REVIEW; Sever (The Chemical Garden #3), by Lauren DeStefano

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance

Recommend: Yes

SPOILERS

Summary:

In a future where a virus means women die at 20 and men at 25, researchers are desperate to discover a cure. As young women are bought to marry and reproduce, in the hope of providing a future, Rhine found herself under the evil rule of her Father-in-Law, Vaughn.

After escaping, she now finds herself back under his control, but seeks refuge with his brother, Reed. Ever desperate to reconnect with her twin brother, Rowan, who is leading the rebellion against the experiments, Rhine will stop at no cost. 

But her brother believes she is dead and Vaughn will stop at nothing to have Rhine under his watch to experiment on. As her husband Linden and sister-wife Cecily stand by Rhine's side, all of them are put into danger as this trilogy wraps up. 

My Thoughts:

I have no idea why, but I've owned this book for about a year before getting round to reading it. 

As soon as I started though, I fell back in love with everything; the characters, the story, the writing. I've read some of the negative reviews already posted, and in some ways I agree but I've still been won over.

Rhine: She can be utterly frustrating at times, e.g. when reunited with Rowan and she doesn't tell him about Vaughn immediately. Or just being a sitting duck but yet she's meant to be so desperate to escape Vaughn... but then again, I'm reading this with the mind of a 20y/o so technically I'd already be dead in this world. She's young, inexperienced, thwarted into this world that's fighting against her and against powers she can't battle. So to those reviewing negatively against her character, I have to disagree. All characters have flaws in some way and Rhine's are simply down to her young age- she is only a teenager at the end of the day. With this in mind, I think all of her unwise (idiotic) choices are justified. Heck, I know I wouldn't function if having been through what she had- I'd have long given up.

Rowan: Right, now this guy- me no like. He has been glorified for 2.5 books and when she finally finds him he is a... douchebag? I expected more of a connection between them and that he'd trust her but he moddlecoddles her and tells her that Vaughn can be trusted and all that rubbish. He's frustratingly thick and he really let down Rhine... She would've been better off without him. Again though, maybe it added to the book that he was a disappointment as it was the story... 

Linden: Hrmmm... Strange guy this one. I admired his care for Rhine but like, he clearly loved Rose but then sort of pawned all this caring nature onto her.He doesn't believe what she says about his dad but then helps her go against him... But, I feel he was sort of trapped. He wasn't the bad guy and only had his dad so wanted to believe the best in him and stand by him, but also saw the suffering of his wives which he wanted to help come to an end. It probably would've been more beneficial to write a little more to express this battle rather than having him just flick back and forth.

Story: I'm in love with this whole story. I thought it was a very unique take on a dystopian world and it was easy to read. Whilst it wasn't a happy world, it wasn't robots and a world of darkness and zombies and the like. I would've loved for Gabriel to have returned a little sooner than when he did, just to have more of a romance between them. At times, it did lull a bit as Rhine decided what she was going to do. But I felt overall it was a great culmination of the trilogy and still had adequate suspense and action to warrant being a stand alone book rather than just an ending. 

Overall: 

I'm sad this series has come to an end but it was a thrill to read. It'll always remain one of my favourite series and I hope people pick up the first one and give it a shot. I love unique ideas and this was definitely a trilogy of originality. The books weren't painstakingly long or boring and I wouldn't change anything. Also, bonus points for probably having the nicest book covers ever!! 

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REVIEW; Savage Run, by E.J. Squires

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: New Adult, Dystopian, Drama

Recommend: Yes

SPOILER FREE

Summary:

Heidi is a 17 year old Laborer, living in Dystopia America. Wanting to escape from her inevitable future of living a life of servitude to an abusive Master, she assumes the identity of a young boy and enters the Savage Run; a range of obstacle courses set to kill where thousands of boys enter in the hopes of surviving and winning freedom. 

Witnessing the murder of her best friend, and her gender being discovered before she enters by the oppressive ruler's son, Heidi realises the gravity of her quest. But she manages to trust him after he indicates traits of rebellion about the whole system, and an unexpected friendship blossoms.

Heidi must battle against obstacles set to kill men, nevermind an undernourished female, and other participants that want to beat her. Heidi finds that no suffering she has endured up to now, has prepared her for her fight for freedom. 

My Thoughts:

I took a break from YA Romance novels and wooooooow! This reminded me why I love Dystopian stories. Although similar to The Hunger Games, it still gripped my attention and was such a good read- completed in the one day!

