REVIEW: Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Title/Series: Insurgent | Divergent #2
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: May 1st 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Hardcover | Pages: 525
Genre: YA, Dystopia
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Veronica Roth | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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

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

Insurgent picks up exactly where we leave off in Divergent and from there the roller coaster ride begins. Friends become enemies, enemies become allies. Lines are drawn, lines are crossed. The major thing I've discovered now that I'm two books in and sitting here nervously eyeing Allegiant is if you ever feel like you know what's going to happen next or whether that character sitting there smiling sweetly at you is for sure friend or foe, 3/4 of the time you're most likely wrong. Well at least that was the case for me. This one was packed full of surprises. The number of times I stared at the page wondering, sometimes aloud, just what in the hell is going on I couldn't count on one hand. The heart pounding intensity was just as strong in this one as it was for me in Divergent. I think the only difference would be that there was a darker tone here. One thing was for sure, there is no case of the sophomore slump here.

In the first book I came out of it feeling like up to that point I really only had a strong grasp on two of the factions and a partial on a third, though by the end of this one I feel like I have a better grasp on all five. Each one of the factions absolutely fascinates me. I love learning new things about them and seeing how they operate. I also started to see that it is true what's been said before that not one faction itself is bad. There's going to be good and evil within each one. Though I still feel like some of them have the scales tilted just a bit more towards evil than the others...

It's quite easy to become attached to most of these characters. I only say most because there are quite a few I would gladly put a bullet in their head with no remorse whatsoever. They are all so full of depth and they're part of what intrigues me so much about the different factions. Each person really embodies the personality of their chosen faction. It's so hard when characters are so likable, especially in a book such as this one. People are going to die. People are going to betray one another. Some of those deaths and betrayals hit me really hard. One in particularly I am steel reeling over.

Tris had me in a big spiral of emotions through basically the entirety of this book. Actions taken at the end of Divergent completely flipped her world upside down. It was hard to read and watch her go through the guilt and blame taking on top of all the other heartache she was going through and slowly sink inside of herself. It was frustrating and hurt to watch her go from this total ass kicking girl from book one to a shell of what she once was with a nonexistent self worth, yet still being able to see small sparks of her old self trying to break through. 

If going from book one to book two is any indication of what I have in store for me next I am both excited and nervous to see what comes next and ends the series. The ratings are all over the place from one star to five and that honestly terrifies me. I fell in love with Divergent and Insurgent just deepened it for me. I don't have the best track record for being happy with series enders but I'm hoping and praying that it won't let me down. Please...please...please... *Crosses self* I'm going in...

REVIEW: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Title/Series: Divergent | Divergent #1
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: February 28th 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Format: Paperback | Pages: 487
Genre: YA, Dystopa
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Veronica Roth | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

When dystopia is done right there is nothing like it in the world. All of the contemporary, paranormal, historical, even epic fantasies will never measure up to how I feel when I get lost in these worlds. It is my all time favorite genre. So why has it taken me so long to finally read Divergent? I'm always afraid, almost doubly so when it comes to books that are surrounded by a lot of hype, what if this is one that disappoints me? Is it just going to be like all the rest?

The other factions celebrate birthdays, but we don't. It would be self-indulgent.

The dystopian Chicago world that Veronica Roth has created is definitely unique, unlike any others I've read so far. It was interesting to learn a bit about the 5 different factions, a few more so than the others at this point, and also see how they interacted in a mixed setting like the high school in the beginning of the book. The way they all carry themselves and behave are so vastly different. I was fascinated by it all and it had me thinking, in the beginning, when I just had those brief first impressions, what faction would I choose? It felt like there was a bit of a benefit with each one, though I'm not sure I'd have survived Candor. 100% honesty at all times? I'm not one for lying and dishonesty but sometimes letting someone off easy instead of brutal honesty just feels better. Yeah I would not survive Candor. But the rest initially seemed to be groups I'd enjoy being around. That idea didn't stick around for long.

"Just because we're in the same faction doesn't mean we get along."

