COVER REVEAL: Burning Kingdoms (The Internment Chronicles #2)

One of my favorite new series from last year was Lauren DeStefano's PERFECT RUIN (The Internment Chronicles #1). It was exciting and unique and so beautifully written. The second book in the series, BURNING KINGDOMS is set to release on March 10, 2015, and I'm so, so thrilled to share with you the cover! You ready?

Burning Kingdoms (The Internment Chronicles #2), by Lauren DeStefano
To Be Published March 10, 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: young adult sci-fi/dystopian

(Synopsis) After escaping through the bottom of Internment, Morgan and her fellow fugitives aboard the great mechanical bird land on the ground to finally learn what has lived beneath their floating island home all these eons.

The ground is a strange place where water falls from the sky as snow, and customers watch moving pictures and visit speakeasies. A place where families can have as many children as they want, their dead are buried in vast gardens of bodies, and Interment is the feature of an amusement park.

It is also a land at war.

Everyone who fled Internment had their own reasons to escape their corrupt haven. But caught under the watchful eye of another king that wants to dominate his world, they wonder if coming to the ground will drag Internment down with them.

But, that's not all! PERFECT RUIN is releasing in paperback format on the same day that BURNING KINGDOMS hits the stands. Want to see what that is going to look like too?

Aren't they gorgeous?! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Don't forget to add BURNING KINGDOMS to your Goodreads TBR, too!

About the Author

Lauren DeStefano is the author of The Internment Chronicles and the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden trilogy, which includes Wither, Fever, and Sever. She earned her BA in English with a concentration in creative writing from Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut. Visit her at LaurenDeStefano.com.

REVIEW: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3), by Marissa Meyer
Published February 4, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre:  young adult sci-fi/fantasy
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Can I give Cress 5 MILLION stars? I mean, why not? It's my blog, right? Well, if I were to break my own rules for one book, this would be the one that would make it worth it. I have to tell you, I have never been as captivated by a book series as I am with The Lunar Chronicles. 

Cinder and her band of merry men... and women... and androids have devised a plan to bring the evil Queen Levana down, but to make it work, they need the help of Cress, the lunar shell imprisoned on a satellite by herself. When things go horribly wrong in their rescue attempt, Cress and Thorne have to work together to survive the brutal desert, Cinder and Wolf have to overcome grief and frustration to find the help they need to get back on track, and Scarlet has to fight for her life. Meanwhile. Kai is struggling more than ever before as his wedding day draws near. 

Marissa Meyer's mastery of this incredible story arc continues to amaze me. We are now three books deep in a four-book series - books that have each cleared 500-pages - and, a lot has happened. One would think that with better than 1,600 pages of story and POVs from more than a half-dozen characters that the reader would be confused most of the time. 

Confusion is definitely not something that I'm experiencing. The genius of this story about a cyborg girl who needs to inherit an entire world in order to save another one is astounding. That concept in and of itself is something I would read. But, when you factor in the fractured fairy tale elements from Cinderella, The Little Red Riding Hood and now, Rapunzel, it adds a whole new layer of awesome for the reader to absorb.

Cress is a fantastic character. She's been sheltered her entire life, so her only experiences are limited to what she watched on TV. She's very shy and meek. And, yet, when she is faced with a deadly situation - being stranded in the desert with no shoes and limited water, her strength bubbles to the surface, and you find it is impossible to not only love her but respect her response to the adversity placed before her. 

Captain Thorne - *sigh*. What a character you developed into in Cress. Whereas, in Scarlet, when we first met him, Thorne was painted as a superficial womanizer with little to no redeeming qualities. Cress took us beyond that mask, and the Thorne underneath it is most definitely someone to swoon at. His connection with Cress was adorable at first, and endearing and impressive later. I love Thorne HARD. 

Of course there was a lot of perspective from Cinder as things are heating up for her in her attempts to stop Kai's wedding, thwart Levana's attempts to take over Earth, and reveal her true identity to the people of Luna. All in a day's work for a simple cyborg mechanic, right? Thankfully - THANKFULLY - in Cress, she gets some help from Kai. They finally share some screen time, and oh how sweet that was. 

Once again, I opted to listen to the audio version of Cress, instead of reading the hard copy book. The narrator, Rebecca Soler, once again delivers a stunning performance. I think at least part of my infatuation with The Lunar Chronicles series has to do with her masterful delivery of all the characters. Even if you've already read the books, I recommend you listen the audio version - I think you'll gain a whole new appreciation for the series.

