Saturday Pages: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott!!

For the next entry on this week's Saturday Pages I have one of those "me" reads that was one of my highly awaited books for this year, and it's not part of any of my challenges for the year!


Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was pretty excited for this book as soon as I read the synopsis for it, but it was after reading Giselle from Xpresso Reads review, I knew I just HAD to read it, so I preordered it and read it on release day.

I wasn't too much of a fan of Tella Holloway at first, she has her own way of coping with her family moving to middle of nowhere in Montana and with the sickness of her brother, but it's not a way I could really relate with. And then when she gets the invitation to the Brimstone Bleed race, she takes off with very little preparation or common sense. She has her heart in the right place but seems more of an act now and think later kinda girl. And it does take a while for the dangers and hardships of the race to really make her pause. But she completely redeemed herself with the interactions with her Pandora. She's so protective and loving with Madox that I just felt like hugging her!

We don't really know much about why or how the Brimstone Bleed comes to happen at first, because we're only following Tella and she and the rest of most of the contestants are equally in the dark. They all have someone close to them that is sick, and the winner is promised the Cure to save them. We end up getting some more information eventually and it's quite disturbing! The "I hate humankind" kinda disturbing!

While I was reading the jungle part of the race I started making "ewww" noises, quite enough for the bf to notice and stop working on his project to ask me what was disgusting enough to make me go "eeeewwww"! Once I read some passages I kept on thinking of Giselle's review and how I was glad she had warned us! *shudders*

Tella starts making alliances while in the jungle and join a few fellow contestants with the sound logic that they can help each other till the end and the all bets are off. I liked how the interactions between Tella and Harper were of a fairly solid alliance and respect, and not one of those stupid bitchy competitions. All the characters seem to trust each other to a point but they are all keeping secrets from each other, some of them more shocking that others.

Guy Chambers (that sounds like such a proper English name to me, I'm not sure why... have I heard it before somewhere?) is a bit of a mysterious wild card at first and then becomes one of Tella's most firm allies and much more, even if the romance progression has a bit of hot and cold. It is not the driving point of the book at all though, and I'm quite happy about that. Their relationship isn't one that made want to root for them madly, but I think it'll grow in the next book.

If there's something I fell completely in love with in this book, they were the Pandoras. They're this special Companions for the contenders, genetically modified engineered animals to help them along the race. They all have special qualities and reading about them made me want one of my own! That's why a certain twist by the end of the book was so upsetting for me! *shakes fist*

The book is full of action and raises quite a few uncomfortable questions to ask ourselves. It doesn't leave us with a horrible cliffhanger but still I cannot wait till I can get my hands on the next book! Very well deserved 4.5 stars!



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Saturday Pages: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson!!

Starting this week's Saturday Pages I have a review of one of those books that I really wanted to read last year but kept postponing for two reasons: hype and then my physical copy was stolen by my SIL, so I couldn't read it till I returned to India in February for my vacation!

It's also part of two of my challenges, the 2014 TBR Pile challenge and the Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014!!

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had heard many great reviews for this book, many of them from bloggers that I trust and with a taste that helps me figure out if I'd like a book or not, but it was after Octavia from Read Sleep Repeat told me I just HAD to read it that I finally got to it during my vacation time!

I was quite intrigued by the premise of this book since having people with superpowers that are evil instead of the super heroes we are more used to.

As soon as the book started, I was hooked! We read about the beginnings of the reign of Steelheart in Chicago and the start of David's hate and revenge plot against him. Everything started when Calamity appeared in the sky, and some people started getting super powers and began abusing them left, right and center. They are known as the Epics.

David witnessed the death of his father at the hands of Steelheart, but he also witnessed his only weakness, so he spent all his time growing up amassing information about the Epics and about Steelheart and his system in Chicago. He's also being following the Reckoners, a group of humans that are fighting and taking down Epics, and that seem to very well be humanity's last fighting chance.

He manages his dream of joining the Reckoners and he starts learning how they work but also makes his own contributions to the team, with all his information and research. He somehow manages to make his personal vendetta the next mission for the Reckoners, even if some of the team members are not totally convinced. Everything will change if they can pull this off, cause taking out one of the most powerful Epics out there would be the lynchpin for a change on the status quo.

The world building is fantastic, even if we have many questions unanswered, but we know what the characters know, what it's know in this fractured world and that's something that makes it feel more real and genuine. I'm hoping we'll be getting a broader look at the bigger picture on the next books though.

David is a great character, even if he's to be too driven by revenge and doesn't even seem to realize he's too young to define his life just by one goal. He does a lot of growing up in this book, even if half the time he just makes it up as it goes. Which is both a blessing and a curse cause he can bluff his way out of almost any situation but also can compromise a mission by improvising too much.

