Waiting on Wednesday: Dark Days by Kate Ormand

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we have the opportunity to let others know about books that we are eagerly waiting for.

Title: Dark Days by Kate Ormand
Published by: Sky Pony Press
Release date: June 3rd, 2013

The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future.

Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.

Why I want to read it: It sounds awesome!  A new dystopian, I know, I know; but I love them.  

What are you waiting for this week?

Review: World After by Susan Ee (Penryn & the End of Days #2)

Title: World After by Susan Ee

Published: November 21^st, 2013 by Skyscape

Format: eBook

Source: Purchased for Kindle

Genre: Paranormal | Dystopian

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: A-

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken. Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go. Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

My Review

Like the rest of the world I LOVED Angelfall.  It took forever to get book two, and unlike it usually happens to me with sequels, I couldn’t wait to read World After.  It was not as good as its predecessor, but good nonetheless.

Penryn is still our kick-ass hero.  Sorry, but there is no better way to describe her.  She is loyal, stubborn, strong, fearless, smart, caring; in short, she’s awesome.  After she comes back from the dead (almost literary), she is trying to reconcile her past with the crude reality of the world after the angel invasion and with Paige has become.  Nothing is getting easier for anyone, but we learned a lot about angel politics, crazy scientists, Paige, and future plans. 

Raffe (insert *sigh* here) is one hot angel.  He’s loyal to Penryn (the only one on his side) and trying to find out what the heck happen with the rest of the angels, while still wearing demon wings.  I think my disappointment with World After strives from the fact that Raffe and Penryn were NOT together for most of the book.  It seems like once they were (maybe after 2/3^rd?) the story became so much better.  

The chemistry between Penryn and Raffe is absolutely amazing!  Even if it is forbidden for an angel and a human to be together, and they are fully conscious of the fact, they can’t help what they feel.  I hope that the next books have more time of them together.

The characterization is great.  I love Dee and Dum, and their reliability to Penryn.  Penryn’s mom is still crazy (there’s no cure for her kind of crazy!), but she’s still smart and her survival skills are uncanny; also she tries to keep her daughters safe the only way she knows how. 

The plot and world building of this book is outstanding.  You don’t know what to expect or when, it’s in constant horrific motion.  This book is not for the faint of heart as the angels are even more ruthless and the mad science experiments are getting crazier by the minute. The writing is impeccable and easy to read (even when it’s not easy to digest what’s actually happening!).   

It seems like Penryn & the End of Days will be a five book series, and of course it will take years for us to know the ending, but I wish the best for Penryn, Raffe and the rest of the World After.  I can just hope that the next book won’t take two years to be published.

Some quotes for you:

“I look up to say something but he puts his finger to my lips and whispers, “Don’t talk. You’ll just spoil my fantasy of rescuing an innocent damsel in distress as soon as you open your mouth.”

“It is painful to see that people prefer a bad guy who looks like an angel to a good guy who looks like a

demon.”

“I kick him in the face point blank with my high heel.

He wasn't expecting that.

The Angel flies back off the stage.

"It really is you,"says Raffe.”

“My only thought is that I am not going to end up truly dead this time in Raffe’s arms. I am not going to be one more wound on his soul.”

“He glares at me. "I've had to watch you die once, isn't that enough?"

"All you have to do is make sure it doesn't happen again." I give him a sunny smile. "Simple."

"The only thing simple is you. Stubborn little..." His grumbles fades to a point where I can't hear them, but I suspect they're not compliments.”

About the cover: This one is not as pretty as Angelfall, but then again, these are Raffe’s new wings.  Nothing is pretty in the World After.

Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Title: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Published: October 9th 2012 by Delacorte

Source: Received from publisher for review

Format: Paperback

Group age: Young adult 

Genre: Urban fantasy/dystopia

Reviewer: Arianne

Grade rate: B+

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

Arianne's Review 

Mystic City is a sparkling, thrilling debut. It’s got magic, mystery and a gritty urban twist, with a dystopian backdrop just to make its kaleidoscope story ever more complex. I didn’t come into it with high expectations, but by the end I was completely blown away.

This story takes elements of YA we’ve seen before – a protagonist with amnesia, a world divided by politics, class warfare, arranged marriages and distasteful suitors – and meshes them together in a way that makes this novel unique, fresh and exciting.

There’s a wide range of characters, and while not all are loveable – Aria, the main character, in particular can take a few chapters to warm to – each has the air of a stage actor or actress in a role: they are theatrical and easy to visualise. Aria’s ruthless father, heartless mother and slimeball fiancé dominate the dystopian features of the book on a very personal level. Aria’s brother is basically just there for when things need ruining or a social scene needs an extra cast member, and her friends are equally as useless, but their purpose is to paint a picture of a society with a rotted core - and the rot doesn't lie in the Depths, where families struggle to survive. It lies in the upperclass Aeries, where families aren't families at all. 

Mystic City's futuristic backdrop is dazzling and vibrant. The Aeries is secluded high above the rising sea levels and pollution which riddles the Depths. The rulers of the Aeries would rather forget that the Depths still exist - but they need the mystics who are confined there because it's their mystical, magical power which fuels the floating city. 

Hunter is a mystic, and he's the really loveable one. He steals every scene and while Aria spends most of her time feeling confused, he's sure of himself, his beliefs and his place in the story. His tough-guy best friend Turk doesn't endear himself right away - but he grows on you. I found myself wishing I could spend more time in the Depths so I could experience more of these characters and how they lived.

In a book which possesses plot twists and pacing issues in equal measure, there’s an understandable lapse in detailed exploration from time to time. For the most part, the plot verges on brilliant, injecting life into the narrative before it begins to wane. The bad pacing and lack of thematic balance is a far more worrying problem. Whole plot threads are simply glossed over for the sake of pressing on with the book and while I loved that it read fast, I just kept wishing for something more. 

The romance, for example, left me feeling this way. It's there, and you want to root for the couple at the centre of it, but it's just not given the tender loving care it needs in order to flourish as the heart-warming, gut-wrenching centre of the story. I hate to say it, but sometimes, things were just a bit all over the place. 

Likewise, the social conflict in Mystic City isn't as impressive it could be. The idea is great but the execution isn't up to scratch. The misery of the Depths is told, but not shown; it fails to tug on the heartstrings and keeps us detached from the true cause of the bloodbath rebellion which preoccupies so many of the book's action sequences. 

The true redeeming factor of this book is the fact that it's male author writing a female viewpoint. It's written so well I almost forgot about all the challenges writing in the opposite gender can present and I adored the story even more for it. YA needs more of this bravery - and soon!

In short, Mystic City is stunning, fast-paced debut. Not without fault but really, really enjoyable. I can't wait for the sequel!

Originally posted at: Daisy Book Chain Reviews

Review: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky #3)

Title: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Release date: January 28^th, 2013 by Harper Collins

Source: ARC from Harper Collins and Edelweiss

Format: eBook

Genre: Dystopian | Paranormal | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Challenge(s): Finish the Series 2013, Dystopia Challenge

Grade rate: A+

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world. The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost. Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most. In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

My Review

Amazing?  Wonderful? Marvelous?  I wish I could find the right words to describe, not only how good this book is, but how good the series is.  Into the Still Blue is the perfect ending for what has been a worthy addition to the YA dystopian genre. 

Into the Still Blue starts right were Through the Ever Night ended and finds Perry planning a rescue mission for Cinder.   The Dwellers and the Outsiders are having a really difficult time getting along and getting past their views and prejudices about each other.  An unlikely group is pulled together and off they go.  Everything that could go wrong probably does, and the Tides and the Outsiders that escape band together in an attempt to survive the worsening ether storms.

Aria and Perry are a perfect example of a couple that not only complements each other, but they make each other better.  There is no love triangle, there’s no unreasonable jealously; just love, understanding and absolute trust in each other.  I can really appreciate this.  They keep growing as individual and leaders as well and don’t strangle each other.

The road to the Still Blue doesn’t come without sacrifices and many give their lives (some unwillingly and some not) for the good of the tribe.  What happens next is a combination of war, scare tactics, strategy and stealth.  Sable is one of the best villains that I ever encountered in literature.  Like a typical dictator, he forces his will unto others, all the while pretending that it’s for their own good. 

