Tag: Dystopian (Page 26 of 31)

BOOK REVIEW – Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi

August 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica RossiUnder the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)
by Veronica Rossi
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*4.5 Amazing Stars*

Thank God. Thank God I have found another dystopian worthy of falling in love with. I found out this year that while I love most genres with romance, dystopian makes my blood pump the most and makes me the happiest. There is just something so appealing about finding love while a world is crumbling around you-having to fight for your survival everyday and protect this person that you are slowly falling in love with. I don’t know why this scenario resonates with me, seeing as how I’ve never had to live this way, but it just pulls me in so completely and excites me more than I could ever explain. I love it.

In his glinting eyes, she saw tears of gratitude and trust. She also saw the shadow of what neither of them would dare say to each other, with only days left together. But for now, for tonight, they were done with words.

What appeals to me the most about UTNS, though, is the lack of ‘like’ for one another from the very beginning. No, this is no friends to lovers romance, nor is it an insta-love connection-they practically hate one another upon first sight. Yes, it’s hate at first sight.

She looked up. “A world of nevers under a never sky.”
She fit in well then, he thought. A girl who never shut up.

Born into totally different worlds, one a Mole, one dubbed savage, they have lived completely different lives; Aria, a child of privileges, Perry born in the outside world. Aria’s lavish, Not so real life is set in Reverie, a world of virtual realms where you never feel pain and being in the woods is merely sitting in your own living room, being transported virtually to the place you desire-in other words, you aren’t really in the woods, you are practically imagining it until you decide you’re done with that ‘realm’. Then, on one fateful day, Aria and a group of friends break into the Agriculture room where food is grown and pain CAN be felt, and everything changes forever.

For days he’d had a shifty, anxious feeling in his gut. A feeling like the instant after a cut, before the pain came. He knew when the hurt would hit him. Three more days and they’d reach Bliss. And she’d go back to her mother. He didn’t know what he’d do if they didn’t find Lumina. Bring her to the Tides? Take her back to Marron’s? He couldn’t imagine doing either. He tightened his arms around her. Brought in her scent, breathing deep, letting it mellow him. She was here now.

Kicked out of Reverie after breaking into the Ag 6 room, Aria is left to defend herself in the outside world where death for a ‘Mole’ or ‘Dweller’ is inevitable. There is so much more that happens that I could never possibly explain without giving you a play by play and eventually ruining the story, so I will make it simple: Perry and Aria HAD met before when he broke into Reverie. He HAD saved her life in her earlier altercation in the Ag 6 room. And this whole altercation WAS the catalyst that got the ball rolling on everything negative that happens to Perry’s tribe and family immediately after (or were we just led to believe that?). So when Perry and Aria meet again, tensions are high.

One of the most unique things about this story/series is the abilities of outsiders….Perry for instance. He can, like, smell your emotions and see better and farther than just a normal person like you and me. Okay, okay, I know that sounds so, so stupid, and I thought so too when I initially read the reviews. And, hey, if I’m being completely truthful here, it’s the reason I’ve waited two months to read this series. But, and I can’t stress this enough, OH MY GOSH it is what made Perry so sweet, vulnerable, and caring. I kid you not. This guy is the sweetest thing, and he is always doing for others. He cares immensely and would do anything for the people he loves-he is never insincere in his actions and never puts himself first. This sense is what makes Perry, Perry. Sweet, endearing Perry.

“I’ve been watching you with Roar. Wanting it to be me training with you.” His shoulders came up. “I don’t want to do it now.”
“Why?” Aria’s voice was high and thin.
He smiled, a flash of shyness, before he leaned close. “There are other things I’d rather do when I’m alone with you.”

