ARC Review: Glow

Title: Glow
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi
Release Date: September 27th


What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.--Goodreads


First, a slight mini-rant.
Why the comparison to Hunger Games? For that matter, why compare at all? This book has absolutely no similarities to Hunger Games, so I don’t even see the need! They are both unique in their own way, and I am utterly sick of hearing comparisons with every other Dystopia I read. “Oh it’s like Hunger Games!” No it’s not! Not in any way at all! For starters, this isn’t just Dystopia, but it’s Science Fiction. They’re in space. There’s no battle arena. No war-ravaged poverty-stricken Earth ruled by a Capital and district sections. The things that the two share are the Dystopian genre, packed with action and a good heroine, and the fact that both have a love triangle. That’s where the very LIGHT line is drawn.


To simply put this: Quit comparing books to each other that are so completely different. Books are meant to be unique anyway, and I think it’s only fair to give Glow that standing as well. Comparing books to one another are fine and dandy IF there really are similarities to be said.


Sighs.


On to my review of Glow.


It was surprisingly good. Normally, I’m not such a fan of science fiction- well not the kind that’s all space-like where there’s spaceships and life in the big Milky Way, etc. I guess I did have a Star Trek phase at one time, but it wasn’t obsessive and I got past it eventually. Ha. But Glow took me off guard with the story. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. The action was high, nail-biting, and evoked so many emotions that I couldn’t stop reading.


The love triangle though I particularly hated and felt detached from this time around. To be honest, I’m a little sick of them. In order for me to get into one nowadays, they have to be done pretty well, and here this one just didn’t connect. Kieran annoyed me, and Seth creeped me out a bit. I didn’t like either of the guys. But not liking their characters didn’t pull me away from the story luckily. Oftentimes, I still found myself curious to find out what would happen next. Waverly’s character was the one I was attached to most. She was so strong and smart no matter how much hardships she had faced during the rough times. Her character was very nicely crafted.


While the story itself wasn’t entirely unique with the children idea (I have read some other Dystopias in the last year that involved women/children repopulation type plot), the author did an amazing job with her own take on the story and provided many twists and turns, as well as interesting technology and intense messages that make you think.


I very much look forward to book two of this series!


4 stars!

Review: Dark Parties

Title: Dark Parties
Author: Sara Grant
Genre: Dystopian/YA



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. --Goodreads



Dark Parties was intriguing. It held my attention steady, but I’m not entirely sure how well the sequel will play out to be honest. It’s one of those “wait-and-see” things, I guess. There were a lot of unanswered questions left hanging in the air by the end, and at times I felt the plot a bit underdeveloped and characters slightly flat or detached. However, at the same time, I did enjoy the overall story… finding Homeland a place that I would be doing everything in my power to try and escape like Neva was. I like rebellion a little too much maybe. Is that a bad thing? Haha.

This wasn’t the usual style Dystopian read where it’s action-packed. I would say this had more psychological impact with a lot of twists and turns. It also wasn’t too original in the idea, but the overall effect of the story kept me reading on, including the twists that the author provided. I’m really interested to see where the author takes the sequel.

I do recommend it. It was entertaining, mind-bending, and thought-provoking. A good read.

4 stars!

ARC Review: Eve

Title: Eve
Author: Anna Carey
Release Date: October 4th


Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for the opportunity to read Eve. This, of course, does not influence my opinion in any way.

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life. --Goodreads



Eve was attention grabbing from the start. Of course, I love Dystopians. I have even before this “craze” started. Ha. And this was one of the better ones. I certainly look forward to continuing on with this series.

Eve was flawed. She was naïve and really couldn’t survive well on her own. Perhaps that’s why I liked her character so much. Because she was vulnerable. Like most real people would be in a situation of this nature. Sure, in most of my favorite Dystopians, the characters I love are fighters and survivors, but Eve stood apart from these on her own.

The world building in this was interesting. At times I did feel like it lacked a little detail and would have liked to learn more. I felt the ending was a little abrupt, or maybe it was just me begging to continue on with the story so I can hurry and find out what happens next!

