Tag Archives: dystopian

Jun 9 2014
Image

Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far In 2014

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Yay – this week is one of my favorite topics. I love geeking out about books I’ve already read, and there’ve been some good ones this year! Around May 2013, I decided it was time to start focusing more on the books at the top of my reading list and less on the ones that felt like obligations. I’ve stuck to it, and because of that have had the best twelve months of reading since I was a kid – a state of being I’d like to continue through the foreseeable future. :-)

Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far In 2014

I had so many favorites that it was difficult picking out ten for this list… definitely a problem I want to have. Also, I don’t think it be fair to ask me to pick an absolute favorite – it would be impossible to choose! I love them all.

Here’s to another six months of superb reading!

 What’s the best book you’ve read this year?

Jun 3 2014
Image

Coming Soon: In the After Light by Alexandra Bracken

in the after lightTitle: In the After Light

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: Darkest Minds #3

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Release Date: October 28, 2014

The Overview: Ruby can’t look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government’s attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IANN, the disease that has killed most of America’s children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the “rehabilitation camps” housing thousands of other Psi kids. Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.

in the after light

 Hosted by Breaking the Spine

 I don’t know about you, but I’m incredibly interested to see how this trilogy wraps up. I love the whole concept behind this series and especially love the effortless voice in which it was written. My favorite part of the series so far are the incredibly lovable side characters. Ruby is a great protagonist, but her sidekicks really do steal the show, and I am most excited to see where they wind up. October can’t come too soon! :-)

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 3 2014
Image

Book Review: Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

independent studyTitle: Independent Study

Author: Joelle Charbonneau

Series: The Testing #2

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 5/5 stars!

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

independent study 2

The Review:

While I only liked The Testing, I absolutely loved Independent Study! The testing process was what initially drew me to this series, and I was concerned that once the testing in the first book was over there would be nothing to carry my interest over to the second book. The awesome part is that the testing does continue, it just does so in a slightly different way (in the form of new student initiation). There were a lot of tasks and obstacles for the main character, Cia, to overcome, and I was wildly entertained to see how she managed to cope with each one.

I have read some criticism that Cia is just too smart to be a realistic character. While I totally see why some people would feel that way, it wasn’t something that bothered me at all. Even though Cia always had the answers, I always felt like she had to work for them, and that effort was more important to me than anything else. It took a lot of creative construction on the author’s part to not only come up with the tests, but to think up answers that were complex enough to challenge the characters. I love reading books about tests/trials and books about competitions, and Independent Study was a great combination of the two.

Although it took me a while to get used to, I actually like the voice the book is written in. Charbonneau was a very unique way of saying things that (I eventually decided) adds a great deal of personality to Cia. Charbonneau also uses the language to create phenomenal pacing – both speeding up passages for excitements and slowing them down to make sure you understand the gravity of what she’s talking about. It worked really well, I only wish I had caught on to what she was doing more quickly so I could’ve studied it better.

Overall, this book is definitely getting a spot in my top ten books of 2014. Now all that is left to do is to read the third one, Graduation Day, and hope it is just as good! While the series is not terribly unique compared to the myriad of dystopian’s on the market, I think it’s cool concept and voice (and the sheer awesomeness of the second book) are enough to make me want to recommend it to other readers.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

May 30 2014
Image

Book Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Not a drop to drinkTitle: Not a Drop to Drink

Author: Mindy McGinnis

Series: Not a Drop to Drink #1

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: 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 from our own.

Not a drop to drink

Thte Review:

Yeah, I totally understand the hype surrounding this book. This first line says it all:

“Lynn was nine the first time she killed to defend the pond…”

Oh, my, where to start? I picked this book up just to flip through the first few pages and before I knew it, it was 3 in the morning and I was more than halfway through it. It grabbed me right from the start and didn’t really let up until the end. I am not a quote-gather by any means, but there were so many beautiful and evoking passages that I was tempted to pull out a highlighter (okay, I wouldn’t have actually marked the book, but I wanted to…). I have been so immersed in the dystopian genre over the past year that I didn’t think it was possible to find another one I liked this much. It was a breath of fresh air and I rank it right up there with amazing books like Partials and The 5th Wave.

Not a Drop to Drink is a prime example of storytelling at its best. It didn’t spend a lot of time focusing on the broader scope of this apocalypse, but it didn’t need to. It was a beautifully contained story of one girl’s struggle for survival, made all the more poignant by its narrow focus. I was completely lost in this story, and I absolutely love it when that happens. The plot didn’t take the direction I thought it would, but it definitely wasn’t one of those books that sacrificed plausibility for the sake of being “edgy.” It was the perfect balance of action/reaction, and I was perfectly happy to go along with the ride. Even though it didn’t have a ton of action scenes, it was just as riveting and exciting as if Lynn were fighting off hosts of zombies. The world always felt dangerous, and McGinnis did an excellent job creating a great tone and atmosphere for her story.

Although the world building an atmosphere was were superb, the characters of this book really stole the show for me. They were relatable and vibrant, and I found myself stressing any time one of them was in danger. There were some fantastic dynamics between each of the characters, which made for some profound character growth arcs that are going to be among my favorites for years to come. It was beautiful and heart wrenching, joyful and sad – all at once, putting Not a Drop to Drink at the top of my recommendation list for the genre.

