Review: Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader

Author: Elisa Nader

Genre:  Contemporary, Thriller, Dystopian

Pages: 271

Published: August 18th, 2013

Publisher: Merit Press

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

"Since the age of ten, Mia has lived under the iron fist of the fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join his fanatical family of followers. In Edenton, a supposed “Garden of Eden” deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the Reverend’s strict but arbitrary rules—even the mandate of whom they can marry. Now sixteen, Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in, and the curious out. When the rebellious and sexy Gabriel, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees a chance to escape. 
But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound’s façade are more shocking than anything they ever imagined. While Gabriel has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friends and freedom fighters. But is there time to think of each other as they race to stop the Reverend’s paranoid plan to free his flock from the corrupt world? Can two teenagers crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman who’s only concerned about his own secrets?"~Goodreads

I've always been fascinated with cults.  It's that morbid curiosity thing and I just can't help it.  So when I heard about this Jonestown-esque story I just had to read it.  This book promises suspense, action and shocking secrets and boy does it deliver.   

LIKES:

• Real Life Dystopia: The setting in this book is masterfully put together.  Nader has created a horrible paradise that feels so real I'm not entirely convinced it isn't.  Of course the thing is, it is real.  No, Edenton isn't a real place, but there have been and probably still are compounds like it out there.  For a good example (and I would imagine probably the inspiration for this book) check out Jonestown.  Probably the most terrifying thing about this story is that it can and does happen in real life.  This isn't some post-apocalyptic dystopian that takes place in the distant future.  It takes place right now and not in some alternate reality.
• Somebody paid attention in Psychology class: One of the most impressive things about this book is the author's understanding of her characters' psychology.  As with victims of systematic abuse, the people of Edenton are controlled by their fear of The Reverend.  This fear develops into guilt and they believe they deserve all that he does to them.  Those of us not in this situation may not understand why they would not rebel under such cruelty, but the author handles this very nicely.  The reader is able to sympathize with The Flock even while hating what their community stands for.  
• Subtle but intense romance:  I was really happy with the way that the romance was handled in this story.  I think it would have been a mistake to make it the most important plot point.  It definitely takes a back seat to the action and suspense.  However, the romance that is there is very intense and much different than in most YA novels.  Gabriel and Mia both have so many varied issues that it would be impossible for them to have a normal romance.  But the chemistry is great and fit in perfectly with the story.

DISLIKES:

• Emotion could have been better at times: There were some moments in the book where I felt like the emotion could have been higher.  In particular, there is a scene near the beginning involving cookies.  I'll leave it at that so I don't ruin it for you, but you'll know when you get there.  I'm reading this scene going "HOLY CRAP WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" and the main character just sort of acknowledges it and moves onto the next day.  It's possible that this was done on purpose to show how numb she has become to cruelty, but good lord.  EMOTE!
• Gabriel's parents - WTF?:  Gabriel's parents (and really many of the parents here) should be ashamed of themselves.  I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil anything but in one of the last scenes they sit there as terrible things are about to happen to their child.  Now, of course at this point they are probably completely controlled by fear so you could give them that, but from what I can gather they've been pretty awful parents since the beginning.  So when they are seemingly absolved later on I had a little trouble buying it.  I can't imagine being able to forgive people who put me through something like that.  Maybe I'm just not Edenton material.

Overall this book was great.  It caught my attention from page one and kept me riveted throughout.  I really came to care about the characters and by the end of the book I felt like I needed a good cry and possibly a Xanax.  The storyline would have been interesting all on it's own but Nader added her own twists and turns and really amped up the suspense.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

  

Review: PODs by Michelle Pickett

Author: Michelle Pickett

Genre:  Science Fiction, Dystopian

Pages: 312

Published: June 4th, 2013

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul. 
After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters. 
Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure."~Goodreads

Ever since I saw Shaun of the Dead for the first time I've been preparing for the zombie apocalypse.  Only mentally, of course, unless you count the piles of old shoes currently residing in my trunk as weapons.  But I digress.  I love, love, love zombies!  And it isn't the gore that intrigues me, it's the survival.  I remember reading The Boxcar Children when I was little and fantasizing about how cool it would be to live in the woods and use rocks as a refrigerator.  That's right, when I was a child I thought life would be great as a homeless orphan.  Apparently I haven't changed much.  On more than one occasion I have found myself stressed beyond belief with everyday nonsense and thinking, "If the zombie apocalypse is coming why not today?".  Now obviously I haven't thought this one out completely, there are things that I'm sure would be terrible.  So I'm completely fine reading books about zombies for the time being.  PODs isn't entirely a zombie book, in fact most of it is just your run-of-the-mill post-apocalyptic survival story which is fine by me since that's one of the best parts of the zombie genre.  It centers around a girl named Eva who is chosen to ride out the end of the world in a government POD with a bunch of other kids.  They wait it out in the POD, forming friendships and not knowing what might happen when they go back to real world.  It's a pretty interesting concept that's executed well.

LIKES:

• Not all doom and gloom:  Even though I love horror, zombies and the like I can appreciate it when the entire book isn't just depressing as hell.  Don't get me wrong this story is all kinds of sad and unnerving but there are also some lighthearted moments and little glimpses of hope which are always important in a story like this one.
• But the doom and gloom are great: The parts that are supposed to be scary or depressing are done really well.  I think one of the best things about this book is the authors ability to show the layers of good and bad.  A good example of this is at the very beginning where Eva is shopping with her mom for her end of the world wardrobe.  She's about to lose everything she loves and she still comments that she'd like a cute new sweatshirt.  I don't think this is shallowness as much as an example of how surreal it would be to be a teenager facing a life alone in a post-apocalyptic America.  It's very strange, but it works.
• The Real World: PODs: Maybe it's the 90's kid in me but I really liked the strange roommate aspect of the first part of the book.  I think the characters meshed well together and there were some really cool moments.  I think it was a great way for the author to set up the second half of the book as well.  Here we have a group of teenagers that have lost their entire families.  They are pushed into a completely isolated POD for a year with no other human contact and then forced to face the harsh reality of the world above.  

DISLIKES:

• Lots of loose ends:  The one thing that really hurt the story for me was the second half.  The story changes quite a bit and there were a lot of opportunities for the story to develop.  Unfortunately it seems like there were tons of things left hanging.  Many of the characters were completely dropped after everyone left the POD and there were huge plot points (like what happened to Eva's parents) that were left hanging.  I'm pretty sure this is going to be a series so I can understand not wanting to reveal too much but I felt like there wasn't much resolution and it the story felt unfinished.  In truth this is one of those books that I think would have been better as a stand-alone.

I wish that the last half of the book would have been a little more like the first half.  It just seemed to lack some of that substance that made the first part so interesting.  That being said, I would still recommend this book to anyone that love zombies and apocalyptic stories.  It's a quick, fun read with some really good action as well as some heart.

Double Review: Article 5 and Breaking Point

Warning: This review may contain spoilers!  I will try to keep them to an absolute minimum.  Read at your own risk.

Author: Kristen Simmons

Genre:  Dystopian

Pages: 362

Published: January 31, 2012

Publisher: Tor Teen

Rating: 4/5 Stars

"New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved."~Goodreads

Author: Kristen Simmons

Genre:  Dystopian

Pages: 400

Published: February 12, 2013

Publisher: Tor Teen

Rating: 4/5 Stars

"After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.
Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….
Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.
Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.
With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?" ~Goodreads

Like everyone else on the planet I make mistakes.  In fact, I probably make them more frequently than most people (at least it seems that way).  But sometimes those mistakes can have unexpectedly great outcomes.  When Article 5 came out last year I didn't have a huge desire to read it.  So I decided not to pick it up and I moved on with my literary life.  later in the year I requested a book called Breaking Point from Tor Teen who very nicely obliged and sent me a beautiful finished hardback!  It was only then that I realized that Breaking Point was the sequel to Article 5 and that I hadn't read it yet.  Since they had sent the second book over, I figured the only thing to do was pick up the first one and read them both.  After all, it was my mistake.  And it was one of the best mistakes ever!  I ended up devouring Article 5 and jumping right into Breaking Point. I found myself completely riveted and immersed in Ember's America.  I've decided to review both books together since I basically have the same things to say about both of them.  I will try to be as spoiler-free as possible, especially when it comes to Breaking Point, but there will be some minor plot points that I have to discuss so consider yourself warned!

