Under the Never Sky Novellas: Roar and Liv & Brooke by Veronica Rossi: Where Roar and Liv Break My Motherlovin' Heart

ISBN: 9780062239556
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle eBook
Series: Under the Never Sky #0.5
Released: October, 2012
Length: 68 pp
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SUMMARY

After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv's unpredictable older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never looked kindly on Roar and Liv's union. Normally, Roar couldn't care less about Vale's opinion. But with food running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale's leadership is more vital—and more brutal—than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of the Tides forever.

ISBN: 9780062305442
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle eBook
Series: Under the Never Sky #2.5
Released: November, 2013
Length: 82 pp
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SUMMARY

The only fight she can't win is the one for Perry's heart. Following the stunning climax in Through the Ever Night, the Tides have been forced to seek shelter from the Aether storms in a dismal, secluded cave. But Brooke's memories of the cave go back much further, to when she and Perry used to come here together. That was before Perry fell in love with Aria and before Vale's dealings with the Dwellers altered the course of the Tides forever.
Now, with her sister back from a haunting year in captivity and Aria lying unconscious in the sick bay, Brooke struggles to put the pieces of her life back together. Without Perry, who is she? And what is her role in this frightening new world? As these questions swirl about her, an old threat to the Tides resurfaces, and Brooke is forced to put the lives of her people before her own. But in taking this step outside of herself, Brooke may finally discover what she truly wants.

     MINI REVIEWS
*Please note, these mini-reviews do contain spoilers for the previous books in the series. Click here for a spoiler free review of book 1, Under the Never Sky*

     ROAR AND LIV

Roar and Liv is a novella that takes place right before the happenings in Under the Never sky. In UNS we hear a lot about this mysterious Liv, but we don't know much. Instantly when reading the novella, I loved her. I loved her and Roar together and her and Perry's relationship. The actual story told in this novella basically tore me apart, in case you were wondering.

I'm not a big fan of novellas. Often times I don't feel as though they actually add anything to the story (except in the case of the novellas for Throne of Glass. That is the absolute exception to the rule), but I had been enjoying this series well enough and felt like I needed to know more about Roar's love. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer, but I suppose that defeats the purpose of a novella. Roar and Liv, in its short 60-something pages, wrecked me, and it was definitely one of the best novellas I've ever read. It actually added something to the story that was definitely necessary.

     BROOKE

I don't think I'm the only person who couldn't have cared less about Brooke in UNS. Actually, I kind of despised her, just on principle. She hated on Aria for no rational reasons other than jealousy and "heartbreak" that Aria herself did not cause. I didn't fly through this novella like I did with the last. It was actually really slow going and annoying and I had to force myself to get through it.

By the end, I didn't necessarily hate Brooke anymore, and the conclusion to the novella was pretty adorbs, but I in no way suddenly decided Brooke was great or felt like I understood her. I felt bad for her - what girl hasn't had their heart broken? I empathized a bit, yes - if I was in a similar situation, I don't think I would necessarily like my ex's new girlfriend, but Brooke was downright nasty to Aria and by the end of this novella I had not forgiven her for that.

I also didn't think Brooke added anything to the series as a whole like the Roar and Liv one did. Like I said - I'm not big on novellas to begin with and this one kind of reminded me why. It was good, but I definitely didn't need to read it, and realize that it was a bit of a waste of time. She totally could've written about someone way better - specifically, Cinder. Because all I want is to know more about Cinder!!!

RATINGS

Roar and Liv: ★★★★★ - Absolutely Loved It!

Brooke: ★★★ 1/2 - Liked it

A.

Mini Review: As They Slip Away by Beth Revis

Format: E-Book (scribd.com)
Release date: January, 2013
Series: Across the Universe #0.5
Page Count: 48 pages

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Selene is a singer on a spaceship that only values people who can provide important skills that enhance survival. As her friends--fellow "loons" in the Hospital--start to join apprenticeships to turn their skills into valuable labor, Selene is sent with a handful of other students to learn about the importance of art from the Recorder, Orion. The assignment pairs her with a young sculptor, Luthor, and their dangerous romance proves just how terrifying living trapped on a spaceship under the rule of a heartless dictator could be.

