Dystopian / Blogger's Bookshelf

Dystopian

Showing posts with label Dystopian. Show all posts

Monday, 30 October 2017

The Red Men | Matthew de Abaitua | Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

In the near future the company, Monad, has revolutionized AI to the point where some people believe it came from the future. Nelson just wants to be a good family man and provide for his family and help his friend get a job to do the same. Unfortunately he gets caught up in a war, not just between the rival companies Monad and Dyad, but also between the AIs called Red Men and their real life counterparts.

Review:

This was an interesting book. It felt like it was modeled after a 70's drug-trip dystopian movie. It goes back and forth between Nelson's perspective and his friend Raymond's with a couple other minor characters as well. I greatly appreciated Nelson's everyman perspective. He is genuinely a good person who wants to do the right thing, but wants to put his family's well being above all. I kinda wish we could've gotten to see the world from the perspective of a Dr. Easy robot. We got a monologue from the main AI, but I the things that the Dr. robots have to go through would have been really interesting.

It took longer to read than I expected, and I felt frustrated with that at a few points, bored at others, but the ending was really worth it. I finished the book feeling like I had spent my time well. There were a few time jumps that I had a little trouble following, but overall the story was well paced with the occasional needed humor, there was just a lot of story. And this is the edition that had some stuff removed!

If you like corporate dystopia books or drug-trip books, you'll really enjoy The Red Men. I greatly appreciated the philosophical/ethical discourse about those who conquer, those who fight and those who remain quiet. I kinda wish this wasn't such a book for our times, but it's got some good messages for the world today.

Monday, 6 March 2017

Contributor | Nicole Ciarcchella | Review

Summary:

After the Great Famine, the world was divided into different domes with each dome focused on one aspect of survival for the world.They are so focused that anyone trying to do anything else, anything considered unproductive (i.e. the arts) is exiled to the barren wastelands. Dara has grown up in the dome dedicated to engineering and has risen to the top three of her graduating class. She is given the chance of becoming assistant to Head Engineer Anderson, but competition is cutthroat. Still Dara only has eyes on becoming an effective Contributor to Magnum, one of the great Job Creators, the sole authority of her dome. That is, until she finds a group of people who want more out of life than what the Creators want.

Review:

I do not have the best history with dystopian books with strong female leads; after a while they kinda all sound the same. Fortunately I found Contributor to be pleasantly different. To start with, we have a main character who, while sometimes naively good, has full belief in the system and wants nothing more than to Contribute and, perhaps, marry her boyfriend so that they can be great Contributors together. She has no thoughts of the system being imperfect. She has no notion of anything other than the Magnum and her reputation therein.

Another difference, one that I so greatly appreciate, is that when she is introduced to concepts outside of what she knows, she doesn't immediately take up the cause. She is aware of this new aspect of the world, would enjoy partaking in some of their books, but she takes a realistic amount of time and experience to finally come around to wanting to help them. This isn't an immediate rally around one person to start the revolution. This is her getting to the place, mentally, where she can help the people who actually need help.

Best of all is HOW she helps. I get so tired of teenage protagonists acting as though the adults are just lazy or complacent and need someone to inspire them to action. In Contributor, information is what is vital. Dara has trusted adults and higher ups all her life, naturally she trusts them to know more than her. So she helps with information. Not with guts, not with promises of glory or inspiring speeches, information.

I have added the next book to my TBR list because I am very interested to see how Ciarcchella takes this. I have my theories and I need them confirmed. If you are at all interested in a different kind of dystopian story with a strong female lead, I highly recommend Contributor.

Wednesday, 2 November 2016

The Fever Code | James Dashner | Review

The Fever Code is the latest and final release in James Dashner’s popular Maze Runner series and explores the time before the trials we follow in the original trilogy. The novel kicks off with a prologue describing a terrifying scene where two young siblings are taken from their home after witnessing the murder of their parents. We then catch up with Maze Runner protagonist Thomas, along with some other familiar faces, in the years leading up to the maze.

As a fan of the original trilogy I had been keen to find out more about the creation of the maze and what happened before the trials began for a long time. Similarly to the rest of the series, this book definitely keeps you guessing when it comes to the truth about WICKED, the trials and who, if anyone, can be trusted. The Fever Code explores further the motives of some of the characters fans will recognise from the other novels and may even make readers see some of them in a different light. Another interesting aspect explored in this instalment is how friendships developed between the characters we know and love before their memories were wiped, leaving them to meet for the 'first time' again in the maze.

Having enjoyed the original Maze Runner trilogy, The Fever Code was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I really loved revisiting this world and these characters - the ending in particular made me want to pick up the trilogy for a re-read! Whilst I’ll probably always want to know more about this world, I think this was a great way to wrap up the series and is a must-read for fans of all things Maze Runner!

The stylish UK edition is also complete with a hidden way to access some exclusive content online! - #crackthefevercode

Monday, 17 October 2016

Grave Predictions | Anthology | Review

*Image and book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

This book is a collection of short stories, all of them previously published, about all the ways the world could end.

Review:

I knew, going into this book, that there would be no happy endings in any of these stories. A handful of them I had read before (i.e. 2BRO2B) some others I had heard referenced before. But nothing could have prepared me for the almost overwhelming doom and gloom I ended up feeling. If you want to read this anthology of classic stories, I highly recommend that you have something cheerier to counter the depression and anxiety this book can inflict.

The pacing of the stories seemed to be a good fit. Some stories are noticeably longer than others while others only seemed to be a few paragraphs. The editor did a good job of making sure they are in a readable order. I really only had problems getting interested in one of the longer stories (I'll admit I ended up skimming quite a bit of that one).