The rest of the characters are also very well crafted and have much more to them that what we see in the surface, so much that we get a few big shocks and twists coming with some of them. And though I had suspected some, I only did maybe a page or two before it was revealed.

By the time we reach the end of the book we have a lot of our assumptions pretty shaken and we've gone through one hell of a ride. We are left just begging for me, even if we're not exactly left with a cliffhanger.

A brilliant read, full of action and food for thought. 4 to 4.5 stars!



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Friday Reads: Prodigy by Marie Lu!!

As the next entry for this week's Friday Reads I have the sequel of Legend, the book I reviewed in the previous Friday Reads entry. Binge reading a series has the advantage of saving you agonizing waits and you feel like you've never left the world you're reading about!

As with Legend, Prodigy is part of both my 2014 Series Challenge and the Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014!

Prodigy by Marie Lu

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Being able to read Prodigy right after finishing Legend was a treat because I had all the details fresh in my mind. As always I'm going to try and keep it spoiler free, but expect spoilers for Legend because that's the nature of sequels!

We start right where Legend left us, with June and Day on the run, trying to contact the Patriots and get them to help Day with his injury. June is ready to give up everything in her former life to help Day and try to make amendments and Day has decided that the Patriots are the ones that can help them change the Republic.

The Patriots plan is to kill the newly elected Elector Primo, to start a revolution and change the Republic as it is. In exchange for the Patriot's help to finding Day's brother, they are asked to help. June will infiltrate the Elector's circle by returning to the Republic and Day will be the one to carry out the deed. But nothing is exactly as it seems, not the Elector Primo, not the Patriots and certainly not their plot.

Here the world builind is intense, since we see beyond the streets where Day grew up, we see more of the Republic and we even see some of the Colonies, and we learn that they aren't exactly the paradise and haven Day had dreamed of. There's a lot of political intrigue in Prodigy with quite a few unexpected twists in it too.

Day and June are still our main characters and the POVs we follow, but they're not the only characters that get developed. We get to know other players in this game much better than we did in Legend, and despite the hints at a love "square" we get, it was done in a very realistic way. It bothered me a bit, but never really took from the narrative and the main plot points, and in a sense, it also adds a bit more to the already high stakes.

For most of the book Day and June are separated because in this book and series romance never takes over the plot, the story and the fight never feels like an excuse to present us with the romance. Day and June do go through to some very hard times and revelations in Prodigy, and that changes them but also makes them more determined to do what they think is right.

The ending... well, the ending is not exactly a cliffhanger, but it is an emotional punch. You are left feeling quite horrible and hoping for something that will fix everything in the next book! Luckily enough for me, I had Champion right there waiting to be read!

Prodigy was a fantastic sequel, didn't suffer from the dreaded middle book syndrome, since we learn a lot of important information and the character progression is brilliantly done. Very much deserved 4 stars!



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Friday Reads: Legend by Marie Lu!!

I'm starting this week's Friday Reads with the first book in a series I've been wanting to read for a while, but that I had decided I wouldn't read until the last book came out. It still took me a while to get to it, but during my vacation time in Feb I finally had time to binge read the whole series!

This one is part of both the Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014 as well as the 2014 Series Challenge! I'm doing very well with the Dystopian challenge, as I knew I would, since I love reading dystopians, and I'm doing ok with my Series challenge. I have completed some series I didn't have in my original list, but I've also completed some I had there, so it's progress!

Legend by Marie Lu

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had been pushing back reading Legend until I could binge read the whole series. I had read great reviews from fellow bloggers, but I had also read that the ending of Prodigy was if not a cliffhanger a bit of a big emotional hurdle. I'm glad I did wait but I'm even happier that I've read the books because I love dystopias and this is a great dystopian series!

Legend is written in dual point of view, and both POVs are complete opposites in the beginning. June is the Republic's darling, a young prodigy that has completed her military career and is ready to start in a position according to her status of privilege. Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal and he's always trying to help his family and do what he can to disrupt the government that he feels is unfair.

We get enough world building that shows us the kind of place the Republic is. A dictatoship of sorts, with one strong leader and a military that controls the lives of its citizens. Everything is controlled by the government, the housing systems, the media, the food. And the Republic is at war with the Colonies, its next door neighbour country (and other half of the former United States of America). Since we are in the Republic we also just get their edited version of history, and have very few knowledge of what happened to lead to the current situation.

The action truly starts when June's brother, Methias, is assassinated and Day is the main and only suspect. June is tasked with finding and apprehending him by infiltrating the lower class neighbourhoods.

Both POVs are very distinctive and show us the story more completely than it would have been otherwise. June is analytical and she's more focused on her anger because she's lost all the family she had. Day is trying to protect her family and save his brother's life but he doesn't stop being a kind boy that wants to help those in need, even if he's the most wanted criminal in his city & country. We see both June and Day changing while interacting with each other and by the end of the book, their perspective has certainly shifted and they are not the people they were at the start.

