Empty by Suzanne Weyn

 

Summary:

 

A dystopic look at what happens to one American town when all the fossil fuels run out...

It's the near future - the very near future - and the fossil fuels are running out. No gas. No oil. Which means no driving. No heat. Supermarkets are empty. Malls have shut down. Life has just become more local than we ever knew it could be.

Nobody expected the end to come this fast. And in the small town of Spring Valley, decisions that once seemed easy are quickly becoming matters of life and death. There is hope - there has to be hope - just there are also sacrifices that need to be made, and a whole society that needs to be rethought.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 192 pages (Hardcover)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: October 1st 2010 by Scholastic Press

Last week while I was in the library I spotted Empty by Suzanne Weyn on the shelf and since I had never heard of it before, and it was a dystopian novel I thought I'd give it a whirl even though it's not one of my preferred genres thinking it would be good to give a new author a try.

I should have known that this one probably wouldn't end up being as good as I had hoped. While the novel sounded really good and started off very strongly by page 50 it started losing steam for me. I typically stay away from novels under 200 pages because the stories are often underwhelming and the characters are underdeveloped which were precisely my problems with Empty.

Like I said, Empty started off strong but the quality of the novel went down hill very quickly. For me Empty seemed more like a bland, 192 page long summary of a novel. The writing was very bland, predictable and uninspiring. It didn't hold my attention very much at all and I found myself having to force myself to focus and finish the book.

The idea of the novel was a good one don't get me wrong I just believe it didn't reach it's full potential plot wise and character wise. The Characters weren't realistic at all and I couldn't connect to any of them. The characters were in their late teens but the way they acted and exchanged dialogue with each other made set the tone that this book was more appropriate for a middle grade audience.

Overall, Empty was a good attempt and had the potential to be a very good novel but the fact that I couldn't get into the plot really annoyed me and while I didn't like this novel by Suzanne Weyn I'm willing to give her other novels a chance and this book just wasn't for me.

I would recommend Empty to younger readers preferably middle grade readers due to the simplicity of the story line and the maturity level of the characters. I can see this one being a hit with the younger crowd especially those looking to delve into the dystopian genre.

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

Not For Me!
★

 

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The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) by Alexandra Bracken

 

Summary:

 

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 488 Pages (Hardcover)

Source: Toronto Public Libary

Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio

Publication Date: December 18th 2012 by Disney Hyperion

 

Februrary turned out to be a really good reading month for me when it came to reading. I read quite a few amazing books last month and The Darkest Minds was on of them. In fact out of the whole month this was my absolute favourite read.

 

I had had this one on my TBR list since March of 2012 so it was great to finally get my hands on a copy and start reading. I thought that Alexandra Bracken's sophomore young adult novel was an awesome showcase of her talent.

 

I expected this to be the usual dystopian read where the girl has strange powers blah, blah, blah. But I was completely taken by surprise. Instead of the whiney, angsty novel I was expecting I was taken on a fast paced adventure ride.

 

I absolutely loved the story of Ruby. As a character she is near the top of my favourite young adult heroines. She's smart, funny, awkward, and willing to do anything she can to keep her new friends including her love interest Liam safe even if it means making the reader (me) scream at her in frustration at the end of the book. If you've read the book you'll know what I'm referring to. Anyways, back to Ruby. I loved the fact that she struggled with her ability throughout the entirety of the novel. She didn't go from being awkward to a super confident stuck up girl like many characters do after they experience life changing moments which I really appreciated because no one likes a perfect character.

 

The other characters were great too. Even the bad guys. I really liked getting to know Zu, and Chubs. They were both interesting characters though Chubs always seemed to make me laugh at his snarky remarks. Liam though takes the cake when it comes to side characters and love interests though. He's the good guy which I love seeing in young adult noels because I find that the "bad boy" love interest thing is way too over done. I loved how protective he was of Ruby and anyone else who needed his help.

 

The story line was interesting. I liked that it centered around a disease that killed off the majority of Children but left those that remained with certain abilities. Plus the whole segregation of the kids with these abilities from the general public was interesting. 

