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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Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin

 

Summary:

 

THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas's life. Until that world starts to crumble.

NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth's Divergent, Amy Ryan's Glow, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie's Matched. 

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 368 pages (Hardcover)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Publication Date: September 25th 2012 by Random House

 

Time travel, dystopian, romance, young adult those were the key words that made me want to read this book. Well, those words and the fact that it came pretty highly recommended by Kimba @ Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

 

Anyways I'm always wanting to read more books written by Canadian authors so when I found out that this novel was written by a Canadian author I made sure that I put my library hold to active so I could get my hands on this one even faster.

 

Yesterday was an entirely unique read and in a book world where so many books are similar in plot it's awesome to come across one that is so refreshingly different. C.K. Kelly Martin was able to create a wonderfully unique plot line with an awesome and seldom used time setting.

 

The book follows Freya a young girl from the future who is sent back in time with her younger sister and mother shortly after there is an epidemic that claims the life of Freya's brother and caused her father to be left behind. However, Freya has no real recollection of the life she led before she landed in Toronto in the year 1985. She has the memories but they feel as though she never really lived them. Despite the holes in her memory she begins to adjust to life in Canada until she sees Garren and something tells her she knows him. From there the novel takes us on a wild ride where we find Freya and Garren running for their lives trying to keep their hands to themselves and trying to find a way to have a future together.

 

For me my favourite thing about the book overall was that it was set in Toronto where I was born, raised and still live in. While the book takes place in 1985 (5 years before I was born) there are some references to locations that I recognized like streets, shops and even the odd bus stop and that really endeared this young adult novel to me. I have no idea why but this city is so seldom used in novels it makes it even more especially when it is used and the fact that the author is actually from this city and grew up in the time period made the book's setting all that much more authentic and I really enjoyed reading about my city.

 

The characters were interesting too while I didn't adore Freya and Garren I did like them. For me Freya was a little too unsure of herself in a lot of situations or she was too confident so it felt as though she had a bit of a split personality disorder. I did like that she was willing to get to the truth about who she, her family and Garren really are and why she things are not what they really seemed.  Garren though was probably my least favourite character. I thought that he was really rude, sometimes cruel in the way he said things and I didn't appreciate the way he treated Freya as an inconvenience for much of the novel. He just didn't sit well with me even after he begins to remember Freya from his past I just couldn't connect to him. Plus, I wish that the author had made Freya and all the other characters a little more detailed I would have liked to have gotten to know them better and I think that would have helped bring the story line together more.

 

The book was a little bit slow at first but it sure sped up and sometimes I was left grasping at straws because things would happen in the novel so quickly that I was left baffled and had to go back and re-read a few pages here and there. The plot was interesting though. I went into the book expecting it to be the typical dystopian book but it turned out it wasn't like that at all in fact to me this novel wasn't much of a dystopian read but I suppose that depends on the reader. To me this was just more of a light sci-fi read. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot that kept me reading. I never knew what going to happen next and what really hooked me on the book was one big surprise character in the end of the book and I have to say when that character was introduced I fell hard for the story itself and I give huge kudos to the author for adding that character in. I also liked learning about how and why Freya and Garren were placed almost 100 years in the past but I wished that more detail had been used to explain it all. I liked the mixture of romance, science fiction, with a bit of mystery that the author wove into this novel and I thought she wrote a really successful book. The way the book ended also made me wonder if there is a sequel to this book in the works because I have a lot of questions left unanswered.

 

I would recommend this to novel to fans of young adult romances with a sci-fi/dystopian twist. It's a unique read and it's one that I think shouldn't be missed. The author is a fresh voice in this genre and I hope she writes more book this. I for one am going to be reading as many books as I can by this author because she's wonderfully talented!

 

Liked it!
★ ★ ★ 1/2 

 

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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!
★ ★ ★ ★

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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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