I’m super fired up about how much I loved this book, especially since McGinnis is one of the authors attending the Vegas Valley Book Festival in October. You’d better believe I’ll have pristine copies of both of her books ready to be signed – I am so excited! If you like dystopians with a bit of a frontier twist (more survival-driven than that futuristic), I recommend this novel highly.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

May 22 2014
Image

Book Review: The Selection Stories by Kiera Cass

The selection storiesTitle: The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard

Author: Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection Novellas

Genre: Teen Dystopian (sort of)

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: The Prince and The Guard both offer captivating views into the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer’s love. Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon’s life. The Prince opens the week before the Selection begins and follows Maxon through the first day of the competition. Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace as a member of the royal guard. In The Guard, readers get an inside look at Aspen’s life within the palace walls—and the truth about a guard’s world that America will never know.

The selection stories 2

The Review: 

Reading these novellas was the perfect way to amp myself up for The One – the conclusion to the The Selection trilogy. These short stories show a bit of behind the scenes action surrounding the two love interests within the trilogy. The Prince is from Maxom’s perspective that takes place within the timeline of The Selection (book 1), while The Guard is from Aspen’s perspective and takes place alongside The Elite (book 2).  As it had been over a year since I read books 1&2, these novellas were the perfect way to refresh my memory before diving into the conclusion.

My favorite story was The Prince. Reading from Maxom’s POV was totally delightful, and I would especially love it if an entire book was written from his perspective. It was neat getting an inside look to the selection process and experiencing some of the mixed emotions Maxom felt while entering into it. I always liked him, but this novella made me love him even more. While The Prince is not essential to the main story, I still recommend it highly, as I think most Selection fans will enjoy it.

The Guard was an interesting story, but it wasn’t anything profound. You see, in my mind, Maxom is so right for America that I haven’t ever entertained Aspen as a real possibility. I often find scenes America shares with him frustrating, and just don’t agree with many of his decisions. That said, however, it was great to read about his interactions with the other people of the castle and to see what a positive influence he had on all of them – specifically America’s maids. While I recommend The Prince for purely entertainment purposes, I recommend The Guard for certain plot points that will help make The One (the final book) more enjoyable.

What’s next? I am going to hole myself up in a room for a day and completely devour The One. I want to savor it, because it’s the trilogy ending I’ve been most anticipating for the past year, but I know it’s not going to take me much longer than that to read. If you’re like me and are sad to see this series come to an end, keep hope, as Cass is releasing the novella, The Queen (detailing Queen Amberly’s own selection journey) which will be released in early December. I, for one, am stoked to get my hands on that, even though it’s just another novella. Heck, I love the concept behind the story so much I’d be willing to read books about all of the selections within this world – keep them coming Kiera!

If you haven’t read The Selection and want to, now’s your chance – our YA Escape Reality Book Club (which anybody can join, provided they love YA novels), has chosen The Selection for May’s official book, and I can’t wait to talk about it!

Otherbooks you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 13 2014
Image

Book Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The TestingTitle: The Testing

Author: Joelle Charbonneau

Series: The Testing #1

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one. But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

The Testing

The Review:

I had this book lined up next on my reading list until a couple of negative reviews surfaced… and then it got moved to the back-burner. Several months later, Tara, The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say Shhhh! gave it a promising review and included it in her top ten books of 2013 list. As she’s a self-proclaimed dystopian addict and one of my favorite kindred book spirits, I knew I had to give this series a second look. And you know what? I’m really glad I did.

Before I get into it, I need to admit I’m already finished with the second book (Independent Study) and, while I had a couple of issues with The Testing, I loved the second book so much that those issues are nothing but a distant memory. This is a problem because if I had written this review when I was supposed to (i.e., before continuing on in the series) it probably would’ve been a little harsher, but what can I say? My immense enjoyment of the second book has definitely pulled up my opinion of the series as a whole.

In any case, I’ll try and speak to my initial opinion of the first book throughout the rest of this review. Overall, there were several things I liked about it, and a few that I didn’t. First off, I love competitions of any sort, and a bunch of kids gathered together to showcase their mental assets against one another, actively competing for a spot in the University, thrilled me to no end. I love books about people in school, especially the testing sequences (weird I know). Most of this novel focused around the candidates reacting to challenges and problems put forth to them by the testing committee. The creativity and presentation of those tests were by far the best parts of the novel. I found myself hard-pressed to put it down because I was eager to see what problem they would face next and how Cia, the main heroine, would solve it.

I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve been conditioned to expect the worst-case-scenario from Hunger games and the countless other dystopian I’ve read, but I figured out right away that there was something more sinister at play than a mere placement test (as I’m sure most readers will). The problem is, the testing went from plausibly dangerous to ridiculously deadly in the blink of an eye. I’m pretty sure the author was going for shock value, but I found it too clumsy to be really effective. Cia’s reaction to the event emotionally distanced me from it even further. In any case, this is where my rating of the book started to fall and, while excellent testing scenes ensued, it never really gained back my confidence.

That said, I’m actually surprised I picked up a second book at all, but what ever reading god drew me to it, I am immensely grateful. Let’s just say I liked it so much that it’s in contention to be one of my favorite books of the year. I am incredibly eager to get my hands on the third and final book of the trilogy (Graduation Day).

If you are on the fence about this series, I would encourage you to give it a try. There are enough cool elements in the first book to make it worth your while, and who doesn’t love a series that gets better and better with each book?

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes