DNF Review: Steelheart (Brandon Sanderson)

Title: Steelheart
Series: The Reckoners, Book 1
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Ember (Delacorte)
US Release Date: September 24, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Superheroes
Content Rating: Teen (Part One: violence, killing)
Format Read: Paperback
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Azon | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound
Summary:

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will.

Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

*          *          *

**I did not finish this book.** 
I stopped at Part Two (Page 118).

Series: This is the first book in The Reckoners trilogy. All books in the series have been released and are available for purchase.

I have enjoyed several of Sanderson's stories (his Alcatraz series is a particular favorite), so over the years I collected all of the Reckoners books, even though I prefer to avoid dark revenge stories like the series advertised to be. This year, however, I finally decided to pass on it and let my copies go, but not before at least reading the first few pages of the first book, Steelheart, just in case.

And then I couldn't stop. Sanderson has a quick and engaging writing style with long but engrossing action scenes and smooth dialogue, and while it was a revenge story the book's mood was light despite deadly violence and ruthless villains. David was a bright boy who knew his stuff and stuck to his guns (figuratively and literally), even if he could be a bit bumbling at times and could not stop thinking about Megan. The setting was odd and hard to picture, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the Epics and their powers, but to my surprise I quickly found myself some 100 pages in and quite enjoying myself.

And then the action ended. As they traversed and hid in the bizarre setting and talked at length about the unimpressive Epics, I immediately lost interest in the story and started flipping pages, looking for when the action picked back up again. When I discovered it would be a few chapters, nearly 40 pages of more traversing and talking, I set the book aside to consider my enthusiasm to continue. With the action-packed opening behind and the revenge plot looming ahead, it didn't take long to realize my complete lack of interest in seeing David's story through, and I resolutely ended my read at Part Two.

If you love superpower stories, and especially enjoyed Marissa Meyer's Renegades, then I highly recommend you give Steelheart a try. Sadly, it just wasn't for me.


STRENGTHS (Part One)

• Quick and engaging writing style
• Long, engrossing action scenes
• Smooth dialogue

WEAKNESSES (Part One)

• Bizarre, hard-to-picture setting
• Unimpressive Epics and their powers (probably just me, I'm so over superheroes)
• When the action ends, the story becomes a lot of walk and talk

For Fans Of: Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Paragraph Reviews: The Shadow Society (Marie Rutkoski) | Countdown (Michelle Rowen)

Title: The Shadow Society
Series: standalone
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Science Fiction
Told: First Person (Darcy), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, minor torture, some sensuality, a few words of language)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

Darcy Jones doesn't remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn't have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn't happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.

Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn't thought possible. But Conn's interest in her is confusing. It doesn't line up with the way he first looked at her.

As if she were his enemy.

When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can't rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades' latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .

In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won't soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense.

*          *          *

This book turned out to be nothing like what I expected going in. I hadn't been impressed with The Winner's Curse so I didn't expect much of this earlier work, but it was surprisingly quite good! Although it began with the extremely overused "girl who appears normal but has a dark secret is drawn to a new mysterious boy at school" opening, after some rather shocking violence and alternate world twists it turned out to be an exciting read with engaging intrigue and action and a really strong female lead. I even rather liked the romance - messy and somewhat intense with a lot of baggage though it was - which is rare for me. The writing wasn't too descriptive with good dialogue and banter, and while not particularly visual I didn't have much difficulty following the movement. If I think about it too hard the parallel universes and Shades didn't make complete sense - neither are explained in great detail, and what details we did get were vague and kind of waved off for the sake of the plot - but it was an interesting and unique idea. Recommend for Contemporary Science Fiction readers as long as they're willing to let the setting slide and just enjoy the story.

Scribble Rating: 

4 of 5 Scribbles

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title: Countdown

Series: standalone

Author: Michelle Rowen

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Thriller

Told: First Person (Kira), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, sensuality, some language, life/death situations)
Format Read: Paperback (purchase)

Find On: Goodreads

Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Summary:

3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped. 

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game. 

Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis. 

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it. 

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove evermore deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape. 

