Review: Blight

Blight | Alexandra Duncan

Published by: Greenwillow Books, May 30th 2017

Genre: YA, Dystopia, Science Fiction

Pages: 528

Format: Ebook

Source: Greenwillow, via Edelweiss

Seventeen-year-old Tempest Torres has lived on the AgraStar farm north of Atlanta since she was found outside the gates at the age of five. Now she’s part of the security force guarding the fence and watching for scavengers—people who would rather steal genetically engineered food from the company than work for it. When a group of such rebels accidentally sets off an explosion in the research compound, it releases into the air a blight that kills every living thing in its path—including humans. With blight-resistant seeds in her pocket, Tempest teams up with a scavenger boy named Alder and runs for help. But when they finally arrive at AgraStar headquarters, they discover that there’s an even bigger plot behind the blight—and it’s up to them to stop it from happening again. A fast-paced action-adventure story that is Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake meets Nancy Farmer’s House of the Scorpion.

I thought I would love this more. As it was, I did like it, and there were parts that really drew me in, but overall I just didn't have that holycrapthisisawesome moment I did in Salvage. Which makes me kinda sad. But there's still some awesome bits:

- AgraCorp is SO COOL. In a totalitarian, never wanting to get involved with them kinda way. They are such a compelling, dynamic threat, and I wanted to delve deeper into their gritty agriculture, army world. Which was why I was a bit frustrated to detour into the shiny, glitzy bits of the world.

- I liked the main characters, their utter differences in upbringing and personality.

- No romance, if you're into that thing!!!

- There's so much to this world that works, from the soldiers to the farming to the blight which was quite frankly horrifying (but I REALLY REALLY wish we'd seen more of that in the second half because it just kinda ... vanished.)

- There's so many secrets in this, especially revolving around Tempest's family, and those actually managed to shock me. I'd JUST started to suspect when the huge plot twist was thrown down but I only saw a tiny part of it coming not the Giant Shock. This worked so well.

-The first half was SO GOOD, the second half ... meh. I lost a bit of interest, to be honest, and there's so many bits of the world I wanted to explore that I was disappointed when the book just didn't go there

-I wanted a big showdown with AgraCorp in the end, that final battle between the old Tempest and the new, but instead it was a fight with a gang which ... eh, it was cool but I still wanted her to fight AgraCorp.

Overall: a really unique, interesting take on the future.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★☆☆

Review: The Tiger's Watch

Ashes of Gold: The Tiger's Watch | Julia Ember

Published by: Harmony Ink Press, August 22nd 2017

Genre: YA, Fantasy, LGBT+

Pages: 400

Format: Ebook

Source: Harmony Ink Press, via Netgalley

Sixteen-year-old Tashi has spent their life training as a inhabitor, a soldier who spies and kills using a bonded animal. When the capital falls after a brutal siege, Tashi flees to a remote monastery to hide. But the invading army turns the monastery into a hospital, and Tashi catches the eye of Xian, the regiment’s fearless young commander.

Tashi spies on Xian’s every move. In front of his men, Xian seems dangerous, even sadistic, but Tashi discovers a more vulnerable side of the enemy commander—a side that draws them to Xian.

When their spying unveils that everything they’ve been taught is a lie, Tashi faces an impossible choice: save their country or the boy they’re growing to love. Though Tashi grapples with their decision, their volatile bonded tiger doesn't question her allegiances. Katala slaughters Xian’s soldiers, leading the enemy to hunt her. But an inhabitor’s bond to their animal is for life—if Katala dies, so will Tashi.

This is the second book I've read by Julia Ember, so I knew it was gonna be good, but this was SO much better than I even predicted.

I pretty much loved this from page one. It starts with action and throws you right into the world and danger, and I connected with Tashi, the main character, instantly, along with her bonded tiger (who is an adorable killing machine and I want her to be my bestie.) There's so much I loved in this book, from the setting (a monastery!) to the cast of characters (ranging from people soul bonded with animals via magic to monks to invading soldiers) to Tashi, our non-binary hero, to the story itself. I blew through the book, and was at 75% in the space of a blink, I was so absorbed reading it. I even ... felt really bad for the villain (maybe villain? I'm hopeful for him redeeming himself because that boy has serious secrets.)

I honestly CANNOT wait until the next book. There's so much this series can do and so many places it can go, and I know I'm gonna love it.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: Moonrise

Moonrise | Sarah Crossan

Published by: Bloomsbury Children's, September 7th 2017

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Poetry

Pages: 400

Format: Ebook

Source: Bloomsbury, via Netgalley

'They think I hurt someone. 
But I didn't. You hear?
Coz people are gonna be telling you
all kinds of lies.
I need you to know the truth.'

Joe hasn't seen his brother for ten years, and it's for the most brutal of reasons. Ed is on death row.

But now Ed's execution date has been set, and Joe is determined to spend those last weeks with him, no matter what other people think ...

From one-time winner and two-time Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sarah Crossan, this poignant, stirring, huge-hearted novel asks big questions. What value do you place on life? What can you forgive? And just how do you say goodbye?

This book was so sad. I expected it to be full of grief but it was just SO sad and lonesome. The premise itself was really unique and interesting and just heartbreaking, with the main character's brother on death row. But he was so alone throughout much of this and that really came through the poetry and the language. I like how the book wasn't a hundred percent about Joe's brother, that there were elements of life outside that, and there was a bit of a romance but not too much to detract from the heart of the book. My only niggle is I wanted justice for Ed, wanted the killer to answer for the crime, but I still like the ending. 

This book is so pure and sad and honest that it hurts.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Monthly Round Up (16)

Monthly round up is a journal where I record my reading progress each month.

What I've read this month:

What did you read this month? Leave a comment!

~Saruuh

Review: Girl Against The Universe

Girl Against The Universe | Paula Stokes

Published by: HarperTeen, May 17th 2016

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mental Illness

Pages: 400

Format: Ebook

Source: Publisher, via Edelweiss

From the author of The Art of Lainey and Liars, Inc. comes a fresh, contemporary story about a girl coping with PTSD and the boy who wants to help her move on from the past.

Sixteen-year-old Maguire knows the universe is against her. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when she's around. Like that time the roller coaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or the time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash--and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch. 

Despite what her therapist tells her, Maguire thinks it's best to hide out in her room, far away from anyone she might accidentally hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star who wants to help her break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for him is to stay away, but it turns out staying away might be harder than she thought.

I knew I was going to love this but I didn't guess HOW MUCH I'd love it. This book was pretty much made for me - tennis, romance, and anxiety? Yes to all this in one book. I waited way too long read it though and I wish I'd read it last year because I love it so much. Honestly this whole book is perfect, from the tennis to the characters and family life (I loved her step-dad) and the friendships in this. My favourite bits were of Jordy, the love interest who is so real and messed up and lovely that I fell for him so hard. And I really loved the main character and her recovery, how messy and raw it was for her to face her fears and move past them. This is just written so well, especially the therapy. I'm so glad I read it. I wish it was longer though - I wasn't ready to say goodbye to this book.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