Characters: Heidi was a great heroine, probably one of my favourites. She's persevered through so many obstacles already in life and still has the courage to attempt to save her friend and risk her life against the odds to make one last fight for freedom. Poor Gemma was clearly run down from her time serving Master Douglas and resigned to her bleak future, exactly what one would imagine the mind would reduce to. Nicholas...ahhhhh. I'd love a side story from his perspective growing up in this new world, living under his father's rule whilst despising it. I loved his subtle actions to help Heidi and give her some tips, without it being too much or over-powering to believe he'd help her. 

Setting: Most futuristic settings written about are depressing and negative, hence it's a dystopian world. I loved how this one was set in America with Europe and Asia as one in the East, as it made it easier to visualise on Earth rather than some fictional land. The classes were well distinguished and interesting to have sectors even within one class. The bits of history all included to give the reader a better concept of how the world became what it is really helped make it believable and realistic. 

Plot: Apart from being furiously upset that the book ended - aaaaagghhhh - the plot was so gripping! One could argue it's relatively predictable but I don't believe overly so. The obstacles were intriguing and how Heidi had to face battling and defeating them and how they did tackle the body and mind. I don't care if people brand this as jumping on the Dystopian band wagon as this still had a lot of originality and deserves its own recognition and praise.

Overall:

I can't recommend this enough to everyone. It's a definite new series favourite that I can't wait to continue. The pacing and plot were so captivating and inviting and to finish a book in less than 12 hours should be reflective of how much it sucks you in!

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TOP 5; Young Adult Paranormal Series

Continuing with a post of my Top 5, I have my favourite series that fall under Young Adult Paranormal. Again, I haven't listed them in an exact order preference as they all have their perks!

1. Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires #1), by Rachel Caine | ★★★★★

"From the author of the popular Weather Warden series comes the debut of an exciting new series set in Morganville, Texas, where you would be well advised to avoid being out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. Will she be able to face the town's terror or will she drown like everyone else?"

I remember picking this book because the cover was glow in the dark (different version) and it sounded fairly interesting- but oh I was hooked so quickly. I love Rachel Caine's writing style and immediately fell for all of the characters. There's such a good dichotomy of love and chaos and the story is all through Claire's POV. The town of Morganville is built so strongly in description and remains vivid throughout the series. Ending usually with cliffhangers after a whirlwind of action and drama, you'll be hooked from the start.

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2. Wither (The Chemical Garden #1), by Lauren DeStefano | ★★★★★

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. 

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape - before her time runs out?

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

I'm not a huge fan of Dystopian novels that portray a negative future but I love these so much. Whilst it's not really paranormal, this series depicts such an interesting concept where humans have much shorter life spans. The first book is a great introduction and a mix of love and drama and fast-paced action with a great load of suspense. I still have the final novel to look forward to and have passed this series on to so many friends that have thoroughly enjoyed it.

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3. Evermore (The Immortals #1), by Alyson Noel | ★★★★★

After a horrible accident claims the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact to suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school — but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Damen is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head - wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can peer straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea just who he really is - or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him. 

I read this series a good few years ago, but it was definitely one that I loved and impatiently awaited the next installment. Ever is such an interesting and captivating character and the reader immediately falls in love with her world. Damen is also such a great book boyfriend and their love story is one of my favourites. There's plenty of heartache and drama but the whole series is so endearing. 

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4. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin | ★★★★☆

Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can. 

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. 
There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. 
She's wrong

I read the first installment last summer and can't wait to read the next ones. This was such an original story and one of my favourites yet. Mara can kill with the power of thought but suffers from this infliction.There's a subtle romance present but it's also quite a dark story without being disturbing. It has everything you want in a novel and even older adults would enjoy it. Read my full review for this book here.

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5. Blue Bloods (#1), by Melissa de la Cruz | ★★★★☆

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society. 

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think, but she wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?

This series is best described as a paranormal Gossip Girl style. I can't remember too much in detail as I read these so long ago but it was around the Twilight era and they were definitely superior. The vampire take is original and interesting and it has your usual YA genres intertwined and a great inclusion of suspense and mystery. Would definitely encourage anyone who likes vampire/paranormal novels to give this a go.

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REVIEW; Insanity, by Cameron Jace

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Genre: Thriller, Fantasy, Young Adult

Recommend: Yes/No

SPOILERS

Summary:

Alice Wonder is a patient in Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum after murdering her classmates, including her boyfriend. Locked up with only her flower as company, she dreams of escape and attempts to trick the guards in an effort to run away. Her family believe she is insane but Alice is given a chance to prove her sanity when another patient takes an interest in her. Professor Caterpillar convinces Alice that she is the real Alice from Wonderland and that she is needed to help him. There is a mass killer on the loose, going by the name of the Cheshire Cat and according to the Professor, only Alice can help him catch the monster and in doing so find the real Wonderland. Alice is allowed out of the Asylum to pose as a student as she helps decode the clues and edge closer to catching the killer and saving lives.

