was the danger of him. In an instant, he could lift everything off my shoulders and set it aside. He became the answer to every doubt and lingering question. My world refocused, settling on him – beautiful, perfect him. I didn’t have to think about what I’d done, what would happen to us even five minutes from now.

I think one of my favorite things about this series are the characters. They are ones you want to be friends with, the ones that would make going through hell that much more bearable. You will always be able to rely on them because they will always have your back. Their nuances and disturbed or silly humor will put a smile on your face. They are your family. Each character in this book felt so real, so unique and always stood out. Whether it was Cole’s dedication, Vida’s tough front, Chubb’s mother hen tendencies, Ruby’s need to try harder or Liam’s good, sweet, lovable self, I couldn’t help but care for each and every one of them. Although there was a lot of darkness, there were moments that ensured my laughter and smile wouldn’t disappear. Chubbs and Vida’s constant ridiculous bickering made me laugh so hard. And with Ruby and Liam, I was guaranteed moments of swooning and smiling. Just the use of one word, one freaking word, I would melt. Liam could say darlin a million times and it would be just as powerful and beautiful as the first time. I kept hoping that Ruby and Liam’s connection would be able to transcend horror and tragedy. But it seemed as though each time they would have a moment of happiness, then they’d be transported into something more terrifying than the last.

I closed my eyes tightening my fists against a second wave of nausea.
I want to live.
I want to live.
I have to live.

The whole time I read this book, I was terrified and glued to the pages. Terrified during the peril scenes and terrified during the peaceful scenes, because we all know that it won’t stay that way forever. I desperately wanted to reach that final page with everyone I loved and cared for alive. But I had to keep reminding myself that dystopian books usually don’t work out that way. While it was an emotional ride, and I ached with the direction that some scenes went, I loved The Darkest Minds. This is a series that I will be able to recommend again and again!

PS Keeping my fingers crossed that the sequel to Sparks Rise will be released someday. Because I have to know the end to their heart-aching story too!

PPS The reason I couldn’t give a full 5 is because at the end of the book, I still have unanswered questions that will always drive me bonkers. I don’t want everything wrapped up in a pretty little bow, but there are some things that I feel as though I have to know to move on. Maybe they will be answered in the sequel to Sparks Rise? I can hope! View Spoiler »Such as what happened to the reds from Thurmond? What happened to the reds from the West coast that killed Cole? Were Ruby and Liam able to get back together after having to spend time with their family? And what happened to Sam and Lucas? « Hide Spoiler

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

Synopsis:

Sam didn't think things could get worse at Thurmond rehabilitation camp. Then the Reds arrive. Everyone assumed the kids with firepower had been killed years ago. Instead they were taken away, brainwashed, and returned as terrifyingly effective guards. To her horror, Sam recognizes one of them: Lucas, the one spark of light in Sam's dark childhood. Lucas has a deadly secret--he beat the brutal training that turned his fellow Reds into mindless drones. When Sam defends herself against an attack by a vile PSF guard and faces a harrowing punishment, Lucas must risk his everything to save her.

Review:

Sparks Rise was an emotionally gripping story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I love Sam and Lucas’ story. It gave me hope and then in the next instant it was ripped to shreds. This vicious cycle continued throughout their story and I ached for the book to end on a positive note. When their story stopped, I was floored how a book that with a little over 100 pages could evoke SO much emotion in me. I felt everything, right along with them and I’ve come to care about these two almost as much as Ruby and Liam!

There’s no mercy, not in life, not even in death.

Sam was Ruby’s bunk mate who was the brave girl that stood up against the soldiers to protect her. Later, Ruby made a mistake and accidentally erased herself from Sam’s mind. Now we get to travel back to Thurmond and witness the horrors that are still their lives. Sam is just struggling to survive, to not draw any attention to herself and is going through the same horrifying monotony day in and day out. That is, until the Reds arrive. The ones everyone thought were murdered. But something isn’t right with them. They act like machines that have no ability to think or function for themselves. And if that isn’t horrifying enough, Sam knows one of them! Lucas was her childhood best friend. He was her happiness, he created beautiful imaginary worlds for them to play in, and he was her first kiss. Now he is there to guard and to frighten her just like the PSF’s do everyday. Or is he?

