I have been enjoying most of the books I have read lately. I have been thinking, "Hey, these are great. 4 stars!" But then I read Through the Ever Nig...moreI have been enjoying most of the books I have read lately. I have been thinking, "Hey, these are great. 4 stars!" But then I read Through the Ever Night, and I was thinking to myself, "This. This is what a book really is."
This series continues to have a gripping story, real characters, and captivating writing. I think I may even have enjoyed this more than Under the Never Sky. The world is growing, there was more adventure, more backstory. The only unfortunate thing is that there is a little bit less romance. But Aria and Perry were as one in the end. And now they know where they belong. They tried to do things their own way, but now know that they are stronger together, so it was worth it.
But I am still a bit upset about (view spoiler)[Liv's death. Just because Liv and Roar are not the main characters, doesnt mean that it is any less sad. It doesnt mean that Roar and Liv didnt deserve happiness just as much as Aria and Perry do. It felt like a bit of a cheat, and it reminded me of when Suzanne Collins killed Prim (hide spoiler)].
I am really looking forward to Into the Still Blue and I hope we get to know the dwellers more, especially Soren. I hope he comes around and realizes that it doesn't matter if you are a dweller or an outsider, they are all human. Maybe he can hook up with Brooke. :P(less)
I love the idea behind this series; the history, the villain and his motives. Its all really fascinating. But I found this book dragged a bit. I had a...moreI love the idea behind this series; the history, the villain and his motives. Its all really fascinating. But I found this book dragged a bit. I had a hard time finishing it. It wasnt as fast-paced as the first, and the climax wasnt as exciting as the battle at Glendon in the first. A lot of what happened in the middle with the hockey and Cringe didnt really interest me. And the traitor revealed at the end? I kinda knew since book 1. It seemed obvious to me.
I really want to learn more about the Dream Eater, and maybe even meet him. He totally fascinates me. Like Ra's al Ghul or the Shadows from Babylon 5. Villains that dont know they are villains. I'd love to learn how he thinks and more about his powers. I enjoy Weaver's character too, and I love underdogs or "zero to hero" stories, but Weaver hasnt really come into his own yet. His friends keep saying how awesome he is but I havent really seen evidence of it yet. I really hope he becomes awesome by the end of the series.
Although not a lot happened in this book, I enjoyed it more than Wither. After Rhine and Gabriel escape they travel from place to place, looking for R...moreAlthough not a lot happened in this book, I enjoyed it more than Wither. After Rhine and Gabriel escape they travel from place to place, looking for Rhine's brother and never staying anywhere long. Nothing of much significance happened until the end. But I enjoyed it more than Wither anyway because I found Wither really disturbing. I hated the idea of the Brides and being forced into that life is as bad as prostitution. I am glad that it wasnt covered much in this book.
I also enjoyed it because there was so much more Gabriel and so much less Linden. Despite the dark subject matter, the romance in this book is really sweet and innocent, like in Matched or Origin. Actually, its more like Origin come to think of it, because they are both very heavy, but still sweet with the romance. They both even discuss scientific experimentation on humans. Rhine and Gabriel spent a lot of time together and went through a lot together, and they are good for each other. But I am really disappointed in how Rhine reacted in the end. She seemed to give up too easily, and is still more worried about her brother than anything. (and why did she not throw that ring away at the first opportunity?) But I think that Gabriel knows her, and knows what she will do next and will be able to find her.
Linden is revolting. They tried to make him seem all sympathetic at the end in the hospital. "Poor naive Linden. Mistreated and manipulated by his father." But all I have to do is remember Cecily. He impregnated a 13 year-old! Nuff said. He's sick.