Roar remains one of my favorite characters; he still mourning, but by the end I saw a semblance of his old self and I’m happy for it.  Brooke, Cinder, Hess, Sorren, characters old and new join our beloved couple.  I have to say that the characterization is phenomenal.  I felt so close to these characters. Aria and Sorren go through one of the best character growth that I’ve read about lately.

The plot can make you dizzy because it’s so full of twist and turns!  Really, the unexpected seemed to always be happening and I just enjoyed the ride and went with the flow.  The writing is fluid, easy to read and understand, even if we are reading about a dystopian world.

Veronica Rossi has become one of the best author in my list and I will read anything she writes for sure!  Into the Still Blue is the perfect end to one of my favorite series.  I hope you give it a try.

About the cover: Perfect. Just like everything else about this book :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Rebel Nation by Shaunta Grimes (Viral Nation #2)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which we have the opportunity to let others know about books that we are eagerly waiting for.

Title: Rebel Nation by Shaunta Grimes 
Publish by: Berkley Trade
Release date: July 1st, 2014

Sixteen years ago, a plague wiped out nearly all of humanity. The Company’s vaccine stopped the virus’s spread, but society was irrevocably changed. Those remaining live behind impenetrable city walls, taking daily doses of virus suppressant and relying on The Company for continued protection. They don’t realize that everything they’ve been told is a lie… Clover Donovan didn’t set out to start a revolution—quiet, autistic, and brilliant, she’s always followed the rules. But that was before they forced her into service for the Time Mariners. Before they condemned her brother to death, compelling him to flee the city to survive. Before she discovered terrifying secrets about The Company. Clover and the Freaks, her ragtag resistance group, are doing their best to spread the rebellion and stay under The Company’s radar. But when their hideout is discovered, they are forced, once again, to run. Only this time, The Company has special plans for Clover, plans that could risk her life and stop the uprising in its tracks….

Why I want to read it: I participated in the Blog Tour for Viral Nation and fell in love with Clover and her group of Freaks.  I can't wait to read what happens next!

What are you waiting for this week?

Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Title: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Published: September 24^th, 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books

Source: Purchased

Format: Audio book narrated by

Genre: Dystopian

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: B

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.
 Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all. Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand. But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it…. With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own. 

My Review

McGinnis’ Not a Drop to Drink is a raw and intense depiction of the life shortly after a catastrophic event takes place.  This is dystopian at its best.

The story starts a few months before Lynn’s mother passes away and it gives the reader a clear idea of what life is like about 16 years after ‘it’ happened.  What exactly happened?  I’m not sure.  It’s really not explained very well, but the gist of it is that water no longer flows through the pipes, there is no electricity, law and government are non-existent, production of essential items has stopped, and it’s an “every man for himself” kind of situation.  That is, except if you live in a city, in which case you have to pay for everything and adhere to sever rules. This new life (the only that Lynn has known) is hard and harsh and reminds me of the Wild West of 100 years or more ago.  You get the idea, right?  The difference though is that the people retained knowledge and that makes this transition easier.

Lynn’s mother is a very hard woman.  She opted to stay in her family’s farm house in Ohio, since she had a pond by the house and she was expecting a child.  She raised her daughter to be self sufficient, but completely isolated and unprepared to deal with other people, and sorely lacking in the social graces.  Thus, Lynn is very straightforward, rude, and even ruthless. She is self-assured and knows what’s right and wrong only in the context of the situation. I think the character of Stebbs, Lynn’s neighbor, acts like a paternal figure for her when she needs it the most.  He shows her a quite sort of affection and kindness.

Lucy is a five-year-old girl that Lynn sort of adopts, which is surprising to me because it’s somewhat out of character for her.  On the other hand, it serves for Lynn to find purpose; it reminded me to The Life of Pi in that regard.  The other important character is Eli, Lucy’s uncle, which is about Lynn’s age and is the love interest.  The romance is not a big part of the story and I felt indifferent towards Eli, that is to say that he didn’t blew me away and I think they ended up together because they were both there and there was no one else around (kind of like the way you gravitate to the last cookie in the box, you know what I mean?)

The story progresses slowly, and as stated in the blurb above the writing is evocative and spare.  As I was listening to this book, I was not bored at all.  You have to understand and feel the sense of complete isolation, where every moment is occupied with chores to do, with protecting the pond and the house, and with making sure that survival is achieved until the next spring.   The ending was very unexpected, but realistic and I’m glad that some resemblance of order was the end result.  There is certainly enough there for a short story or even another book about this world.

I will definitely read more from McGinnis.  Not a Drop to Drink it’s not your typical dystopian, but a simple story of survival in a not too far future.  All in all, a great story.

About the cover:  The cover was one of the first things that I liked about the book.  It portraits the house as I imagined it (without all the out buildings) and Lynn on the roof.  It also has the coveted pond front and center.  I love the play of the colors, how there is darkness and light that blend together.  

Do you like dystopian? What would you do in a situation like this?  Would you be able to live without electricity, running water and internet? Would you do anything to survive? 

Dystopian Giveaway Hop

Welcome to Reading with ABC's stop of the Dystopian Giveaway Hop!  This hop is hosted by My Shelf Confessions and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

What's for grabs?  Any one (1) book from the pictures below (up to $20 in value). You can choose any of the books within a series or even pre-order a book if it hasn't come out yet.

The Giveaway is International as long as TBD delivers to you.  I will order the book from Amazon or TBD, depending on the address of the winner.

You can find all other rules in the My Polices page or in the Rafflecopter widget.

Good luck :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the rest of the Hop:

Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky #2)

Title: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Published: January 13^th, 2013 by HarperCollins

Source: Purchased for Kindle

Format: eBook

Genre: Dystopian | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Challenge(s): Finish the Series

Grade rate: A+

It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first. Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure-and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

My Review

I fell in love with Under the Never Sky (see my review here).  It wasn’t love at first sight, the first chapters were very strange to read, but once Perry and Aria were together, it all fell into place for me.  Through the Ever Night does not suffer from the second book syndrome at all. On the contrary, it’s a fascinating story that sets the events for the conclusion of the series.

As the nice blurb for the book states, the book starts after the winter, when Aria travels to the Tides to meet Perry.  Aria is not exactly welcomed with open arms into their mist and things start to get very difficult for Perry. 

The story is once again told from Aria and Perry’s point of view.  This is a good thing since Aria and Perry are not together for most of the book.  I know, I know, but don’t despair, because the book is still awesome. Aria is a great character that has come a long way from the ignorant dweller that she was in the first book.  She is loyal, loving, courageous, and tries to do her best to find the Still Blue for Perry.

Perry is a man of few words, but when he talks all listen.  He is a romantic at heart and his heart belongs to Aria.  Well done Ms. Rossi *insert applause here* I’m so happy that our couple did not fall in a bizarre love triangle.  It would have been so easy to have them fall for someone else and I’m so glad you didn’t take that road. Perry has learned a lot about being a leader and I’m glad the Tides know that he wants to do the best by them.

Oh, Roar! My heart bleeds for you.  I don’t want to spoil the story for you, so I won’t. Roar is a handsome, easygoing, funny devil. He’s like Perry’s brother and Aria’s sister.  We get to be a little more familiar with other characters from the Tides, like Molly, Willow, Bear and with ‘The Six’.  Can I tell you how I despise Sable. He’s cunning manipulative, and too smart (you know, like the evil sort of smart). The In general, the Horns tribe is awful.

It is a true testament to Rossi’s writing that the story manages to grab the reader and not let go, especially when, for most of it Perry and Aria are not together.  The plot is so incredibly good.  It’s complicated by politics, leaders, followers, storms, fire, love, and hate.  The writing is a gem, beautiful, and easy to read.  The ending left a lot of unsaid words and open issues, but at least it was not a big cliffhanger.

Through the Ever Night is a sequel to be reckoned with, an addition to the series and to the story, and no a ‘filler’ book.  I love this series and I cannot wait for Into the Still Blue.

Some quotes for you:

“Love was like the waves in the sea, gentle and good sometimes, rough and terrible at others, but that it was endless and stronger than the sky and earth and everything in between.”