 

The writing of The Darkest Minds was quite spectacular. It was fast paced and had many plot twists that I loved. The fact that it wasn't a straight forward love story but more of a thriller was great. I loved how the author was able to create such real characters that were perfect in the fact that they were flawed like everyone else. I also liked that this was a bit of a darker, more grown up YA novel because the author wasn't afraid of dropping the F-bomb and other expletives every once in a while. The dialogue between her characters was very well done as well it flowed easily and wasn't robotic or forced.

 

What I loved the most was that the story of The Darkest Minds was able to draw me in for hours at a time and left me saddened at the end of the first book wishing there was a sequel readily available for me to read immediately. I'm completely and utterly enthralled with Ruby's story and I really can't wait to see what happens in the sequel when it's released. For me this is probably one of the best YA books I've ever read and I'm so glad I read it when I did.

 

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves YA novels. There's a bit of romance, a lot of betrayal, violence and will keep you wanting to read into the wee hours of the night. Alexandra Bracken gives a likable female heroine that readers can invest in and one who they'll cheer for.

 

Loved it!
★★★★★

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*[Blog Tour Review/Giveaway] The Scourge by A.G. Henley

 

Summary:

 

Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She’s never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how the shadows shift when she passes under a canopy of trees. She knows how to hide in the cool, damp caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings’ tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be.

 

And she’s always known this day would come—the day she faces the Scourge alone.

 

The Sightless, like Fenn, are mysteriously protected from the Scourge, the gruesome creatures roaming the forests, reeking of festering flesh and consuming anything—and anyone—living. A Sightless Groundling must brave the Scourge and bring fresh water to the people of the forest. Today, that task becomes Fenn’s.

 

Fenn will have a Lofty Keeper, Peree, as her companion. Everyone knows the Lofties wouldn’t hesitate to shoot an arrow through the back of an unsuspecting Groundling like Fenn, but Peree seems different. A boy with warm, rough hands who smells like summer, he is surprisingly kind and thoughtful. Although Fenn knows his people are treacherous, she finds herself wanting to trust him.

As their forest community teeters on the brink of war, Fenn and Peree must learn to work together to survive the Scourge and ensure their people’s survival. But when Fenn uncovers a secret that shatters her truths, she’s forced to decide who and what to protect—her people, her growing love for Peree, or the elusive dream of lasting peace in the forest.

 Summary & Photo provided by Kismet Book Tours

Length: 242 pages

Source: Review Copy

Publication Date: January 31st 2012

 

I had seen The Scourge floating round the blogosphere for quite some time before I got the tour invitation from Kismet, and I had heard only good things about it so you can imagine that I was pretty excited.

 

I know this is the part where you're waiting me say that the book didn't live up to my expectations but I'm going to surprise you and tell you A.G. Henley's debut novel did much, much more than live up to my expectations it surpassed them and is a prime example that just because a book is self published it is by no means a bad read.

 

I loved the world the author set up in The Scourge. It was a pretty unique dystopian read we all know how far and few between those novels are becoming. Her idea about having two differing "tribes" if you will in the Groundlings like Fenn and the Lofties like Peree was awesome! It reminded me a lot of the 2001 movie re-make of H.G. Wells' novel The Time Machine in that aspect which was pretty awesome for me because I loved that part in the movie. Also, the race of the Scourge was neat because I've been jonesing for a zombie like read for a wee while now.

 

The characters were wonderfully depicted. I think that what I enjoyed about them was the fact that they were flawed just like real people are. Nothing grinds my gears worse that characters that are too perfect so when an author makes real, likable, approachable characters I really appreciate it. I loved Fenn, she was smart, strong and brave and she was perfect for Peree and he was perfect for her. I loved their relationship because while there was a slight case of insta-love it wasn't over the top like I've seen in other books.

 

The story line (I'm not going to go into it much and spoil it for you) was like I said previously really well done. It flowed perfectly for me for most of the novel and my only complaint about it is that the novel seemed to wrap up a bit to abruptly for my tastes and I wish that it ended at a slower pace. Other than that this was a good read for me to pick up one afternoon and devour it in a single sitting.

 

I would recommend this book to everyone, especially those with a love for dystopian YA novels with zombies. I hope A.G. Henley continues to write because I think she's a wonderfully talented new voice in young adult fiction.

