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The Elected Series #2
SUSPECTED
In the year 2185 Earth is rebuilding after a global eco-crisis. Countries maintain complete isolation so there's no warfare over scarce resources. One Elected family is chosen to lead each country for one hundred years to ensure stability. Women aren't allowed to take office and must reproduce at all costs. Technology is banned to preserve what's left of the environment. Except, I'm my country's Elected. I've just sanctioned technology use to ready us for war. I'm about to cross the border to spy on our neighbor. And...I'm a girl. Shhhhhh.....
268 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2015
230 people want to read
About the author
Rori Shay
5 books80 followersRori's debut novel, ELECTED, is book one of a young adult sci-fi trilogy, which challenges the notion of duty above desire. She's a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Rori lives in Seattle with her family and two proficient hair shedders-Misch the cat and Gerry the laid-back black lab. Rori studied public relations and marketing at the University of Maryland and received an MBA from George Washington University. Besides writing, she likes to travel, run, read (of course), go pumpkin-picking and snow-shoe! You can follow Rori and her writing adventures at www.rorishay.com or @RoriShayWrites.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 22, 2015
I was a backer of this on Kickstarter as I really enjoyed the first book in the series (that I also backed in KS). It has a unique post apocalyptic setting and some rules the countries must follow due to accords that were written after humanity was almost wiped off the planet.
The first book ended with our hero/heroine heading into mid country to hide her pregnancy and spy on what Mid was doing technologically.
We jump right into the action with a trip to the Mid capital and almost immediately meeting and working for Mid's elected. Mid is almost more the prototypical dystopian society. Emotions have been wiped away, pleasure rooms, fake forests, cloned animals, cancer cured, Big Brother is always watching... Calix the Mid elected (via some maneuvering), is an interesting character that was hard to get a bead on. He seemed to be falling for Aloy, although I was never sure if he thought Aloy was a man or a woman... Eventually Aloy gives birth and escapes back to east country where she is basically immediately captured again and given a choice to marry Calix or watch East country be destroyed.
The book was a lot of fun to read, just like the first one. It felt a lot shorter than the first book though and I missed the interactions between Vivien and Griffen, as they were relegated to MUCH smaller roles this time around. The biggest gripe I had with this novel was that she describes the countries in a way that East is the east coast of the US, Mid is the middle, and West is the west coast. But our heroes seemingly travel on foot between the countries in under a day. It almost feels like West/Mid/East are all just 30-40 miles apart. But that was just a small immersion breaking detail. Overall, I'm reading this for the characters and wondering how they all end up, and what is up with the people who are actually behind the bombings of mid and hiding ammo in east???
The first book ended with our hero/heroine heading into mid country to hide her pregnancy and spy on what Mid was doing technologically.
We jump right into the action with a trip to the Mid capital and almost immediately meeting and working for Mid's elected. Mid is almost more the prototypical dystopian society. Emotions have been wiped away, pleasure rooms, fake forests, cloned animals, cancer cured, Big Brother is always watching... Calix the Mid elected (via some maneuvering), is an interesting character that was hard to get a bead on. He seemed to be falling for Aloy, although I was never sure if he thought Aloy was a man or a woman... Eventually Aloy gives birth and escapes back to east country where she is basically immediately captured again and given a choice to marry Calix or watch East country be destroyed.
The book was a lot of fun to read, just like the first one. It felt a lot shorter than the first book though and I missed the interactions between Vivien and Griffen, as they were relegated to MUCH smaller roles this time around. The biggest gripe I had with this novel was that she describes the countries in a way that East is the east coast of the US, Mid is the middle, and West is the west coast. But our heroes seemingly travel on foot between the countries in under a day. It almost feels like West/Mid/East are all just 30-40 miles apart. But that was just a small immersion breaking detail. Overall, I'm reading this for the characters and wondering how they all end up, and what is up with the people who are actually behind the bombings of mid and hiding ammo in east???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2015
The first book in this series blew me away with it’s incredible look at, and treatment of, gender. This second book does something similar with technology.