Cress has everything you could possibly want in a book. There's action, mystery, twists, turns, surprises, and epic love. The wait for Winter in early 2015 will be absolutely agonizing. But, that also means that I will have time to re-read the first three installments of this series a few more times. 

REVIEW: Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1)

Fire & Flood (Fire & Flood #1), by Victoria Scott
To Be Published February 25, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: ARC, obtained from the publisher
Genre: young adult sci-fi/fantasy
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

I've heard Fire & Flood described as a cross between The Hunger Games and Survivor. I, personally, feel like that's putting this incredible book in too small of a box. Certainly, there are elements of the best-selling book and the popular TV show in this story about a girl who enters an extreme race in order to save her brother's life. But, Victoria Scott has infused her unique style and some truly unique elements which make Fire & Flood something truly special.

Tella's brother is dying. There's not much hope when she receives a blue box with an earpiece that invites her to be a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. If she wins, her brother will live. Despite the fact that the mall is her temple and she never leaves home without her mascara, Tella sets out for parts unknown, determined to do what she has to. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies and experiences things that will change her forever.

Victoria Scott has an incredible ability to create complex and compelling characters, both main characters and the ones on the periphery. Tella is the main character, and the enigmatic Guy becomes the object of her affection. Harper, Caroline, Ransom, Titus - all of the members of Tella's gang in the race have distinct personalities, and I loved discovering more about them as the book went on. Tella is an amazing character. On the surface, she seems superficial and certainly not cut out for spending two weeks in the rain forest. But, it doesn't take long for her drive and determination to override the lack of flush toilets. She truly loves her brother and will put other things aside for him. 

My dad didn't think I could do this... But, maybe he doesn't know his little girl as well as he'd like to believe. Because when it comes to doing something for my family, I'm not just his daughter. I am strong. I will be strong for my brother. 

The Brimstone Bleed seems to amplify personality traits that they usually keep buried. Harper is confident, so in the Bleed, she easily becomes the leader. Titus was probably a bully in real life. In the Bleed, be becomes an outright villain. Guy was probably always the strong, silent type. In the Bleed, he was incredible, capable and mysterious.

In a race where there can only be one winner, Tella is unusually compassionate. In the beginning, she came off as superficial and materialistic. Until she got around her brother - then, she softened and seemed willing to do whatever he wanted of her. That softness really came out when she had no choice but to put aside her "stuff" and fight to survive. She was quick to form bonds with other Contenders. She also has a particularly soft spot for the Pandoras. 

Ah yes - the Pandoras. This is easily my favorite part of Fire & Flood. Each Contender starts the race with an egg. The egg hatches and the animal that comes out is genetically enhanced in unique ways to assist the Contender with winning the race. These animals are amazing. There's a lion who breaths fire, a raccoon that can produce spikes and a cheetah who can produce night lights from its eyes. But, Tella's Pandora, who she names Madox, is the most amazing of them all with some surprising abilities that make him coveted by all the other Contenders. 

These Pandoras are one of the most unique things I've seen in a book in a very long time. Let's face it - most plot devices have been done before. Many times over. I have NEVER seen anything like the Pandoras before. Bravo, Victoria Scott - you have one wicked creative mind. 

All the characters in Fire & Flood were so colorful and incredible. But, Guy - holy smokes was he cool. He wasn't drop dead gorgeous like so many boys in books. But, he had a quiet strength that more than made up for it. And, the way he cared for Tella - even from the very first moment they saw each other - was endearing. The romance between them was slow to develop, but it was perfect for the story. 

I feel like I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this book. Bottom line, this is a fantastic page-turner full of amazing characters and a uniqueness that you don't even realize you're craving. Do yourself a favor and read it as soon as you can.

REVIEW: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1), by Marissa Meyer
Published January 3, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre:  young adult sci-fi/fantasy
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Since its release, I must've seen a hundred reviews for Cinder, and each time, I was left to wonder how a story about a robot could be romantic. I need some romance in my books, and the thought of a relationship between a robot and a human is just... well, icky. And yet, I was intrigued. So, when I saw it on sale on Audible, I pulled the trigger.

A crazy thing happened. I realized that Cinder was a story about so much more than a robot who loved a boy. It's so much more than a fractured fairytale. And, it's freaking AWESOME. 

Cinder is a cyborg, with over 30% of her body comprised of non-organic parts. She lives with her awful stepmother and two stepsisters and is practically their slave. Then, one day, she has a run-in with the handsome Prince Kai and from that point on, her life completely changes. In a world where a plague is killing citizens at alarming rates, cyborgs and androids are commonplace, and there's a world of people on the moon who can control your mind, anything is possible - including a cyborg and a prince falling in love. 

I am utterly captivated and amazed at this world built by Marissa Meyer. It takes place in the distant future, but we're not sure exactly when. Just that enough time has passed for four world wars to come and go and the moon to be completely colonized by a race of people who can do serious mojo with their minds. The world is inhabited by androids, and people who have medical emergencies can have parts replaced with synthetic ones, making them cyborgs. Trains are carried along by magnets, cars hover above the ground, and people have ID chips embedded in their wrists. The details of the world building and the interweaving of the detailed storyline was completely seamless. 

I guess one would call Cinder a "fractured fairytale." It seems somehow a disservice to reduce it to that label though. I mean, sure - there's a orphaned slave girl named Cinder, a wicked stepmother and two stepsisters, a handsome prince, and even an evil queen. Oh, and when escaping from the ball, Cinder doesn't just leave her glass slipper behind - she leaves her whole damn FOOT. The correlations between Cinder and my daughter's favorite Disney movie are obvious. 

But, Cinder is much darker than I had expected. And so much more complex. In Cinder, we're introduced to the main characters, but also a nefarious plot orchestrated by the Lunars to take over the Earth and enslave its people. We learn Cinder's role in this plot, as well as Kai's and the wicked Lunar Queen Levana's. This plot, together with the spreading of the deadly plague and the constant search for a cure make for an intriguing, unique and completely brilliant book. 

With everything that's going on, you would think that the book would be rushed and confusing. But, the pacing is absolutely perfect, with details being brought to light at just the right moment. The characters are all incredible. It was so easy to fall in love with Kai and Cinder and to feel so much sadness and fear and excitement for them. 

A few words about the audio version - the narrator, Rebecca Soler, did an absolutely amazing job. She made the characters come to life. I'll be looking up her other works after this. 

Who knew I would love a book about a cyborg girl falling in love with a boy (And, really, that's NOT what Cinder is about. The romance aspect was rather minor, actually.) as much as I did? One thing was for certain - Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) and the upcoming Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) are absolute must-reads for me now. 

REVIEW: Unraveling (Unraveling #1)

Unraveling (Unraveling #1), by Elizabeth Norris
Published April 24, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: hardback, I own
Genre: young adult sci-fi
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Sixteen-year-old Janelle Tenner is used to having a lot of responsibility. She balances working as a lifeguard in San Diego with an intense academic schedule. Janelle's mother is bipolar, and her dad is a workaholic FBI agent, which means Janelle also has to look out for her younger brother, Jared.

And that was before she died...and is brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a mysterious, alluring loner from her high school. When she discovers a strange clock that seems to be counting down to the earth's destruction, Janelle learns she has twenty-four days to figure out how to stop the clock and save the planet.

There's nothing better than a good buddy read, don't you think? So, when I found out that one of my besties, Jen from At Random, was planning on starting Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris, and coincidentally it was one of a few books I was considering reading next too, we decided to read it together. And, over the next day and a half, we were blowing up each others' phones with texts of the OMG! and WTF? variety. 

Janelle's life is turned on end the day she died. Because she didn't actually stay dead. She was brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a guy who she has barely looked at since he moved to town 10 years earlier. All of a sudden, Janelle is caught up in a case her FBI father is investigating - a case that has ties to her, Ben and a mysterious device that seems to be counting down to something very bad. 

I can't say enough how much I loved Unraveling. I was a little apprehensive, I gotta say. Sci-fi is pretty hit or miss with me. I'm not a fan of the super sci-fi stories - the really weird stuff that is just so out there that it makes my eyes roll. But, the stories that are largely based in reality with a small dose of the funky - sign me up. 

And, that is what Unraveling is. It takes place in Cali. It involves real teenagers with real problems like being in love with someone who doesn't know you're alive or having to take care of a sibling because your parent works too much or having that one bestie who knows you better than anyone else alive. It also involves people who get their faces melted off and boys who can bring girls back from the dead. See what I mean? 

Let's talk characters for a minute. Janelle is my kind of chick. She's only 16, but has been forced to act far beyond her years. She has guts and strength and bigger balls than most guys I know. I love how Liz Norris drew her. It would be so easy to say Janelle is 16, but then make her act like she's 26. But, although Janelle can certainly stand up and make grown-up decisions in troubling times, it's still evident to me that she's a teenager who gets scared and loses her crap just like she's supposed to. 

And, Ben - helloooooo new book boyfriend. He's the classic brooding loner who is more than meets the eye. He hangs out with two other questionable characters, and the three of them are super tight. Except for when Janelle gets in the way and Ben finally gets what he has wanted for10 years - a shot at the girl of his dreams. Things start to get complicated with Ben's friends then, but he never gives up on her. He always takes her side. And, he's certainly got a way with words. 

"You're strong and smart, and you never put yourself first. You don't let anything get in your way, and you're beautiful. You're right here and even more perfect than I imagined."

The action in Unraveling was off the hook. Just the countdown as the chapter numbers gives you a constant sense of urgency that stays with you through the entire story. There's several big mysteries going on at once. First is the face (and other body parts) melting business. What's causing it? Can it be stopped? Is it tied to the countdown clock? And what is that thing, anyway? Then, there's the mystery surrounding Ben and why he can do the things he can do. 

The answers to all these questions were not immediately answered, nor were they apparent. The reader really had to work for it, which I loved. And, in the end, we get our answers, plus a whole lot of surprises. It didn't end like I thought it would. Not everything was neatly tied up. There was heartbreak and destruction and general craziness. And yet, at the heart of it all, was the love that this boy and girl have for each other, so we're still left with this feeling of overarching hope. Which is the perfect feeling to carry us through to the next book.

REVIEW: Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3)

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3), by Beth Revis
Published January 15, 2013
Publisher:  Razorbill
Format: hardback - borrowed from the library
Genre:  YA, sci-fi
To Buy:  Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

I will admit that I had Shades of Earth in my hands for about four weeks - I had to renew it once - before I got up the guts to crack it open and start reading. Why my reticence? Honestly, I just really didn't want it all to end. 

Of course, my procrastination couldn't last forever. I just HAD to find out what happened to Amy and Elder!

The ships lands on Centauri-Earth and the frozens are thawed and immediately start taking charge. Conflict starts from the very beginning as the two leaders clash and Amy is caught in the middle. Adding fuel to the fire, people start dying and no one can figure out who is behind it. Soon it becomes clear that they are not the only sentient beings on the planet. 

Shades of Earth was a deliciously, frexing frustrating book. Frustrating in the best of ways. The source of most of my frustration was Amy. GAH - AMY! My girl needs to learn about c-o-m-m-u-n-i-c-a-t-i-o-n. Like, communicating to her dad all that she learned during her three months on the ship. And, communicating to Elder that she loves him. And, communicating that she's not just going to forgive someone for something so heinous just because the peace needs to be kept. This was the one thing that bothered me the most. I didn't agree, nor quite get, some of Amy's actions at the end of the book. 

The best part of this entire series are the mysteries within the mystery. I have story ideas - most bibliophiles do. My problem is how to create drama, intrigue and passion with my words. How to create these wicked cool plot twists that readers wouldn't be able to see coming a mile away. Well, Let. Me. Tell. You. Beth Revis not only has generated some serious drama, intrigue and passion in Shades of Earth, but as was the case in Across the Universe and A Million Suns, I did not see that ending coming. At all. Being surprised is cool. Beth Revis - what a crazy, beautiful mind you have.

Shades of Earth was an extremely fulfilling ending to an amazing series. The characters - all of them - have so much life. This new world that they all live in was described in such wonderful detail, I felt like I could smell the rain and feel the air and taste the gross military rations. 

Read this series. Even if you don't think that sci-fi, spaceships and aliens are your bag. READ IT. Then, let me know how much you loved it so I can tell you I told you so. 

Check out my reviews for Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) and A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2).

BLOG TOUR EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Crimson Hunt (Eldaen Light Chronicles #1)

Crimson Hunt (Eldaen Light Chronicles #1), by Victoria H. Smith
Published November 8, 2012
Publisher:  Self-published
Genre:  New Adult Sci-Fi

(From Goodreads) College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.

Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.

So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.

Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.

That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.

Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.

Excerpt

Grabbing my cup, I forgot myself and indulged in a sip.

Luca watched me, his gaze hard.

Note to self: brown tea + white shirt + GQ model = bad idea. I placed my cup on the table’s surface and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.

He continued to watch me. His stare was so deep it could be mistaken for analyzing.

Gosh, he stared hard. Like his eyes were trying to unearth some secret he wanted to know from mine. Since I wasn’t skilled in the art of mind reading, I figured I should make an attempt at formulating some sentences. “So, who is ‘I am Luca?’” I asked, mimicking his original introduction to me. Nice, Ariel, real nice. Making fun of him will definitely score you points.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what do you do in your spare time? Besides helping girls save cute, baby deer in the middle of vacant woods, of course.” I laughed. It was getting easier to be more natural with him. I liked that.

