Category: YA Dystopian

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

My Initial Thoughts:

I went into this book blindly. It was on the Kindle Daily Deals and I decided… why not? So I bought it for a couple bucks and decided to read it. I love it when blind purchases turn out great!

Review:

Oh My Gosh. This book was absolutely amazing. Some people hate that it is marketed as the next Hunger Games, but honestly, I don’t care. In my head it’s the love child of Divergent and The Hunger Games. Just think Dauntless, Erudite, and the actual Hunger Games. Crazy right?

We start of with Cia on her graduation day where she goes from being labeled a child into actual adulthood and she can be a candidate for The Testing. The government chooses the candidates for The Testing, and only the brightest are chosen. The Testing is a test which determines if you are able to go to University and therefore become a future leader of the United Commonwealth.

After Cia’s graduation everything unravels and her world is turned upside down. The Testing is not what she thought it was. Her father who is a alumnus of the University advices her not to trust anyone and to try to survive the tests.

The rest of the book has you on the edge of your seat. Who is a friend and who is a foe? Who can be trusted and who is a Judas? The author did a very good job at weaving the story and creating it in a way that we aren’t bored. It may be dystopian and we may have seen some of the plot before but the way it was written, she made the plot look fresh, new, and that is what good writing is all about.

I recommend this book and advice you to read it!

The sequel, Independent Study, comes out today, January 7, 2013. Go to your local bookstore and grab the first two books. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Rating: 5/5

Special Review, YA Dystopian, YA Paranormal

Blog Book Review Tour: Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Sanctuarybanner2

Blurb

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18684843-sanctuary?ac=1

http://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-Pauline-Creeden/dp/1491072067/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385951078&sr=8-1&keywords=Sanctuary+creeden

Pauline Creeden

In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. Her debut novel, Sanctuary is scheduled for release September 30, 2013, and has already been nominated for two awards in YA Science Fiction.

One of Pauline’s short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group.

https://twitter.com/P_Creeden

https://www.facebook.com/PaulineCreeden

http://paulinecreeden.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5284782.Pauline_Creeden

Review

First of all, if you like scary books about alien invasions, this is your type of book! I was so scared when I was reading it that I opted to read it in the morning and not at night. It took me a while to sleep the first night I read a few chapters. I kept imagining the aliens described in the book and trust me my imagination did a wonderful job at creating them.

Sanctuary is written in several POV’s which helps the reader understand what is going on through different parts of the country. It also helps us see how all the characters came together and were able to find temporary safety. At first I thought Jennie was cowardly, but as I read on the story, I noticed how brave she really was and coming out strong after everything that she experienced is awe-inspiring. I also enjoyed Hugh’s POV.

The attacks of the aliens, the science behind the alien animals, and the bible passages made it real in the sense that as you’re reading the story, you feel as if you’re in that world experiencing the attack, fearing for your own life. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of alien invasions and The Walking Dead. This is one sic fi thrill you won’t want to miss.

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Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

What I Like:

I read this book in one sitting. ONE SITTING. I absolutely loved it. Prince Maxon was such a sweetheart, except for this one time where I was really mad at him. Hormones, Ugh. I really liked Maxon’s mother, the Queen. She brought stability and hope. I really think the Queen is a symbol of what the kingdom would be like if given the opportunity, or more better said, the right to have the ability to rise, to better themselves. Your caste number does not define you, it is the type of person you are that ultimately defines you. We can see this with Celeste. She may be of the second highest caste, but inside, she is a horrible human being. On the other hand, America, who does have her fair share of imperfections and moments of horrible judgement of character, is a better person overall and cares for others. She is always trying to help others, even at the cost of it affecting her in a negative way.

What I Dislike:

I was annoyed with America many times in the book. Like I said earlier, she can be a horrible judge of character. I also really disliked Aspen and the way he was trying to weasel into America’s heart by making Prince Maxon look bad at all costs. I do feel like the selection is dragging a little long. I hope we get to see more of the rebels in The One.