GAME OVER

*          *          *

With its surprise Psi abilities, advanced AI, and dystopian world, this book was nothing like the straight thriller I anticipated. Middling characters and a subpar world left me wanting, and when the deadly game I was reading for ended with still over 100 pages to go I found what little interest I had floundering in too long a rest and romantics period before the teens headed off to "save the world." At Page 245 (of 367), after not picking the book up for almost a week I started a new book instead and pretty much threw in the towel, but after skimming the last chapter I gave it a few weeks distance and then decided I was curious enough to polish it off. Overall not quite engaging enough for my tastes, but lovers of teen dystopian thrillers might enjoy it as a guilty pleasure read.

Scribble Rating: 

2 of 5 Scribbles

Review: The Fog Diver (Joel Ross)

Title: The Fog Diver
Series: The Fog Diver, Book 1
Author: Joel Ross (site)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 26, 2015
Genre: Middle Grade Dystopian Action-Adventure
Told: First Person (Chess), Past Tense
Content Rating: Middle Grade (some violence and scary situations)
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | BookDepo
Summary:

A deadly white mist has cloaked the earth for hundreds of years. Humanity clings to the highest mountain peaks, where the wealthy Five Families rule over the teeming lower slopes and rambling junkyards. As the ruthless Lord Kodoc patrols the skies to enforce order, thirteen-year-old Chess and his crew scavenge in the Fog-shrouded ruins for anything they can sell to survive.

Hazel is the captain of their salvage raft: bold and daring. Swedish is the pilot: suspicious and strong. Bea is the mechanic: cheerful and brilliant. And Chess is the tetherboy: quiet and quick…and tougher than he looks. But Chess has a secret, one he’s kept hidden his whole life. One that Lord Kodoc is desperate to exploit for his own evil plans. And even as Chess unearths the crew’s biggest treasure ever, they are running out of time...

*          *          *

In a Sentence: An imaginative and inventive middle grade dystopian adventure with thrilling action and an engaging cast of characters.

When a desperate young salvage crew from the slums stumble upon a pricey jewel while out scavenging the deadly fog that chased humankind to the mountaintops, they hatch a plan to sell it topside in the hopes of paying their way to Port Oro, a paradise where the woman who saved them can be cured of her debilitating sickness. But after a run-in with mutineers causes them to lose their ship, they find themselves on the run from not only the slumlords they owe but Lord Kodoc, the Rooftop ruler who has discovered crewmate Chess's secret and will stop at nothing to use the boy to gain control over the fog and rule them all.

While I found the beginning a little slow at times, the second half of the book was back-to-back thrills as the crew escaped from multiple pursuers by land and air in exciting feats of skill and cunning. The straightforward writing style made for a quick and effortless read with vivid description, smooth action, and easy, amusing dialogue, and the comical old-world references - a mishmash of scrapbook snippets and phonetic names - wove witty and imaginative tales such as the violent game of Golfball ("So each team had a hole? It sounds too easy to guard. You just put your foot over the hole." "Until the other team starts beating you with their clubs.") and the old saga of "Skywalker Trek" ("...about a space war between the Klingons and the Jedi, set in a future when people lived on distant planets, and fought Tribbles, Ewoks, and Borgs.") that made me literally laugh out loud. The setting was a little hard to accept as a whole, but the environmental concept and societal structure were disconcertingly plausible, and the way scavenged supplies were repurposed was clever (paper money as expensive toilet paper, laptops as bricks in building walls, etc.).

It was the crew that really made this book though, a team of quirky and relatable kids carefully and lovingly assembled by strong, good-hearted Mrs. E to tackle their dangerous but inevitable adventure with spunk and determination. Point-of-view character Chess could be a bit too cowardly for me at times, but when it counted he didn't hesitate to defend and support his family, and although he constantly wanted to he never backed down from what had to be done. Commanding but girlish Hazel was an intuitive captain with a quick mind and sharp eye, forced to be the adult of the group but wearing it well, and I think many a young girl couldn't go too wrong aspiring to be her. Sporty, paranoid Swedish played a good devil's advocate even as his mad skillz at the helm flew them out of several spots of trouble, and newbie brutish Loretta provided some good comic relief during otherwise dire situations. Of all though, Bea was my uncontested favorite, the incarnation of a young Kaylee from Firefly who talks to and maintains machines like a seasoned pro, and added some innocence to the unfortunately rather adult situation the kids found themselves entangled in. But it was all of them together as a well-oiled, bantering crew that really made the book an exciting and engaging read, and at the end I was very happy to know that their adventure continued into another book.