I am really hoping for a HEA in Sever. They dont even have to solve all their problems. I just want them to find safety somewhere. Even if Rowan ends up to be crazy. Even if there's no cure and we know Rhine will die in a few years. I just want her to be free until then. (less)
I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I would give this a 3.5-4/5. Its best feature is...moreI would like to thank the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I would give this a 3.5-4/5. Its best feature is easily the original story idea and unique combo of genres. It is in a post-apocalyptic setting, set in Toronto, Canada, approximately 60 years after a cataclysmic war. But despite the futuristic setting, and even before taking Weaver's powers into consideration, it felt like a fantasy in theme, characters, and adventure. With the mysterious, seemingly all-powerful villain, who will likely remain faceless till the end of the series (which is fine, as long as he isnt Weaver's father :P); the boy hero who discovers that he has a power that is the only hope. And Weaver and his friends seem to all have a sense of duty and self-sacrifice in protecting the Shield, which is common in classic fantasy. I am not surprised to see in Najeev Raj Nadarajah's bio that he was inspired by many famous fantasy authors. But this was its own unique new world. Apocalypse by design, where dreams come to life, and fire ignites creatures of nightmare.
The writing style in this was extremely descriptive and had some beautiful imagery. I really enjoyed it for the most part. But sometimes it seemed a bit beyond YA, and a bit word-heavy. And the characters didnt talk like normal 16-18 year olds. It was too formal to seem natural. And some of the characters didnt have enough distinguishing characteristics to tell apart. Most of them didnt stand out, and I kept mixing them up, despite remembering their names.
But Weaver was a great hero, with great potential. He accomplished much already, with the little knowledge of his power that he has. I cant wait to see what he will accomplish in the future. And I hope to see Toggen there in that future too. I had no problem remembering Toggen. He was a great character, and a great friend, despite denying wanting any friends. He was so loyal and noble, and stoic. Haha, great combo. I cant wait to see what he is capable either. Considering what faces them in the Dream Eater, they have far to go and much more to do before they are safe and it could be totally epic. I hope it is. I look forward to finding out.(less)
This is probably worthy of a 3.5/5. Its hard to categorize a genre. Its not really a dystopian because the alternate government never got full control...moreThis is probably worthy of a 3.5/5. Its hard to categorize a genre. Its not really a dystopian because the alternate government never got full control, and had no hope of ever being disguised as utopian. And its not really post-apocalyptic either since after the world-wide disaster the monarchy was still in power and civilization didnt fall. But still, I guess it was close enough.
So, Eliza, the last princess, was one kick-ass chick. I really liked her, how hard she fought, how far she went for her country and her family. I was seriously impressed when she jumped off the tower of London. Seriously. But it kept bugging me that we had no idea how old she was. She is the middle child and her younger brother is 6, so I kept picturing her as quite young, like 12. Then I had to adjust that when only a matter of days later she was having romantic entanglements. We eventually learn her older sister is 18, so maybe Eliza was closer to 16. Its strange to have a 10 year gap between her and her brother though. Oh well.
She made some foolish choices along the way because she was so unafraid, she just jumped right into danger on more than one occasion. But luckily she always had Wesley to save her. We didnt get to know him very well. He wasnt in it for long and the romance happened very quickly, but I felt for him. He was in a difficult position and I could understand that he was trying to make the best of it. And he was constantly rescuing Eliza, so I have to love him for that. Even if he only did it the first time or two because she was the princess, I know it was eventually because he loved her. Or close to. They only knew each other for a matter of days before Eliza thought to herself that she might be in love with him, which is a bit ridiculous, but it doesnt stop me from being happy for them.
This book was rather short, just under 300 pages, but it managed to fit in a lot of action. A very fast paced, exciting story and Eliza never stayed in one place very long. It says on the book flap that this is going to be a series, although there is no indication of that on GR. I look forward to reading more of this story. In the end there were plenty of loose ends and even a semi-cliffhanger to deal with. And hopefully the romance will get a chance to properly develop in a sequel.(less)
I found this very disappointing. I have not read Persuasion so I will be making no comparisons.