As with books of this nature there are going to be characters you love and characters you all out despise. This book has both types in spades. And then there were those that flipped a switch on me before I finished, both in good ways and bad ones. It wound up making me cautious and start to doubt who I trust and who I don't. I adore Tris, she kicks some major ass. She's definitely one of my favorite female heroines. So strong and so smart. In a lot of ways this girl comes off as being full of confidence but underneath that there's a bit of fear and vulnerability even a bit of doubt within herself that helps her feel more real and more likable. And Four had me intrigued before I even opened the book. I mean if you've heard about this series then you've heard the girls are crazy about Four. I can see why. It's a very slow process learning about this guy and what's underneath the tough guy that everyone sees him as. He's definitely a mystery. Still don't know everything about him but he's already been placed up there with all my other book boyfriends. I can't wait to dive into Insurgent and find out what's next for these two.

"A kiss is not something you do in public."

I am a romantic at heart and I love a good love story like the next person.  But what I love about Divergent, so far at least, is that any sort of romance is really just sort of a side story and it's not the main focus of the book. All the kissing of the boys and the swoons and the fluttering of the heart are all awesome, but when I read dystopia I want creative worlds and conflicts and action and uprisings, rebellions. I want everything to fall apart and I want to be stressing out wondering how in the hell these people are going to come back from everything that's happened. I want all the things! And this book is full of all that, or at least beginnings of them in some cases. Jumping off moving trains and rooftops. Wars between factions. Shootings. Death. Friendships. Betrayals. It has it all and it was amazing. I am irrevocably in love with this series so far and you can bet once I type the last word in this review I'm picking up Insurgent, which is sitting right next to me, and you better not even think about disturbing me!

BLOG TOUR: Land of the Unaltered (Confederation #1) by Leti Del Mar

Title/Series: Land of the Unaltered | Confederation #1
Author: Leti Del Mar
Publisher: Rambaldi Press
Published June 18th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 341
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review
★ ★ ★ ★  (4/5) Stars!

Leti Del Mar | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Google+

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Rose comes from the capital of the Confederation of Cities where its citizens live in luxury and the greatest fashion statement of all is being Altered. People change everything about the way they look as often as they do their hairstyle but Rose is different. Her position of privilege has made her an outcast and led her to suspect that something sinister is happening to the citizens and flees the capital along with a past that imprisons her in search of a fresh start in the Land of the Unaltered.

Flynn lives in the Land of the Unaltered and hates the capitol and everything it stands for. So when a spoiled capital girl is assigned to work with him, he wants nothing to do with her and is prepared to make her life miserable. But Flynn was not prepared for someone like Rose. She doesn’t fit the mold he expected and finds himself strongly attracted to her. As she continues to surprise and outwit him, they begin to forge a bond that is tested when they discover a secret that could change everything they know about Land of the Unaltered.

Land of the Unaltered is a Dystopian Romance and is the first installment of the The Confederation Chronicles.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Rose

I woke up confused, disoriented and under attack.

I could hear the sounds of bullets in the distance getting closer with every passing second. In the confusion following my abrupt awakening, it took me a few precious seconds to realize this wasn't my room and that I was in a foreign bed. Then I remembered I was onboard a convoy, taking me far away from home.

I gazed out of the tiny window next to my borrowed bed to see the attackers; about two dozen people on  horseback, ridding parallel to the moving convoy. A few held lit torches that blazed against night's sky. The rest carried guns, all aimed at me. My heart reached a frantic pace when I saw their bodies move closer to my window. I had lived my whole life n fear of an assassination and now that the threat was real and present, time stood still as I observed the faces of my would-be killers.

Their faces shone with excitement and energy. Never in my entire life had I felt as alive as these people appeared to be, riding towards me with their guns blazing  The full moon illuminated them and the green valley they galloped across. Weaving in and out of the sparse trees, their horses flew across the grassy terrain and maintained pace with the convoy. With my breath frozen in my throat, I found myself confused with my discovery. These assailants seemed happy and not at all what I imagined assassins to be.

Their clothes were mismatched but not ragged. They had clean, Unaltered faces and their hair was neatly arranged. I saw a young girl with two long braids streaming down her back. For some reason, those twin golden braids held me transfixed as she rode even closer. This would-be killer looked so young. She had to be about my age, seventeen. As I scanned the rest of their faces, I noticed none of them seemed much older than thirty. Women made up almost half of their numbers.

