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Dead Girl Running

(The New Order #1)

Ann M. Noser (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 67 ratings · 31 reviews

Eight years ago, SILVIA WOOD's father died in an industrial accident. After suffering through years of Psychotherapy Services and Mandated Medications for depression and multiple suicide attempts, she longs to work in Botanical Sciences. When the Occupation Exam determines she must work in Mortuary Sciences instead, she wonders if the New Order assigned her to the morgue t ...more

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Paperback, 225 pages

Published October 26th 2015 by Curiosity Quills

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· 67 ratings · 31 reviews

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Apr 28, 2020 Karin rated it really liked it

Shelves: american-author, american, strong-girls, play-book-tag, fiction, young-adult-fiction, scifi-2020, novels, woman-author, women-authors

What a pleasant surprise! I read this for a reading challenge and due to the quarantine had to find something I could get for free on kindle. Yes, I was wary because it seems to be self-published. I was less leery when I saw that the author is a vet, although that's no guarantee that she can write good fiction. When I read what she said at the end, I was pleased with the three novels she said they are similar to because I had already thought of at least one of them and I've read all of them. It ...more

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Sep 03, 2015 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-book-read, author-request, kindle-books

Ann Noser wowed me with her debut novel and her very original take on the paranormal world. So when I heard that her new book was going to be a blend of some of my favorite genres, I knew I had to try it.

And I wasn't wrong in thinking that this would be another original take on something done before.

It was imaginative, fun, fast paced and full of surprises. It once again showed that Noser does know how to write and because of it, she can make her characters jump off the pages and come to life, ...more

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Nov 01, 2016 Rebecca McNutt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, fiction, young-adult, suicide, medical, industry, dystopian, mental-illness, dark-fiction, science-fiction

This is now one of my favorite books, and despite all that I read, I keep that list very limited so I definitely consider this one impressive! :) Dead Girl Running combines numerous genres, themes and plot devices, telling the story of a damaged girl in a modern yet flawed corporate industrial town and longing for something to appease her grief for her father's death. When she finds herself assigned to work in a mortuary it's nothing that she expects.

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Feb 20, 2016 Sophia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, review-requests, dystopian-apocalyptic-futuristic

I first encountered this one through an engaging review posted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reader blog and put it on my list, but then I got the opportunity to snag it up. I've come to enjoy YA Dystopians with government conspiracies, independent characters hunting for the truth, slow build thriller excitement and a dash of character and romance development for good measure. This book had all that in spades. I think I only set the book down once and now I am anxious to findout what happens next.

Th I first encountered this one through an engaging review posted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reader blog and put it on my list, but then I got the opportunity to snag it up. I've come to enjoy YA Dystopians with government conspiracies, independent characters hunting for the truth, slow build thriller excitement and a dash of character and romance development for good measure. This book had all that in spades. I think I only set the book down once and now I am anxious to findout what happens next.

The story opens with young Sylvia Wood working as a mortuary intern to an excentric man who is her only friend. She is stable and content, but her widowed mother wants more for her. Eight years before, Sylvia's dad died in an industrial fire and Sylvia went to pieces which marked her as unstable so she wasn't assigned to the botany job she wanted and her friends fell away.

After WWIII, a New World Order government took over and regulated everything and watched over everything so that ordinary citizens have no privacy and no say. Most people seem to be content and have drank the Kool-Aid because the government cares for all their needs and protects them from all the scary world outside the safety of the cities. But Sylvia isn't like most. She privately observes and questions. There are things that don't make sense and unlike many, she has been harassed by her so-called protectors as they tried to shake her down for info on her dad after he died.

Sylvia learns of a foot race from a young guy at her gym and the benefits of participating in the race will allow her extra rations, time outside, and potential advancement and glory. While her new running buddy is into the advancement and glory part, Sylvia is only interested in doing something to make her mother proud. Plus, Liam is nice and it gives her contact with his mysterious brooding cousin who warns them that all is not as it seems. Entering this race might be a huge mistake for a girl who doesn't want to draw attention from the government ever again.

Alright, so this one was engaging from page one. I enjoyed the slow introduction to the dystopian world and the colorful deft descriptions of setting and backstory. The main character is Sylvia and she narrates in first person point of view which kept me right in close to her thoughts and the action. She's a great heroine and I enjoyed following along with her story.

