Book Review: This Shattered World

Title: This Shattered World

Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Genre: YA Romance/Sci-fi

Book Blurb:

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel b ase together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Review:

Oh my god...this was book beautiful. I am starstruck by Kaufman and Spooner's writing. I loved how the book merges the two old characters from book one (These Broken Stars) into the second book of the trilogy oh so flawlessly. But seriously....the feels!!

Jubilee Chase, aka Lee, is probably one of my favorite characters I have read about so far (right up there with Day and June from Legend.) She has so much backstory (which the authors cleverly portrayed through little snippets at the beginning of each chapter) and I thought her character was very well fleshed out. If you're a big fan of the "tragic hero", I think you'll love Lee. Although she bears a heavy burden,  her snarky/sassy comments lightens up the mood so that it's not depressing :-)  The fact that Lee is a total badass doesn't hurt either. Thinking about it now, Lee reminds me of Adelina from The Young Elites.

Flynn was quite an interesting character as well. Even though the book blurb describes Flynn as "rebellious", in truth, he is considered the "pacifist" of the Fianna--the rebel group living on the planet of Avon. However, that doesn't mean he won't shoot (as he does shoot Lee when they first meet).  I thought Flynn nicely balanced out Lee.

Onto the plot--the pacing starts out pretty fast, then it slows a bit as Flynn and Lee's relationship develops, before picking up again until the very end. Plot wise, the story was pretty simple: Flynn suspects somebody is tampering with the terraforming developments of Avon.  Lee begins to suspect there is something unnatural about the Fury that makes off-worlders go mad when they visit Avon.  They eventually overcome their differences and unravel the mystery of Avon, with a little help with Tarver from book one.

I personally felt that the plot was weaker in This Shattered World compared to These Broken Stars because readers could more or less predict the cause of the Fury. I think the real gem of the story lies within the characters.

Rating:

Book Review+Giveaway: Remote

Title: Remote

Author: Lisa Acerbo

Genre: YA Dystopian/Romance/Sci-Fi

Book Blurb:

When technology fulfills every dream, reality becomes a nightmare.

Below the streets of New State, the undergrounders fight to remain free of the technological control of the world above. Every night, Yara risks her life fighting New State’s deadliest weapons, the drones. Half human and half machine, their living half tortured until everything human is gone, the drones have only one objective. Kill. And they do it with exacting precision.

Yara is good at her job and committed to her raids on New State. Until one of those raids brings her face-to-face with Joshua, a New State citizen who doesn’t quite fit her preconceived expectations. After a couple of awkward encounters, he shows her the meaning of hooking up—a computer simulation that allows people to live out their fantasies—without the complication of emotional entanglements or physical reality. But what Yara feels for Joshua is very real. And it’s punishable by law.

As she and Joshua grow closer, she convinces him to leave New State for her underground cause. But as the unrest between New State and the underground escalates, and the drones move in to destroy her world, nothing goes as planned. Families are arrested, loyalties are strained, and Yara’s forced to choose between her people and her feelings. The wrong choice could mean the end of her people, and reality could slip away—forever...

Review:
I love the world Lisa Acerbo has created in Remote. Two characters live two very different lives. Josh is used to living a virtual reality, heeding the New State's laws; Yara spends her life underground or raiding the New State city during night. The author really draws some interesting perspectives into the novel, such as how taking technology too far can inhibit social skills--something that seems terrifyingly possible in the near future. 

The pacing of the novel was very fast, and yes, this does include the relationship between Josh and Yara.  Normally I don't like insta-love situations, but it worked in this case.  None of their relationship felt forced.

Yara is quite the character...I seem to have mixed feelings about her.  Although she wants to be treated like an adult, I can't help but feel some of her choices were rather immature.  Also, it seems as if she couldn't keep a single secret...On one hand, I admire her courage and her loyalty to the Underground (the name of the rebel group in which she grew up in.)  However, on the other I felt like she didn't appreciate the sacrifices her parents have made for her.

Josh was a unique character, breaking many male character stereotypes in the YA sci-fi/romance genre. First of all, he's a "tech head." Much of his life depended on the CHIP embedded within his head.  He's not fit, he's not strong (physically) and he has an open innocence that Yara had lost a long time ago.