Sam is meek and timid. But a living, breathing rebellious streak burns bright inside of her. She just has it locked away from all of the fear that suffocates her all the time. But her fear is about to escalate once Lucas arrives at Thurmond. I loved Sam. She was practical, relatable and someone you would want on your side. And Lucas, oh goodness. He was strong, brave, sweet and entirely captivating. Alexandra Bracken has this innate ability to write the sweetest males that you just can’t help to swoon all over. The battles and agony that Lucas suffers, in the name of helping Sam, sparked a hope in their dim world. Nothing can kill a love that is pure and true. Or so they hope.

I lean over to kiss her cheek. A part of me feels like it’ll be the greatest act of rebellion I ever do. Because I let myself feel how soft her skin is, I imagine taking her face between my hands, and it feels like I’ve set off a firework inside of my chest. No wonder they turn us hollow. I’ve always thought the danger in experiencing these emotions lay solely in being caught but living them make me danger itself.

Their fight against the system they are stuck in was truly fascinating, terrifying and addicting. Honestly, I feel just as invested in their story as I do Ruby and Liam’s. I HAVE to know what will happen to them. This book is a must-read for everyone who is in love with The Darkest Minds series!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

Synopsis:

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children''s League call Ruby "Leader", but she knows what she really is: a monster. When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children''s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America''s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn''t recognize her. As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Review:

**Spoilers if you haven’t read The Darkest Minds #1**

Never Fade was a riveting second installment to The Darkest Minds Series. It was mesmerizing, passionate and even darker than the first. I loved every twisted moment and I can’t wait to start the final book!

I used to dream about turning back time, about reclaiming the things I’d lost and the person I used to be. But not anymore.

Ruby has fully immersed herself into the Children’s League and has become team leader. She trains, she goes on missions, and she uses her powers to interrogate her enemies. But she refuses to get close to anyone, because she is only biding her time until she can escape. Her upcoming mission is the perfect opportunity and also gives her the ability to go after another mission. A secret mission. Information about the disease that killed and altered American’s children is on a flashdrive in the pocket of Liam’s jacket. Sweet, beautiful Liam who was her light, her happiness and her heart. But Liam won’t even know who she is. She could be just another face in the crowd that is forgotten by the next day. What entails is a page turning, emotionally gripping read that you won’t be able to put down!

If a heart could break once, it shouldn’t have been able to happen again. But here I was and here he was, and it was all so much more terrible than I ever could have imagined.

Ruby becomes a force to be reckoned with in Never Fade. She is becoming skilled at her powers and is trained to handle almost any situation. But she is still in a great deal of pain from the horrors she went through while being locked in Thurmond. Additionally, her heart still aches for Liam. After everything that has happened, she is not able to close a door and separate herself from anything in her past. And throwing herself into the latest mission to track down Liam can only lead to heartache, or can it?

“I’m…It’s-it’s like torture.” His voice was strained, hardly even a whisper. “I think I’m losing it-I don’t know what’s happening, what happened, but I look at you, I look at you and I love you so much. Not because of anything you’ve said, or done, or anything at all. I look at you, and I just love you, and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you. Please…you have to tell me….tell me I’m not crazy. Please just look at me.”
My eyes drifted up to his, and it was over.

I love Liam. He is raw, he is pained, and he is but a shell of the boy who I fell for in The Darkest Minds. His inability to remember or understand why he feels the way he feels broke my heart again and again. I ached for the adorable banter and stolen touches that Ruby and Liam previously shared. I only wanted them back together again. But life isn’t always fair and this time around their time together is even more horrifying than when they had Betty or were with the Skip Kid.

Through all of the tribulations, I found myself caring for two new characters. Vida and Jude are Ruby’s teammates, and whether she likes it or not, she can’t ever seem to distance herself from either of them. The three of their personalities together ensured laughable moments that put a smile on my face. Jude is a caring, friendly boy who has the ability to be dumb and brave in the same instant. He is the little brother that you can’t ever get rid of but love none the less. Then we have Vida who is Jude’s polar opposite. Vida is a purple-haired eccentric girl that is cold, loud and not afraid to speak her mind. I hated her in the beginning her but personality wore me down over time and her snarky comments started to make me laugh. Boo as an insult can be hilarious when the whole world is crashing down around you.

I felt the overpowering urge to throw up as I stood. We are dead. I killed us.

The suspense, heartache and horrors I faced while reading Never Fade was worth every single moment of panic, hurt and dread. Why you ask? Because this was a beautifully crafted story with characters who now mean the world to me. Never Fade was a riveting second installment and I hope the final book is just as brilliant!

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

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Black is the color that is no color at all.

It is a road. A forgotten night sky broken up by faded stars.
It is the barrel of a new gun, leveled at your heart.
The color of Chubs’s hair, Liam’s bruises, Zu’s eyes.
Black is a promise of tomorrow, bled dry from lies and hate.
Betrayal.

