Dust Jacket Reviews

14 January 2015

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Review)

Mara Dyer: The Retribution of Mara Dyer | Michelle Hodkin

Published by: Simon & Schuster, November 6th 2014

Genre: YA, Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction

Pages: 464

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

It had to end sometime, but Mara had no idea it would end like this. Experience the mind-blowing conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy.

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived.

I knew this book was going to ruin me, and I wasn't wrong. From the beginning it is brutal and bloody and full of action and impossible-to-make decisions. Mara Dyer's journey takes her out of the morally grey and into the black as she stops at nothing to find Noah and the answers about what she is. I thoroughly loved this book. It is a genuine thriller, with emotional highs and lows that gave me whiplash, and plot twists abound. Not to mention it held out on me for so long before giving me Noah. I genuinely thought he was dead and we'd never see him again at one point. And don't even get me started about the ending. The romance near about offed me, the friendships made me happy and frustrated all at once, and the goddamn plot - I almost had about twenty heart attacks. Thank God for the happy ending. I have been broken and remade by this awful, stupid book, and I will never forget it.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★★

12 January 2015

Reading round up (60)

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.

In The After (DNF Review)

The Darkest Minds

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (reread review on Goodreads)

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (scheduled for Wednesday)

7 January 2015

The Darkest Minds (Review)

The Darkest Minds: The Darkest Minds | Alexandra Bracken

Published by: Disney Hyperion, December 18th 2012

Genre: YA, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 488

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

You know those books that everyone loves and you really want to love too but don't expect to? Yeah, that's me and The Darkest Minds. But wait! *angels appear in the sky and begin their chorus* I FREAKING LOVED IT!!

The Darkest Minds is proper old school dystopia. There are work camps, segregation, prejudices against a minority group by society on the whole, and a faceless organisation as the villain. If you're anything like me, you LOVE dystopias like this. It just feels more genuine, more grounded in real history, and more likely to actually happen. Dystopias like this are harrowing and terrifying and ruthless - and The Darkest Minds is one of the best I've read in years.

The story revolves around Ruby, a girl kept apart from society in a labor camp like all the other kids her age - the ones that survived a deadly disease and were left with abilities like mind control, electrokinesis, telekinesis. When Ruby is broken out of her camp, she ends up joining a trio of kids that are on the run from their own camp and in search of a utopian haven, and a whole heck of dangerous shenanigans ensue.

It's your standard dystopia, but there's so much about it that stands out. The characters are awesome, for one. Ruby is shy and quiet and small, in and of herself. I like her evolution throughout the story, and can't actually wait to see how she'll progress. She's pretty tough, but completely ordinary despite her power. She could easily be your best friend or your neighbour or cousin. She doesn't feel fictional at all. The other characters as much the same, and I loved all of them. Minus Clancy, who I will violently beat to death with a rusted pole :)! Not to mention the relationships are just so heartwarming (thus, with the potential to be heartbreaking) to read and experience. Throw away your emotions, basically.

In short: an outstanding dystopia with hyper-real characters who will tear our your heart.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

6 January 2015

In The After (DNF Review)

In The After: In The After | Demitria Lunetta

Published by: HarperTeen, June 25th 2013

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

Pages: 455

Format: Ebook

Source: Purchased

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

I'm clearly missing something, because I didn't like this book whatsoever. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, the aliens were ENTIRELY unimaginative, and the plot predictable. I had the same problems with this that I had with Earthfall - flat writing, flat characters, disinteresting story. This just wasn't for me at all.

DNF at 32%

5 January 2015

Reading round up (59)

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.

The Wizard's Promise

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (reread review on GR)

The Darkest Minds (review scheduled for Wednesday!)

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14 January 2015

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Review)

12 January 2015

Reading round up (60)

7 January 2015

The Darkest Minds (Review)

6 January 2015

In The After (DNF Review)

5 January 2015

Reading round up (59)