Tabula Rasa (ARC Review)

Tabula Rasa | Kristen Lippert-Martin

Published by: Egmont USA, September 23rd 2014

Genre: YA, Thriller, Science fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Ebook

Source: Egmont USA, via Edelweiss

The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this heart-pounding debut.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah has a rare chance at a new life. Or so the doctors tell her. She’s been undergoing a cutting-edge procedure that will render her a tabula rasa—a blank slate. Memory by memory her troubled past is being taken away.

But when her final surgery is interrupted and a team of elite soldiers invades the isolated hospital under cover of a massive blizzard, her fresh start could be her end. 

Navigating familiar halls that have become a dangerous maze with the help of a teen computer hacker who's trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, Sarah starts to piece together who she is and why someone would want her erased. And she won’t be silenced again.

A high-stakes thriller featuring a non-stop race for survival and a smart heroine who will risk everything, Tabula Rasa is, in short, unforgettable.

This was my thought after the first 50%: Holy crap! An Egmont USA book I actually like??? Woah. Thought there'd only ever be one of those (Human.4) but I've been pleasantly surprised.

This was my thought after the last 50%: Holy crap. That was the shittiest thriller I've read in my life. 0 thrills.

Tabula Rasa and I got off to a good start. I enjoyed the isolated, ominous hospital (at first) and I was intrigued by a lot of things. Why was Sarah there, what was the purpose of the hospital, who was helping her, what the heck do her green eyes mean?

(the green eyes mean Fuck All. I'm so pissed)

My favourite part of this book was the yurt. Yurts are just cool, and very rarely utilised in YA. But Tabula Rasa had a yurt and it was cool, but it lasted about three chapters. I started to dislike this book pretty much after it left the yurt. Here's what went down:

A borderline tolerant romance sprung up. The guy seemed at parts obsessed with her and at others bland. That was all I got from his personality. Something bad about pills and brain things? Gum would fill her brain? I GOT CONFUSED. They went back into the hospital, and very little happened. The unneeded addition of a bunch of army guys, who were clearly only added to be killed off. Should've made Sarah tough it out by herself instead. I got even more bored. Something about a madman and a crane? A villain who was dishwater dull.

Here's what was good: The writing is non-offensive, the main character isn't too infuriating, ... there's a yurt? 

(Katniss-esqe character MY ASS. Basically you mean she's a girl. A girl character. Must be Katniss. I don't even like THG that much, but if you suggest your character's gonna pack a punch, be true)

It wasn't an awful book, but it did get really tedious around halfway. If you're looking for a proper thriller, I'd pass on this one.

Characters ★★☆☆☆

Setting/world building ★★★☆☆

Writing Style ★★★☆☆☆

Reading round up (43)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week. I am so tired this week.

8th September

Currently reading: Scarlet | Marissa Meyer

Current page/percent: page 242

Read today: 242 pages

Thoughts: This was pretty good at the beginning but now it's AWESOME. I am thoroughly in love with Wolf and I'm breezing through this book.

9th September

Currently reading: Scarlet | Marissa Meyer

Current page/percent: page 452

Read today: 210 pages

Thoughts: That was AWESOME. I love Wolf and Scarlet my babies.

10th September

I started The Fall by Bethany Griffin (42%) and while I like how the storytelling flips between years of the protag's life, this is pretty trippy and weird and confusing. I get that it's supposed to be like that but ... I don't know if I like it.

11th September

Currently reading: The Fall by Bethany Griffin

Current page/percent: 100%

Read today: 58%

Thoughts: I flew through this on Pure Determination. I was only about 40% interested in the story. I like the tone and atmosphere but the story and the characters ... nah.

12th September

Started Darkest Mercy, the last Wicked Lovely book because I think I'm finally emotionally ready. This book is so short, though, for a final book and it's making me nervy. And I've read 188 pages of it in one day. It's not long enough!!

13th September

Finished Darkest Mercy (139 pages) and there wasn't enough book for my liking. It felt like the second half of a book but without the build up. I also vaguely started Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (6%).

14th September

Currently reading: Snow Like Ashes | Sarah Raasch

Current page/percent: 21%

Read today: 16%

Thoughts: I literally can't get over the named. Oktuber. I MEAN!!!

Books finished this week: 3

(I'm reading too much and getting no work done. Dammit.)

The Lost Locket of Lahari | Various

I enjoyed Erica Crouch's Madly, Deeply and I've been meaning to read Ruth Silver's books for what feels like forever, so I of course jumped on this. Not sure about the cover, though. There's something squinty about that font and the acid yellow.

The Walled City | Ryan Graudin

I requested this AGES ago and I just got approved. I'm a little bitter (since I have a tonne to review next month) but still excited to read it.