“It didn't matter if Aria was hundreds of miles away, or whether she'd hurt him, or said goodbye, or anything else. Nothing would change the way he felt. The moment Aria had taken his hand on the roof at Marron's, she'd changed everything. No matter what happened, she'd always be the one”

“The Aether flowed, corded and angry, giving the night a blue, marbled glow. After the storm, the calm skies had only held for a day. Now there was little difference between day and night anymore. Days were darkened by clouds and the blue cast of Aether. Nights were brightened by the same. They flowed together, the edges blurring into an endless day. An ever night.”

About the cover: These covers are so beautiful and this one is no exception. 

Have you read this series?  What did you think? Do you like dystopians? 

Blog Tour, Review and Excerpt: Shudder by Samantha Durante

Hi there gorgeous people!  I'm very excited to be part of the Shudder Blog Tour!  I read Stitch, the first book in the series (see my review here and only .99 right now in Amazon) and really enjoy it. You can find the rest of the tour stops here.

Title: Shudder by Samantha Durante (Stitch #2)

Release date:  July 15^th, 2013

Source: Provided by author for review

Format: Paperback (348 pages)

Genre: Dystopia / Paranormal

Age group: YA

Grade rate:

It's only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa's life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she'd counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she'd thought she'd tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she's discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering "stitch" unlocked something in Alessa's mind, and now she can't shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers - and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world's sorry history - will soon leave Alessa reeling...

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

My Review

Wow!  I’m glad to report that Shudder did not suffer from the second book syndrome.  It had many twists and turns and many surprises that kept me at the edge of my seat for most of the book.

Shudder starts where Stitch left off.  Isaac and Alessa are outside or Paragon looking for a rebel base.  They have a really hard time trudging through the ‘outside’.  They are afraid of the virus that took most of humanity, they are hungry, and to top it all they find some weird ‘creatures’ that are following them. I don’t want to spoil the book for you, so let me just say that it was quite the quest.  This time served to tried and strengthen Alessa and Isaac’s relationship. 

I like Alessa and Isaac because they are strong, but flawed characters.  They are deeply in love and they are fiercely loyal to each other and to those they love.  Even if Isaac felt helpless at times to help Alessa with her newfound abilities, he still sticks with her and tries (typical of a man!) to find an explanation and cheers her on.

One of the things I like the most is that we find out a lot more about the post-war, post-virus world.  We understand what happened to our characters and to humanity as a whole and why.  We get many answers (even if we don’t like them!), and still have many questions. 

Stitch read like a paranormal contemporary (a ghost story) and then switched when we know what was really happening.  In contrast, Shudder’s story is told in the third person point of view, from different perspectives.  We have the distinct voices of Alessa, Isaac, Nikhil, Phoenix, and at a lesser degree 14.  Surprisingly, this adds a lot of depth to the story without making it confusing.  There seems lot be a traitor in their mist and I hope that she knows better.

The writing is good, and easy to understand.  To me, the best part of the series is the plot and world building.  It is a testament to Ms. Durante’s imagination that when came up with this dystopian world and all its evils.  I suspected some things and others had me fooled until the end.  Let me just tell you that Paragon is a bad place :)

I can’t wait to read Stuck, coming out next year!

About the cover:  I live the cover a lot.  It has the illusion of a ‘break’ with neurons behind and Alessa and Isaac’s hands reaching for each other. 

Where to find it:  Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

Excerpt

The scraping was driving Nikhil insane.  Or maybe he was just imagining it.  Maybe he was already insane.

He shook his head vigorously, willing the sound – imaginary or not – from his ears.  Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.  For what had to have been the thousandth time in weeks, he searched the room for its source, but once again came up empty – it was everywhere and nowhere at once, on and off and then on again for hours at a time.  Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.

Nikhil stood and paced back and forth in his cell, hunched slightly so his head wouldn’t brush the cold, hard ceiling.  Perhaps his footsteps would drown out the noise, bring him some relief from this torment.  But it persisted – scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch – the tiniest little scraping, reverberating off the walls until it formed the blaring soundtrack to his every thought.