LIKES:

• The action doesn't stop: The pacing and action in both books is great.  I flew through them at break-neck speed and loved every minute.  The America that Simmons has created is full of danger and manipulation which drives the plot along and can be pretty terrifying at times.  It's such a realistic, if unlikely, scenario that it was impossible for me not to think about the story even when I wasn't reading it.  At times it felt relentless, but not in a boring way, more in an "oh my god, how much more of this can I handle?" sort of way.  
• Chase and Ember, the opposite of insta-love: I get a little tired of the usual YA relationships and I love it when there is some conflict and depth there.  Chase and Ember are a complex and conflicted pair.  On one hand they have grown up together.  They were close friends for most of their lives and dated before Chase joined the military.  They were in love long before this story began.  On the other hand, after Chase became a soldier he arrested Ember and her mother and had her thrown into a reform school while her mother was carted off to God knows where.  After they meet up again and come to terms with their unique situation things only get more complicated.  Old feelings start to crop up and they only have each other to rely on but there is a cloud of guilt and betrayal that hover just over the horizon throughout these two books.  The conflict serves to keep the story interesting and tugs on the heartstrings of the reader.  I just loved them.  Yes, Chase can go a little alpha-male sometimes, but what is he supposed to do in such a dangerous world?  Besides, he is the one with the military training here, so I choose to assume that he serves as the voice of reason because of his experience rather than his gender.  Plus, it's not like Ember listens much anyway.
• All of the other characters, especially Sean:  Simmons did and excellent job with these characters.  Each one of them has their own demons and short-comings but she makes them all seem human.  Many of them are loveable despite their issues.  A great example is Sean.  Sean is a former FBR soldier who meets Ember while she is at reform school.  Although he starts out as her enemy, he becomes one of her closest friends.  Sean is like the big brother I always wanted.  He's funny, brave and gives Ember lots of crap when she needs it.  I just loved him and I loved their relationship.  There is no romance there.  They are just great friends, almost family.

DISLIKES:

• Where's the history:  the only problem that I had with the series is that the history isn't fully explained.  Now, the author did write more about what caused the War in the second book but she still doesn't fully explain why the world has ended up this way, or for that matter what the rest of the world looks like.  We only see the U.S.  I would really love to know how we got here.  I'm hoping that this is all fully explained in the next book.

All in all, I absolutely loved these books.  I can't wait to continue the series when the next book comes out.  To my knowledge there hasn't been an announcement about when that will be, but hopefully we'll know soon.  Thanks so much to Tor for sending this one to me!  And maybe I should also thank my absent-mindedness since it led me to such and awesome series!  Let me know if you've read these as well and what you thought!

Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Genre: Dystopian

Pages: 341

Published: 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Rating: 4/5 Stars

"Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.
In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever."~Goodreads

Warning: May Contain Spoilers for Book 1! 

With Sever, the third and final book in the Chemical Garden Trilogy, set to release in February,  I figured I should read Fever so I was actually caught up for once.  As you may remember, Wither was not my favorite dystopian of all time.  In fact, I had some major issues with it, but it was still a unique and interesting book and I definitely wanted to know what happened to Rhine and Gabriel after their harrowing escape from the mansion.  Fever promised to be a completely different type of story.  Rhine was away from the opulence and seductive danger of the mansion and now we were going to get to see more of the gritty, treacherous, real world as she hunted for her twin, Rowan.  I had my concerns because I had heard from a lot of readers that this book suffered greatly from "middle book syndrome", just a go between, betwixt two awesome plots.  Luckily I very much disagree with this.  I found Fever to be just as interesting and even more emotional and exciting than the first book.  I felt that I really got to know Rhine and Gabriel in this book, as well as the world that they inhabit.

LIKES:

• Dystopian Roadtrip!:  Rhine and Gabriel travel up the East Coast in a very dystopian "where are we going to sleep tonight and who is going to watch out for kidnappers" kind of way.  The come across everything from a brothel circus, to a creepy cafe owner and little old lady who happens to be a psychic.  They also gain and adorable and awesome companion who really tugs at the heartstrings, but I won't get into that here.  This setup really keeps the plot moving and kept me involved, I wanted to see where they would end up next and whom they would run into.
• Rhine and Gabriel finally get real:  One of the things that really bugged me in the last book was that Rhine ran away with Gabriel even when she barely knew him and couldn't possibly be in love with him.  I was afraid that this book would continue that trend but I was so wrong.  Gabriel acted like a real human being.  He spent most of the book, seemingly, questioning whether he should have come at all.  The mansion was a beautiful prison, but the real world is hellish.  He obviously cared about Rhine but they weren't about to jump into bed with each other.  In this book they lean on one another for support while their relationship develops and goes through it's ups and downs.  I felt like I liked them more and could relate better.
• Beautifully Grotesque:  this book was much grittier than the last and that added to the realism and also made for a much more beautiful narrative about freedom and sacrifice and love.

DISLIKES:

• Where is Cecily:  When I first saw the cover I assumed there would be a bit of Cecily in this book.  I really wanted to know what was happening with her and the baby back at the mansion, but unfortunately she plays a minuscule role in this book.  
• The Ending:  Okay, I'm not going to go into any kind of detail because I don't want to spoil anything, but I was just so mad with how this book ended.  First of all, I just felt like it was a bit forced and could have been written in a way that wasn't such a let-down.  Second, CLIFFHANGER, seriously?  Ugh!  I know they make people want to read the next book but they're frustrating as hell.  *pout*

I'm so happy that I didn't find this book to be a "middle book" bore.  This series keeps getting better and I can't wait to read Sever when it comes out on Feb. 12.  Especially after that cliffhanger, I guess it worked then.

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Author:  Lauren DeStefano

Genre:  Dystopian

Pages: 358

Published: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Rating: 3/5 Stars

"By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?
Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?" - Goodreads

I know that we really shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but in this case the cover of this book is a great representation of the story within.  Eerie, sad and beautiful,  this story really sticks with you.  It is a tale filled with beautiful places, dazzling parties and sinister purposes that hold the reader until the last page and leave them with both a feeling of outstanding exhilaration and intense foreboding.  I put off reading this book for so long because I just wasn't sure that it would be able to live up to my expectations.  In the end it mostly did, but a part of me feels like the darkness of this book really weighed it down too much.  However, that same darkness is what made it so enjoyable.  Perhaps those conflicting feelings are what makes Wither  so special.

LIKES:

• Beautiful storytelling and world-building:  DeStefano's writing has a way of bringing the reader into the story and making them feel totally encapsulated in her world.  The imagery used and the history/memory building is really fantastic.  I just kept wanting to know more and more about Rhine and her little world and it was so much fun learning about it.
• Thought-provoking:  This point really goes along with the world-building.  DeStefano's picture of this horrifying new America in the not-to-distant future really makes you think about your place on the planet now and appreciate that we are not the only ones here.  In Rhine's world all of the other countries have been totally decimated.  Paris is just a memory, China has vanished, and Germany only exists in old atlases.  Rhine's America is completely alone in the world and for some reason this really bothered me, in the best possible way.  Don't get me wrong, I wave my flag and love a good fireworks display on the Fourth of July, just like most Americans, but I also like knowing that there are different cultures and places yet to be explored out there.  I can't imagine being the last country on earth and what that would mean.  DeStefano has made this world so believable that you can't help but reflect upon it.
• We're only here for a little while:  A huge theme in this book is time.  In the world of Wither  men only live to be 25 and women only 20 so throughout the book Rhine and her companions are trying to make the most of the time they have left in different ways.  The best part about this theme is that it doesn't just apply to DeSefano's characters.  Sure we may have more like 80-something years on Earth but in the grand scheme of things that's no time at all.   There are tortoises walking around that were born before our great grand parents after all.  While reading Wither, I found myself reflecting on how short of a time we really have here and how important it is not to waste it.  This is a great thing to be reminded of, especially in such a fun, creepy way and really helps you relate to Rhine and her sister wives.

