Review: THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT by Veronica Rossi

Title: THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT

Author: Veronica Rossi
Publication Date: 01/08/2013
My Rating: 4.5/5-- Really good! Worth your time.
Plot in One Word: Dystopian
Good if...you want something that's a little sci-fi mixed with a little dystopian

It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death. Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him. Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first. Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist? Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure—and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

My Thoughts:  Excellent sequel!  Breaks the middle novel curse!

This is the #2 novel in Veronica Rossi's UNDER THE NEVER SKY series.  It picks up exactly were book #1 left off and the transition is flawless.  I loved how Rossi wasted no time in re-explaining her past book and how she had the intensity/action start back up immediately.

If you're unfamiliar with the series let me explain.  It's set in a post apocalyptic world where there are basically two types of people.  Those who have survived the last 300 years out in the open --under the harsh never sky--and those who have survived locked away inside bunkers where they interact mostly through virtual reality.  In the first novel we met Aria--the insider who was cast out into the wild, left to die--and we met Perry--the outsider who is forced to work with Aria to get back something that was stolen from him.  Together they put aside their prejudices and kick some series butt.  

I loved book #2 because it takes you deeper into Veronica Rossi's dystopian world.  More characters are added, relationships develop further, and the action intensifies.  Very worth your while, nearly as good as the first, and sure to leave you wanting more!  I can't wait to read book #3 next January.  (They should really make these books into movies!)

Bottom line: Buy it!  Read it!  Be sure to read UNDER THE NEVER SKY first though.  

Review: UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Title: UNDER THE NEVER SKY

Author: Veronica Rossi
Publication Date: 01/03/2012
My Rating: 5/5-- Incredible! Loved it!
Plot in One Word: Dystopian
Good if...you want something that's a little sci-fi mixed with dystopian

Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse. Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive. A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky. In her enthralling debut, Veronica Rossi sends readers on an unforgettable adventure set in a world brimming with harshness and beauty.

My Thoughts:  The perfect mesh-up of Scott Westerfeld's UGLIES and Kristin Cashore's GRACELING.

This novel is a duel narrative switching between Aria--the 'Dweller' who has lived her entire life indoors in a virtual reality world where all luxuries are an eye piece away--and Perry--the 'Savage' who is part of a tribe of outsiders fighting for survival.  It's dystopian with a little mix of sci-fi or maybe sci-fi with a little bit of dystopian.  Whatever.  The pairing of Aria and Perry is what makes this book exciting.  Two polar opposites who are forced to help each other despite their prejudices of one another.  It sets up an exciting stage.

SO why the comparison to UGLIES?  Well, the novel UGLIES (if you haven't read it) is about a girl living in a post apocalyptic world where technology is very advanced but humans have lost touch with reality.  The main character is forced out into the wild where she meets a 'savage' aka 'ugly' on the outside.  Sound familiar?  UNDER THE NEVER SKY follows the same recipe.  Enter GRACELING.  In the novel GRACELING people have developed 'Graces' or special abilities or mutations.  In UNDER THE NEVER SKY the outsiders--forced to adapt to a harsh world--have developed abilities of their own.  I'll leave it at that.
So that explains the comparisons.

In addition, this book delivers romance, friendship, run-ins with cannibalism!, action, knife flights, a strong female lead, more action, tons of suspense, and more action...did I say action?  Expect a cliff-hanger at the end, but luckily book #2 is already out!  :)  I wouldn't be surprised if a movie was already in the works for this one.

Bottom line: A must read!  (And I don't even like dystopian all the much!)

Book Review: WITHER

Title: WITHER
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: 03/22/2011
My Rating: 4/5-- I mostly enjoyed it.
Plot in One Word: Dystopian
Good if...you want something unique and dystopian

At age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to be twenty, and males live to age twenty-five. While geneticists seek a miracle antidote, orphans roam the streets and polygamy abounds. After Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she is desperate to escape from her husband’s strange world, which includes a sinister father-in-law in search of the antidote and a slew of sister wives who are not to be trusted. On the cusp of her seventeenth birthday, Rhine attempts to flee—but what she finds is a society spiraling into anarchy.

My thoughts...
I very much enjoyed this novel.  The plot of a doomed future where all the new generations of children are dying off young was very original, very gripping, and very well executed.  It hooked me in right away as it was something I'd never seen in a ya-book before!  And I absolutely loved the characters and the dynamics between them.  Each relationship brought something special to the story.  SO there was this great plot and great characters and even a little romance mixed in...what I found lacking was the pacing.  It didn't really hurt things enough to ruin this story for me, just towards the middle things started to drag a bit for me.

Overall I really liked this novel...it's just a couple things annoyed me slightly.  I gave it a 4/5 because of those things.  If you want to read my rant about them...you can highlight the below text.  :)

Slight spoilers---highlight to see---

Was it just me or was this book kind of like a waiting game the whole book through?  Waiting for Rhine to finally escape the mansion she's being held captive it.  Once she develops the plan to escape it was like just hurry up and get on with it and escape already!  So, finally the end comes and things finally start happening, she escapes 3 pages away from the end...and then the book ends!  This wasn't a cliffhanger...not when the story just cuts off.  So really, this entire book was one very long beginning.

And one other thing.  It doesn't snow in Florida!!!!  Not like the blizzard at the end during their escape!  So maybe the world has changed because there is some reference to the mansion being 1000 years old...but if that's the case then you gotta let us know b/c all I could think is why is it snowing now after they just went through hurricane season!  I hate when authors make stuff up just for convenience.  Okay...end of rant.

If you liked WITHER; then you might also like...
DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver
MATCHED by Ally Condie

Bottom Line:  Maybe.  Borrow it though.