I had always been taught to fear assassins and imagined them to be deranged renegades, but these people seemed vibrant and full of glee. Their smiling faces almost made me forget that they were after me. Preparing for the worst, I steeled myself and moved away from the small window. Getting down on my hands and knees, I searched my cabin for something to barricade the door with. Unfortunately, every stick of furniture was attached to the wall.

The sounds of gun fire got closer and my once comfortable room was now stifling  My stomach twisted into a knot of fear that I forced myself to ignore. After all, I had been trained for this since I was a  little girl and I knew what to do. I needed to take stock off my surroundings. 

The convoy did not have accommodations for extra passengers, so the Leader of the Convoy had surrendered his room to me. I had made myself comfortable in his small compartment while he shared with the crew. The surfaces of his room were made of a highly polished wood that gleamed in shiny perfection and  I  marveled at the cabin's ingenuity in making use of every nook and cranny. A model of expert efficiency  its compartments slid into the walls and bins folded into the ceiling. I started to go through the compartments, looking for something to use, until I found what just might save me, a pistol.

Heavier than I expected it to be, I was pleased to find the pistol already loaded and ready to go. My fingers griped the cool metal as I pushed aside the growing fear and remembered every word of my safety training. I moved into a tight corner with good cover, aimed the pistol at the door and waited for my attackers.

My Review:

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Land of the Unaltered takes place in a world where beauty is most definitely on the outside. Fashions come and go and as they come and go the people of this world will go through repeated plastic surgeries to keep up with the latest styles. Throwing in wild hair and eye colors to match as one would accessorize with a pair of shoes. (Honestly! At one point a character was mentioned as having tangerine colored hair and contact lenses to match!)

Rose is different. She grew up in Civitas, the capital of the Confederation,  where everyone is altered. Having grown up with the mother she did, Rose made a decision early on that she would never herself get altered. She wanted to remain herself. That's just not something you do where she's from. But her own mother has been altered so many times Rose feels like it's effected her mentally, like every time she went under another little piece was chipped away and I don't just mean things such as the nose on her face! 

Due to who her father and his family is within the political community, they live under the constant fear of death threats and assassination attempts. Needing to get away from everything, Rose goes to visit her Aunt Ivy in Eureka, which is part of The Land of the Unaltered. Aunt Ivy is Eureka's doctor and escaped the life of the capital years ago. 

Rose takes a job at the lumber mill and is assigned as an assistant to Flynn, who's father runs the mill. Ahh Flynn. I loved this guy. He's completely awkward, never says the right thing, quiet and likes to keep to himself. It was nice for a change to not read a guy who was oozing with self confidence.  This story is told in dual POVs of Rose and Flynn so we get to know both of them really well. 

I really only have one slight problem with this book. And honestly, to hear myself saying this just sounds weird! But, The book really focuses quite a bit on Rose and Flynn and their building relationship. Don't get me wrong I adored it and it was sweet and all. The thing is I'm still sort of in the dark about how their world came to be. There wasn't a lot of world building except for the fact of knowing about how things are now. I really wanted to learn what happened to get them to this point you know? Some dystopians it's a virus others there's a huge world war, lots of possibilities. When it comes to labeling something Dystopian I feel like a bit of back story is a must.

As a romance, this book nails it but as a Dystopain it's not quite there, though almost. Regardless it was still a very enjoyable read and still had me turning page after page excited to see what happened next with Rose and Flynn and I'm now anxiously awaiting the next book to see what happens next! There's a storm brewing in the Confederation and I look forward to seeing what happens to it's people!


Thanks Leti for having me be a part of the blog tour and being able to read this book!!

Giveaway!

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Want to see what you've missed so far? Click here for the list of tour stops from Leti's website! :)

Land of the Unaltered Blog Tour

REVIEW: The Human (The Eden Trilogy #2) by Keary Taylor

Title/Series: The Human | The Eden Trilogy #2
Author: Keary Taylor
Publisher: Keary Taylor
Published: June 18th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 270
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Keary Taylor | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

The city of New Eden is cleared, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bane continue to advance in horrific ways that will wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. A storm is coming, one none of them could have dared imagine. 

When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.

Since this is book 2 in the series there may be spoilers for book 1 so if you haven't read it please turn away now. I can't guarantee I won't reference something from the previous book, even though it may be small I hate doing that to people so you've been warned...

