Messenger by Lois Lowry: I've been lied to all these years!

ISBN: 9780547995670
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: The Giver Quartet #3
Released: 2004
Length: 187 pp
Goodreads  |  B&N

*Please note this review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series. Click here for a spoiler-free review of book 1, The Giver*

     SUMMARY

Trouble is brewing in Village. Once a utopian community that welcomed strangers, Village will soon be cut off to all outsiders. As one of the few able to traverse the forbidding Forest, Matty must deliver the message of Village’s closing and try to convince Seer’s daughter Kira to return with him before it’s too late. But Forest is now hostile to Matty, too, and he must risk everything to fight his way through it.

     REVIEW

After reading Gathering Blue, the second book in this series, and being somewhat disappointed, I didn't think I was going to enjoy Messenger much. It was the one of the three previously published books in the series that I hadn't bothered reading when I was younger (probably because I hadn't loved Gathering Blue back then either) so I had almost no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Messenger was about Matty (formerly Matt in GB) who was pretty much my favorite character.

*Okay, so as a precursor to the rant I'm about to go on, if you haven't read The Giver or Gathering Blue, just turn back now. What I'm about to say will spoil The Giver. Probably not GB and it most certainly isn't a spoiler for this book, Messenger, but if you plan on reading Giver, just come back later.*

So, when Son, the fourth book in this series, was released back in 2012, I had a total freak out. Being a huge fan of the The Giver, I was so excited to find out what happened to Jonas and Gabe and whether or not what they saw at the end of The Giver was real or whether it was a hallucination (I'd always been convinced [or hoped beyond hope] that it was real). A lot of reviews, posts, discussions, etc., even touted Son as the book that would tell me what happened to Jonas and Gabe.

Then I get to Messenger... and I frickin' find out what happened to them. I obviously will go no further, in case you decide you want to know for yourself, but WTF! Seriously, what. the. frig. I felt like I'd been bamboozled. Like I'd been lied to my whole life about this really important thing that happened to a couple of fictional characters that I happened to love like real people. I guess maybe that was my own fault, right? I should've just read Messenger back in the day and been done with it. But I was like 12, what do you want from me? I wasn't the masochist I am now. I wasn't going to read something I wasn't interested in. But I'd been researching this for like... over a decade, trying to figure out what happened to them, and here it was all this time (since 2004, anyway), waiting for me. Why didn't anyone tell me!!!

*For those of you that chose to stick around but wanted no spoilers, it is now safe to read spoiler-free.*

Messenger itself, once I got past that bombshell, was pretty great. It was creepy and it drew me in right from the beginning. Lowry has a knack for creating worlds we need to know more about. This is the third one in this series that she'd created and I'm still in awe. I loved Matt in Gathering Blue and he was still a great character to read about, especially as a lead, in Messenger.

The symbolism is rampant as always, but I can't go into it for fear of 1, going on forever and ever, and 2, spoiling something from the next book. The series has grown up a bit though. Matty is older, a teenager basically, I feel like this hooked me more because I considered it a YA novel rather than MG - obviously it's easier for me to relate to someone ten years younger rather than fifteen. That was also probably the reason I was so much more emotional with this one, too. I played right into Lowry's hands and she tore me right up.

My only gripe, and the thing that made dropped the rating by a whole star, was that as always, Lowry left so much unresolved. Maybe she thinks it's a cool thing to do, like how she ended The Giver. Yes, it worked that once. You don't have to leave me hanging every single time! Not even making 200 pages, I feel like if she'd made Messenger just a smidge longer, as long as the other books maybe which would have added about 30-50, she could have resolved the one other important thing (which yes, is kind of explained in the final book, but still!) and it would have been a really fantastic book.

Either way, I guess it doesn't matter since I know how that part of the story resolves now that I've read Son. So with that being said, I really did enjoy Messenger, almost as much as I loved The Giver.... almost. :)

RATING: ★★★★ - Enjoyed it!

I'd heard so many things about the two companion books to The Giver over the years, mainly about how crappy they are compared to The Giver. I won't make any excuses for Gathering Blue, but I was so pleasantly surprised by Messenger that I still have a hard time finding why it's so disliked. It drew me in from the beginning with (limited as always, but still) great world-building, characters you can understand, relate to and grow to care for and love, and simple but beautiful and profound writing that always manages to send one heck of a powerful message. I like to think of Matty as being the one to deliver this particular message (once you read this book, you'll know what I mean...).

I enjoyed Messenger so much and am glad that I finally decided to continue the series. Have any of you read Messenger? What did you think - as compared to Giver, to Gathering Blue, on its own? Did you, like me, find yourself surprised by how much you enjoyed it and enjoyed being sucked into a story like you'd been with The Giver? Or did you think it fell flat? If you did, was it because of the lack of resolution for certain parts of the plot?

Can't wait to hear what you think about this one!

A.

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.

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi: I'm the Only Person on Earth Who Wasn't Obsessed With It

ISBN: 9780062072092
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: Under the Never Sky #3
Length: 392 pp
Released: January, 2014
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do—and they are just as determined to stay together.
Within the confines of a cave they're using as a makeshift refuge, they struggle to reconcile their people, Dwellers and Outsiders, who are united only in their hatred of their desperate situation. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. Then Roar arrives in a grief-stricken fury, endangering all with his need for revenge.
Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble an unlikely team for an impossible rescue mission. Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival--he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

     REVIEW

This is going to be one of those reviews where all of you are wondering what book I read because it obviously wasn't the same one you did. You all probably adored this book, gave it eleventy-three stars as compared to my four. And my four was a grudging four. I was leaning toward three and a half but I knew there was no real reason for me not to love it. It just felt like something unnameable was missing from the story for me.

After reading Through the Ever Night, I felt a little disenchanted with the whole thing - the sparkle of the first book had worn off for me. I mentioned in my last two reviews of this series that I wished the story had explored the Realms more. I enjoyed the world building of the outside, the "Deathshop" as it's called in the first book, I really did. But it just didn't expand enough on the things I really wanted to know.

The story itself was just fine. Enjoyable. There's no logical reason not to have loved it. So really, I'm just going to cut it short by saying everything was great. Just great. Why didn't I absolutely love it? I'm not quite sure. I guess I lost interest and it didn't make me need to read it or know what happened. The ending at least was satisfying, I will admit that. Nothing went quite the way I expected but I was happy with it nonetheless and all in all, it was a great series.

RATING: ★★★★ - Enjoyed it

I liked Into the Still Blue. I enjoyed the writing, the characters, especially Roar, who was the source of about 80% of my emotions with this book. Aria and Perry another 10% and Cinder the rest. (Cinder <3) Something was definitely missing for me in this book and the last one. I enjoyed the first one so much and then the rest of the series went off in a direction I just wasn't interested in.

Like I said, it wasn't a bad book. It was great actually and I liked reading it. But I didn't love it. That doesn't mean you won't! Actually, most of you probably have a heart, so that means you probably will love it. I definitely would recommend this series to YA and dystopian lovers. It was incredibly unique considering how much dystopian has flooded the market and I think it's something a lot of people would enjoy (because tons of people already do!)

Have you read Into the still Blue? What did you think of it as a series ender? It was good but fell a little flat for me. Did you love it or was it a little meh for you as well? And what did you think about the series as a whole? Loved? Liked? Hated? I'm really interested in hearing from someone who didn't like this series since most of the world absolutely adores it.

Can't wait to hear from you!
A.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

ISBN: 9780547995663
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: The Giver Quartet #1
Released: 1993
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger,and Son.

     REVIEW

I first read The Giver in my 7th grade English class. I can't remember the teacher's name - only that I didn't like her much and I don't think she liked me. I didn't like the class as a whole either. Actually, I never much liked any of my English classes or teachers. This is difficult even for me to believe (it must be blasphemy) since I am, and almost always have been (there was this period during high school...), the book nerd I am today. I liked my English Tech class in 11th grade, where we used computers to do more cool book-related things rather than sitting at a desk and handing in traditional essays (I still have the portfolio/binder thingy they made us put together. Oh my God, I'm totally uploading those!) Anyway, I digress. The only thing I remember liking about my 7th grade English class was this book. It stayed with me for quite a while after I read it that first time.

In the years to come, I would re-read this book several times, forcing it on anyone who made the mistake of asking me for a book recommendation or asking what my favorite book was. If I can think of one reason why I loved it so much at the young age of twelve years old (Jonas's age. Coincidence?), it probably wouldn't be for the reasons I love it so much today. I probably loved it for exactly the same reasons that dystopian novels are all the rage these days (slowly fading, but still flooding the market). Seeing such a drastically different world was intriguing, it was fascinating.

Of course, I'm sure the class discussed all the hidden meanings and deeper reasons while we were reading it because obviously that's the point of English class, but I was twelve and definitely didn't care. Nowadays, these things are much more important to me. Okay, I lie. They're only a little bit more important to me. I usually just like a good story, but it's books like The Giver that make me think that end up staying with me for much longer than a smutty romance or fun mystery do (not that there aren't romance or mysteries that defy this logic - I'm just sayin').

I read Fahrenheit 451 earlier this year and in the copy I read was an Introduction by Neil Gaiman that goes into lengthy, but nevertheless enlightening, detail about dystopian novels. "...although [speculative fiction] doesn’t try to predict an actual future with all its messy confusion. Instead, [speculative fiction] takes an element of life today, something clear and obvious and normally something troubling, and asks what would happen if that thing, that one thing, became bigger, became all-pervasive, changed the way we thought and behaved." Gaiman explained.

He went on to say, “People think—wrongly—that speculative fiction is about predicting the future, but it isn't; or if it is, it tends to do a rotten job of it. Futures are huge things that come with many elements and a billion variables, and the human race has a habit of listening to predictions for what the future will bring and then doing something quite different.What speculative fiction is really good at is not the future but the present—taking an aspect of it that troubles or is dangerous, and extending and extrapolating that aspect into something that allows the people of that time to see what they are doing from a different angle and from a different place. It’s cautionary."

In other words, maybe we don't need to worry about our society somehow losing it's color and weather and losing all capacity for human emotion, but it's a way to look at, "if we continue on this road," with many aspects of the world today, such as individuality, especially, as it's being challenged across the globe. We may be an advanced society but you know as well as I do that this is a problem in homes between people as well as with the government and its citizens.

Maybe I'll stop rambling now. I could go on forever about the political, moral and social aspects this book touches on, but somehow I don't think you'd care all that much.I suppose you'd like to know about the actual book, not just the ramblings in my head.

Coming from the standpoint of someone who loved the book, I obviously think it is amazing. The world-building, while after a certain point doesn't go as in-depth as one may wish, is perfect for the story. We learn about all the little rules Community has and at first glance, it doesn't seem so bad. How many of us haven't thought, "if no one was hungry, no one hurt, no one was different, we'd all be happy"? Then we're reminded of what real life is like, which still makes the Community look pretty good (considering humans have an affinity for trying to blow each other up) but the Giver says in the story, “We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.” They achieved Sameness for the entire community, there was no pain or hunger or sadness, but there also wasn't true happiness, joy, colors, seasons, love, or freaking hills. Of course, now we know those are things we'd never give up in exchange for never going hungry, feeling sad, being hungry... or would we?

Whatever your standpoint is on the themes and messages of the book are, the book at it's core is amazing. The writing, while simple, is powerful. It is considered middle grade, so when I say simple, I mean it, but this never bothered me - not once. Jonas is a character that is easy to like, to identify with and empathize with, along with the Giver and some of the other minor characters. Even after all this time and this many re-reads, The Giver still manages to speak to me and turn me into an emotional mess like it's the first time.

RATING: ★★★★★ - Absolutely loved it!

The Giver is one of my favorite books of all time so it's a little hard for me not to gush, and hopefully I was able to give you more than just an "ohmigod I love this book" reason to pick it up and read it yourself. I'm reading the next book in the series, Gathering Blue, which if I remember correctly, I didn't love nearly as much as The Giver but I'm incredibly anxious to finally read Son which was released at the end of 2012. Fans of this book will understand how the ending of The Giver will give me the motivation to wade through two mediocre books to find out what happened next in Son.

Have you read The Giver? Is it something you picked up recently for the first time in anticipation of the movie (which I think is going to suck balls, but that topic is for another time, another blog post), or has it been a favorite since childhood like it was for me? I love discussing favorites! Let's talk books!


A.

Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

ISBN: 9780062247100
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Released: January, 2013
Goodreads  |  B&N
*Please note, this review may contain spoilers for the first book in the series. Click here for a spoiler-free review of Under the Never Sky*

     SUMMARY:

It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.

Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.
Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first.
Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist? Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

     REVIEW

If I'm being totally honest, Under the Never Sky, the first book in this trilogy, blew my mind a little. I was so excited to continue with the series after reading it. While I did really like Through the Ever Night, it didn't quite live up to how I felt for UNS.

The odd thing is, TEN was so much more emotional, raw and gritty and it really was a good story. It more or less ripped my heart out and tore it into a million pieces. My problem lies in the fact that I wanted to see more of the Realms. Obviously, I know that the whole point is that the Realms could never compare to real like, but I just wishhhhh we got to see me. It really is a fascinating concept.

My other issue was the world building. It didn't go as far as I felt like I needed it to go. I wanted to know more about how the world got into the state it was in, more about the tribes, more about other tribes. Rossi gave us just enough to get  by on but I was craving more.

