Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Divergent #3) ★★☆☆☆ The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. I’ve been looking forward to this book’s release for months. I love the Divergent series and recommend it to everyone. But I feel like even two stars is generous for Allegiant. I was really disappointed with it; Roth’s world-building just completely fell apart, the believability of Tris’ world suffered, and the ending just sucked. SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT The main part of the plot seemed really disconnected from the first two books, for starters. The Bureau for Genetic Welfare and the whole idea of “damaged” genes was really hard for me to believe. The science behind it is pretty shaky, and it was a totally different direction from where the books were going at the end of Insurgent. It’s like Roth panicked and changed her mind at the last second, then scrambled to make it connect. There were also a lot of plot points that seemed thrown in or unnecessary, like Uriah’s death. Just to injure him in the attack would have been enough, and his death was glanced over. In the past two books, when a character’s death was barely noted, it was always because they were in the middle of a battle and there was no time to grieve, but there was no such excuse for Uriah. Not to mention the ending. There was absolutely no reason for Roth to kill Tris. Her death was unnecessary and I hated the way Roth handled it, almost glancing over it until Tobias is told. I could rant on for hours about this, but I won’t. I’ll just say that I think killing Tris was the worst decision Roth could have made. Overall I almost hated Allegiant. If Roth had ended it better, without killing Tris and then tying things in a pretty bow, it might have been okay. It still would have been a strange turn for the series, but the ending just ruined it, and nearly ruins the whole series for me. My advice is not to read it and pretend Tris’ story stopped at Insurgent.
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The Maze Runner by James Dashner ★★★★☆ When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind. I liked this book for the fact that it was different from other dystopias. The concept of being stuck in a maze with grievous monsters and no memories is pretty unique and I thought it was done well. The beginning of the book bothered me like hell, since I had no idea what was going on and no one seemed forthcoming with information, but at the same time it was brilliant of Dashner to write it that way, as I’m sure Thomas didn’t like it much either. Once I got a feel for what was happening, I started to enjoy the book much more. Some of the characters, like Gally, seemed very one-sided, but overall they were written well. I thought Thomas and Teresa’s characters were written especially well and that all of the Gladers seemed human. The final chapter threw me for a loop, and I’ll definitely be reading the next book in the series. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2) ★★★★★ One choice can transform you, or destroy you. Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. I love this series. Roth’s worldbuilding is incredibly detailed and thought through. Her characters are intoxicating and vibrant. The premise of the story is unique, and well done. I hate saying this - but I love who Roth decides to kill. Not because I wanted them to die, or they were minor characters. God knows I nearly dropped the book every time a character bit it. But in real life, war is messy, and the people you want to survive it don’t always make it. I like that Roth keeps it realistic that way, and she lets Tris deal with their deaths realistically. The ending of the book was a little confusing, but then again there’s a third book set to be released, so I hold out hope that my questions will be answered. I can’t wait to read the third book in the trilogy. UnWholly by Neil Shusterman (Unwind #2) ★★★★★ Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simultaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished. Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself. Most sequels to great books contract Second Book Syndrome. They lack the depth and character of the first books, aren’t plotted as well, or aren’t really needed. Needless to say, I was a little worried that UnWholly wouldn’t live up to its predecessor. But my doubt was squashed as soon as I started reading. If anything, UnWholly is even more thought-provoking and developed than Unwind. Whereas Unwindtackled the idea of death, UnWholly tackles the idea of life. While Conor, Lev, and Risa are running for their lives from the Juvey cops and harvest camps, you have to ask if unwinding is really death or just a ‘divided state’ and if unwinding is ethical or not. In the continuation of their story, those questions are still relevant, but you also have to ask if Cam is even alive, if he has a soul, if he’s a new person or not. Just as rife with philosophy, plot twists, and incredible writing as ever, UnWholly makes a fantastic addition to the Unwind trilogy. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #1) ★★★★☆ Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters. Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for - again. Ever since Twilight came out and sparked a whole new interest in vampire books, I’ve been a little wary of the genre. But The Immortal Rules is wonderfully not Twilight. I love Kagawa’s vamps. They’re a cool new spin on traditional Dracula-types, and the fact that she added in the vampire cities and Rabids makes her world that much more complete. The vampire cities are eerie and scarily real-feeling. The Rabids, post-human monsters with no thoughts other than to destroy, just scare the shit out of me. For all I like about Kagawa’s beautifully combined paranormal dystopia, I wish I knew a little more about Allison. She seems to adjust to vampirism pretty quickly; I want to know if she’s conflicted about being ‘alive’ as a vamp, or if she simply accepts it as how life is now. Still, Kagawa managed to stay remarkably real in her story - from the way Stick reacts to Allie to the pilgrims looking for Eden to the humans’ reactions to being put under vampire rule. I will definitely be continuing this series. Unwind by Neil Shusterman (Unwind #1) ★★★★★ The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not important enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive. On the surface, Unwind is a fast-paced adventure story, kids running for their lives. And when you stop to think about why they’re running for their lives, it throws you for a loop. When I first read Unwind, I didn’t want to believe that such a world could exist, but either because Shusterman thought of every detail in creating this world, or because it was so believable, I felt like I was living in that world. The ideas behind the book are also big issues in society today. Shusterman’s characters live and breathe right next to you, pulling you into their wild escape. You will bite your nails in suspense and your breath will catch at every turn with Unwind. I highly recommend it; this is probably my favorite dystopian series. What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang ★★★☆☆ 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. I really liked the idea behind this book, and I was really curious to see how the author would pull it off. And I think she did remarkably well telling the story of two people sharing one body. My problem with this book is that it’s not very exciting. In certain parts, I was definitely on the edge of my seat. But for the most part, it seemed almost passive. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good book, however. What’s Left of Me won’t be making its way into my favorites, but it was still an enjoyable read with an interesting premise. Starters by Lissa Price ★★★☆☆ Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie’s only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie’s head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator’s grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations’ plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined… I read Starters for a book club, and I’m curious to see what everyone else thought of it. The premise of the book is interesting, and the book itself isn’t half bad. One of the few problems I have with it is the Enders living to be so old that 150 is “young.” New, advanced technology of the future will lengthen lifespans by definition, but I find it a little hard to believe they’d lengthen them by that much. The other problem I have with Starters is that it’s never really defined when the book takes place. There’s incredible technology - such as the machines used to put the Enders in charge of Starter bodies - but cars are also still a common sight. This is mostly just me being picky; it might not matter to some people. It should be noted that despite a few bumps in the road, Starters was a pretty good read. Callie’s life on the street was gritty and real, and I felt for her. The portrayal of Prime and its workers as cunning and devious is done very well. Overall the book was a satisfying dystopia that was very well put together. I plan to read the sequel. Across the Universe by Beth Revis ★★★★☆ Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends - and planet - behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed’s scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber. Someone tried to murder her. Now, Amy is caught inside a tiny world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed’s 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest’s rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead. Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen a life outside the ship’s cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlockGodspeed’s hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again. This book fascinates me. Beth Revis has managed to create an entire new world, complex and tangible. She’s done an amazing job. One of the best things about this book is the pacing; nothing is revealed too quickly. Revis kept me in suspense, wondering what would happen, but she also didn’t take so long to reveal Godspeed’s secrets that it was frustrating. Plus there were some major plot twists I wasn’t expecting that kept things interesting. The other great thing about this book is the love story between Elder and Amy. Which is to say, it’s not the main part of the book. Across the Universe is a science fiction book that actually has to do with science, thank god. The love story is like a little bonus, not overdone and developing realistically. The main focus of the book is the secretive, tyrannical nature of the ship and the mystery of the dead frozens. Revis kept me captivated throughout the entire book. Every chapter either uncovered a secret or revealed something about a character, or, in a more uneventful chapter, just made me think about the raw emotion in the book. Amy is trapped on the spaceship, fifty years from planet-landing and seeing her parents again. SPOILERS: There's one thing I should caution you about. A good chunk of the middle of the book is taken up with the “Season” - the ship’s passengers’ mating season. This includes a rape scene, and even though Amy escapes, it could be potentially triggering. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld ★☆☆☆☆ 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. To be honest, I’m not totally sure how I feel about Uglies. I’m not really a fan, though. I think my biggest problem with this book was that it seemed a bit all over the place. There’s this issue and then there’s this and how about another issue - hey wait we have to get back to the first one, now on to a fifth. That might be a little dramatic. But Uglies didn’t seem very well thought-out to me. For one thing, we get to the beef of the problem halfway through the book. There are plenty of storylines where you don’t find out just how bad things are until later in the book - and most of them I’m fine with. The only reason I have a problem with it in Uglies is because without that detail, it doesn’t make much sense. I don’t agree with a society where normal people are ugly and people call each other Squint or Fatty - but I also don’t see a huge problem with making people prettier. If it’s done against people’s will, then there’s a problem, but it seems like most everyone in Tally’s world wants to be pretty. It’s not until much later in the book that we find out being pretty is much more than having big eyes. And the creepy government people don’t really get explained until later, either. I still liked Uglies - I’m glad I read it - but it just didn’t make me very excited. I didn’t really get drawn in, and it took me forever to finish reading it; it wasn’t a page-turner. I feel like there are a lot of stories out there with the same basic plotline that are executed much better. But feel free to disagree with me. |
Once Upon a Time...As a longtime lover of stories and a believer in the power and magic of books, I've spent my life seeking out the best reads. This blog is dedicated to reviewing the books I read - good, bad, or magnificent - to help other readers find their next favorite books. Currently ReadingKing Zeno
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