He tried to distract himself with thoughts of better times, transport himself somewhere – anywhere – outside this dark, cramped prison cell.  The rush of victory at a water polo match.  The scent of blown birthday candles and a warm embrace from a smiling mother.  A stolen kiss behind the bleachers.  The relief of finding help after a long and harrowing journey.  The gratitude of a patient’s family.  Rescuing a fallen brother from enemy fire.  A noble lady’s favor tucked into his pocket…

The problem was that he couldn’t remember which memories were real and which were fake.  There were so many different lives jumbled in his head, it was hard to tell now which was the real Nikhil.  Though in the end, did it even really matter?  Anywhere was better than here.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.  The train of pleasant images halted, Nikhil sighed deeply and stretched his broad shoulders and long arms as best he could in the miniscule space.  He resumed his usual place on the floor beside the rigid metal cot.

It was cool on the cement, but at least he could stretch his legs in front of him without his feet dangling.  He leaned his head back against the wall, cursing the day he’d begged the gods for a reprieve from the silence of his lonely cell.  Even silence was better than this maddening scratching, grating away at his already frayed nerves.  Resigned, he waited for the scraping to stop, as he knew it eventually would.

It might have been minutes or it might have been hours, but finally the moment came.  Peace at last.  Nikhil groaned a long sigh of relief.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.

Growling in frustration, Nikhil rolled onto his side and beat the wall in front of him helplessly with his fist.

And then the noise stopped.

About the Author

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.

Find Samantha here: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Review: Skylark by Meagan Spooner

Title: Skylark by Meagan Spooner

Published: August 1^st, 2012 by Carolrhoda Lab

Source: Library

Format: Audio book narrated by Angela Lin

Group age: Young adult

Genre: Dystopian / Paranormal

Challenge(s):  2013 Dystopian

Grade rate: B

Sixteen-year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky. Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed barrier of energy enclosing all that’s left of humanity. For two hundred years the city has sustained this barrier by harvesting its children's innate magical energy when they reach adolescence. When it’s Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns she is something out of legend itself: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped. Forced to flee the only home she knows to avoid life as a human battery, Lark must fight her way through the terrible wilderness beyond the edge of the world. With the city’s clockwork creations close on her heels and a strange wild boy stalking her in the countryside, she must move quickly if she is to have any hope of survival. She’s heard the stories that somewhere to the west are others like her, hidden in secret—but can she stay alive long enough to find them?

My Review

What a different take on dystopia!  I’m always amazed by the vision, imagination and invention of authors everywhere, that’s why you are so awesome!  Skylark is a testament to that :)

There are books that, for whatever reason, stay with you and Skylar is one of those.  To me, the best components of the story are the story building, the setting and the writing.  The story is very slow to build and I have to confess of losing interest at the beginning, I’m glad I persevered though!  The world created by Spooner is nothing short of magical.  It has been ravaged by wars 100 years ago and the survivors have either mutated to almost monsters, or banded themselves in walled cities that are powered by the ‘resource’, what we know of as magic.  I think one of the biggest lessons that Lark learned is that evil could be found inside and outside the walls equally and that she had to be very careful to survive.  The setting comes alive by the description of Lark experiences.  The writing is poetic and lyrical, rich in metaphors and simile; truly exquisite. I wish I could include some quotes here, but alas, this is harder to do when listening to an audio book.

Now that you read the paragraph above, you might be wondering why I haven’t mentioned that characters yet.  I’m getting to that part now.  It’s not to say that the characterization was poor, but to me, it takes second place to the story itself.  Lark is strong, loyal, but misguided and very incapable, at least at the beginning.  Since the story is told from her POV, we get to experiences all her ‘first’. The first time she sees the outside world as she leaves her domed city is traumatic.  She’s starving, tired, and scared. She makes many mistakes and is saved a few times by Oren.  I loved that Lark is aware of her shortcomings and wants to earn some independence and sense of belonging.

Oren is, as Lark initially called him, a wild boy.  However, he is taken with her and helps her many times, showing her how to survive in the ‘real’ world.  Oren is mysterious, stoic, strong and closed off, but I liked him immediately. I have faith in you!  Nix is a pixie (a machine created by the institute to track magic), that is Lark’s other companion on her travels, I loved her evasiveness and her loyalty.  I don’t know why, but I just didn’t like Kris from the beginning. The other characters, such as Dorian, the renewable leader, and others are not memorable. 

The plot is different and so full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and left my head spinning.  I hope that Lark learns to take care of herself and finds her missing brother Basil. I can’t wait to read Shadow Lark, the next book in the series that will be released in October of this year.  

About the cover:  The cover is pretty, but doesn’t give a lot away.  I guess the woods are prominent and that the swirls gives it a sense of whimsy.

Blog Tour, Guest Post, Review and Giveaway: Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes

Welcome to this stop of the Viral Nation Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Tours!

Title: Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes

Published: July 2^nd, 2013 by Berkley Trade

Source: ARC  provided by author

Format: eBook (from NetGalley)

Group age: Young adult

Genre: Dystopian

Challenge(s): Distopyan

Grade rate: A

After a virus claimed nearly the entire global population, the world changed. The United States splintered into fifty walled cities where the surviving citizens clustered to start over. The Company, which ended the plague by bringing a life-saving vaccine back from the future, controls everything. They ration the scant food and supplies through a lottery system, mandate daily doses of virus suppressant, and even monitor future timelines to stop crimes before they can be committed.

Brilliant but autistic, sixteen-year-old Clover Donovan has always dreamed of studying at the Waverly-Stead Academy. Her brother and caretaker, West, has done everything in his power to make her dream a reality. But Clover’s refusal to part with her beloved service dog denies her entry into the school. Instead, she is drafted into the Time Mariners, a team of Company operatives who travel through time to gather news about the future.

When one of Clover’s missions reveals that West’s life is in danger, the Donovans are shattered. To change West’s fate, they’ll have to take on the mysterious Company. But as its secrets are revealed, they realize that the Company’s rule may not be as benevolent as it seems. In saving her brother, Clover will face a more powerful force than she ever imagined… and will team up with a band of fellow misfits and outsiders to incite a revolution that will change their destinies forever.

My Review

Just wow!  I’m a lover of the dystopian genre and I really loved Viral Nation. What a fast paced, complicated and riveting read!

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky #1)

Title: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Published: January 3^rd, 2012 by Harper Collins

Source: Puchased for Audible

Format: Audio book narrated by Bernadette Dunne Flagler

Group age: Young adult

Genre: Dystopian

Challenge(s): 2013 Dystopian

Grade rate: A

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers. 

My Review

I’ve had an amazing luck with my reading choices lately, I haven’t graded a book below “B” for a while now and this one is no different.  My only question is: why did I wait this long to read it?  Under the Never Sky is SO INCREDIBLY GOOD!

I have to confess that I picked this book from the library months ago and after reading the first chapters, I called it quits.  I wasn’t interested in the characters and the story was so strange and that initial chapters were kind of scary.  After so many blogger raved about this series, I decided to give it another try.  I’m glad I did!  I really enjoyed the audio book and it made the “reading” more entertaining for me. 

Besides the characters, I think what I loved the most was the world that Rossi constructed.  I like that the current generation know why the world is different now and how things used to be before the Aether storms. The survivors also preserved their technology, which is often not the case in dystopia.  I loved the new concepts, such as Dwellers and Outsiders and the evolution and de-evolution of each of them.  It was a fascinating world and I hope to visit again soon.

The characterization, as I mentioned above was outstanding.  The story is told in the third person, from alternating POVs, form Perry and Aria’s perspectives.  I really enjoyed this style as it allows me a better insight of the characters and their surroundings.  Aria is 17 and she has lived in a domed city all of her life, visiting virtual places and having whatever she needs at hand’s reach.  On the opposite side Peregrine (Perry) is an Outsider and brother to the Blood Lord of his clan.  These two unlikely characters meet and unite out of necessity; they each need to find someone and also their survival depends on it.  I simply loved brave and pragmatic Aria.  I would not have been able to walk all that distance with blisters on my feet for sure!  Perry is so brave, so tough, loyal and just plain awesome.  I am glad that their ‘liking’ for each other came gradually instead of being instant. The character I loved the most after our protagonists was Roar (I can’t wait to meet Liv!)

The writing is brilliant and although I found the plot to be a bit slow at first, I understand that the world-building was necessary for the reader to understand this new world.  The plot itself is full of twists and turns too, I did not see any of it coming ;) I cannot wait to read Through the Ever Night, book two in the series, which I already got for my Kindle.