The pace is steady and I enjoyed how the author infused a tone that had me as the reader well aware that things are getting more ominous and dangerous by the minute even as Sylvia engages in daily activities and interactions with the people around her. She has to keep up the facade 24/7 and knows that she is always watched. She has had to grow up fast after her dad's death.

The relationships were also a strong element and not just her romance interest. Refreshingly, Sylvia is no lovestruck girl and the focus of the story was broader than that. Sylvia interacts with her mom, her friend at work who is probably my favorite character, her new relationships with Liam and finally with his cousin to whom she is drawn, but also is wary of.

The ending brought answers in a stunning finish, but also did the job of opening up more questions for what is to come. I was left eager to continue on with Sylvia and her quest.

All in all, this was one fantastic read that I can gladly recommend to others who enjoy a blend of thriller and dystopian with their YA and a mild romance.

My thanks to Curiosity Quills for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Nov 20, 2016 Pia rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, dystopia, src-fall-2016

I love young adult books, and if the genre is dystopian, so much the better...

This book started very well, even if doesn't give you much info on what happened before the New Order was in charge.
But then it grew more and more confusing. There seems to be a rebellion, but there's not much background, and there's a race from where the winners are selected to become great citizens (and then disappear), and some event that happened 8 years before and changed the life of Silvia, the main character.

In ...more

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Sep 02, 2015 ☕️Kimberly rated it really liked it

Five reasons to pick up Dead Girl Running

Noser introduces us to the New Order, a world built out of the rubble of WWIII. Here citizens live within walled cites and are kept safe from the wilds. Each citizen receives free health care, food, and housing. Placement tests assign each citizen with a career/job assignments. They live in a stress free society where crime, war, and hunger have become a thing of the past. Of course with these provisions come a handful of restrictions, and concessions. Five reasons to pick up Dead Girl Running

Noser introduces us to the New Order, a world built out of the rubble of WWIII. Here citizens live within walled cites and are kept safe from the wilds. Each citizen receives free health care, food, and housing. Placement tests assign each citizen with a career/job assignments. They live in a stress free society where crime, war, and hunger have become a thing of the past. Of course with these provisions come a handful of restrictions, and concessions. Noser did an excellent job of fleshing out the world, and sharing life within the city. However, the more she revealed, the more we as the reader could begin to see the cracks.
We meet Silvia Wood who works in Mortuary Sciences. Her mother is disappointed as she hoped Silvia would follow in her father’s field of Botanical Sciences. Silvia has been classified as difficult, after a few failed suicide attempts following the accidental death of her father. I loved the morgue. I know what you are thinking, but I loved spending time in the morgue with Silvia and her boss and friend Gus. In a showing, not telling manner their conversations shed light on the world they live in, the past and more. Gus was cool, and allowed us to see the real Silvia.
The Race for Citizen Glory is a New Order sponsored event that allows citizens to compete in a race. The winner gets privileges for both themselves and their families. While the storyline sounds a little familiar Noser’s story felt fresh and original. To make her mother proud Silvia enters and begins training with Liam Harman. Liam is popular in the community and Silvia soon discovers his father was also killed in the same accident. As they train, Silvia meets Liam’s older cousin and it is his paranoia that makes Silvia begins to question. All of the characters were developed and I quickly became attached.
The romance is clean, sweet and triangle free. Noser shared first love, but kept the thread planted firmly on the side as we along with Silvia begin to question her father’s accident, the race and the New Order.
In Dead Girl Running Noser first shows us the world and then begins to share its flaws as we delve further into current events, deaths, the accident that killed Silvia’s Dad, and more. The story was well paced with twists, turns and reveals that kept me fully engaged. I will warn you though, that the tale escalates and ends with a cliffhanger. While it really was the perfect place to end this chapter, it will certainly leave readers eager for more.

