Review: Mortality by Kellie Sheridan

Title: Mortality
Series: The Hitchhiker Strain
Placement in Series: Book one.
Author: Kellie Sheridan
Format: e-galley

Quick Synopsis:

The first book in the Hitchhiker Strain series, Mortality tells the story of what happens when a virus wipes out most of the population, turning humans into zombies. It is told from two very different perspectives. We are first introduced to Savannah, who is living in her school with what is left of her community. The virus has already wiped out the city, and those who survived are doing whatever they can to fight back against the new strain of zombies - ones who seem to be capable of intelligent thought. When Savannah and her friends are sent on a mission for medical supplies, their 'camp' is attacked my a zombie hoarde, forcing the four teens to track down their friends, families, and neighbours. Zarah's story starts from the beginning, showing how the zombie strain began, separating her from everyone she loves. She and her school crush are surviving on their own until they hear of a cure, and seek it out, only to be separated (and I will leave it at that because spoilers). Savannah's and Zarah's stories intertwine as they both seek out the rumoured new cure to the virus.

My Thoughts:

This book is seriously amazing. It really drew me in right from the start. The POV switch worked really well as the stories of Zarah and Savannah slowly (but greatly paced) intersected. I did not realize how attached I was to the characters until the spoilery spoiler spoils I will not detail because spoilers. ;)

Savannah's story took up a good chunk of the book as she and her friends fight zombies, track down their community, and are separated a few times. I really enjoyed her character; Savannah is first introduced to us when she is bored of being stuck in the school, and wants to put her training to use. She is a very strong character with incredible loyalty to her friends. What drives her throughout the book is her attempt to find and save one of her friends. Though she could be incredibly impulsive, I really admired her determination and her focus. She never allowed herself to be swayed from what she wanted. She stuck to her plan, even if it went against what her companion wanted.

Zarah's story was equally interesting. I don't want to talk too much about hers, because it is very spoilery. Her character was great as well, though. She was not as impulsive or as kick-butt as Savannah, but when things got tough, she did everything she could to fight against forces out of her control. I really felt for her, and felt myself drawn to her story slightly more than Savannah's. Her story took a turn I did not expect, and I commend the author for the direction Mortality went towards the end. It was amazing, and very well-executed! I'm intrigued to see where book two takes us.

Definitely a book I would recommend! Especially if the whole apocalyptic/ zombie/ virus strain medley of genres is something you enjoy. Lots of suspense and action in this one, and the pacing and writing was fantastic! I look forward to reading the second Hitchhiker Strain book!

Fun fact: Mortality is a self-published book by a new Canadian author, which I found out after I read the book. So, bonus!
Thank you to Kellie Sheridan and Netgalley for providing me with an e-galley for review.

Rating: 
5/5 - Full of suspense, adventure, and action. The well-executed ending twist and cliffhanger has me looking forward to the sequel!
Recommended for anyone who loves post-apocalyptics - especially the zombie/virus types.

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You can visit Kellie Sheridan's website here.

Buy the e-book and paperback of Mortality on Amazon here or the Kobo e-book here.

Blog Tour Stop: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau -- A Review & Giveaway!

Be sure to check out the other stops of the tour for exclusive interviews, guest posts, and more!
Blog tour hosted by Vade Mecum Blog Tours.

June 3 Nick's Book Blog (author interview)

June 4 Little Library Muse (review)

June 5 Bookworms' Avenue (guest post)

June 6 Literary Meanderings (author interview)

June 7 Court Reads and Reviews (review)

June 8 Ink Skies (review)

June 9 Drugs Called Books (guest post)

Title: The Testing
Series: The Testing
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Placement in Series: 1/3
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Format: e-galley
Blurb:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Watch the trailer:

About the Author

Joelle Charbonneau began telling stories as an opera singer, but these days she finds her voice through writing. She lives near Chicago with her husband and son and when she isn’t writing, works as an acting and vocal coach.

