Surrender

Possession #2

by Elana Johnson

The thrilling and romantic sequel to Possession puts love on the line in a young adult dystopian struggle for independent thought.

Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control...
     Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father's He's the Director. It's because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent--a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.
     All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine's got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can't. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi's boyfriend, Zenn.
     Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine's father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She's even starting to suspect Vi's secrets might involve Freedom's newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque....

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Fiction, Fantasy

480 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

3-time USA Today bestselling author Elana Johnson writes adult contemporary beach romance. She is the author of over 130 books across two names, and there's nothing better than sun, sand, and swoon-worthy kisses! Unless it's a sweet-and-sexy cowboy - read those under her pen name of Liz Isaacson. Or an emotional, heartfelt women's fiction novel - read those under her pen name of Jessie Newton.

Learn more at:
www.elanajohnson.com
www.lizisaacson.com
www.authorjessienewton.com

Reviews

[Meredith Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

can't wait to read!!!

Not a fan when author changes Point of view

loved it!!!!

[Amy Fournier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as fantastic as the first one, if not more. I absolutely loved it!! Raine and Gunner are fantastic characters with so much depth to them.I really enjoyed getting to know them and some of the other new characters we get introduced to. No worries, we still get Vi and Jag too. This is pretty fabulously action packed. Also very emotionally intense at times too. I was so engaged in this book, I didn't have a clue (or care) what was going on around me while I was reading.

I will start off with Raine. She is daughter of Van Hightower, the Director. She has a super powerful talent and is also part of the Insiders. She is basically working against her father. He is a pretty scary guy!! She is supposed to watch over Vi and report everything that Vi says or does. She is also not allowed to tell Vi anything or ask specific things like what colors she might like or favorite food. Vi is brainwashed to only like what she is told to. Raine eventually wonders what they are trying to keep Vi from remembering. It has to be something major. I really liked Raine. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to really connect to new characters as well as I had with Vi in Possession, but I was so wrong. I totally connected with the new characters in this one.

Gunner is wanted by Van Hightower. He too has a very powerful talent. Gunner is one of those characters the is just so intriguing you can't help but want to know more and become completely engaged in his story and everything about him. Van Hightower isn't the only one who wants him. He is also wanted by the Insiders. He discovers a lot of secrets and goes through a lot in this book. He is flatmates with Zenn, and he soon discovers there is a whole lot more going on than he could have initially imagined. Gunner is very smart, and very determined. He does what he thinks is the right thing even if it means sacrificing other things that are important too.

The romance is really well done. I really enjoyed Raine and Gunner both wanting something more, but fighting it too. Knowing that it's totally wrong, but sick of being told who they are supposed to be with and every aspect of their lives controlled and mapped out for them. They are both such strong characters and their chemistry was very apparent and believable. The romance is integrated into the story perfectly too. It's not in your face to the point where it takes over. The main story is still front and center, but their relationship is very important to the story.

Okay, so I don't really know how to go into the story without saying too much. This book is centering around Gunner and Raine, but Zenn, Jag, and Vi are still very much a big part of it. We are basically continuing on and expanding from the first book. This book steps it up a bit in my opinion. All I can really say is, if you like Possession, you need to read Surrender. I really felt like I was part of this story. I was so sucked into the book. I felt the emotions of the characters. It wasn't like I was just reading the pages of a book. I was experiencing them.

This book was just awesome!! We get more action, more secrets, more twists, and a killer ending!! OMG I was like "What?!! You can't be serious!!" The ending made my mouth drop and I am DYING for the next book. Totally need it!!! I feel like this review was so lame, but I can't do justice to the book and I doubt you want me to ramble on and gush. All I can say about it really is, do yourself a favor and get this book ASAP. It's so good!!

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Someone is always watching. Always listening. Freedom doesn't exist in the city of Freedom, what with the glinting silver surfaces recording thoughts everywhere and the surrounding walls keeping everyone and everything in—or out." (Gunner, pg.1 in the ARC)

The second book syndrome — where the sequel is a filler that isn't as good as the first — used to be one of my biggest fears, but lately it's as if that doesn't even exist and Surrender is no exception. I couldn't put it down!