Conclusion: With its unique premise, inventive setting, quirky characters, thrilling action, and playful wit, I found this adventurous Middle Grade dystopian and first installment in the Fog Diver duology a fun and engaging read. Definitely recommend for middle-graders and/or anyone who enjoys a good Firefly-esque adventure.

Sequel: The second book in the Fog Diver duology, The Lost Compass, released May 24, 2016. You can read my 3.5 Scribble review here.

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

Review: The Lost Compass (Joel Ross)

Title: The Lost Compass
Series: The Fog Diver, Book 2
Author: Joel Ross (site)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Genre: Middle Grade Dystopian Action-Adventure
Told: mostly First Person (Chess), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Middle Grade (some violence and scary situations)
Format Read: ARC (author/publisher)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

In the high-stakes sequel to The Fog Diver, thirteen-year-old Chess and his crew must stop the deadly and mysterious Fog from enveloping the city of Port Oro and destroying their world.

Chess and his crew—Hazel, Swedish, and Bea—may have escaped the slums, but they cannot escape the Fog that threatens to swallow the entire mountaintop city of Port Oro.

Only one thing can stop the fog: an ancient machine known as the Compass. Only one person can find it: Chess. With the help of his crew, Chess faces dangerous encounters, brutal battles, and deadly driftsharks to unearth the hidden instrument. It’s a race against time to save this high-altitude sanctuary.

With adventure at every turn, peril behind every corner, and a few determined slum kids who are up to the task, Joel Ross presents a fantastic world in this fast-paced follow-up to The Fog Diver.

*          *          *

Review copy provided for an honest review. Thank you, Joel & HarperCollins!

Series: This is the second and final book in the Fog Diver duology. You can read my review of the first book, The Fog Diver, here.

In a Sentence: Another adventurous read with a fun cast, thrilling climax, and strong series end.

Chess and crew have finally made it to Port Oro, and although they are wary at first it is everything they dreamed of and more. But with Lord Kodoc still determined to get his hands on Chess and the legendary Compass that controls the deadly Fog, the safety of Port Oro can only be maintained if Chess helps the Subassembly find the Compass first. When Chess acquires the legendary map to the rumored location of the Compass things seem to be looking up, but after Lord Kodoc obtains the map as well the crew must race him to the Compass or lose everyone they hold dear.

The first third of the book was a bit subdued with lots of exploration and little action, but it was the calm before a storm of tense action and surprising twists I did not see coming. The climax was a thrilling ride of frying pan to fire to the whole world burning that had me on the edge of my seat, and the end left me wanting more even as the duology wrapped up well.

The crew continued to be the fun and eclectic group I'd come to love in the first book, and although their conversations were so quick at times I had difficulty keeping everyone straight there was never a dull moment or lack of wit with them. Chess's insecurity and slight cowardice also carried over, but with a new situation and responsibilities he discovered some real strength and power in himself when it counted. Tech-whisperer Bea remains my favorite, although brutish and mouthy Loretta is tied with Captain Hazel for second favorite, and conspiracy theorist Swedish grew on me even more.

Conclusion: While it began a little quiet, the action and twists and climax were intense, and the strong end was satisfying even as it left me wishing for at least one more book. Definitely recommend this duology for readers who enjoy thrilling adventure and great casts of witty young characters.

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

Review: Rebel (Amy Tintera)

Title: Rebel
Series: Reboot duology, Book 2
Author: Amy Tintera (site)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Told: First Person (Wren, Callum), Past Tense
Content Rating: Teen (violence, killing, fighting, kissing, minor sensuality)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

Wren Connolly thought she'd left her human side behind when she dies five years ago and came back 178 minutes later as a Reboot. With her new abilities of strength, speed, and healing—along with a lack of emotions—Wren 178 became the perfect soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). Then Callum 22 came along and changed everything.

Now that they've both escaped, they're ready to start a new life in peace on the Reboot reservation. But Micah 163, the Reboot running the reservation, has darker plans in mind: to wipe out the humans. All of them. Micah has been building a Reboot army for years and is now ready to launch his attack on the cities. Callum wants to stick around and protect the humans. Wren wants nothing more than to leave all the fighting behind them.

With Micah on one side, HARC on the other, and Wren and Callum at odds in the middle, there's only one option left...

It's time for Reboots to become rebels.

*          *          *

Series: This is the second and final book in the Reboot duology. See here for my review of the first book, Reboot.

In a Sentence: A violent but romantic sequel with indistinguishable points of view but a sweet ending.