I have three deadlines this week and I'm exhausted and I quit being an author.

Also I went to Skipton castle and it was huge and medieval and fancy. Here's a picture of me stood in the chapel, insulting my stupid phone camera for not working :)

And last but very much not least - REMEMBER MEEEE FOR CENTURIIIIES. I'm so excited about this new song. 

Autumn challenges update

Is it really the last quarter of the year? Already? I hate this season - limbo season. It feels like 2014 is almost over, but it's not 2015 yet. I even know which challenges and reading aspects I'm going to focus on next year, even though it's still months away. Damn, limbo season.

Aaaanyway here's how I'm doing:

Bingos

Still got a way to go with this but I'm optimistic. I can do this.

Three left! Three left! Three left!

Personal challenges

I wanted to read 85 novels, and I've read 54. I don't know whether I'm on track because I suck at working out percentages and stuff but I'm impressed at myself. I've almost read as many books as all of 2013 and we're only in September!!

AND to further big up myself, I'm above and beyond my short stories/novellas goal. Hell yes, go me.

In the genre challenges I set to myself, which was to read 25 dystopian novels and 10 sci-fi, I have completed the science fiction one. I severely overestimated how many dystopian books I'd be reading this year. Should've aimed for ten. Ah well, I'm extra happy to have met my goal for the sci-fi books!!

General stats

Books read as of 14/9: 54

Did not finish: 12

Series started: 19

Series completed: 7

Favourite so far: Daughter of Smoke & Bone series / Illusions of Fate / The Assassin's Curse duology

Least favourite so far: The Blood List / Tabula Rasa

If you'd like to see a full list of what I've read, that's here.

So how about you - are you taking any reading challenges this year? Have you completed any?

~Saruuh

Scarlet (Review)

The Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet | Marissa Meyer

Published by: Puffin, February 7th 2013

Genre: YA, Science Fiction

Pages: 452

Format: Paperback

Source: Bought

This is not the fairytale you remember.

But it’s one you won’t forget.

Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

I could easily sum up my experience reading this book in one photo:

But I wanna talk about my feeelings a little. 

For me Scarlet had everything Cinder lacked, that extra magic, the sparkle of chemistry between the two characters, the betrayal. Everything. It also did it much better, in my opinion. Or maybe I just love Scarlet and Wolf more than Cinder and Kai, who knows?

Scarlet's story hooked me in much quicker than Cinder's did, and I was warming to her within a couple pages which is extremely rare for me. One of the main things I liked was that we were introduced to the love interest in the first chapter. No building up to it, no waiting around wondering, nothing dragged out. It was awesome. I was so gripped by their story that I read it in two days. I liked Cinder and Thorne's parts too, and was happy to see the return of Iko, but there was something just gripping and enchanting about Scarlet and Wolf. Possibly it's because I LOVE little red cap.

I LOVE the characters in this book. I love Scarlet because she's so determined to find her grandmother and she will not back down for anything. I love Wolf because he's so timid yet vicious and I like how quickly he can flip between the two. Mood swings bro, I getchu. I also loved them together, from the first moment, even without the instalove, even when they were pretty wary of each other. This book is a miracle, basically.

And it broke my heart. Several times. And I'm on the rampage, so I need a tiny break before I read Cress and run out of this series for a whole fricking year. (That release date for Winter's gotta be wrong, right? right???) I am SO not ready for my bb Kai being manipulated, oh hell no.

To sum: HELL YES.

(I was so tempted to give this book the favourites badge, and I probably would had it been just Scarlet and Wolf, but Cinder kinda flattened this book the slightest bit.)

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing Style ★★★☆☆

Cover reveal: Where The Staircase Ends, by Stacy Stokes

Where The Staircase Ends | Stacy Stokes

Expected April 2015 from Month9Books

After her best friend orchestrates the lie that destroys her reputation, Taylor wants more than anything to disappear from her life. But when an accident turns this unspoken wish into reality, instead of an angel-filled afterlife, Taylor must climb a seemingly endless staircase into the sky.

Instead of going up, the journey plunges her into the past. As she unravels the mystery behind her friend’s betrayal, she must face the truth about life and find the strength to forgive the unforgivable -- unless the staircase breaks her first.

About the author:

  

Stacy Stokes attended the University of Texas at Austin and The Wharton School of Business.  She grew up in Dallas, TX, and currently lives in San Francisco with her husband.  WHERE THE STAIRCASE ENDS is her first novel.

Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter 

International giveaway:

One (1) digital copy of Where the Staircase Ends by Stacy Stokes

Open Internationally

Winner will be drawn September 19, 2014

Winners will receive their book on release day

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