Old characters like Vi and Jag make epic reappearances, but Surrender is told from the alternating perspectives of Raine and Gunner who I felt I could connect with even more! Even though Raine pretends to do whatever her creeptastic Director daddy pleases, she's resilient and strong and so bad-ass that I was always cheering for her. And Gunner is both sweet and swoon-worthy — part hero and part heartbreaking love interest.

There's just something about their forbidden romance that hooks you in from the beginning. Elana Johnson isn't afraid to put them through a twisting obstacle course, and she sure isn't afraid to void a fairytale ending. It left my heart aching for the next book!

Admittedly, the world is really hard to grasp at first because there's so much to explore to understand the complexity of this world. There are caches (which let everyone speak into each other's minds), hoverboards, and so many more futuristic gadgets. And the people in it have different abilities, from voice control to erasing memories! But once I got into the rhythm of the book, the fast pace was one of my favourite things.

Fast-paced and intense, Surrender is captivating mix of dystopian and paranormal that's sure to steal some sleep! It's stunning and surprising and completely original. You don't know who to trust or what to expect, and that's what I love the most!

BUY or BORROW?: If you liked Possession, then I think you should skip borrowing this one and go straight for the buy because it's so much better than the first! But you can also you reading this one as a standalone if you haven't read book one. :)

(Original review at Mimi Valentine's YA Review Blog)

[Christine Fonseca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Possession and the world created by Elana Johnson. And I loved Surrender even more. In this latest installment, we are introduced to new characters, new love, and new types of supernatural abilities. I loved Raine - everything about her. I loved her attitude, her complexities, and her relationship with Gunner. This is an action-packed fabulous second in a series. Where other series begin to falter with book two, this one is just taking off!

BRING ON MORE!!!!!!!!

[Shannon O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!!!! Even better than Possession!!

Right now I am too speechless for words. Review to come later.

[Ela]

I disliked Possession so I have no freaking idea why this is on my to- reads.

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn’t like Possession, but I’m glad I gave Elana Johnson another try. Surrender's a massive improvement over the first book, and I really think this series is morphing into one that I’ll really like, and I’m not saying that lightly, I’m not a fan of dystopians at all. Maybe the next book will really impress me.

But what most impressed me about this book was how Johnson seems to have taken the criticism of her first one to heart, I know I wasn’t alone in thinking Possession was too confusing and had too much hard to follow technobabble and weird geography and was just generally weird, and Surrender is *almost* nothing like that. The futuristic world building felt a lot more natural, seamless, didn't make me want to bash my head against my desk at how confusing everything was. Liked the new characters, Raine and Gunner, I really felt like I connected with them and their struggle to break free from the Director's power as the book progressed, maybe because with how confusing Possession was it was really hard to get a read on Violet and Jag and especially Zenn. Even better, liked how Violet, Jag, Zenn, even Violet's father Assistant Director Myers are all back and all play huge roles in the plot. The twist with AD Myers I can say I did not see coming, but given what I knew about Lyle Schoenfeld from the last book and the new things learned in this book really made sense.

Now, what I still didn't like. Zenn, his role in the last book made almost no sense and I still don't know what his role in this book is. Everyone else, Raine, Gunner, Violet, Jag, all seem to have powers and more importantly clear roles in the Director's and AD Myer's plans, and Zenn, I just didn't know. Is he working with AD Myers or being forced to work with Violet's father against his will? I just couldn't tell from the book. The Violet/Zenn/Jag triangle didn't work at all, but I'm glad that's been mostly abandoned. Although parts of the book, because of all the mind games that everyone is playing, is still a little hard to follow. And the ending once again made me incredibly angry. It's like every time the good guys make one move against the establishment, the establishment knocks them ten steps back. Sigh. I know that's the point, Johnson intended for the ending to be that way, there are even hints of the bigger things that will happen in the next book, but at some point I know I'm not going to be the only one who'll be frustrated with the apparent lack of progress against the Director.

But I'm glad that Johnson is on the right track with this book, Surrender clears out almost all of the stuff that made me really dislike Possession. A little more clarity to and movement on the plot and I'll add another two stars to my rating of the next book.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes!! Go Elana!! Finally!

To understand my review of this one, you have to understand the situation with the first book.

I did not enjoy the first book. I didn't like the characters. I thought the world building was horrifyingly pale. I didn't understand what the heck happened at the end. The pacing was slaughtered at the beginning of every chapter.