Book Review: MATCHED

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Publication Date: November 2010
My Rating: 4.5/5--Really good! Worth your time!
Plot in one word: Dystopian
Good if…you want a sweet forbidden romance

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.  The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My thoughts… This book was near perfection. A flawless concept, a heart-wrenching romance, just enough mystery/suspense to tie it all together, and a fantastic cast of characters. Let me go into more detail on those things.
1: The Concept. Every person in this futuristic utopian-like society gets ‘matched’ with their perfect pair at the age of 17. It’s computer generated, but done to basically find you your soul mate. I thought this concept was so cool. AND, reasonably believable. People would want this.
2: The Romance. Unpredictable in a predictable society. I don’t want to say more for spoiler reasons. Just know that the romance was deep and intense and my favorite part of the novel.
3. The Mystery/Suspense. Slowly you begin to see the flaws in the perfect society and it makes the intensity grow and grow. It wasn’t just the whole ‘big brother is watching you’ usual ordeal.
4. The Characters. All great. I loved the little brother, the grandfather, Cassia, and the two boys she’s caught between. Even the mother and father added so much to the story.
All in all this was a fantastic book. Part 1 of a fantastic book. The ending left you hanging off a cliff and that’s why my rate is near perfect at 4.5 starts out of 5.

If you liked MATCHED; you might also like...

POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

Arc Review: POSSESSION

Title: POSSESSION
Author: Elana Johnson
Upcoming Release Date: June 7, 2011
My Rating: 4/5--I mostly enjoyed it.
One Word Plot: Dystopian
Good if..you're looking for something sweet/action packed

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.  But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.  This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

My Thoughts...  Hold on to your hair-gel we have another Dystopian on our hands.

Let me start by saying that...I don't really like dystopian novels.  I can thank 1984, BRAVE NEW WORLD, and THE GIVER for all jading me in the past.  And yet, Sarah, why is it you always end up reading more dystopian types?  I guess because every now and then you run into a good one.  And--when they're good, they're usually really good.  I loved HUNGER GAMES and the UGLIES series.  I'm happy to say that this one can added to the goodies list.  :)  So on to my review already--

The central theme to this novel is control or be controlled.  No surprise there; aren't all dystopians that central theme?  Where this one exceeded my expectations is Vi.  She's the strong, kick-butt female we all want in a novel, especially a novel where the main character has to take down 'the man'.  Right away she teams up with Jag--the badboy also in prison for breaking the rules--and the whole novel is kind of their escape/self-discovery kind of a thing along the way.  Then there's also Zenn--the goodboy--and Vi's 'match' she left at home.  It makes for an excellent plot.  And I thoroughly enjoyed it (and Vi's sarcastic personality) the whole way through; it didn't disappoint.  My favorite favorite part was the ending.  It was intense and I loved it.  A cliffhanger all the way, but such a perfectly fitting ending.  I can't wait to read book 2 (is there a book2?).

If anything was lacking it was that the romance wasn't 'knock-your-socks-off'.  More like sweet and tender.  It was good--don't get me wrong--but it didn't blow me away.

Book Review: MOCKINGJAY

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Rating:
Good if...you're ready for the bittersweet conclusion to Hunger Games

Summary (Amazon):
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

My Thoughts:
"Real or not real?" that seems to be the haunting question the characters are forced to struggle with throughout this novel. I can't believe this series is over. I'm having all those feelings of reader-withdrawal right about now. (But I think that's a good thing. I felt the same way after the 7th Harry Potter too.) Of course, Suzanne Collins delivers once again. This 3rd book was well written, not lacking in the suspense and shock value, and impossible to put down.

Mockingjay won't make sense without reading Hunger Games and Catching Fire first. And you might also need a little refresher course even if you've already read them. It's been several months since I did and I was a bit lost on some of the names.

As book 3 starts we find Katniss more broken than ever. Peeta's been captured by the Capitol, Gale is at her side, but still she is torn between the two boys who love her. This isn't a game anymore--it never was--and Katniss is now expected to step up and be the symbol of the President Cain's (of district 13) rebellion as the war has fully begun.

This book isn't for the faint of heart. People die, get tortured, and it is gruesome in other ways I never saw coming. Many of the elements of this novel are bittersweet. I cried. I laughed. I want to kick something for the hole in my stomach that still lingers. Anticlimactic is the appropriate word. But still even in all the pain, love and hope emerge. It ended how it should have, but not without the price. This series will always be one of my favorites. It was real. Very real.

I really want to hear everyone elses thoughts on Mockingjay. So if you read and reviewed Mockingjay can you please post your review here. That way I can be sure to read what every else thinks.

Book Review: UGLIES

Title: Uglies; Pretties; Specials; Extras
Author: Scott Westerfeld

Rating:

Good if...You want a new series to fall into.

Summary (Amazon):

Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.
But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

My thoughts:

I'm basically posting this as an example of a dystopian young adult novel (and series) I loved. It took the world we live in now and morphed certain aspects, such as body image, government ideals, and coming of age expectations. Tally is shallow and contempt in this world. She doesn't want to change. She wants to become pretty and bubbly and fit in. Then her friend Shay runs away and Tally follows--for her own selfish reasons. And she finds a new world, one outside her pretty little box. A world with David, an ugly boy who is so unlike anyone she's ever known. I finished "Uglies" and went straight to Target to buy "Pretties" and then "Specials". Through the novels you watch Tally change from a shallow kid, to the woman who leads a revolution. Pretty amazing stuff.

The Extras is not part of the original trilogy. It's...well, extra. It follows Aya, a 15-year-old girl from what once was Japan (I think.) Here is it's summary (Amazon): Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules. As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself. Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for.

I hope you're intrigued.