With plenty of action, character development and a fast narrative, this was a fantastic dystopian book and a very strong first book! Well deserved 4 stars!



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Read Discuss Repeat Virtual Book Club: Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz!!

Today I'm reviewing March's book for my virtual book club, Read Discuss Repeat! I managed to finish it on March 31st, cutting it quite close this time! I couldn't join the chats on Wiggio but I'm hoping I'll be able to for April's book! The best thing about a book club is reading those books you might have wondered about but didn't try before and even some books that are not your usual read.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was March's book for my virtual book club (Read Discuss Repeat) and I was quite pleased when it was selected cause I had thought of reading it, but wasn't sure about it. This was the right push, and boy am I glad that I read it.

This book is a wonderful and lyrical coming of age story. Two boys growing up, discovering who they are, forging a friendship and discovering how to deal with who they are.

This is not only the story that any guy having doubts about his own self and his own sexuality should read, it is also a book anyone that ever wondered who they really are and what defines who they are would want to read.

Both Ari and Dante and fantastic characters, very different, very real and have you rooting for them since page one. I also loved how present their parents are. Their families don't need to be perfect because they all have to work through things, but they are together and want to help each other, and even if it hurts, in the end they find a way to communicate.

Ari is the one that has the hardest road to walk, because he seems to be the one that is harder on himself and has more silence around him at home. His mother is a wonderful character that is always trying to reach his fifteen year old son and that worries about him in a way that he can't fully understand.

Dante might have a different fight ahead of himself, but he seem to accept himself as he is more easily than Ari does. He becomes Ari's best friend and the one that helps him get out of himself for the first time.

A wonderful book that made me cry rivers but also left me with a truly wonderful feeling. Very much recommended and easily a 4.5 to 5 stars read!



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Waiting On Wednesday #36!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

 What book am I bitting-my-nails-because-it's-a-while-till-I-can-get-it? After The End by Amy Plum!!

Goodreads Summary:

"She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past."

Why am I eagerly awaiting After The End? Well, I loved Amy's Die For Me trilogy and when I heard that she had a new series coming that was a dystopian, I knew I wanted to read it! And after reading the teasers that Amy has been publishing ever Thursday in her blog... I cannot wait!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

ARC April at Read Sleep Repeat!!

Hello everyone! When I saw that the awesome ladies at Read Sleep Repeat were planning to do ARC April, I knew I needed to join! I have a bunch of ARCs I still need to catch up on reading and reviewing and scheduling, so here goes my list! BTW, if you'd be interested to join us, check this post!

I'm hoping to get all these books read, reviewed and scheduled by the end up April, even if not all the reviews will be published by then.

Book Nerd Tours: Trailer Blast of Storm by D.J. MacHale & Giveaway!!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale comes STORM —the exhilarating, action-packed sequel to SYLO :
“Absolutely un-put-downable, more exciting than an X-box and roller coaster combined.”—Kirkus, starred review
“With this extremely high-octane story that’s the equivalent to a summer movie blockbuster, MacHale kicks off an apocalyptic trilogy sure to leave readers demanding the next installment.”—Booklist
“An entertaining and creepy tale.”—Publishers Weekly

 

You can purchase STORM at the following Retailers:
   

And don't miss out on the cover of Strike, the third and finaly book in the series!

#1 New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale is back with the third book in the SYLO Chronicles. Once again, Tucker Pierce and friends must fight for their lives against the better-equipped SYLO. All bets are off in Strike—with twists so big readers will never see them coming—while the action and pulse-pounding suspense remain as high as ever. Fans will be sure to devour this incredibly satisfying conclusion.

 About the author: 

D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies. As an author, his ten-volume book series: PENDRAGON – JOURNAL OF AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE became a New York Times #1 bestseller.

He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.

His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.

D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years. D.J. also wrote and directed the movieTOWER OF TERROR for ABC’s WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series CHRIS CROSS was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.

D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series FLIGHT 29 DOWN. He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on FLIGHT 29 DOWN earned him the Writers Guild of America award for “Outstanding Children’s Script” and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.
Other notable writing credits include the ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL titled SEASONAL DIFFERENCES; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series GHOSTWRITER; and the HBO series ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.

In print, D.J. has co-written the book THE TALE OF THE NIGHTLY NEIGHBORS, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON. His most current work is the spooky MORPHEUS ROAD trilogy; and a whimsical picture book THE MONSTER PRINCESS.

D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are two elderly goldfish and a Kitten, Kaboodle.

Website
  

Giveaway!

 Giveaway is open Internationally. | Must be 13+ to Enter

How to Enter the Skype Chat with D.J.? Easy! Tweet us a Picture of you holding a Copy of STORM
 and just FOLLOW the Rafflecopter Below 

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