The book showed two very different extremes of technology use, with East Country almost completely tech-free, and Mid Country totally tech focused. It was an interesting contrast, and helped to show how extremes of any nature are not healthy.
Some of the technology that Mid Country employed were interesting and amazing. But some options were extremely scary, and extremist in the worst possible way. Being able to draw the line between the two types was difficult, and it really drove home a very valid point about limits and how everyone has a different viewpoint about how far is too far.
Overall, I was just as drawn into this story as I was the first book. It has important themes that will leave you thinking about them long after you’re done reading, and yet the story itself takes the focus while you’re reading. It’s a powerful combination, and one that makes this series, and this author, an auto-read for me.
The book showed two very different extremes of technology use, with East Country almost completely tech-free, and Mid Country totally tech focused. It was an interesting contrast, and helped to show how extremes of any nature are not healthy.
Some of the technology that Mid Country employed were interesting and amazing. But some options were extremely scary, and extremist in the worst possible way. Being able to draw the line between the two types was difficult, and it really drove home a very valid point about limits and how everyone has a different viewpoint about how far is too far.
Overall, I was just as drawn into this story as I was the first book. It has important themes that will leave you thinking about them long after you’re done reading, and yet the story itself takes the focus while you’re reading. It’s a powerful combination, and one that makes this series, and this author, an auto-read for me.
May 17, 2015
Absolutely engaging! I could not put it down. I think this second book was better than the first. The discussion of the use of technology did not over shadow the story but enhanced it. This author is unique in that she excels at sharing a message important to her without diminishing the power of the story and characters. She sets up really interesting moral dilemmas for her characters that are difficult and intriguing to consider personally. I cannot wait to read the next in the series.
October 25, 2014
Absolutely stellar follow up to her first book, Elected. I am so glad I had the opportunity to beta read the draft! It completely kept me on my toes the entire time. Cannot WAIT for it to come out in print in early 2015!
May 4, 2015
Now I am writing this hoping you have already Elected, if not go and do it now!
So this kicks off right where Elected finished, Aloy and Griffin making their way in to the Mid country to infiltrate and find out what exactly they are up to.
On arrival in the main city they receive the biggest shock. Electricity and large strange buildings made of glass towering in to the sky, these are all alien to them but they manage to accepted in to the mid as refugees from the West country which has been ravaged by earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Straight away they are put to work, everybody in this country has a purpose but the people appear a little strange, they love working, they all live alone in the high rise buildings and have strict timetables to adhere to.
Aloy and Griffin wonder where the children are but first they need to find out what the Mid has planned. Aloy is working as a historian and works directly with Calix the new Elected. He has some crazy ideas but she earns his trust whilst keeping an ear to the ground to see what is planned.
Calix believes that the technology free East has been using tech against them which Aloy knows is untrue but Calix believes this to be the case and shows Aloy his shiny new toy, a nuclear warhead.
Can Aloy keep her country safe? Can she keep herself safe too?
Now I have left out some bits of the plot which I deem SPOILERS! but I hope this is enough to give you a taste of Suspected, I enjoyed it more than Elected truth be told, I think it was that going over the wall moment where they discover that the Mid country has been living with all the things they have gone without, it was enjoyable learning about this strange new country and its inhabitants.
Suspected is a great read with plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged with the story.
Thank you to Lola's Blog tour for supplying me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
So this kicks off right where Elected finished, Aloy and Griffin making their way in to the Mid country to infiltrate and find out what exactly they are up to.
On arrival in the main city they receive the biggest shock. Electricity and large strange buildings made of glass towering in to the sky, these are all alien to them but they manage to accepted in to the mid as refugees from the West country which has been ravaged by earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Straight away they are put to work, everybody in this country has a purpose but the people appear a little strange, they love working, they all live alone in the high rise buildings and have strict timetables to adhere to.
Aloy and Griffin wonder where the children are but first they need to find out what the Mid has planned. Aloy is working as a historian and works directly with Calix the new Elected. He has some crazy ideas but she earns his trust whilst keeping an ear to the ground to see what is planned.
Calix believes that the technology free East has been using tech against them which Aloy knows is untrue but Calix believes this to be the case and shows Aloy his shiny new toy, a nuclear warhead.
Can Aloy keep her country safe? Can she keep herself safe too?
Now I have left out some bits of the plot which I deem SPOILERS! but I hope this is enough to give you a taste of Suspected, I enjoyed it more than Elected truth be told, I think it was that going over the wall moment where they discover that the Mid country has been living with all the things they have gone without, it was enjoyable learning about this strange new country and its inhabitants.
Suspected is a great read with plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged with the story.
Thank you to Lola's Blog tour for supplying me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
May 5, 2015
In her debut novel Elected, the first in what has become the Elected Trilogy, Rori Shay proved herself a masterful storyteller. Her novel about Earth's survival after climate change and nuclear war devastation was unique and beautifully written. By the end of the first book her characters had become your friends and you started to wonder if it was possible for one person to have more than one soul mate. The themes of the book are subtly woven together and pages turn as if by themselves.
But if the first book is brilliant - the second - Suspected - is even better. I was lucky enough to receive a free copy in return for an honest review - although I would happily have paid the low price tag for such an awesome book.
The first book dealt with gender and the responsibilities of leadership. While these themes continue in the second book - a larger focus is on the dual natures of technology. How it can create miracles and, at the same time, harm us. It asks the questions of how do we decide, as a race or an individual leader, what technology will help us and what will destroy us. How sometimes the differences are obvious and sometimes they are not.
Once again Rori Shay takes you on a nail biting, emotional roller coaster that is an absolute page turner. It gets your heart pumping and your mind whirling and the ideas stay with you long after the final page is turned.
I cannot wait for the next book in the series. If you are looking for a dystopian novel with a difference this series is a must read.
But if the first book is brilliant - the second - Suspected - is even better. I was lucky enough to receive a free copy in return for an honest review - although I would happily have paid the low price tag for such an awesome book.
The first book dealt with gender and the responsibilities of leadership. While these themes continue in the second book - a larger focus is on the dual natures of technology. How it can create miracles and, at the same time, harm us. It asks the questions of how do we decide, as a race or an individual leader, what technology will help us and what will destroy us. How sometimes the differences are obvious and sometimes they are not.
Once again Rori Shay takes you on a nail biting, emotional roller coaster that is an absolute page turner. It gets your heart pumping and your mind whirling and the ideas stay with you long after the final page is turned.
I cannot wait for the next book in the series. If you are looking for a dystopian novel with a difference this series is a must read.
December 5, 2015
As soon as I finished the wonder that was Elected, I flipped to Suspected and couldn’t stop reading. Elected filled me with fear, laughs and a sense that something was not right. Suspected backed this up.
Thanks to Red Queen, I now have a chronic Don’t-Trust-Any-Characters illness and it definitely had a presence whilst reading Rori Shay’s books. The Technology Faction was too calm, Vienne was too perfect and Mid Country was too advanced.
Suspected left me longing for Perfected, the not-yet-released finale to Shay’s touching trilogy. That cliffhanger was uncalled for.
Throughout Elected and Suspected, I enjoyed the confusion and self doubt running through Aloy’s head at every moment. She was always scared that what she did wouldn’t be good for the greater mass of her people, yet she refused to allow the minorities to continue being silent. In Suspected, she was presented with Mid Country’s awful to-be leader, Calix, which created contrast and something for Aloy to compare herself to. This boosted her sense of righteousness and created a stronger leader out of a person whom was denied the right to leadership because of her gender...
Read the entire review via this link: http://www.bookalicious.com.au/suspec... [5th May, 2015, AEST]
Thanks to Red Queen, I now have a chronic Don’t-Trust-Any-Characters illness and it definitely had a presence whilst reading Rori Shay’s books. The Technology Faction was too calm, Vienne was too perfect and Mid Country was too advanced.
Suspected left me longing for Perfected, the not-yet-released finale to Shay’s touching trilogy. That cliffhanger was uncalled for.