When Elliot's childhood sweetheart, Kai, returns to the...moreI found this very disappointing. I have not read Persuasion so I will be making no comparisons.
When Elliot's childhood sweetheart, Kai, returns to their farm after running away 4 years earlier, things arent like she thought they would be. She always hoped and dreamed she would see him again, but he is so changed, and so incredibly angry at her for not running away with him. I really did not like seeing how he treated her and the things he said about her. She told him why she couldnt go and he still held it against her.
Imagine Elliot's world as similar to American slavery, except no one in particular owns anyone. They often change estates, or run away. They more or less can work for whoever they want. But they have to work for someone in order to survive. They cannot work for themselves. But they still have no rights and can be beaten or raped by their estate owners. Elliot dedicates her life to improving the well-being of the people under her care. Her father and older sister are completely incompetent and it has fallen to Elliot since her mother's death. She could not abandon them. Most of the story revolves around Elliot's attempts to improve the lives of the people on her estate, and anyone else she is in the position to help.
Kai was simply a distraction. He seemed to exist to make Elliot's life more difficult. But Elliot still loved him. She could not help herself. She had a lab where she experimented on crops and she hung all the letters her and Kai had written to each other as children from the ceiling in the form of gliders. The lab was like a testimony to her love, and I kept waiting for the inevitable moment when Kai would see it and realize that she still loved him, and then maybe he would also see how hard her decision must have been to stay behind. But that moment never came. It was extremely frustrating.
Kai let his emotions get in the way of everything. His anger and disappointment controlled him. Elliot on the otherhand is the opposite. She was logical and realistic and put her work before her feelings everytime. That is a good trait in a land owner, but not in a romantic protagonist. I appreciated that she still loved Kai, but I did not appreciate how she handled it. If she had a little less control on her emotions she would have told Kai how she felt and the story would have progressed much more quickly. And I appreciated Kai for being able to feel things so strongly, but he also let it control him and it held him back from forgiving Elliot. Overall, I didnt really like either of them.
Nothing changed between them until Kai found out Elliot had broken some rules, and he realized that she wasnt quite the strict master he thought she had become. After that they werent quite as hostile toward each other, but they still avoided each other and nothing really happened. Not until the end when Kai wrote Elliot a letter explaining everything, explaining how he had been mean to her because he was angry at himself for still loving her. It was the most romantic thing that happened in the whole book, and it wasnt even that romantic. I dont feel like he had a very good excuse for everything he had done to her. It was basically a book about slavery featuring two very bitter people who dont get along until the last chapter. And then they dont satisfying the romantic desires they supposedly had for the whole book. There wasnt a single kiss in the whole book! I know its based an a Jane Austen book but you dont have to still be so proper about it!(less)
This was great! It reminded me a lot of The Immortal Rules. I didnt like The Immortal Rules as much as most people. It was still good, but I prefer Ed...moreThis was great! It reminded me a lot of The Immortal Rules. I didnt like The Immortal Rules as much as most people. It was still good, but I prefer Eden. There was a band of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. The main girl, Eve, is different from the rest of the survivors. They travel to a safe haven for humans, which was called Eden in The Immortal Rules. Although in this Eden is the name of their group, not their destination. And there is even a young guy in the group, West, who reminds me a lot of Zeke.
The main difference, besides this being about cyborgs instead of zombies and vampires, is that this has a love-triangle. An equilateral love-triangle. I have never seen such an equally matched love-triangle before. There were absolutely no hints to who Eve was going to choose for the whole book until I was 92% done. She never even leaned to one or the other. She was split 50/50 for the whole book up to 92%! After she had a particularly tender moment with Avian, I wondered if she was finally leaning towards one of them. But the next thing it says is, "That night I dreamed of West." And I was like, "OMG! This is hopeless!" It was ridiculous but enthralling!