DISLIKES:

• Again with the child-prostitution:  Okay so I realize that there is a reason that this issue is included in the book:  to underline the creepiness and cruelty of Rhine's world.  Still, I will never get used to seeing this in books.  One of Rhine's sister wives is only 13 at the beginning of this book!  13! Gross.  Just not my cup of tea.
• Why romance?   (POSSIBLE SPOILERS):  The whole romance aspect of this book just seems pointless.  There are basically two potential love interests in the story (yay love triangles, not).  First there is Rhine's husband, Linden.  He is a whimpy, clueless man who's father is holding Rhine prisoner.  Not to mention he goes around impregnating 13 year olds (not cool).  Why Rhine would even entertain the idea of being with this guy voluntarily is beyond me.  Then we have Gabriel.  He has his own drawbacks, mainly that he seems sort of okay living in this awful place and might have a pretty bad case of Stockholm Syndrome.  Mostly, though, my problem with him as a romantic interest is that Rhine doesn't really know him at all.  This is one of those books where I really don't see the need for romantic entanglements.  I feel like they had a good story and then shoved some romance in for good measure.  Not a fan.

IN BETWEEN:

• Very dark:  And when I say dark I don't mean sort of spooky with some gore mixed in.  I mean chopping up bodies in a basement dark.  In a way this made it really unpleasant to read sometimes.  At the same time though, this darkness is what gives the book its appeal and what keeps the reader going.  You want to find out what's going on and suffering mentally along with Rhine makes you want that payoff even more.

In the end,  I was really glad that I decided to go ahead and read this one.  Even though it left me with some icky feelings and questions about my own cynicism, I really enjoyed it.  I would recommend this to all lovers of dystopian, not so much for the romantics.  I will definitely be checking out Fever and the final book in the trilogy Sever soon!

 

Talented by Sophie Davis: Review, Excerpt and Giveaway! Presented by Reading Addiction Blog Tours

  Hi Everyone!  I'm so excited today to be a part of my first blog tour with Reading Addiction Blog Tours.  This tour is all about the awesome new book Talented by Sophie Davis.  You can read my review here.  In addition to my review I have an excerpt from the book and Sophie has been kind enough to provide one lucky reader with a free eBook copy of Talented!  But first let's learn a little more about the book and its author.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sophie moved to Washington, D.C. after graduating from Penn State University to pursue a career in the Sciences.  After deciding to actually write down one of the stories she makes up in her head, Sophie began the long journey towards her first full-length novel, Talented.  Caged is her second novel, and the second in the Talented Saga.  When Sophie isn't hunched over her computer, she can be found shopping in Georgetown, running in Rock Creek Park, or at the local dive bars in her Columbia Heights Neighborhood.

SYNOPSIS: 

"Talia Lyons is Talented.  Born after a nuclear spill, she is part of a new generation possessing special abilities; Talia can read the minds of others and manipulate their thoughts.  Whether Morphers, Light Manipulators or Telekinetics, the Talented are taught to control their abilities under the protective eye of the government- to use their Talents for good. But all Talia wants is revenge.

Talia joins the Hunters, an elite group of government operatives, hoping to one day kill Ian Crane - the man who ordered the execution of her parents.  Ever since she witnessed their brutal deaths, Talia has spent her life honing her abilities, determined to settle the score.  But she still has a lot to learn before she can ease the pain inside. Talia turns to a boy who can mimic her Talents, a boy who truly understands her inner turmoil.  But even he can’t help Talia, when she’s forced to choose between saving herself and avenging the lives of her parents.

Talented is an action-packed adventure, about a group of teenagers who aren't afraid to embrace their fears and fight for what they believe in."

Sounds pretty sweet huh?  I, for one, just love the idea for this book!  Talia sounded like an amazing heroine and the whole concept of kids with special abilities working for the government like a pack of teen super heroes got me super excited. Well just in case you can't get wait to get your hands on this one, the author has very nicely provided us with an excerpt.

