In The End (In The After #2) by Demitria Lunetta

Book Title: In The End (In The After #2)

Author: Demitria Lunetta

Publish Date: June 24th, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA/ SciFi

Series: Book 2 in In The After duology. My review of Book 1 is here.

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The thrilling conclusion to In the After, the survival story of Amy and Baby, set in a near future where Earth has been overrun by vicious, predatory creatures. 

It’s been three months since Amy escaped New Hope, and she’s been surviving on her own, like she did in the After. Until one day, her former fellow Guardian’s voice rings out in her earpiece. And in a desperate tone, Kay utters the four words Amy had hoped she would never hear: Dr. Reynolds has Baby.

Now it’s a race against time, for Baby is in imminent danger, her life threatened by the malevolent doctor who had helped start the end of the world. In order to save Baby, Amy must make her way to Fort Black, a prison-turned-survivor-colony, where she will need to find Ken, Kay’s brother. He alone holds the key to Baby’s survival.

One small slip-up on this quest could spark a downward spiral that would not only cost Baby and Amy their lives, but threaten the very survival of the people in the After.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

There’s one thing that is so rare in YA books, and, particularly, YA Dystopian books and that’s the absence of romance. I think I mentioned it in my review of In The After, but it bears repeating here. YA needs strong ladies who do what needs to be done without the complication of romance. There is so much more to girls and women than romance and Lunetta definitely makes sure we remember that in this duology.

Amy has one goal, to return to New Hope and get Baby. Baby is really the only one she feels any sense of loyalty to anymore. She has to go to Fort Black in order to save Baby. She tries to avoid it, but when her friend Kay radioes her, everything changes. Dr. Reynolds has Baby. From that point on, Amy knows she must go to Fort Black and she must find Ken. 

The world building was fabulous. Oh my goodness, the creep factor for Fort Black was definitely there. The Warden & Doc were both creepy and I didn’t trust them one iota. But Jacks, I could tell he wasn’t anything like the Warden or Doc. I could tell Jacks had some secrets of his own. I could also tell that he was interested in Amy. Amy is conflicted for a little time, but her resolve to save Baby was much more important than any man. 

That’s another thing that so many YA heroines seem to forget. Family is and always should be more important than any man. Amy’s willing to do whatever she needs to do to save Baby. She finds help in another girl, Brenna. Brenna was willing to help Amy do anything she needed to do. She was another Kay, but they were in Fort Black.

They learn even more about the Floraes and the vaccines and the research and we, as the reader did as well. That was a great treat as I was a bit worried that Lunetta wouldn’t go for it and delve into more of the politics. But she did and I was thrilled.

I very much enjoyed this book, though I wanted the conclusion to be a bit longer. It seemed to wrap up a little abruptly and it left some strings hanging. I’ll be giving the book 4.5 stars. I definitely think everyone should read this duology.

Review: In The After (In The After #1) by Demitria Lunetta

Book Title: In The After (In The After #1)

Author: Demitria Lunetta

Published Date: June 25th, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA/SciFi

Series: Book 1 of In The After duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you’ve ever seen.
And They won’t stop chasing you…until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

Disclaimer: This was a personal purchase.

Review:

This book was mindblowingly epic. Oh my goodness, it was fantastic, fabulous and all other positive words you could think of. I am so very picky about my Sci Fi, but this one blew me away completely.

Amy and Baby were a dynamic duo, one that was quite unique to me. They were essentially sisters by circumstance and they looked out for each other, they protected each other. Despite her age, Baby seemed to be quite mature and resourceful for her age. I think that was due to circumstance as well. She was mute, never spoke a word as long as Amy had known her. A mute toddler adds another layer to this fantastic book.

Amy and Baby live in silence, communicating only through modified sign language, which again, was awesome. They think they’re the only ones still alive…but they’re not…

When they are rescued by New Hope, everything seems like it’s a dream. There’s enough food, water and all other supplies necessary and they learn that they aren’t alone and that other survivors exist. But things at New Hope aren’t what they seem and Amy begins to realize that she can’t be there and that the safety is a facade. She is scared for Baby though as Baby has secrets that only she knows and if anyone finds out, Baby will be in grave danger.

I really liked that it focused so much on the science fiction stuff and there was only a small sprinkling of romance. I think that made the book much stronger. The book didn’t drag at all which is one thing I really loved. Often, when a book is over 400 pages, there are lulls in it, but not with this one. It was action packed throughout the entire thing. If you like science fiction, I think you’ll like this book a LOT. I am giving it 5 stars and I am excited to dive into the conclusion of the duology.

Review: The Taking (The Taking #1) by Kimberly Derting

Book Title: The Taking (The Taking #1)

Author: Kimberly Derting

Release Date: April 29th, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA.SciFi

Series: Book 1 in The Taking trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day. 

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men. 

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Diclaimer: I received this e-ARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Normally alien/SciFi like this really is not my thing. I am very picky about my SciFi but when I saw it on Edelweiss awhile back, I considered it. Even at the end of 2013 I wasn’t totally sold on it but I knew I wanted to expand my horizons book wise. So a couple of days ago, after my blogger friend Andi had bugged me for what seemed like the thousandth time, I picked it up and I devoured it.

Sixteen year old Kyra has everything a teenager could want. She’s got a doting boyfriend, parents who love her and love each other and she’s a rising softball star. Things change abruptly after a fight with her father after a softball game. The fight was over college and her plans to go to college in the fall with Austin, the aforementioned doting boyfriend.

A blinding white light changes everything.

When she comes to, she initially believes that she just fell asleep behind a dumpster. Strange yes, but what is even stranger is the world she finds waiting for her. She learns that it has been 5 years since anyone last saw her. Yet she hasn’t aged a day. Everything is different now. Her parents are divorced, Austin is away at college and in love with Kyra’s longtime best friend Cat.

And Austin’s brother Tyler has grown up.

Now I am really not a fan of the whole insta-love thing. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Insta-love doesn’t exist. Insta-lust definitely does and normally I would have labeled the thing between Tyler & Kyra as insta-lust but somehow I didn’t mind it. I rooted hard for Kyra & Tyler. There are so many swoony scenes for the both of them, but my favorite involves sidewalk chalk and a birdcage.

I loved this book. I loved the characters so hard and so much. I do hope that we see more of Simon & Willow in the next book because I really did like them. When Kyra begins to accept that maybe her father isn’t as crazy as her mother says he is, there’s an absolutely heartbreaking scene between Kyra and her mom. Her mom who used to be her best friend. I had a hard time with that scene because I kept thinking of my own relationship with my mom. 

I love books that are full of twists and turns and this book definitely brought that. In addition it also brought the feels in a big way. I was a wreck at the end of the book and it took me several minutes to calm myself down and stop crying. Derting combines, SciFi, Romance, and Contemporary all into one book. That is so hard to do and Derting did it. Not only did she do it, she did it amazingly. Even if you aren’t really into SciFi or if you are picky about it like I am, read this book. You will not be sorry. I am giving this book 5 stars and I cannot wait to see what happens next in this trilogy.

Waiting on Wednesday #3 The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.It is used to spotlight books that we are eagerly waiting for.

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty––because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence . . . and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Book Information

Title: The Jewel

Author: Amy Ewing

Release Date: September 2nd, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Standalone

Genre: YA/SciFi

Book Link

Goodreads

Pre-Order

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

My Reaction

I absolutely love the cover. Yes it does remind me of the covers for The Selection series by Kiera Cass, but the book sounds amazing. I really think that it has the power to be one of those un-putdown-able books. I am completely obsessed with the tagline as well. How awesome does it sound? Not sure exactly how one is trained to be a surrogate, but I guess we will find out.

So what book are you waiting for?

Impostor (Variants #1) by Susanne Winnacker

Book Title: Impostor (Variants #1)

Author: Susanne Winnacker

Release Date: May 23rd, 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: YA Mystery/SciFi

Series: Book 1 in Variants series

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. 

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from Razorbill via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

The synopsis looked awesome and so I requested it all the while crossing my fingers for it. Surprise, surprise, I got it. I was excited when I started it.Unfortunately, I didn’t end up enjoying it much.In fact it narrowly escaped being a DNF for me. Which I hate.I mean c’mon, awesome abilities and romance. How can it go wrong?

Well it can go wrong with the protagonist being a very immature sixteen year old. It can go wrong with her obsession over Alec taking over EVERY part of the book. It can go wrong when Alec is talked about in terms of his hotness. And people wonder why teenage girls are so shallow. They are shallow because the writers make them that way.

I thought Alec was an idiot too. I mean I felt terrible for his girlfriend Kate. She was not painted in a good light and I think that was because we were supposed to shun her and root for immature Tessa and moronic Alec.

There was no character development which is a biggie for me so I was really disappointed about that. I was screaming at Tessa to just grow the eff UP. But that didn’t help at all. She remained as teenage-ry as possible. The writing was just very simplistic and that really bothered me. I mean I don’t need something like J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy but geez, sometimes the writing reminded me of a high schooler writing fanfiction.

Overall this had a lot of promise but definitely was not executed well. The characters were flat, the writing was blah. So unfortunately I will be giving this book one star. Clearly I seem to be in the minority but this book just wasn’t for me.

Review: Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1) by Victoria Scott

Book Title: Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1)

Author: Victoria Scott

Release Date: February 25th, 2014

Publisher: Scholastic

Genre: YA/SciFi

Series: Book 1 in Fire & Flood series

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother’s life—and her own. 
Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can’t determine what’s wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She’s lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she’s helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It’s an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother’s illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there’s no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can’t trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Disclaimer: I received this print ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

What would you do for someone you love, who was suffering? That’s the question that Tella Holloway is forced to face when she receives an anonymous box one night. Her answer is quick, she would do anything for her brother who’s suffering from an unknown illness. Doctor after doctor have tried to help him but no one knows what’s ailing Cody Holloway. 

So when Tella learns that the prize for winning this thing, is The Cure, she knows that she must compete.Even if she’s never even heard of The Brimstone Bleed before.Even if she has no idea what to expect. She knows that Cody would do it for her in a heartbeat. Tella is bright, intelligent and devoted to her family no matter what kinds of things await her. 

There were so many themes in this book, but the one that stuck out to me the most is loyalty.One could also make the argument for family being the main theme, but loyalty was an even bigger one. Not just loyalty among human allies, but loyalty from Pandoras to humans.

I’m obsessed with Pandora’s.First, you find them as eggs in a room, even before you reach the first stage of the competition. You have no clue what these eggs hold or even if they’ll hatch. So you take a gamble and hope that it pays off. I have never wanted anything like this in my life. I WISH Pandora’s were real. That would be so darn awesome. 

I really liked the supporting characters: Harper,Caroline, Olivia and of course Guy. Oh my goodness, Guy was mysterious, intriguing and just SO swoon-worthy. Initially, he kind of gave me the creeps, but I eventually warmed up to him just like he warmed up to Tella.

I am so excited to see what the next book holds for all of these characters.This book will be getting a full five stars and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Review: Uninvited (Uninvited #1) by Sophie Jordan

Book Title: Uninvited (Uninvited #1)

Author: Sophie Jordan

Release Date: January 28th, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA/SciFi

Series: Book one in Uninvited duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she’s destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton’s tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn’t feel any different, but genes don’t lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he’s not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review:

Oh man, I really, REALLY liked this one. I had never read any of Sophie Jordan’s work before but when I was auto-approved awhile back for all of HarperTeen’s titles, I snatched this one up in a hurry.I was so hoping that I wouldn’t be disappointed. And I wasn’t. I was fully thrust into this world where it is so very much like it was prior to the end of segregation of African Americans and Caucasians.

Davina “Davy” Hamilton has a bright future but all of that comes to a crushing, heartbreaking end when she is found to be carrying the HTS gene. Suddenly, all her friends abandon her, her boyfriend ditches her and her parents seem afraid of her. She is now sent to a different school where the carriers are separated from the other students, the normal ones who don’t carry this gene.

Davy’s lost everything and I could feel the grief through the pages of the book.Suddenly she’s friendless and terrified.She’s thrust into a room at her new school that’s dubbed The Cage. It’s here where she meets both allies and adversaries.I really liked Coco from what little we saw of her and I was really wishing she was more of a presence in this book.

Now to the guys who were very mysterious initially, although they couldn’t have been any different. Gil was more outgoing and friendly. Sean was quiet and not all that friendly. He definitely wasn’t mean to Davy, but he definitely had an edge to him.Maybe it was the HTS thing or maybe it was his home situation, but I think it was a combination of both.

As quickly as her former friends turned against her, I never would have believed that her ex boyfriend and her ex best friend along with other kids would have turned her in for a seemingly minor crime. But they did and I was heartbroken for Davy.It wasn’t right and it made Davy feel even more hopeless. 

When she’s given an unexpected opportunity, she takes it instantly. What she doesn’t know is that by taking this offer, she’s putting herself in even more danger.Soon she meets other kids like her, who have the HTS gene. She meets more adversaries and one more ally, all the while trying to ignore her growing feelings for Sean.

Watching that relationship slowly develop was awesome. It wasn’t a case of insta-love, thank goodness. Sean worked his butt off to protect Davy throughout this book. They were friends long before they became anything else.Their romance added a bright light in a very bleak world.

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot to mention the FEELS. Ohhhh boy there were a lot of feels for me in this book. Not just one or two feels either. A whole range of feels. From sadness, to happiness to glee and many other feels.Books that give me these kinds of feels are always going to be some of my favorites.

I really did enjoy this book a lot. There are only a few things I didn’t like so much. I wish we had learned how the HTS gene was discovered and a little backstory on that. I also didn’t like Davy’s parents that much. I know they were scared but I didn’t particularly love the way they treated Davy. It wasn’t like she asked for this gene. Her brother was awesome though. He seems bound and determined not to see Davy as a threat to his safety. He treats her normally unlike her parents and her former friends.

So this book will be getting four stars from me and I cannot wait to read the final book in the duology. I have a feeling that it will be amazing.So go read it if you like action, romance and above all, books that make you feel.

Review: Replica (Replica #1) by Jenna Black

Book: Replica (Replica #1)

Author: Jenna Black

Published: July 16th, 2013

Publisher: Tor Teen

Genre: YA/Dystopian/SciFi/Murder Mystery

Series: Book 1

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis:

Sixteen year old Nadia Lake’s marriage has been arranged since she was a child.Her betrothed was born in a family with the highest power in the corporate states.Nadia lives a very privileged life but that comes with paparazzi scrutinizing her every move,using every detail of her personal life as gossip fodder.Her future is assured as long as she can keep up with her flawless image.That is not easy when her betrothed is a notorious playboy.

Nathaniel Hayes is heir to the company that begin the process of human replication.Yet Nathaniel is more interested in staying in what is now the underbelly of the state that used to be New York.He’d rather be there than courting his bride-to-be. Especially when she is not really his type.

When Nathaniel turns up dead,all bets are off.

When the new Nathaniel wakes up in the replication room,he has no memory of how he ended up here. He has no idea who would end his life and he is terrified to think that the person he loves most of all,may have had a hand in it.Now Nathaniel and Nadia must find out the truth without spilling the secrets of those in their life.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC as a gift from Christina at A Reader of Fictions. Thanks Christina!

Review:

I wasn’t expecting anything from my blogger friends so when I got this in the mail I was both thrilled and shocked at the same time. This had come in a package along with Extremities:Stories of Death,Murder & Revenge.Once I read the back of this book,I just knew that this was going to be an awesome book. I waited until the next day to start it,in an attempt to finish another book first.The next day,when I finally curled up to read it,I devoured it.

I know when most people think dystopian,they think The Hunger Games trilogy or the Divergent Trilogy but this was totally different and in an AWESOME way.First of all it was set in what used to be New York so there’s some familiarity there. It wasn’t some random place that was obviously made up.

The arranged marriage thing is something that people in India still do so that wasn’t totally weird. I’ve often joked with my family that they should do an arranged marriage for me. Then again, I’m 27,way too old for the arranged marriage stuff.I think if either Nadia or Nathaniel had been lousy characters,I would have had an issue with the whole arranged marriage thing.

Nathaniel is supposedly a playboy but I never got that feeling about him. Maybe because I realized who he really was,whereas the people living there had no idea who Nathaniel Hayes was. I also knew that he was nothing like his father,which ended up being a massive relief.

Nadia was a teenager who didn’t realize what she was really capeable of. Yes she along with Nathaniel made rash decisions but that’s part of being a teenager. Most teenagers make rash decisions. But along with that,we got to see her bravery. How she handled herself during her first round of questioning and her second and so on. Especially when it came to Dirk Mosely.

Almost instantly we are thrown into a world that seems to thrive on half truths & secrets. None as damming as the one that Nathaniel has from his family. Only Kurt Bishop & Nadia know the true Nathaniel.When Nathaniel is found dead only hours after Nadia is seen having a disagreement with him,questions surface. Was Nadia tired of keeping her future husband’s secrets,was Nathaniel caught “going outside the arrangement?” The answer to those questions end up somewhere in the middle.

Dirk Mosely gave me the creeps from the beginning. I knew fairly early on that he could and would make life difficult for Nadia if she did not do as he told her to. His threats against her family,particularly her niece and nephew would likely be enough for her to give in. From the time Nadia was small,it was instilled into her how important it was to keep her family safe at all costs.

Dante may have been Nadia’s butler but he turned out to be a heck of a lot more interesting than I had ever even guessed. His connection to Kurt and to the Basement was fascinating.He was sort of living a double,even triple life.He was quite a brave guy.

I adored this book so much. It didn’t follow the typical dystopian format which was awesome. There wasn’t really a romance element although towards the end there were flickers of one between Nadia & Dante.It kept me wanting more and more.I couldn’t put down this book from about halfway to the end. The pacing was fast and totally engaging which I was thrilled about. I hate it so much when the pace is slow.That’s one of the things that make me ranty.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Especially the way the epilogue left it. It’s clear that this is far from over. Five stars to Book One of this awesome new series.