I received an eBook copy of this book from Keary Taylor in exchange for an honest review. It's been a few days since I finished The Human and I'm still trying to recover. There is no grey area for me when it comes to Dystopia. I either abso-freaking-lutely love it or I don't care for it at all. The Eden trilogy would fall under the former category. I fell in love with The Bane instantly and couldn't wait to move on to The Human. Of course there's always a bit of worry moving on from the first book in a series no matter who the author is. Especially when it ended on such a high for me. Can it live up to it's predecessor? My answer is unequivocally yes and then some.

The Human picks up a few months after The Bane ends. Life's a bit different from how it was in the first book and everyone is trying to figure out how to adjust. Especially Eve. She's going through a major struggle. Going through adjustments to lessen her emotional blockers and become more..."human" get to be overwhelming. Having no previous memories of life before the Evolution, living in the city isn't something she's cut out for and she feels imprisoned in a way, but she won't abandon those she views as her family. West's situation has become a drain on her mentally. She feels herself slowly starting to crack.

While the first book was more about the world building, I found this one to be much more intense and action packed. Especially after the arrival of a group of armed strangers shows up at New Eden and turns their lives upside down. In a world with so very few humans left, the Bane don't seem to be the only threat to survival. We also find out some new and interesting twists about Eve and her past. Just when she thinks she has herself figured out, she gets blindsided by new information.

There is unforgivable betrayal, in my opinion, and from someone I cared a great deal about from the series start. It brought forth a lot of frustration and anger. More secrets, more danger, more action. It was a heart pounding, perfect second installment to the Eden trilogy. And the ending...are you kidding me? I think my jaw hit the floor. It doesn't so much as leave you hanging as it leaves you absolutely dying to get your hands on The Eve. It definitely set the scene for what's sure to be an explosive finale. I. Can't. Freaking. Wait.

REVIEW: Phoenix (Black City #2) by Elizabeth Richards

Title/Series: Phoenix | Black City #2
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Expected publication: June 4th 2013
Format: Paperback | Pages: 350
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Paranormal, Romance
Source: First Reads win thank you Penguin!!!
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!!

Elizabeth Richards | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Weeks after his crucifixion and rebirth as Phoenix, Ash Fisher believes his troubles are far behind him. He and Natalie are engaged and life seems good. But his happiness is short-lived when he receives a threatening visit from Purian Rose, who gives Ash an ultimatum: vote in favor of Rose’s Law permanently relegating Darklings to the wrong side of the wall or Natalie will be killed.

The decision seems obvious to Ash; he must save Natalie. But when Ash learns about The Tenth, a new and deadly concentration camp where the Darklings would be sent, the choice doesn’t seem so simple. Unable to ignore his conscience, Ash votes against Rose’s Law, signing Natalie’s death warrant and putting a troubled nation back into the throes of bloody battle.

I'm so excited about winning this off of Goodreads. (Big, big thanks to Penguin for doing it! I heart you guys mucho ♥!)  I've entered giveaways on there so many times before but this was my very first win. Could it have been any better than this? Nope! The Book Gods were truly smiling down on me that day. (I'm such a dork haha)

I will start off by admitting that, yes. This book frustrated me beyond all reason. I was angry and upset and characters were just pissing me off. Had I been able to reach inside the book there probably would be no need for a book 3 because most of them would be dead right now! And yet I sit here completely hooked. I mean I devoured these books. I started Black City on the evening of May 28th and here I am in the wee early hours of the 31st done with Phoenix, going a bit crazy over the fact that I have to wait until sometime in 2014 for book 3!!! Ugh. Sigh.

 

Most of my frustration fell within the love story. It started out nearly perfect. I was swooning over the engagement and things were so good. (Not a spoiler it's in the blurb!) Of course it was only about 50 pages in so you know something was going to shatter it all to pieces. And it did. A lot. My heart broke so many times through this book. It seemed every time I turned a page some force was pulling or attempting to pull Natalie and Ash apart. It wasn't just people either. A huge twist has me so torn up and worried, still. Sometimes it was just so hard to read.

Phoenix has quite a bit more action because we're thrust into the rebellion for the majority of this book.  Which was intense and exiting. Then there's the other side of it, the loss and sadness, and quite a bit of betrayal. Some of it from people I grew really attached too and I didn't see it coming. I was pretty angry and felt pretty betrayed myself! But a good part of all of that was that we get to see more of the United Sentry States. There was quite a bit of travelling and we got to learn more about their world. And meet new characters along the way. Some good. Some bad. And some...a little bit of both.