EXCERPT:

"  My parents’ deaths had been quick.  One cold metal bullet to the side of my father’s head was all it took to steal the life of the man whose lap I curled up in every night before bed so he could tell me a story; the man who brought me cold milk and warm cinnamon sugar cookies when I had nightmares; the man whose warm, dark brown eyes and toothy smile lit up the room every time my mother walked in.

  My poor mother, she never stood a chance.  Before she could even reach my father, a man in black grabbed her from behind.  With one flick of his wrist, a gaping wound appeared across her throat.  The man in black tossed her carelessly next to my father’s crumpled form, like she was trash.

I was murderous.  The feelings overwhelmed me, stirring in my stomach and rising like bile in my throat; overwhelmed me.  Then the horrible, high-pitched shrieking started; it filled my ears, suffocating all of the coherent thoughts in my brain.

  I am still not sure if it was the cold, calculated murder of my father, or the careless disposal of my mother – probably both – but I felt something inside of me snap.  One minute, I was hiding in the closet with the silk of my mother’s long dresses pulled tight around my face, like curtains trying to block out the brutal scene in the bedroom.  The next, I was sitting in the outer room of our hotel suite, surrounded by broken furniture, shattered glass, and the bodies of the men in black.  They were all dead.

  The blonde man carried a large gun slung over one shoulder, and several smaller ones were tucked at his waist.  An entire team of men clamored through the doorway after him.  He held up one of his hands, indicating for the men to stay back.  He approached me slowly, hesitantly.  He was greater than an arms distance away when he tentatively extended one of his large, gloved hands toward me; I had seen people do the same thing with wounded animals.

  “Natalia?” he asked in a soft voice.  I couldn’t find the energy to even nod my head, I just stared blankly.  “Natalia,” he repeated.  “My name is Danbury McDonough.  Do you remember me?  I’m friends with your daddy.”  I rewarded him with another of my blank stares.  “Natalia, are you hurt?”  He took my silence as an indication that I was not.

  He placed me in the back seat of the waiting vehicle. I curled into a ball as he covered me with dry blankets.  My body and mind were numb, impervious to the rain and cold.  He tucked the red and black fabric under my chin.  I was vaguely aware that the material was itchy against my skin, but I didn’t move it away.

  I could hear the soft ping of the raindrops hitting the metal roof of the car, keeping perfect time with the tears leaking on to the soft leather seat and pooling underneath my cheek.  I tried to concentrate on the noise instead of the slideshow of my parents’ deaths playing on the inside of my eyelids.  I was convinced that the images, now seared into my conscious, would never fade.  The feelings I’d had in the closet were now gone, leaving me empty and hollow and tired – so tired.  I closed my swollen eyes and willed my own mind blank.”" -- Talented by Sophie Davis

GIVEAWAY!!!

As I mentioned earlier Sophie has very nicely agreed to give away one eBook copy of Talented to a very lucky reader!  Make sure to enter and to add Talented to your TBR pile.

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Blog Tour: Talented by Sophie Davis - Review

Author: Sophie Davis

Genre: dystopian, action, science fiction

Published: January 11th, 2012

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Source: I received this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.

"Talia Lyons is Talented. She possesses the ability to read the minds of others and manipulate their thoughts. Ever since she witnessed the brutal murders of her parents, Talia has spent her life honing her abilities, with her heart set on vengeance. Now she is poised to face the man responsible, but duplicity causes Talia to doubt herself and her powers. In the wake of this betrayal, Talia turns to a boy who can mimic her Talents, a boy who truly understands her inner turmoil. But even he can’t help Talia when she’s forced to choose between saving herself or avenging the lives of her parents."

 I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up Talented by Sophie Davis, but now I know that this book can be summed up in one word: awesomesauce.  Yes, ladies and gents this story has pretty much everything, a kick-ass heroine, amazing secondary characters, an eerie dystopian setting, hot guys, oh and did I mention teenage super heroes?!  Talented truly is the entire package.  I could gush and gush, but maybe I should just get to the review huh?