Again, if you want to read it, I recommend have some kind of mood booster to help you out. This anthology really messed with me and my general mood. Read with caution.

An Eighty Percent Solution | Thomas Gondolfi | Review

Monday, 13 June 2016

An Eighty Percent Solution | Thomas Gondolfi | Review

Summary:

The future's looking pretty glum. A handful of Mega Corporations rule EVERYTHING. Everyone knows it, but no one does anything because they'd rather have a chance at success than live like a Nil, someone without any rights who can be killed for any reason. The only people fighting back are eco-terrorists, The Greenies. The corporations come up with a way to get rid of the Greenies, which has an 80% chance of success. Too bad for Tony Sammis, it involves ruining his life.

Review:

I have to Gondolfi a lot of credit for creating an interesting, and consistent, world without too much of an exposition dump. There were some aspects I would have liked to have more fleshed out, such as Sonya's magic, but overall I felt that the rules of the world were explained well through a balance of action and dialogue. Even the roles of the various groups were easily established in the first few chapters. The mega corporations are quickly identified as the bad guys. The Greenies are quickly identified as the good guys. And the rest of society is very quickly seen to be passive in all that goes on around them. Except for Tony Sammis, the star of the show who gets threatened with being sued for malpractice for performing CPR on a woman having a heart-attack that no one else will help.

Overall this was a fairly quick read for me. I found the villains to be intelligent, though a couple of things made me think Gondolfi was trying a little too hard to make me not like them. The final weapon they use against The Greenies was one I did not see coming, but made complete sense and was executed quite well. The good guys were the rag-tag-hero types that so many of us love to read. They know the world isn't right and want to fix it, but don't have the best, or most organized vision, of how to do that. Tony is the hero whose world gets pulled out from under him, but whose actions make him easily identifiable as a good guy who just wants to do the right thing. Seriously, saving a kitten from getting sent to the compost easily makes for a good guy.

Probably my favorite part of this book was the ending. No, that's not a joke about the book being lousy. The ending chapter(s) showed that good guys know that there are economic impacts of their actions. If they truly want to help the people, they need to be careful of how they do things. I really appreciate that the world view is taken up, rather than the "destroy them all" banner.

For me, this book was okay. I'm not sure if I will pick up the next book in the series or not. However, if you like dystopian future reads, bringing down the corporation reads, or even the heroic little guy read, you may enjoy An Eighty Percent Solution.

Thursday, 24 March 2016

Glass Sword | Victoria Aveyard | Review

I received this book from Hachette Publishing New Zealand,

in exchange for an honest review.

“If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass,

and I feel myself beginning to shatter.”

Warning: I feel like it's going to be difficult writing this without spoilers, so if it's a little bitsy to read, my apologies. Also, if you haven't read Red Queen yet, there may be a few accidental spoilers in here for that first book. You've been warned.

Picking up right where we left off in Red Queen, Mare and Cal are with the Scarlet Guard, running from Prince (now King) Maven and running for their lives. Having escaped from the kingdom and the mass-murder Maven, Mare is now on a mission to search the country for the before-unknown Newbloods; those people who have red blood but special silver abilities, just like her.

While she searches with her friends and allies for the Newbloods, Mare continues to train herself and the others in their abilities, but she starts to become something more than what she thought. She's on a deadly path, and while the others try to tell her, she's very stubborn and carries on, fighting for what she believes is right. As Mare and her team find the Newbloods, they are forever on the run from Maven, who is only ever a few steps behind them, and on a few occasions, a few steps ahead.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever? - Good Reads

For some unknown reason, it took me about a month to read this. Not because I wasn't enjoying it, but perhaps because it didn't grip me as much as the first book did. It could also be due to the fact that I was busy. But if it was really gripping me and drawing me in, then I would have made more time for it, or I would sacrifice other things just to read it.

Don't get me wrong - I loved this book. I've given it a 4 stars. I do feel, however, that it dragged a bit in the beginning, and only really picked up at the end. I think I just got a little bored of Mare and the others running around the country finding Newbloods. It needed to happen, yes, but I just feel like it took a few pages too many to gather them all.

Glass Sword is a great sequel to Red Queen though, and if you've read the first, then do make sure you read the second. Much like the Red Queen, Glass Sword had some great twists and turns in it, an unexpected death (although if you read enough dystopian books then you will see it coming), a falling out, a friendship on the rocks, and one on the mend. Lives are lost, lives are saved, and through it all all I can think of is "but I like Maven...". It seems that a lot of people feel the same.

Aveyard has written Maven in such a way that you hate him because he's an evil so-and-so who killed hundreds of people, but you love him and you're secretly rooting for him and Mare to be together. He's your typical bad guy, with a serious Mummy's-Boy complex and he betrayed his friends, his brother, his people. But guys...there's just something about him, and news on the street (aka Good Reads) is that people like him. I tend to agree with them. He's barely in Glass Sword, but when he is you want more of him. Maven is a great character, like Mare, and Aveyard has definitely owned her characters. They're very well written, and I'm looking forward to reading the third book, and also Cruel Crown, the two novellas.

If you're a fan of Red Queen, make sure you pick up a copy of Glass Sword.

If you've already read it, what did you think?

Image from Good Reads.

Friday, 1 January 2016

Gold Fame Citrus | Claire Vaye Watkins | Review

I received this book from Hachette Publishing New Zealand,

in exchange for an honest review.

"Your people came here looking for something better.