Connect with Joelle Charbonneau

Joelle's Twitter

Her Website

Joelle on Goodreads

Review:

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
Sorry, I had to get that out. But it's true. I loved every second of The Testing - so much that once I got halfway I stayed up until 4am so I could finish it. I just could not stand putting it down without knowing what was going to happen.
Things start out innocent enough in The Testing. Malencia Vale (Cia) is looking forward to her graduation because a) it means she is an adult, and b) she is hoping to get chosen for The Testing. When graduation comes by and no announcement is made, Cia is disappointed. No one from her colony was chosen. But then later that night a Testing official shows up and Cia finds out that she is, in fact, chosen for The Testing, as well as three of her other classmates - one being Tomas, the charismatic, good-looking, and smartest guy in her class. She is ecstatic. But then her father warns her to be careful. He too was chosen for The Testing when he graduated, and though he does not remember anything that happened before he entered the University, he tells her of the dreams that have haunted him ever since. And so Cia joins her three other classmates to journey to where they will take The Testing, with only a single bag for her belongings and her father's cautioning words to carry with her.
The book doesn't keep us waiting for any action or suspense - things begin to escalate rather quickly from there, and we along with Cia begin to learn just what is up with The Testing. Our first hint is when one of Cia's classmates chosen for The Testing asks what happens if she doesn't want to go. The consequence for refuses to take The Testing? It is strongly hinted that it is death. And things don't stop there. Bad things begin to happen at The Testing, and if it weren't for the fact that I was reading the first half of the book only on my breaks at work, I probably would have read it all in one night. I was pulled into Cia's world, into her mind, worrying with her throughout the story. What terror would happen next? Would she make it through The Testing? What happens to those who fail? For over a hundred students are chosen from different colonies for The Testing, but only twenty or so are chosen to attend the University. Nothing is clear for Cia, nor for the reader.
The book delivers incredible suspense and is full of mystery. I don't think there was one part of Cia's Testing that I was sure she would make it through. I tried rooting for Cia and for those she trusted, but I was too busy biting my nails and trying not to skip ahead to make sure all would end up well!
Fans of The Hunger Games, the Divergent series, and The Maze Runner trilogy will love this book. It is full of survival-based adventure, mystery, and so many twists and variables that you cannot possibly know what will happen next. As for Cia? She is right up there with Katniss, Thomas, and Tris. She has to pull out all the stops and use everything she knows to get to where she wants to go, and when it comes to her survival, it's her gut and core instincts she has to trust. Her choices are admirable, and her loyalty strong. I am anxious to read what happens next (we readers are left with quite a cliff-hanger, folks!) You won't want to wait for the sequel, that's for sure!

Rating: Solid 5/5
Recommended for: Anyone who loved The Hunger Games/Divergent/The Maze Runner and post-apocalyptics and dystopians in general. You'll want to get this one in your hands if you haven't already!

Check out the sidebar for a link to the FREE copy of the prequel, watch the book trailer, and more!

Fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter a giveaway for your chance to win 1 of 7 copies of The Testing!

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It's Monday! What are You Reading? (4)

(It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly blog meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Each Monday participating blogs post about which books we are currently reading and our reading plans for the week. You can sign up at Book Journey by clicking here)

Last week I finished:

Homo by Michael Harris - It was not one I planned ahead to read, but I wanted to give it a try. Contemporaries are not my favourite genre; they need fabulous writing and a kicking plot line to keep me interested, or a twist (some fantasy/sci-fi element that makes them not 100% contemporary). Homo was an LGBT contemporary that I neither liked nor disliked. It was good and I did enjoy reading it, I just felt like not much happened. I really prefer to have my contemporaries include a second non-contemp genre, and with the lack of depth in characters and plot, I found it okay. I gave it 3/5 on Goodreads. It had enough to keep me reading; never once did I want to stop reading, so that's something.

I guess that's all I read last week.
I have less than 100 pages left in Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

And I tried to read Natural Born Angel (Immortal City #2) by Scott Speer, but I just couldn't do it, guys. I don't want to bash the book, but if you want to know why I had to stop 50 pages in when I usually force myself to read even the worst books (especially if it's in the middle of a series), you can see what I wrote on Goodreads here.