Copy provided by author. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer ...more

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Nov 23, 2015 Katie rated it it was ok

I received an e-arc of this book from netgalley in return for an honest review. A rather disappointing book. A very generic dystopian that seems to borrow from Divergent and The Hunger Games but not do it as well. The world was built well but we never seem to get any explanation as to what the government's motivation is and why they've created this dystopian state. The main character was really irritating the whole way through and her character development was too sudden and unconvincing. In fac ...more

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Feb 17, 2016 Hollie rated it it was ok

Shelves: coming-of-age-ya, suspense, ridiculous, book-virgin, cliffhanger-no-ending, vanilla, can-t-believe-i-finished-this, cluster-fuck, kindle-unlimited, ya-fantasy

Well, hell............... it looks like in the minority on this book - it had such great reviews but I simply was not impressed. Here's my breakdown:

The pros:
* Offered as a kindleunlimited
* the world created does have lots of potential but little to no explanation of this world and government

The cons:
* Nothing memorable about the characters or storyline - it felt similar to numerous other books I've read
* It was lacking details - tons of huge missing pieces - major issues seemed to be skimmed ov ...more

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Aug 02, 2015 N.N. Light rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, mystery, reviews-by-mrs-n, dystopian, science-fiction, new-adult

Imagine a world where there’s no war, homelessness or citizen unrest. Welcome to the New Order, a society in the not-too-distant future, where citizens are slotted in appropriate occupations, eat rations and get birth control implants (to prevent unwanted pregnancy). The overseers of the New Order are referred to as Suits (reminds me of The Matrix) and there’s always someone watching (surveillance for society’s protection, of course).

Meet Silvia Wood, an eighteen-year old young woman still griev ...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Fossil Green rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-s

I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for my honest review. So here goes...
So firstly, IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!! I loved it so insanely much, and I will be spending now until the release date (October 26th) sitting in front of my laptop stalking anyone that’s read it for their opinions. I'm not even kidding when I say I'm hooked. As soon as I finished it I jumped straight on Book Depository to get anything else Ann Noser has ever written. (When Australia Post finally gets my I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for my honest review. So here goes...
So firstly, IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!! I loved it so insanely much, and I will be spending now until the release date (October 26th) sitting in front of my laptop stalking anyone that’s read it for their opinions. I'm not even kidding when I say I'm hooked. As soon as I finished it I jumped straight on Book Depository to get anything else Ann Noser has ever written. (When Australia Post finally gets my crates of books to me I will definitely be reviewing)

"'Think of it as a little vacation. You, me, three dozen dead bodies, and the incinerator'
'I can't wait.' Funny thing is, I mean it."

So, characters!! Ann is incredible at creating these people that I loved and cared so much about. My favorite of which was probably Gus. He is me. If me was a sixty year old man. He's entirely made up of sarcasm and classic rock (something I was very pleased with). He's also a genius, an evil genius when he needs to be...

"He chuckles but only for a short second before his face turns somber. 'Oh, let her wonder what happened. I’m out of here but only for the night. I’ll be back tomorrow with a plan.'"

Silvia, the protagonist, is awesome! Honestly, I love reading books where the main character makes me want to be more like them; Silvia is definitely one of those characters. She is BOLD and intelligent, (another thing I love in YA, intelligent characters).
The whole story line was so thrilling. I started reading thinking, 'how can an entire novel be about the one race?!' Turns out I should stop being such a pessimistic potato. Not only was the whole book constantly moving, I will be waiting patiently restlessly pacing until I hear a sequel announced. One last thing I absolutely adored was how unafraid Ann was in writing these characters that so brashly discuss things like death and suicide. It's uncommon to find that in really good books that aren’t all about it, it's just brought up.
IT WAS AMAZING AND I LOVED IT HOPEFULLY YOU WILL TOO!!
...more

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Oct 29, 2015 C.G. Worrell rated it really liked it

FYI: Spoiler Alert!
Silvia Wood’s father died in an industrial accident that shattered life as she knew it. Still reeling from his death, she and her mother, the famous violinist, Yoshe Woods, are forced by the New Order from their privileged apartment to the “coach” section of housing where they must live amongst the masses of Panopticus, a highly-restrictive dystopian society reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984. As if that isn’t enough, the government’s mandatory professional exam pigeon-holes Silvia ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Marjolein rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-english, children-ya, science-fiction, arc, dystopia, curiosity-quills-press

3.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

It had been a while (perhaps a couple of months) since I last read a typical YA Dystopian novel like this one. And since it's one of my favourite genres, I was really looking forward to it.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to fans of the genre. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner and the likes and if you don't feel overfed by this particular subtype of book, I really think you'll l ...more

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Oct 21, 2015 Mike Kalmbach rated it it was amazing

Shelves: thriller, action-adventure, suspense, surprise-ending, authors-i-know, owned, reading-minnesota, minnesota-author, science-fiction, all-time-favorite

It's rare that I find a book that has selected such a perfectly appropriate title. Every word in the title has much deeper meaning after reading the book.