Gold, fame, citrus."

"In a parched southern California of the near future, Luz, once the poster child for the country’s conservation movement, and Ray, an army deserter turned surfer, are squatting in a starlet’s abandoned mansion ... Holdouts like Ray and Luz subsist on rationed cola and water, and whatever they can loot, scavenge, and improvise ...

When they cross paths with a mysterious child, the thirst for a better future begins. Heading east, they are waylaid in the desert by a charming and manipulative dowser – a diviner for water -- and his cult-like followers, who have formed a colony in a mysterious sea of dunes."- from Goodreads

Can I just start this review off by saying that I really wanted to get into this book, but I just couldn't. It think it was a mixture of things, but let me first just tell you a little about the plot. Like Goodreads has just explained to us (thank you, Goodreads), Luz and her partner Ray are in the near future California, water is scarce, dust is everywhere (think James Dashner's The Scorch Trials), life as they knew it doesn't exist. They barely survive as it is, but when they stumble across a small child, life changes even more. They run into a group of people in a vast dessert, with a leader who is clearly a madman and runs his followers more like a cult than friends. It's a dodgy outfit, and Luz doesn't really seem to see it.

It's a story full of ugly scenarios and horrible people, but in hindsight, it showed human nature and characteristics, and while that is sad, and a terrible realisation to come to, it's true. One thing that I can say is that it is beautifully written. Much of the chatter on Goodreads and Amazon and the like mention the writing style. Watkins does write extremely well, but I found at times it was too good. What do I mean? I think I mean that at times I was so fixated on the words she was using, and in the way she was using them, that it took away from the story. Every sentence was clearly and carefully thought out and crafted into a descriptive wonder paragraph of words, but it was too much for me. I was distracted with her words, and I didn't really care that much about Luz or the other characters.

However! If you're after a more adult dystopian-like story, definitely pick up Gold Fame Citrus. I thought it was, perhaps, going to be more like the dystopian-like stories I've read and loved over the years, but it was certainly more adult focused and geared towards an older audience than those others. If you're after an incredibly well written book about the horrors and also wonders of humanity, with a
dystopian feel, mixed with science fiction, and has a cult thrown into the mix, give this book a go.

Just because it wasn't for me, doesn't mean it won't be for you. In fact, it may be your new favourite book of the year. Give it a go, and let me know what you think! If you have read it, what did you think? Let me know!

Image from Goodreads.

Zeroes | Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, & Deborah Biancotti | Review

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Zeroes | Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, & Deborah Biancotti | Review

*image via GoodReads

Ever wondered what life would be like if you had superpowers? Meet the Zeroes.

Flicker, a blind girl who can 'hijack' people's eyes to see;
Chizaria or Crash, who can disable electronics and control electrical energy;
Bellwether, a boy who can directly influence others to his will;
Anon, another guy who is technically ‘invisible’ to the world;
And finally there's Scam, a boy who has an inner voice that can get him exactly what he wants.

These powers sound awesome right? But as a wise old man once said 'with great power comes great responsibility'.

After Scam's voice lands him in serious trouble - again - it's up to the rest of the Zeroes to bail him out...that's if they can get over what happened the last time his 'voice' screwed them all over. This time the stakes are higher, drug lords, mobsters and even the police are hot on their heels, and then there's the appearance of another 'superhuman' with powers just like theirs.

So what's my verdict?
Among the glut of Marvel and DC films we're getting and the rise in popularity of the 'superhero' movie and TV genre, Zeroes comes as a breath of fresh air. Less of an 'Avengers-esque' type of storyline, the novel is more of in the vein of darker superhero premises such as the TV show Heroes and the first few X Men movies.

In the spirit of those shows the novel follows a group of misfits, with the running them that superpowers come with a price. Their world isn't dystopian, these guys are 'chosen ones', though obviously there's an element of suspending belief that these teenagers can face mobs and drug lords, the scenarios feel very 'real' in a wrong place at the wrong time kind of way.

With such a big cast it's often so rare to see all of them explored in equal measure, but there's so much character development from each person throughout the novel, making the ending all the more satisfying. Not to mention that cast themselves are brilliantly diverse too.
One thing I picked up on that was really Interesting was how their ‘superpowers’ were at one point compared to dealing with a mental illness. Scam’s in particular is likened to schizophrenia, and it's arguably Chizaria’s makes her experience severe panic attacks. Both of these instances only go to reinforce the idea that powers come with a price.

In terms of narrative style, I didn't even register with me that the book was co-authored until about a third of the way into the novel. Westerfeld, Lanagan and Biancotti's voices flow seamlessly and the story works so well as a cohesive novel written by one person. Overall, Zeroes gets a big thumbs up from me. The plot felt fresh and was hell of a lot of fun too. The great thing is that you really root for the gang and you want them to be heroes rather than zeroes by the end of the book.

Reading Soundtrack:

Dignity: New Politics; Hit & Run: LoLo; Ghost: Pvris; Any Other Way: We The Kings; Breathe Me: Sia; NaNaNa: My Chemical Romance; City Of Angels: 30 Seconds To Mars

For lovers of…X Men (the comics & the movies), Fantastic Four, and Heroes (TV series).

Disclaimer: Review copy c/o NetGalley and Simon & Schuester

Friday, 3 July 2015

Salt & Stone | Victoria Scott | Review

Image from GoodReads

The second in the Fire & Flood series, as soon as I saw Salt and Stone was out I grabbed a copy. I loved the first one, so was really looking forward to the second one. And it did not disappoint. Head on over here to read my review on Fire & Flood. Don't worry, I don't think there are any spoilers in here. You're all good.