Overall, I thought the plot and premise of Remote was excellent.  The only quips I had with the book was that I couldn't really seem to connect with Yara. Also, I felt like at times the story moved along so fast that much of the plot development was glazed over.  It would've been nice if there had been more showing rather than telling. Nevertheless, Remote is worth a read if you're looking for a quick sci-fi/romance.

Rating:

Etopia Press  |   Amazon  |   BN

About the Author

Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and holds an EdD in Educational Leadership. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, daughters, three cats, and horse. She is the author of Apocalipstick and has contributed to local newspapers, news and travel blogs including The Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter.

Twitter @Apocalipstick_

https://www.facebook.com/lisa.acerbo.5 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Remote/700452846707265

Excerpt from Remote:

“Hi,” he called out.

Yara’s heart hammered, and adrenaline coursed through her limbs. She turned to run.    

“Wait,” the stranger whispered. “I won’t turn you in. I’m out here too.” He obviously didn’t realize that Yara was a rebel. He might not know it yet, but he would soon. Still, he didn’t sound dangerous. Maybe Yara could take care of him. She had never had to kill anyone totally human, but she had trained to do so. At this point, she didn’t think she would need to. The skinny boy didn’t look like a real threat, either.

She turned back toward him and attempted what she hoped was a look of death and destruction.

Instead of being scared, he smiled at her and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Even in the shadowy street, Yara could see the color was a beautiful emerald green. She had a hard time looking away, until his voice jarred her back to reality.

“I’m Joshua15111,” he said robotically. “What are you doing out here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Enjoying the night sky,” he replied, each word clipped and succinct. Unable to make prolonged eye contact, he looked toward the stars.

“Aren’t you supposed to be hooked up to an alternate universe, enjoying battle, boobs, or whatever perverted fantasy you want to conquer tonight?” Yara asked, and then instantly regretted her words.

“Hey, it’s not like that. You know how it is.” For the first time, his voice took on a more humanistic quality. He sounded peeved.

She grunted in response. She didn’t know anything of the sort.

Joshua15111 looked at her briefly, quizzically. “Wait, do you know that? Are you one of them? The rebels?”

Oh no. “What rebels?”

“Are you for real? Everyone knows about the rebels. You must be one. Are you a rebel? That’s so cool.”

Me and my big mouth. Fear finally overtook her. Vague ideas about running away from or fighting the stranger flitted by, but Yara’s feet felt like concrete blocks. She wasn’t even sure she’d be able to form a coherent sentence if he asked her something about the underground.

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Book Review: The Healer

Title: The Healer

Author: Jeffrey G. Roberts

Genre: Sci-Fi

Reviewer: Aly

Book Blurb: 

Imagine you're a doctor in 2181, on sabbatical on Mars to research the extinct Martians, deep within the titanic Face on Mars. Now imagine - using Martian technology - you've traveled to Alaska 168 years in the past to solve a baffling medical mystery. But, before returning home, terrorists have destroyed the only means to return to 2181 Mars. You're now marooned in 2013! How will you survive - and risk healing the sick - using 22nd century science?

Review: 

The first chapter was a bit confusing, but only because you had to get used to the writing style. Once you were a bit more familiar with the style of writing it became much easier to read and understand. 

The idea behind the book was also amazing. I really liked the plot and it held enough problems to make the story seem realistic while not being all about the problems.

We were also given the history of the Mars exploration as well as some of our character's personal past. It gives us a chance to explore the world that the author has created. While we were given extensive background and it helps to establish characters, organisations and the history of earth. This was good, but it did also take a while. Sometimes I found it frustrating as I wanted to jump right into the plot of the book.

There were religious aspects but they didn't dominate the book. They fueled the conflict for the most part. 

While we were following the main character for the most part, we also are given a glimpse into the wife of the main character. Which was very good because we were allowed to see her motives for destroying the only method of return for her husband. And while it was partially her own fault, she also wasn't the only one to blame. It was a fascinating read, and I enjoyed the chapters following Linda.