He laughed, too, breaking his analysis. “School and work takes up the majority of my time.”

Something told me there had to be more to him than that. No one who looked like that graced the world with their beauty in such a mundane way.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I guess the same as you. Just work and school.”

“So why did you find my answer odd?”

Was he skilled in the art of mind reading? “What do you mean?” I laughed in nervousness.

He smiled and rested his finger to his delicious lips. “You looked a little underwhelmed by my answer, is all.”

By God, he got me. “I just thought that … I guess I didn’t know what I thought.” Oy vey.

He laughed gently. 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * The Book Depository

 
Giveaway

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About the Author

Victoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the twenty-something characters she writes give her an earful about it.

In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, blogging, reading, and sending off a few tweets on Twitter when she can. She writes new adult fiction romance in the sub-genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary, but really, anywhere her pen takes her she goes. Her new adult science fiction romance, The Crimson Hunt, will be published November 2012. 

Author Links:
Website: http://twentysomethingfictionwriter.blogspot.ca/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6440255.Victoria_H_Smith
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaHSmith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaSmith76

REVIEW: A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2)

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2), by Beth Revis
Published November 21, 2012
Publisher:  Razorbill
Format:  paperback - borrowed from library
Genre:  YA Sci-fi

Rating:  4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) GODSPEED WAS FUELED BY LIES. NOW IT IS RULED BY CHAOS.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision--no more Phydus, no more lies. But when Elder learns shocking news, he and Amy must race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed, all the while dealing with the love that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: THEY HAVE TO GET OFF THIS SHIP.

The best thing about the Across the Universe books is the story within the story. Each book is part of a bigger picture, but within those beautiful covers is a separate mystery to be solved that keeps the reader totally engrossed. It's like those cute little Russian nesting dolls. There's a surprise within a surprise within a surprise. And each one is more clever then the one before. 

In A Million Suns, we see that the Godspeed is in total anarchy since Elder took the inhabitants off the drugs that were making them calm and compliant. He's desperately trying to keep control while at the same time trying to figure out how to get to Centauri Earth. Meanwhile Amy is following the bread crumbs that Orion left for her, hoping to figure out how to save her parents and help Elder. 

For once in a YA book, the romance is not at center stage here. It's a background prop for the rest of the story. It's obvious that Amy and Elder love each other, but she's still not ready to come face-to-face with that realization. Although Amy and Elder have a few moments in A Million Suns, they're short and far between. 

The real star of the show here is the mysteries that Elder and Amy have to solve. Amy is trying to discover Orion's secrets and what they mean. She's following a scavenger hunt of clues hidden throughout the ship. To what end, she doesn't know, but she knows it has to do with the planet and her parents. Meanwhile, Elder is trying to find out who is killing the citizens of the Godspeed and why his good friend is leading the mutiny. 

The creative moxie that Beth Revis displays in A Million Suns is impressive. The trail of clues that both Elder and Amy follow kept me hanging on to each page, straining to see if I could figure out the big secrets before they did. It was such a fun read. 

Beyond that, the level of emotion displayed in A Million Suns is in direct contrast to that which we saw in Across the Universe. In Across the Universe, there was very little emotion because of the use of drugs. In A Million Suns, emotion bubbles over and floods the pages. The citizens are scared and angry. Elder is so, so frustrated and worried about Amy. Amy is worried about Elder and determined to save her parents. I felt all of that as I was reading, all the way down to the incredible last page.

If the successful formula holds, Revis is sure to deliver an explosive conclusion to the series. I wonder what the next mystery will be. I do know that, even before I finished A Million Suns, I went to the library and took out Shades of Earth.    

REVIEW: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)

Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1), by Beth Revis
Published January 11, 2011
Publisher:  Razorbill
Format:  Audiobook - borrowed from library
Genre:  YA dystopian/sci-fi

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Across the Universe was one of the more thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. It sparked several conversations around my family's dinner table. What would we do if given the choice that Amy was given - stay among what is comfortable and familiar, but be without your parents? Or, embark on an adventure to an unknown world where the only people you know are your parents? 

Do we agree with the stated "three main causes of discord?" 

I thought Amy was really amazing. I can't even begin to imagine all she went through, and she allowed herself a few opportunities to completely fall apart. But, for the most part, she was strong and resilient and really persistent. Revis made her so real - she was a great character. 