This week I am reading:

Scrap (netgalley e-arc) by Emory Harplin
Blurb:
On the brutal streets of Hellip, a village in the vast empire of the cruel King Ibis, you either become good at running from the king’s Blackcoats or you die. This is the lesson that twelve-year-old Tucker Scrap, abandoned as an infant among the orphans of Hellip, learned early. Along with her friends Ash and Kally, Tucker spends her time keeping one step ahead of the unjust laws, stealing what she needs to survive, and pondering her own unknown origins—and those of the enchanted bracelet with which she was found... (click for full description)

I love fantasy, so I'm already loving Scrap. I like the way Emily Harplin writes, and I already love the character Ash, who I've only just met in the novel (which frightens me because the blurb says he disappears *cries*). Excited to see where it goes!

Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin
Blurb:
THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas's life. Until that world starts to crumble.

NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy?... (click for full description)

I've realised I cannot read two books of similar genres at once or I will get them mixed up, so I've chosen to read a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/contemporary (can it still be classified as contemp if the time travel is between the '80's and the post-apocalyptic future? haha).


I realise last week I was reading Jennifer L. Armentrout's Opal (Lux #3) but have not included it in the above. I have less than 100 pages left to read and hope to finish it the night I am writing this post (Sunday night) so I don't want to say I'm reading it if I finish it and I don't want to say I've finished if I don't manage to read it tonight. Consider me "unofficially" finished.


So how about you guys? What are you reading this week?
And if you've read any of the above (specifically Yesterday since it's already out), let me know what you thought of them (holding back the spoilers, of course). :)

Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #8

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly blogger meme started by Breaking the Spine. If you want to check this meme out at its origin and particpate, just click here.

I have seen arcs of this lovely floating around the bloggersphere, and it is the book I am anxiously waiting on this week.

Title: Prodigy
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend

Blurb:

June and Day make their way to Las Vegas where they join the rebel Patriot group and become involved in an assassination plot against the Elector in hopes of saving the Republic.

The blurb is small for this one, but I could not be more excited! Legend is one of my favourites that I have read this year, so I cannot wait to read the sequel.

Fun Fact: It was originally titled 'Patriot'

Prodigy is due out on January 29th, 2013. I will certainly be visiting the bookstore that day to get my hands on a copy.

Wishlist Wednesday #1

Wishlist Wednesday is a blogger meme hosted at Pen to Paper where bloggers feature the books on their wishlists. You can join in on the hop over at Pen to Paper's blog by clicking here.

This is my first Wishlist Wednesday and I am very excited to be participating. I know I'm posting this late, so I apologise for that, but better late than never, right? Moving on...
I will most likely be alternating between this and Waiting On Wednesday.


One book that has been on my to-read list for a while is Eve by Anna Carey:

Blurb:

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Hopefully I can pick this one (and the sequel) up soon. The third book in the Eve series is due out at the beginning of April, 2013.

If you've already read this book, let me know what you think! But no spoilers, please!

Mini Review: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

If Destroy Me does not make you sympathize with Warner, I honestly don't think you actually read it.

Title: Destroy Me
Series: Shatter Me trilogy
Placement in Series: 1.5
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Rating: 5/5

Blurb:

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

This novella was so perfect. So needed. If you read the Shatter Me series, you need to read this novella. It is not an option. This book is so integral to the plot that it cannot be set aside. To me, it's book 2. And Unravel Me will be book 3.

In Destroy Me we get a much bigger picture of everything that is going on. We get to see how the Reestablishment functions. We get to see so much more than Juliet could show us; even more than Adam could show us. We really get an insider's view of how the post-apocalyptic world Tahereh Mafi created functions and who runs it. And we get to see inside Warner's head.

I don't want to spoil anything, so if you haven't read Destroy Me yet, go do that now. It's an e-novella. And probably on Tuesday I will be doing a follow-up review in video format which will be full of spoilers because I need to talk about this book.
Brilliant.

