Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Book: Pandemonium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: February 28, 2012

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Series: Delirium #2

Summary from Goodreads: 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.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

**slight spoilers for book one contained in this review**

First impressions: I had no clue what to expect with this book. I liked Delirium, but had some major issues with the premise of a society that views love as a disease. It kept me from fully enjoying Lena and Alex's story, despite beautiful writing. I went in to this one with some hesitation as a result, which turned out to be completely unnecessary.

Lasting impressions: This may be one of the only times I recommend reading a first book just so you can read the second one. This sequel was a thousand times more enjoyable for me than Delirium, and no matter what your feelings on the first book, this is a fantastic read that nearly stands on its own.

Conflicting impressions: I thought Julian changed his ideals and morality a bit too quickly and conveniently. It definitely added tension to Lena's storyline, but I found it hard to swallow that he would be so afraid and disgusted by Lena's affliction of delirium, only to fall victim to it a few days or weeks later with no internal conflict.

Overall impressions: When we left Lena at the end of Delirium, she had made it past the wall into The Wilds, and her love Alex had been captured in Portland. This book picks up immediately after, with Lena injured and heartbroken at the assumed death of Alex. She is saved by a group of people on the outside, who take her into their community and nurse her back to health. As she gets stronger and more determined to live life free of the cure, she begins to take on more advanced assignments within their group's resistance efforts.

Lena experiences some major growing pains in this book. She is alone in spirit, fending for herself for the first time. She makes some acquaintances with her new family in the wilderness, but on the outside people are harder and have been through so much pain that they build emotional walls to fill the place of the physical ones of their old lives. Raven, the mothering leader, is tough as nails while holding tenuously to her desire to care for others. She and Lena have an interesting dynamic that is at times competitive and at times friendly. It's hard to fully trust her, despite the fact that she seems to do what's best.

Things really ramp up when Lena is sent to a public rally to spy on a young uncured named Julian. Lena winds up being kidnapped with him and despite his fear of her as a delirium victim, he feels drawn to her. They share some touching moments during captivity and Julian begins to fall for Lena. As they work to escape, navigating their feelings becomes equally treacherous as their harrowing situations. Lena is conflicted about her remaining feelings for Alex, and Julian has been brought up to despise everything that Lena stands for. It's an interesting dynamic ripe with tension.

The book is full of exciting action and beautiful prose. I appreciated the chance to follow Lena outside the contstrained life in Portland, and following her through the wilderness and into New York City brought a fresh perspective that was so much fun to read. The story is told through chapters that alternate between a 6 month timeframe, labeled "now" and "then." In the now chapters, we follow Lena and Julian's exploits, and in the then chapters we see how Lena made her way from Portland to Raven's crew. When the stories ultimately collide at the end, Lauren Oliver drops another bomb on us (though ultimately not that surprising) and leaves us with another uncertain ending that begs for continuation. It was an appropriate end to this section of Lena's story, but I anxiously await the third book to see what comes next for Lena.

Rating: 5/5 stars

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Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Book: Enclave

Author: Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release date: April 12, 2011

Source: Borrowed from library

Series: Razorland #1

Summary from Goodreads: In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

First impressions: I couldn't put it down! Could not. I started it on a Saturday night right before bed, and stayed up until I was halfway done. The next day I picked it up and read it straight through to the end. Two sittings and it was over! Few books give as strong of a first impression as that.

Lasting impressions: A taut, suspenseful, realistic dystopian that kept my skin crawling in all the best ways.

Conflicting impressions: I had the same thought as Amanda. Deuce? Her name is Deuce? Please tell me this is a joke.

Overall impressions: I love post-apocalyptic stories. I love strong female characters. I love mysterious cute male characters. I love dystopias where the strong female character doesn't know how bad things are until she gets a new perspective introduced by mysterious cute male characters.

I knew I was going to like this book. I didn't know I'd love it.

Ms. Aguirre creates a world so richly detailed that it completely absorbed me. As Deuce stumbled blindly through dark subterranean tunnels, fighting off rabid zombie-like "Freaks," my heart pounded. I turned the pages so fast I nearly tore them from the book. I had to know what was going to happen! This world was dangerous and surprising and really kept me on my toes. Kudos for the well done suspense.