I'm emotionally spent after reading this and I have become thoroughly captivated by this world and these characters. Phoenix definitely kicked it up a notch from Black City and I cannot wait to see what book 3 has in store for me. I'm still siting here trying to process the 2nd twist that was thrown in there at the end. Is it 2014 yet? Yeah...thought not... :(

REVIEW: Black City (Black City #1) by Elizabeth Richards

Title/Series: Black City | Black City #1
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher: Speak
Published: May 7th 2013
Format: Paperback | Pages: 374
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Purchased Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!!

Elizabeth Richards | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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.

This series is very likely going to become a full blown book obsession of mine. It takes two of my most favorite subjects to read about and swirls them together. Dystopia and Vampires. My inner fangirl is screaming on the inside. If only you could hear her... I found this series during one of my late night Goodreads giveaway entry binges. (I prefer these to the NetGalley ones ha!) I saw Phoenix (Black City #2) listed in the Dystopian section and the cover was so pretty I just clicked on it and didn't even look it up and...then forgot all about it. So imagine my happy surprise a couple weeks ago when I check my email and it says I'm a winner! (We all knew that though...*cough* kidding...) So I look it up and realize it's a book two in a series and quickly find book one. That's when I see those two words to the right of the page of shelves it's listed on. I didn't hesitate to buy this that same day. I am so glad!

We're sucked into a dark segregated world. Quite literally, divided with walls to section off the Darkling ghettos from the humans. With the only Darklings allowed on the other side of the wall being basic slaves. Ash being an exception as he's only a half-blood and lives with his human father. Since there's now a law, post-war, excluding humans and Darklings from being together he's become a rarity and quite alone. Until he meets Natalie. A human. But not just any human. The Emissary's daughter. *Dun dun dunnnnn* Ha! There was no love at first sight but there was some loathing.

There was a lot of division within the community. The government, the religious nuts and a majority of the human world wanting to maintain the segregation and of course do even worse. There was also quite a good number of humans fighting for unity among the races.

Ash isn't the best person at first, I mean he even starts off with us giving a not so good first impression. But there was still something about him that I wasn't ready to write off that soon. And we quickly get to see a different side of him. Even realize that sometimes people do desperate, horrible things for family and/or people they love. I could go on and on about how amazing I think Ash is. Yeah he screws up. He's flawed. I stand by my amazing comment, especially at what he does over the last 30 pages that had me sniveling uncontrollably.

On the opposite side of the tracks....literally, we have Natalie who's mother is the Emissary of Black City. So she's kind of got a sort of sheltered outlook on their world. She always seemed sort of on the fence to me, though at times she did lean more towards one side than the other and it was quite back and forth for a bit there. I think her seeming to waver was due to the fact that her house was pretty divided before her father passed. You have a high official, very political mother and her father was very much an advocate for Darklings. But her transition, actually better yet the transition of both Natalie and Ash was perfect. They were both flawed. They both made mistakes. They were vulnerable. They were real. And their growth from start to finish was huge.

The supporting cast was really good too. You had those that you loved and brought more depth to those around them. And then there were others. The ones that had me so infuriated that there were times I wanted to rip my book in half and throw it across the room! I mean this all in a good way too, I love having something stir that kind of fire in me.

Overall, it was fascinating, it was heartbreaking, it was infuriating at times. It evoked all those emotions within me that a really good Dystopian always seems to do. It was truly unique and though some stuff I figured out pretty quickly there were still plenty of things that hit me out of nowhere and all I wanted to do is scream "NO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!" It definitely inspired my passionate reader side and became an instant favorite. I can't wait to open up Phoenix and dive back into this intense, intriguing, yet a little bit dark and dingy world and see where Ash and Natalie take me next.

ARC REVIEW: The Testing (The Testing #1) by Joelle Charbonneau

Title/Series: The Testing | The Testing #1
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Expected publication: June 4th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 336
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Source: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Joelle Charbonneau | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Who will be chosen to lead? The best...the brightest...the deadliest? 