Tella is still in ~~the running to becoming America's Next Model~~ the Brimstone Bleed, racing through treacherous terrains to win the Cure for her brother, Cody. After battling her way through Jungle and Desert, Tella and the friends and allies she's made along the way, along with their Pandoras - creatures given to them to help and protect them - begin the third and fourth terrains: ocean and mountain. With each part of the Brimstone Bleed becoming harder, with contenders dying on her every side, with corrupt members in leadership, and secrets being kept, Tella struggles to decide who to trust, how to use the resources they've been given, and how to win the cure for Cody.

Once again, I really liked this book. I love the race that Scott has created and the characters she's included in the story. Like I said in my review of the first book, I really like Tella as a main character. More often than not the main character in a story erks me, but Tella is funny and sarcastic, and she is a wonderful voice for the story. If you're into your dystopian YA novels (think a kind of Hunger Games meets Maze Runner sort of story), pick up a copy of Fire & Flood and let me know what you think. I'm really looking forward to the next one (which I think will be the last one?), although considering that Salt & Stone only came out this year, I will be waiting a while.

What about you? Have you read this series?

The Book of Phoenix | Nnedi Okorafor | Review

Monday, 29 June 2015

The Book of Phoenix | Nnedi Okorafor | Review

*Image courtesy of Ann Arbor District Library

Summary:

This book is a prequel to Okorafor’s Who Fears Death. It covers the story of a woman named Phoenix who, though she looks 40, is actually only a few years old. She and the few friends she has were created or enhanced by science and kept in Tower 7 to be experimented on. When Phoenix discovers she has abilities that mimic her namesake, her thoughts focus on escape and freedom.

Review:

I love this book. It answered all the questions I had about the history of the world created in Who Fears Death. It answers my questions about who wrote The Great Book, how the world became one giant desert, and how the Okeke people became subservient to the Nuru, even if some of the answers come indirectly.

The Book of Phoenix is a moving story. There is so much loss in Phoenix’s life. But also so much rebirth. This book feels like it is designed to awaken the fires of your soul and move you to action. I’m not sure what that action is, but I definitely feel determined to do it. Okorafor has a talent for writing strong, female characters and it is impossible for me to not be affected, even inspired, by their strength.

The most tragic part of this story comes in the final chapters and reflects the nature of stories based on oral histories and translations: they’re always changed or adapted to reflect the nature and beliefs of the storyteller. I cannot say much more on this topic as it would be labelled “spoilers”, but I feel it is a lesson that we must all take to heart; that stories, no matter how grandly told, no matter how believable, sometimes only hold a grain of truth.

I am happy to recommend this book. There are some “experiments” described that are disturbing to think about, but nothing too graphic. You do not have to have read Who Fears Death first, though I would still recommend it. I really have no reason to give this book less than 5 out of 5. Okorafor is an author whose writings stick with you hours after you’re done reading them.

Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Wither | Lauren DeStefano | Reviewed by Christina

Wither is the first book in The Chemical Garden Series and is my new obsession. Although Wither came out in 2011, it has only just found it's way onto my bookshelf and I'm so annoyed I didn't pick it up sooner. Lucy reviewed this book here on Blogger's Bookshelf back in 2013 but I'm so in love that I couldn't help but re-review it.

Rhine is a sixteen-year-old girl living in a world where a brutal virus kills girls at age twenty, and boys at age twenty-five. Geneticists are experimenting with possible cures to restore the human population and the need to reproduce is a vital importance to every young child. The book begins with Rhine being kidnapped and sold to a man who will make her his wife and potentially have her bear his children, alongside two other girls - one as young as thirteen. The story develops around these three girls, their husband Linden and their lives within his luxurious mansion.

This story was one that had me loving the plot but hating the events at the same time. DeStefano's writing had me imagining a world in which this would happen and to see the way the girls were expected to behave made me feel sick. Whilst it was a dystopian world I would hate to live in, I was fascinated to read about it and I wanted to know more. The girls were stuck between living a life of luxury, getting to know the man they thought they hated and reminding themselves how they got to be where they are now - the confusion in Rhine's mind was so realistic, as a reader I really got to understand how she was feeling the way she was, through DeStefano's amazing writing style. Whilst I sped through this book, I wouldn't particularly say that it was fast-paced. It isn't an action-packed book with twists and turns, but it still had me hooked as though it was. The focus is mainly on the girls and their relationships with one another, their husband and the other characters within the mansion - and it was fascinating to read about. I would definitely recommend that you start this series - Wither has definitely been added to my favourite books of all time.

Friday, 27 March 2015

Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | Reviewed by Anjali

*Review copy c/o Netgalley

“In the fairy tales, the poor girl smiles when she becomes a princess.

Right now, I don't know if I'll ever smile again.”

There are two blood-castes: the Reds and their common way of life, who serve the elite Silver, with their Royalty and magical, superhuman powers. Seventeen-year-old pick-pocketer Mare Barrow is a Red, and lives with her family in the Stilts. One day she is given a job in the Silver palace, and quickly discovers that she has powers of her own. To cover up the fact that there is a Red with powers like a Silver, the King and Queen make a deal with her: She is to marry their youngest son, Prince Maven, and pretend that she is a Silver who was simply raised by Reds. And in return, they will bring her brothers home from the ongoing war, where Reds are made to fight for the Silvers. She agrees, and Mare is thrown into a world of royalty, of lies, of Princes, of powerful abilities. As she finds herself getting deeper and deeper into a society that is not her own, she risks everything to join the Scarlet Guard, a rebellion group of Reds wanting to take down the Silvers, for their rights, for justice, for freedom.

I loved this book. It was like X-Men meets The Selection (Keira Cass). Why The Selection? you ask. As Mare enters the Palace and her powers come to light, she joins the other girls who are there for the Princes, who are to choose a wife. There is immediately a rival, who is chosen by Prince Maven's older brother Cal, to be his wife. As Mare goes from day to day trying to learn how to be a Silver lady, is painted with pale make-up every day to hide her red-blooded blushing face (Silvers have silver blood), and navigates her way from library lessons to fighting ones, she battles with the fact that her family still don't know what is going on with her, her best friend has joined the Scarlet Guard, and her feelings for Maven's brother Cal, are stronger than she'd like.

With superpowers like X-Men, typical love triangles, upper and lower castes, an older mentor/librarian with connections to the Royal family, and a main character with Katniss-like rebellion involvement, Red Queen was an awesome read and a great addition to the YA Fantasy/Dystopian world. Why only give it 4 stars then? I think it was probably because I called what would happen at the end (something that, I think, reading other people's reviews, was a huge shock and twist). But it was great, and if you like the dystopian genre, mixed with a little bit of superhuman powers, then do give Red Queen a read. Victoria Aveyard has done a fantastic job at creating this world, especially for her debut novel.

Image from Good Reads.

Mini Collab | Top 5 Must-Read YA Dystopian Series

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Mini Collab | Top 5 Must-Read YA Dystopian Series

must read ya christina

Christina's Top 5:

1. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld – my all-time favourite dystopian series (although I’ve only read the first two and half of the third) about a world in which cosmetic surgery is forced upon every teenagers’ life as they reach their sixteenth birthday. It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

2. The Rain by Virginia Bergin – a great dystopian duology about Ruby, a young teen who must learn to survive after the world discovers the rain is poisonous and one drop can kill you.

3. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau – one of the first dystopian books I read, this series is similar to Hunger Games but with a different twist.

4. The Program by Suzanne Young – a dystopian duology about a society in which suicide is an epidemic and The Program has been created to erase the minds of the “infected.”

5. Halo by Frankie Rose – again, another I’ve only read the first book in the series but this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. A dystopian book where the main character runs away from her town after killing her best friend in an organised fight to the death and must learn to survive outside of everything she has ever known.

must read ya erin

must read ya erin

Erin's Top 5:

1. Unwind by Neil Shusterman - often overlooked this four book series has a very intriguing concept. Taking place in a world where parents can choose to have the teenagers 'unwound', a process where all of their organs are transplanted into different recipients, the series explores what is it to be human.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I couldn't make a top YA dystopian list without including one of the most well-known series and the first one of the genre I read!

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner - another popular series this trilogy follows groups of teens through various 'trials' in a future version of the world where a disease called the Flare has wiped out most of the population.

4. The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau - this well-paced series follows Cia who is chosen to attend the prestigious University in a time where the current students will become the future leaders of this post-war world. With plenty of action and a few little twists along the way this series is a great read for fans of the genre.

5. Slated by Teri Terry - this UK-based trilogy is one of the more believable dystopian setups and effortlessly takes you alongside protagonist Kyla on her complicated journey after she has been 'slated' meaning her memories have been erased.

must read ya anjali

must read ya anjali

Anjali's Top 5:

1. Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare - one of my favourite fantasy series for teens and young adults. I love the story line, and the characters and yes, the books are better than the movie.

2. Divergent Series by Veronica Roth - in terms of dystopian series, Roth's books are at the top of that list for me. I read them in the space of about 2-3 days, and loved them. Having said that, I still haven't seen the movie.

3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - another great dystopian YA series, which I don't think gets enough credit. I really want to re-read these this year.

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - it may be an obvious choice, but the books are just really great!

5. Variant by Robison Wells - while this series is only two books long, I was immediately hooked on the first pages of Variant, and couldn't stop reading. A great couple of books that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The whole time.

Which series would make your list?

This post was written by Christina, Anjali & Erin. Get to know them on our Meet The Team page!

Monday, 2 March 2015

The Island | Jen Minkman | Reviewed by Erin

At the beginning of this short dystopian novella we meet Leia and her twin brother Colin on their tenth birthday. In their society this is the day they officially become adults and leave home until they are older, married and can return. Skipping forward six years we rejoin the twins in their new lives, where they have learnt survival skills and mostly fend for themselves, following the rules set out by ‘The Book’. Just when you start to get a feel for where the story might be going things take a bit of a strange twist with the influence of a certain well-known Fantasy series creeping in to the story’s world-building.

At first I found the concept intriguing as it differs from other dystopian tales in that the main characters are only ten years old when their journey begins but for a short while it also felt familiar in terms of the way the world and characters were introduced. As the story progressed it took it’s unique turn. As for the twist, which I won't give away in this review, I had spotted some of the references, or clues, from the start but had no idea what part they would play, if any, in the origins of the world I was reading about.

Having read some online reviews I noticed that the author, Jen Minkman, had personally commented on them and learnt that the novella was originally written as an entry to a short story competition. This explains why the character development was a little disappointing and some parts of the story were not as fleshed out as they could have been.

Despite the fact that the book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting when I stumbled across it on the Kindle store I found the idea very unique and it definitely felt different to others in the genre. Although The Island isn’t necessarily a new favourite for me it did leave me feeling curious as to how the author came up with the idea and what may be revealed in the sequels – another novella and a full length novel.

If you’re looking for a quick, interesting read with a unique twist this may be the novella for you.

Mind Games | Teri Terry | Discussion by Christina & Erin

Wednesday, 28 January 2015

Mind Games | Teri Terry | Discussion by Christina & Erin

*Review copies c/o Netgalley, image c/o Goodreads

mind games teri terry 2015

mind games teri terry 2015

"Luna is a no-hoper with a secret: in a world of illusion, she can see what is real. But can she see the truth before it is too late?

Luna has always been able to exist in virtual and real worlds at the same time, a secret she is warned to keep. She hides her ability by being a Refuser: excluded by choice from the virtual spheres others inhabit. But when she is singled out for testing, she can’t hide any longer.

The safest thing to do would be to fail, to go back to a dead-end life, no future. But Luna is starting to hope for something better, and hope is a dangerous thing..." - via Goodreads

With so many YA dystopian novels out there at the moment, how did this one stand out to you & make you decide to read it?

Christina: The advanced technology was a big draw for me, as I like to see how different authors tackle a well-established theme such as that one. A big part of the synopsis is the idea of illusions and things not being as they seem. I love this concept in any story as I enjoy being deceived and misled by books - this aspect drew me in and made me really want to read the book.

Erin: Initially the book caught my eye due to it's author Teri Terry who's Slated trilogy I had read and really enjoyed. I loved how unique, refreshing and realistic the world she had created felt so when I saw that she was releasing another YA dystopian novel I was keen to pick it up!

The idea of virtual reality has been explored in literature before. What unique points do you think Mind Games has that make it stand out from other books with a similar theme?

Christina: I don’t actually think I’ve read any books with a virtual reality, so it’s quite a difficult question for me (If I have, I can’t think of any right now). I do feel as though the advanced technology was realistic and I could imagine living this life myself in the not-so-distant future. The main character made the book stand out for me, Luna being a Refuser was an interesting aspect that I wouldn’t necessarily have expected based on her personality and the society around her.

Erin: The technology and ideas explored in Mind Games didn't feel far-fetched but instead were believable, and without giving too much away also had somewhat of a horror element - it's definitely scary to think these types of virtual worlds could become reality in the near future! I really enjoyed the fact that the main character Luna was a Refuser as it meant we got to see both her real 'in person' life as well as what went on whilst she was 'plugged in' to the virtual world.

Do you feel the characters were realistic or unrealistic for the world in which they live in?

Christina: I think all of the characters were fairly realistic. The main character being a Refuser was a large part of the storyline, but when everybody around her uses this advanced technology, what are the chances of her refusing? I found this an interesting aspect to the story, as mentioned above, but I'm not sure how realistic this was in terms of the world she was living in. I also felt as though Gecko’s paranoia made his character realistic especially as I got to know more and more about the world the characters were living in.

Erin: At first it was a little difficult to believe that Luna would be a Refuser since her family, friends, and what seemed like the majority of the population had been given the implant and adopted the virtual world into their everyday lives. Having said that I found her pretty realistic throughout the novel as she questioned a lot of what was going on and really took the reader on her journey of discovery alongside her.

How did you find the writing style? Were there any areas you thought were particularly strong or weak?

Christina: Mind Games is the first book I’ve read by Teri Terry and it’s fairly safe to say it won’t be the last. Her writing style really captivated me and drew me in and that’s one of the reasons I loved this book so much. I thought her world-building skills were incredible, with world-building being an imperative aspect of Dystopian fiction I felt she just did this really really well.

Erin: Personally I really enjoyed the writing style which I found very easy to follow and felt that the world-building in particular was strong. Having also read the Slated trilogy I believe that Teri Terry has a talent for creating more believable dystopian worlds allowing the reader not to be pulled out of the story by too many plot holes or questions. (Side note: I loved that the world of the Slated trilogy was referenced within Mind Games!).

What were your overall thoughts on the book? Would you recommend it?

Christina: I actually gave this book 5 out of 5 stars, I loved it. My ratings are often decided on a gut instinct reaction and if I give a book five stars, it’s because it has gripped me and I can’t stop thinking about it. Which is exactly how I felt about this book. I found Luna’s constant questioning of everything around her and her abilities quite annoying, but that was the only slightly negative comment I have for this book. I don’t think Terry has any plans to turn this book into a series, but I’m really hoping she does.

Erin: Similarly to Slated I gave Mind Games a 4/5 stars based on the concept, world-building, writing style and my overall enjoyment of this futuristic novel. I'd definitely recommend the book in general but particularly to those who loved the Slated trilogy!

Mind Games is due for release on March 5th!

This post was written by regular reviewers Christina and Erin. Get to know them here!

Friday, 21 November 2014

Requiem | Lauren Oliver | Reviewed by Anjali

As I was double checking our Review List here on BB to make sure no one had reviewed this before, I saw that Ria had reviewed the two previous books in this series, Delirium, and Pandemonium. I feel like I'm intruding a little bit, but Ria, you can always jump in and tell us what you thought about Requiem, too! You can read Ria's reviews here: Delirium || Pandemonium.

Requiem, by Lauren Oliver, is the third and final instalment of the Delirium trilogy. Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers in this review, though if I think something might be potentially spoiler-ish, I will warn you. Requiem follows on from the events in Pandemonium. Lena is still fighting for survival in the Wilds, joining with other groups of rebellious 'Invalids', avoiding Regulators from the cities, and generally trying to keep her feelings for certain boys in check. Along side Raven, Tack, and the other 'invalids', Lena is still searching for freedom, a way to fight back, to take control of their own lives again. Meanwhile, inside the city of Portland, Lena's ex-best friend, Hana, is engaged to be married to the soon-to-be-mayor. While she has been cured of the Deliria, Hana knows that something is not right with her fiancée. She begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his previous wife, Cassandra, and what she finds is more horrifying than she could imagine.

The second book in this series, Pandemonium, was written in alternating chapters between 'then' and 'now', though it was all from Lena's perspective. I found this quite jarring at times and a tad annoying to read. Requiem is also told in alternating chapters, however it's done from both Lena's perspective - as she struggles and fights in the Wild - and Hana's perspective - as she prepares for her wedding day inside the city. I really really liked this about Requiem. Throughout the first two stories, one of the main things I was always thinking was 'I want to read more about Hana'. It really nice to be able to hear her voice and to see how her story and Lena's lined up a long side each other.

Erin mentioned in her Good Reads review of this book that the story felt more like a middle book in a series, rather than the last. And I couldn't agree more. I actually found it a little bit hard to get into this book, but I think the chapters on Hana made me keep going. I found it got exciting towards the end, but at the same time it felt like it was all suddenly happening, and things were getting done, and there was progress... and then...it was the end. And the end! Ugh. I won't say much in case I spoil something, but I didn't really like the end much. I was left with way too many questions, and thought it needed at least another chapter.

Having said that, I did like this series, and I really like Oliver's writing style. It's really well done and suits the story and the characters brilliantly. I would like to read the 'point 5' stories from this series too. There's one on Anabell (Delirium 0.5), Hana (Delirium 1.5), Raven (Delirium 2.5), and Alex (Delirium 3.5). If you haven't read this series, but enjoy the dystopian/the-government-is-out-to-get-you type books, give this series a go.

This review was written by regular reviewer Anjali, get to know her here.
Image from Good Reads.

The Body Electric | Beth Revis | Reviewed by Ria

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

The Body Electric | Beth Revis | Reviewed by Ria

the-body-electric-beth-revis

*Review copy c/o Netgalley, Image via Goodreads

In a utopian society, where an uneasy peace seems to have been achieved thanks to a unified global government, Ella Shepherd is just another citizen of the capital of this peaceful society, New Venice.

With her mother destined to live - and eventually die - of an incurable disease, Ella decides to give her a lasting gift using her mother’s own invention - the Reverie. The Reverie allows users to enter into their dreams and relive their fondest memories and Ella’s going to help guide her mother into one.

Through this little experiment, Ella finds out she has a talent for entering people’s minds and dreams, and is soon enlisted by the Government to help them spy on a rebel group who seem keen to stir up the status quo. But Ella find herself in trouble. The leader of the group, Jack, claims they were once in love and that she’s fighting for the wrong side.

Either Jack is lying. Or someone’s altered Ella’s memories.

Caught in between secretive Governments, and the tales Jack is spinning about her ‘former life’, Ella becomes the unfortunate key which could help or hinder peace.

What’s my verdict?

This was my first foray into Beth Revis’ work and I have to say, I’m really impressed. The Body Electric is a novel set within the confines of utopian genre with the twist switching the focus on the the use of android and cyber-cell technology to enhance human life. It’s a refreshing take on the genre and reminds me a lot of Total Recall - according to Revis’ the Reveries in the story are directly influenced by the Rekall in the movies.

One thing I really loved was Ella and Jack’s relationship dynamics and their story arch. Their storyline always felt well balanced as Ella worked around the fact that she couldn’t remember who Jack was, yet there was none of the tragic love affair that other dystopian novels like Delirium or Under The Never Sky often focus so heavily on. If anything the blurb is misleading as the Ella/Jack storyline probably takes up on about 25% of the novel compared to the drama and action packed scenes of trying to the solve the mystery of Ella’s missing memories. It’s also a plot I feel like I can’t reveal too much - it’s really satisfying predicting the ending of the novel!

The world Revis has created is also fantastically rich, without it feeling unreachable. Placing the Mediterranean and Venice and at the heart of the story is works really well and only emphasises the conflict between new ideas and old values - something which Revis has cleverly linked with the first historical Renaissance. It’s also really great to read about a utopian society set outside of the stereotypical western USA setting.

For me, The Body Electric was a fresh new dystopian with a great twist to it and if you're already a fan of Revis' work then you'll definitely love it!

Soundtrack

Me The Machine: Imogen Heap; This Love: Taylor Swift; Echoes: Klaxons; All I Want: Kodaline; New Divide: Linkin Park; Song Of Forgetting: Next To Normal OBC; Take Back The City: Snow Patrol;

For lovers of...Divergent, Total Recall, and iRobot

This post was written by regular reviewer Ria, get to know her here.

*image (c) Ria Cagampang

Sunday, 27 July 2014

Paradigm | Ceri A. Lowe | Reviewed by Anjali

"What if the end of the world was just the beginning?"

When the storms hit, no amount of preparation could have stopped the death and destruction that they brought. Alice Davenport arrives home one day to discover that her mother is missing, the people in her building have disappeared and the storms are only getting worse. As the water rises, and races down the no-longer-recognisable streets, taking everything and anything - including bodies - along with it, Alice is finally rescued and taken to a safe place, along with any remaining survivors. Paradigm Industries, the organisation providing safety, food, shelter, community and family in an underground bunker that stretches for miles, is all Alice knows now. Years later, she is selected to be one of the first people out into the world again, to asses the storm damage, and to create a new future...