REVIEW:

This is a short addition to  the Across the Universe series that takes place several years prior to Amy's awakening on Godspeed. The story is told from the point of view of Selene who, for those of you who read the first in this trilogy, is the girl injecting rabbits with "innocluations" that Amy stops to talk to. It tells the story of Selene and Luthor who develop a romance that spiral dangerously out of control. This is a beautifully written tragic tale of love and loss.

When I came across this e-book, I hoped it would be a story that would tell me why Luthor is the way he is or what happened to him to make him do the things he did in book 1 and 2, because I really didnt want another sick retelling of Luthor's deranged attacks. But that is what I ended up reading, and although it made me hate Luthor more, it tied some other things up nicely and gave some insight into the occurrences in book 1 and 2. I am glad, however, that this telling of Luthor's awful actions were not nearly as detailed as they were in AtU because it was a little much for me the first time. I cant even fathom to think about Doc's reaction and Eldest's decisions to not punish Luthor or anyone else like him who do horrible things on the ship just because they serve a purpose. Ugh!

Also - I loved how even though Orion's appearance was brief, this story showed us a little bit of him before Amy arrived and while he was simply just hiding out and biding his time. Super interesting!

All in all, for me, it did advance the story a little in tying things up and making certain things easier to understand. It was nice having a "visit" with Harley and Victria again, and seeing Bartie as a normal friend, and meeting Kayleigh for the first time. Getting to "watch" Harley and Kayleigh's love budding from afar was also a wonderful thing.


RATING: ★★★★

My reviews for the first two books in this trilogy:
Across the Universe
A Million Suns

Mini Review: The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter

ISBN: 9781426834158
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: March 1, 2012
Series: The Goddess Test #1.5 (E-book)
Page Count: 92 pages

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld...until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades' wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is determined to help their cause. But when it comes to dealing with immortals, Kate still has a lot to learn...

REVIEW:

I never realized I had this e-book download on my nook app on my phone from long before I even read book #1 in this series. I only got it at the time because it was free. Now that I've read and liked the first book a lot, boy am I glad I had it.
I picked up my phone today and decided to flip through and noticed I had it, so in my downtime (which is often at my job) I read this e-novella in about an hour and a half.

This was a nice short addition to the series that takes place immediately after Kate leaves Eden Manor to spend her 6 months on her own - which she chooses to spend with... JAMES?! I mean really Kate. You love Henry, but you choose to do this, because James is your "best friend" (that lied to you!). Okay, I'm sorry, I may like the book so far, but James is not my favorite. He's got to go!

The Goddess Hunt didn't do too much to add to what we already knew except to cement what Henry told Kate at the end of book that her relationships with the Gods and Goddesses would change. And change they did. This made me feel a little better because she still got along with Ava and James, they were still friends, but her relationship with Walter and Ella were noticably different. I wondered how this would play out because at the end of the first novel this was one of my biggest worries - that I wouldnt like the rest of the series because of how different it was.

I loved that Kate stood up to the council and didnt let them walk all over her because she was freshly immortal. All in all, this was just a nice quick read giving us a short adventure with our friends from Eden Manor one more time. I cant wait to read Goddess Interrupted for a full fledged adventure and some character development, maybe even some more world building of Eden Manor or the Underworld!

RATING: ★★★ 1/2
I gave this one 3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed it a lot but there wasn't much progression to the actual trilogy, such as these little additions usually are, so I guess I cant hate.

Have any of you read this or the first book in the series? What did you think?

A.

P.S. Is it fair to count this "100 page" book  toward my reading goal? I mean, Goodreads counts it. So yes? I dont feel so guilty now! :)

Mini-Reviews: Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel & Raven by Lauren Oliver

ISBN: 9780062267788
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: March 2013
Series: Delirium Trilogy (#0.5, #1.5, #2.5)

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Hana is told through the perspective of Lena's best friend, Hana Tate. Set during the tumultuous summer before Lena and Hana are supposed to be cured, this story is a poignant and revealing look at a moment when the girls' paths diverge and their futures are altered forever.

Lena's mother, Annabel, has always been a mystery--a ghost from Lena's past--until now. Her journey from teenage runaway to prisoner of the state is a taut, gripping narrative that expands the Delirium world and illuminates events--and Lena--through a new point of view.

And as the passionate, fierce leader of a rebel group in the Wilds, Raven plays an integral role in the resistance effort and comes into Lena's life at a crucial time. Crackling with intensity, Raven is a brilliant story told in the voice of one of the strongest and most tenacious characters in the Delirium world.