Waiting on Wednesday #7

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly blogger meme started by Breaking the Spine. If you want to check this meme out at its origin and particpate, just click here.

I know I haven't been updating lately, and I apologise deeply for that. Been really busy, but I'm going to post this because I'd hate to miss a week! Please bear with me, guys.

This week I am waiting on the final installment of the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie.

Blurb:

Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the "New York Times" bestselling Matched Trilogy After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising--and each other--Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again. In this gripping conclusion to the #1 "New York Times" bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

Reached comes out November 13th of this year (2012 for any of you who are time-travelling). AND I CANNOT WAIT. I love Ally Condie's writing style, and I cannot wait to find out what happens in this book. There are so many ends that need to be tied up and though I have my theories, I cannot wait to see how Ally Condie ties up this trilogy.

So what are you guys waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #5

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly blogger meme started by Breaking the Spine. If you want to check this meme out at its origin and particpate, just click here.

You've read my review on Marissa Meyer's Cinder (and if not, you should check that out here, because the book was fantastic!), so this week's W.o.W should come as no surprise. This week I am waiting on Scarlet, book number two in The Lunar Chronicles.

Blurb:
Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

I am very curious to see how the story of Little Red Riding Hood will be incorporated, and am anxious to find out what happens next in Cinder's story.
Scarlet is due out in bookstores February 5th, 2013. So there is a bit of a wait, but luckily there are some other great books to occupy ourselves with, right? (I know, I know. That doesn't make it any less painful)

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Series: Lunar Chronicles
Author: Marissa Meyer
Blurb: Goodreads Description
Rating: 5/5

Review:

I had been on the fence about reading this book for a while before I finally caved and bought it from the book store. Honestly, I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as did. I had always been curious about it because I love reading different takes on fairy tales, and Cinder is very loosely based off of the classic tale of Cinderella.

What always kept me from purchasing Cinder was the cyborg element. Sci-fi has never really been my thing, and while the blurb intrigued me, I was never sure if I was intrigued enough. I had people recommending this book to me left and right, and once I picked it up, I beat myself up for not reading this bit of genius sooner.

The story was just so captivating that I was never bored. A plague? A post-apocalyptic world? A snarky main character who I fell in love with instantly? A classic tale spun into a unique plot? Check, check, check, and check! This book is one that will forever sit on my favourites list. Right from when I started reading it I knew it would be a five star read for me, and not once did anything change my mind.

The characters are amazing. Kai, especially, caught my eye. Not just because he is the love interest and we're supposed to adore him, but because there was so much depth in his character. This story is told at a time where everything in his life is going wrong. We get to see just how Kai handles everything as it hits rock bottom. And he is not perfect. I think his reactions to everything towards the end of the book shoot his potential perfection in the foot. It was really refreshing to read such an interesting character, and it was great that Kai was not the only one.

Cinder has to be my favourite character of the books. Yes, she is the main character and that is probably to be expected, but it is usually the secondary characters that I fall in love with more. But I wanted Cinder to be my best friend. I am rooting for her in ways I have never rooted for a main character before. I am on her side. I want to physically injure every character who says something cruel to her. I feel so much for this character. Cinder drew me in and she's kept me. I need to know the rest of her story. And I need everything to go right for her in the end. She has lost so much, and she deserves the very best, because even when people were bringing her down, she stood up to them. She is determined, snarky, and a wonderful character. I loved reading her. Cinder has to be my favourite character that I have read so far this year, and I have read a lot of books this year. She's just a favourite and I am very attached.

And of course while characters are important and all, there are other important elements to a story that need to be paid some respect. The plot in this book? Outstanding. Seriously. I mean, the 5/5 says it all. I loved this plot. And I am looking forward to the next books in this series. I am very curious as to see how other fairy tales will play a part.

Now before I spoil anything, I just have to say this: if you aren't a sci-fi fan, or a fairy tale fan, or a post-apocalyptic fan, I still recommend this book. Borrow it from a friend or your local library and give it a read. It just might surprise you as it did me. It was not the genres that drew me into this story, but the characters and the plot. Amazing read. I don't even know what else to say that wouldn't bring me into a full scale fangirling rant that would be full of spoilers.

Brilliant. I adored this book. I have to wait until February for the next? Ahhh!

Review: Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

(Note: The above cover is not from the original first edition, but the cover on the copy I purchased and now own)

Title: Uglies, Pretties, Specials
Series:  Uglies series
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Goodreads Link: Goodreads Description
Rating: 3.5/5

Review:

(Note: This review may contain spoilers. If you want nothing spoiled, please skip to the bottom for my spoiler-free summary of the review)

 So Westerfeld's Uglies series was one highly recommended to me. Naturally, I had to read it asap. The premise of the plot is what pulled me in: a society where at the age of sixteen you can get surgery to look 'pretty' just like everyone else. My first thought was 'Oh my goodness, that is just horrible! No one should be made to feel ugly, but this society is making everyone feel ugly until they turn sixteen'. Imagine living almost a quarter of your life thinking you were ugly and there was no way to improve your looks except with surgery at age sixteen. That in itself fascinated me, and I wanted to know exactly how Scott Westerfeld's story would play out.


 To be honest, I'm still a little confused as to the point of it all, because I was expecting Tally, the protagonist, to realise that looks aren't everything. After reading Uglies I figured that she would in the end, but the books took the story on a completely different track. And honestly, I'm not sure if I even enjoyed them after reading Uglies. Sure, the society was interesting to read about and Scott Westerfeld described it amazingly. It was very interesting learning about all of the technology and how the Rusties (basically, us) were killing the earth with all of our expansion -- a point, by the way, that I'm glad he brought up and dealt with, since (***major spoiler alert. Scroll away now***)  in the end, Tally and David went around protecting the wild from possibly city expansion. But let's not be too spoilery now.


I enjoyed the first book most in this series. In the beginning, it was interesting seeing how much Tally wanted to become a Pretty. I'm really glad she was not a character who already rejected the whole idea and was not rebellious from the get go, because this way we get to see the way this society had corrupted people's minds. When we met Shay I instantly loved her. She was fun and I thought she would be the one to make Tally see the light (that looks aren't everything). Of course Tally is unsure right away, but keeps her friend's secret -- that is until the government comes after her hoping she will lead them to Shay and The Smoke. Then Tally takes the deal (betray her friend and lead Dr. Cable to The Smoke), since all she wanted was to become a Pretty. As I expected, Tally got used to the idea of living out in the wilds, and even found a love interest who began to show her that being 'ugly' wasn't a bad thing. It's the person inside of you that matters. Finally, I thought. Let's get this story on a roll. But of course, things went wrong, and I won't go into detail, but things get very interesting. I really like David (Tally's love interest) because of all that he teaches Tally. He is probably the most refreshing character in these books, and the only one I actually can stand. That's not to say that I hated everyone else, though.


A bomb gets dropped on us by David's mother which reveals the true reason this post-apocalyptic series contains a dystopian society. Again, spoiler ahead. Readers, beware. It turns out, when sixteen year olds get their Pretty operation, their brains are also modified with lesions that control their mind. People aren't under complete mind-control, but they do lose a part of themselves and basically become all the same, all with the same 'bubbly' personality. The new pretties, for example, spend their days and nights partying and sleeping with no adult supervision. And they don't really need it since their minds have been configured to work the way the government wants them to. This is what really got the inner plot going, and I thought Hey, cool. So finally I get the plot of this series. Tally and David and Shay will most likely work together to bring down Special Circumstances and remove the lesions from everyone's brains and teach everyone that looks aren't everything. I was partly right.