I preferred one of the guys but I wasnt convinced he was necessarily best for her. So even though she didnt pick him her reasoning was good and I wasnt upset. I was actually pleased that this took a different route from most YA romances. It was extremely romantic either way, and after reading all her ridiculous helplessness in everything guy related for most of the book, I was so happy when she finally made a choice that I cried. I dont mean to sound negative when I call her ridiculous. I have never seen a love-triangle that was drawn out like this before, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I was absolutely captivated! I couldn't put it down! I had to find out what would happen next. Who she would pick. It made the pay-off all the more exciting. And it even managed to make me happy even though she didnt pick the guy I liked better, because its about Eve, not me. But I don't get why some people were making a big deal out of the age difference between Eve and Avian. I didn't think it was that bad. Eve was 18, West was 19, and Avian was 25.
Anyways, no need to talk about the love-triangle for the whole review. I also really loved learning about the robots or cyborgs, and the infection, and Eve's history. It was all very interesting. And Eve was amazing. A seriously kick-ass heroine! I love that scene right after Eve had her epiphany. She found out that the guys went on a dangerous mission without her and she runs after them doing robot head shots. That would be an awesome scene to see on screen! And a movie is planned, which is very exciting.
Keary Taylor made this fake poster herself. I had seen it on her blog before I started the book and I pictured Gillian Zinser as Eve the whole book, and Wentworth Miller as Avian. Matt Lanter isnt really how I pictured West but he is not a bad choice. Since it is Keary Taylor's choice I have no right to complain. :P This will be an amazing movie! I cant wait!
I am pretty sure this is stand alone. There is no sign of any more books being planned. The story was mostly tied up. There were a few things we could have had more information on. Namely the fate of a particular character, and what the future of the world will hold. But over-all the ending tied up all the more immediate issues and I cant help but be excited for Eve's future, even though I dont get to see it.(less)
I am a little confused about my feelings for this book. I will give it a 3.5/5. I really like the story and the world and things like that. Its a dyst...moreI am a little confused about my feelings for this book. I will give it a 3.5/5. I really like the story and the world and things like that. Its a dystopian and a lot of dystopians are similar. Its hard to have original dystopians, but enough original factors is all it really takes. And I think this succeeded, or at least came really close. I enjoyed the masks. Disease is a very familiar factor in dystopians, but the masks show social status, and the revealing clothes show whether or not you are diseased, which is new and interesting. There is always rebellion in dystopians, but the fact that there are two separate rebel factions in this, rather than one, is a bit different. With different methods and different agendas, will our heroes have to fight a war on two fronts? It changes things from the norm.
But there are two things that really bothered me about this book, and I'm not sure which hurt its rating more. They were both pretty disappointing. First is the voice of the narration. Something about the way this was written, first-person present tense, made me imagine the voice in my head like Ben Stein's monotone voice. "Bueller, Bueller." And since it was Araby's voice, the MC, it really hurt how I felt about her. It seemed like she was dead inside and she didnt feel anything. The narration had the same tone throughout. When she was happy, when she was scared, when she was suicidal. It took me almost the whole book before I started to care about her, and even then, not as much as I usually do.
My other issue is the way that the love-triangle was handled. You could say one guy was nice and sweet, while the other was kind of bad and mysterious. I liked them both in their own way, for different reasons. But I had a clear preference, and so did Araby. And while reading, I lived for the scenes with him. But near the end of the book, Bethany Griffin suddenly decides to change things on us, and something drastic happens to switch the book and Araby's focus from guy #1 to guy #2. I felt totally betrayed and confused. I couldnt believe what was happening. Why spend so much time making us fall for guy #1, when she knew this was going to happen in the end? And after Araby overcame so many personal demons in order to open up to him? But depending on your preference in men, maybe you will like guy #2 better from the beginning anyway. But at the end, both guys are still in the picture, so maybe in the next book Araby will switch back to guy #1, or the book may focus on guy #2 enough for me to fall for him this time. He definitely has the potential. But I will still miss guy #1 if that happens (I am not using names so I wont spoil, but maybe it is just confusing you :P).