I did enjoy the dialogue and the characters. The action was nicely paced and the memory flashbacks were interesting. I hope to see more of those so that I can know everything that happened leading the world to the state it is in now.

Overall, perhaps not a favorite on my Dystopian list, but a really good read nonetheless- something I read quickly- and I hope to read the second installment soon. ;)

4 stars!

ARC Review: Ashes

Title: Ashes
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Genre: Dystopian/Horror
Release Date: September 13th



It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.
For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation. --Goodreads


This was an incredible start to what I think will be a one-of-a-kind Dystopian Horror series. Ashes gripped from the beginning until the last page. The imagery was so vivid and detailed, I have to say you can’t exactly have a weak stomach when it comes to reading this. Haha. At times, horrifying and morbid, but I just couldn’t tear my eyes away from the pages.

Like zombies? Then you’ll love this.

Ashes takes you into a whole new level of Post-Apocalyptic fiction. The events that not only have the reader following the characters just before the “big disaster”, but everything after as well as the new-world building. Everything is so structured and amazingly well crafted in a good timeline. The characters stick with you most particularly. There are characters you love, and ones you loathe.

My only nitpick about the book I would have is that it ended a bit too abruptly for my liking… on such an awful cliffhanger. While I normally have no problems with cliffhangers, sometimes when starting a new series, it can be just a slight annoyance with a sudden abrupt ending and I’m flipping the page to only find the acknowledgements. Nonetheless, I’m now eagerly awaiting the next book to this series. I highly enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what’s to come now for the characters!

4 stars!

Review: Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: Dystopian/YA

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.


During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. - Goodreads

Holy.. wow. Possibly my favorite book of the year (so far anyway!). Possibly even better than The Hunger Games? Maybe! But I'm waiting to read the entire Divergent series before making that final call.

Here's what I loved:


1. No love triangles. FINALLY! You know.. I was getting really sick of picking up what seemed like almost every YA book as of recent to find a love triangle tossed in. Back in the beginning of this "craze", it was alright. I loved the premise of the love triangle in The Vampire Academy series, but other than that.. I really loathe it most of the time. So, I was quite thrilled that Divergent didn't have it!


2. Gripping. I don't think I ever stopped thinking about it. When I wasn't reading this, I was thinking of the book. It was a major page turner. I was practically tearing at the pages to find out what happened next.


3. Tris was REAL. She had emotions, three-dimensional, and overall a character that I will remember and continue to love. She lost sometimes and I liked that. It was sad seeing her lose, but at the same time, I really have to say that this was an added bonus because it gave the character weak spots. A true character. Can't win ALL the time, you know, and that's what I liked.


4. Action-packed. It kept me on the edge of my seat and the details were compelling. Violent at times, but wow, it really hit the senses.


5. The romance was realistic. No "Hello" one day, and then two days later, "Oh my gosh, I'm in love." It was slow-moving romance that sent shivers up my spine. For once, in quite some time, the romance found in this novel was a romance that could be encountered in the real world. The characters got to know each other. We got to know the characters. Loved, loved, loved. And I loooovee Four. He was a character that really hit a soft spot with me, albeit I did kind of predict what was going on with him/who he was ahead of time, but it didn't ruin anything at all for me when I realized my assumption was right.


Normally, I'm not one to jump so quickly along with the hype and go out to buy a brand new, hardcover, just released book by a new author. I'll usually wait a while, or until the book comes out on paperback before I read it. This time, though, something just kept nagging at me to get it shortly after release day and I'm SO glad that I did now. Believe the hype. Every good thing that you hear about this book is true. Trust me.

Divergent will live long in my brain. I finished it a few days ago and still can't stop thinking about it. Now I'm likely going to go insane waiting for the second installment! :(


If I could rate this more than 5 stars, I would.

“You won,” Four mutters. “Stop.”

I wipe the sweat from my forehead. He stares at me. His eyes are too wide; they look alarmed.

“I think you should leave,” he says. “Take a walk.”

“I’m fine,” I say. “I’m fine now,” I say again, this time for myself.

I wish I could say I felt guilty for what I did.

I don’t.

~The Bookaholic