Awakening by Shannon Duffy ~ Review

Source:  Received an eBook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A thrilling, futuristic sci-fi novel set in a unique and thought-provoking world, from author Shannon Duffy.

Desiree Six (because she was born on a Friday) believes in everything the Protectorate stands for. She likes the safety and security of having her entire life planned out—her career, her mate, even the date of her death. She doesn't even think to question when Darian, her childhood friend and neighbor, is convicted of murdering his parents. They had seemed like such a loving family. But if he was convicted, then he must have done it.

Then Darian shows up in her room late one night. He has escaped from the Terrorscape—a nightmare machine used to punish all Noncompliants—and needs Desiree's help. What he tells her rocks her world to its core and makes her doubt everything she's ever been told. With this new information, will Desiree and Darian be able to escape the Protectorate before it's too late?

Review...

It's been awhile since I've read and enjoyed a YA dytopica as much as I did this one.  Contemporary has taken over my TBR list lately and I've been craving something different.  This landed in my inbox from Entangled Teen and I thought, why not.  So glad I decided to read it.

This world that Desiree (Rae) lives in is our world.  It's been manipulated by people who claim to want to keep us safe.  They are protecting us from our nightmares.  With the invention of the dreamscape, people are regularly brainwashed to believe what the beloved Protectorate determine is best for the people.  The day of the week determines the day you will die.  Your job is decided for you.  You mate is decided for you.  Only one child is allowed.  And the sheep are grateful and happy for it.  It's a sad commentary on what results from lack of choice.  

Rae is a brilliant artist but was told she is a nurse.  She's fed dreams of her soon to be mate, but is unhappy to find it's the boy who tormented her as a child.  And her childhood friend, the one who protected her from everything, he's accused of killing his parents and has escaped from the Terrorscape.  Things just are adding up to Rae.  But it can't be the Protectorate, right?  

I loved these characters.  Rae is strong and daring despite her very planned world.  She questions and she has a mouth on her.  I was cheering for her.  And Darian?  Love him.  That boy loves to protect Rae, his sunshine.  And he wants to fight because he's not like everyone else.  And the fact that he's escaped from the Terrorscape and lived to tell the tail is not the only reason.  

Mostly, I loved these two together.  Darian loves Rae.  It's pretty clear.  And there are kisses.  I so love kisses.  And he's kinda of territorial about Rae even if she has a different bondmate.  She's his.  That much is clear.

Filled with some interesting twists and turns, this story took a direction I wasn't expecting.   It feels like the beginning of a great series.  I hope there will be more.  The ending is perfect.  Yeah, it ends with an ending but it has this little surprise that makes you hope for more from this world.  I guess it's a cliff hanger but it's not one that you throw the book over.

This is the perfect read if you're looking for something different, something more.  Something that involves kisses and a world that could happen.  Something you just look forward to reading.  Something that intrigues you and surprises you.  Something that has some demons lurking but also has a guy that's willing to fight them.  That kind of book.  A great read.



                

Delirium by Lauren Oliver ~ audio book review

Source: Purchased audio book from audible

My Summary:

Love causes the sickness but Lena can't help falling in love.  She grew up excited to be cured when she turned eighteen.  She never saw it coming and now no one can know.  If they find out then she will be cured earlier.  She wants every second possible to stay in love with him.  But as the lies she has been told all of her life starts to unravel, can she really be happy being cured at all?


My Thoughts:




5 stars - A delicious love story set where love isn't allowed

I'll start with the narrator since I listened to this book. Sarah Drew narrates this book and I enjoyed her presentation.  She does a good job with the voices and doesn't distract from the book.  That's high praise as far as I'm concerned.

The world that Lauren Oliver creates for Delirium is unique and compelling.  I can totally see how an extremest group could create an attitude of fear strong enough to cause such a extreme result.  Then control the information to prevent people from realizing what had happened.  I wonder sometimes if we are not headed for something like this as we, as a society, turn over our individual rights for the sake of safety or other equally good concepts.  So this world was believable to me.  It was incredible how those who had been "cured" didn't even see the state they were in.  Again, I could draw parallels to social problems where the cure is far worse than the problem.  I enjoyed the world.

The characters were fabulous.  I loved Alex.  He has a fun personality with a very sweet side.  One of my very favorite scenes was when he explains the "why me" to Lena.  All I'll say is that it involved a crazy dance around a statue missing a hand.  Made me smile.  Of course I love Lena too.  She has been raised to believe lies her whole life.  She resists changing that mind set but her internal dialogue is fabulous.  So normal, really, but that's what makes it so good.  I could see myself clinging to what I had alway believed in the face of evidence to the contrary.  It's human nature.  Makes her more real to me.

The story line was fast pasted and sweet.  They certainly didn't have instant love but instead developed a great relationship.  I loved how the story turned when I was expecting it to twist and twisted when I thought is was going to turn.  I did guess a few things right but, really, I read so much that I can usually guess most of it right.  Not this time.  Though I did see the cliffhanger coming.

That cliff hanger ending was heart breaking.  I do have book two and want very much to dig in but my review schedule will not allow it.  So I'm gonna put it in the next available slot so I can know something VERY important.  Hmmm... wonder if I can sneak in one or two chapters just to know.  Better not risk it.  This is the kind of book that if you start it you are gonna be up all night!!

Anyone who loves dystopia with a heavy dose of romance should LOVE Delirium!  Pick it up for sure.

Lauren Oliver | Goodreads | Twitter | FB | Amazon | B&N | TBD | Audible

Eve by Anna Carey

Source: Netgalley ebook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review

My Summary:

Eve lives in a different world, a world that used to be the United States but a world that is trying to recover from a devastating virus.  Ninety-eight percent of the population has died.  Children are orphans.  Resources are far and few between.  Eve is living at a school where she has been since she turned five.  Her mother a victim of the plague. She has been raised to graduate and move to the building across the river to learn a useful trade.  That building has no visible windows and the girls that have previously gone there are never seen.  But Eve is told they are too busy inside.  What she doesn't know is what they are busy doing and when she finds out it's clear that she has to get out of there.  Leaving everything behind in a sudden and desperate move to survive, Eve strikes out on her own.  But the wild is no place for a book smart girl and she quickly finds that she must learn to trust one of those dangerous boys she has been taught to fear.  Caleb helps her, protects her and puzzles her.  Can Eve trust Caleb enough to protect her?  Will she discover how different Caleb is from the men she was raised to fear?  Will she survive and at  what cost?

My thoughts:




3 1/2 stars - a good read

Dystopica hasn't been a favorite genre for me.  I read and loved Hunger Games but MockingJay just wasn't for me.  So I have been leery of this genre.  But something about this book intrigued me.  I think it was the idea that Eve was taught to fear men and she was going to have to learn to trust one to survive.  That seemed interesting to me.  So I picked it up to read.

I really liked the premise for this book.  It seems very real that a sudden tragedy could take so many lives so quickly that the government would break down.  It also seems very real that in the crisis, people would trust someone who took too much power in the name of survive and with the promise of it only lasting for a short time.  I could totally see this happening.  I could also see the rebellion taking hold as people saw the results of such power.  I loved the set-up.

The whole book was a quick read, I finished it in a day.  I quickly became interested in Eve and her world. She was poorly educated to real life even though she excelled in the academics taught at her "school".  The things she knew didn't seem to help her survive once she found herself outside of the school.  I really wanted to see more growth from her.  Her decisions were poor at the beginning of the book and I hoped that would improve over the course of the book as she experienced living in the wild.  Unfortunately, Eve didn't grow that way.  As a matter of fact, she continually made bad choice to the point that I wanted to scream at her to stop.  So much was done and lost in the name of protecting Eve.  I hope in book two, she starts paying some of that back.

The other characters in the book were better at growing and developing over the course of the book.  Arden is a perfect example of this.  She starts off as a complete jerk but ends up learning a lot about herself and others.  I loved her by the end.  Caleb is fabulous.  Facing a girl that thinks all he wants is to sleep with her or abuse her in some way, he is amazing.  He uses humor and service to show Eve she is wrong about men.  I loved this part of the book.  It was a nice change to see a man portrayed this way.  Caleb makes good choices (except for once) and I was heartbroken for him at then end.

Speaking of the end, it is the reason for only 3 1/2 stars.  I was so angry at Eve for the ending that I wanted to throw the book.  (Not a good idea when the book is on my iPad).  Her choice could have been a sign of her growth and change over the course of the book but it didn't happen that way.  Because of that I was very disappointed and kind of lost interest in Eve.  Now Caleb, I want to know what happens with him and so I will probably read book two but Eve - whatever.

If you're a dystopica fan, then this book is perfect for you.

Watch the book trailer here.

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Anna Carey | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

I am not compensated for any of the links on this post.

Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe

My Summary:

Fallon has been sent on her first mission for the rebels. Dressed in silk (What is up with that?) and dancing is not quite what she would have preferred for a first mission but she needs to prove herself to the rebels. No questions, just do it. She’s capable, having trained since she was eleven.  Her mentor thinks she's ready and the King is wrong.   There has to be a better way than this sick utopian bubble where the virus takes everyone eventually. All she has to do is kill one knight who has…, what has he done to deserve to die?



My thoughts:




5 stars – a must read

I'm not normally a short story kinda girl.  I like novels but I picked this one up and I'm glad I did. What a craft to be able to create a world and characters that I care about in just a few pages. Trisha did it though. Very quickly, I understood this dystopican world of the future where the Earth has been destroyed for the most part. I met a rebellion that wants to move forward not backwards.  I really enjoyed how the world building came together as the story progressed at a dance.  There were well developed characters that quickly become favorites. I love Fallon for her strong will and determination but most of all for her thinking. She thinks for herself. I love that. Xander is also a free thinker and he watches the stars when it’s against the rules. Love that. Guess I’m a little bit of a rebel myself.  There were even a couple surprises and a twist I didn't see coming.  Not an easy task for a short story.

Great characters, great plot, great world building, quick read - pick up this ebook. It’s fabulous.

Trisha Wolfe | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

I am not compensated for any of the links in this post.