The journey that Aria and Perry take is so fun, risky, and addicting. They grow from being stubborn, weak allies to people who would die to protect one another without a second thought. Unsure of where it can lead, being from different worlds, they try to make the most of their time together as the time winds down on their journey and the realization that they might never see one another again becomes a likely outcome. I absolutely loved the progression of the story and there was never a dull moment. If you have any qualms about this story and the out-there elements that revolve around the book, I suggest you forget them and give it a chance. It’s dangerously addictive and obsessively appealing-I finished both books in a matter of three days without even trying, and with Christmas this week, that’s a HUGE feat. ‘Nuff said.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
under the never sky veronica rossi
Under the Never Sky #1
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea		roar-and-live-veronica-rossi
Roar and Liv #0.1
Review:
Jen
through the ever night veronica rossi
Through the Ever Night #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
brooke-veronica-rossi
Brooke #2.5
Review:
Jen		into the still blue veronica rossi
Into the Still Blue #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea

BOOK REVIEW – More Than This by Patrick Ness

August 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – More Than This by Patrick NessMore Than This by Patrick Ness
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads


Here is the boy, drowning.

A story built around false truths and a misinterpretation of life, we start this story not knowing where our main character is or where he will end up. We don’t know if he’s truly dead or truly alive, inbetween life and death or in Hell. But we saw him die….didn’t we?

“I wanted so badly for there to be more. I ached for there to be more than my crappy little life.”

I’m no beginner to Ness’s dark style of writing, so I was fully prepared when I started this one. Not quite sure what to expect, I went in with an open mind and a hopeful attitude that I would fall in love with another of his stories.

While I didn’t add another to my favorites shelf like his Chaos Walking trilogy, I did get to experience another expertly written novel that had me on my toes the entire time.

He really is alone in whatever hell this is.
Completely and utterly alone.

Solitude. Solitude shapes the entire story. I can’t even begin to explain the depression our main character feels because of this common thread, and I won’t try. Why? There is literally no way to give anyone a synopsis without either giving something away or confusing them more. But I CAN focus on themes and other areas, so I will attempt to talk about those areas instead.

But then he thinks, No. Because you can die before you’re dead, too.

As Seth starts trying to figure things out and move forward with whatever he is supposed to be doing, we start to see his demeanor slowly become unhinged. Seeing flashbacks everytime he falls asleep (or is he really in the moment, reliving it because of it’s vital importance?) we start to see how he was in that freezing ocean in the first place.

The loneliness. In his accumulating exhaustion, the terrible loneliness of this place swamps him, just like the waves he drowned in.
No one here. No one at all besides him. No one.
Forever.

Getting darker as the story progresses, we wonder how anything good can possibly come from anything that can possibly happen. But, even within the darkest of the dark moments, Ness has a heart-you can see it in everything he writes, see it in every ink-stained page he has produced-his characters always have such big hearts and always burst with so much passion, and even though he’s the reason for many harsh events within his novels, you can’t help but see how strong the characters become because of these events and why Ness chose to do these things in the first place. We see the effects of carrying a burden and how it influences our most important life decisions, making this another story where we learn a lesson while we’re being entertained.

Billions and billions of stars. Billions and billions of worlds. All of them, all those seemingly endless possibilities, not fictional, but real, out there, existing, right now. There is so much more out there than just the world he knows, so much more than his tiny Washington town, so much more than even London. Or England. Or Hell for that matter.

I undoubtedly loved the story and all the mystery surrounding every page. I was pulled in and fell hard once again for the obvious breaks and abrupt cuts at the end of sentences that purposely leave us in the dark and wondering what the character was going to say, adding more to the mystery. It’s like one of those movies that keeps adding layers that confuse you and keep you asking, ‘where does he come up with this shit?!’. It’s amazing and unbelievable at the same time, but he never makes you feel like you can’t or won’t ever understand-he never makes you feel unintelligent. We are all just a part of the game.

A book… it’s a world all on its own too. A world made of words, where you live for a while.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I do feel it was a little over the top at times, making it hard to guess what was behind the next cornerat every turn. It eventually started making since, but was a little too much before we got to that point. I still laughed, teared up, felt deeply, and enjoyed characters who I won’t name immensely, even if things were stagnant at times. The action gradually escalated, making for a fantastic finale that had me on the edge of my seat and begging for more. I will continue to watch for new work from Ness, and I will always be wowed by the intricately layered worlds and characters he creates. If you haven’t read a novel by him, I encourage you to do so-you’re missing out.

“Real life is only ever just real life. Messy. What it means depends on how you look at it. The only thing you’ve got to do is find a way to live there.”