 

Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★

To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE

 

Author Bio:

 

A.G. Henley is the author of the young adult novel, THE SCOURGE. She is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or avoid her at parties when they’ve had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds. When she’s not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities while trying to remember whatever she’s inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

 

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The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

 

Summary:

 

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination--an echo. She was made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her "other," if she ever died. Eva spends every day studying that girl from far away, learning what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But sixteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything and everyone she's ever known--the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love--to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be--until she found the strength to decide for herself.

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 432 pages (Hardcover)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Publication Date:  August 28th 2012 by Balzer + Bray

 

So I waited months to read this book but to me it felt more like an eternity. So when I finally got to read it in October I could hardly open the book fast enough to begin reading it. I'm not sure what I was expecting from the book but what I got was a good read that I finished in a few hours.

The book focuses around Eva who is an Echo or a clone if you will that was made to replace Amarra if anything should happen to Amarra. Well of course something does and the life that Amara has been training for since the day she was "weaved" has come and she must insert herself into a dead girls shoes but this is not without danger since Amarra lives in India where Echos are outlawed.

So, Eva is fighting what she is supposed to do with what she wants for herself which is to go home to the boy she loves Sean. However, she comes to care for Amarra's family and tries to keep up appearances but one day her secret gets out and sets off a chain of events where she almost gets murdered twice, kidnapped and leads her running away back to the U.K.

For a debut novel I would say that Sangu Mandana's The Lost Girl was a success. There was a lot going on in the novel but somehow she managed to make all the different components work well. I liked the whole "weave" concept that lead to Eva's creation I thought it was pretty unique because unlike a lot of other novels like this she gave Eva a lot of spirit which I loved. I hate when authors write the main characters with little to no personality and Eva had a lot of personality. I really liked her character and I thought that she was the most developed and realistic character.

The plot of the novel was good too. The fact that if she faced being "unraveled" if the "Weavers" deemed her to dangerous to keep on the street added a lot of intrigue to the story but I think that the main premise of the novel was that sometimes you have to fight the world to be the person you wish to be and I think that was a great moral to work into her story.

The novel is a mixture of romance, sci-fi, dystopian, action and a wee bit of romance thrown into the mix. I really enjoyed the writing and the story but at times I wish things have been a little more structured, and flowed a little better. I also think the whole Weaver thing could have been explained in a lot more detail throughout the book. It was 432 pages and very little of it spoke about the weavers and I wish I had known more about them. Also all the other characters with the exception of Eva were pretty one dimensional. I wish there had been a little more life to them and to the book itself. It was like I said a good read but it was such a somber read and I wish it had been a little lighter in parts and I think that would have benefited the whole book.

Overall, I  thought it was an enjoyable read despite my issues with the other characters and the plot holes. Plus, it was a really quick read even at a length of 432 pages I read it in something like 4 hours one night and as a debut novel it could have been better but it could have been way, way worse.

I would recommend this book to fans of YA novels with a dystopian twist or people who just like YA novels that are a little different with a unique heroine but if you're unfamiliar with these types of novels I suggest borrowing it from the library first just to make sure it's the book for you. I do think though that Sangu Mandanna is an author to watch because I can't wait to read her next novel.

Liked It!
★ ★ ★ 1/2

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'[Blog Tour Review/Author Interview/Giveaway] Colonization (Paradise Reclaimed #1) by Aubrie Dionne

 

Summary:

 

Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius’s ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to keep her protect her new home. What she didn’t expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.

Can she save the colony and discover her true love?

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 228 pages

Source: Review copy

Publication Date: November 7th 2012 by Inkspell Publishing

 

I think this book may just have made me a sci-fi fan! I've read a few sci-fi novels over the years but it's one genre that I am still very cautious of reading these typse of books. This book was done in a way that wasn't wasn't too out there for me and I ended up really liking this book.

 

I do have to admit though that I wasn't familiar with the book or the author until I did a cover review of this book a couple months ago but I'm very glad I was able to get a chance on the blog tour for Colonization.

 

Like I said previously, the book was written in away that it wasn't too out there. I don't know about you but with a lot of the sci-fi novels out there I have a problem when they get to involved with aliens. Luckily this one was really good. It reminded me of Across the Universe by Beth Revis in a lot of ways but still remained it's own novel.

 

I thought Andromeda (Love her name) was a great character. Despite everything she was very much still a typical teenage girl with a bad case of forbidden love for her best friend Sirius. Thank goodness for no insta love! However, circumstances require her to get closer to the boy she's matched up with Corvus and eventually her feelings for him grow and a love triangle ensues which I surprisingly didn't mind because there was much, much more to the novel than the romance angle.

 

I thought that the fact that Aubrie used ghost aliens in the story was pretty neat because I personally haven't seen that occurr in very many noves so it was rather refreshing to employ them in the plot. The whole book was a refresing, adventurous and compelling read that had me wanting more and more the further I got into the writing. I can't wait to read the second book in this new series. Strong characters, well developed plot and a great writing style is what made me love this book so much.  

 

I thought the book was great and it definitely has me wanting to read Aubrie's other novels because she's got a gift for making the sci-fi dystopian angle her own that isn't too out there for the unintiated to the genre to enjoy and I really hope that they're like this one. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of the Across the Universe Series by Beth Revis.

 

*I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review.

Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★

 

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Author Q & A

 

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself. 

 

Well, I'm a professional flutist by day and a writer by night. I enjoy both careers and they certainly keep me busy. But, I still manage to spend time with my family each week, take my 2 year old nephew to "Music and Me," watch the Syfy channel, and talk my dog, Jedi, for walks everyday.

2. Did you plan to be a writer or did it just happen?

I started writing about 6 years ago. The first book took 2.5 years to write, and now I can knock off a first draft in 6 months. Much better. I'm not the most patient person in the world- LOL.

3. What is your favorite non-writing pastime?

Watching the Syfy channel. I LOVE "Finding Bigfoot," "Ghost Hunters," their original movies, and "Face Off." I watch "Finding Bigfoot" on the edge of my seat thinking: this will be the episode they will find him! I know- I'm a little too overzealous.

4. When did you decide to take that step that made you a published author?

Everything I write I planned on publishing. I never write anything without that goal in mind. So, when I started my first book six years ago, I definitely knew I was going to take the plunge!

5. What has been your greatest challenge as a writer? Have you been able to overcome it?

My greatest challenge was all of the rejections! I have hundreds, maybe thousands. I used to keep them all, but now I just toss them away and don't give them a second thought. So yes, I did overcome it with a lot of chocolate and whining.

6. Is writing a full-time career for you? If not, how else do you spend your work day? 

 

I also practice and teach flute during the day. I'd say I spend 2-3 hours a day on my writing at this point. If I wrote all day I'd turn into that Stephen King character in The Shining- all work and no play makes Aubrie a dull girl...

7. If you had to sum it up Colonization in 30 or less words, what would you say?

 

Outer space adventure with forbidden love, mystery, ghosts, and aliens!

8. What inspired the idea behind your book? 

 

I really wanted to know what happened to the characters in Paradise 21, the first book in the New Dawn series. But, when I started writing Colonization, it was from a young adult perspective, and I knew it had to be an entirely different series. Thank goodness Inkspell Publishing decided to pick it up and give it a chance.

9. Do you have to be alone or have quiet to write?

 

I just can't have the television, or music with words in it. I like to listen to Radio Gaia when I write, which is a calm, new age internet radio station.

 

10. What has been your greatest challenge in writing Colonization?

Finding where it fits in the New Dawn trilogy. I wanted it to fit so badly, but I knew it wasn't new adult, it was young adult, so I was afraid I'd have a hard time publishing it. And I had to finish the New Dawn trilogy, which was under contract, first. So this new series had to wait an entire year.

11. Is there any place and time in the world and in history that you would like to visit?

Actually, I'd like to visit the elves in Lothlorien, or the cantina on Mos Eisley. But, that's not gonna happen. So, I guess it would have to be Mozart's time: 1756-1791 in Europe to hear him play the harpsichord!

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a professional flutist in New England.