There are many unexpected twists in this dystopian thriller. I loved how Ms. Noser combined a love of running, yoga, and dystopian novels into an exciting ride. I found myself deeply engaged with the characters, reading deep into the night. Better yet, the ending leaves me hungry for book two.

I enjoyed Ms. Noser's previous book, How to Date De ...more

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Oct 20, 2015 Danielle Allen rated it it was amazing

The brilliant title of this novel, DEAD GIRL RUNNING, is definitely appropriate, as I raced through this book. If I had to compare it to some other dystopian thrillers I'd say its as intense as The Maze Runner and with a heroine as complex as Katniss in The Hunger Games. I loved Silvia, the champion of the story. Not only is she relatable to teens who struggle with fitting in, but I really admired how strong and determined she is. I read an early draft of this novel and I cannot wait to see what ...more

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Mar 03, 2019 David rated it really liked it

Good story but Could have been great. Faded in the middle, still a strong story of a women's struggle to overcomestrong obstacles.

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Oct 11, 2015 Kayl rated it liked it

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cover: The cover is very interesting, except there’s a lot going on. I like everything except for the font that the title and byline is in. It doesn’t really fit the book at all.

Characters: Alright, alright, alright, I kind of like this bunch of characters. They are all pretty cool even though some of them *cough* Liam *cough* are dumb. They I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Cover: The cover is very interesting, except there’s a lot going on. I like everything except for the font that the title and byline is in. It doesn’t really fit the book at all.

Characters: Alright, alright, alright, I kind of like this bunch of characters. They are all pretty cool even though some of them *cough* Liam *cough* are dumb. They are intriguing people and I loved guessing how they were all connected. There were some things that were unbelieveable, like Silvia falling for Franco so quickly.

I did not like Silvia. Her growing as a character wasn’t actually clear to me. She started to hate and not trust the government without really giving a reason why. (SPOILER) At the end she states that she wants to bring the government down, but I wasn’t quite sure how she had gotten their. Why exactly did she hate them so much? I get that they killed a bunch of people and were horrible (like all dystopian novels) but why does Silvia feel as if she has to be the one to bring them down? (END SPOILERS)

Plot: I am a sucker for dystopian novels. They are my one weakness, and I can always be caught reading them. The only thing about the dystopian genre is that each book pretty much has the same plot. The government is in complete control and their is a group of rebels that needs to stop them. It’s the same thing over and over again. You know, I’d really like to read a dystopian book that takes place after a group of rebels have destroyed the damaged government. Because they don’t share how they are going to fix everything, they just bring one ruler down. Instead of doing this here, I’ll do it in a RBL post. Let’s get back to the review.

I felt as if I had read this book before. There were different characters and different events that led up to the big change/decision, but it was the same. There were some different twists added, but it was still the same idea.

I liked it, but I felt as if I was reading it for the second time. It wasn’t exactly original.

Ending: A problem that I had with this novel was that it didn’t do a good job of keeping track of time. Here I was reading it thinking that it was like a day after or something, but weeks had passed. I was so confused.

The ending of Dead Girl Running seemed rushed. I had to go back and re-read a few parts because I became confused. It didn’t really state how the characters had gotten to this point. It was confusing.

Overall: I really hate writing bad reviews. I requested this book being iffy about it. It was a last minute decision that I added to my list because it was dystopian. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, and I normally don’t do that. I don’t read books that I think I’m not going to like. That’s why a lot of my reviews are good.

I was so disappointed in Dead Girl Running. It was captivating but confusing. The characters were good, but the plot was the same. I liked the running parts because you don’t really read about running a lot (well, I don’t cause I hate it), but it was unique. Oh! And there’s a glossary in the back of the book so I learned a lot about running lol.

I didn’t have high hopes for Dead Girl Running, but I wish it had more high points. ...more

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Oct 29, 2015 Barbara Desmond rated it really liked it

This book takes place after WWIII. Things seem to be pretty good but are they really? The creepy thing about this story is that I could see this happening so if you're prone to paranoia you've been warned. It stars eight years after Silvia's father dies.

This world seems to be a lot better but if you dig a little deeper you just know that something's off especially with the way Silvia is treated for her depression and suicide attempts. Things get even stranger when she decides to run in a race.