BOOK REVIEW – Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo

August 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh BardugoShadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)
by Leigh Bardugo
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

“I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I’d catch myself walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I’d seen something I wanted to tell you about, or because I just wanted to hear your voice. And then I’d realize that you weren’t there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I’ve risked my life for you. I’ve walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I’d do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. So don’t tell me we don’t belong together,” he said fiercely. He was very close now, and my heart was suddenly hammering in my chest. “I’m sorry it took me so long to see you, Alina. But I see you now.”

A few months ago I read a fantasy book (without even realizing it was supposed to be fantasy) and was totally turned off by the completely over-the-top character/animal developments and the mixture of the two. It was both odd and hard to picture, so I told myself I would either stay away from fantasy or be more careful when choosing another candidate. When I saw Shadow and Bone blown up on GR, I started to become curious. Again, I didn’t realize it was fantasy per se, but when I did start reading it didn’t bother me one bit.

I think that’s what makes someone tick-even though a book or something might be out of your comfort zone, all that matters is how the story is developed and what the author does to make you forget it’s genre at all. It’s what makes you happy and what appeals to your taste. (I’d like to point out that while this was fantasy, there were no humans with animal heads present-thank God.)

Alina and Mal are orphans who grew up together and were dubbed unextraordinary with no Grisha talents to speak of. Being a Grisha provides you with a lavish way of living and would ultimately change, say, an orphan’s life forever. But not if an orphan just wanted to stay with their only friend, not if they push whatever talent they possess to the backburner to be with the only person they care for. All these years later, Alina still feels unnecessary and as if she doesn’t belong, while Mal has grown into an expert hunter who could have any girl he wishes.

“I’m not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way you did. I never really belonged anywhere.”
“You belonged with me.”

Then one fateful night when the settlement has to move across the dangerous Fold (where it is always dark and winged creatures circle above waiting for easy prey to cross) and many lives are most likely to be lost, Alina’s hidden away talent that she had all but forgotten about resurfaces and saves the lives of numerous people-including Mal, the guy she has loved her entire life.

I absolutely adored this story. We have Alina, this mousy, insignificant girl who has never really fit in. This girl who holds the key to possibly destroying the one thing that all colonies/towns/settlements/whatever fear, and she doesn’t even realize her potential. And with newfound power comes new enemies and new friends, some more pure than others, while some have a hidden agenda. You will fall in love with characters so fast it makes your head spin, and you will be quick to despise other characters-but be careful, those you chose to love might be corrupt, while the characters you chose to dislike might just be Alina’a only true allies.

“The problem with wanting,” he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, “is that it makes us weak.”

I can’t even begin to express how ecstatic I am to have read and fallen in love with this utterly captivating and off the wall book. In all honesty, it reminds me of a magical Hunger Games, which is my favorite series of all time, mixed with a paranormal dystopian. And maybe that’s why I decidedly fell for this book so quickly. It contains all the elements of my favorite stories/genres, and the characters were so fun to obsess over. Once Alina is summoned by The Darkling to both strengthen and showcase her abilities, it all starts to move at a fast pace and you become so engrossed you don’t even realize you’re almost finished. Almost as quickly as I picked up my ereader, I was putting it back down again because I was finished.

Witty, fast-paced, and all around fun, I will be sure to re read this again soon-it was just that good.

BOOK REVIEW – After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum

August 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – After the End (After the End #1) by Amy PlumAfter the End (After the End #1)
by Amy Plum
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*4.5 Stars!*


I am on fire. A golden statue alight, flames licking around me, melting the snow into puddles at my feet, heating Juneau’s face and reddening her nose and cheeks. She leans in closer until her lips are touching mine. And as she kisses me I disperse into a million tiny flames, sparks flying up into the cold winter air and diffusing once they hit the starry night sky.

Life, as I’ve been telling all my lovely GR friends lately, apparently is not a wish granting factory. I’ve been seeing that a lot lately and I have been in one of those totally depressed, funky moods where yeah, I’m liking books just fine but, I’m not in the best place about it. So when I looked at my Ipad and was trying to decide which dystopian to tackle (that was-and is-what I was in the mood for) I had three or four loaded and ready to go-I narrowed it down to two, and then ultimately chose this one because I’ve been excited about it the most for the longest time-and I chose correctly. I had a smile on my face the minute that Miles and Juneau met-and it very rarely left my face throughout the entirety of the novel.