MINI-REVIEWS:

     HANA (#0.5): ★★★★
     I felt very comfortable reading Hana, since Requiem was half-told in her POV. I'm glad I read this (and all of them) short story after reading the trilogy instead of before them or in between each one. Its interesting to look back, knowing what you know, you can see all of the little secrets and surprises Oliver gave us, such as the fate of several background characters in Delirium. One thing that I keep thinking is that I never felt any connection with Hana in Delirium. She was totally flat - but so were all of the characters in my opinion in the first book. But in Requiem and Hana, even though she was not a GOOD person, she finally did something and meant something, and I think it was good that she had her own story and a chance for us to know what was going on on the other side. The end of her story is especially powerful, where you can feel the ugly feelings Hana feels pulsing through the pages. Though the story was just a way for readers to hold on a little longer, I still loved it. Great job, Lauren, and thanks for the wonderful story!

     ANNABEL (#1.5): ★★★★
     From the very first page of this story, it was exactly what I was hoping for. An insight into Annabel's life before Lena. Not because I particularly cared but because it also gave an insight into what the world was like when the cure came about, which I find very interesting. I also like how Oliver used the "then" and "now" chapters like she did in Pandemonium. This is also a short story that doesn't move the trilogy forward in any way, but it gives insight to the mystery woman missing from Lena's life for so long. This story mostly served to make me sad, and feel pity and heartache for Annabel, a woman who loved deeply and couldn't be loved back, not the way she deserved. Annabel also made me wonder: Oliver talks about how the cure wasn't mandatory in the earlier days and and people "flocked to it." You tend to wonder if that would happen in real life. If they all of a sudden offered us a way out of the pain, the hurt, the feeling, would people do it?. I think people would do it. I honestly do. Hell, I might even think about it if something like that were to ever happen. But I guess you don't know what you have until it is gone, including the freedom to love. Again, though this one didn't do anything for the story itself, it was a great addition and added some depth to an otherwise static character.

     RAVEN (#2.5): ★★★★★
     Raven was just what I expected - sassy and sarcastic right from the beginning. Straightforward and to the point, just like the star of this short story. One thing I have to say after reading this short story is that Oliver is an amazing writer. I mean, I knew this, but this just cements it. Many times, an author has one voice and tells different stories from different POVs with the same voice. This is not the case with Lauren Oliver. You can always tell the difference between who is speaking at any given time, especially with Raven because she is such a strong character. I was engrossed in this story, having just read the final installment in the trilogy. The way Oliver ties everything together with this last short story.... I cant even explain to you the emotions going through me while reading this last story. I wanted to laugh, cry, hit something, hug someone. All of it.
I remember reading a few reviews about the ending of Requiem and how Oliver left some readers feeling bereft, empty. I beg to differ. I read Requiem and I was not thrilled with the ending, but I got through it okay. After reading Raven, I'm done. Emotionally DONE. I now feel EMPTY. I literally just want to lay down and cry. I wish I could go into more detail because there is so much more I want to say. Even thinking about it right now makes my heart literally ache in my chest, and I almost cant take it. This short story was slightly more beneficial to the trilogy and helped with learning about where Raven came from, why she was the way she was, and learning about the beautiful love she shared with Tack that we don't learn too much about in the main books.

Thank you Lauren Oliver for a few GREAT ADDITIONS to a fantastic trilogy.

Oh, but there is a bonus:

     ALEX:
     We wont rate this story on a star system because it was an addition to Requiem only in the first printings and it was 10-15 pages long at best (I don't know exactly). All I can say is that this little addition shows why Alex was acting that way when he returned in Requiem. Also, I think this story helped me understand Delirium a little better. I never felt a connection with Lena and Alex in Delirium and I think its because Delirium didn't give me enough to go on. I felt like I never got a chance to see WHY Lena loved Alex so much. This story showed me their relationship in a new way that I can appreciate and maybe I can see why some people are on Team Alex and not on Team Julian. I'm not changing my mind though. But....maybe Alex isnt all bad.

OVERALL RATING: ★★★★ 1/2
Thank you Lauren Oliver for an amazing ride!! I might not have loved Delirium that much but after reading the rest of the trilogy and these wonderful add-ons, I am sad to say goodbye. Though I felt the first two stories didn't serve much purpose, they were still a great way to add some depth to the characters that held some mysteries.

Have any of you read these? What did you think?

A.