About the cover:  Love it!!  It portraits Aria and an Aether storm in the background.

Have you read this series?  Do you love it?  Why or why not?

 Please celebrate Reading with ABCs 2nd Blogiversary by entering thisGiveaway!

Blog Tour: PODs by Michelle Pickett (PODs #1)

Hi gorgeous people and welcome to this stop of the PODs Blog Tour!

Title: PODs by Michelle Pickett

Published: June 4^th, 2013 by Spencer Hill Press

Source: ARC provided by publisher for review

Format: Paperback

Group age: Young adult

Genre: Dystopian / Romance

Challenge(s): 2013 Dystopian

Grade rate: B-

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.

Find it here:  Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

My Review

I love the dystopian genre and although this book wasn’t what I expected, PODs turned out to be a great adventure.

The synopsis for PODs is very good, thus I don’t have to repeat these crucial points in the story.  The book can be divided in parts: pre-virus, PODs, and live after the PODs.   I have to say that the beginning of the book moved me to tears.  I cannot comprehend the rapid spread of a fatal virus that wipes population so fast that there is no time to even study it and find a cure.  I cannot imagine the pain of knowing that death is almost certain, except for the few chosen to be saved in the PODs.  As a mother I understand Eva’s parents delight that she was chosen, I would have felt the same way.  Nevertheless, it was heartbreaking to read.

I really liked Eva (short for Evangelina); she is feisty, stubborn, beautiful, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor.  The part of the book I loved the best was the time that the group spends in the sub-POD.  At the beginning everyone was scared, grieving, upset, but eventually they become a tight family (for the most part).  Eva and David meet at the POD and the problems arise when they are relocated to different ‘villages’ at the end of their time there.  I’m not sure if I would have made the same decisions they did, but I’m glad they found each other.

The romance is a big part of the story.  I understand this as well; when everything familiar and everyone else is gone, finding love is like a lifeline.  David is handsome, intelligent, loving, tender and very protective of Eva.  I liked him, but for some reason something was missing.  I also got mad that they never found a moment of privacy!  Other characters in the story are not as well fleshed out, but I did like the group in the PODs better.

The plot is good, even if there are a few ‘holes’ in it.  I know that the story moves really fast, but it would have been to understand more about the virus, the mutation and the government’s plans.  I don’t understand where the PODs came from (were there build ‘just in case’?) and why the government made the decisions it did).  The writing is straightforward, easy to read and at times a bit dry. 

I was surprised to see in Goodreads that this is a series, as the ending of book one was quite adequate for me. I would recommend this book to dystopian lovers, please be aware that there are some gruesome scenes in here and it might not be appropriate for younger readers.

Some quotes for you: (please note these are form the ARC and they might be different in the final book)

“David. Where is he right now? Is he as excited as I am? MY heart is doing weird things and a million butterflies are inside me. I swear if I open my mouth they’ll fly out.”

“Sitting in a beanbag in the middle of the room was a boy with several piercing and tattoos; his blond hear was cut close to his heat in a military style… I dubbed him Beanbag Guy… there was a boy sitting against the wall, doodling in a notebooks. Brown hair fell all over his face.  He didn’t look up as I came in. I named him Doodle Boy.”

About the cover:  It gives an idea of what the book is about, although the PODs were underground.

About the Author

I'm a wife, mother, author, reader, although not always in that order. I've been an avid reader since a young child. I began writing for personal enjoyment in college, where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in accounting. Why I chose a degree that didn't encourage creativity is a mystery to me.

I'm addicted to Reese's peanut butter cups and eat way too many while I write. I have a weird obsession with hoodies and can't write without wearing one. I hate to cook, but love to watch cooking shows.

I'm an unabashed romantic and love swoon-worthy happy endings that give me butterflies for days.

Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, I now reside in a small community outside Houston, Texas with my incredibly supportive, not to mention gorgeous, husband, three amazing school-aged children, a 125-pound lap dog, and a cat that thinks she's queen.

I write adult and young adult Sci/Fi, urban fantasy and paranormal romances.

I love to hear from readers and other authors, so drop me a note and say "Hi!"

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