Life is easier in black and white. It’s the ambiguity of a world defined in grays that has stripped me of my confidence and left me powerless.

These two are complete polar opposites-you couldn’t find a more comical pairing. One lives off the land and is in tune with nature while the other is privileged and pampered and lives in a world where everything has always been handed to him on a silver platter. I loved the dynamics of their relationship and everything in-between. There was no insta-love (GAG) and they were both (knowingly) using each other to get what they needed-it just turns out that they want the exact opposite thing….go figure.

“The guys who are following you…are they dangerous?” Miles asks finally.
“Well, normally I would say that Whit wouldn’t hurt a flea. But from what Poe here told me-”
“Poe?” Miles interrupts.
“The raven,” I say.
“You named the bird?” Miles asks, his voice tinged with a note of hysteria.

I think the biggest reason why I loved this book so much is because it wasn’t full on dystopian and it didn’t try to be. I love this genre, but sometimes authors try way too hard and it doesn’t portray quite what they want to. So, when this didn’t turn out to be a cut and dry survival story, I was kind of excited. Basically, Juneau left her clan to go hunt for food-they live secluded and ‘protected’ from the dystopian like world outside their living site from the after effects of World War III….and when Juneau returns, her dad and the whole clan included have disappeared. She knows she must try to find them immediately with her knowledge of the land and way of Kara (not even going to explain-it’s not that complicated but I would still mess it up). But when she leaves the confines of her camp and starts to get farther and farther away from what she’s always known, she finds out about the biggest betrayal she never would have imagined-there was no WWIII and she has been living a lie. And what’s worse, people are after her-maybe even one of the people she’s trusted her entire life.

“Has it shit on my shirt yet?” Miles asks, his nose wrinkling like he doesn’t really want to know the answer.
“Birds don’t shit while they’re sitting down. They would be sitting in their excrement, and if you haven’t noticed-which of course you haven’t, you”-I can’t think of an insult that fits the bill-“city boy, birds are clean.” I don’t know why I’m getting all defensive about Poe, but I can’t help correcting Mile’s glaring misconception.
“Secondly,” Miles continues, ignoring my argument, “a little while ago, you confirmed my long-held belief that birds don’t talk. Yet you just said that Poe”-he pauses-“I can’t believe I just called it that…this bird told you something.”
“I shouldn’t have said ‘told.’ I should have said ‘showed.'”
“Because that makes a difference?”

Miles lives a life of debauchery and opulence-he repeatedly causes problems in school and has finally been kicked out-a month before graduation. When he hears his father is looking for a girl who is the key to a drug he wants, Miles knows he is more than capable of finding a girl who knows nothing of the city and is virtually a stranger to the world. All he wants is his father’s approval and if he can get it by bringing the girl back in for questioning, he will do anything he can to get that accomplished. But what happens when he meets the girl and travels with her on the journey to find her clan? He starts to get to know her and see what kind of person she is. She’s as clueless as he is about the whole thing-what if his father is wrong and is after an innocent girl….what will he do then? And even more than that, what will he do when he starts to fall for this crazy girl who eats innocent wildlife and forages in the woods and is the complete opposite of his personality-what if she’s exactly what he’s been looking for his whole life: a place where he feels like he belongs. What then?

The touch of our skin sets off a reaction in me. I am immediately awake…100 percent present. And it feels like a whirlwind of thorns is whipping around in my chest, stinging me all over from the inside. That makes it sound painful. It isn’t. It’s the kind of itching sensation that makes you want to do something crazy. That spurs you forward to act on an idea you didn’t even know was in your head.

The dynamic of this story wholly worked for me and there were rarely any parts that bored me. There was information to take in at every twist and turn, but I never felt like I was getting info-dumped. It’s hard to find that in stories-that balance where there’s just enough cute, sweet, tough, travel, info….peril. It’s a delicate process and while I do wish the peril was amped up a bit, I still thought it was wonderfully done and I had hardly a complaint throughout the entire process.

