Tag Archives: Teen dystopian

Feb 2 2016
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Mini Book Review: Ruins by Dan Wells

Ruins by Dan Wells

Title: Ruins

Author: Dan Wells

Series: Partials Sequence #3

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand. There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

The Mini Review:

I’d like to preface this review by declaring that Ruins was a really good book and definitely earned its 4-star rating… but I still find myself a little disappointed with it. The problem is, the first two books in the series were PHENOMENAL and I was hoping for an equally strong ending to what still amounts to my favorite dystopian series. “Really liking” a book is not the same as “loving” a book, yet that’s where I find myself with this series-ender. Did I have high expectations going into it? Absolutely. And, like I said, it was still a very entertaining read, I just wanted it to finish with the same bang it started with… kapeesh?

So now we get into the inevitable question of why it let me down, and that one is easy to answer: it felt rushed. Incidentally, it was rushed – written in just a few short months, but ALL of them had the same constraints, so why was this one different? I truly believe if Wells had just a little more time to brainstorm and really pull all of his amazing plotlines together, this book would’ve been killer! Amazing! And easily the best one of the series. Sadly, it falls victim to the industry’s strict deadlines. As it is, there was resolution, but not in a way that resonated with me.

So, aside from my probably unrealistic expectations, the story progression in this final novel was interesting, the characters were memorable, and (despite my issues with pacing) I really did love getting to immerse myself in this world for a final time. It’s important to note that the Partials Sequence is still my favorite teen dystopian/post-apocalyptic series, and I’m sure I will continue to recommend it often for many years to come.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jan 20 2016
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Book Review: Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch

perfectedTitle: Perfected

Author: Kate Jarvik Birch

Series: Perfected #1

Genre: Teen Dystopian [ish]

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Perfection comes at a price. As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows… and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating. But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving… and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.

The Review:

Perfected was my FAVORITE read of 2014. That’s right, 20-frigging-14! And I loved it so much that I hadn’t felt ready to compose a review for it up until this point (which is really stupid considering how often I find myself talking about it, even over a year later). Have you ever enjoyed something so much that no matter how much you gush about it in a review, it never seems to do it justice? That’s how I feel about Perfected – it was such an experience!

I’m a self-proclaimed addict of the sub genre “girls wearing pretty dresses in a slightly dystopic era” and Perfected is right up there alongside Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden Trilogy. Birch created an intriguing fraction of society that puts on a glamorous, prestigious face to hide some pretty messed up practices. I mean, breeding and selling tiny, genetically engineered girls as pets?? That’s pretty disturbing, and it comes along with a whole host of nasty issues that Birch does an excellent job of acknowledging without dwelling on it (until the second book, which expands on many of these dark issues in a way that breaks your heart while at the same time giving the main character insights and epiphanies she needed to grow in strength and determination… more to come on that in my upcoming review of Tarnished).

Despite all this grit surrounding a fascinating main character, Birch found a way to tell a beautifully innocent love story, and do so with writing that was beautiful and poetic without ever becoming flowery or overdone. It struck a chord with me, which is why I can still vividly remember every bit of Perfected over a year later, and I’m already feeling the itch for a reread.

Overall, Perfected has landed itself as one of my all-time favorites, and I find myself talking about it often and passionately. It was just so well done and unique! If you enjoyed any of my recommends below, I suspect (and hope) you’ll love Perfected just as much!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

 

Jan 12 2016
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Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen #1

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: This is a world divided by blood – red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart …

The Review:

If I’d stopped reading Red Queen about a third of the way in, my rating would’ve been close to five stars and my review would’ve been praises out the wazoo – I loved the concept, the setting, the organic relationships, and the trajectory of the story. However, in the pages that followed, I found myself becoming increasingly disengaged with the story until it was honestly a struggle to finish. O_o what happened?! Loads of people LOVED this book, which made me wonder what was wrong with me and had me earnestly considering the possibility that I’m burnt out on YA. Okay, I know that’s a bit mellow-dramatic, but seriously, this is not the first time I’ve lost patience with a YA book/series that the blogosphere was going apeshit over (Throne of Glass #3 & The Winner’s Crime, to name a couple). Although I have read a handful of teen books I absolutely loved over the last couple of years, it is clear that the more I read, the higher my expectations become.