Overall:

In conclusion, the good of the book overpowers the bad. The “bad” parts of the book are not poor writing, or a boring plot, the “bad” parts of the book are the decisions the characters make and the consequences that they have to face for making said decisions. Kiera’s writing is so easy and effortless to read and very, very enjoyable that one only notices how long the book is until one is done. In my opinion, the books are not long enough.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Veronica Porras (TTB)

9593911Goodreads Summary:

I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

What I Liked:

I wasn’t that big of a fan of the first book in the series, Delirium. It was hard for me to get into, but there were some parts that I did enjoy. Pandemonium though, pleasantly surprised me. I loved the character development Lena went through in this book, and the alternating time chapters really worked out well and enhanced the importance of everything we read. The addition of Julian to the story was something I welcomed with open arms. It gave Lena an opportunity to get out of her numb shell and feel again. It showed her that someone can love more than one person.

Something else I liked was how Lauren Oliver portrayed The Resistance and its leaders in this book. The leader I’m thinking of is Raven. The Resistance is supposed to represent the good side of the dystopian society, but even they make mistakes and hurt others for their cause. Raven knew what was going to happen to Lena, but she still put Lena in the life or death circumstances even though there was a good chance Lena would end up dead.

What I Disliked:

A few times the description of the places slightly contradicted itself and it confused me, but apart from that I have nothing negative to say.

Overall:

I enjoyed Pandemonium immensely. It is important that we never stop to love because without love, society cannot survive.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Short Book Review: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Review:

I started reading this book without knowing much except that Juliette has this power that is lethal. I didn’t know where it was going and boy was I happy not to have this book spoiled. I absolutely loved Shatter Me. The beginning of the book, the unique writing, was what kept  me reading. It was new, it was different. I really loved how Juliette’s narration style changed throughout the course of the novel.

and… Adam, that boy! He is the perfect love interest in my opinion. Warner is a great villain. Villains aren’t written like that anymore. Villains need character development as well and most of the time, they are flat. I was gladly surprised Warner was not one dimensional.

I really can’t wait to read Destroy Me and Unravel Me.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Review: Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Veronica Porras (TTB)
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Goodreads:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

What I liked:

I liked that Insurgent had the same feeling of dread, excitement, and heart pounding adrenaline that Divergent had. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole entire time. The ending was… perfect. Veronica Roth is the only author I approve of using that type of torturous cliffhanger on me.

What I disliked:

I don’t really have anything negative to say about the book except that I kept thinking, “Dear women let me breath!!” At the same time, it is also why I like it. I am a very complicated person when it comes to this series. It also seemed that Insurgent lacked the ‘love’ part of the story. What redeemed the lack of love in the book was the ending, when Four did what he did (if you read this book already, you know what he did) and believed Tris. The understanding and loyalty between these two just gets to me. They may just be one of my favorite pairings at the moment.

Overall:

Insurgent was phenomenal. I loved every second of it and I can only hope Allegiant is going to be as good as the first two books in the trilogy.

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Veronica Porras (TTB)
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Oh My!

This book exceeded my expectations! It blew them out of the water!

I was hesitant to read this book. I really was. I picked it up a few months ago, read about 3 pages and decided it wasn’t worth my money. Boy, was I a bit judgmental because of the hype! I regret not reading this book sooner. I could have had the hardcover edition of the first book instead of the paperback edition the bookstore only had in stock.

Honestly, this is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year. The amount of action, romance, intrigue, and the writing style, make it into a blockbuster of books! No wonder the hype is as big as it is!

You could say the main characters are Tris (also known as Beatrice) and Four (whose identity I can’t disclose because I want to keep this as spoiler free as I can, Muahahahaha). Tris’ world consists of Five Factions, the Abnegation, the Amity, the Candor, the Dauntless, and the Erudite. Each faction stands for a “value” one could almost say. The Abnegation strive to be selfless, the amity strive to be peaceful, the candor strive to be honest, the dauntless are the brave, and the Erudite strive to gain knowledge. At Tris’ 16th birthday she had to go through a simulation test that decides what faction you’re most compatible with. That’s where things get tricky for Tris because no faction is the correct one for her. She is factionless. Her father is a leader in the Abnegation government and changing faction’s would mean she would betray her family, her government almost.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to fans of any book genre. I’m not a big dystopian fan but this book made me want to read more books in that genre.

Oh and, Divergent takes place in Chicago. That might peak your interest a little more. 😉

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I liked it. A fun read.

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!