 

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The Becoming (The Becoming #1) by Jessica Miegs (Blog Tour Review)

Summary:

The Michaluk Virus is loose. In the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, the Michaluk Virus has escaped the CDC, and its effects are widespread and devastating. Most of the population of the southeastern United States have become homicidal cannibals. As society rapidly crumbles under the hordes of infected, three people-Ethan Bennett, a Memphis police officer; Cade Alton, his best friend and former IDF sharpshooter; and Brandt Evans, a lieutenant in the US Marines-band together against the oncoming crush of death and terror sweeping across the world. As Cade, Brandt, and Ethan hole up in a safe house in Tupelo, others begin to join them in their bid for survival. When the infected attack and they're forced to flee, one departs to Memphis in search of answers while the others escape south to Biloxi, where they encounter more danger than they bargained for. And in Memphis, the answers that one man finds are the last answers he wanted, answers that herald a horrific possibility that there may be more to this virus than first suspected.

Summary taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 236 pages (E-book)

Source: Review copy

Publication Date: November 12th 2011 by Permuted Press

Ahh Zombies.

Who doesn't love a good zombie story?

the blood,

the brains,

the horror!

I love it, and I really enjoyed reading this zombie novel too.

What first drew me to the novel when I got the invitation to join the blog tour for the book was the cover. It really intrigued me and I like how it really seemed to fit with the theme of the novel and now after reading the book I really think it suits it perfectly.

I really enjoyed the way that Meigs created her post-zombie apocalyptic world and the way that she created her three main characters Cade, Brandt and Ethan and I think that she did a pretty bang up job in the writing department.

The Becoming has everything you would expect from a zombie thriller, gore, adventure, thrills etc. but for me the way the author approached it and wrote it was superb. I mean I haven't read many zombie novels but this one for me stands apart from the rest. I really enjoyed the authors "voice" and all throughout the book I felt as if I were in it with her characters. To me that means the author is a good one because not every book is able to make me feel as though I am actually right there in the midst of the blood, gore and adventure.

I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed the book I'm already itching to read the author's other books! I highly recommend this read to anyone who likes horror, zombie, dystopian, post-apocalyptic novels this one is sure to thrill you and quench your thirst for brains!

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Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★

Charlinder's Walk by Alyson Miers (Blog Tour Review/Giveaway)

Summary:


In 2012, the Plague ended the world as we know it. In 2130, Charlinder wants to know why.

The origin of the disease remains a mystery. Their ignorance of its provenance fuels a growing schism that threatens to destroy the peace that the survivors' descendants have built. Unwilling to wait for matters to get any worse, he decides to travel to where the Plague first appeared and find out the truth-which means walking across three continents before returning home.

Charlinder has never been more than ten miles from home, has never heard anyone speak a foreign language, and he's going it alone.

He survives thousands of miles of everything from near-starvation to near-madness before he meets Gentiola. By then he's so exhausted that the story she offers to tell seems like little more than a diversion...until he hears it.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he learns from her, and no one ever told him: be careful what you wish for. The world is a much bigger place than Charlinder knew, and his place in it is a question he never asked before.
Summary taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 492 pages (paperback)
Source: ARC provided by author/blog tour company
Publication Date: Published October 16th 2011 by Creatspace

Alright, I'm running on about 3 hours of sleep because I've been in the ER 3 times in the last 2 days so forgive me if my review is a little less lengthy than usual. I'm going to try and hopefully succeed in making some sense.

Charlinder's Walk was a fantastic read and one I enjoyed immensely. Alyson Miers did an excellent job in terms of character development. I really liked the whole cast of them because they seemed to jump off the page, the whole story did for me actually jumped off the page and I really felt as though I was there with Charlinder as he was on his journey of self discovery.

I thought the overall plot was great, because Miers went about writing a dystopian novel in such an awesome and unique way. I was totally blown away by the way in which she wrote the whole novel. From the first page I was completely drawn into Charlinder's post plague world. I think that the author Alyson Miers is an amazing new talent and I wish more people were aware of her book because it is was a thrilling read. I hope she continues writing since she certainly has a gift for the written word.

I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone looking to read a great story especially those readers that like dystopian novels that are not all science-fiction like and a little more realistic. You won't be disappointed!

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Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★

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Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle *Blog Tour Review*

Summary:

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

Summary taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 400 pages (e-book)

Source: Review copy recieved from author

Publication Date: March 27th 2012 by Spaulding House         

First I would like to give a huge thanks to author Monica Leonelle who reached out and e-mailed me requesting that I be a part of her April blog tour!