The story otherwise was fast-paced, emotionally taxing and get me on the edge of my seat. Things definitely weren't going the way I wanted them to go, but of course I would've settled for a happily ever after right after the first book finished, so I'm probably not the best judge of that. Though it didn't live up to UNS standards, I did enjoy it and was eager to begin book 3 which was just released early this year. (Thank God I waited to read it. I don't know if I could've waited).

RATING: ★★★★ - Enjoyed it!

I enjoyed Through the Ever Night a lot, except for the world-building being a little weak, and not as much expansion on the Realms aspect as I would've liked. It did, however, send me on an emotional roller coaster and I had a hard time picking up the pieces of my broken heart when it was over.

Have you read Through the Ever Night yet? What did you think? Did you love it as much as the first one or did you think it suffered a bit from second-book-syndrome?

Let's talk books!

A. 

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

ISBN: 9780062072047
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Series: Under the Never Sky #1
Released: December, 2011
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

REVIEW

I went into Under the Never Sky with one hell of a bookish chip on my shoulder. I was in the worst reading slump I'd been in in a long time and had recently DNF'd several different things that I just couldn't get into. I'd also had UNS on my shelf for a crazy long time so I figured it was about time to pick it up. I had no desire to read anything in particular so why the hell not, right?

I was so pleasantly surprised by UNS. It is so unique compared to other dystopians I'd been reading. UNS is fresh, it's different and I wanted to know so much more about the worlds of the book (especially the realms, which I was a little disappointed we didn't get to see more of). The sci-fi element of the book was the most interesting aspect and was what kept me glued to it.

The writing was great and though the world(s)-building as a whole lacked some of what I was hoping for, it left me intrigued and wanting more. The romance was also pretty well done, no real insta-love which is the bane of the existence of the YA world. Aria and Perry literally gave me chills. I absolutely adored them and I was rooting for them from the first page!

I enjoyed UNS a lot and I was pretty lucky to have Through the Ever Night on hand so I could start it immediately after. Great book and it definitely helped me begin the slow ascent out of my reading slump.

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2 - Loved it!

I enjoyed UNS so much! It was a fresh, unique take on the dystopian novels that are flooding the YA scene. The romance was beautiful and touching and I couldn't wait to get to the next book in the series once I was finished with this one.

Have any of you read Under the Never Sky? What did you think? Did you like it more or less than some of the other popular dystopian novels out there?

Let's talk books!

A.

Review: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

ISBN: 9780152061548
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Series: The Last Survivors #1
Released: 2006
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SUMMARY

High school sophomore Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, like "one marble hits another." The result is catastrophic. How can her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis are wiping out the coasts, earthquakes are rocking the continents, and volcanic ash is blocking out the sun? As August turns dark and wintery in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

     REVIEW

Life As We Knew It is kind of like a car crash you can't tear your eyes away from. It's horrible and turns your stomach but you just need to know what happened. That's kind of how I felt reading this book. Actually, I think I only picked this book up out of morbid curiosity.

Oddly enough, this book is set in Pennsylvania in a town not to far from where I actually live right now. Not to mention that an apocalypse of this nature is one of my biggest mostly-unrealistic sources of anxiety. In this book, the moon, which has been hit by an asteroid or something, the size of which has been greatly miscalculated by scientists, is knocked out of orbit and is now much closer to Earth, throwing everything out of whack.

There are tsunamis, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, horrible storms, massive blizzards, etc. Enter Miranda, young girl struggling to maintain some semblance of normalcy when the world seems to be ending. I kind of hated Miranda for most of the book for not taking the whole thing seriously until shit got really bad for her family. I won't go into more detail because the horrible little things this family goes through is kind of what makes the book to begin with.

I'll admit that I didn't like the story being written from the perspective of Miranda's diaries. Sometimes I felt the scope was too limited and sometimes I felt like Pfeffer went outside that scope with her dialogue and whatnot which was a little weird.

This book gave me such anxiety and such bad nightmares while reading it. I think LAWNI is even better (or worse...?) because of how possible these things are. I mean, do I think our scientists would completely miscalculate the size of an asteroid or meteor set to hit the moon? No. But I think a giant asteroid or meteor could hit the earth and our scientists would know about it and the world would be in a state of absolute chaos and everything would go to shit. It's pretty terrifying, honestly, and I'm glad the book is over. I don't think I'll be reading the next few books in the series either because I can only take so much.

RATING: ★★★ 1/2 - Liked it!

Life As We Knew It is a chilling apocalyptic tale that is rooted in real possibilities, making things all that much scarier. It was bleak and scary as hell, but it was pretty good all around (despite a whiny MC). I don't think I'll be reading the next few books but I would recommend this one because... you just have to read it and find out for yourself. It's just too crazy to pass up.

Have any of you read Life As We Knew It? What did you think of it? Does it freak you out because of how realistic the possibilities are? Or are you completely unaffected by the potential of a disaster like this effectively ending the world? Okay, I think the real question is, am I going to be one of those people who absolutely loses their mind and starts eating their own body parts for sustenance if the world ever ends?

Let's talk books!


A.

Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

ISBN: 9780345539786
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: Red Rising #1
Release date: January 28, 2014
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SYNOPSIS:

The war begins...
Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars. Generations of Helldivers have spent their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that one day people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.
Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. Mars is habitable - and indeed has been inhabited for generations by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. The Golds regard Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.
With the help of a mysterious group of rebels, Darrow disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.
But the command school is a battlefield. And Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda...

     REVIEW:

I read Red Rising back in.. geez, back in March. Here we are in June and I've yet to post a review. Yes, I have been in a bit of a slump. Yes I was on something along the lines of a hiatus. Yes, I am still recovering from said slump in an attempt to get back into my normal groove. But I also took this long because this was the next review I had to write and there are just no words for it.

Usually, I take notes while reading, or post incessantly to Goodreads if I need my screams to be heard, and use said notes and screams to help formulate my reviews.

Yeah, basically my Goodreads went something like this: "I have never read a book like this one. I can't.. I can't.." and that's about all the help I gave myself. Probably because I couldn't, and still can't form words in regards to this book.

I feel like it's something you all need to experience for yourselves. I will say, I don't think this is for everyone. It was reminiscent of... The Hunger Games, A Song of Ice and Fire and Ender's Game. Actually, I'm pretty sure the dust jacket of this book quotes those three books exactly. But it's so true and if you aren't a fan to some degree of these three books, I honestly don't think you will like Red Rising. It has the heart and soul of THG, the intensity and violence of ASoIF, and the intelligence and "out of this world" feeling of Ender's Game.

The world building is brilliant, explaining so much but still leaving so much to be discovered. The characters - God, I loved (and hated) so many of them! What was fantastic was how profound some of the messages in this book were without being over the top. I am in desperate need of the next book, Golden Son, immediately.

For lack of a better explanation on why this was one of the best books I've read so far this year, I shall instead implore you to go read it. That is, if you think you can handle it.

RATING: Loved it! ★★★★ 1/2

Have you read Red Rising yet? If you have, please help me better explain this amazing novel. What was it that you loved (or hated) about the book? If you haven't read it, do you think you will? Does it being described as a mix between THG, ASoIF and Ender's Game make you want to read it, or does that totally turn you off? Let's talk books!

Happy reading :)

A.

Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

ISBN: 9781423171027
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: Starbound #1
Released: November 20, 2013
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SUMMARY:

"It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it."

     REVIEW:

I was so incredibly excited when I finally was able to pick this book up back in February. The cover is gorgeous, the premise sounds amazing, the reviews are great. I started reading it and was pleasantly surprised at the solid writing and strong characters. Sadly though, I was slightly disappointed as I read further into the story. It was just good. I was hoping for something amazing, something mind-blowing but unfortunately it was not.

The pacing was pretty good at first but then about half way through, I was really ready for things to pick up and they just didn't. I felt like I spent the entire time waiting to "get to the good part". I was convinced that something big and epic was coming and while something did happen toward the end that gave me the scare of my life, it wasn't the epic thing I was looking for. Frankly, I just didn't think the author capitalized on all of the potential this story had.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I still did really enjoy this book. I LOVED the romance. It was my favorite aspect of the book. Tarver was downright hysterical and so swoon-worthy and I just loved him and Lilac together.

The writing was absolutely beautiful and the story was haunting and sometimes a little scary, to be honest. If I were Lilac, I think I would've freaked the hell out about halfway through the story. I also think the world-building was pretty well done but I just need more. I expect that we will get more with the release of This Shattered World in November of this year, but that is only a companion novel so while we will get more world building, will we get more Lilac and Tarver in any way? I need MORE!

RATING: ★★★★ Really Liked It!

I was hoping for something amazing when I sat down to read this book and while I did really like it, it wasn't mind-blowing or anything. The pacing was just too slow and I spent a lot of time waiting for something big to happen. With that being said, I adored the characters, the romance the world building and especially the writing which was amazing and beautiful.

I really want to read the next book because I believe the authors can build on the set up made by TBS and come up with something excellent.

Have any of you read TBS? If so, what did you think? Did the writing and great characters do it for you and you loved it with all your heart? Or, like me, did the pacing and lack of action kind of let you down a bit, but you still really liked it? Or (and I hope not) did you just hate it altogether? I'd love to know what you think!

Happy Reading!
A.