Elder and Eldest were a bit more cardboard, but I think they were supposed to be. I gathered that Elder was drawn to Amy by her extreme physical differences and her aversion to authority. But did he like her so much to want to kiss her so soon? Did he really love her that early? And, was it all enough for him to shun everything he had been raised to accept as reality? It was a little hard to believe. 

But, what a compelling and unique story! Especially for someone who was raised on Star Trek. I've always been a fan of the starship shows, but this was the first book about them that I've ever read. Not only was it a fun story about a crazy trip through the universe, it talked about a lot of issues that were socially and politically charged. Racism, socialism, fascism - it's all addressed in some futuristic, spacey way.

Across the Universe definitely gave me food for thought. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see where Revis takes Amy and Elder and the crew of the Godspeed next. Will they ever reach Centauri Earth? Will the ship be thrown into chaos? I can't wait to find out.

Book #124 - Degrees of Wrong

Degrees of Wrong, Anna Scarlett
adult contemporary, sci-fi
212 pages (e-book)
Started 11/10/12
Finished 11/11/12
4 STARS

Anna Scarlett is the adult pen name for the YA author Anna Banks who burst on the scene earlier in 2012 with her debut, Of Poseidon. Degrees of Wrong is classified as an adult contemporary, but really, the only thing that makes it adult is the fact that the main characters are in the mid- and late-20s. There's no sex - not even any heavy petting. No bad language. Only a small amount of violence. So, it was a little odd in that respect.

Dr. Elyse Morgan lives in our world 40 years from now. A nasty flu which causes death in 48 hours 100% of the time has decimated the population. She is "recruited" (read:  kidnapped) by the UN and placed aboard a monstrous submarine in order to work on finding a cure. The only thing standing in her way is a difficult (and totally gorgeous) sub captain and her own self-doubt. 

Degrees of Wrong frustrated me. It frustrated me because I really, really loved it. I was engaged and engrossed and totally in love with the characters. I had a really hard time putting it down. The story was interesting; it really got me thinking about the possibility of floating cities and biological warfare. So, you may be asking, why was I so frustrated?

I HATE it when books have no ending.

I literally was like, "No. No! NO!!! That CAN'T be it!" when I reached the last page. There's no cliffhanger, or anything. It's just that, all these loose ends are just left hanging there, and that sucks! Because, to my knowledge, this is a stand-alone. There will be no second or third book in the series. That was it.

We don't learn what happens to the bad guys. Either of them. We don't learn how Elyse's discovery helps the world. I wanted to see that. I mean, it was kind of the whole point of the story.

I was hooked right up to the end. To the non-end. So, I implore Ms. Scarlett to PLEASE write a follow-up.  

UPDATE:  Thanks to the marvel that is the Twitter-verse, I learned right after initially posting this review, from Anna Scarlett's mouth (er, tweet) that there will, indeed, be a sequel to Degrees of Wrong. THANK YOU!

Book #118 - Timepiece (Hourglass #2)

Timepiece (Hourglass #2), Myra McEntire
paranormal romance, sci-fi
325 pages
Started 10/26/12
Finished 10/29/12
3.5 STARS

If I had to give you one piece of advice regarding the Hourglass series, it would be to wait until they're all out and then read all three books at once. Or, plan re-reads if you simply can't wait (like me). Because my biggest problem with Timepiece is that I was confused for a large portion of this book. The plot is very convoluted; events are referenced that happened in the past, but since this is a time travel series, they didn't necessarily happen as far in the past as one would think. People are traveling through time and back again and then when you work in who has what ability and how that affects things, plus the ghosts that keep popping up, it's a lot to retain in order to keep the timeline of the story straight.

In these books, there are no "minor" details. It seems as if everything that happens is significant. So, the four months that passed between my reading of Hourglass and Timepiece were not kind to me. Right from the get-go, events from Hourglass were not only referenced, but built upon, and when you only have a vague recollection of what happened (and, to be honest, McEntire didn't really do a beginning-of-the-book-sum-up, which would've helped immensely), you will spend much of the book a little lost. I think that if I had read these two books back-to-back, I would've appreciated Timepiece much more.

One of the really great things about Timepiece is that it's told from Kaleb Ballard's POV. I love male POVs and I really liked Kaleb in Hourglass, so these were both wins in my book. And, I really do think the story is creative and interesting. Definitely worth a shot, especially if you like sci-fi and time travel stories. Just be prepared to do some re-reads before Infinityglass (Hourglass #3) comes out.