Agh. So. This hurts me so so much but…this was SO not what I expected. It was SO not what I imagined and pined and fangirled and waited for. It wasn’t what I wanted. It’s a double-edged sword, really. It’s not my story to write and it’s not my creation. I have always been on the author’s side of things, ie Veronica Roth, and I’ve always supported (almost) every decision they choose to make-but for some reason, I didn’t feel it with this one. It Just. Didn’t. Go. (for me)

“Are you sure this isn’t a nightmare?” he asked quietly. “And that we won’t just wake up?”
I stared straight ahead at the road, the way the dust blowing in from the desert covered it with a faint golden sheen even as gray clouds began to gather over us.
“Yes,” I said after some time.
Because dreamers always wake up and leave their monsters behind.

Why the 3.5/4 star rating? I’ll be frank-it’s nostalgia. It’s because I loved the first two so damn much. It’s because despite everything, I still loved the super amazing perilistic ending. The writing was, as always, vivid, imaginative, and out of this world. But, all in all, it was too little too late and I couldn’t give a five or even a solid four like I do with other series I have supported since the early books (Example: Lux #5). I felt that, while it was everything I had been waiting for, there was no redemption for how depressed I was in the middle of the book. The beginning was great, but then the beginning kind of dragged into the middle and then…yeah. It took to about 75% to pique my interest again, but at that point I was already so deflated there wasn’t much that could bring me back again.

There’s a difference between broken and ruined. With one, you can hope to piece the object back together, but the other-there’s just no coming back.

But, instead of focusing on the military tactics, scheming, and chaos that ensued with all these brilliant minds and talent pushed together in one area, I am choosing to talk about what made me happy. Everyone knows Liam is a book boyfriend of mine. It’s no secret my fictional male list is as whorishly long as…we won’t go there. Just know, it’s neverending. I don’t think I liked Liam as much in this one…but I also didn’t lose my love for him either. He’s human. He has a right to be hurt when Ruby is acting shady or not responding to him and when they aren’t what they used to be. And, even more than that, he was the same old Liam near the end. And I was so happy to see him resurface even for a little bit. He still stayed that always there for you, always optimistic, always looking for the least violent solution to save everyone guy. That didn’t escape me. It still touched me deeply and made my heart stutter…

“The you that you were then, who you are now, who you’ll be,” he began quietly, as if sensing my thoughts, “I love you. With my whole heart. My whole life, however long I’m lucky enough to get, nothing will change for me.”

Sigh. And Ruby. Yeah…Ruby. A girl who I have adored from page one in TDM. She was not that girl in this installment. She wasn’t what I expected when I picked up the conclusion to this amazing series. I feel like such a hypocrite because let’s look at other Dystopian princesses that I have adored no matter their ‘tudes-Katniss-she went very dark, but she stayed in tune with her personality-she was always kind of a bitch (A bitch I worship, mind you). Penryn- Even after the events of the book one conclusion View Spoiler » Her fake death and ultimately losing Raffe because of him thinking she died, the mutilation of her sister, her crazy mother. « Hide Spoiler she never went crazy, never went darker than necessary and kept her head about her. Tris-Look, this chick was fierce. I adore Tris. Speaking in terms of relevancy, she went very dark. She never cared if she died in the name of sacrifice View Spoiler » And she finally learned the meaning of TRUE love and sacrifice in book three. « Hide Spoiler but in the end, like Katniss, that was just Tris. That was who she always was. And that brings me back full circle-I just thought Ruby didn’t stay in character. It was just so…off…to me. I really think this was my biggest problem with the story. Oh, and how she treated Liam. But….that’s all. Let’s leave it be. She still loved all her friends around her and would do anything to save them and protect them…even if she had an odd way of showing it.

My first instinct with the others, no matter what, would always be to act like a shield, positioning myself between them and the prying eyes of the world.

Okay-the star of the show. THAT. PERIL. THAT. PAIN. THAT. FINAL BATTLE SCENE. Like, for realllll??? How AMAZING. I was practically salivating all over my reading device-I adored the pain. The struggle. The will to survive. The torture…

Good GOD was it astounding. I felt the acid in my mouth from the pain brought forth and I felt those cracks to the temple….let’s leave it there. But, just know, Chelsea was very pleased. Very VERY pleased-in all reality, this is what got that solid four star instead of the three star I was going to give. I’m not too proud to admit it. It. Blew. Me. Away.