87 years later, Carter Warren is finally awoken from 15 years of being frozen in the Catacombs. He steps out in the world ready to make a difference, ready to step into the shoes that his parents couldn't fill. But only something is different now. While he is in the running to become (no, not America's Next Top Model) the Controller General, Carter discovers that 15 years is a long time to be away, and he begins to question every thing and every person he thought he knew. To fix any chance they have of creating a better future, Carter has to understand the past...

Written in third person from the perspectives of Alice and Carter, the chapters alternate between the two characters; Alice, whose world has been destroyed and is in need of a completely new system...and Carter, several generations later, who is starting to realise that that system is no longer working. While the characters themselves didn't really have me captivated or falling in love with them, I liked Carter better, but Alice's story line more. I think that perhaps that's because the majority of dystopian novels are set in what is already a dystopian society; it's already run by manipulating, controlling people who have put forward rules and regulations, and feed lies to people...it's already that world that we are in when we start reading. But with Paradigm, Lowe takes us back to the beginning of what will be a dystopian-like society. It's the beginnings of something new, and it's not very often that we get to read about the makings of societies like these.

But Alice's character...? Meh. Didn't really like her. But her story was better. Carter was more likeable, I thought, but I was more interested, like a said, in Alice's story. Strange, but true.

If you're a fan of the dystopian genre, and would like to read something a little different, then give Paradigm a read. It came out in June this year, so it's available now.

Thanks to Ceri Lowe and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book for an honest review.
This review was written by regular reviewer Anjali, get to know her here.
Image from Good Reads.

Sunday, 15 June 2014

Outside In | Maria V Snyder | Review by Anjali

I did a brief review of the first of this series, Inside Out, on my blog the other day, and Niina reviewed it last year, so you can jump back to that post and see what she thought. While I won't say too much about this, the second of the Insiders series by Maria V. Snyder, I will say that I did enjoy it.

Outside In continues the story of Trella the scrub. In the aftermath of the rebellion and the change of how things happen on the Inside, Trella continues to learn more and more about her world and the people in it. She explores even more of Inside than she thought was possible and discovers things she doesn't understand, meets people she never thought she would meet, and sees things that she could never really imagine before.

Outside In introduces some new characters to the world we read about in Inside Out, and I actually liked them enough to care if they died (that's kinda how I judge the coolness of characters...Would I care if they were suddenly slaughtered, murdered or fell off a cliff?). Trella was a pain in the butt in the first third of the book and I just got annoyed at her all the time, but thankfully her friends were pretty nifty characters so that made up for her.

The love interest, Riley, was cute in my head, but was super lame on paper. He was a strong sort of character in that he knew what he was doing and he just wanted the best for people etc etc - you know, all those good qualities in a dystopian male love interest - but he was just a little lame. He had a soft toy sheep called Sheepy for goodness sake! Cute if you're like...10 years old, but not when you're 17/18. And it wasn't like it was a one time 'here's my childhood toy, isn't it cute' kinda thing. It was mentioned nearly every conversation he had with Trella. So that was frustrating...but if you took out that, then it was okay.

The story went in a direction I wasn't really prepared for, in that the Inside, where they live, wasn't what I thought it was. But I think I was okay with that? I haven't really decided, to be honest, but there we have it. I don't know what else to say without giving anything else away, but it was a good second book, and while I have no idea if there's a third on or not (I can't seem to find it on Good Reads), if there was, I'd read it. I think if you read Inside Out, then you have to Outside In. It does answers questions and round some things off nicely.

This review was written by regular reviewer Anjali, get to know her here.
Image from Good Reads.

Sunday, 1 June 2014

The Giver | Lois Lowry | Reviewed by Anjali

I read The Giver for the first time when I was about 14 years old, and I remember loving it a lot. I think, looking back on it now, that was probably my first dystopian society type novel. I re-read this book last week, and while it was mostly familiar, there were things that stood out to me more this time round, perhaps because it was a second reading, or perhaps because I'm older now. Whatever the case, it's a great book.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, tells the story of Jonas, a young boy who is about to become a Tweleve in their society. He lives with his mother and father and younger sister, Lily, who is a Seven. The day of the Ceremony of the Twelve - the day when all the Elevens move to become Twelves - Jonas is lined up with all the others in his age group, ready to receive their Assignments. Their assignments will tell them where and what they will be in their community, whether that be an Engineer, a Nurturer, helping the elderly etc etc. His friends before him receive their assignment, but when it comes to Jonas, he is skipped over and put on hold until the end. When he eventually is given his assignment, it is one of the highest honours - he is to become the next Receiver of Memories.

As Jonas spends his afternoons with the current Receiver (who tells him to call him Giver, as Jonas is now the Receiver), learning all about the life and times in the past before the 'Sameness' came to be, he realises that life as they know it is unfair, it's unjust, it should be different. The utopia that they live in is a big lie. While the story ends before he does much about it all, it's definitely a fantastic beginning to what is, I'm sure, a great series (I have yet to read the next ones).

With hidden secrets, painful memory transfers, lying parents, best friends who are just a little bit crazy, and the new knowledge he has been given, The Giver is a great, fast paced read that is short enough to read in one sitting. If this all sounded a little familiar, it may be because the movie is coming out later in the year. While the trailer looks a lot different to the book, I think that might be a post for later on.

If you like dystopian novels, with great characters, written by award winning authors, do give The Giver a read. While it's really aimed at a younger audience, it's still a fun book for those of us who are little older.

This review was written by regular reviewer Anjali, get to know her here.
Image from Good Reads.

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