Now for the review part of the post.

This book really grabbed me once I started it. One night last week I was laying on the couch reading and I was thinking to myself that I better start the book soon so obviously I did.

I was really surprised by how the book started off. It's definitely an interesting read, and I think I was mostly surprised by how much I liked the book considering it's more of a sci0fi dystopian ya novel, when sci-fi isn't one of my favourite genre's it gave the book a neat little edge.

I thought the the characters were good but they still could have been developed more especially as the story went on. For me the book was speeding along fantastically for the first 30% of the book and then it started slowing down, until around the halfway mark it came to a complete and sputtering stop. For the later half of the book it was mainly stop and go with some really intense scenes and plot twists but then there would be too many slower parts for me.

However despite that it had several slow parts I still found it to be an enjoyable read, and most of all it was something very different from what I'd normally read and I'm all for trying new books. I think that the author Monica has a bright writing career ahead of her and I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I really, really want to see where it goes!

I definitely recommend this book to people who are fans of dystopian ya novels and I urge you to give it a chance if you're unfamiliar with sci-fi because although the book is rife with it the author explains it very well.

To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE

To visit the author's website CLICK HERE

To become a fan on Goodreads CLICK HERE

To follow the author on Twitter CLICK HERE

To "Like" the author on Facebook CLICK HERE

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my free and honest review.

★ ★ ★ 1/2

As Night Falls by S.M. Blooding Review Blog Tour Stop

Summary:
Earth 4112:
The President has started the New Order and with that, he’s destroying many sects that might oppose him or would blemish the perfect picture of tranquil life that he has created. Among those he’s trying to abolish are the vampires.
Raven Dubois refuses to allow himself or his Vampiric Nation to dissolve into myth. He’s trying to find a way to save his people. With sanctuaries disappearing continuously and his people dying in numbers, his only hope lies in the ancient texts of the Watchers.
Raised by the Watchers and by the President, Becca is torn by two mortal enemies. The Watchers have raised her to protect the very people the President is trying to destroy. She holds the key to the ancient texts that Raven so desperately needs. However, can she believe that the man so like a father to her is trying to murder innocent people?
Raven’s only hope for turning her already chaotic mind is to use her highly sensual nature and bind her to him using her heart instead of her mind.
Length: 260 pages
Source: Author
Publication Date: March 13th 2012

First off, doesn't the summary sound like an interesting political thriller? That was my first thought at least. However this is a very adult book. There is a very good reason as to why it's called Erotica. Now, I'm not much of an erotica reader so I thought I would give it a whirl with this book.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this book. It wasn't as steamy as I thought it would be but it was still spicy. The very idea of vampires in a futuristic society is quiet intriguing and I think that the author started the book in the right direction since this is the first book in the series.

For me my favourite part was the world building and Raven the male protagonist. I thought that while the world building could have been slightly more detailed that the author did a good job. I did fin Raven particularly interesting despite the fact that I personally can't fathom his interest in Becca Rece (the female protagonist).

While the plot slowly (sometimes too slowly) unraveled itself I could not help but wonder at what attracted Raven to Becca. She was so naive and rude that I didn't like her at all. But they did have some spicy sexy times! Even though I didn't care for Becca too much in this book I do hope that she and raven will continue to be the focuses of the other books in the series. I may not like her but her and Raven do make a good team and towards the end I actually did start liking Becca more as she became stronger, and more willing to face facts about her past, present and future.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves their books on the hotter side with a unique futuristic twist. I think that the author is on to something here and I really hope she continues the series soon so I can see where things are headed. I'm really glad I signed up for S.M. Blooding's blog tour for her book and that it was my first time hosting a blog tour!

To purchase the book from Amazon CLICK HERE

To visit the author's website CLICK HERE

To follow S.M. Blooding via Twitter CLICK HERE

SM Blooding is hosting a big giveaway on her blog to celebrate the release of As Night Falls. Everyone who enters has the chance to win a Kindle and e-Books. CLICK HERE

*I received a copy of this book for blog tour purposes in exchange for my free and honest review.

★ ★ ★