It's hard for me to read a sequel several years after the first book. I've usually lost most if not all emotional resonance with the main characters, and only vaguely recall some points of the plot. In such situations I usually re-read the previous book first, but in the case of Rebel, with my teetering TBR pile looming, I thought I remembered enough of Reboot that I could skip the re-read this time and dive straight into the second book.

At first, I struggled. As feared I had a very hard time reconnecting with the main characters, and although I seemed to remember enough of what had happened before I felt rather detached from what was going on. Also, instead of just Wren's First Person point of view as was in Reboot, Rebel alternated between Wren and Callum, and since I only vaguely recalled either's personality I had a hard time telling their voices apart. The story further began with an overused dystopian sequel plot, the escapees arriving at their promised land only to discover they might have exchanged one bad situation for another. Having already read this scenario one too many times and despairing the typical outcome, I debated if the book was worth continuing just to have read it.

But right from the start most of the escapees were wary of integration, an unusual element to the overused plot, so I decided to stick with it and after a third of the book was rewarded as the story pulled away from the predictable and diverted into some unique twists and exciting action. I also started to, not reconnect per se but connect anew with the characters and their fight, and by the halfway point I was fully engaged in the story. From there a quick and easy writing style made the read rather effortless, and although the movement was a little choppy the pacing was pretty smooth and packed with conflict and surprises. Wren and Callum's romance, while honestly a bit unbelievable for me considering Wren's base personality, was a nice balance to the violence, and made for a sweet and hopeful end.

Conclusion: Although at first I had a hard time reconnecting with the characters and story, eventually the action and easy writing engaged me and I quite enjoyed finishing Wren and Callum's violent but romantic tale. Definitely recommend for dystopian lovers, and I look forward to re-reading the duology together one day.

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

Review: Red Queen (Victoria Aveyard)

Title: Red Queen
Series: Red Queen, Book 1
Author: Victoria Aveyard (site)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Fantasy
Told: First Person (Mare), Present Tense
Content Rating: Teen (violence, kissing)
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart ...

*          *          *

In a Sentence: A predictable fantasy that was occasionally engaging but I mostly found disappointingly formulaic. 

I'm a sucker for a gorgeous cover, and Red Queen's is one of the most striking I've seen yet. However, the story under the cover was not only underwhelming but rather frustrating as it disappointed on almost all fronts.

Story: The plot was highly predictable and completely formulaic: plain girl discovers she has a unique ability and becomes a pawn in a political scheme for the crown while at the same time trying to secretly overthrow said crown for the rebel cause, but all her plans backfire and after a crushing betrayal she must fight for her life. Needless to say I saw every major twist coming from the start, and although I tried to hold out hope that it would surprise me in new and interesting ways, the story refused to divert from the formula. The climax was relatively exciting and I was happy that Mare held her own and didn't require protecting or saving in the final battle, but as per formula the epilogue twist came as no surprise and left me with little excitement for the sequel.

Setting: I initially thought this a fantasy setting, but it eventually expanded into a parallel dystopian world - at least, that was my impression. Although there wasn't anything particularly unusual or dazzling, some of the elements were intriguing and the description made everything relatively easy to picture.

Characters: Mare was unfortunately formed from an overused heroine mold: small, plain, snarky and strong-willed, she didn't fit in and seemed below average until it was revealed she was in fact a special snowflake with an impossible ability. This can be acceptable as a base, but that was pretty much it for Mare as, despite the evolving story, she refused to have a motivation. In the beginning she had no dreams or plans past not being conscripted, and while I could understand that being poor she didn't have a long life expectancy so aspirations were considered foolhardy, everyone has dreams of some sort. I needed her to aspire to something but never felt she truly did, and a character without dreams, without any sort of real motivation, leaves me little to root for other than she doesn't die.

Cal was the typical love interest: handsome, sweet, and powerful, with nothing particularly unique except perhaps his unflagging loyalty which instigated some intriguing difficulties. Maven was a predictable disappointment who read much younger than he was supposed to be, but I guess that was part of his personality? I would've loved something new with his character, but as was the norm he sadly never diverted from his formula.

Romantic Relationships: This book possessed an unfortunate love square, although I guess for the most part it was only a love triangle. Mare loved one prince but was engaged to another, and although she tried to do the right thing, the hearts wants what it wants, etc. She actually struggled with her heart though, and except for one slip kept it together for the most part which was a pleasant and rather refreshing surprise.