My Thoughts:
I was really intrigued by the blurb of this novel and it sounded like exactly my type of mind-bender novel... however, unfortunately I just didn't 'get' it and DNF'ed at 51%. It really takes a lot for me to give up on a book but when I've been attempting to get through it after a few weeks and it's a struggle to pick up, I can't ignore them signs. 

I loved the start/introduction of the whole story. The writing appeared to be quirky and Alice was an intriguing character. 

Overall, the whole plot/story seemed rushed and just stitched together in a haphazard way that I couldn't follow. I expected this to be a mental challenge but it seemed too bonkers for me. I just lost interest and got frustrated at it. I couldn't engage properly with any of the conversations between the characters and it left me feeling like they had no depth or substance to them. 

I found Pillar's involvement with Alice and how everything occurred after she agreed to help him, just unbelievable and disjointed. I don't mean unbelievable in a realistic way as this is a Fantasy novel but their interactions just didn't come off as sound and the circumstances/events that are created just didn't fit with how the novel began. 

I give one star simply for the beginning of the novel as it really set my hopes high and was captivating but unfortunately it got too crazy as I went on and I just couldn't continue. It may be a novel I'll return to in a few months to give another try as it has got such great ratings. 

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REVIEW: Transcendent Tales-Volume II, by Adam Train

Rating: ★★★★☆

Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian,

(spoiler free review)

Individual Review & Summary:

1. Final Tide - ★★★★☆
This story was set in Atlantis and an interesting opener to this series of novellas. It centers around the inhabitants deciding what to do when faced with a threat that could ruin their civilisation. I enjoyed this story but felt it was a little short, would have liked it to continue a bit further.

2. High-Side - ★★★★★
This was probably my favourite story. It would make for a brilliant gripping novel if there was more story to be told. Set in a dystopian future, the main character, High-Side, is given an order to carry out. He soon realises the delivery he must complete is extremely high-risk and involves more than he thought. The characters were strong and had a depth to them. I really loved Flor and her ignorance to her situation. Really just loved the whole concept of this story. 

3. The Legends of Skoll- The Wildman - ★★★★☆
A young boy seeks out help from Skoll and Bhalu to come back to his village and help defeat the Wildman, a beast that has been attacking their town. This story started off a little slow and took a while to grip my interest, but it definitely improved and the ending was great. 

4. Prisoner of Hakai - ★★★★★
Set in a prison where Arden is about to be executed in a world where aliens rule the Earth. These aliens worship the Light, and rule with their dogmatic beliefs so when Arden opposes these he is  punished with death. I enjoyed this and it would be my second favourite. The story of the Hakai was interesting and the general plot and idea of the story was clever and gripping.

5. War Chief - ★★★☆☆
Akhutai Khan is escaping from the evil Zenzorthus when he is hiding and spies on another creature; a magnificent green female named Natal. He returns to her home and begins his new life like he never imagined. Not too sure about this one, I lost interest in the story after he met Natal and went back with her and expected the story to be completely different. 

6. Mystery of Grey Rock Canyon - ★★★☆☆
A little difficult to summarise but it involves an "explorer" of sorts in the future, wandering around the named Canyon and explaining his discoveries and experiences. A decent story but one of complete description. Think the ending was a little sudden but held my interest until the end nonetheless. 

7. The Treaty of Nine (Part 2) - ★★★★☆
Reading the first part I loved the setting of this immediately. Set on Mars, in a future where other planets are habitable and wars have broken out over the occupancy and ownership of such planets. The Treaty of Nine is devised to halt further discrepancy. Part 2 follows the main character of Eon and his friend Gregan. When a threat arises that could tear apart what the treaty has built, Eon is summoned to help fight against the rising threat. This was a good all-rounded story, a few bits seemed a bit lacking but overall had action and suspense and an interesting take on a futuristic setting. 


Overall Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend this series of novellas to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy/sci-fi. All stories were well written and the characters were so diverse and different. From a mix of aliens to creatures to humans, each story was completely unique. The writing style was well crafted and I enjoyed the phrasing and descriptions of possible mundane scenes, but eloquently portrayed. 

Thank you to Adam Train for providing me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!