My desire for this review is not to bash the book, by any means – I know a ton of people are going to really love it – but I feel the strong need to analyze exactly why the last two thirds of the book just didn’t work for me. Here goes:

There was one circumstance surrounding my reading experience that helps shed light on my opinions of Red Queen: I had just finished the most recent book in the Game of Thrones series (A Dance with Dragons). I’d had 1100+ pages to get use to expansive world building, complex and widespread conflicts, and (most notably) a memorable cast of shrewd royals who always demonstrated clear motive, direction and, even more importantly, a fierce protectiveness over their children – heirs to the thrones representing the pivotal futures for each family. Switch gears to Red Queen, it really bothered me how casual the decision-making of the royals was (lacking any clear motive that I could see at the time) and how seemingly illogical that decision-making manifested in regards to the heirs. Some motives became clearer as the story went on, but unfortunately that did nothing to alleviate all the frustration I felt early on, it just slapped a Band-Aid on after my patience had long since bled out.

Recognizing motives and getting a clear sense of character early on is really important to me, and there were parts that were done brilliantly (like with Mare’s family) and parts that left me wanting (enter the royals, where it felt almost as if the author assigned them certain M.O.s early on, only to change her mind halfway through the story and start over).

I also really liked the main character at first, finding her lack of ambition and skills oddly interesting in a market where the heroines always seem to be adept at EVERYTHING. But when the story needed her to be clever, putting her in a position where she could really manipulate gameboard and affect change, she contented herself with incessantly complaining that things were unfair without EVER presenting an idea to help make it better. I found it insufferable. I mean, offer a solution or shut up – you’re not helping the problem. My trending thought was – the royals are sure lucky she wasn’t a bit more clever or autonomous, else the entire plot would have crumbled. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe her personal story arc will be that she finally figures out how to stop being a pawn and start moving the chess pieces herself. That would be great, I just don’t think I have the patience to keep reading long enough to see her get there.

Overall, how much I loved the first part of the book balances out with how much I didn’t love the rest. There were a ton of awesome story elements that just didn’t quite all come together for me. I doubt many other readers would be nearly as critical as I was, and will probably recommend this one a fair amount despite my own personal reservations. It has many elements that account for its popularity and I am (as usual of late) in the minority.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 21 2015
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Book Review: The White Rose by Amy Ewing

October 6, 2015Title: The White Rose

Author: Amy Ewing

Series: The Lone City #2

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude. But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm. But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The Review:

I admit that, even though I fangirled over The Jewel for several months after finishing it (heck, even before I actually read it – have you seen that cover??), I didn’t think the second book would be nearly as good (jaded reader, party of one). But you know what? The White Rose was awesome and I take back all of the judgy, negative feels I had about it.

It started out with a bang and didn’t really let up until the end. Great pacing aside, I loved the half-dozen amazing things I learned in this book about the characters, the city, the magic… I could go on, but suffice to say it was basically one big revelation after another as many of my questions were answered (and were inevitably replaced by several much more desperate ones). So I’m basically torn between happiness and how much I liked The White Rose and FREAKING OUT that I have to wait another year to find out what happens next (seriously, why does this always happen to me? ::sobs::). Okay, I’m done being a baby (mostly), but it’s worth noting that I think The Lone City series is totally worth the wait.

In my review of The Jewel, I stated several very specific reasons why I liked it (yes, I’m quoting myself):

I found everything about The Jewel a mite unexpected. The love interest was fantastically unconventional, all of the characters showed duality, the subject matter was slightly more serious than a typical YA, and the plot never followed the route I thought it would. All of these elements were delightful twists that made the book stand out that much more.