There will be a testing. In the wake of the Seven Stages War, the government of the Unified Commonwealth devised The Testing to assess the instinct, intellect and sheer nerve among a select group of the population's young people. Candidates who pass, attend the University to become leaders of the Commonwealth; civilization's hope to transform a post-war wasteland into a peaceful and technologically advanced society. But progress comes at a price. 

Mechanically-inclined Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a candidate but on the eve of her departure, her father confides partial memories of his grisly experience as a candidate, still haunted by nightmares and living in fear of what he can't remember. It's not enough to pass the test, Cia will have to survive it and her deadly fellow candidates. To stay alive Cia will have to learn who she can trust and, if necessary, who she must kill.

 It's very difficult to please the lovers of the dystopian genre. Everyone always seems so quick to judge and compare new books with....that other series. You know the one I'm talking about. Which I find highly unfair. Those books do not make up the entire genre, and as such shouldn't be used as the score card every time something new comes along. Because while,yes, I did enjoy them quite much...I've found others that I've enjoyed even more. And if this first book in The Testing series is any indicator of what's to come with the rest of the books, they're going to be right there towards the top of my list.

I downloaded it without even looking at the blurb. I received a pre-apporval and so I pulled it up on Goodreads and checked the shelves it was on and three popped out and made my decision straight away; YA, Dystopian, Post-Apocalypse. Done. I have to read this book.

I get settled and thrust myself into Cia's world. I adored her. She was your ideal dystopian heroine. She's smart, strong, stubborn when it counts (not just to be stubborn), and always wanting to do right by people and try to help them if she can....which, for the last one, in this genre can also be a fault. She was also trusting, to a fault. And in a world where trusting the wrong person could get you killed, it made for an anxiety filled read (in a really good way!) As I'm sitting here typing this to you, having finished this first book...I'm still unsure about a couple people. And it's killing me! Ahhh!!! ...Okay, I think I'm okay.

It was a smooth read. And kept my interest from start to finish. I'm serious when I say I could. Not. Put. It. Down. And it wasn't a love story set in a post-apocalypse type of world either. Though there were hints of love here and there, this was more like an adrenaline pumping story of survival and betrayal and death. The characters are fantastic. The world is painted in a vivid picture that allows your imagination to take over and you can picture everything as it's going on. Even the cringe worthy parts. The death in this book is definitely not for the squeamish.

I'd like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read and review this book!! It was an amazing adventure that ended too soon and I can't wait for the next book to come out!

ARC REVIEW: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead

Title/Series: Gameboard of the Gods | Age of X #1
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Dutton Adult 
Expected Publication: June 4th 2013
Pages: eBook | Pages: 471
Genre: Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance
Source: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!

Richelle Mead | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

I am a huge fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series both. And so when I heard about this new series coming out I was very excited, especially with it being in the dystopian, sci-fi/fantasy genres. I was ready to try something different from her and this absolutely is that! Though we're thrust into a whole new world with a new set of rules, you can definitely feel the uniqueness of a voice that is all her own coming from this book. She knocked this one out of the park! YA, paranormal, Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, action, suspense, she can do it all.

I was hooked from the opening lines and that feeling didn't fade once all the way through to the end. There's so much going on I found it hard to allow myself to stop to do normal human function type things like sleep, eat... you know, the basics. I was just so enthralled with this world she shows us.

Richelle Mead has created characters that you genuinely care about. Mae I liked instantly. She has a... I'm not sure how else to put it at the moment...a voice, that is very much Richelle Mead. I suppose in a small sense she reminds me a bit of her character Rose from VA. Not in a, been there done that, kind of way but as in certain aspects have a similar vibe. They're both sort of militant, yet have a softer more vulnerable side that they try to keep hidden. But that being said they are still very different. When she's not in the story I found myself wanting to see more of her and to know more of what's going on with her.

Justin is very entertaining. He's very confident and smart and has a gift for reading people. He has a very interesting, and quite often entertaining....personality quirk. To put it any other way would give away a bit of a plot point. But back on track he's the perfect person to throw in with Mae to create some really good friction and tension filled scenes.

And that's the thing, this book wasn't some epic love story that so many of them are today. Not that there's anything wrong with that but this was focused on murder, mystery, mythology with just a touch of romance thrown in here and there. Lots of action all the way up to the end which had me dying because I then realized, this book isn't even officially out for a few more months and I'm already salivating for book two! *Sigh* The wait begins...