Deuce is a fairly typical protagonist for a dystopic novel. She's a bit naive about how the system is working against her, rather than for her. She's idealistic and wants to contribute to their strict society. She doesn't like to ruffle feathers. She believes she is being protected and cared for, and that the information she receives from her elders is true and correct. Over the course of the book, we come to realize that her life is not as grand as she thought it once was.

Fade is an outsider in Deuce's community. He's not well looked upon, and is only allowed to stay because he's an excellent Hunter. When he and Deuce are paired together, it's a punishment of sorts, and she doesn't want to be stuck with the guy whose last partner died. Deuce is excellent at what she does, and like Fade, is constantly out to prove herself. As they work together to check traps and fight off Freaks - who seem to be getting smarter and more vicious - they are forced to develop a bit of trust. Their relationship gets cemented after a grueling journey to a nearby camp, and it's at this point that Deuce's world view starts to change.

It would take all of the fun out of the book to reveal the events that affect Deuce enough to drive her above ground for the first time in her life, and what course her life takes when she's out from under the authoritarian enclave. The second part of the book reveals a whole new world to Deuce, with different challenges, and it's where she really is forced to make tough choices.

One of my favorite things about this book is that no one is all good or all bad. The characters each do things that are valiant and despicable. Someone who once was an enemy may become a friend, and friends can always betray you. Deuce can truly only rely on herself, her instincts, her skills as a Huntress, and her humanity to guide her life's journey. Despite the hellish place America has become, Deuce is determined to persevere.

I can't wait to see what the next stage in her life brings. Book two, Outpost, is out this fall, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Book: Crossed

Author: Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Release date: November 1, 2011

Source: Ebook purchased from Amazon

Summary: (from Goodreads) In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

First impressions: I was so excited to get back into this world, and it picks up almost immediately after we left off in Matched. I admit I had to take a minute to think back - now where were we? I think this is one of those series that is better read close together.

Lasting impressions: While I won't go so far as to say this was a disappointment, it did suffer a bit from middle book syndrome. We didn't learn a whole lot of new information about the Society, and a majority of the book revolves around Cassia trying to reunite with Ky.

Conflicting impressions: I was so invested in Cassia and Ky's relationship in the first book that having to spend so much time with them apart made the story lose a little magic. The chemistry that connected me to these characters was missing, so the book dragged for me.

Overall impressions: This was probably my most anticipated book of the year, so it's too bad that it turned out to be just okay for me. Good, not great. I loved Matched so much that it's not likely the sequel would have measured up, but this felt like an entirely different story.

Cassia spends most of the book trying to sneak her way to the Outer Provinces by pretending she's not a Citizen and joining work camps. Ky, meanwhile, is faced with the grim reality of being used as bait in an ongoing war with the people outside the Society. He makes a few friends and bolts with them into the surrounding canyons.

There is a bit of tension surrounding the blue pills and whether or not Cassia will survive and/or be reunited with Ky. She also tries to find out more about the Resistance and what kind of role she wants to play in it. Similarly, Ky must also determine whether being with Cassia is worth accepting a prominent position in the Resistance.

With just enough nuggets of new information to merit this sequel, there's still a lot left to discover in book three, out next year. I think it's worth a read for fans of the series, but would wait to read it until closer to the release of the conclusion book, so you can move straight into what will hopefully be the more exciting end of the story.

Rating: 3/5 stars

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Trailer Tuesday (2)

Shhhhh. Let's not talk about NaNoWriMo. We won't discuss my paltry word count (~5,600) or the fact that I'm considering scrapping it this year to work on the book that actually needs to get finished. We'll just table that discussion for another day.

BECAUSE.

Because, because, because, because, because!

It's here!

It needs no introduction, really. Kids, the day has finally come for the theatrical trailer of The Hunger Games, and I admit no shame in the fact that tears were shed upon viewing this magical trailer.

Is it March yet?

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: November 15, 2011

Source: ARC received from Around the World Tours

Series: Shatter Me #1

Summary: (from Goodreads) 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.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel — with a paranormal twist — that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

First impressions: Juliette is a beautiful character. From the beginning, we are alone in her thoughts, as she whiles away her time in isolation. Her touch kills people, and for the last 264 days she has been alone in a wreck of a psychiatric hospital/jail with only a window and a notebook to pass the time. I fell in love with this sweet girl who dreamed of birds in flight and wished for a taste of fresh air.

Lasting impressions: Never has a title of a book been more appropriate. The writing and the characters and the world all made me want to shatter into pieces. Though the ending of the story went a different direction than I anticipated, it was not unwelcome. I'm excited to see where the next chapter in Juliette's life takes us.

Conflicting impressions: At times the stylistic prose pulled me out of the story. How many ways can Juliette describe falling to pieces? A lot. I also wish that we'd gotten more of the history of her world in order to understand Warner's motives as the villain. He kidnaps Juliette for his own purposes, but we don't really know what those are because Juliette is so in the dark about the world outside her cell. I felt like I was flying blind a lot of the time.

Overall impressions: Despite the aforementioned flaws, and a perhaps tired plot that feels like a re-tread of the X-Men, I still absolutely loved this book. Tahereh Mafi fills her plot with such incredible characters that I couldn't help but be captivated by all of them.

Juliette is one of the most sympathetic characters I can remember reading recently. She has been neglected by her parents and forced to avoid human contact for her entire life. My God! I would die! Yet she has remained kind, thoughtful, and perhaps most surprising, sane. She never gives up, and I admired that about her.

Adam is a bit of an enigma. He starts off almost cruel toward Juliette, but later reveals himself as a Peeta-like admirer from afar. Working for the enemy, it takes a while for Juliette to fully trust him, but he is so pure of heart and full of love that he ultimately wins her, and the reader, over.

Warner is a great antagonist. We may not be sure of his motives, but we know he wants to have Juliette as a pawn in his war against The Reestablishment's enemies. He will do anything to achieve this goal, and forces her to do some pretty awful things along the way. For such a smart and sadistic guy, however, he seemed awfully gullible when it came to Juliette's feelings.

This is an interesting paranormal crossed with a dystopian setting that never failed to keep my interest. Powerful characters are all seeking to find their destiny, and the new direction Juliette's life takes at the end of the novel will have profound consequences for the next book. I'll definitely be looking forward to the sequel as one of my most anticipated books of 2012.

Rating: 5/5 stars

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Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Book: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Release date: November 29, 2011

Source: ARC for review from Books with Bite Book Tours

Summary: (from Goodreads) What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

First impressions: Is it enough to say that I knew I'd like this just because it's a dystopian? From the first few sentences that set up a militaristic, controlling, dystopic future, I was on board with this one.

Lasting impressions: Very few books bring on a full cry from me, but this was one of them. The ending was so full of tension and sacrifice that I couldn't help but sob, right there at work during my lunch break.

Conflicting impressions: I intended to give this 5 stars after finishing it, but when I sat down to try and write a review, I couldn't remember what happened or why it made me cry without a bit of a refresher. Considering it's not as unforgettable a tale as some of my other die-hard 5 star favorites, I knocked it down a peg.

Overall impressions: This is a story about starcrossed lovers. June and Day are two 15 year olds who come from very different backgrounds, but are thrown together by circumstance, only to find themselves falling in love instead of destroying each other. Um, yes please!

June is the smartest kid, with the brightest future, in all of the Republic. She scored a perfect score - twice, since they didn't believe it the first time around - on her required exams. This landed her on the fast track to a promising military career, following in the footsteps of her older brother, Metias.

Day, on the other hand, failed out of his exams and was sent to the labor camps - or so the Republic would have the people believe. He escaped his terrible fate, and now acts as a Robin Hood of the poor districts where he was raised. He cheats and steals his way into money, giving some back to his destitute family when he can, though all except one of his brothers believes him to be dead. Day is known to wreak havoc on the Republic, making him the most wanted criminal in the country.

When a plague (one of many constantly striking the poor districts) rolls through his family's neighborhood, Day sets out to find a cure to save his youngest brother, who has been infected. After a dangerous break-in and an incident that leaves Metias dead, June is set on the trail of Day to find and kill him in revenge for the loss of her brother.

If only things were that easy.

Day is a charmer - bold, flirtatious, charismatic - and even June cannot resist being drawn to him. He challenges every preconceived notion the Republic would have her believe about him, and she struggles with how to keep hating him, even as the doubts set in about Metias's murder. June is likewise intriguing to Day. She is strong, smart, and ruthless, though also gentle of heart. She is quiet, thoughtful, and listens to Day, just when he thought no one was left to care about what he had to say. I loved these two together, and the tension that came from them not truly trusting each other.

The story moves quickly, and it's very hard to put this one down. None of the mysteries unraveling throughout are big surprises, and I wish the book was a bit longer, if only to get some more background. The Republic (Los Angeles) is at war with the rest of the continent, but I found it unclear why or how it started. I wasn't sure the exact history of this world or who the real villains were, so it was difficult to get invested in the political allegiances. For this book, June and Day were enough, but in the future I hope we get more information on the conflict that's brewing around them.

This is a must-read for all dystopian fans, and I think it's a good jumping in point for anyone looking to try out the genre for the first time. It has an intriguing setting, enjoyable characters, and a lot of heart. I very highly recommend it!

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Review: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

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Book: Dark Parties
Author: Sara Grant
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: August 3, 2011
Source: ARC received from Book It Forward ARC Tours

Summary: (from Goodreads) Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

First impressions: If you have any question about the title, it gets answered in the very first scene. Neva is literally stumbling around in a "dark party" where kids make out in homemade sensory deprivation chambers. It's the starting ground for her mini rebellion with her best friend, Sanna, and sets up a dark world indeed.

Lasting impressions: A solid entry into YA dystopian. I found the world believable and Neva appropriately rebellious and ballsy.

Conflicting impressions: I didn't feel the fear as much as I could have. The fact that Neva's high-ranking father can whisk her away from the big bad government meant I wasn't ever truly nervous that anything awful could happen to her.

Overall impressions: Man I love dystopians, and this one doesn't disappoint. Neva lives in a world where people, and increasingly, young girls, are disappearing. In the Protectosphere, they are taught that the world outside has deteriorated to nothing. Their society has remained enclosed in this small area for so long that people are starting to look the same, and disease is ravaging the life expectancy rates.

Neva is the daughter of the Minister of Ancient History, and has some privileges as a result. When she rebels against the government and the Protectosphere, she gets questioned but ultimately released to dad's custody. Not so for her boyfriend Ethan, who gets strapped with a subdermal tracking device and receives the scare of his life. Along for the ride is Neva's best friend, Sanna, and Sanna's new boyfriend Braydon.

At the dark party in the opening scene, Braydon kisses Neva, unbeknownst to Sanna. This starts a cycle of confusing feelings and the struggle to not want what she so obviously wants so bad. Braydon likewise shows an interest in Neva, but won't back off Sanna. Stuck on the sidelines is Ethan, who wants to marry Neva and start a family.

Neva knows something is not right in the Protectosphere, and suspicions planted by her now missing grandmother are becoming entrenched in her mind. She uses a position at her dad's division to try and find out what is happening to the young girls that keep getting wiped from society without a trace. She dutifully records their names in a secret journal, desperate to not forget them.

I was totally sucked in to this story. Neva is bright, impulsive, and loyal to her friends if not her government. Above all, she wants to do the right thing and find justice for the missing, even if that means breaking the rules. When her nearest and dearest succumb to the worst of circumstances, she does all she can to right her wrongs. She is stuck between two boys and her best friend, and no matter which way she decides, she's hurting someone.

The action moves briskly, and though the ending was a bit abrupt and ultimately predictable, there were some nice twists and turns along the way. I loved the idea of the Protectosphere - a place the authorities tried to shelter its citizens from the toxic world, but ended up creating even more toxicity within its walls. Though the world didn't come off as scary as I think was intended, there was plenty of tension within the scenes to keep me flipping pages as fast as I could.

Very highly recommended to dystopian fans, or anyone who appreciates their rebellious side.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Review: Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

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Book: Awaken
Author: Katie Kacvinsky
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Release date: May 23, 2011 - TODAY!
Source: NetGalley ARC

Summary: (from Goodreads) Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

First impressions: BANG! Did you hear that? That was me racing through the front half of this book. Cannot. Put. Down. Even. To. Eat. Feeding myself was far less of a concern than finding out what was going to happen next.

Lasting impressions: I am in love with Justin. He is my official book boyfriend until further notice. The love story here is so sweet and real and satisfying. Even if I did sometimes want to punch Justin in the face.

Conflicting impressions: Seriously Justin? You put work over personal happiness? Your seemingly well-meaning chivalrous attempts to protect Maddie don't make any sense. You either want her on your side or you don't.

Overall impressions: Okay, so maybe Justin and I are in a time-out. He can be so irritating!

See, Maddie is not the innocent I first assumed her to be. This is part of what I loved about this book. She's a bit of a rebel, and is on probation for hacking into her uber-powerful dad's computer and helping the resistance movement try to take down Digital School. After a rash of violent incidents years ago, Maddie's dad developed an online educational system that has quickly spread to almost all facets of life. It's like the internet on steroids, where people rarely leave their homes because everything can be done online.

Kind of cool. Kind of scary.

Justin is one of the folks that thinks this is more scary than cool. He wants to bring people out of their homes, offline, and back into open society. He reaches out to Maddie, and she soon realizes that he's trying to recruit her. She's not sure whether or not to tread back into Bad Girl territory, but Justin is quite the temptation. Her unraveling relationship with her super strict dad only pushes her harder into Justin's arms.

This is mostly a love story, after all, despite the dystopian (ish) setting. Digital School had its drawbacks, but it wasn't all terrible. In fact, it was kind of mostly awesome, especially for people like me who prefer to avoid awkward social interactions. Sure it's also a cautionary tale about the internet taking over our lives/world, but at heart this is really about Maddie coming to terms with her own views on society's direction, and how her feelings for Justin influence that viewpoint.

So why is Justin so irritating? Well, he has this hang-up about his little underground rebellion. He works to recruit people to his cause, and this takes him on the road for long periods of time with little to no reliable means of communication. Despite Maddie's strengths and abilities, he continually insists that she's too valuable to be out in the field, so OBVIOUSLY they can't be together.

Please.

I'm so sick of the "we must protect the fragile female" perspective! For once I'd like to see the dude go "SICK! You're beautiful and smart and capable of man-handling the organization we're fighting with one hand tied behind your back - and you WANT to help? Let's go take them down and be super happy love partners in crime together!"

But no. That never happens. Instead they just whine about how much they want to be with the girl, but do The Right Thing and protect them by quarantining them somewhere away from the action until the manly men types save the world for them. BARF.

I forgave Justin, though, because he's so darn cute. And even though Maddie didn't step up as much or as often as I would have liked, she reminded me so much of myself that I forgave her too. They're just too awesome! Maddie is brilliant, funny, shy, and a bit of an adventure-seeker. I so related to her willingness to go with the flow and get caught up in the wild capers that start to come her way, not wanting to turn down the opportunity to just live a little and maybe meet some cool people. You never know when you'll meet that person who changes your life, in either a good or bad way, and sometimes you just have to walk on the edge of good and bad until your choice reaches its consequence.

Bottom line? Loved, loved, loved this book, but the end and the Justin-isms were enough to knock it down a star. If you're in the mood for a great love story in a futuristic setting, definitely pick this one up. Immediately.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Bumped by Megan McCafferty

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Book: Bumped
Author: Megan McCafferty
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: April 26, 2011
Source: NetGalley ARC
Series: Bumped #1

Summary: (from Goodreads) When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that "pregging" for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

First impressions: I love the language in this book. Right away, Megan McCafferty sets us up in a new time with new slang. Personally, I tend to say "for serious" a LOT in real life, so it tickled me every time I saw it here. McCafferty does a great job of grounding us in this alternate time so we feel comfortable right away.

Lasting impressions: That's it? It's just going to stop there? I kept looking for the rest of the story. Needless to say, there's a cliffhanger at the end, and it's quite abrupt.

Conflicting impressions: I found Harmony to be quite grating. I didn't really care for her, so found it really hard to care about what was happening to her.

Overall impressions: I don't like it when things go awry, especially when the characters seem so content with the status quo. I need to be shown, fairly explicitly, how a character comes to accept his or her change in circumstance, otherwise I get a bit cranky.

Here's an example. Have you seen the movie Sweet Home Alabama with Reese Witherspoon? I wanted her to end up with Patrick Dempsey. She had a good, full life with him. Why should she give that up to be with Josh Lucas? Apparently, for love, but I couldn't for the life of me find the reasons as to why she didn't love Patrick Dempsey enough. It irked me that she gave up a good man and a life she worked so hard to build just to throw it all away for an old love she hadn't seen in years.

This book similarly irritated me. Melody has spent her entire life doing everything she can to make a good match. She is a good student, a star athlete, active in school clubs, and an all-around good person. Because of this, she signed a lucrative contract that will fund her future, which she seems incredibly happy with.

When her secret twin sister shows up on her doorstep, having run away from a strict Christian cult, everything gets all messy. Harmony is mistaken for Melody and ends up running off with Melody's match, Jondoe. He's the prize bull everyone has been waiting for to "bump" (impregnate) Melody, and over the course of one day Harmony manages to screw everything up.

What most bothered me was the ease with which both characters seemed to completely flip-flop their views. Harmony starts out as a repressed Christian and Melody is this pro-pregg, pro-bump leader of her school. Somehow over the course of a day or two, they wind up miles from where they started. They not only don't seem to care that their views have changed, but they also seem happy about it. Neither of them seem to fully think through anything and when the tides turn they just sort of go with it in this hard to believe, impulsive manner. McCafferty does give us hints that these girls aren't all that comfortable with the things they were taught to believe, but the climax of the story doesn't do enough to justify how easily they leave behind their world views.

I did very much like the world McCafferty created, however, and the story itself is fascinating. I would have liked some more conflict between the sisters after the dust settles on Harmony's mis-steps, but the build between best friend Zen and Melody is perfectly done. Melody is believably clueless about Zen's feelings for her, and yet it's easy to see why she could fall in love with him without even realizing it.

Although we don't get a lot of background on this virus that prevents reproductivity after age 18, I felt like the scenario seemed valid for that circumstance. If women couldn't have babies, wouldn't the free market lead to teens selling their babies? Harmony's cult/faith represents the opposite view, where people are rejecting this practice and instead opting to marry and have children at an early age. I'm not sure if I'm more comfortable with teen mother-wives or with teen baby-sellers. I wish we'd had a view of the middle ground in this debate.

This book is certainly a conversation starter. Although for me the characters were frustratingly nonsensical with their choices at times, it was still an interesting story. I would recommend it to dystopian lovers or anyone who wants a thought-provoking perspective on teen pregnancy.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Want a different perspective? Check out this rave review by girl loves books.

Memento Nora by Angie Smibert and Interview

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Book: Memento Nora
Author: Angie Smibert
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Release date: April 1, 2011
Source: I Read Banned Books ARC Tour

Summary: (from www.mementonora.com) Nora, the popular girl and happy consumer, witnesses a horrific bombing on a shopping trip with her mother. In Nora’s near-future world, terrorism is so commonplace that she can pop one little white pill to forget and go on like nothing ever happened. However, when Nora makes her first trip to a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic, she learns what her mother, a frequent forgetter, has been frequently forgetting. Nora secretly spits out the pill and holds on to her memories. The memory of the bombing as well as her mother’s secret and her budding awareness of the world outside her little clique make it increasingly difficult for Nora to cope. She turns to two new friends, each with their own reasons to remember, and together they share their experiences with their classmates through an underground comic. They soon learn, though, they can’t get away with remembering.

First impressions: This book is under 200 pages, so it doesn't waste any time getting moving. The opening scene is quite haunting and really sets the stage for the events to come.

Lasting impressions: I'm having a really hard time deciding exactly how I feel about this book. I think the length kept me from truly connecting with the material, if only because it was such a quick read.

Conflicting impressions: To me, this was really Nora, her mother, and Micah's story. I would have enjoyed seeing the third perspective of this book told through Nora's mom and not Winter, to whom I felt significantly less connected.

Overall impressions: I really loved the idea of this world, with a society of people who have been trained to forget. How many of us would like to cut our bad experiences from our memories? I think some more backstory could have helped me fully understand how things got to this point, but I still bought into it quite easily.

The pacing really keeps things moving. Smibert is direct while still being mysterious, and it serves the dystopian theme well. Though Nora no longer takes pills to forget what is happening around her, she can only watch in horror as others around her experience painful things only to never remember they happened at all. It's a terrifying notion, and on this point Smibert really delivers.

There is a love story between Nora and Micah, but I felt the exploration of Nora's relationships with her parents was much more touching. Smibert beautifully captures those moments when you start to see your parents from an adult perspective. Watching how Nora handles those moments is truly compelling.

A great dystopian read, and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

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But wait! There's more! Angie Smibert was kind enough to do a short, fun This or That interview for me.

This or That with Angie Smibert

Who would win in a fight:

Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte? Austen.
Stephen King or Dean Koontz? King.
Dan Brown or Robert Ludlow?Brown.
J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer? Rowling.
Lauren Conrad or Snookie? Snookie.
 

Which would you rather read:
 
Newsweek or Time? Time.
Genre or literary fiction? Genre.
The New York Times or The Guardian? NYT.
Poem or sonnet?  Poem.
Ebook or paper?  Paper.
 
Do you prefer to eat/drink:
 
Cupcakes or cake?  Cupcakes.
Bacon or sausage?  Bacon.
Coffee or tea? Tea.
Sweet or salty?  Both.
Beer or wine? Wine.
 
When you write, do you prefer:
 
Quiet or noisy? Quiet, but with noise way in the background.
Computer or pen and paper?  Both. First pen and paper, then computer.
Outlines or notecards?  Outlines.
At home or in public? Home, but sometimes I go to a coffeeshop.
Pronto or procrastination?  Pronto. Most of the time.
 
When you read, do you prefer:
 
Savoring or speeding through? Savoring.   
Chair or bed? Comfy Chair.
Dog-ear or bookmark?  Bookmark--but it's usually just a scrap of paper.
Long or short?  Either as long as it's good.
Hardcover or paperback?  Hardcover, but depends on the book.
 
Love is:
 
A battlefield or a many splendored thing? A many splendored battlefield.
Dreamy or complicated?  Complicated.
Slow and steady or fast and fleeting?  Slow.
Calm or turbulent? I prefer calm but doesn't always work that way.
Uplifting or frustrating? Frustrating.
 
Which is cuter:
 
Pandas or koalas? Both.
Babies in costumes or dogs in costumes?  Babies.
Puppies or kittens? Both, but since I have a kitten in my lap as I type, I'll say kittens.
Gizmo or E.T.? E.T.
Stitch (from Lilo & Stitch) or Toothless (from How to Train Your Dragon)? Neither.
 
Which team do you support (for whichever of these books you’ve read):
 
Team Stefan or Team Damon? (Vampire Diaries) Damon.
Team Edward or Team Jacob? (Twilight) Jacob.
Team Peeta or Team Gale? (Hunger Games) Gale.
Team Bill or Team Eric? (Sookie Stackhouse) Eric.

Thank you for being with us today Angie and congratulations on the upcoming release of Memento Nora!

Review: The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

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Book: The Water Wars
Author: Cameron Stracher
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release date: January 1, 2011
Source: Ebook purchased for Kindle

Summary: (from Goodreads) Vera and her brother, Will, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations. Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that's impossible to forget.

First impressions: I was really anxious to read this book. I got swept up in the world right away. This is my ultimate nightmare scenario, and one that could realistically come to fruition. Stracher does a nice job setting up this dry, dusty, water-starved world. I found it believable and disturbing.

Lasting impressions: I didn't connect to this book the way I thought I would. There was something missing for me, and though I really wanted to fall in love with this book, in the end it wasn't what I thought it would be.

Conflicting impressions: I lacked a strong connection to the characters. It felt like Stracher was writing from a distance, and so even when the action was heart-pounding, I wasn't invested in the outcome.

Overall impressions: When the story begins, we are introduced to a world with very strict access to water. Companies are mining the oceans and desalinizing water for consumption - at a price. The rich water miners have to travel by armored guard. The poor have to spend large portions of their income on water with a chemical aftertaste.

Access to potable water is a very important issue, and unfortunately this book seemed more focused on the issue than the story. We follow Vera and her brother Will on a wild journey from their home territory of Illinowa, through Minnesota, and into Canada, desperate to find their new friend Kai. They fear he has been kidnapped by pirates, and it is the pirates who end up stealing this story.

There are good pirates, bad pirates, scientists, miners who exploit children, greedy corporations and evil politicians. It was in the balance of all of these characters and mixed interests that the story seemed to get away from Stracher, with the focus more on the water and who has the right to it over the initial interest in whether the children will ever get home safely.

I wanted to see Vera struggle more, love more, and learn more from her adventure. She barely knows this boy, and asks her brother to accompany her on what appears to be a suicide mission in order to find him. The farther she travels, the more she discovers about this world, and that the good guys aren't always good and the bad guys aren't always bad. Yet she doesn't seem to process any of this, remaining stubbornly fixated on Kai without understanding the power he holds. I felt that as the reader I learned more from her journey than she did.

Despite my disappointments, the writing is well done and the book is a quick and exciting read. I recommend it particularly to anyone with an interest in discussing environmental issues, as the book does a great job raising awareness about the fight for scarce resources.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Click the stars for a description of my rating system

Want a different perspective? Check out this four star review by i swim for oceans.

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Book: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Source: NetGalley ARC

Synopsis: (from Goodreads) Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. 

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

First impressions: The premise of this book is what grabbed me right away. A world where love is feared and abhorred? Let's see where this takes us! Lena is authentic and vibrant, but I felt her world was missing something. 

Lasting impressions: The writing is what I will remember most about this book. Oliver is truly talented and some passages were so achingly beautiful that I re-read them several times. Without losing Lena's voice, she seamlessly integrates moving observations on the world around her and what she is feeling. In a story where no feelings are good feelings, these passages truly amplify what Lena is going through.

Negative impressions: My only complaint is that I didn't quite buy into the world Oliver created. I didn't believe that parents could raise children without love or that people could experience emotions for 18 years and then willingly accept the robotic after effects of the treatment. I'm sure other readers will have different experiences, but for me, I just wasn't able to accept these facts as possible (or perhaps I didn't want to?).

Overall impressions: I thought this was an extremely well-written book with an interesting concept and fabulous characters. I was particularly fond of Lena's relationship with her best friend, Hana, as I thought Oliver did a fantastic job representing two friends who are on the brink of growing apart forever or solidifying a lifelong relationship. She deftly handled the subtleties of how two teen girls interact in an environment of trepidation and rebellion. 

Oliver also does a marvelous job of progressing Lena's relationship with Alex that seemed appropriate to their circumstances. While the ending has somewhat of a cliffhanger as to where this relationship goes in the future (book two of the trilogy will be released next year), it resolved enough of the action to satisfy me and provided an adequate ending to this chapter in their lives. 

Despite my reservations with accepting a world without love, the quality of Lauren Oliver's writing cannot be commended enough. This is a great story of first love and friendship.


Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Book: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Source: Purchased

Synopsis: (from Goodreads) Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

First impressions: I liked that the book started right away with the Matching ceremony.  It wasted no time getting us involved in what was happening and aware of how this important day factored into Cassia's life.  It was refreshing to have this happy teenager looking forward to the ceremony and it told us right away that she was content with life in the Society.

Lasting impressions: The climax of the book contains a scene so heartwrenching and beautiful that I keep running through it in my head over and over.  The world that Condie builds throughout this book is detailed enough that I can still picture the scenes in my head and relish them, but not so overly detailed that it detracted from the story.

Negative impressions: I had very few issues with this book.  I thought it took a bit long to establish the relationship between Ky and Cassia, and then I felt Condie had to rush through some of the later scenes when I would have enjoyed watching them spend more time together.  I also felt some of the revelations at the end were not necessary and that the idea of the glitch would have held up just fine.  I also must say that I'm nervous that this is a trilogy, because I felt this book had an ending that is perfectly satisfying.

Overall impressions: My goodness, I loved this book.  From the first few scenes, Condie paints a well-developed picture of Cassia, and I fell in love with her from the start.  She is a good girl who does as she is told, and believes in the ideals that the Society has instilled in her.  The Society may seem unthreatening at first, but I believe Condie uses this tool to mirror how Cassia views the Society.  She is fearful and/or apprehensive of them, and may suspect bad things happen to those who cross them, but it is not until she truly breaks the rules that she sees real consequences, and I thought the level of fear was well paced to match Cassia's journey.

I also instantly loved Xander, and it is truly a testament to Condie's writing abilities that she was able to convince me that Xander was Cassia's true match, only to have me later rooting for the other man.  As I was reading I kept thinking "There's no way I'm going to ever be Team Ky."  Sure enough, by the end of the book, I believed in their love.

I was so caught up in Cassia's story that I kept reading long after I should have been asleep, just so I could see her journey through to the end.  I felt my heart pounding when she ran, I felt my breath catch in my throat when she stretched her nose to the sky, and when she had to blink away tears, I had to put the book down and sob.  I connected with Cassia as deeply as I did with Katniss Everdeen, and thought this story was honest, well-crafted, and utterly gorgeous.  I will definitely be purchasing a hard copy in addition to the Kindle version I purchased to read for this review.  You should be running to the stores.

Rating: 5/5 stars

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