I This book takes place after WWIII. Things seem to be pretty good but are they really? The creepy thing about this story is that I could see this happening so if you're prone to paranoia you've been warned. It stars eight years after Silvia's father dies.

This world seems to be a lot better but if you dig a little deeper you just know that something's off especially with the way Silvia is treated for her depression and suicide attempts. Things get even stranger when she decides to run in a race.

I really enjoyed this book and I noticed that each of the chapters are also song titles. I'll admit that I kind of reached the point of being burnt out on Dystopian books but this one was different. Sure this is a world where I wouldn't really want to live but it wasn't as gloomy and depressing as the typical Dystopian world is like. Since it is so similar to how things are now it is kinda creepy when you think about it since this book takes place in the later half of this century.

I really like the characters. Silvia is a great character and I love her scenes with Gus. He's like a surrogate father to her. I do like that this world has stamped out all those horrible isms that plague the world today so it isn't all bad and out of the ones I've read about this one would be the top of my list if I was forced to choose a Dystopian world to be sent to. This is a fun read that I was able to just fly through. I think it makes a great read for this time of year although I don't mind being creeped out any day of the year. I look forward to reading more by Ann in the future.

Curiosity Quills Press (CQ) is a small hybrid publishing company specializing in genre fiction of the highest quality. With 150+ titles in our catalog already and approximately 6 new books coming out each month, there’s never a dull moment at CQ. We work with major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Audible to ensure that you, the reader, can find whatever you are looking for at your convenience.
Founded in 2011 by Eugene Teplitsky and Lisa Gus, CQ was initially a resource portal for writing and publishing, created in an effort to help writers, like themselves, survive the publishing industry. After rapid success, CQ morphed into publishing press that over time has solidified its share in the market. Now we spend our days searching for the next great escape!

http://www.ficgal.com/book-club/dead-... ...more

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Oct 24, 2015 Sarah-Jayne Briggs rated it really liked it

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I thought the concept of this book was a really interesting one. Although the world did seem to come across as perfect to begin with, as the book progressed, it became quite clear that the world wasn’t anything like as good as it was implied to be.

I liked Silvia’s character. It was interesting to see her relationship with her mother and I felt a lot of sympathy for her during the course of the book, (I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I thought the concept of this book was a really interesting one. Although the world did seem to come across as perfect to begin with, as the book progressed, it became quite clear that the world wasn’t anything like as good as it was implied to be.

I liked Silvia’s character. It was interesting to see her relationship with her mother and I felt a lot of sympathy for her during the course of the book, especially with the glimpses I got of her past and how her father’s death had affected her.

It was interesting to see Silvia interacting with Liam. I did think there were some interesting aspects to the society they lived in, such as the fact that there were different types of jobs. I would have liked to see more of the different types of work people could do, but I did find it intriguing to see how Silvia fit in with her job. I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Gus and even though I felt the romance could have easily been taken out of the book, it was good to see her acknowledge her feelings for Franco as being a crush.

It was good to be able to learn about the past and how people were still affected by the nuclear war. I did figure out some of the twists fairly early on, but it was interesting to see how Silvia reacted when she began putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

It was nice to see how Liam and Silvia were supporting each other. I did spend a lot of the book confused about why Liam switched constantly between different mood swings… but as the book went on, that did make a bit more sense.

Parts of this book did put me in mind of a film called The Island, but there were only a few similarities. I found it really easy to be drawn into this book and I felt there were some good elements of tension. I also cared about Silvia’s safety and although she wasn’t in a lot of danger in the present, it was good to learn more about her through learning about her past.

In the future, I would be interested in reading a sequel to this book and seeing what will happen to Silvia next. ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Lisa F rated it really liked it

Shelves: r2r, dystopia

action packed, addictive, keep you on your toes literally I want more!!

I absolutely loved Silva from the beginning, her attitude is kick ass, she won't back down without a fight and she's a very clever young woman.
can't help but feel sorry for her but at the same time admire her.