REVIEW: Zoo by Tara Elizabeth

Title/Series: Zoo | The Enclosure Chronicles #1
Author: Tara Elizabeth
Publisher: Tara Elizabeth
Published February 2013
Format: eBook | 302 pages
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Sci-Fi
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!

Tara Elizabeth | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A chronicle of my time living in a zoo . . . I'm not really sure where to start, and you may have trouble believing me even as I tell you my story. My family did. They laughed the first time I told them, so now I just say it was all a crazy dream. You see, I died in a totally preventable car accident . . . or so I thought. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to discover that I had been resurrected into the year 2282 and, just as unbelievably, was locked up in a zoo! A HUMAN ZOO! Oh wait, I mean the People's Past Anthropological Center.

The Global Government created the Centers because all of the different cultures of the world had, over centuries of time, slowly absorbed into one uniform culture. Everything and everybody felt the same, and the world didn’t like it. So, to help the people of 2282 find cultures they thought worthy to live their lives by, they used time travel to zap the people of the past into the future. They created enclosures to house their live human exhibits. And that's what happened to me. I became a research project, a source of entertainment. I was a prisoner who was over two hundred years away from my family and friends.

Most of my time in the enclosure was spent trying to escape. I also made friends, lost friends, fell in love, was betrayed, was held captive within captivity, and lots of other fun stuff. There were some shocking moments and some devastating moments . . . It’s a lot to recount, but I’ll try my best to tell you all about my time travel . . . PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.

I'm Emma, by the way.

I wasn't sure what to expect, I mean reading the synopsis I knew I wanted to take a chance because it's a very unique and original idea in my opinion. I've never read anything like it or heard anything like it. If it was done right it had so much potential to be amazing. I definitely didn't expect to be captivated by this world so completely. It was absolutely done right! 

Emma is fantastic. She's stubborn and fiesty and just the right amount of sarcastic. It is so much fun to read as she tells her story of how she ended up in the zoo and her struggles to try to escape and try to get home. This future world she's taken to after her death is brilliantly designed by Tara Elizabeth and it's so easy to fall into and feel like you're there with Emma and her friends.  And such an interesting concept. I mean being pulled from your "death" to be "saved" and put on exhibit at a human zoo?! Insane right? 

I laughed out loud so many times, seriously you will love Emma! There's also plenty of anxiety, tension filled, edge of your seat moments, the last 1/4 or so of the book was intense. This book is just so full of everything. I can't recommend it enough!

I want to thank Tara Elizabeth for offering me to read and review this book.  When the book grabs me the way this one did, it's simply a pleasure to read! :)

REVIEW: Reached (Matched Series #3) by Ally Condie

Title/Series: Reached | Matched #3
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Penguin 
Published: November 13th 2012
Format: Hardcover | Pages: 512 
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Source: Purchased B&N

★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!

Ally Condie | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Cassia’s journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect façade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.

The wait is over.

One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most—family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion.

With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international–bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose.

Everything has a beginning. A middle. And an end. I fell in love with the beginning. It held true through the middle. And there it remained, steadfast through the end. I feel a small sense of loss now that it's over. Unless I read it again, which I'm sure I will, these characters aren't going to be with me any longer. Their story is over and it makes me a bit sad.

In this book, as I figured we most likely would, we get to hear Xander's voice as well. I am so in love with Ky, but in reading this book, a part of me couldn't help but feel for Xander. I mean he's just so good. He puts everyone before himself and even though he's in love with Cassia he doesn't act out with jealousy, he does everything he can to help her and Ky. He's just a very amazing character and the end of his part of the story brought me joy.

This is so unlike any other "Love Triangle" type of book I've ever read. The guys aren't tearing each other down and making snarky comments or anything of the sort. These three all truly care about one another. Ky and Xander formed a friendship long ago, shortly after Ky arrived in their borough and their respect for one another remained and it was a refreshing change.

There were things that absolutely made me think things like..."Omg..no way!"..like the red garden day, as an example. Those who read it will understand what I mean. I thought that was a pretty cool twist. There were lots of highs and lows. Losses and findings. Was I thrilled about everything? Absolutely not. But it wasn't my story to tell. Still I think it ended as it should. It felt about 99% complete. There were two people who were...left incomplete, but really in the end it all still felt right.