So, I really enjoyed the world and story, and the characters enough to give them another chance and find out what happens to them. Regardless of the flaws, the book was very memorable. I look forward to reading Dance of the Red Death in 2013.
And just as a note, this book is very highly categorized as steampunk, but the steampunk elements in it were very light, almost none at all. It did not feel like a steampunk book to me and I did not bother categorizing it as such in my shelves. Its dominant genre is definitely dystopian. It is far from an automatic for steampunk fans. So, if that is a main factor in your decision to read it, I suggest you reconsider. (less)
I am not sure where to start. Its hard not to be biased. I guess the easiest place to start would be to say that I didnt enjoy this as much as The Iro...moreI am not sure where to start. Its hard not to be biased. I guess the easiest place to start would be to say that I didnt enjoy this as much as The Iron Fey. I thought the first half of the book was far too slow, and it took awhile before something happened. And I am not entirely won over by Zeke. I liked him more in the end, once he finally got some courage and stood up for Allie. At first he was extremely kind, but he never really stood up for himself or anyone else. He was kind when he could be, otherwise he just did what Jed said. And I really couldnt believe how he let Jed treat him. But I started to like him in the end. He did a few very impressive things and started to become the man he woould have been without Jed's influence, so I am looking forward to seeing more of him, which I am sure we will. As well as Kanin.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story, even if I had some issues with the pacing. I like where I see this going and I cant wait for more action. Allie kicks ass with her katana. :P A zombie chopping vampire with a katana.
One of the most impressive things about this book imo, was the vampire lore. Being a vampire was not glamourized, and a perfect combination of vampire characteristics were kept that helped it feel real. Characteristics that could be explained with science fiction, rather than the supernatural. It was messy and gritty. Allie's struggle was both more desperate and more believable than other vampire books I've read. I see a lot of potential for this series. There were no issues that cant be easily overcome in the next book (pacing, Zeke manning up). I look forward to reading more, and growing to love the series as a whole.(less)
I found the story in this pretty interesting, and Gaia was a great lead. But it really bugged me how pointless the main conflict was. I dont really un...moreI found the story in this pretty interesting, and Gaia was a great lead. But it really bugged me how pointless the main conflict was. I dont really understand why they were even fighting. It was so avoidable. This had a really good pace that kept me interested, and great characters, but very little for romance. There was a romantic interest, Leon, and I liked him. But nothing ever really happened, which was unfortunate. They just could never really get it together.(less)
This book was really interesting, with a unique feel that I cannot pinpoint as any particular genre. It is definitely a post-apocalyptic dystopian, bu...moreThis book was really interesting, with a unique feel that I cannot pinpoint as any particular genre. It is definitely a post-apocalyptic dystopian, but leaning more towards post-apocalyptic. It was made clear that it is set in North American after the world was destroyed by severe weather patterns. And I do believe that it was the whole world that was destroyed, not just North America. But it still had a strong fantasy feel to it. There was nothing fantastical about the story, nothing paranormal, magical, or even science fiction besides their weather technology, but it felt very much like a fantasy due to the landscape, the way the people lived, with herbal healers and traveling by horseback. After the the end of civilization the world returned to almost a medieval way of life, which somewhat reminded me of the country of Ixia from Poison Study.
I found the story really interesting. It follows 16 year old Eli. He was raised in one of the few walled cities in North American, where people live in privilege with good weather provided by their weather technology, while the rest of the world is kept in drought. His father is a powerful man, second in command of the city, who is known as the Eastern Regent. After Eli blames his father for his mother's mysterious death, Eli runs away and tries to find the fabled rebels known as Triskelia. Eli's brother, Seth, angry at him for abandoning the family, goes after Eli, intending to bring him back home. Both brothers, journeying through the droughtlands, find themselves ending their journey together, both drastically changed.