But then Tally gets captured. And then she gets turned into a pretty. And then she's against the Smoke. And then we see what her life is like as a Pretty. Honestly, after Uglies I was not a huge fan of what was going on, so I'll keep this bit short. I felt a lot of what happened in Pretties was dull. And when at the end Tally gets captured again and we start off Specials with her pretty much in the same place as we started Pretties (with her separated from David and the Smoke on the side of Special Circumstances), I got really annoyed. The plot took us in a complete circle, and still hadn't begun to explain how Tally was able to get past the lesions on her brain. She was able to bring herself out of her 'Pretty' mind, but we never learned how that was possible. Why was Tally able to do that and no one else? That was an end left untied that really bothered me.
Another thing that bothered me about this series is that in the end, Tally still thought looks were important and was still revolted by David's 'ugly' that she couldn't be with him in a relationship anymore. The only thing that had changed about Tally was she became more stuck up and arrogant. I was really disappointed that in the end she didn't realise that it's a person's personality that mattered. I thought these books would have that as its moral, but I was very wrong. Disappointing.


Also in the end I could not stand Shay. Or Tally. If I had not been determined to finish this series and hoped they would change, I might not even have stuck it out. It really kills a book for me if I dislike most of the characters. But the world Westerfeld created is what kept me reading.


*No major spoilers whatsoever at this point of the review. If you scrolled down from the warning at the start of the review, hi! This part of the review is safe to read, I promise.*


So for me, I could not really get past how Tally still thought 'pretty/special' people were better than the 'uglies'. However, I read the entire series and it was an okay read. It was full of a lot of action and adventure (at least in the second half of most books), and the society that Westerfeld built is certainly interesting to read about. What with all of the technology already being created nowadays to improve one's appearance, I think this society is completely plausible. I could see this happening. I just wish there was a moral to the story Westerfeld tells, or at least one to appeal to teenagers and young adults. It would improve my overall opinion of the books, that's for sure.


I will not be reviewing Extras, because I did not enjoy it at all. Why? I'll give my simple answer: I saw absolutely no point to the story told in Extras. It could have been a series on its own, perhaps, relating to the world created in the Uglies series. But you could honestly read Uglies, Pretties, and Specials and never read Extras and you won't miss anything.








I know that a lot of people loved this series, and I wish I enjoyed it as much. Tell me, if you liked it more than I did, what was it that you enjoyed?
If you didn't really enjoy it, share your thoughts! I'd love to discuss this series with you.
Share your thoughts in the comments :)

Review: Blood Red Road

Title: Blood Red Road
Series: Dustlands
Author: Moira Young
Goodreads Link: Goodreads Description
Rating: 3.5/5

Warning: Minor spoilers below.

I am going to start this off by saying that I did enjoy this book. However, it took me until about halfway through to do so. The reason why was not because the plot was not interesting until later, but because of the use of poor grammar and spelling. I understand that Moira Young used that as a tool to emphasize the characters' lack of an education, and it was an interesting tool to use. For me, however, it made it difficult to get through, because I'm a stickler for proper spelling and grammar. The lack of quotation marks was sometimes confusing, as sometimes I had to think about where the quotation began if it was included in a paragraph with narration.

Towards the end of the book, I realised the lack of quotation marks helped me pick out each character's 'voice', meaning I was able to say "Okay, that part is Saba's narration, and this is Jack beginning to speak here". I was able to train myself to see the difference between each character's way of speaking, which was actually pretty cool towards the end.

However, the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading. This book is not one of my favourites, but it was enjoyable. We are told the story from Saba's point of view and see everything through her eyes. I felt that at sometimes, the way Saba was, I did not get a full feel for the other characters, but that also could have been because I was so focused on trying to ignore the grammar that I missed her initial descriptions of each character. It may take me a second or third read for me to truly appreciate this story.

Do I recommend this book? If you can put up with the grammar and spelling issues, then go for it! Saba tells an interesting story, and the post-apocalyptic land Moira Young created is certainly intriguing.

Am I looking forward to the rest of the series? Ask me again after I re-read this book; I'm still digesting it. It left off in a way that I could be satisfied not knowing anymore (meaning no huge cliffhanger), but I did read the second book's synopsis and am intrigued as to what happens next. We'll see.

(Also, can I just point out that I love the hardcover edition's cover [seen above] a lot better than the paperback's and others that I have seen. I hope the next books don't all follow the paperback's theme of a cover)