This one? HUGE improvement. And I mean gargantuan.

I loved, loved, LOVED reading this one. The characters were lovely and flawed and relatable and illogical, and they felt real. To me. The world building was near perfect. If you asked me to draw out her world, I could do it easily. Very good. The pacing was fabulous. This book felt like a real book. The characters from the first book were built up in this book. I now can get who they are, they are now memorable to me.

Elana definitely wasn't feeling the dreaded second-book syndrome. She smashed apart that with this one.

In fact, you don't even need to read Possession to understand Surrender. I don't think you would hurt any feelings by skipping it. Whenever Elana is asked about the sequel, she corrects it and says that it is more of a companion, and I totally agree.

Summary: Just because the first one wasn't fabulous, don't let that stop you from reading a great dystopian. Applause for Elana's growth may now commence!

[Silvia]

I sooooooo can't wait to read this book. I was a bit discouraged when I learned that it was going to be told from another point of view since Vi really grew on me, but after reading the description of the book I like the way it is set. I just hope that for a third book we get to read from Vi's point of view again.

Why June???? This is one of the books I'm anticipating the most!!! I can't wait half a year to have it! T_T

[Nicole Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

sure, i rated possession five stars, but this sequel was a four star book for me. raine and gunner are lovely characters and all, but their relationship just doesn’t intrigue me like vi and jag’s does. since vi was brainwashed for most of this book and jag was stuck in prison, this book didn’t excite me like the first one did. it is also important to note that zenn plays a bigger role in this book than he did in the first. i don’t know about you guys, but i don’t really like zenn all that much for certain reasons that i will not say bc they are spoilers. something about him just doesn’t sit right with me. i’m excited to begin the final book bc one of the povs it will be switching between is jag’s. i cannot wait to see the world (especially his relationship with vi) through his eyes! i’m not very excited to read in zenn’s pov, although i may grow to like him if he finds a love interest of some sort that changes him in the best possible way. all in all, this book was good but it kind of just felt like a filler book to me since vi and jag were not fully present in it.

[Rhiannon Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh how I wish I'd read Surrender first! All that was confusing and unclear about Johnson's world, the technology and the various forms of control, all that was muddied about relationships and powers- was beautifully described and fleshed out in Surrender. Right from the outset, everything was described more fully, and clearly, before the story started to weave it's sordid tale, so I could sit back and enjoy the complex story arc instead of constantly trying to figure it out

Surrender follows a new set of characters in a new city, so although it harks back to the story in Possession, and Vi, Zenn, Thane (and eventually Jag) are all a part of the action that's unfolding, in essence Johnson is starting with a fresh slate. It was exactly what I needed to re-invest myself in a story that had lost me by the end of possession. This time around Johnson takes the time to explain the technology that's so imbedded in these kids lives, she explains it and then she shows you how it works, and its much clearer but also done in a way that still kept the story pacing lively and interesting. Power structures, the types of control, government and the many nuances between cities was delved into, and I finally started to grasp her world and how her characters and her revolution fit into it.

Raine, Gunner, Cannon, Starr and Trek (notice the play on Star Trek there?, uh, huh. It took me awhile to put that toghther in the story, but I still like them) were great characters, with an intriguing set of relationships and a wealth of mysteries to unravel. It's always impressive to me when an author can bring in new characters to a series and manage to not loose the interest of the reader. After all it can be very disconcerting when you've become attached to a character only to have them made secondary at a later point. But the change in perspective was exactly what this series needed, and Vi, Zenn and Thane were shown from an entirely new perspective which really helped flesh them out in way you wouldn't normally get in a series. It reminded me a lot of George R.R. Martin's technique of flipping from one perspective to the next to really delve into the power plays and politics of his world. Here Johnson uses it well to show the layers of double dealing, spying and betrayal necessary for a potential greater good. By the end of the book, when Gunner is getting Thane's story you've seen enough different sides of the story to believe what he's saying.

A much more masterfully crafted story, I would almost suggest first timers to the series read Surrender first. I think much that was unclear about Possession would likely be better understood if you read them out of order. So if like me you were put off of the series by book one, then make sure to reconsider, Surrender is well worth your reading efforts.

[Taffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fist line:

"Someone is always watching."

Dude! I love Elana! And her writing. And she is a master promoter/marketer/genius.

Let's get down to it.

Elana has introduced us to new characters in SURRENDER. Raine and Gunner are struggling with the rules they are forced to live by. Their matched is picked as well as their jobs, food, how much they sleep and what their free time entails. I know I would be one of those people brainwashed into total submission because I have a bit of a problem with people telling me what to do. For that reason alone I could relate to some of the characters.

Something that kinda bugged me was all the trouble Gunner was getting into and no EOs (police) stopped. Nor did the bigwigs who were watching and monitoring him. It was almost unbelievable to me that one of the bigwigs was helping him get out of trouble. I guess I needed him to earn his goals a little more. Poor Raine sure did!



Rating: PG 15

L: Sprinkled throughout

S: No. Kissing.

V: Anger issues



Liked:

New characters

More insight into Freedom

Another cliffhanger



Disliked:

The father/director!

Another cliffhanger

Have to wait for the next one

[Evelin ☪️ Queen of Witches · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that I loved it more than the first book XD

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

This series just keeps getting better and better!

Surrender is the second book in the Possession series. Until now, the novella, Regret, was my favourite in the series but that one just got bumped into second place! This latest installment in the series focuses on the city of Freedom, which is actually a misnomer – the residents don’t actually have any Freedom! Rather, Director Van Hightower makes all the choices for them. The two central characters to the story are Raine Hightower and Gunner Jameson.

Raine is Director Van Hightower’s 17 year-old daughter. She is Vi’s flatmate and is ordered to spy on Vi and send reports to Assistant Director Thane Myers. However, Raine is actually working both sides, much the way that Zenn is. In an effort to make her own choices, she joined the Insiders about a year ago. She always wears gloves because of her talent, which is the ability to “touch and see.” She can “drain” someone’s wants out of their mind and project them onto a screen, and she can also see what would be the result of someone getting their heart’s desire.

Raine’s match is Cannon, who is a Seer. When that prophetic part of him takes over, he has no recollection of what he says but he knows that what he says is important. Although they are best friends, Raine and Cannon do not have romantic feelings for each other.

Gunner is Number One on Director Hightower’s list, and he has a rare and powerful voice talent that he can use to coerce people to do what he says. The Association, naturally, wants Gunner to work for them and are eager to monopolize his talent but the Insiders want him on their side. When he joins the Insiders, he learns that his crush for the past year – Raine Hightower – is to be his main contact and trainer on the Inside. His flatmate, Zenn Bower, warns him to get and stay on Thane Myers’ good side.

The Insiders must rescue Jag and help him to escape from Freedom. The only problem is that Freedom is surrounded by towering walls that have an invisible tech-barrier extending above them that forms an arching dome over the city. It will take all four of them – Raine, Gunner, Vi, and Zenn – to complete this mission.

I loved Raine and Gunner! Great chemistry between those two!! Check out this excerpt:

"When his lips met mine, the oxygen in my lungs ignited. I expected dark images to form from the contact, and when they didn't, I relaxed into him even more.

By the time he pulled away, my whole body vibrated.

"I'm sorry, Hightower," he whispered out loud. "That wasn't right. Or fair."

I didn't know how to respond. I wanted to kiss him again, wrong, unfair, whatever. So I did. He let me for a few seconds, long enough to make me want to kiss him forever and short enough to make me miss his mouth when he moved away."

That scene is totally swoon-worthy!

I also loved the tender scenes between Raine and her match, Cannon. Although not in love with each other, they clearly do love each other and it was great to see a genuine platonic friendship.

In Possession, the first book in the series, I found the world-building a little confusing. I am really pleased to see that Johnson has provided a lot more depth to the characters and their inter-relations in Surrender. We learn more about both the Association and the Resistance, as well as Freedom. Johnson even provides some back-story on “The Great Episode,” which is the event that nearly destroyed Earth and how the Thinkers came to be in control. More parts of the puzzle are falling into place, and Johnson has really built up the intrigue and suspense for the next book in the series.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book which is my new favourite in the series! I am anticipating that the next book will be even better!!

MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was really good! You should put it on your "To Be Read" list. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the review copy!

[Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Talk about an action packed, incredibly awesome, twist filled sequel! Surrender dives right back into the world I fell in love with in Possession. Though there's the same problems and some of the same characters I loved in the first book, in Surrender Elana introduces new characters, and creates a whole new storyline that adds so much to the continuation of the overall series plot line. I really liked that Elana changed things up a bit with Surrender. She gave me different points of views, has a new romance and keeps her plot twists coming! Let me just say there were a few shocking things that happened in this story that caught me off guard.

Though Vi and Jag are very much apart of this story, this book's main characters are Raine and Gunner. Raine's the daughter of the big wig of Freedom and Gunner is of course the boy she's not suppose to fall for. If you loved Vi, you'll love Raine. She's a resilient character who's strong willed and defies the very person who wants nothing more than to control very aspect of her life. Her father is one of those evil guys that just gives you the creeps. You could say he's power hunger. It's not just Raine that he wants to control, but Gunner as well. Both of these characters have some pretty amazing "special abilities" that Raine's dad needs. Let's just say he'll use his own power to try and get to them. Gah this guy is good, but the characters who are apart of the Resistance are better. This fight for freedom doesn't come with out costs and I admired some of the heartbreaking sacrifices that a few characters make for each other.

Oh the romance! Just like in Possession, the romance in Surrender is fabulous! I don't know what it is about a forbidden romance that I love but, I enjoyed watching Raine and Gunner grow closer together, though it was to the destain of some of those around them. I will say that my favorite is still Vi and Jag's, but I liked how I was able to see how Raine and Gunner's relationship grew while still getting plenty of glimpses into Vi and Jag's relationship. Elana does a fabulous job at alternating between Raine and Gunner's points of views. Not only does this allow readers to get different sides for the story, but you get to see what each character is experiencing, and their thoughts and feelings towards to each other and to what's going on around them. It's fabulous!

This is one fabulous sequel! There's so much more than meets the eye with this story line and it's characters. There's lies, betrayals and plenty of secrets being kept that will keep you reading this book till the every end. I won't even mention the killer ending that will leave your yelling NO! Elana has done another surburb job at creating a book with a rich story line, an intriguing setting and plenty well written, in-depth characters. There the right amount of action, mystery, plot twists, suspense and romance that will keep Possession's fans turning Surrender's pages. I highly recommend picking this one up when it's out!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

********May Include Spoilers if You have not read POSSESSION*********************

Well, I feel like two completely different authors wrote Possession and Surrender. While Possession posed so many questions and had things that just didn't sit right or make sense, Surrender reads smoothly and continuously with the viewpoints alternating between Gunner and Raine, two characters not seen in Possession. I love that kind of narration as I love to hear the male POV, but this one wasn't quite as much about feelings. There was a lot of action, but this is a book mainly about hiding out, mind control, who knows what, and stealth.

Raine is someone I instantly liked. She defies the most powerful person in Freedom, somewhere we know from Possession is the place we are most likely not inclined to want to go if we were to be gifted. But Raine is gifted and her talent leaves her drained and shamed when she is forced to use it. So she joins a resistance group to defy the man that makes her do this and thumb her nose at the authorities. She wants freedom. Her match is her best friend, but like a brother to her and she finds herself falling for Gunnar despite trying hard not to. I liked Raine for her spunkiness, her know how to fight the system and her empathy for Vi.

Gunnar, well, let's see. He loves his mom so much that he leaves before her memory can be wiped of him when he shows up on the Director's list of talented kids that he wants to recruit. He has "sick" skills on a hoverboard and he is empathic as well as having techno skills (can control technology with his energy or voice) and has a very compelling voice. And when I say compelling I mean he can make you do anything. He's one of the good guys though and doesn't want to brainwash people. He feels the same way about Raine as she does about him even though he's matched to Starr, someone he feels nothing for.

Then there is Violet who is a shell for most of this book and Zenn, her escort and informant for most of this book. Violet has been brainwashed and her memory wiped by Raine (she was forced) so that she doesn't remember Jag. Zenn, for his own reasons, keeps her in the dark.

This entire book is about relationships, the resistance, escape, Raine's memories and what she sees happening if people get what they most desire. It's about hiding out, planning a revolution and not knowing who to trust. Stolen moments, stolen memories, regaining those memories and how a song or a smell can bring back those memories.