Writing: The writing was the only real highlight of the book for me. While nothing spectacular it could be engaging, and there were several occasions where the action sucked me in so deep I forgot where I was. If not for the writing I wouldn't have gotten far in this book, let alone finished it.

Conclusion: I really wanted to love this one as much as almost everyone else on the planet, but although the writing was engaging enough the story was way too formulaic and the motivationless main character left me little to root for. I do have an ARC of the second book and will give it a try, but at this point my expectations aren't high.

For Fans Of: formulaic dystopian fantasies

Scribble Rating: 

2.5 of 5 Scribbles

Review: Captive (Aimée Carter)

Title: Captive
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy, Book 2
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Content Rating: Older Teen (some language, brutal violence, abuse, sensuality, minor sex)
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find It On: Goodreads
Summary:

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

*          *          *

This is Book 2 in The Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy. 

You can read my review of Book 1, Pawn, here!

In a Sentence: Another quick read in an intense dystopian trilogy!

While it did begin a bit slow for me, with the first few chapters reading more like a recap prologue, the shift to the brutal Elsewhere brought exciting new characters and twists that expanded the story with big revelations and even bigger possibilities for the final installment. The new setting also escalated the violence and intensity in this book. I cringed quite a bit as the worst was threatened at every turn, and like a game of Russian Roulette you never knew when the gun would actually go off - and it did quite a bit. This made for a tense and sometimes heart-wrenching read that is definitely not for the faint of heart.

I did have a problem with Kitty this time, though. She's an ordinary girl given constant opportunities to do extraordinary things, but in this book she rarely took them or seriously messed them up when she did by continually trusting the wrong people and not trusting the right ones enough.  I guess this made her realistic, but the girl never seemed to do much of anything right, and it got a little old. Still, her loyalty to her long-time boyfriend and even her new friends was fierce, and almost everything she did was for the good of others, which was commendable.

Conclusion: While the beginning stumbled a bit and the main character frustrated me at times, the new setting and intense story made for a violently engaging read. I look forward to the final installment in this series later this year!

Rating: 

4 out of 5 Scribbles

Review: Pawn (Aimée Carter)

Title: Pawn
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy, Book 1
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: November 26, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Content Rating: Older Teen (sensuality, violence)
Format Read: ARC (EpicLibrarian)
Find It On: Goodreads

Summary:

YOU CAN BE A VII IF YOU GIVE EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked - surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed, and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

*          *          *

In a Sentence: A quick read with an interesting dystopian premise, uncomplicated political intrigue, and lots of twists!

Although this book seemed like it should've been kind of complex with its strict caste system and political aspects, the surprisingly uncomplicated story and easy writing style made it a breeze of a read. The political intrigue was even simple and engaging enough that I not only followed it but actually enjoyed it, and I'm rarely one for anything to do with politics. Kitty had a good balance of self-sacrifice and self-preservation - she was willing to die for the boy she loved (and had loved since before the book began - no instalove here!), but struggled to stay alive if she could. When given the opportunity though, she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness to do more for the lesser numbers and possibly free them - and ultimately herself - which made her someone worth rooting for.

Conclusion: An easy and entertaining read that I recommend for YA dystopian lovers. As this is Book 1 in a trilogy, I will definitely be continuing the series to find out what happens!

Rating: 

4 out of 5 Scribbles

Review: Stitching Snow (R.C. Lewis)

Title: Stitching Snow
Series: standalone
Author: R.C. Lewis
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Future Sci-Fi Fairy-tale Retelling
Told: First Person Singular (Essie), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, parental sexual abuse [see Trigger Warning below])
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find It On: Goodreads

Summary:

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back-but that's assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid.

In her enthralling debut, R.C. Lewis weaves the tale of a princess on the run from painful secrets . . . and a poisonous queen. With the galaxy's future-and her own-in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

*          *          *

Why I Read It: I'm always interested in fairy-tale retellings, and I got Ms. Lewis for the 2014 Debut Author's Bash (you can read my interview here).

Series: A standalone with a complete arc and ending.

Setting: A far-flung future in a new galaxy, where a branch of humans have developed body-hopping (Transitioning) abilities. While at first I thought the galaxy was quite large with many inhabited planets, by the end it seemed there were only four human inhabited, widespread planets. We visited four planets anyway, and each had their own unique living arrangements and structures.