LIKES:

Pretty much everything.  First of (and probably most importantly) there is Talia.  She is strong, capable and unique while still being lovable.  Her motivation (the deaths of her parents) is different than in a lot of YA books and it really makes her more believable.  Second, we have the two boys in Talia's life, Donovan (her boyfriend) and Erik (her partner).  These characters are so dynamic and their roles in Talia's story change drastically throughout the book.  I wasn't really a fan of Donovan from the get-go (even if he was her love interest) but by the end I absolutely hated him (in the best way though) and Erik is just freaking amazing and adorable and funny and awesome and I could go on and on (sigh).  Next, there's the world-building.  Davis does a great job of setting up the story and then making the reader feel like they really know the post-spill system that the characters are living in and it's super disturbing sometimes. She creates a super believable history for her world and then weaves an impressive setting for her characters.  Finally, I just loved that not one single second of this book was boring.  It was so fast paced that I flew through it and the ending just left me wanting more and more.  I can't wait for book two!

DISLIKES:

Really, I can't say I had many dislikes.  I will say that the language was a bit strong at some points for a YA book.  Sometimes it was called for but there were other times where I think some different vocabulary could have been used.  Along those same lines, the description of some of the more violent parts of the book were a little disturbing (although in fairness these were usually pretty important to the plot).  

Other than the, maybe, overly-mature content at some points this book was great!  I would definitely recommend it if you love action and suspense and especially if you want to see some great world-building and an amazing heroine.  Four stars for this one!


Disclaimer:  *Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

A Long Long Sleep

Author: Anna Sheehan

Genre: Fantasy, Dystopian, Romance

Pages: 342

Published: 2011

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Rating: 4/5 Stars

"Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose-- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire-- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes-- or be left without any future at all."

Beautiful, intriguing and sometimes heartbreaking, A Long Long Sleep is a book that sucks you in and holds on.  The story is framed as a futuristic Sleeping Beauty.  The main character is Rose, a shy, sheltered heiress, who wakes up one day to find that her idyllic world is gone and that she is now a ward of her late father's company, UniCorp.  We soon get the feeling, however, that Rose's world wasn't as perfect as it seemed.  Secrets about her former life and her family begin to reveal themselves as Rose starts to  fall for the new CEO's grandson, the dreamy Bren.  Meanwhile she is still holding on to the memory of her long lost love Xavier.

A Long Long Sleep has all the makings of a great book and, for the most part, it delivers.  First though, let me talk about the few issues I had with this book.  The first, and biggest issue, was that the beginning tended to drag on a bit.  There were times in the first half of the book where I felt that several pages could have been compressed into  a couple of paragraphs.  Second, again in the first half, the language was sometimes confusing.  Rose is trying to fit into a new world and the reader sometimes has to struggle along with her as she learns the new slang.  While this drives home the empathy factor, it did tend to make me me feel like an 80 year old trying to make sense out of high school lunch table conversation.  Finally, I really wish we could have seen more of the romance between Rose and Xavier.  I didn't feel very emotionally connected to him until about midway through the book and I feel like, since this is the main love story in the book, it could have been explored a little more.

Now, with that out of the way, let me tell you what I loved (and I did love this book).  I loved Rose!  She was strong, sweet, and just vulnerable enough.  Her struggle as she fell for another guy while still holding on to her first love felt very real to me.  And there's another thing, even though this book is taking place a couple hundred years in the future it was all very relateable.  Usually I don't go for sci fi stuff because I can't really relate to it, but this story felt very plausible and even the super futuristic elements felt realistic.  I think one reason the story seemed so realistic was the character development.  I knew all of the characters, even the background characters, and their motivations.  The relationship that I loved the most was the friendship between Rose and Otto (a half alien/ half human hybrid).  You could feel how much they cared about each other and Otto's dry humor was the perfect companion to Rose's panicked thoughts.  The thing that really sealed the deal for me though was the end of the book.  I really did not see the last couple of chapters coming.  Some of the revelations made my head spin.  More than that though, the ending was incredibly emotional.  I rarely cry when I read and this book made me weep both with joy and with sadness.  

I truly hope that Sheehan plans on a sequel because I would love to explore the relationships in the book more and really see Rose come into her own.  Certainly this book will stay with me for a very long time.  I highly recommend picking up A Long Long Sleep, it makes a great bedtime story.

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