This novel was really well written. It was so different from the first novel. I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait for the novella coming out Regret and the conclusion (I think) Abandon. There is also a short story available on Goodreads for download called Resist.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars.

There will be some spoilers from Possession (book 1).

I have to say I really enjoyed Surrender. It was obviously a huge risk not to have Vi as the narrator. At first I was not sure if I would like this. But then when I heard that Vi would still be in the story ... well I'm open to try anything.

It's definitely interesting to have two new characters as narrators (they alternate chapters). But i absolutely ended up loving Raine and Gunner. They were so important to where the story was headed that it made perfect sense to have them narrate the story. Plus we still had our favorites from the first book.

At the end of Possession Vi was brainwashed. She shows up in Surrender as Raine's roomie.

A lot of the beginning chapters start with the narrator thinking back about something that happened in the past. At times i found this confusing. It takes us out of the moment. But also it's not always obvious that the character is thinking about something from the past.

I will say that in addition to the beginnings of some chapters being slightly confusing (is such and such happening now or is the character thinking) there was also something else i found slightly confusing. There were a few times where things were happening and they were being explained yet i was not 100% clear on what was happening. SPOILER EXAMPLE. When someone was draining Raine. Cannon was there. But was he doing it?


I remember being upset in Possession that there wasn't more Zenn. Well Surrender makes up for that, because Zenn is in this book a lot more!

One of my favorite things about this book was that so many of the characters had Interesting abilities. Mind control, Tech. Voice control. Very cool.

In addition to Raine and Gunner I also really enjoyed some of the other characters. Starr. Trek. Cannon. Indy. Definitely check out the ebook Regrets to learn more about Indy.

Thane Meyers (Vi's father and Assistant Director in Freedom) was fantastic in this story.

Also really enjoyed meeting Raine's father (Director Hightower). He was the perfect villain.

Where Possession featured a lot of time in the goodgrounds and badlands, Surrender was mostly set in Freedom.

There were some interesting twists. A few that I sort of saw coming. But then...

Interesting ending. I think that is one of my favorite parts of these first two books. The author totally goes somewhere crazy and new and gives us a cliffhanger which will change the next book significantly. I love it!

It was a very interesting story. And I did not want to put the book down. Totally captivating! I really really hope that there is a book 3!

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my review of "Possession" by Elana Johnson, the first book in her "Possession" series, I noted that on multiple occasions I was EXTREMELY confused by exactly what was going on in the novel, for a number of different reason- constantly changing relationships, lack of context/ explanation, and the likes of. However, I did not find that to be the case WHATSOEVER with this book. Everything in this book was so beautifully described, well executed and the likes of- it becomes evident that Elana has grown tremendously as an author since she penned her debut.

That being said, I must admit that when I first started reading this book I had A LOT of difficulties differentiating between the narrators of this book and of "Possession", I felt that Raine and Gunner were essentially Vi and Jag 2.0. Vi and Raine had the same sort of "I don't give a freck" attitude, had many of the same mannerisms and used a lot of similar slang (despite having lived in cities that were almost entirely removed from one another). However, as the book progressed I found myself less and less bothered by this as I felt that the characters started to come into their own.

Furthermore, I also really enjoyed Gunner and Raine's relationship. In my opinion it seemed much more natural and much less forced than Vi and Jag's relationship (as I made note in my review of "Possession" Jag's and Vi's relationship is BY FAR one of the biggest instances of insta-love I have ever encountered before)- I have realized that I prefer seeing a relationship slowly, but surely, come into being rather than feeling that it came out of left field or was to 'in my face'.

All in all, I am EXTREMELY glad that I decided to stick with this series as I believe this book to be better in every way than "Possession" was. This series is quickly becoming one of my more favourite dystopian/ post-apocalyptic series, surpassing other such series as Ally Condie's "Matched" series and Moira Young's "Blood Red Road"- I cannot wait to see what Elana has in store for us (and the gang) next!