Writing & Story: Plain and simple. There wasn't much to the story, which I normally like, but here I found it lacking. It read like a two-book story condensed into three-fourths of a novel, covering only the bare necessities (which left me feeling as if I'd missed a lot of the interesting bits) and trimming the characters down to pretty much one basic emotion (rendering them rather flat and unrelatable for me). And despite the first person viewpoint, I felt distanced from the characters and the story, which made it hard to invest in either. Even the spikes of danger and emotion didn't resonate with me, except perhaps right at the end. But while I connected to the climatic scene a little more, it was only in the last two chapters that I felt any kind of emotional connection at all with the characters.

Characters: Essie and Dane read and acted very young, more 13 than 17, until the last two chapters. Essie was all hardened fear - while she occasionally acted brave, it always felt more like instinct than actual bravery. I didn't get anything other than different shades of fear from her, which made her rather one-dimensional and I just couldn't connect with her. Dane got better as the story progressed and I came to like him, but because of the plot he was a bit of a rollercoaster as his loyalties constantly shifted. The only bright spot were the drones (the dwarves), which unfortunately didn't have a very big part except one, but what they touched shone a little brighter. The evil step-mother queen didn't have much of a part either, which was disappointing for the story. As for the kingly father...

Trigger Warning: While it may be considered a bit of a spoiler, I need to mention the streak of red in this otherwise beige story: Essie's father sexually abused her. Although I'm sure there were subtle hints throughout the story (I'm not good with noting subtle hints), I didn't catch on until Dane pretty much spelled it out, and even then I was still wondering if I'd gotten some signals mixed up until the father finally attacked her near the end. While he didn't get very far, it was a dark scene. The sad thing was, other than the abuse, while the father was overall a pretty evil man he wasn't personally horrible. But the story needed him to be personally horrible for a very specific reason (definite and unmentionable spoilers), so it seemed like making him an abuser was the only way. And, really, it probably was. But that didn't make it feel right.

Romantic Relationship: On Dane's part, chivalrous and sweet. On Essie's part, confused and erratic. Her previous abuse was a good reason for her reluctance and distance, but while I knew this, I never felt it. The end was sweet, though.

Conclusion: While I normally like plain and simple, there wasn't enough of the story for me, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Abuse aside it wasn't a particularly bad story though, so if you like sci-fi fairy-tale retellings maybe give it a try.

For Fans Of: Sci-fi fairy-tale retellings

Scribble Rating: 

2 of 5 Scribbles

YA Review: Hungry (H.A. Swain)

Title: Hungry
Series: standalone
Author: H.A. Swain
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Rating: Older Teen (some language, sensuality, underage pregnancy, drugs/smoking, serious creepiness, violence)
Told: First Person Singular (Thalia), Present Tense
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find It On: Goodreads

Summary:

In the future, food is no longer necessary—until Thalia begins to feel something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She’s hungry.

In Thalia’s world, there is no need for food—everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger. It should mean there is no more famine, no more obesity, no more food-related illnesses, and no more war. At least that's what her parents, who work for the company that developed the inocs, say. But when Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that most people live a life much different from hers. Worse, Thalia is starting to feel hunger, and so is he—the inocs aren’t working. Together they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food.

*          *          *

Why I Read It: It sounded like such an original and interesting premise. (And it was.)

Cover: Love the sinister simplicity, and that soft blue is absolutely gorgeous. Sad that the tagline doesn't say anything, though - it's more confusing than grabbing.

Series: This is a standalone. The world is certainly big enough for a sequel, though.

Writing: Quirky; odd verbs and dialogue tags. Swain dropped us right into the future world on Page 1 with lots of futuristic talk and products, but as most of them were mash-ups of what we know now I only had a few confusing moments. The movement was pretty easy to follow, and she was seriously good with the creepy.

Book Layout: A big problem for me was the lack of chapter breaks. Instead of a normal layout the book was split into four parts, each of which designated a setting shift, with scenes separated by basic breaks. This made the read feel a lot longer than it was, like the story simply rambled on without end. I personally appreciate chapter breaks - they make a book feel like it's moving faster and encourage me to read longer because it's so easy to say, "I'll read just one more." Reading "just one more" scene in this book simply wasn't the same, more like pulling myself up one more rung on the ladder when I'm already exhausted. It was a "different" idea that just didn't work for me.

