YA Review: Enders by Lissa Price

Title: Enders (Starters & Enders #2)

Author: Lissa Price

# of Pages: 288

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: January 7th 2014

Source: ARC 

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

With the Prime Destinations body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save Callie's life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too ...and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body? This is the thrilling sequel to "Starters".

My Verdict

Since it had been over a year since I read the first book in this set, Starters, I decided to do a re-read before jumping into Enders so I wouldn't have any problems connecting all the little pieces. However, the author did a good amount of recapping at the beginning so I probably would have been fine without the re-read but it got me back into the world and mindset so I'm still glad I did.

Callie, Tyler, and Michael are finally free from Prime Destination and are living like normal claimed Starters. That is until Callie starts hearing the voice of the Old Man in her head, proving to her that she will never be completely free. This book went in a lot of different directions than I was expecting, it's full of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes!

We get a few new characters this time around, some joining Callie's side, others fighting to bring her down. There's a certain new character I'd like to gush about but you're just going to have to read it for yourselves *que evil laughter* ;)

I think fans of the first book will be happy with where things go in Enders. For those who haven't read the first book yet, what are you waiting for?! While there is only supposed to be two books in the set the ending seemed like the perfect setup for a third. Hey, a girl can dream right? =) 

YA Review: Once We Were by Kat Zhang

Title: Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2)

Author: Kat Zhang

# of Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: September 17th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

"I'm lucky just to be alive"

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

My Verdict  

I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this book at BEA back in June. I hadn't even left Kat Zhangs autograph line yet and I was cracking this puppy open! For the rest of the day, whenever I was waiting in line for something I was reading this book. 

A lot of the time with series, I don't like the sequel, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't like it as much as the first but it's still a great continuation of the story and characters we grew attached to in book one. 

In the first book, Eva was fighting for her voice and slowly learning how to take control of their body. Now Addie & Eva slip in and out of control on a regular basis. Their body is just as much Eva's as it is Addies. Now living as part of the Hybrid resistance, Addie & Eva are starting to learn more about their kind. One of the biggest things they learn is how one of them can "sleep" to give the other privacy. This comes in handy for the romantic aspect of things, allowing Eva and Ryan's relationship to grow. However, it also brings about a whole new set of problems when the girls start keeping secrets from each other about how they're using that time. 

In the first book, I liked Eva a lot more than Addie. This time things completely flip-flopped. Eva was driving me nuts and Addie was the one I agreed with (most of the time). There were a few new characters that joined the picture: Sabine, Christoph, and Cordelia, all of which were well written; I just didn't like them. 

Overall this was a very enjoyable sequel that you don't want to miss!! If you haven't read the first book, WHAT'S LEFT OF ME,  go grab a copy, you'll breeze right through it and be back for this one. 

YA Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Title: What’s Left of Me 
      (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)

Author: Kat Zhang

# Of Pages: 343

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: September 18th 2012

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

My Verdict

I’m so mad at myself for not reading this book as soon as it came out! It’s one of the most unique books I’ve ever read! Debut author, Kat Zhang, brings a fresh new voice to YA literature.

While I wouldn’t really categorize this book as dystopian, it definitely takes place in a very different world, a world where everybody is born with two souls (a dominant soul and a recessive soul).  That is until one of them settles. Settling is when the “recessive” soul fades away. Forever.

It was a little weird at first, getting used to two characters, two very different voices in one body. But soon you get used to it, and become so immersed in this other world that it seems normal. Our main character(s) are Addie and Eva. We see things from both perspectives and hear both girls’ thoughts but I would consider Eva to be the main focus of the story. As the recessive soul who never faded away, we get to see things from her side of things. What it was like to be forgotten and ignored by her own family, everyone except Addie of course.

Every character in this book from main to secondary was so well developed. Even the bad guys you couldn't help but appreciate. I loved Addie, Eva, Hally, Devon, Kitty, and all the characters SO much!

There is a slight romantic aspect to the book; so slight I almost didn’t mention it. With two people in each body you can imagine how awkward that is…

While this is just the start of a brilliant new series the ending was satisfying on it’s own and could be read as a standalone. But trust me, your going to want to read book two. I snagged a copy at BEA and tore right through it!

Book Review: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Onyx (Lux #2)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

# Of Pages: 366

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: August 14^th 2012

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

My Verdict

I almost gave this book four hearts instead of five because there were a few things I didn’t love about it. Then I was thinking, any book that roots you to a chair for eight hours because you can’t pull yourself away to sleep like a normal person, or has you seriously considering driving an hour to the nearest library that has a copy of the third book deserves the full five hearts!

Now down to business, I want to apologize upfront if a few of my details are a little off. I read all three of these book so close together that they have become one big blur in my mind.