And the best thing is, all of these things are still true about The White Rose. I still don’t know where the story is going (even though I have several speculations), and in a world of predictable YA storytelling, that’s an exciting thing!

I’m a huge fan of The Selection Trilogy, and the series will definitely put you in a similar kind of mood. While the Lone City (so far) lacks just a little bit of the magic that made The Selection so addicting, it makes up for it with the great writing, more robust world building, fewer plot holes, and loads of memorable moments. My only qualm is that the ending felt too rushed (which I bet I wouldn’t have noticed if the third one were out because I would’ve just kept going #getoveritalready). The moral of the story is, I happily recommend this series along with these:

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 15 2015
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Coming Soon: By Aimee Carter

queen

Title: Queen

Author: Aimee Carter

Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #3

Genre: Teen Dystopian [ish]

Release Date: November 24, 2015

The Overview: Kitty Doe is a Blackcoat rebel and a former captive with a deadly connection to the most powerful and dangerous man in the country, Prime Minister Daxton Hart. Forced to masquerade as Daxton’s niece, Lila Hart, Kitty has helped the Blackcoats take back the prison known as Elsewhere. But Daxton has no intention of ceding his position of privilege—or letting Kitty expose his own masquerade. Not in these United States, where each person’s rank means the difference between luxury and poverty, freedom and fear…and ultimately, between life and death. To defeat the corrupt government, Kitty must expose Daxton’s secret. Securing evidence will put others in jeopardy, including the boy she’s loved forever and an ally she barely trusts. For months, Kitty’s survival has hinged on playing a part. Now she must discover who she truly wants to be, and whether the new world she and the rebels are striving to create has a place in it for her after all.

Waiting on Wednesday
Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I thoroughly enjoyed Pawn, the first book in this series, but never quite made it around to reading the sequel. Now that the third one is on the horizon, I might just hold off a little longer and then binge read all three (sounds like fun, doesn’t it?). Although the story lacks a believable society (and world building in general), I liked enough things about it that those deficiencies didn’t bother me. It’s a cool concept for a story, and I love the mild chess tie-ins that give these books their theme. I am genuinely excited to see where the story goes next!

What book are you waiting on?

 by Niki Hawkes

Jun 24 2015
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Coming Soon: Tarnished by Kate Jarvik Birch

December 1, 2015

Title: Tarnished

Author: Kate Jarvik Birch

Series: Perfected #2

Genre: Teen Dystopian [sort of]

Release Date: December 1, 2015

The Overview: Ella may have escaped to Canada, but she’s hardly free. Stuck in refugee housing for liberated pets, she’s just as trapped as she was at the congressman’s house—only now she has to live without Penn. But she’s determined to get out. And to make matters worse, there are rumors circulating that pets like Ella are turning up dead all over the U.S., not to mention that she might be to blame. When her old acquaintance, Missy, shows up in Canada, the two of them set off together, thrusting them back into the dangerous life they just left behind. Now, they must navigate the seedy world of the black markets to uncover the dark secrets that the Kennels have been hiding, and rescue the boy she loves.

Waiting on Wednesday
Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Perfected was my favorite YA read of 2014, and I loved it so much that I haven’t even been able to compose a review for it yet. Have you ever enjoyed something so much that no matter how much you gush about it in a review it won’t do it justice? That’s how I feel about Perfected – it was such an experience! The best comparison I can make is to DeStefano’s Chemical Garden Trilogy – a slightly dystopic society with a lot of messed up, somewhat dark practices; fascinating female protagonists who find themselves at the center of it all; and beautiful, poetic writing that never seems flowery or overdone. Perfected was one of the few books I will definitely be rereading, and I hope to say the same about Tarnished. December can’t come too soon!

What book are you waiting on? :-)

by Niki Hawkes