[Rebecca Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Possesssion series is the dystopian series that most resembles 1984 in my opinion. I really enjoy the series with its stunning revelations and Surrender by Elana Johnson was a constant surprise. Raine is a good girl who has some secret interests and talents. Her father is the Director so she follows all of the Freedoms rules or so he thinks. Raine has a powerful and terrifying talent that no one is allowed to know about except her father and his lackeys. Raine has always been intrigued by Gunner and soon gets to know him as she needs his help with her secret plan that concerns her heavily sedated and brainwashed roommate Vi. Raine soon learns that Gunner has a connection to Vi's boyfriend Zenn. Raine and many of the characters in Surrender comply by the rules so they can rebel and possibly earn real freedom. As the story progresses Raine discover secrets that have long reside in the past and she learns what she will give up to help the rebels and Insiders start a revolution. When I first read the summary of Surrender I was upset to learn that Vi and Jag would not be narrating this book. Howver as I read Surender I grew to like Raine and Gunner. Raine knows the citizens in Freedom are slaves of the Directors but to help them she is forced to make an impossible choice. Gunner has always watched Raine from afar and never knew what she was capable of. Raine is similar to Vi but she is different in that she know about more about their society. I really liked reading from Gunner's perspective. The world in Possession and Surrender is so chilling and really made me wonder what my life would be like if my every thought and move were monitored. Some of the situation in Surrender are so impossible I wondered how the characters would escape when their thought were fed to the Director. The ending in Surender was a surprise and I hope there is a sequel. I would recommend Surrender to readers who enjoy dystopian literature that features romance and action.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

well i think alot of ppl like raine so don't read this if u like her or if u r in love with gunn or zenn
I liked the book i just got super bored through the beginning and i didn't like hearing or reading this book from gunner's pov. I didn't like him in the beginning the way he was kinda crazy about raine i get that he had a crush but come on.
Oh and toast come on what was up with that toast is the authors favorite snack cuz the characters kept eating toast.
Now raine's power well i didn't like it, i didn't get the big deal about it being so useful its not if a war happened that talent would be much use what would she attack one person take a nap than come back and do it again and again
Oh so now jag i love that guy and ii was a lil upset since the only reason ppl only seemed to want to save him was because he was the leader of the resistant. Oh and his power what happened to that he only used (at least that i know of)it to put gunn asleep
Ok next Zenn well he changed alot in this book he wasn't as controlled as he was in the last book but i don't like hoe three ppl have the same power voice
Vi well at the end she seemed to change more responsible and parent like she was there for raine when she needed her and she didnt mention that she has problems with trust but i kinda miss the old vi. Oh and when she kissed zenn when she cried about not remembering and all well i didn't like that and then she kisses jag when she sees him wow i was shocked
Thane, he turned out to be a good character kinda sad about how he ended up but he didn't seem to mind i actually like gunn's match i hated trek w.e his name is he was so annoying
oh and indy was mean but i was really shocked when she kissed gunn on the cheek but he saved her life but what i wanted to know was she now interested in him?
ii preferred to read from raine poz but i want the next book to let me get into jags mind

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Possession, I couldn't wait to read its sequel. Now, I finally did, and I think that I am pleased with the outcome.

Raine Hightower follows the rules in Freedom, and is everything a good girl could ask for. She also has a power that no one knows about, not even her roommate Vi. When Raine falls for Gunner, everything changes. She knows that she has to keep away from him, but it's difficult, especially when she finds some secretive things from him that could change her life forever. Raine also has to report Vi's actions to her father, creating a bond between the city that nobody has ever known before.




Surrender wasn't as good as the first novel was, that's probably the main point here. I wasn't as pleased, probably because of the new characters that were introduced, I'd stick with the old group; Violet, Jag, and Zenn.

Don't get me wrong, Raine and Gunner were great new additions, but they weren't my all-time favourites. Though Elana Johnson did do a terrific job making them come to life.



The story did get a little uninteresting at times, but most of the time I enjoyed its unique, rebel story, and I know that many readers will enjoy it as much as I did, or even more.

Raine was a powerful new character, she was a true rebel and intelligent, two traits that I love to see in a honorable character. Her relationship with Gunner was sweet, and mysterious all at the same time. I do hope that they will be mentioned in the final novel.

Overall, I was very pleased with this sequel. I hope that the final novel will be better than ever.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I liked the first novel in this series, Possession. There were things that I really enjoyed and things I didn’t so much. BUT! I loved Surrender! Oh goodness was this book good! I’m not sure if I would call Surrender a sequel or a companion. We are in the same world and Surrender starts soon after Possession ends, but instead of Vi and Jag, we get Raine and Gunner. I guess it’s more of a sequel than a companion when I look at it like that! Either way, you will want to read Possession before you pick up Surrender.