It’s funny because Katy & Dameon pretty much switched places for me in this book. In the first one I really liked Katy and hated Dameon. In this one Katy bugged me a good three-quarters of the way through, while Dameon took a total 180 and was super sweet and not 98% jerk Dameon that we met in book one. 

We get introduced to some new characters in book two that bring along some interesting twists and turns I didn’t see coming. We also got to learn more about the Luxen race, their powers, and history, which I really enjoyed. Also, every little comment about book blogging brought a ridiculous smile to my face +D

There is SO much more I want to say but can't without spoilers so my lips are sealed!

Overall, while it got off to a frustrating start it really picked up and easily became my favorite one in the series so far. Bring on book number three! 

Book Review: Num8ers (Book 1) by Rachel Ward

Title: Num8ers: Book 1

Author: Rachel Ward

# Of Pages: 336

Publisher: The Chicken House

Publication Date: February 1, 2010
Level: Young Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Whenever Jem meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die.

Burdened with such an awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. But while they’re waiting to ride the Eye Ferris wheel, Jem notices that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today’s number. Today’s date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem’s world is about to explode.

My Verdict

 I was torn with whether I even wanted to finish reading this book or not. One minute I had decided that I wasn’t going to read it anymore and then I would decide that I wanted to see how things played out. I went back and forth, back and forth the whole book.

  
I was really intrigued by the whole plot of this book. A girl who sees the date someone is going to die whenever she looks into his or her eyes. Why can she see this? What does she do about it? How does she deal with it? I was interested to see what direction the author was going to take with it.

  
The language was my biggest issue here. The amount of F words coming out of these characters mouths made me stop and put the book down on several occasions. There were also a lot of slang words, which I just find hard to follow sometimes.

  
Jem is a very confused character; she is burdened with this unwanted knowledge and doesn’t really know what to do with it. She keeps everyone at a distance, and tries her hardest to avoid eye contact with anybody. I really wasn’t able to connect with Jem at all, I hardly ever agreed with any of the choices that she made, and kept getting mad at her the whole time.

  
As for romance, Jem and Spiders friendship does develop into more of a relationship but it’s a weird one. When Jem decided she liked Spider as more than a friend is beyond me. I felt like she spent most of her time criticizing him and then all of a sudden she decides she’s in love with him. I don’t know it just seemed kind of strained.

 
I wasn’t aware that this book was the first in a series until I had finished. I think my jaw actually hit the floor when I read the last few pages. The ending was so good and so shocking that I did consider reading the next book for about half a second, but then my better judgment kicked in and I decided against it. 

Book Review: Those That Wake by Jesse Karp

Title: Those That Wake
Author: Jesse Karp
# Of Pages: 336
Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books
Publication Date: March 21, 2011
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 1 Heart

Synopsis

(From Barnes&Noble.com)

New York City's spirit has been crushed. People walk the streets with their heads down, withdrawing from one another and into the cold comfort of technology. Teenagers Mal and Laura have grown up in this reality. They've never met. Seemingly, they never will.

But on the same day Mal learns his brother has disappeared, Laura discovers her parents have forgotten her. Both begin a search for their families that leads them to the same truth: someone or something has wiped the teens from the memories of every person they have ever known. Thrown together, Mal and Laura must find common ground as they attempt to reclaim their pasts.

My Verdict

Dystopian is one of my favorite YA genres! One that I've become completely obsessed with over the summer. So when I read the synopsis for Those That Wake I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. A dystopian world plus cool futuristic technology, and memories being erased, what could be better? Or so I thought... this book was a huge disappointment and quite frankly not worth the time it took me to drag myself through all 336 pages.

The setting of a book is a huge part of the story. A well-thought out and well described settings helps draw the reader in, as well as bring the story to life. I feel that setting is even more important in dystopian fiction than anywhere else. The world has to be brilliantly created and described to make it believable. With that being said, I don't think the author spent enough time setting up and describing this futuristic New York City and how it came to be. Except for mentions of a terrorist attack known as "the big black" and the ever looming giant dome that now covers part of the city.
     
I had a really hard time connecting with any of the main characters. Each chapter was written from a different perspective, which made it so that you never really got too deep into the mindset of any one character, instead you got more of an overview, bits and pieces of everyone. When Mal and Laura found themselves in life threatening situations I tried to make myself care, but I honestly couldn't care less weather they survived or not, because I couldn't relate to them on any level.
     
There was quit a bit of science fiction elements to the story as well as dystopian, which really only worked to confuse me so much so that when the book was over I didn't even know what had really happened.
     
I know other people have read and really enjoyed this book. I read some good reviews for it beforehand. I guess those people saw something in it that I apparently did not. I would say don't waste your time with this one; cause you can't get that time back.