I wasn't keen on Silva mum, I understand that it was hard for her losing her husband but I found her mum very naive and selfish, believe me I get the whole wanting the best for your kids but I just felt like she never li ...more

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Oct 28, 2015 Katie Hamstead rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, arc, curiosity-quills, friend-s-book, enjoyable-authors, own-it, dystopian, new-adult, suspense

I read and LOVE Noser's first novel; How to Date Dead Guys, so I just had to get my hands on this when it became available.
Dead Girl Running follows Silvia, who lives in a dystopian city in the not so distant future, post WWIII. After an explosion took her father from her and her mother, both have battled depression, but are ready to move on with their lives. When a peer at the gym, Liam, talks her into the Race for Citizen Glory, she uses it as an opportunity to please her mother.
I have to say, ...more

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Nov 08, 2015 Kimberly rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 20, 2015 Ryan Coate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

(I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.) There are a lot of dystopian novels on store shelves, but the combination of having the main character work in a morgue and be a runner makes this book stand out. The author does a very good job of setting up a world where you know something is wrong beneath the surface, but you just can't figure it out until the last couple of chapters. This is a riveting start to a series that I am officially hooked on.

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Dec 06, 2015 Rickus Bookshelf rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 3-stars, science-fiction, young-adult

This was an OK book. Full review over here: https://rickusbookshelf.wordpress.com... ...more

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Aug 23, 2017 Leah rated it really liked it

This novel was entertaining from the first page. I found myself thoroughly engaged by the unique approach to a genre that can be grossly overdone and cliche. This is definitely worth a read.

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Oct 17, 2015 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, ones-i-have, teen-ya-na, dystopian

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As a “Hunger Games” fan, the YA dystopian aspect of this novel enticed me. But since I am definitely not a runner, I did not expect to find it more than mildly amusing. I am happy to admit how wrong I was! The author’s style was incredible, drawing you into the story from the very beginning, and forcing on the reader an emotional connection with the characters.
I absolutely adored Silva! But then I generally do admire strong female protagonists (à la Katniss). It is only as the story progresses As a “Hunger Games” fan, the YA dystopian aspect of this novel enticed me. But since I am definitely not a runner, I did not expect to find it more than mildly amusing. I am happy to admit how wrong I was! The author’s style was incredible, drawing you into the story from the very beginning, and forcing on the reader an emotional connection with the characters.
I absolutely adored Silva! But then I generally do admire strong female protagonists (à la Katniss). It is only as the story progresses and we learn more about her that we come to realize just how amazingly tough Silva really is.
Gus was another clever personality who I really enjoyed getting to know. I was a bit confused by the entire fireworks scene; at first I thought they were trying to blow up the incinerator or something. And I was also somewhat thrown by the entire episode with Edwina. Other than exposing just how important it was that Gus keep his job and showcasing his inordinate skill at gaming the system, the entire incident seemed nothing more than a brief, unnecessary distraction from the real plots that were unfolding.
I totally loved Franco! He was perhaps the most intriguing character of the entire book because we learn so little about him as the story progresses, and don’t really come to know him at all until he is basically out of the picture. His feelings for Silva are so obvious to everyone but her, which makes them seem even more profound. Their all-too-brief interlude of shared emotions is far too short, and made me want to see more of them together; especially when the very last scene begins to unfold and we learn the extent of Franco’s feelings for Silva. I did find it hard to believe, however, that he would let her go off alone, to go home and be captured by the bad guys so easily.
I even came to like Liam. Once a true friendship developed between him and Silva, he became much more of a real person and not just a cliché. His reaction at the race celebration, while perfectly ordinary for the person we originally meet, seemed very much out of character for the individual that he had come to be.
I had, at least by the end, guessed at the motivations behind all of the pregnancy tests; I clearly figured it out before Silva did anyway. But I was truly taken by surprise by the reasons for it, not to mention the connection to the red-haired girl. That Silva ran into her as the story begins becomes very auspicious. I was completely astonished by what becomes of Liam. Even seeing the old geezer hacking away on television, I did not see that one coming. It was pretty apparent early on that Gus was hiding something, and Franco as well; although I hadn’t quite figured out how they fit together. Nor did I anticipate the info we discover about Silva’s father. Basically, the author was just full of unexpected plot twists and entertaining surprises.
I was so happy to hear that this is the first of a series, not just a stand-alone book. Because although there were so many questions answered by the end, there were still so many left unanswered; not to mention the fact that the action just did not seem in anyway complete! I definitely recommend this book, and I personally can’t wait for the sequel!
I received a copy of this book free from Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for my honest review.
...more

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Dec 07, 2015 Mike Billington rated it it was amazing