I felt like I knew the world so much better this time. Perhaps that is why I enjoyed this book so much more than the first.

For those of you that loved Vi and Jag, don’t worry they are still very much a part of this story, but the show belongs to Raine and Gunn. And you will love them too. I know that for me, I enjoyed reading about them more so than Vi and Jag. I loved Raine and her strength, her resilience. She knows that the odds are heavy stacked against her, yet she still tried to change that. How could you not respect that! You get an inside look into Raine as the chapters alternate between her point of view and Gunner’s point of view.

All of the characters are very well developed. Even Raine’s father, who I loved to hate. You always know a writer does a wonderful job writing a character when you hate them so much!

This one is so addicting. You keep reading because you want to know what’s going on. And then, just when you think you know what’s going on, something happens that makes you realize you have no idea what was going on! There is a never a dull moment!

And that ending. Elana Johnson sure knows how to kill you with an ending! Ah! I need more!

One word for you: WOW!

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I came very close to giving up on this book, but I stuck it out and got to the end. *sigh

Raine is the daughter of the director and she is supposed to spy on her roommate Violet. The Vi from the first book is gone. Brainwashed. Raine tends to do exactly what her father does not want to do, so she ends up helping Vi out. Gunner is kind of a mystery.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one, where do I begin? I tend to get annoyed in series when the sequel introduces all new people, and the main characters of the first are given the back seat. The book goes between Raine and Gunner's perspective. Sometimes that works wonderfully in books,others, not so much. I did not think these two had a very clear "voice" and would often flip back to see who's chapter I was in. There were obvious give a ways, but still.... I did not feel attached to either character, although I did like their longing for one another while they were matched to others.

I also found myself being annoyed at all the crossed out words. At first I wondered that I had an advanced readers copy,but then I realized it was part of her style.

I also had a little trouble following all the technology and the lay out of this world. It seems like everything is very close, but I am not really sure. Maybe my mind was wandering and I missed some things. Now sure. And people seemed to pop up all over the place. Ok, their technology allowed them to do them, however, I don't think that is what was happening in all of these situations.

Will I read the final book? Maybe. The ending alone made me curious, but I just don't know how much more bouncing around I want to deal with.

[Stasia Kehoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

SURRENDER isn’t an ordinary sequel. While characters from the first novel play key roles, new characters are introduced and this is their story. It is the story of Raine, who despite being the daughter of the powerful Director Hightower, finds herself resisting the world of control in which she has been raised. It is the story of Gunner, who is falling for Raine despite who she is—and despite the sudden discovery that the woman he has always believed was his mother may not be that at all. This is what drives Gunner (perhaps even more than Raine’s persuasiveness) to join the Insiders on the night before he is recruited by Director Hightower.

SURRENDER is my favorite kind of novel because it works on multiple levels: plot, character, theme. It is an exciting and satisfying dystopian thriller, but most extraordinarily it is a deep musing on the complexities of identity and its relationship to love, friendship, family, mind and memory. It is a book that challenges the intellect and inspires the writer in you. As Raine comments at one point in the novel, it will leave your feelings “spiraled up, down, and around.” As any great read should.

[Jen]

So far I'm really enjoying this second installment, although the OCD astronomer in me HAS to point out that in fact the North Star is NOT the brightest star in the night sky. That award would go to Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. Polaris (the north star) ranks about 45th brightest.....;)

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind-blown and pissed that Raine doesn't get the justice she deserves in this book. I can't wait to get my hands on the final book of the series. I am definitely hooked and hesitant and eager of what will become of the end...

[Jemi Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant! I'm breathless after reading this - I'm going to be thinking about this one for days and days... Loved it!

[Ashley - The Bookish Brunette]

I am sooo dying to read this one!!!!

[Leah Ryan]

Not happy that this isn't from Vi's perspective.

[ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

edit:
i miss jag :(


AHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I LOVE THE CHARACTERS SO MUCH LOL
bruhhhhhh I can’t get enough better than matched and shatter me 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🤩🤩🤩🙌🥰

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