Setting: As Hungry is our possible future, it was set in a currently existing location. However, I never figured out where exactly that was, and I don't know that it was ever specifically told. I felt there were quite a few hints though, so maybe I just missed it? That aside, Swain did an amazing job introducing the structure of the world. It began as if Thalia lead an average life but then in gradual steps it is discovered this is most definitely not the case, not only in her "Loop" but in her world. The future mash-up products were a little ridiculous (EntertainArena, Silkese, Synthamil), but they did their job of feeling foreign and futuristic yet still familiar enough for us Relics to comprehend.

Story: This is the tale of Thalia's journey as she discovers what is wrong with her world. While the basic concept is nothing new, Swain made each Part a different subgenre - utopian, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and horror (it was horror to me, anyway *shudders*) - weaving them together into one relatively coherent story. It wasn't perfect, but it was definitely different. Out of the four Parts, Part 2 (The Outer Loop) was probably my favorite - the world really came to life for me there, especially at Basil's house. Part 4 (The Farm) was seriously disturbing. From its first page I got the creeps, and if it hadn't been the last Part of the book I would've stopped reading only a few pages in and never picked it up again. Since I did read it, however, now just the thought of it still makes my skin crawl. When it comes to the creep, Ms. Swain certainly knows her stuff.

Action: Most of the action felt forced, and too much happened coincidentally. For example, Thalia randomly acquired a phone with the ability to cloak, which was such an impractical feature for her. The girl was constantly losing her phone, but her father created a phone for her that could go invisible? Yeahno. But when she wanted to keep her phone with her on the run and hide it from people, suddenly the impractical cloaking feature came in handy. In this instance and in many more I felt the hand of the author making things happen, not things happening naturally, and it caused Thalia to act out of character more often than not.

Characters/Romantic Relationship: While Thalia was supposed to be 17, she read more like 12. But given the environment she was raised in, this was plausible enough I guess. After previously having her emotions and hormones suppressed, she was just discovering things that naturally hit one in middle or early high school. And if you hadn't eaten in 17 years, you'd be a bit petulant and cranky too. Still, she was completely driven by her hormones through the entire story, and it got old fast. Given her upbringing she should've been smarter than she was, but Basil always brought her down, making her feel stupid and small. Needless to say, I despised Basil. He yelled at Thalia, blamed her for his problems, made fun of her, made her feel like being a privy - which she couldn't help - was the worst form of life. He was an idiot and desperate; he abandoned Thalia several times, never listened to her, made her do things she didn't want to do. The only good thing he did in the entire book was awaken her to the world's problems. The fact that she fell for him, stayed with him, and wouldn't go anywhere without him because she was convinced he was "The One" only proves her hormonally-driven stupidity. I constantly wished she would come to her senses, or that he would die and put us all out of our misery.

Conclusion: I really wanted to love this one, but while the world blew me away, the juvenile characters, sluggish layout, and forced story left much to be desired. If you like your dystopians with a heavy helping of creep and don't mind hormonally-driven instalove, bully boyfriends, or a lack of chapter breaks, then maybe this is a book for you.

Will I Read Again?: No

Review: Avalon (Mindee Arnett)

(Be sure not to miss the special announcement at the end of this review!)

Title: Avalon
Series: Avalon, Book 1
Author: Mindee Arnett
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date:  January 21, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Science Fiction
Content Rating: Older Teen (language, sensuality, violence, minor gore, minor torture, tense situations)
Told: Third Person Singular (Jeth), Past Tense
Format Read: ARC
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

*          *          *

Three Words: Firefly but teenagers.

Writing: While the voice was technically Third Person Singular, meaning we kept strictly to Jeth, it read more Omniscient, giving us a more broad understanding of all the characters and scenes than one would usually get with a Singular perspective. It felt like the author was physically telling me the story - at times I swear I could almost hear her reading it aloud. For this reason, I believe it might "read" better in audiobook form - and a movie would be epic.

Setting: The future in the stars, where humans have moved to other planets and travel in spaceships via mysterious speed-of-light technology. It's space - enough said.

Story: If you love Firefly, Star Wars, and/or Cowboy Bebop, then you are going to love this action-packed science fiction thriller. To regain possession of his ship, Avalon, Jeth and his crew take a salvage job rescuing a crippled ship from the Belgrave, the Bermuda Triangle of space. Since Avalon is calibrated to handle the Belgrave's fluctuations, it seems like an easy job. But after discovering something unusual on the rescued ship, odd things begin to happen - and when the secret behind why everyone wants the ship comes to light, Jeth and his crew find themselves on the run not only for their lives, but their freedom.