The Healer is also chock full of moral debates. It was intriguing and thought-provoking to read all of these difficult decisions that the characters faced and trying to determine what you would have done and if you believed the main characters actions to be correct. Then there were the implications of the actions of a time traveler and how he changed his own future as well as the future of the world.

The Healer is a great read if you enjoy time travel romances, and space travel.

Rating: 

Book Review+Tour+Giveaway: Mila 2.0 Renegade

Title: Mila 2.0: Renegade

Author: Debra Driza

Genre: YA sci-fi

Book Blurb:

There is no one left for Mila to trust. Except for a boy she barely knows.

But Hunter has no idea who—and what—Mila really is. She can’t bear to reveal her secret, even though he’s unwittingly joined her search for Richard Grady, a man who may know more details of Mila’s complicated past.

Yet the road to the truth is more dangerous than ever. With General Holland and the Vita Obscura scouring the earth for her whereabouts, Mila must rely on her newfound android abilities to protect herself and Hunter from imminent harm. Still, embracing her identity as a machine leads her to question the state of her humanity—as well as Hunter’s real motives.

Review:

Can we please take a moment and appreciate this beautiful cover? *ooh...ahhh....special...very special*


The covers in this series (Mila 2.0 and Renegade) are simply stunning! Kudos to whoever designed the covers!

Book Review: The Eye of Minds

Title: The Eye of Minds

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Sci-Fi/ mind-blowing-twist-ending

Book Blurb: 

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.

And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.

But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever

Review:

That ending! That ending! Mind=imploded.

Just finished The Eye of Minds about ten minutes ago and I am reeling with emotions. I'm going to start this review off by discussing The Ending. 

 ***Spoiler Alert...Scroll Further Down for the Spoiler Free Zone***

How could Michael be a Tangent?! (A Tangent is someone who is created by computer programs and exists in VirtNet, kind of like an online world.) How did I not see that coming?! AHhhhh.....*runs around screaming*

Book Review: Peaceful Genocide

Title: Peaceful Genocide

Author: J.A. Reynolds

Genre: Sci-fi

Review:

Wow...this book draws in readers with an exciting opening scene. Reynolds wastes no time setting the scene. The novel opens up with Mitzi (one of the two main characters) getting driven to what she thinks is a juvenile detention center. She has barely arrived at the destination before she is pitted against life threatening scenarios. Armed with cryptic messages given by the driver, she has to use the messages to figure out how to get to safety. Fortunately, Mitzi has excellent memory. In fact, she can recall anything and everything that she has ever seen, heard, felt, etc. And her unique ability to do so is what attracts the attention of several scientists to her.

Blog Tour + Author Interview + Giveaway: Dark Luminance

About the book:

Quantum energy. Unlimited power. Humanity’s salvation. 

The Frameway Project promises all of this and more, and Mackland Luther is guiding the project to its final culmination. On the eve of what promises to be their biggest breakthrough, Mackland and his friends, Billy and Sean, prepare the test that will provide the almost limitless power needed to take the human race into the future. 

Initial success and excitement quickly turn to horror as the Frame goes out of control, ripping Mackland and his friends from their world and depositing them in a world that is completely different yet strangely familiar. Along with Lily, a hard-charging security guard that was caught by the Frame along with them; and Grizzly, a rough yet gentle survivalist they meet in this new world, Mack and his friends must figure out some way to understand and undo whatever brought them here if they ever want to return to their own world. 

But first they must survive an increasingly dangerous world full of undead drug addicts, giant mutants, and a relentless telepathic madman who will do anything to get his hands on the Frame for his own purposes.

About the Author:

Born and raised in Northwest Indiana, E.M. McDowell first started writing in high school, consisting primarily of sappy poems aimed at impressing girls. A four year stint in the Marine Corps pushed literary endeavors to the background, where they remained for the next twenty-odd years, until they were uncovered by a mild mid-life crisis. 

In the intervening years, he has worked in various technology jobs, and is currently the technology manager for a small county government. 

Married for twenty-two years to his best friend, and blessed with two wonderful daughters, he works to balance his writing while living in a house full of women.