Throughout Elected and Suspected, I enjoyed the confusion and self doubt running through Aloy’s head at every moment. She was always scared that what she did wouldn’t be good for the greater mass of her people, yet she refused to allow the minorities to continue being silent. In Suspected, she was presented with Mid Country’s awful to-be leader, Calix, which created contrast and something for Aloy to compare herself to. This boosted her sense of righteousness and created a stronger leader out of a person whom was denied the right to leadership because of her gender...
Read the entire review via this link: http://www.bookalicious.com.au/suspec... [5th May, 2015, AEST]
April 24, 2015
ENTER BOOK GIVEAWAYS HERE!
I honestly did not feel like the second book could live up to the first one because the first one was so good. However I was so wrong and truly happy about it! If you have be let down a lot lately by YA books then you need to pick up this series immediately. The first book was fast paced and had a suspenseful plot. Suspected follows suit with a fast pace nail biting plot, but is different form the first books' layout so it is refreshing. The imagery used to build the world in these books are amazing. Honestly I am impressed by the authors writing talent and style. The character development and emotional journey you take with them is enchanting! This book sets up perfectly for a third book and I can not wait to get my hands on a copy. I am devoted to the outcome of the characters and world created! THIS IS A MUST READ SERIES FOR ALL WHO ENJOY BOOKS!
I honestly did not feel like the second book could live up to the first one because the first one was so good. However I was so wrong and truly happy about it! If you have be let down a lot lately by YA books then you need to pick up this series immediately. The first book was fast paced and had a suspenseful plot. Suspected follows suit with a fast pace nail biting plot, but is different form the first books' layout so it is refreshing. The imagery used to build the world in these books are amazing. Honestly I am impressed by the authors writing talent and style. The character development and emotional journey you take with them is enchanting! This book sets up perfectly for a third book and I can not wait to get my hands on a copy. I am devoted to the outcome of the characters and world created! THIS IS A MUST READ SERIES FOR ALL WHO ENJOY BOOKS!
December 16, 2014
The first novel was amazing, but the sequel is even better!
I had a chance to read the ARC of Suspected and all I can say is WOW! One of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. Rory Shay’s post Global Eco world is vividly imagined and brilliantly conveyed. It’s easy to lose yourself in the world of Suspected and imagine yourself next to Aloy and Griffin as they enter and infiltrate Mid to attempt to save East. The plot builds slowly and steadily, and sets up book III with precision.
The emotional arc in Suspected was truly stunning. The anguish and despair felt in very palpable. There were moments were you wanted to reach into the book to give Aloy a hug and smack a few other characters upside their head.
Instead of following the same formula as book one, book two is fresh and exciting. I can’t wait for book three to see what surprises the author has in store!
April 21, 2015
Quite a few ups and downs for me in this book. Overall I really enjoyed the story and the contrast between East Country and Mid Country was great. I really hoped that Aloy could bring a change within Calix, perhaps she still can. Still many more mysteries in the story to uncover. Looking forward go the final book.
June 16, 2015
Engaging
Can't wait for book 3!!!! The twists and turns, surprises on every page.... Rory is a fascinating writer. She addresses issues and paints a viable aspect of how our future on this earth could end up.... a little scary, but thoughtful to what could be a new reality. Thanks for all the effort Ms Shay!!
Can't wait for book 3!!!! The twists and turns, surprises on every page.... Rory is a fascinating writer. She addresses issues and paints a viable aspect of how our future on this earth could end up.... a little scary, but thoughtful to what could be a new reality. Thanks for all the effort Ms Shay!!
October 26, 2014
I loved Elected and the sequel didn't disappoint. I love that it's much more than a rehash of the first book. It moves the plot in a completely different direction than I expected, deepening the world and the characters. Can't wait to know what happens next!
July 13, 2016
Rori Shay topped Elected in her second installment of the Elected Series. This story was riveting. I loved it from start to finish. Rooting for East Country & Aloy. Her growth from reluctant leader to a determined one was wonderfully written.
I can not wait to experience Perfected.
I can not wait to experience Perfected.
January 2, 2015
Very engaging. Continues to be a unique dystopian.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews