Genre: Dystopia

Asunder by Jodi Meadows (Book Review)

Posted January 17, 2013 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 2 Comments

Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Series: Newsoul #2
Also in this series: Incarnate, Infinite
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on January 29, 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance
Pages: 406
Format: ARC
Source: Gift
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DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

I love this trilogy. LOVE it. Read my review of the first book, Incarnate, if you’re interested. The writing is gorgeous, the world building is amazing, and the characters make you fall in love with them so much, that closing the book is like losing a friend. It’s like the end of the school year, when you promise to stay in touch with your best friends, but end up not. You feel a little empty and hollow, eager for that reunion when you can see them again, and see how they are doing. Asunder has left me wanting to call up Ana and Sam and see how they are doing. Jodi, once again, failed to disappoint. I’ll try to remain brief, so as not to spoil this for newbies to the trilogy, or for people who are still eagerly awaiting Asunder’s release. I loved Incarnate more than Asunder, but that goes for most trilogies I read. The first book is always my favorite. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. We get to learn so much more about Ana, Sam, sylph, Heart, Janan, and reincarnation. We get to learn about Ana’s purpose, and why she is there. We get to learn more about what happened that caused Ana to be there. There’s still mystery left for book 3, but I know so much more of what’s going on here.

2. Love. I love the emphasis on love and feelings in this book. Love, sacrifice, friendship, emotion. It’s all there, and the connection based on those points are all so tender and meaningful.

3. I enjoyed reading about the changes in Ana. She’s really starting to value her life, and the chance she has to change the mindset of all the old souls she comes in contact with. She’s out to make a difference and save herself in this story, rather than just sit around and wonder what her purpose is.

4. We get to see Sam as more of a normal human, rather than Mr. Perfect. And I liked that. He’s flawed, he struggles. His past gets to catch up with him a bit, and he realizes that he might not know all there is to know about the world he lives in. It was nice to see this other side to him, which I love just as much as the one we saw in Incarnate.

5. I really love that all the information we are given makes sense. I mean, I don’t believe in reincarnation… but if I did, I would believe this. And I love that we get to learn so much about sylph. They become much deeper in character. I was not expecting that at all, and loved it.

6. Finally, the imagination behind this entire storyline is a force to be reckoned with. Jodi’s mind is amazing!

I know this was a super short review, but once again Jodi has left me speechless. Oh, and I didn’t want to give too much away. This book needs to be experienced and savored. Don’t let a reviewer out there spoil it for you!

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (Book Review)

Posted January 7, 2013 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 7 Comments

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Also in this series: Under the Never Sky, Into the Still Blue
Published by HarperTEEN on January 8, 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
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It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

Under the Never Sky was one of my ultimate favorite books of 2012, and when I love a book so much, I’m usually terrified to read the second book. Will it live up to the first one? Will I like the direction the author went in? Will I agree with major plot choices? It’s like I’m scared to trust my characters and their world with the author a second time, for fear that their first time was a fluke and I’ll end up hating everything if it continues. Committing to a trilogy, is a major investment for me. I hoped and hoped that I’d still love Veronica after Through the Ever Night, and I DO! I was right to trust her with Perry, Aria, Roar, and the crazy world they live in. This book was amazing, and I might die waiting for the concluding novel. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. The creativity behind this series is out of this world. Literally. I think that The Outside, right under the Aether is my very favorite setting for any dystopian novel I’ve read. Veronica’s descriptions of the swirling sky never cease to captivate me. I still picture van Gogh’s Starry Night when I think of the Aether, and we get to learn so much more about it in this book.

2. The characters were all given the chance to grow into someone new in this book. Perry had to learn how to balance his life as a leader and his love for Aria. Loving her, a Dweller, marked him as a traitor in the eyes of the tribe he was in charge of leading. He was very torn between emotions and decisions in this book, which I liked. Aria had to make sacrifices and put her life in danger for others. Roar had to go through heartbreak and soul searching (OH my. I love Roar so much.), and Cinder finally realized how special he is. This was a very transitional period for all of them, and I really enjoyed watching them figure out what mattered most. Lots of emotion is involved.

3. The author did not spend much time reminding us of what happened in Under the Never Sky. I felt a little lost and fuzzy. In some ways this was good, because I hate wasting valuable pages on reading something I already read. On the other hand, though, a little bit of help would have been nice. I should have re-read Under the Never Sky, I suppose. Not a bad thing!

4. This was a major page-turner! A TON happened in this book, whereas second books are usually kind of empty. I got to learn more about the Aether, the Dwellers, all the characters I fell in love with the first time, and some major curve balls and monkey wrenches ended up in the works as well. I don’t want to give away too many details, so just believe me when I say that this book is full of everything you hoped you’d get when you closed Under the Never Sky.

5. The ending stopped my heart. Those last 2-3 chapters had me going bonkers. I could not rip through this book fast enough.

The bottom line: If you loved Under the Never Sky, it’s likely that you’ll love Through the Ever Night more. Veronica does not disappoint, and we surely don’t fall victim to the second book syndrome. It’s beautiful, romantic, heart wrenching, and SO amazing! I am loving Perry and Aria, and can’t wait for more!

Black City by Elizabeth Richards (Book Review)

Posted November 14, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 7 Comments

Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Series: Black City #1
Published by GP Putnam's Sons on November 13, 2012
Genres: Dystopia, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 374
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

Black City is a very dark romance that takes place under harsh conditions and during very harsh times. It’s gory and bloody and actually rather upsetting, which is why I’m having such a hard time reviewing it! I wanted to love it, and while I loved aspects of it, parts of it upset me so much that I’m afraid my thoughts about the book are a bit tainted. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. The idea is awesome. I’ve always been a fan of forbidden love, but a love that makes a dormant heart beat after so many years? That’s powerful. And I’ve always enjoyed post-apocalyptic stories. I love watching an author’s creativity run wild with all the possibilities of a new beginning.

2. I really liked Ash and Natalie. Ash is this bad boy, who softens and becomes a force for good once he has a reason to fight. Natalie is his reason, and I loved the devotion he felt for her, even when he was confused and trying to figure his life out. Natalie developed throughout the story into a really strong, exciting character. She went from a ball of nerves to a spitfire, crusading for what’s right. She took so many risks and cleared so many hurdles, and I really enjoyed reading of her strength.

3. I also really liked the supporting characters: Day and Beetle. I loved the friendships and love that circled around these four people.

4. This story is gory, and I had a really hard time with that. There’s SO much blood, death by crucifixion, torture, a rape attempt, drug overdose, numerous attacks, sacrifices, and murder. And it was all described in depth.

5. The worst part of this book, though was a very upsetting scene with the murder of a cat. Many of you know, I can not handle cat killings. I just can’t, especially when they are overly gruesome and detailed. They are unnecessary, and I slaughter books with scenes like these. I refuse to read anything else by an author who does this, because I think it’s terrible and I think it promotes animal violence among young people. I boycotted Origin when I found out about a similar scene in that book, and I vowed to never read another book by Elizabeth Chandler after reading her Kissed by an Angel trilogy and coming across another scene like this as well. I honestly had to talk myself out of quitting this book. I set it aside for hours, and finally went back because by accepting this ARC, I promised a review. I had to try and give the book a fair chance. I’m glad I finished it, because I was very curious about how things would go down. I was either intrigued enough or horrified enough, that I had to see if these people could pull out of the evil world they were living in and make a better life for themselves. Honestly, though, I did not recover from the heartbreak of that one scene. Luckily Black City did not end in enough of a cliffhanger that I’m dying for the next book. I can just quit here and be satisfied enough with the ending I’ve been given.

All in all, this book was dark. I can handle dark, but not this dark. I was super intrigued, and really enjoyed aspects of the story. The characters were great, and I loved the romance and the creativity of the idea. But the violence was just too much for me to handle, and the animal violence has me so sad that I don’t even want to continue with the series. I can definitely see why people are raving about the story, but I also wish I had known about this one scene before I chose to read it. I know there are many readers who feel the way I do, so this is the warning I wish I had received. I’m extremely disappointed that I did not love this book as much as many of my fellow readers did.

Thorns (Frost Chronicles #2) by Kate Avery Ellison (Book Review)

Posted September 28, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 0 Comments

Thorns by Kate Avery Ellison
Series: Frost Chronicles #2
Also in this series: Frost
Published by CreateSpace on September 6, 2012
Genres: Dystopia, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance
Format: eBook
Source: Author
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Lia Weaver went against everything she’d ever known when she risked her life to help a Farther fugitive named Gabe escape from the Aeralian soldiers, and her life changed forever. And the Frost changed, too—the Farthers have taken over her village, a new group of vigilantes calling themselves the Blackcoats are making plans to overthrow the Farther occupiers, and the Thorns are seeking for her to join them.

Lia seeks to fight back against the evil and injustice that has swallowed up her home, but danger lurks at every turn. The monsters that dwell in the deepest regions of the Frost are growing bolder and more dangerous every day, a Farther noble takes up residence in the village on a mysterious mission, and Lia discovers that her parents were harboring even more secrets.

As the frozen world of the Frost grows even more perilous, can Lia survive?

I absolutely loved Frost, the first book in this series, so I was extremely excited when Kate contacted me and asked if I would like to review the sequel! I did not even know it was out yet, which is just nuts because I have been thinking about that book for months. Thorns did not disappoint, and surely did not fall victim of the “second book syndrome” as I like to call it. So often second books are pointless bridges to the concluding book. Thorns was SO not that, though. I really enjoyed reading it, and am even more excited for the next one! As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Just like in Frost, I love the setting of this book! The Frost is the coldest place I’ve ever read about, and I loved curling up under my covers and reading about it. Not a lot of books are set in a place like this one, and it’s just freezing, snowy, sparkly, magical place.

2. Kate’s writing is still absolutely beautiful. Her descriptions of the scenery, the weather, the tense moments, and the simple sweet times are flawless. I could not stop reading.

3. Like I said before, this story is not one of those worthless second novels that authors write because they feel like they absolutely have to write a trilogy. This book gives us so much more information on the underlying mystery of the Thorns and the Farthers, and sets us up for a really awesome third novel.

4. In the last book, I really liked Gabe. Like A LOT. But since Lia helped him escape he was not in this book at all. So now… Adam Brewer… the guy I didn’t think a lot about, is this really mysterious, brave, swoonworthy lead! The romance is minimal, but there’s definitely some tension there. And because there’s no insta-love, that achy tension is extremely believable. I think I’m team Adam now, but I’m torn at the same time!

5. I kind of like that in this book we get to see Lia as more vulnerable and human. In Frost, she was rather emotionless, hardened, and skeptical. She just kept to herself and took life as it came. I think Gabe coming into her life softened her up a bit to the potential of love and also made her think about the life that she wants to be living. Overall, I think he challenged her to go against the rules and fight for what’s right. I enjoyed this change in her a lot. She became more relatable, but not so worn down that she got annoying.

6. I loved all the secrecy and sneaking around that Lia and Adam did as part of the Thorns. There were still some crazy suspenseful moments and a little danger. It was very exciting.

7. I also really loved that Kate gave us enough info to remind us what happened in the first book, but not too much that I felt like I was reading the first book all over again.

Overall, I loved this book just as much as the first one, but for different reasons. Rather than romance, this one focused on secrecy and rebellion. The details and descriptions are gorgeous as ever. I do think Kate is gaining a fan for life. I’m convinced now that I will love anything she writes.

Frost by Kate Avery Ellison (Book Review and Giveaway)

Posted July 23, 2012 by Jana in Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaway, Young Adult Fiction / 12 Comments

Frost by Kate Avery Ellison
Series: Frost Chronicles #1
Also in this series: Thorns
Published by CreateSpace on April 18, 2012
Genres: Dystopia, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance
Pages: 194
Format: eBook
Source: Author
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In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, compassion might get a person killed, and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After the monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides, she can't afford to let her emotions lead her astray. But when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest, a young man from beyond the Frost named Gabe, Lia does the unthinkable. She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the "Farthers," as ruthless and cruel. Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent-and handsome. And she might even be falling for him.

But time is running out. The monsters in the forest are growing bold and restless. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Is compassion-and love-worth the risk?

Welcome to my stop along the official blog tour for Frost by Kate Avery Ellison, hosted by AToMR Tours! I’m quite excited to tell you what I thought about this book! Basically, I loved it, and I was surprised that I loved it, just because I’d never heard of it book before I was given the opportunity to be a part of the tour. I am SO glad I got to read it! As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. When I say this book is refreshing, I’m being extremely literal. This is such a great read for a hot summer day, because this book takes place in probably the coldest place ever: The Frost. It’s cold and snowy and windy, with blizzards and fires in the fireplace and short days, with long nights. I loved it!

“It was cold, the kind of cold that made bones feel brittle and hands ache. My breath streamed from my lips like smoke, and my feet made wet, crunching sounds in the snow as I slipped through the forest.”
“The snow swirled around me, like fat white moths in the darkness.”

2. The writing is gorgeous, and it grabbed me within the first paragraph. Kate Avery Ellison has this amazing knack for presenting ideas like love, and the intense coldness of the Frost, in a beautiful way.

“Just thinking abut it took my breath away. I gazed at the world of snowy white around us, at the feathery pines and moonlit hollows. What forgotten secrets lay beneath this icy visage?”
“The wind blew, stinging my cheeks and carrying with it the taste of ice. I slogged down the hill to the porch. My legs were weak with relief.”
“He kissed me at first like he was afraid I’d break, and then he kissed me like it was the last thing he’d ever do.”
“He looked at me like I was made of unbearable light and I was blinding him.”
“Love is a perilous dance too, you see. And if we stop dancing, we’ll die. Don’t ever stop dancing.”

See? Beautiful! Don’t some of those quotes make you went to melt into a puddle?

3. I love the storytelling. We are given just enough information to not feel completely unaware, but not enough to make things predictable. I loved the mystery and the unknowns. Like the monsters (Watchers)… Why are they here? What do they want? When will the show up? We are given information as we need it, not as we want it. I was flipping through the pages SO fast. The creativity behind this work is amazing!

4. The characters are all so likeable. Lia is strong and sensible. Her parents are dead, and she has to take care of her crippled twin brother and younger sister. She brings to the story that maturity a person gains when they are all of a sudden a teenage parent to children their own age. He siblings are so sweet and protective of her, but never try and hold her back from doing what she knows she has to do. The villain jumps out at you from nowhere, and the guy you thought you hated ends up being nothing you thought he was.

5. Gabe is swoonworthy, which is why he needs his own bolded number. I mean, he’s got this brooding hardened exterior, and is a man of few words… but the words he actually does say are perfect. He says the most amazing things to Lia. I melted. And he’s from this forbidden people, so we’ve got the tension that goes with “I have a major thing for him, but I’ve been brought up to fear and loathe him.” situation. Also, there’s this slow build up with him. The romance is actually barely mentioned, since it’s in the beginning stages. I bet the next book will include more. There’s no instalove, though, so I am SO willing to wait longer. :)

6. The forest is a character all its own, and I loved it. It sounds so mystical and gorgeous, yet it freaked me out! Every time any person ventured into the trees, I got so scared for them. And as the sky grew darker and darker, and the monsters began to appear… OH MAN. Good stuff, I tell you!

7. The ending is amazing! It’s suspenseful, charged with romance, and ah-ha! moments. Again, you are given the info you need to understand, but there are so many things screaming from inside of me, begging for the sequel. I can’t wait!

This book is a hidden gem. Again, I love being a book blogger, because I get to find all these amazing lesser-known books and then tell you to buy them! I’d recommend this to dystopia lovers, people who believe that monsters lurk in the dark, and swoonworthy male leads!

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