It’s not like she’s wearing a dress. She just has on a pair of black jeans and a red V-neck shirt. But for once they actually fit. Juneau’s not skinny, and you wouldn’t exactly say muscular. But something in between. She’s so much shorter than me that I could easily pick her up. Of course, I refrain since I don’t feel like being punched.

So, all in all, a total win in my book-it takes a lot to make me completely happy, but this book got as close to perfect as I’ve seen in a while. When I’m in a foul mood it is quite a process to make me smile, much less laugh, so when ATE succeeded in both, I knew I would be sad to see it end. Speaking of which-that end?? Awesooooommmeeeeeee! I can’t wait until book two.

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

BOOK REVIEW – Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick Ness

August 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments
BOOK REVIEW – Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick NessMonsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3)
by Patrick Ness
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In the riveting conclusion to the acclaimed dystopian series, a boy and girl caught in the chaos of war face devastating choices that will decide the fate of a world. As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most, or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption, or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale. Includes “Snowscape,” a short story by Patrick Ness.

Review:

Read with Chelsea (shut up, shut up, shut up!) 😉

Yet again, Patrick Ness has my emotions all over the map. I loved the characters and the way the story moved at such a fast pace. I loved the alternating voices telling the story and how your view of what is truly evil can change in the blink of an eye. But again, I struggled with parts of this book. All of the doom and gloom, endless war and suffering made my heart hurt. I ached for those struggling and in pain, and it seemed as though we never got a break from that. And then that ending? I was definitely left wanting more, A LOT more. I’m all for imagining what happens after you close the book but with that ending, there were too many what ifs. I wanted something more concrete and solid. But all in all, I enjoyed this series. It was a little outside of my comfort zone, but I will definitely be thinking about this series for a long, long time.

Yes, I think. Here it comes. The end of everything. The end of it all. – Todd

War is coming! The battle cries and bombs can be heard. It is only a matter of moments before it will arrive on their doorsteps and change their lives forever. Therefore Todd makes the split decision to untie Mayor Prentiss (sorry, but he’ll always be the mayor to me). Whether that was a smart decision or the worst idea on the face of the planet, only time will tell. They are now off to protect their town. With the mayor and Todd fighting side by side against the new threat, Viola racing off to be the first one to get to the pilot ship and Lee trying to reach The Resistance, everyone’s fate is in the air. No one is safe in war, especially when you are smack dab in the middle of it.

He’s never going to be the same again, never ever, which makes my throat choke and my chest hurt. This is what war does. Right here, in my hands. This is war. – Viola

Shockingly, I loved Todd throughout this whole book. I agreed with the majority of his decisions except View Spoiler » . Plus he tries his hardest to redeem himself and not let past events happen again. While I don’t believe anything can be done to make up for his past actions, I did admire his current actions and it made me love him that much more. I was so happy because I saw a Todd I thoroughly respected. And he finally became the person I always knew he could be!

If it would save Todd, it wouldn’t have mattered, I was going to do it – I would have killed hundreds, thousands to save him. I would have started an even bigger war for Todd. – Viola

Again, I loved Viola. Her strength, morals and decisions are all admirable. Her actions, which are sometimes with fault, are understandable and so real. When you are doing things in the name of love during war, are they really right or wrong? Black and white lines can become a blur and your moral compass can definitely change, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And the third voice thrown in the mix? I LOVED it! The understanding and insight was remarkable, and I’m so glad it was there.

Feeling the thrill of it – Cuz that’s it– That’s the nasty, nasty secret of war- When yer winning- When yer winning, it’s ruddy thrilling – Todd

This was a great series. The action was intense, the characters were interesting, I loved how the story flowed and the fact that I could never guess what was going to happen next was wonderful. But I was deeply disturbed by some events that happened and I struggled to stay afloat in the doom and gloom of war. And even after reading Snowscape I was still left wanting more of a solid ending. I had so many unanswered questions and that will always bug me. So if you aren’t as sensitive as me and don’t need an iron clad ending like I do then you’ll love this series! Just be prepared for a whole lot of crazi-ness. 😉

Purchase on Amazon or iBooks

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