This story is not for the faint of heart. Whatever the worst-case scenario was in any given situation, Jeth (and his family/crew, but mostly Jeth) got even worse. He couldn't seem to catch a break to save his life - ever. It got so bad near the end that I was ready to curl up in the fetal position and weep for him, and I was actually afraid to finish the book, knowing it was a series and therefore completely open to ending on a horrible note TO BE CONTINUED. Fortunately, some luck finally came Jeth's way in the end (but only some luck, mind you).

Characters: Jeth was a boy forced to be a man in order to protect and take care of his sister, his crew, and even his Uncle. He was still an inexperienced teenager, but he did the best he could, and he strove to put the others before himself. He was a good boy, if a little reckless, but who doesn't love a good bad boy? ;) The rest of the cast was an eclectic bunch of lovable rogues and seriously nasty villains. I did get Celeste/Sierra and Flynn/Shady mixed up a few times when they were all in a room together, but otherwise the crew was a fun bunch of characters.

Romantic Relationship: Something developed between Jeth and Sierra as the story progressed, but it was very minor, and aside for her being a constant distraction for him the romance had a very small part in this book.

Series: This is Book 1 in a duology (2-book series). While there was definitely a lot more to the bigger-picture story, Avalon had a complete arc and wrapped up at the end. Book 2, Meridian (update: now titled Polaris), currently has no publication date, but will probably release next January (update: releases 1/20/15).

Conclusion: An excellent YA Sci-Fi full of action and the wonders of space travel. The simple telling voice was a little different, but made for a quick read. I definitely look forward to more in the series!

For Fans Of: Firefly; Star Wars; Cowboy Bebop

Scribble Rating: 

4 of 5 Scribbles

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Come back Thursday for an interview of the author, which will include a special giveaway!

Review: Independent Study (Joelle Charbonneau)

Title: Independent Study
Series: The Testing Series, Book 2
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Political Thriller
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, scary situations, survival situations, some kissing)
Told: First Person (Cia), Present Tense
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find It On: Goodreads

Summary:

In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies . . . a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.

*          *          *

Three Words: Teen political thriller.

Series: This is the second book in The Testing Series, and it ends on a major cliffhanger. My review of Book 1, The Testing, can be found here. The third and last book, Graduation Day, releases June 3, 2013.

Writing: Cia's first person viewpoint read as she felt - emotionally confused and a little conflicted. While this didn't make for the smoothest read, I really connected with Cia and the story, and once the action started I had no trouble making short work of the book.

Setting: A hard future in which humanity tries to rebuild after a devastating war that wiped out nearly everything and everyone and poisoned what remained. Small towns that surround the ruling Tosu City struggle to survive, and their children dream of attending University and learning skills to help rebuild the country, not knowing the horrors that await them if they are chosen. In this book we explore Tosu City and the governing structure, and discover just how much more "civilized" it is.

Story: After months of studying, Cia survives Examination Day - and finds herself placed in the last field of study she would ever choose to undertake. But when she rediscovers the truth about The Testing and the University, she joins the mounting rebellion to overthrow the University director and save not only herself and her loved ones, but the entire country. While it began a little slow, once Cia moved to her Studies residence the story sucked me in with intense plotting and a relentless pace. Where The Testing was a dystopian survival story, Independent Study is a political thriller - and while I've never been one to enjoy anything political, I truly enjoyed this engrossing story.

Characters: Cia is the strong but scared type of heroine - she'll do what has to be done to do what's right and save those she loves, but don't think she won't be shaking in her boots while she does it. This made for a realistic character that was easy to relate to, and root for. A few characters from The Testing return, including her love interest Tomas and enemy/ally Will, but many new faces are added - whether they are enemies or allies is still in question, though. I did have a hard time keeping some of them straight, but overall they were interesting additions.

Romantic Relationships: No new romantic interests are presented. Whether Cia stays with Tomas is another matter...

Conclusion: While it began a little slow, Independent Study was overall a highly engrossing political thriller that I couldn't put down! I'm now desperate to get my hands on the final book in the trilogy, Graduation Day!

For Fans Of: The Hunger Games Series

Rating: 

4 1/2 out of 5 Scribbles