Most of the book is from Eli's POV, but there are many chapters from Seth's POV as well. There is a lot of adventure and survival, betrayal and self discovery, secrets and revelations. Although, after reading so much romance lately, I find it harder to connect with characters when not seeing them through the eyes of someone who loves them, and I didnt feel quite as drawn to the characters as I would have liked. That is likely my own handicap, not the book's.(less)
I am not sure how I feel about this. Over all I liked it, but there were a few large issues that didnt sit well with me. After writing my review and c...moreI am not sure how I feel about this. Over all I liked it, but there were a few large issues that didnt sit well with me. After writing my review and coming back to the top, I have decided to give this 3.5/5, mostly thanks to Chris.
First of all it was the format. It starts with 15 year old Peyton in 2030, in a virtual reality simulation with her friends, just hanging out. Then the next chapter skips to 4 years later, in a post-apocalyptic world. Then the next chapter goes back, then forward, then back. We have the 2 separate time periods running simultaneously. Each is narrated by both Peyton and Chris, the boy who has been in love with her since they were 6. The narrations are good. I enjoy books that are from alternating POVs. But the timeline was not only confusing and annoying, but it didnt work well for the characters. When we first skipped to the 4 years later, we have no idea how Peyton got there, what she had been through. It made it harder to connect to the characters. And when Peyton runs into Chris again they clearly have a history, but we have no idea what it is. We really didnt get to know the characters until the end of the first timeline caught up with the beginning of the second. I think I would have preferred this book if it had been told in chronological order, even though it would have had two very different halves. It just feels really disjointed as is.
The second thing I didnt like was the negative tone over the whole book. At first I was enjoying the zombie apocalypse. I had never read a book about that before, and the action was fun. But after awhile I realized that the feeling of worry and desperation was not going to go away. The fun of the action soon went away and I felt uneasy for the rest of the book. There was no space to breath and enjoy. That could be a good thing for those who enjoy post-apocalyptic or horror, but not for fans of general YA.
The romance was sweet but not enough to overshadow the rest. Not that the romance wasnt a big factor, it was. Peyton and Chris were almost constantly in each others thoughts, but they had several children and zombies to worry about. They didnt have a lot of time for sweet talk. They also spent way too much time arguing. I really think I enjoyed the 'before' chapters better. Chris hadnt hardened yet and he was utterly adorable. I have always had a soft spot for the sweet and quiet YA boys. His love for Peyton was absolute, unconditional, and all consuming. It is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. And I really enjoyed seeing them fall in love the first time. When Peyton realized just how amazing and sweet this boy was that she had been passing off for 10 years. And I loved their first kiss. There wasnt a lot of physical love going on in this book. Not that we were told about anyway. And it could have used some more kissing. :P But there was no shortage of love, especially in the 'later' chapters when neither of them could think of much else. So, the characters were great, and the romance, story, and action were good.(less)
There were a lot of little things that brought this down for me, but overall I enjoyed the story and characters.
Some of the little things that bothere...moreThere were a lot of little things that brought this down for me, but overall I enjoyed the story and characters.
Some of the little things that bothered me were, why kill the girls that werent chosen? Rhine even says once that Vaughn never wastes anything. If you are so desperate to save the human race, why not leave the girls to reproduce with someone else? And, if you have a whole floor of your house dedicated to your young wives, why oh why would the only servant allowed on that floor be a young man? Asking for trouble. And then, of course, Rhine didnt hate Linden as much as she should have. There were several things about his character that we were led to believe but we later find out are not true. I suspected this from the beginning. He seemed far too meek to be responsible for those things. But I would never ever forget that he impregnated a 13 year old girl. That is unforgivable. I cant believe some people like him more than Gabriel. Linden may be meek and not evil, but he has some serious issues! How could he live like that and think its ok? Having three wives, four in the beginning, sleeping with multiple women yet claiming to love only one. He's twisted in the head.