Every muscle in my body was seizing up, making me jerk, my feet thrash against the floor, and inside I was screaming, I was screaming I’m not done, but I couldn’t hear myself think. The White Noise took me by the shoulders and shoved me down beneath the darkness, holding me there until I drowned.

So, shake your heads if you will, but no one loved or fangirled or cherished the first books like me and no on knows how excited I was for this final installment. I waited FOREVER…and I can’t believe it wasn’t more. Maybe it’s my own fault for breaking my own rules and setting my expectation bar far too high-I have been so good about just going in blind, not expecting much-but for this one, I just really never thought it would be anything other than extraordinary. Oh well. I think I’ll come back and re-read the whole series at one time someday in the near future…maybe I just needed to be in a different place at a different time. Regardless, I’ll always love Liam and Ruby and Chubs and Zu and Vida…even Nico.

I closed my eyes, tightening my fists against a second wave of nausea.
I want to live.
I want to live.
I want to live.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

Synopsis:

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control. Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Review:

The Darkest Minds was an emotional powerhouse that resonated deep within me. I was glued to this page turner and the story was a collection of darkness, laughter and the fact that maybe we can never out run our fate. I will never forget this story for as long as I live.

The will to accept their fate. In our case, that fate was to never see our families again. To always be hunted and chased down to every dark pocket of earth we tried to hide inside. Something had to give – we couldn’t live that way. We weren’t made to.

Children have become a curse to society. They either perish away in a blink of an eye or turn into terrifying monsters that parents either shun or love. Ruby knows she is one of the worst of the monsters that exists. So Ruby, along with the others, are rounded up and sent to camps where they are treated like parasites and terrorists. Her days are policed by government entities that ensure that they will never get out. They are disposed of, loathed, feared and are forced to live in situations that no child should ever endure. But why? They are unlike anything the U.S. has ever seen, these children have abilities. Dangerous abilities. But Ruby’s life is about to change. She’s going to get broken out, and if she thought life in Thurmond was hell, well she hasn’t seen anything yet.

“I’m a monster, you know. I’m one of the dangerous ones.”
“No you aren’t,” he promised. “You’re one of us.”

Ruby was astonishing. She was strong, determined, smart, and loyal. She has survived atrocities no child should have to and instead of it breaking her, like it did to the countless others, she was able to rise above it. She can still find hope, the willingness to create a new family and to have faith in others. But this little ray of sunshine in her life has a lot to do with her meeting Liam.

“God.” He shook his head, mouth twisting into a shadow of a smile. “Did you know…you make me so happy that sometimes I actually forget to breathe? I’ll be looking at you, and my chest will get so tight…and it’s like, the only thought in my head is how much I want to reach over and kiss you.” He blew out a shaky breath. “So don’t talk about getting me out of here, because I’m not leaving, not unless you’re part of the package too.”

Liam is all that’s good in this world. He’s brave, trusting, charismatic and selfless. His timidness and sweetness added to the wonderfulness that is Liam. I loved every single part of him. From calling Ruby darlin to being shy during the sock scene, it’s impossible to not fall for him. His hope was slowing uplifting Ruby from out of the darkness because Liam is purely light. Wonderful, beautiful light in a world that is bleak and horrific. To be honest? I love the jerky bad boys but every once in a while a good one will wiggle its way into my heart. So of course it had to be Liam. How could I not fall for someone as magnificent and warm as him?

The two of them enduring life’s journey together made this book phenomenal! Their interactions and stolen moments were beautiful. The hardships they endured together was heart breaking. And their friendship was wholesome and good. They are truly a remarkable pair! We also get to meet a few other characters but I loved Chubbs and Zu. They were each witty and unique and I became just as invested in them as I did Ruby and Liam.

I thought I had escaped the monsters, that I’d left them locked up behind an electric fence. But the shadows were alive, and they had chased me here. I’m next.

This was an intense, remarkable read. I cried for all the perils that were thrown in their faces and kept hoping that each time they were given a small break that it wouldn’t be thrown back in their faces. That’s because their lives are truly ruthless. I can’t wait to see how the story progresses but I’m not going to lie, I’m TERRIFIED! I’m still in a state of shock and denial after that ending. That ending left me feeling empty and broken. How could that have happened? I have to keep my head up and fingers crossed that the second book in this series will wound my devastated heart.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
The Darkest Minds #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea Laura	Never Fade #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	In the Afterlight #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
Through the Dark #1.5, 2.5 & 3.5 Reviews: Jen (Sparks Rise #2.5)

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