I very much enjoyed Ann M. Noser's "How to Date Dead Guys" so when I saw that she had written a dystopian novel I snapped it up.
Glad I did because "Dead Girl Running" is a really great read with intriguing characters, a world that - though set in the future - mimics our own in many ways, and a well-honed narrative.
In her novel, Noser introduces us to Silvia Wood, a young woman in a post-nuclear-war mega-city where individual freedoms have been sacrificed in the name of security. Ordinary people I very much enjoyed Ann M. Noser's "How to Date Dead Guys" so when I saw that she had written a dystopian novel I snapped it up.
Glad I did because "Dead Girl Running" is a really great read with intriguing characters, a world that - though set in the future - mimics our own in many ways, and a well-honed narrative.
In her novel, Noser introduces us to Silvia Wood, a young woman in a post-nuclear-war mega-city where individual freedoms have been sacrificed in the name of security. Ordinary people are, for example, closely monitored, have their food and water rationed, are selected for jobs based on a host of tests, and have their reproductive rights seriously curtailed. It is a city governed by The New Order; a band of oligarchs who dictate almost all facets of life.
There may be a way for Silvia and her widowed mother to live better, however; a way to increase what is a pretty dreary standard of living.
All Silvia has to do is win a race.
If she does, or at least finishes in the Top Ten, she can secure a better future for herself and her widowed mother.
That, at least, is what The New Order promises those who enter.
As Silvia trains for the race - a grueling half marathon - we learn not only about her past and present but also about the inner workings of the city and its dictatorial rulers who, in Orwellian fashion, have convinced the population that only by surrendering their personal freedom can they prevent future wars and all manner of evil events from occurring.
Silvia Wood is a wonderful character: She is beset with memories of her dead father, works in a morgue, is more rebellious than she should be, and is on the verge of discovering what it means to fall in love. Noser has surrounded her heroine with a slew of equally interesting men and women: Her mother, a talented violinist who has gone through a long depression following her husband's death; Liam, Silvia's running partner; Franco, Liam's older cousin and a man with secrets; Gus, her boss at the morgue and Liam's mother Linda, who seems to dislike Silvia intensely for reasons that are not exactly clear.
The point is that Noser's ability to create not only a heroine that is fully realized but also secondary characters who are not simply one-dimensional is the hallmark of a great writer.
I won't spoil it by revealing the ending of this novel - the first in a series - but I will say that it is chilling.
So chilling that I can't wait for the next Silvia Wood novel to come out. ...more

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Aug 18, 2016 Melissa Levine rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I received this story from Ann Noser after winning a contest from Jordan Meirek's release party for "Gears of Brass Anthology".

This was a fast read and I really liked this story a lot! While it made me think of the Divergent series, it had its own unique traits that made it its own story. I was definitely sad when it ended.

I couldn’t stand Silvia’s mother AT ALL. She was so annoying. She closes down mentally after her husband supposedly dies and that’s understandable. Then she’s like a psycho wh ...more

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Oct 15, 2015 Amie's Book Reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, curiosity-quills-press

First off I need to mention that the target audience for this book is the Young Adult readership. With that being said, I will be rating this book with that age group in mind (age 13-17).

Silvia is the main character of this book and she is definitely not your average eighteen year old. Silvia loves her job in the hospital morgue and tries not care what other people think of her and he chosen profession.

At first I thought that Silvia was going to be one of those perfect book heroines that just ...more

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Dec 15, 2015 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, net-galley, curiosity-quills

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Always a fan of dystopian young adult novels, I requested this book. For the most part I was not disappointed.

My only complaint is that there wasn't enough advancement in the plot in the middle. At times I felt like the author needed filler and foisted 100+ pages discussing Sylvia and Liam's training plan. However, Sylvia's interactions with Franco were a nice way to break up the monotony. She was very much your typical girl ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

I received this novel from NetGalley.

This novel is a rush! I couldn't put it down! The politics, the charaters, the heroism and the originality of the plot all make this novel amazing!

This novel is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is so often made cliche, it is inventive, clever and thoroughly enjoyable!

Great read! Can't wait to read more about this amazing world!

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About Ann M. Noser

Ann M. Noser

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Growing up an only child, I learned to entertain myself. During summer vacations, my greatest form of exercise consisted of turning the pages of a book. Now I’m all grown up, and full of stories half-written in my head. I have to write them down so I can find out what happens next.

HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS is my first novel.

When I'm not living in my own created fantasy world, I'm a small animal veteri ...more