And I think I must be somewhat of a prude because the way sex was handle in this book made me extremely uncomfortable. There were no sex scenes in this book, but it was talked about casually, and it was obviously going on all the time. And there is one scene when Rhine walks in on Jenna and Linden and there is a kama sutra on the floor. Awkward! Omg, I am such a prude. I dont think I would have the survival instincts to survive in that kind of world. I would be the girl who was crying and banging on the wall and vomiting at the beginning. If I ever made it to the house, which is unlikely, it would have been obvious from the beginning I wasnt there willingly. But I dont hold any of this against the book. How horrifying everything is just makes Rhine all the more impressive for surviving it. But I would not recommend this for younger readers.
I was really impressed with Rhine. Aside from accepting Linden a little too easily, she was very strong and never gave up hope of getting out or finding her brother. She was the strongest of the three wives, the most admirable, and an amazing actress. And I really loved Gabriel. I was disappointed that Linden got so much more focus than Gabriel, but there will be much more Gabriel in the next book which I am looking forward to. The ending was wonderful, and hopeful, and I very much looking forward to the next book. The Handmaid's Tale comparisons are inevitable. I read The Handmaid's Tale a long time ago in school. They are quite similar and I enjoyed them both.(less)
This is probably the best YA book I have read since Divergent. I have heard some people complain about it being slow or confusing, but I think that it...moreThis is probably the best YA book I have read since Divergent. I have heard some people complain about it being slow or confusing, but I think that it depends on the reader. I didnt find it slow or confusing at all. My guess is that they found it slow because of the constant trekking. I have read a lot of high fantasy and a lot of books that are almost entirely walking, building fires, and hunting. I am used to this so I didnt find it slow. Its part of the adventure. And my guess is that they found it confusing because of the amount of technology and virtual reality in the beginning, before Aria left the dome. I have also read a lot of hard sci-fi, so I am used to this. So, if you are expecting this to be a soft YA romance, you should adjust your expectations before reading it.
I dont know if I am the only one, but I find a lot of YA feels amateur. Even though I love YA, and almost every book I read, they dont all have the same level of prose. I tolerate this because I read for characters more than anything. But the writing in this was amazing! And an author's writing abilities (not taking imagination into account) dont just make it easier to read, they bring everything to life! This flowed so smoothly and felt so real. I have hardly ever read a YA book with characters that felt so real. There is one point where Perry, the male lead, thought to himself about how much Aria has changed, and I realized, wow, she really has! It hadnt even occurred to me that she was practically a different person at this point, because it had happened so naturally and organically. The same goes for the romance. It wasnt insta-love, and there wasnt any defining moment when their relationship or feelings began. It just grew. We could see it right before our eyes, from the beginning right to the end, growing at a steady pace. It was beautiful. And the enhanced senses that some people had brought the whole world brightly to life.
Be warned that this is not like other dystopian or post-apocalyptic. Its a bit of both, but mostly it is an adventure. There are absolutely no references to our world. There was clearly a devastating event that happened in the past that they call the Unity. But we dont necessarily know that this is even Earth. In that way, it reminds me of Orson Scott Card's Pathfinder. And although there is a fair amount of technology, this feels a lot like a high fantasy, since there is a great lack in technology outside of the domes, and a primitive way of life. This is a very difficult genre to define. And although the main characters are 17 and 18, this doesnt exactly read like a typical YA. It is slightly heavier, story-wise, as well as thematically and in writing style. But the content is entirely suitable for YA readers. Highly recommended!(less)
For the first half of this I loved it. It was 4-4.5 stars worthy. Deuce lives in underground tunnels in a small community called an Enclave. The Encla...moreFor the first half of this I loved it. It was 4-4.5 stars worthy. Deuce lives in underground tunnels in a small community called an Enclave. The Enclave is divided into Hunters, Builders, and Breeders. Deuce is a Hunter. She protects the Enclave against zombie-like creatures that live in the tunnels. Slowly she learns the Enclave leaders are corrupt, and when one of her closest friends is framed for a crime she knows he didnt commit, she confesses to it in order to save him from being banished into the tunnels, where he would surely die. Her hunting partner goes with her, not wanting to abandon her.
