Category: Dystopian

YA in Mini-Reviews

December 26, 2014 Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Thriller, Young Adult 4 ★★★★★

YA in Mini-ReviewsTitle: Mortal Heart
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:five-stars

20522640Like the previous two books in this series, I loved Mortal Heart. The premise of assassin nuns was obviously awesome from the very beginning and the writing is beautiful, but what I think makes these books so perfect is the world building and character growth. As in the previous two books, the main character has lived through some difficult times and isn’t quite comfortable with who she is. She’s also questioning her faith, particularly her role serving the god of death. As Kelley points out in her review at Oh, The Books!, part of the reason this series is successful is because the author makes you feel for the main character. I also particularly love that at the end of every book the author has managed to surprise me with new information about the mythology of the world she’s created. Seeing this wonderfully creative mythology intersect with the main character getting a happy ending is something I’ve found enjoyable and heart-warming in each of her books. They always leave me smiling. Thanks to Christina at You Book Me All Night Long for the giveaway of this great book!
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Soundbites About Divergent

December 21, 2013 Dystopian, Fiction, Young Adult 12

17466044Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Narrators: Emma Galvin
Rating (Story): ★★☆☆☆
Rating (Narration):★★★★★

In the world of Divergent, society is divided into five factions, each of which prize a particular virtue (intelligence, bravery, etc.). At age 16, children must choose which faction to belong to and changing factions means leaving all friends and family behind. Tris’s choice to leave the selfless faction for Dauntless is brutally hard and she has a secret to hide which will make things even harder. Read more »

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Into The Fire

November 23, 2013 Dystopian, Fiction, Young Adult 7

17281667Title: Into The Fire
Author:  Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Summary: I loved the world building, believable characters, and constant action. This is shaping up to be a great series!

Into The Fire is the sequel to After The Ending (which is currently on sale on amazon for only $.99 by the way!) and picks up right where the previous book left off. The world has basically come to a halt due to a virus and two friends, Dani and Zoe, are trying to survive with everything changing. Strange new abilities, people gone mad, and crazy government conspiracies are just a few of the exciting elements of this great series.
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The Immortal Rules

October 11, 2013 Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction 2

10215349Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Source: giveaway from Me and Reading
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Summary: Everything about this book was perfect, from the unique protagonist to the great writing and world building to the lack of annoying cliches.

Allison Sekemoto is an unregistered human, surviving on the fringes of society rather than be periodically drained by the vampires who rule her city. Until one night she dies and is forced to become one of the monsters she hates if she wants to survive. Fleeing from the city, she ends up with a band of humans searching through the rabid-infested wilderness for a cure that might not even exist. Read more »

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The Handmaid’s Tale

September 21, 2013 Classics, Dystopian, Fiction 13

38447Title: The Handmaid’s Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Source: library
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: The writing was truly fantastic but the plot was slow and the ending was unsatisfying.

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now… (Source: Goodreads) Read more »

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The Woodlands

September 20, 2013 Dystopian, Fiction, Young Adult 1

The-Woodlands-CoverTitle: The Woodlands
Author: Lauren Nicolle Taylor
Source: from publisher for Juniper Grove book tour
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: Although it includes many cliched dystopian elements, this book has a flavor all it’s own and gets lots of points for avoiding the more annoying cliches.

The dictatorial rulers of The Woodlands, known as The Superiors, believe that diversity is the enemy of peace. Disobedience is punished swiftly and violently. Day by day The Superiors are usurping more control over the lives of the citizens, dictating the careers they can have; how many children they are allowed; and who they can marry. Rosa has always been different and her uniqueness will eventually land her in trouble she might not be able to get out of.

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Bookends About Fragments

June 30, 2013 Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction 0

13170596Title: Fragments
Author: Dan Wells
Source: library
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: I still loved the writing and the characters, but the plot suffered from some serious middle-of-a-trilogy lag.

In the first book of this series, Kira discovered that a race of manufactured super humans called the Partials contain the cure to the disease that has been ravaging the human race. Unfortunately, the Partials are facing their own imminent demise, fueling suspicion and prejudices that are pushing humans and Partials closer to another war. In order to bring the sides together, Kira needs to learn more about why they were designed the way they are. She also desperately wants to know what her unique blend of human and partial characteristics make her. Read more »

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The Registry

June 12, 2013 Dystopian, Fiction, Uncategorized, Young Adult 5

theregistryTitle: The Registry
Author: Shannon Stoker
Source: from publisher for TLC book tour
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: A respectable addition to the dystopian craze, well written with an interesting premise and great character development.

In a dystopian America, women are listed in the registry where they are auctioned off as brides when they turn 18. Boys are considered worthless and often thrown out to survive on their own between school and mandatory military service. Unsurprisingly, not all the men produced by this brutal system are men a girl would want to be married to, as Mia finds out from her married older sister. Sheltered as Mia is, escape will be difficult even with the help of a better educated friend and a boy working as a farm hand. Especially once the ruthless man who wanted to buy her discovers she’s run away. Read more »

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Bookends About The Uglies Quartet

April 22, 2012 Dystopian, Fiction, Young Adult 1

I’ve wanted to read the Uglies quartet for years, ever since they showed up on my little sister’s shelves.  The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic society where all of humanity is gathered into a few independent cities.  In every city, when citizens reach their 16th birthday they undergo a surgery to change them from “uglies” into super-model gorgeous “pretties”.  There is, of course, a catch.  Both the catch and most of the other plot points were quite predictable, although the motivations of those in charge surprised me;  I just don’t feel like they got enough out of it.  But the idea was novel and I appreciated that.  The world was also very well developed and the details of the procedure by which people became pretty were fleshed out enough to make it very believable. Read more »

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