This is where I got excited. I was loving the action and survival of the hunting in the first half of the book, but there were so many unnecessary rules. Deuce's hunting partner, Fade, was not born in the Enclave, and he understood human nature far better than Deuce. It was clear that he liked her, enough to risk his life going with her, and I was hoping that now he would be able to show her how to care about someone, and that not only Breeders could be together. But it didnt last long. He managed to kiss her once and tell her that he never felt like he belonged anywhere until he met her. But then they pick up two stragglers. Another young man and young woman. Fade starts drawing away and Deuce doesn't understand why. She tries talking to him but he wont open up. So she starts spending more time with Stalker, the young man who has joined them, and Fade starts spending more time with Tegan, the young woman that joined them. Although neither of them ever say so, it is clear they are both insecure and jealous and confused. And they just needed to tell each other how they felt. It was extremely frustrating, especially since I still dont know why Fade refused to open up to Deuce in the first place. It seemed to be more his fault than hers. If only he hadnt drawn away, which started the painful cycle.
It ends before they manage to reconcile which was extremely disappointing, but I will definitely be reading the next book to find out what happens next. (less)
This would be 4.5/5 if we had the option. The cover kind of turned me off at first. But one of my RL friends recommended it to me and she lent me her...moreThis would be 4.5/5 if we had the option. The cover kind of turned me off at first. But one of my RL friends recommended it to me and she lent me her copy, so I really had to read it. And I am glad I did! Ignore the cover. This reads like any other YA paranormal romance.
This is one twisted book! No pun intended. Its a romance/post-apocalyptic/alien invasion/time-travel/vampire/ninja book. The story was a combination of pretty much everything you can think of, which actually made it feel incredibly original. And it had almost endless movie and TV references. The main character even named her cat Jayne, after Jayne Cobb from Firefly. A nice tense story with great romance.
I enjoyed the fact that their relationship was slow to develop. Very fun to read. It was obvious they wanted each other from the beginning, but being a life-sucking alien-spawn puts a damper on things, and it took forever before he finally gave in. And he still couldnt do it without her persuasion, which is one of my favourite parts of the book, her pleading. You gotta love when a guy doesnt wanna hurt a girl and she doesnt care. Haha, that part maybe isnt so original, but surrounding circumstances still were. Such as, it wasnt a matter of self control, no amount of love would control him. In the end, he does hurt her and she has to leave him. Sort of. ;)
The dialogue between the two did sound very teen mushy mushy at times, but that is my only complaint, and it was only sometimes. Also the ending is, in a way, bittersweet. But might be being a bit picky about that.(less)
This took me ridicuously long to read. It didnt tell me enough to keep me interested, but at the same time it told me too much and made the ending ant...moreThis took me ridicuously long to read. It didnt tell me enough to keep me interested, but at the same time it told me too much and made the ending anticlimactic. The format just didnt work well for me.
Also, the main character was probably the least significant, he was just the only one who could have told the story. I would have prefer an omniscient narrator rather than what was used, which I dont know how to label. The narrator knew everything there was to know about the main character, Jimmy/Snowman, but no one else. This meant that we didnt get to know any of the thoughts or intentions of the people who drove the story. I would guess that this was the intention, to give us an outside view. I dont know if I was supposed to figure out Crake's intentions, or why Oryx was so unusual, from what Jimmy/Snowman witnessed, or if it was supposed to remain a mystery. I guess I just dont like ambiguous endings.
Nevertheless, the story was very well thought out, and I enjoyed it as a whole. I just would have prefered if it was told from start to finish, without an gaps.(less)
Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥
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